Universal Set of Principles in the Field of Accounting Essay

Introduction A principle is defined as a rule, or even an idea that forms the basis of deciding what is wrong and what is right in context to our actions. As opposed to principles, we all have our own personal practices and traditions, which determine our behavior in the society. These practices are determined from our culture, society, ancestors, experiences and religion etc. But since we live in a world where every person has their own set of practices and traditions, we cannot expect to live the way we want and this is where rules and principles come in. The very foundations of any principle are built upon its underlying morals, ethics and laws, which are expected to be accepted universally (Chippendale, 2001). A society may have its†¦show more content†¦The paper then evaluates International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) attempts to develop a conceptual framework and the current state. In the final section I will discuss and reflect upon the evidence presented to support the topic of this essay along with a conclusion of facts and ideas presented. The need for a conceptual framework As we can understand from above that one person’s principle cannot necessarily be another one’s too; there needs to be an independent body, which can produce universally acceptable principles to resolve matters systematically and uniformly. When we talk about the introduction of a universal set of principles in the field of accounting, it was the famous stock crash of 1929, which wreaked havoc in the financial markets around the globe and created a situation where the need for generally accepted accounting principles was felt the most! (Lawrence et al, 1993). The resulting economic downturn, which lasted until 1939, was one of the gravest depressions ever recorded in the history and a lack of universal accounting standards was blamed to be one of the reasons for over valuation of stocks and overtrading. Although the depression arose in the United States but output losses, deflation and job cuts were observed all over the globe (Romer, 2003). Between these times the acc ounting profession started to promote the idea of independent audits andShow MoreRelatedHow Ethics Is Important For Business Environment1563 Words   |  7 Pages Ethics is a system of moral principles and standards that direct us to the behavior that is acceptable from the society. It is a combination of our good habits, our duties that we should accomplish, and the impression we leave on others based on our behavior. 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The World Of The Holocaust - 3420 Words

The Holocaust (Ancient Greek word for: a sacrifice completely burnt on the altar) also known as the Shoah (Hebrew word for: which specifically denotes the Nazi effort to annihilate the Jew, â€Å"catastrophic†), was the methodical, administrative, state-sponsored persecution of the murder of six million Jewish People, between 30th January 1933 to 8th May 1945. This annihilation was initiated by the members of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party and its collaborators who seized power in 1933. The Nazis believed in the doctrine of racial superiority, that Germany were â€Å"racially superior† and that the Jews, deemed â€Å"inferior†. During this era of the Shoah, Nazi Germany also targeted other groups of their supposed â€Å"racial inferiority†: Gypsies, the†¦show more content†¦Within months of Hitler becoming chancellor, he introduced a law that allowed compulsory sterilisation to those people with physical or mental disabilities where they wer e legally forced to have an operation to stop then from having children. In total 400 000 were sterilised and approximately 5000 people died. On top of this 70 000 were killed under the ‘T4’ euthanasia program, the Germans first program of mass murder, preceding the genocide of the European Jewry. Eventually the Nazis gradually restricted the rights of the German Jewish citizens where Anti-Semitism and Eugenics (a pseudoscience that aims to ‘improve’ the human gene pool) combined in Germany racial policies. This violence continued against the Jewish people and sought to remove all Jews from the government, where Nazi followers were encouraged to commit acts of violence and destruction against Jews and their property. The laws also limited the number of Jewish students allowed in public schools, many were banned from public places, and Jewish officers were expelled from the army, and transferred ownership of many of the Jewish business to non-Jewish Germans . Similar Nazi obligations were also pressed on other groups like the Romani people and from 1936 they were forced into internment camps. As Hitler’s policies began to take hold, many Jewish People (and Germans), refused to believe the reality of what was occurring around them. Some people left Germany, including the famous

Contingency theory free essay sample

Contingency theory is a class of behavioral theory that claims that there is no best way to organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the optimal course of action is contingent (dependent) upon the internal and external situation. A contingent leader effectively applies their own style of leadership to the right situation. In contingency theory of leadership, the success of the leader is a function of various contingencies in the form of subordinate, task, and/or group variables. The effectiveness of a given pattern of leader behavior is contingent upon the demands imposed by the situation. These theories stress using different styles of leadership appropriate to the needs created by different organizational situations. No single contingency theory has been postulated. Some of the theories Systems Theory: the transdisciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence. We will write a custom essay sample on Contingency theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities, and the (usually mathematical) models which can be used to describe them. Systems theory was proposed in the 1940s by the biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy (: General Systems Theory, 1968), and furthered by Ross Ashby (Introduction to Cybernetics, 1956). von Bertalanffy was both reacting agaInst reductionism and attempting to revive the unity of science. He emphasized that real systems are open to, and interact with, their environments, and that they can acquire qualitatively new properties through emergence, resulting in continual evolution. Rather than reducing an entity (e. g. the human body) to the properties of its parts or elements (e. g. organs or cells), systems theory focuses on the arrangement of and relations between the parts which connect them into a whole (cf. holism). This particular organization determines a system, which is independent of the concrete substance of the elements (e. g. particles, cells, transistors, people, etc). Thus, the same concepts and principles of organization underlie the different disciplines (physics, biology, technology, sociology, etc. ), providing a basis for their unification. Systems concepts include: system-environment boundary, input, output, process, state, hierarchy, goal-directedness, and information. The developments of systems theory are diverse (Klir, Facets of Systems Science, 1991), including conceptual foundations and philosophy (e. g. the philosophies of Bunge, Bahm and Laszlo); mathematical modeling and information theory (e. g. the work of Mesarovic and Klir); and practical applications. Mathematical systems theory arose from the development of isomorphies between the models of electrical circuits and other systems. Applications include engineering, computing, ecology, management, and family psychotherapy. Systems analysis, developed independently of systems theory, applies systems principles to aid a decisIon-maker with problems of identifying, reconstructing, optimizing, and controlling a system (usually a socio-technical organization), while taking into account multiple objectives, constraints and resources. It aims to specify possible courses of action, together with their risks, costs and benefits. Systems theory is closely connected to cybernetics, and also to system dynamics, which models changes in a network of coupled variables (e. g. the world dynamics models of Jay Forrester and the Club of Rome). Related ideas are used in the emerging sciences of complexity, studying self-organization and heterogeneous networks of interacting actors, and associated domains such as far-from-equilibrium thermodynamics, chaotic dynamics, artificial life, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and computer modeling and simulation.

Power of Children in the Tourism Industry

Introduction Across the world, tourism is a major economic activity, which contributes significantly to the economic growth of many countries that have tourist attractions. Since people are social beings, they like travelling to various tourism destinations as tourists.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Children in the Tourism Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since routine schedules of workplace and businesses are boring, people use tourism as a means of rejuvenating, gaining motivation, and reflecting about their lives. Over the recent past, tourism has experienced outstanding changes in terms of consumers and their preferences. One of the main entrants into the tourism and hospitality market is the set of consumers that comprise of families and young children. As opposed to the past, where fathers made major decisions concerning holiday destinations, mothers and children are now active participa nts in decision-making and even have the power to influence the choice of destinations that families visit during holidays. Therefore, the essay describes the families as potential consumers of tourism products and cites the influence that children have in choosing tourism destinations. Influence of Children in Holiday Decision Making Children are part of the family and make up an influential segment of decision makers in the family and thus they participate actively in decision-making. Remarkably, the number of families that visit tourist destinations and hospitality facilities has risen over the recent past to a significant level. The rising demand for tourism and hospitality products that cater for the needs of families has led to shifts and adjustments in various establishments, which provide tourism and hospitality products in the quest to meet family expectations.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wit h 15% OFF Learn More Some of the ways that children affect the decisions that families make on holiday destinations include their preferences, purchasing decision, buying behaviours, choice of locations, accommodations, activities, and influences from their peers. According to Blichfeldt et al. (2010), children have varied preferences in terms of location and activities, as well as the types of products that they like consuming. These differences usually determine the holiday choices of parents since they have to consider the differences when making decision about holiday destinations. Purchasing decisions and buying behaviours of children are different from that of adults. As opposed to adults, who do not engage in impulse buying, children tend to purchase various products irrespective of the holiday budget. Additionally, children love products such as snacks and games, which may not be in the set of adult preferences. Due to the existing differences in buying patterns and behaviours, families decide holiday destinations to visit based on the differences. Several hospitality and tourism establishments are currently aligning their services so that they can provide services that do not only meet requirements of adults, but also satisfy the needs of children (Kang, Hsu, Wolfe 2003). The alignment of services by hospitality and tourism facilities happens because children are currently among the major consumers of tourism products. The influence of children in families has compelled several families to visit those destinations that offer services, which match the desires of both adults and children. Children influence the choice of locations, accommodation facilities, and the type of activities that families engage in during the holiday. The influence that children exert transpires because of the diverse tastes, likes, and dislikes of adults and children.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Children in the Tourism Industry spe cifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Families that are on holidays usually try to ensure that each individual in the family enjoys the holiday. Therefore, families prefer visiting a destination that has the facilities, which satisfy adult and child requirements. Theme parks, arboretums and other tourism facilities and establishments, which offer services such as face painting and bouncing castles, make up the main types of destinations that families prefer visiting. Conversely, destinations that only meet requirements of adults receive several adults as opposed to families. Philips, Canter, and Abbott (2011) argue that the numbers of hotels that provide family facilities are increasing in several tourism and hospitality establishments. The power of children in families implies that they dictate the locations that families visit, the type of accommodation facilities, and the type of activities that families undertake during the holiday. Peer influence is another factor that affects the choice of holidays among families, especially children. Since children are vulnerable to influences and coercions from their friends, they are likely to use the pressure from friends to determine holiday destination for families. Children can compel a family to visit a destination that their colleagues visit, as they need the company of their friends and peers. As a result, children are currently dictating the choices that families make concerning the locations and places to visit during holidays (Marino 2003). In some instances, families compromise their likes and preferences with a view of satisfying the needs and demands of their children. The compromise that parents make regarding their preferences and needs evidently outlines the force and power that children have on the holiday choices.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Probability of Common Decision Making Due to the diverse perceptions, motives and interests towards tourism and hospitality establishments, parents and children often vary in terms of locations to visit. The variance can lead to dissatisfaction among parties in the family, who feels oppressed or undermined in line with the choice of place or holiday destination (Boterhill Haven 2003). However, there is a chance of families coming to a mutual agreement on the destination that they want to visit during the holiday. Compromise, involvement, safety, and attractions are some of the factors that families can use to achieve a common decision on the place to visit. Since it is impossible to satisfy the needs of all individuals in a family, parents can compromise and adjust their perceptions, likes, and preferences so that they ensure that their children enjoy their holiday and the choices they make. Families can involve their children in the decision-making process as it enables them to un derstand various needs and expectations that their children have concerning the choice of place to visit during holidays. Poor participation of children in families on aspects like holiday destinations results in assumptions from parents, who believe that a certain place is good for their children when children hold contrary opinions. Therefore, it is very crucial to involve all the stakeholders in the family, which are the children and parents, in holiday decision-making. When all individuals in a family take part in the decision-making process and present their opinions, feelings of satisfaction and fulfilment develops in their minds. The feelings develop because the individuals know that other people in the family respect and honour their points of view. According to Goh et al. (2010), every individual has diverse opinions and perspectives on the types of tourism products that they love consuming. Therefore, child involvement in decision-making is very instrumental in achieving a common decision in the choice of place to visit during family holidays. Safety is another factor that compels families to make a common decision as it overrides personal preferences and likes. Regardless of the tourism and hospitality products offered by a tourism attraction, insecurity renders the subject location unsuitable for tourism. Children and parents in the family opt to visit destinations, which are safe and secure for the safety of their families is crucial factor that they cannot overlook. Onder, Yoldorom, and Ozdemir (2013) explain that safety is one of the major factors that determine consumer’s choices of tourism locations. Presence of insecurity in a destination drives tourists away from the region because it is a push factor in tourism. Travel advisories, and embassies are very important in the passage of information to the society on safe locations to visit. The common agreement is obtainable in the context of safety because parents and children believe in the importance of peace and tranquillity and loathe the outcomes orchestrated by insecurity. External Factors that Prompt Holiday Decision-Making Families just like other types of tourists respond in similar ways to externalities that affect other tourists in decision-making. Some of the externalities that affect families in deciding the locations to visit include induced image of a destination, push and pull factors, pricing, and flexibility of tourism and hospitality establishments. Families are likely to visit regions or establishments that have good reputation and image. Good reputation and image emerge due to the services provided by the facilities to consumers, who market them through a word of mouth to other potential consumers (Bjork Jansson 2008). The marketing image that a destination receives from past consumers and the level of advertisement influence the willingness of consumers, especially families. It is imperative to understand that the image of a destination is dep endent on factors such as security, economy, and the interrelationships among countries that service providers cannot manipulate or change. Push and pull factors are those factors that either drive tourists away from the tourist attraction or bring them to the attraction. Goodrich (2014) asserts that the push factors scare tourists away from the attraction, while the pull factors attract tourists to an attraction. Insecurity and conflicts among countries, recession, language barriers, and the inflations are some of the push factors that increase unwillingness of families to visit certain tourist destinations. On the other hand, good relationships among countries, economic balance, and good security are among the factors that increase the willingness and the tendency of families to visit and consume tourism products in subject regions. Remarkably, push and pull factors are not within the control of service providers in the tourism and hospitality industry, and thus, they have no cont rol or power over the factors. Pricing determines the choice of destination that families choose to visit because families are among the types of tourists, who value their money and need effective utility. As opposed to past consumers, who focussed on the quantity of products that facilities offered, modern consumers emphasise on the quality of the services in relation to their attached value (Marino 2003). In this regard, consumers often go for services that promise value for their money. Costs associated with labour and raw materials determine the price charged on a good or service. The rise in cost of raw materials causes a corresponding increase in the cost of production (Ballantyne Packer 2009). The increase compels service providers to increase the cost of services that they offer. The fact that food prices and the prices of other tourist services like sightseeing and transport depend on the changes in the economy and global product prices implies that service providers have very little influence on the price. Flexibility of service providers in the tourism and hospitality industry is one of the essential factors that influence families using certain facilities and consume the services offered. If a facility is flexible, then it quickly adjusts to the prevailing consumer requirements and provides consumers with what they expect, and thus, satisfy them (Ballantyne Packer 2009). Tourism destinations also need to be flexible so that they can deliver what is best for the consumers, who comprise of children and adults. When families realise that a destination quickly adopts modern technologies and copes with their changing requirements, their willingness to visit the destination increases. According to Fuller et al. (2007), consumers in the tourism and hospitality industries are very trendy and ever changing, therefore, service providers in the industry must be flexible and adaptive. The need for flexibility in hospitality and tourism establishments is due to the changes that consumers portray in the industry, which are unstoppable, uncontrollable, and unpredictable. Conclusion In the recent past, a new type of tourism has developed in the field of tourism. The new type of tourism comprises of families, which are increasingly travelling to various destinations and consuming the services provided by the establishments of tourism and hospitality. As a new entrant in the tourism and hospitality market, families pose a challenge to the industry since they require the creation of new facilities that cater for the requirements of children and adults. Remarkably, children have also changed the choice of holiday destinations that families visit as they dictate the families to choose places that meet their needs and preferences. References Ballantyne, R, Packer, J 2009, ‘Trends in Tourism Research’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 149-152. Bjork, P, Jansson, T 2008, ‘Travel Decision Making: The Role of Habi t’, An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 11-34. Blichfeldt, B, Johansen, A, Pederson, B, Hansen, L 2010, ‘Teens and Vacation Decision Making’, Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-20. Boterhill, D, Haven, C 2003, ‘Virtual Learning Environment in Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism, and Sport’, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, and Tourism Education, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 75-92. Fuller, D, Wilde, S, Henlon, J, Mason, S, Armstrong, B 2007, ‘Destination Choice An Exploratory Examination of Visitor Behaviour in Coastal Tourism Destination on Australia’s East Coast’, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 45-52. Goh, D, Ang, R, Lee, C, Lee, K 2010, ‘Determining Services for the Mobile Tourists’, Journal of Computer Information Systems, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 31-40. Goodrich, J 2014, ‘The Relationships between Preferences and Percepti ons of Vacations, Destination: Application of a Choice Model’, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 8-13. Kang, S, Hsu, C, Wolfe, K 2003, ‘Family Traveller Segmentation by Vacation Decision Making Patterns’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 448-469. Marino, E 2003, ‘The Strategic Dimension of a Destination Image. An Analysis from the Italian Tourists Perceptions’, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 47-67. Onder, E, Yoldorom, B, Ozdemir, M 2013, ‘Multi-Criteria Approach for Evaluating Tourism Destinations in Turkey’, Academic Journal of Tourism and Management Research, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-15. Philips, W, Canter, D, Abbott, J 2011, ‘Hospitality and Tourism Research Ranking’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 381-416. This essay on Power of Children in the Tourism Industry was written and submitted by user Isabell Wilkinson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Differences Between the Book Iliad and the Movie Troy Essays

The Differences Between the Book Iliad and the Movie Troy Essays The Differences Between the Book Iliad and the Movie Troy Paper The Differences Between the Book Iliad and the Movie Troy Paper Essay Topic: Iliad The Iliad verses Troy I n the movie its stated that Agamemnon brought the kings together for this war, which really isnt true. Helen had many powerful suitors and her father was too afraid to pick one of them for her husband in fear of offending the others. Odysseus convinced him to make a contract with the other suitors that made them promise that should anything happen to Helen, the other kings would assist in getting her back. When Paris kidnapped Helen from Menelaus, they were bound to honor their promise and help to return her. When Paris was born, it was predicted that he would be the downfall of Troy, so he was sent into the mountains without any knowledge of who he really was. Aphrodite was the one who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world and started the Trojan War. In the movie Patroclus is Achilless cousin but in the book he is his lover. Im glad they made the change in the movie tho, cause I just couldnt picture Brad Pitt with a male lover (not that theres anything wrong with that). In the movie Troy, Briseis is a member of Priams family which she actually wasnt. She was simply a slave girl that Achilles in fact did fall in love with and Agamemnon did steal from him. And she didnt kill Agamemnon like they said in the movie Troy. Agamemnon actually made it back home where his wife and her lover murdered him. Altho Hector was a great warrior in his time, after he killed Patroclus, he didnt actually come out to face Achilles as easily as the movie depicts it. Achilles chased him around the walls of Troy 3 times before he actually stopped to fight him. Hector never killed Menelaus either or Ajax. Ajax committed suicide after Odysseus was given Achilles armor over him. Now I understand that a movie has only a couple of hours in it and theres alot to the Trojan War than time would permit in a movie so they have to condense in down. But this war took about 20 years to finish and not the few months or so that is depicted in the movie. And Helen helped in its destruction along with Odysseus. All in all tho, I do like this movie and it is worth it to watch.

History of Mutiny on the Bounty

History of Mutiny on the Bounty In the late 1780s, noted botanist Sir Joseph Banks theorized that breadfruit plants which grew on the islands of the Pacific could be brought to the Caribbean where they could be used as a cheap food source for slaves working on British plantations. This concept received support from the Royal Society which offered a prize for attempting such an endeavor. As discussions ensued, the Royal Navy offered to provide a ship and crew to transport breadfruit to the Caribbean. To this end, the collier Bethia was purchased in May 1787 and renamed His Majestys Armed Vessel Bounty. Mounting four 4-pdr guns and ten swivel guns, command of Bounty was assigned to Lieutenant William Bligh on August 16. Recommended by Banks, Bligh was a gifted sailor and navigator who had previously distinguished himself as sailing master aboard Captain James Cooks HMS Resolution (1776-1779). Through the latter part of 1787, efforts moved forward to prepare the ship for its mission and assemble a crew. This done, Bligh departed Britain in December and set a course for Tahiti. Outbound Voyage Bligh initially attempted to enter the Pacific via Cape Horn. After a month of trying and failing due to adverse winds and weather, he turned and sailed east around the Cape of Good Hope. The voyage to Tahiti proved smooth and few punishments were given to the crew. As Bounty was rated as a cutter, Bligh was the only commissioned officer on board. To permit his men longer periods of uninterrupted sleep, he divided the crew into three watches. In addition, he raised Masters Mate Fletcher Christian to the rank of acting lieutenant in March so that he could oversee one of the watches. Life in Tahiti This decision angered Bountys sailing master, John Fryer. Reaching Tahiti on October 26, 1788, Bligh and his men collected 1,015 breadfruit plants. The delay off Cape Horn led to a five-month delay in Tahiti as they had to wait for the breadfruit trees to mature enough to transport. During this time, Bligh allowed the men to live ashore among the islanders. Enjoying Tahitis warm climate and relaxed atmosphere, some of the men, including Christian took native wives. As a result of this environment, naval discipline began to break down. Attempting to control the situation, Bligh was increasingly forced to punish his men and floggings became more routine. Unwilling to submit to this treatment after enjoying the islands warm hospitality, three sailors, John Millward, William Muspratt, and Charles Churchill deserted. They were quickly recaptured and though they were punished, it was less severe than recommended. In the course of events, a search of their belongings produced a list of names including Christian and Midshipman Peter Heywood. Lacking additional evidence, Bligh could not charge the two men as aiding in the desertion plot. Mutiny Though unable to take action against Christian, Blighs relationship with him continued to deteriorate and he began to relentlessly ride his acting lieutenant. On April 4, 1789, Bounty departed Tahiti, much to the displeasure of many of the crew. On the night of April 28, Christian and 18 of the crew surprised and bound Bligh in his cabin. Dragging him on deck, Christian bloodlessly took control of the ship despite the fact that the most of the crew (22) sided with the captain. Bligh and 18 loyalists were forced over the side into Bountys cutter and given a sextant, four cutlasses, and several days food and water. Blighs Voyage As Bounty turned to return to Tahiti, Bligh set course for the nearest European outpost at Timor. Though dangerously overloaded and lacking charts, Bligh succeeded in sailing the cutter first to Tofua for supplies, then on to Timor. After sailing 3,618 miles, Bligh arrived at Timor after a 47-day voyage. Only one man was lost during the ordeal when he was killed by natives on Tofua. Moving on to Batavia, Bligh was able to secure transport back to England. In October 1790, Bligh was honorably acquitted for the loss of Bounty and records show him to have been a compassionate commander who frequently spared the lash. Bounty Sails On Retaining four loyalists aboard, Christian steered Bounty to Tubuai where the mutineers attempted to settle. After three months of fighting with the natives, the mutineers re-embarked and sailed to Tahiti. Arriving back at the island, twelve of the mutineers and the four loyalists were put ashore. Not believing that they would be safe in Tahiti, the remaining mutineers, including Christian, embarked supplies, six Tahitian men, and eleven women in September 1789. Though they scouted the Cook and Fiji Islands, the mutineers did not feel that either offered sufficient safety from the Royal Navy. Life on Pitcairn On January 15, 1790, Christian re-discovered Pitcairn Island which had been misplaced on British charts. Landing, the party quickly established a community on Pitcairn. To reduce their chances of discovery, they burned Bounty on January 23. Though Christian attempted to maintain peace in the small community, relations between the Britons and Tahitians soon collapsed leading to fighting. The community continued to struggle for several years until Ned Young and John Adams took control in the mid-1790s. Following Youngs death in 1800, Adams continued to build the community. Aftermath of the Mutiny on the Bounty While Bligh was acquitted for the loss of his ship, the Royal Navy actively sought to capture and punish the mutineers. In November 1790, HMS Pandora (24 guns) was sent to search for Bounty. Reaching Tahiti on March 23, 1791, Captain Edward Edwards was met by four of Bountys men. A search of the island soon located ten additional members of Bountys crew. These fourteen men, a mix of mutineers and loyalists, were held in a cell on the ships deck known as Pandoras Box. Departing on May 8, Edwards searched the neighboring islands for three months before turning for home. While passing through the Torres Strait on August 29, Pandora ran aground and sank the next day. Of those on board, 31 crew and four of the prisoners were lost. The remainder embarked in Pandoras boats and reached Timor in September. Transported back to Britain, the ten surviving prisoners were court-martialed. Four of the ten were found innocent with Blighs backing while the other six were found guilty. Two, Heywood and James Morrison, were pardoned, while another escaped on a technicality. The remaining three were hung aboard HMS Brunswick (74) on October 29, 1792. A second breadfruit expedition departed Britain in August 1791. Again led by Bligh, this group successfully delivered breadfruit to the Caribbean but the experiment proved a failure when the slaves refused to eat it. On the far side of the world, Royal Navy ships relocated Pitcairn Island in 1814. Making contact with those ashore, they reported the final details of Bounty to the Admiralty. In 1825, Adams, the lone surviving mutineer, was granted amnesty.

Final exzam ( organazation theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final exzam ( organazation theory - Essay Example Cal Lutheran University believes that individuals who are strong in character, confidence, and judgment are able to meet global standards of work (California Lutheran University, 2012). This essay looks at some of the applications of the organization theory that are evident in the Cal Lutheran University. Organization structure Cal Lutheran University falls under the classification of a complex organization. This is because the management of the organization is beyond the ability of a single individual. Complex organizations are those whose management is beyond the ability of a single administrator because of their diverse structures. A review of the structure of the organization reveals some characteristics of Weber’s bureaucratic classical organization theory. Weber believed in the identification of work and the division of work into subdivisions. Each subdivision comes with an expected level of performance among all employees and managers who are involved. A manager or an e mployee in each subdivision has distinct roles and responsibilities that the organization is supposed to define clearly. The hierarchical structure of authority in Cal Lutheran University is such that all members of the administration are aware of their roles and responsibilities. ... The vice presidents are responsible for tasks such as enrollment of new students, student affairs, administration, finance and advancement of the university among others (California Lutheran University, 2012). Cal Lutheran University has the academic branch of authority that comprises of different schools and faculties, which are under the management of different deans. For instance, there is a dean who heads the college of Arts and Sciences as well as the chair of the Faculty. Therefore, the structure of authority in Cal Lutheran University displays the characteristics Weber’s bureaucratic organization theory. The university has divided its management responsibilities into distinct categories that are under the responsibility of a manager. The managers are aware of their roles and responsibilities, which is one of the propositions of Weber’s theory. Human resources in Cal Lutheran University Human relations theories define the relationship between employees, stakeholde rs and the management. Most of these theories suggest that successful organizations are those that value their employees by considering their pleas and motivating them. Taylor’s theory suggests that successful organizations are those that take care of the welfare of all their employees, stakeholders and the society. McGregor theory of Y helps in explaining the expected relationship between senior management and the subordinate staff. The relationship should be in such a way that each party is not afraid of the other, which facilitates cooperation among members of the organization (Tompkins, 2010). Cal Lutheran University has employees as well as stakeholders. The stakeholders are individuals or parties that get services from the university

Gun Control Synthesis and Paraphrase Research Paper

Gun Control Synthesis and Paraphrase - Research Paper Example A recent Los Angeles Times article stated ‘active compliance’ is the surest way to survive a robbery. â€Å"Victims who engage in active resistance...have the best odds of hanging on to their property. Unfortunately, they also have much better odds of winding up dead." The data provided from 1979 to 1987 by the Department of Justices National Crime Victimization Survey, Lawrence Southwick of SUNY, Buffalo found that it is better to resist attack with a gun but if no gun is available, it is better to offer no resistance than to fight. (Press, 2013) It is a different issue altogether when it involves criminals with guns. This is because it is assumed that criminals shoot haphazardly. Criminals are seen to be about self preservation thus making possession of a handgun to be less than likely. Further, convicted felons are more afraid of armed victims than running into the police. In such situations where deterrence is more important to the criminal because of the fear of getting shot, the criminals prey on the weaker members of society. This is known as the ‘substitute effect.’ ‘Third party effects’ or ‘external benefits’ is the process through which people who are not directly involved in deterring the criminals through gun carrying are also protected as a result of the fearfulness of the criminals. Victims have also not been left behind with the ‘open-carry’ gun law. (Krouse, 2012) The question now arises; why would someone travel across state lines to shoot another in a different state after buying the gun in a different state? Is it the policies that are in place that are wrong? (Lott, 1998) According to The Numbers Debate and Crime, there are a lot of misconceptions that are being thrown around as causes of gun related fatalities, key among them being that most people are killed by people they know. This is a misconception because being someone’s acquaintance does

On Becoming a Leader Essay Example for Free

On Becoming a Leader Essay The book I chose to review is â€Å"On Becoming a Leader† by Warren Bennis. At the crux of this book is a search to understand how leaders are made. Throughout the book, the author tries to prove through polls and observations, that leaders are not born but are made through a combination of nature and nurture. Leaders who excel tend to have similar characteristics which have been developed by a series of experiences in their lives (these include embracing mistakes, taking risks and learning from adversity). Another idea discussed in the book is that of the role of education in making leaders. Bennis notes a number of qualities and abilities that are common amongst the leaders he interacts with. Some of those are relating well to others, trusting others and in turn being trustworthy, the ability to motivate people and to not give up, inspiration and competence in the job. However, he claims that a major problem in business leadership is the â€Å"societal disease of our time† (as said by Norman Lear to him) short term thinking. He highlights throughout the book that this form of thinking is not beneficial to organizations and that a good leader should be able to look further and not give the short term too much importance. At one point he claims that short term thinking is what kills one of the most important attributes a leader must have innovation. The author mentions that leaders are important to an organization since they are of paramount importance to the operational performance, stability and integrity of the organization. To this end, Warren Bennis presents in a systematic manner various attributes that are required of a leader to be able to perform well. The first attribute discussed is the ability to â€Å"Master the context†. In this chapter, the author discusses the fact that a leader must be able to understand the reasons and outcomes of different situations. Only once he has managed this, will he be able to act in the best possible way for his organization. This is in line with what we have learned throughout our course regarding improving one’s self-awareness as well as the 4 perspectives of organizational effectiveness. A leader must be able to understand the context of work and respond by being aware that he needs to look after different perspectives of people and systems related to the organization. The second thing discussed is â€Å"understanding the basics†, which is quite similar to mastering the context. In this, Warren Bennis explains that leaders need to understand the underlying concepts at work before making decisions. He lists a series of attributes that can be found in most leaders including self-knowledge, passion, vision and trust. He argues that most of the leaders are not born with these attributes but life experiences and a desire to lead people enables them to develop a good understanding of this. Their drive to acquire and learn are much higher than on average and they actively pursue these drives while taking risks and placing lesser importance on their drive for safety. In this he also discusses the difference between managing people and leading them. We have gone through various topics related directly to this effect in class. According to me, one of the strongest drives an individual has is the drive to safety. An individual would be much more comfortable if they can trust their leader. The ability to understand the thought process of their leader and their belief/trust in him helps shore up their drive for safety. Across cultures, people tend to avoid uncertainty and if a leader is able to, through knowledge and an understanding, provide people with an image of consistency; it goes a long way in settling people and reducing stress. The third lesson is â€Å"knowing yourself†. Warren Bennis argues that in order to lead others, one must fully understand themselves. To be able to trust your decisions/inner feelings is extremely important for leading people and making correct choices. The author goes on to highlight 4 lessons that enable an individual to understand themselves. They are â€Å"you are your own best teacher†, â€Å"accept responsibility†, â€Å"you can learn anything you want to learn† and â€Å"true understanding comes from reflecting on your own experience†. All these lessons are at the core of organizational behavior as we have learnt. These 4 lessons can apply even to organizations as well as being useful for individuals. Self-concept is an important part of an individual’s make up and to feed that we must be able to reflect on our past experiences to learn from them. Social learning, learning through reinforcement and learning through experience are discussed as important factors of learning in organizations in our course. I believe this same applies to individuals as they are able to develop their social identity and self-concept through these lessons. Next, the author discusses â€Å"Knowing the world†. This takes a similar route to the previous subject of knowing yourself, while developing a greater scope to the understanding. Cultural understanding is an extremely important attribute in a leader. In an increasingly diverse workforce coupled with increasing globalization, a leader must have the ability to and desire to understand various cultures and behaviors. Values and behavior are very different for different cultures, and a lot of organizations have failed due to the incompatible understanding of their leaders. The HP-Compaq merger was a major case where while it was beneficial financially and operationally for the companies to merge, their leaders were not able to fully adapt the two company’s cultures properly, causing the merger to have not performed anywhere near expectations. One point that I found particularly interesting and felt that was very important was the need for a person to find a mentor who can help them enhance and shape their cultural understanding. The social learning aspect discusses similar concepts, where a person learns from someone whom they aspire to be. Being able to find a mentor who has an in depth understanding of cultures, or at least has a desire to learn cultural differences can help an individual become a more complete leader. The next thought discussed by the author is â€Å"Operating on instinct†. This discussion focuses on the fact that a good leader should be able to believe in himself and should be able to take decisions from his gut feeling. More often than not a leader and even individuals will have to make decisions without knowing all the details they would like to know. The presence of incomplete information should not make the leader less likely to make a decision. A good leader will have developed enough self-awareness and through self-evaluation and verification be able to rely on his instinct to make the right choice. This enables the leader to be able to quickly and decisively contemplate and decide issues. The next discussion is based on †Deploying yourself†. In this the author talks about the fact that a successful leader is a person who is willing to take on challenges even though he might have failed in earlier challenges. The drive to learn and acquire are, I feel, major contributors to this topic. A good leader will be able to reflect on his past experiences and learn from them; and this gives them confidence to continually drive for newer challenges and tasks. Another topic discussed is â€Å"Moving through chaos†. In this chapter, Warren Bennis describes the difference between all individuals and leaders. He points out that everyone faces problems and issues in their career, but that leaders analyze these problems and tend to learn from these. Conflict resolution can take many forms through third-party conflict resolution or negotiation. Leaders reflect on their conflicts and develop an understanding of how to overcome those challenges. â€Å"Getting people on your side† is the next topic covered. The main point of this discussion, and a very important learning for me personally, is the ability of the leader to be trustworthy. To be trusted, a leader must display consistency in his actions, congruity meaning what they say, reliable to their followers and have a strong integrity. This once again gravitates towards the drive for safety individuals have. To be lead by someone, an individual must trust them to act on their behalf and be able to predict to a certain extent what their leaders will do for them. The concept of romanticizing leadership is down to this ability of leaders. If a leader is able to bring their employees/followers on their side, the leader’s ability to work through tasks and challenges is increased. Even mistakes made by them will be viewed in a positive light, enabling them to continue taking risks. â€Å"Organizations can help or hinder† is the next topic that is discussed. This focuses on the fact different organizations will have different expectations from their leaders. The culture at an organization will dictate how well a leader will be able to lead the organization. A good leader will be able to understand the context of the organization and will try to devise strategies he can implement to make changes. The author also mentions that the leader should try and develop organizational characteristics that are in line with their culture. This also transposes into the last discussion of â€Å"Forging the future†. The impediments faced by leaders in an organization can be very hard, but a good leader will be able to develop his own culture and characteristics to move the organization forward. One major issue I had with this book was that while the author continually refers to short term thinking as a â€Å"societal disease†; he himself to a certain extent subscribes to that notion. His interaction with the leaders seems comparatively very short term. Throughout the statements made in the book, it felt that the interviews were more about successful past rather than forward looking. I understand that one of the major attributes is to learn from experiences but the I’d prefer if the author also focused equally on the leader’s thoughts about the future. Secondly I felt that there was quite a bit of political commentary in the book. I knew that it was going to have some after reading the reviews while selecting the book, but the political leadership aspect seemed to be a comparatively one sided. I feel that the author could have refrained from making this political and focused instead on the corporate leadership aspect.

Roth IRAS or Traditional IRAs :: essays research papers fc

Choosing Between Roth IRAs and Traditional Deductible IRAs The decision is complicated if you're eligible for both types of IRAs. With the creation of the Roth IRA and the liberalized eligibility guidelines for the traditional IRA, the vast majority of individuals are now eligible to make some sort of IRA contribution. IRA Eligibility All but the wealthiest of workers are eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA. Eligibility to make the maximum contribution to a Roth is limited to married couples with adjusted gross incomes of less than $150,000 and single individuals with incomes under $95,000. Smaller contributions are allowed for couples with adjusted incomes up to $160,000 and singles with incomes up to $110,000. Roth IRA contributions aren't deductible, but withdrawals are tax-free once the account has been open more than five years and you're over age 59 1/2. Fewer taxpayers qualify for traditional IRAs, where contributions are deductible, but withdrawals are taxed. But Congress loosened the eligibility requirements to allow many more taxpayers to take advantage of traditional IRAs than in the past. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 raised the income-eligibility limits for taxpayers who participate in a 401(k) or are covered by some other employer retirement plan. Before the rules were liberalized by the 1997 tax act, a married couple above the income-thresholds could make deductible IRA contributions only if neither spouse was covered by a retirement plan at work. But this restriction was eased beginning with 1998 returns. If only one spouse is covered by an employer retirement plan, the other spouse will be eligible for at least a partial IRA deduction so long as the couple's joint income is below $160,000. If neither spouse is covered by an employer retirement plan, then both spouses can make deductible contributions to a traditional IRA, no matter how high their income. Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA The decision about which type of IRA to set up will be a simple one for most higher-income taxpayers who will only be eligible for Roth IRAs, but the decision is complicated if you're eligible for both types of IRAs. There have been numerous articles in the financial press and advertising campaigns by financial institutions extolling the virtues of the Roth IRA. All the ballyhoo has made the advent of Roth IRAs seem like the financial equivalent of the Second Coming. And indeed, many people will find that the ability to make tax-free withdrawals from a Roth IRA is a more valuable tax benefit than getting an upfront deduction for contributions to a traditional IRA.

My Cultural Identity

Defining my own cultural identity by Stefanie A–ttl Culture is one of the most difficult concepts in the human social sciences and there are many different ways of defining it. It is often argued that culture is a learned behaviour pattern shared by a specific group of people. Culture is about shared meanings, and language is the privileged medium in which meaning is produced and exchanged. People sharing one culture interpret the world in roughly the same way. Defining my own cultural identity seems to me quite difficult. I actually have to admit that I am not quite sure which culture I belong to.I was born in Austria but my father comes from South Tyrol, the northern part of Italy, where Italian and German are spoken. Therefore I have Italian nationality but I have only some basic knowledge concerning the language. Although I live in Austria, there are still some traditions and cultural aspects in my family that are not Austrian. Not only is there some Italian influence, but also Canadian due to the fact that my motheraâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stepmother is British but emigrated to Canada. I havenaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t got Canadian nationality, but I was brought up bilingually (German/English).Furthermore I spent half a year living in Chile and therefore I was influenced by the Chilean way of life. Understandably I sometimes get quite confused about which culture I really belong to. There are several parameters for defining oneaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s culture, such as nationality, language, the country you live in, gender, social class, occupation, interests, educational levelaâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦. But the question is, which of these parameters is to be considered the most important. I have Italian nationality, but due to the fact that I donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really know the language I donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really feel Italian or aâ‚ ¬? Southern Tyrolianaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢.And although I am not Canadian by citizenship I sometimes feel more at home there because of the language. Still, con cerning some traditional aspects, I am more familiar with the aâ‚ ¬? South Tyrolianaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ ones but I donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really feel that I belong there because I donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know Italian nor do I really speak German with a aâ‚ ¬? South Tyrolianaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ accent. I believe that not knowing the language could be seen as a barrier keeping me from really experiencing Italian culture. I strongly believe that one can somehow adopt a culture by learning specific behaviour patterns, values, moralities or more precisely, a certain way of life.I experienced this while living in Chile and I can say for sure that it was far more difficult to adjust to a new way of living and learn how to react in certain situations than learning the foreign language. Despite all these influences of different cultures, I still feel very Austrian due to the fact of actually living in this country. The parameters which I believe to be very important in order to define your culture are first of all the is the country you live in because your culture depends very much on what is happening around you.The second important aspect is language through which thoughts, ideas and feelings of a certain culture are represented. The least important thing in my opinion is the nationality because I believe this to be a very official way of defining your culture. But, as I already mentioned, I sometimes donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really know which culture I really belong to. I believe I am a mixture of all of them. Understanding home by Michael Pelitz â€Å"the night is your friend, your only friend the center stage, a moonscape as you walk. alk your head is a thread; your head’s a thread the eye of the needle becomes indistinct we’re just a sadder song away we’re just a sadder song away the mountaintops, the rainbow drops the fires from the temples and palaises. hurray the hierarchy that swallows me the pavement emptied out by night we’re just a sadder son g away we’re just a sadder song away we’re off to understanding home we’re off to understanding home we’re off to understanding home we’re just a sadder song away†Just as I reached Radetzkyplatz, passing by the Hotel Garni Lind, aâ‚ ¬? Understanding Homeaâ‚ ¬? ept rotating in my disc player. aâ‚ ¬? aâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦The center stage, a moonscape as you walkaâ‚ ¬?. The display warns: aâ‚ ¬? BATTERY LOWaâ‚ ¬? , but Alexaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ apartment is right across the square, so I decided not to worry about it. I suddenly remembered a letter I read on the internet, written by an Austrian social worker after his return from his social service year at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Detroit: aâ‚ ¬? When being abroadaâ‚ ¬? , he wrote, aâ‚ ¬? you become a true patriotaâ‚ ¬?! He stayed in the U. S. during the international crusade against the Austrian government in 2001.I started to remember all these artists who cancelled their concerts in Austria, and every single e-mail I had to send to my American friends, explaining aâ‚ ¬? the situationaâ‚ ¬?. And I had to think about all these desperate and aggressive anti-Moslem e-mails my mum received from a friend of hers who lives in Virginia, fearing that her son might not return from Iraq safely. I glanced over my shoulder to check on the traffic lights. Red. Suddenly I was confused, even a bit aggressive. I felt terribly blank despite the music, or maybe, because of the music. The whole world (including me) seems to be talking about sending, I thought!Sending e-mails, sending troops, sending messages, sending money, sending support, sending social workers. Mobility is the keyword of our times. Nobody seems to be talking about the sense of belonging. aâ‚ ¬? You become a true patriotaâ‚ ¬? , returns to my mind. I thought of how much I detest the concept of patriotism. To me, patriotism leads to flag-waving, flag-waving gives beautiful pictures, beaut iful picture are very likely to be shown in the news, satellites enable worldwide broadcasts within milliseconds, and the media have an incredible manipulating impact.I know the concept underlying the word aâ‚ ¬? patriotismaâ‚ ¬? is not that easy, but I am sure that patriotism is a great source of misunderstandings. The next moment I pictured myself at the soccer stadium singing the national anthem. Again, it leaves me confused. I felt exhausted. It has been a long day. An estimated 750 metres, the way from the U4-metrostation LandstraAYer HauptstraAYe to here, lay behind me. Another two and a half miles to the 23 rd district, where Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve parked my car, 102 kilometres to MA? zzuschlag, my hometown, an additional 87 kilometres to Graz, the city where I live, and yet another 8944 km to Portland/Oregon, the place where I spent the most wonderful year imaginable, describe my route. I think about my travels, the times I was sent, the times I mobilized. The batteries ra n out on the final lines of the song.I would have loved to listen to the outro and the repetition of the chorus. I pushed the doorbell and heard the buzzing of reality. Maybe all of this is not as contradictory as I thought. Maybe the understanding of our cultural identity needs to aâ‚ ¬? travel lightaâ‚ ¬? in order to find its way back home. And in its backpack it carries all the concepts we fear, detest or treasures so much. aâ‚ ¬? Weaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re off to understanding homeaâ‚ ¬? , I repeated, as suddenly the front door opened and I entered the building. Cultural Identity by Ana Flac A couple of years ago I found myself wandering between cultures, customs and different traditions. At the beginning of this â€Å"cultural voyage† I was torn between contradictions which forced me to ask myself: Who am I? What makes me a Croatian? Six years ago a specific incident happened in Osijek which triggered off these thoughts .Morete mi reci da ide vlak za Cakovec? (Could you tell me when the next train goes to Cakovec? ), I asked a railway man as I was on my way home, after I had taken my entrance exam at Osijek University in 1998. The friendly man smiled and begged my pardon. He did not quite understand me. At this point I realized that I was no longer in my home town in Medjimurje and that all the competence I had in speaking my dialect which I’m so proud of could constitute a burden rather than a merit. This was the first time I perceived myself as being different from other people in Croatia.Some of my fellow students in Osijek rejected their dialect but I was proud of it and it made me somehow stand out from the crowd so I could be easily identified by it. I realized that my Medjimurian dialect was a part of my cultural identity. As time passed by I got to know many different people from the Slavonic region, their customs and their way of living. Since this region was greatly affected by the war, a very critical attitude towards Serbs h ad developed there. Most of the inhabitants often expressed their fury mostly against Serbs and emphasized Pan-Croatian nationalism.I noticed I wasn’t prepared to emphasize a Pan-Croatian position and I didn’t want to perceive the whole Serbian nation so destructively. I just couldn’t identify myself with all this Pan-Croatian nationalism and I mainly disagreed with people who had this kind of attitude. I kept my distance and withdrew into my regional cultural frames. After having spent two years in Osijek, I continued my studies in a completely different country, in Austria. I was very much excited about the new faces and new culture I was about to meet. And then one day I encountered a girl on the campus and we started talking.I found the conversation quite neat. Apart from other things, she wanted to know where I come from so I told her I was from Croatia. Ah, aus Kroatien.. those were the next words she said. They sounded strange, as if she got the whole pic ture of me when she found out about my origin. At this moment I realized there was not only no place left for my Medjimurian identity, which I am extremely proud of, but there was also hardly even any left for my Croatian identity. I was differentiated from other students by labels such as another ex-Yugoslavian or inhabitant of the Balkans.For the first time in my life I felt ashamed of my nationality. And from that moment on I was somehow torn between my Medjimurian pride and the feeling of shame for who I was in Austria. I was trapped in some generalized prejudices about myself that I did not want to have anything to do with. My identity was on the verge of being formed by some stereotypic views which I could not accept. But inspite of all these confrontations and contradictions I had to face and which scared me and disoriented me at first, they were also the one that gave me strength and motivated me to figure out who I really am.My Cultural Identity by Camilla Leimisch If someo ne asked me if I was proud to be Austrian or Finnish, I would not answer aâ‚ ¬? Yesaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ right away. Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve always felt that proud was not the appropriate word to describe my feelings towards the country where I was born or the country where I grew up, because I find it hard to be proud of something that I did not decide or that I did not achieve on my own. But I do not want to be misunderstood: I am proud of my parents to whom I owe my bilingualism and who introduced me to both cultures right from the start (Finnish from my mother and Austrian from my father).I am also happy to have kept this bilingualism and I consider myself lucky to have two native countries. Although I was born in Finland and I was only two years old when my family moved to Austria, I have never considered Finland to be my second home country, in the sense of second best. This is because I have a family there, too, and I spend every summer in Finland. This is also because my mother took care that I did not forget my Finnish roots in Austria, so I could develop feelings of the same value for both of the countries, as well as an understanding of cultural awareness that is closely connected to the feeling of home.As I see it, not only my nationality is an important part of my cultural identity, but also what I have done and what I am doing in my country and in its society. Austria is the country where I live and study. As my main subject is music, and Austria is a country of great musicians, music has become a big part not only of my personal but also of my cultural identity. I also appreciate Austrian folk music which I consider a very relevant and unique cultural tradition in the country. With Finland, itaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s different. Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d rather identify myself with Finnish people than with Austrian people.It is not easy to explain why. All I can say is that Finnish people are very attached to nature, and that I often share their moments of melancholy wh ich are even more intense when they are far away from their own country. Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve already said that I am happy about my bilingualism. In fact, language is an important parameter for defining my cultural identity, because other people also define or identify you by the way you speak. Certainly you become most aware of your language when you find yourself in a foreign country where no-one speaks your language.What Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve noticed is that if you are among people who do not only speak differently, but also behave differently and look different from you, you suddenly distinguish yourself culturally from the others, and your cultural identity becomes much more evident. The frequently asked question about whether I feel more Austrian or more Finnish is not easy to answer. I am not 100% Austrian and not 100% Finnish. But I think that this diversity which has shaped my personality is also the key to my cultural identity.

Argumentative Essay On Social Media

Nowadays, a lot of people are using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and so on. Since the Internet has propagated rapidly, social media have progressed a lot. The generalization of the internet makes us to live conveniently and fast. People are almost using smart phones, i-phones or comfortable devices which can access to internet. These equipments make us to do social network easily. It helps contact friends, family, and other people even though they live far away. It could be, however, abused, if you don’t use properly.Especially, it is important that we understand and regulate the use of social media by young children. First of all, social media, especially facebook, are very addicted. People would say drug or alcohol is more addicted than social media or social media addiction is not big problems, but it is not true. There is a report of the social media addiction by University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. A team from the University of Chica go’s Booth School of Business recently conducted an experiment involving 205 people in Wurtzburg, Germany to analyze the addictive properties of social media and other vices.Participants in the week-long study were polled via BlackBerry smart phones seven times per day and asked to report when they experienced a desire within the past 30 minutes, and whether or not the succumbed to that desire. They were also asked to gauge each desire on a scale from mild to â€Å"irresistible. † In the light of these facts, surely social media make addicts, and it is hard to escape. The problem is most people who have an addiction to social media and don’t even realize it. Second, people can get mental and physical disorders easily through using social media.People might bet think social media is not matter with the disorders. They argued the social media is good for mental diseases because social media help express their feelings or thought easily. Also, through social media, they can be connected each other more. However, social media just offer limited meeting. They just meet on websites, not physical meeting. Psychologist, Aric Sigman suggests â€Å"The use of social networking sites as opposed to face-to-face interaction could lead to major health problems. † Also he claimed in the British Journal The Biologistâ€Å"Spending too much time online could lead to social isolation, loneliness and a negative outlook. These types of psychological symptoms could eventually lead to more serious health concerns, such as heart disease, cancer and dementia. † Using social media disturbs make deep relationship with others. When they are using social media we do not need to move a lot. It is okay just to stay. We do not need to active a lot. As a result, it leads naturally mental and physical disorders. Third, social media doesn’t help for their studies or talents.People think social media is good places to show their talents or works what th ey did. For example, they argue people can share video clip what they playing the instruments or dancing or singing. It is, however, for people who already good to do those. If you are not good at those things and if you spend time to do social media, it would be hard to progress your talents. I did surveys about relationships between using social media and studying last semester. Most students answered using social media is not helpful to study.Also, students who got good grades spend just a little time to use social media. Using social media steals your time to what really want to do easily. If you do not pay attention, your time is gone very fast, and it cannot be returned. If you read books, study, exercising, practice singing, dancing or playing the instruments instead of using social media, it would be much better for you and your future life. Especially, the young generation and children are easy to be exposed to environments which using social media.Social media are favorite not only along with teens or youngsters; it’s growing among working people and also old people. Social media addiction drug exactly where everyone is continuously logged on it irrespective that they have worked or they don’t have anything to complete. It’s regarded Social media an addiction exactly where many people have become addicts every day. It could be occurred mental and physical disease and make you waste time. Those are why we need to understand and regulate the use of social media by young children.

How to Create a Mad Scientist Costume

How to Create a Mad Scientist Costume A mad scientist costume is great for Halloween, inspiring images of how science can run amock, creating horrific monstrosities. Here are tips on how to create a great mad scientist costume: Hair ... or not The decision on what sort of hair to have is an important one. You can go with wild hair (such as Albert Einstein and Doc Brown from the Back to the Future movies) or bald, the Lex Luthor route. If going for wild hair, there are inexpensive wigs available in most costume shops. Alternately, you can create your own with a bald cap by gluing fabric hair (from local fabric or craft stores) onto it - perhaps different colored hair. Or, if your hair is long enough, you can use styling gel and unusual hair colorings to get the desired effect. A bald cap (especially nice for female mad scientists) will also do. To really complete the look, you may want to use some fake skin to cover up your eyebrows. This will create an effect that youve lost all your hair due to the bizarre potions youve tested on yourself. A middle approach between the two is to glue chunks of fabric hair onto the bald cap, so that it looks like your hair is falling out in chunks. Again, using hair with strange colors might be useful. Other Headgear Some sort of eyewear is generally a good idea. Find an old pair of glasses with bulky frames, perhaps from a thrift store, and pop out the lenses. You might want to decorate them by gluing or taping object to them, like bottlecaps, beads, etc. Tape (duct tape) or Band-Aids can be used to make the glasses look like theyve been broken and mended. Goggles are also a nice alternative. A goattee is a nice addition for a mad scientist. If you cant or dont want to grow your own, you can glue some fur into your chin. Try to frame it into a sharp point, perhaps using a bent paperclip or piece of cardboard as a frame to mount it on. Lab Coat The lab coat is, of course, the crucial element of the mad scientist costume. This is what translates the costume from random weirdo to mad scientist. Around Halloween, lab coats are pretty easy to find anywhere costumes are sold. You can also get actual lab coats at medical supply stores, thrift stores, and the like. If you have trouble finding one, you can contact your local hospital to find out where they are sold locally. Personally, the best lab coat Ive ever seen is the Mad Scientists Union Local #3.14. I didnt buy it online, so I cant attest to this vendor, but the lab coat is very cool. You can also decorate the labcoat with pins, stickers, stencils, decals, rips, scorch marks, food spills, equations, and the like ... whatever you feel comfortable with based on the cost of the lab coat. Pants - The Easy Part Generally, dark pants or a dark skirt will work to finish the outfit. A goofy pair of shoes, such as bowling shoes, would do well to complete the outfit. Final Accessories A pocket protector (try office supply stores) is a perfect addition to the costume. Fill it up with as many pens and pencils as you can. Throw in a compass, ruler, spiral notepad, and calculator if you can. Heck, carry around an abacus if you can find one. Another nice accessory would be a beaker filled with strange-colored liquid. Exotic colors of punch (i.e. Kool-Aid) can create this. Add some dry ice so smoke will drift off of it. Note: If you do have a potion with dry ice in it, do not drink. A flourescent stick, like what you get at the circus, can be inserted to make it glow ... and is great for stirring up your concoction. Some Last Comments The unbridled wackiness is the best part of the mad scientist costume. Be funny and nuts, and youll pull it off. Anything you can think of to add to the costumes eccentricity is a plus. Try to go as cheap as you can, since you may want to make a real mess of the costume to create the right mood. Old pants, tattered lab coats, funny shoes, out of style glasses ... thrift stores are the perfect place to get components for the mad scientist costume. Mad Scientist Sidekick Costumes Robot costumeBride of Frankenstein costumeCousin It costumeFrank-Einstein costumeGeeky Science Nerd costumeGhostbuster costume

Definition and Examples of Narratives in Writing

Definition and Examples of Narratives in Writing The definition of narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story, and it is one of four classical rhetorical modes or ways that writers use to present information. The others include an exposition, which explains and analyzes an idea or set of ideas; an argument, which attempts to persuade the reader to a particular point of view; and a description, a written form of a visual experience. Key Takeaways: Narrative Definition A narrative is a form of writing that tells a story.  Narratives can be essays, fairy tales, movies, and jokes.  Narratives have five elements: plot, setting, character, conflict, and theme.  Writers use narrator style, chronological order, a point of view, and other strategies to tell a story. Telling stories is an ancient art that started long before humans invented writing. People tell stories when they gossip, tell jokes, or reminisce about the past. Written forms of narration include most forms of writing: personal essays, fairy tales, short stories, novels, plays, screenplays, autobiographies, histories, even news stories have a narrative. Narratives may be a sequence of events in chronological order or an imagined tale with flashbacks or multiple timelines. Narrative Elements Every narrative has five elements that define and shape the narrative: plot, setting, character, conflict, and theme. These elements are rarely stated in a story; they are revealed to the readers in the story in subtle or not-so-subtle ways, but the writer needs to understand the elements to assemble her story. Heres an example from The Martian, a novel by Andy Weir that was made into a film: The plot is the thread of events that occur in a story. Weirs plot is about a man who gets accidentally abandoned on the surface of Mars.The setting is the location of the events in time and place. The Martian is set on Mars in the not-too-distant future.The characters are the people in the story who drive the plot, are impacted by the plot, or may even be bystanders to the plot. The characters in The Martian include Mark Watney, his shipmates, the people at NASA resolving the issue, and even his parents who are only mentioned in the story but still are impacted by the situation and in turn impact Marks decisions.The conflict is the problem that is being resolved. Plots need a moment of tension, which involves some difficulty that requires resolution. The conflict in The Martian is that Watney needs to figure out how to survive and eventually leave the planets surface.Most important and least explicit is the theme. What is the moral of the story? What does the writer intend the reade r to understand? There are arguably several themes in The Martian: the ability of humans to overcome problems, the stodginess of bureaucrats, the willingness of scientists to overcome political differences, the dangers of space travel, and the power of flexibility as a scientific method. Setting Tone and Mood In addition to structural elements, narratives have several styles that help move the plot along or serve to involve the reader. Writers define space and time in a descriptive narrative, and how they choose to define those characteristics can convey a specific mood or tone. For example, chronological choices can affect the readers impressions. Past events always occur in strict chronological order, but writers can choose to mix that up, show events out of sequence, or the same event several times experienced by different characters or described by different narrators. In Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquezs novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the same few hours are experienced in sequence from the viewpoint of several different characters. Garcà ­a Mrquez uses that to illustrate the peculiar almost magical inability of the townspeople to stop a murder they know is going to happen. The choice of a narrator is another way that writers set the tone of a piece. Is the narrator someone who experienced the events as a participant, or one who witnessed the events but wasnt an active participant? Is that narrator an omniscient undefined person who knows everything about the plot including its ending, or is he confused and uncertain about the events underway? Is the narrator a reliable witness or lying to themselves or the reader? In the novel Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, the reader is forced to constantly revise her opinion as to the honesty and guilt of the husband Nick and his missing wife. In Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, the narrator is Humbert Humbert, a pedophile who constantly justifies his actions despite the damage that Nabokov illustrates hes doing. Point of View Establishing a point of view for a narrator allows the writer to filter the events through a particular character. The most common point of view in fiction is the omniscient (all-knowing) narrator who has access to all the thoughts and experiences of each of her characters. Omniscient narrators are almost always written in the third person and do not usually have a role in the storyline. The Harry Potter novels, for example, are all written in third person; that narrator knows everything about everybody but is unknown to us. The other extreme is a story with a first-person point of view in which the narrator is a character within that story, relating events as they see them and with no visibility into other character motivations. Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre is an example of this: Jane relates her experiences of the mysterious Mr. Rochester to us directly, not revealing the full explanation until Reader, I married him. Points of view can also be effectively shifted throughout a piece- in her novel Keys to the Street, Ruth Rendell used limited third-person narratives from the point of view of five different characters, enabling the reader to assemble a coherent whole out of what first appears to be unrelated stories.   Other Strategies Writers also use the grammatical strategies of tense (past, present, future), person (first person, second person, third person), number (singular, plural) and voice (active, passive). Writing in the present tense is unsettling- the narrators have no idea what will happen next- while past tense can build in some foreshadowing. Many recent novels use the present tense, including The Martian. A writer sometimes personalizes the narrator of a story as a specific person for a specific purpose: The narrator can only see and report on what happens to him or her. In Moby Dick, the entire story is told by the narrator Ishmael, who relates the tragedy of the mad Captain Ahab, and is situated as the moral center. E.B. White, writing columns in 1935s New Yorker magazine, often used the plural or editorial we to add a humorous universality and a slow pace to his writing. The barber was cutting our hair, and our eyes were closed- as they are so likely to be... Deep in a world of our own, we heard, from far away, a voice saying goodbye. It was a customer of the shop, leaving. Goodbye, he said to the barbers. Goodbye, echoed the barbers. And without ever returning to consciousness, or opening our eyes, or thinking, we joined in. Goodbye, we said, before we could catch ourselves.- E.B. White Sadness of Parting. In contrast, sportswriter Roger Angell (Whites stepson) epitomizes sports writing, with a quick, active voice, and straight chronological snap: In September 1986, during an unmomentous Giants-Braves game out at Candlestick Park, Bob Brenly, playing third base for San Francisco, made an error on a routine ground ball in the top of the fourth inning. Four batters later, he kicked away another chance and then, scrambling after the ball, threw wildly past home in an attempt to nail a runner there: two errors on the same play. A few moments after that, he managed another boot, thus becoming only the fourth player since the turn of the century to rack up four errors in one inning.- Roger Angell. La Vida.

Strategy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategy Paper - Essay Example To analyze this phenomenon, WJ Wood had this to say i.e. "The Americans did not simply outlast the British in the Revolutionary War, but, won their independence by employing superior strategies, tactics and leadership".2 Wood was however, only half-correct because Britain, with its status as the world's prime conqueror and as a veteran of many major wars, was no stranger and in fact replete with superior strategies and wily tactics and was blessed with the best military leaders. Therefore, there must be other factors that went into the equation to produce Britain's shameful defeat. First consideration was the fact that Britain was waging a war in a land, more than 3,000 miles away and we can only conjecture that there would be problems of logistics and communication PM Lord North, Secretary of State George Germain) "never provided the timely guidance and the commanders in the field never furnished accurate enough predictions of what to expect and differed so much among themselves as to the proper course to pursue".3 A more formidable problem was the difficulty of sending transports of ammunitions, military equipment and troops just in time to stem the tide of a particular battle in Britain's favor. It also had to battle inclement weather and fierce winds. Second consideration, was the fact that Britain had to design a multi-pronged strategy to answer simultaneous threats that may divide the kingdom. The American rebellion was only one front. The possible invasion by France and Spain was another. The need to cohesively cement its hold on Canada, West Indies, Gibraltar and India was yet another. It was clear that these "limited the options available to the British"4 and not to mention divide the British forces. In sharp contrast, the colonists were waging a war in their own backyard. Thus, they enjoyed the advantage of a familiar terrain and a cooperative citizenry, called the militia, which is generally hostile to the British. The strategies and tactics may not be at par with British standards but they were well coordinated, controlled and centralized by the Continental Congress based in Philadelphia and later in Annapolis, Md. To finance the war, the Congress employed diplomatic and psychological strategy on France and Spain with successful results. The rest of the money was obtained through deft arm twisting of the populace i.e. loans; forced loans with certificates of indebtedness; levies; issuance of continental currency. In that age when cellphones, internet, two-way radios haven't seen the light of day, the colonists had the Committee of Safety, composed of mounted messengers of which Paul Revere was the most

Monitoring of users Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Monitoring of users - Essay Example lantic have set up monitoring policy that ensures that their systems are protected and they can detect attributes of managed resources that are not operating within the specified parameters. Therefore, this paper shall seek to explain some of the rules of monitoring users of monitors executed by College of North Atlantic. First and foremost, College of North Atlantic’s monitoring policy asserts that it is mandatory for everyone using electronic system that belongs to the institution to comply with the agreements and guidelines stipulated in the policy. All the institution’s employees, contractors, subcontractors, students and volunteers must abide by the provisions of the procedures, policies and Acceptable Use Agreement that govern usage of the institutions electronic information systems (College of North Atlantic). The monitoring policy also stresses the importance of this by having administrative and academic managers responsible for ensuring that the policy is complied with. In doing this, College of North Atlantic will ensure that the monitoring policy is followed to the latter. The software policy enforced by College of North Atlantic plays an integral in ensuring that the institution’s computers and software are not destroyed. For example, the monitoring policy states that all software installed in the system in any department, the original set of software must be kept in an accessible and safe place in the corresponding department. Additionally, if software was installed and a license document was acquired, then the license document must also be stored in the respective department in an accessible and secure place. In order to ensure that this policy is followed to the latter, then the institution has ensured that the administrative and academic managers of the respective departments are responsible for the software licenses acquired in their departments (College of North Atlantic). Employees of College of North Atlantic are not allowed to install

Value of Diversity in the workplace Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Value of Diversity in the workplace Paper - Essay Example Looking at the demographic analysis of our customer base we realized that we had been way off the mark as far as the targets and the results were concerned. The potential turnover was huge considering the Hispanic population count in the territory. We could have had double the turnover and did not know what we were doing wrong or what more we could do to include the target population. This put question mark not only the results but also on the efficacy of the funds spent on the campaign, which did not achieve the desired results, and as a corollary, the achieved results would have been there even without this added expense. It was a classic case of blind leading the blind. We had got somewhere but did not know how and it was not where we wanted to be in the first place. The days that followed were very critical for all of us including the advertisement agency hired for creating awareness about the product amongst the target population. Numerous brain storming sessions took place; we tried out all the tricks in the book to come up with a credible hypothesis of what had happened and the best way forward but could not come up with any plausible conclusion. There was a Hispanic salesman on our team. He was very quiet, conscious of his "different' background and mostly kept to himself.

Comparison of Panhellenic Structures and Greek Sanctuaries

Comparison of Panhellenic Structures and Greek Sanctuaries In What Ways Were Panhellenic Sanctuaries Distinctive in Comparison with Other Kinds of Greek Sanctuaries? This work is going to centre on the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia and Delphi and what made them distinctive, but also the reasons why these distinctions occurred. To achieve this I am going to focus the discussion on the origins of the sanctuaries in comparison to others that did not have Panhellenic status and also the types of activity that were established at these sanctuaries that were able to appeal to such a vast selection of people. According to tradition the Olympic games were first held in 776 BC, but cult activity at Olympia had its origins some time before this as evidenced by the presence of terracotta and bronze votive figurines, which suggest a date of at least the late 10th century BC (Morgan 1990: 57). During this period however the sanctuary was by no means Panhellenic and was mainly used by local groups. The site of the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios at Olympia was located in a fertile plain on the banks of the River Alpheios in the northwest Peloponnese, and was not controlled by any one state, which, as we shall see, was a key requirement for it becoming Panhellenic. Metal evidence of bronze and occasionally iron tripods points to settlements from the regions of Messenia and Arkadia as the main groups participating in the sanctuary in this earlier period and the reasons for this may have been to do with the remoteness of the site. It may have been, as Morgan suggests, a neutral meeting place at which in ter-regional relations were developed (Morgan 1990: 30, 85, Hall 2007: 272). It can be seen therefore that even during its earlier history, Olympia took on a role that fostered relations between different groups, in this case of the western Peloponnese rather than the larger Greek world. In the 8th century the number of communities using the sanctuary hugely increased as shown by a massive rise in the number of tripods being dedicated there. Tripods were seen as high status items and were an indictor of wealth, and were among the prizes given by Achilles at the funeral games of Patroclus in the Iliad: For swift charioteers first he set forth goodly prizes, a woman to lead away, one skilled in goodly handiwork, and an eared tripod of two and twenty measuresfor him that should be first.'(Homer Iliad 23.264-265) It can be seen from this that in around 700BC, the approximate date of the composition of the Iliad, tripods were given as prizes, but as Osborne notes, it is difficult to determine whether this association existed earlier in the 8th century. Despite this he suggests that the rise in tripod dedication coincides with the traditional creation of the Olympic games in 776 and argues that the reason for there being many more tripods than the number of possible victors is that the range of type and manufacture points to people bringing their own tripods to dedicate whether victorious or not (Osborne 1996: 96). It is the view of Hall however that this date of 776 was exaggerated through the calculations of Hippias of Elis to increase the standing of the games. He asserts that as the other great Panhellenic games were not established until the 6th century the Olympic games may also have their origins in this century (Hall 2007: 32, 272). Morgan on the other hand, believes there may be an ele ment of truth in Pausanias account that the games were re-established in 776, and puts forward the idea that there may have been a small scale local festival tradition in place prior to the 8th century. She argues that although a precedent may have been in place, wider participation in the games did not commence until c.725BC (Morgan 1990: 48). It does seem odd however that the other Panhellenic games at Delphi, Nemea and Isthmia were not established until over a hundred years after those at Olympia, and yet these were apparently founded within quick succession (between c.582 and c.573). I am therefore in support of Halls position that perhaps the antiquity of the games was exaggerated, and it seems more likely that their origins lie in the late 7th or possibly even early 6th century. If it were not games then, what drew people to the Olympic sanctuary to cause the sudden increase in the number of tripods dedicated? There is another explanation which shows a changing attitude in the ideas of individual identity and the display of wealth. The dedications could reflect a new desire to display wealth for the viewing of a much wider audience. This would therefore have been a way of displaying social status but may also have provided opportunities for increasing your position within a social hierarchy. The sheer numbers of tripods may also reflect the need to compete with others outside of your own community. Olympia was therefore the ideal place for these activities, situated on two major rivers and so providing ample status boosting attention and also on neutral territory in a remote location, the distance, and thus the added danger, increasing the prestige of the dedicator (De Polignac 1994: 11, Osborne 1996: 98). This seems to be a valid suggestion in explaining th e influx of votive offerings. A fundamental change in attitude appears likely as an explanation for these new practices, as an increase in cultic practice was taking place throughout Greece. For example in the sanctuary of Pherai only two fibulae have so far been found dating to the 9th and early 8th centuries compared to 1783 from the late 8th and early 7th. This can also be seen in a range of other objects at various different sanctuaries, and is not restricted to the future Panhellenic sites (Osborne 1996: 93). Snodgrass suggests this represented a redirection of wealth to the dedication of the gods, and so it may be no coincidence that in this same period there was also a change in custom in that the dead were no longer buried with the range or wealth of grave-goods that they once were (Snodgrass 1980: 53-4, Osborne 1996: 82). This would imply a change in belief from the display of power, of an individual or possibly even just a family group, in death through the inclusion of wo rldly possessions, to an active display of wealth and social status in life. This may of course have been a factor prior to the 8th century but it is not as archaeologically visible as it becomes through tripod dedications. This is not to say that the games could not have been taking place at the same time, as neither activity is mutually exclusive; however it highlights the practical impossibility of identifying the origins of the games through available archaeology. The sanctuary of Apollo Pythios at Delphi had quite different origins to Olympia and there is no evidence that it had any cult associations until around the start of the 8th century, when bronze tripods and figurines appear. It is Morgans view that the sanctuary began life as a local shrine for the village of Delphi, which was subsequently adopted by neighbouring states (Morgan 1990: 106). During most of the 8th century dedications were relatively limited especially when compared to other sanctuaries such as Perakhora. These increased considerably in the last quarter of the 8th century, but unlike Olympia where this apparently trailed off in the 7th, these dedications steadily continued coming from locations as diverse as the Peloponnese, Attica and Crete (Osborne 1996: 202-203). Similarly to Olympia, Delphi was situated in quite a remote location on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, north of the Gulf of Corinth, in central Greece. This remoteness likewise allowed for its appeal to a wider audience, but it did evolve as part of a community, unlike the much more isolated Olympia and there was also a strong Corinthian involvement. The key issue however is that it did not fall directly within the territory of a developing powerful political centre. The aforementioned sanctuary of Hera at Perakhora for example became part of the territory of the city of Corinth and despite its similar origins and superior wealth in the 8th century at least to Delphi, it never achieved Panhellenic status. It would come under what Marinatos calls an extra-urban sanctuary, in that it fell under the direct administration of Corinth but was not within the urban space of the city. Urban sanctuaries, such as the Acropolis at Athens, were prominent features within the boundaries of a city and were used as an obvious display of the wealth and power of the respective city. Extra-urban sanctuaries on the other hand had a different political function; to define the territory of the city administering it, such as Corinth in the case of Perakhora. They also acted as small scale pan-Hellenic sanctuaries in as much as they united followers of a particular cult within a region and were not just for members of a specific polis. The Panhellenic sites of Delphi and Olympia fall under the title of inter-urban sanctuaries (Marinatos 1993: 229). This status largely depended on where the sanctuary was when cities became politicised, and the creation of, or claim for possession of a sanctuary probably indicated the beginnings of regional awareness (Morgan 1990: 7). The position of a sanctuary therefore defined its function, thus also changing the types of votive objects dedicated. Morgan believes Perakhora came to reflect the personal concerns of the people in the region of Corinth, while the elite utilized Delphi for the display of their wealth; this change in focus can be seen at Perakhora through dedications of items such as clay model koulouria and other feminine items linked to Hera (Morgan 1990: 144). The major investment in sanctuaries within polis territories however came in the form of monumental architecture which was constructed in these locations at least a century before that of any of the temples of the major Panhellenic sanctuaries (Hall 2007: 271, De Polignac 1994: 12). Prior to the construction of these temples the main focus of cult activity at all sanctuaries had been just an open air altar. The small temple of Hera at Perakhora built c.800 BC was one of the first to be constructed and was probably a one roomed building around 8 metres long and 5 metres wide. The initial temple of the Heraion at Samos was also constructed in this period; though it was far more monumental in structure at just over 30 metres long, although still only 6 metres wide. The temple to first be built entirely of stone however was not erected until the 6th century, though perhaps it is not surprising that this was also at a polis sanctuary; the temple of Artemis at Kerkyra (Coldstream 1977: 322, Coldstream 1985: 70-3). It is interesting then that these smaller, localised polis sanctuaries received this type of investment from communities long before the Panhellenic sanctuaries in the 7th and 6th centuries. Did this mean that urban and extra-urban sanctuaries were more important? Hall asserts that local sanctuaries must have been of a higher priority and Morgan takes this further in saying that the reason for this is that the state had to be defined politically, spatially and socially before formal investment could take place outside of its borders (Hall 2007: 271, Morgan 1993: 19-20). Coldstream also agrees with this view, and it is his opinion that the construction of temples, among other signs, marked the arrival of the polis (Coldstream 1985: 68). This would therefore seem to show that local temples such as that at Perakhora, were a key component of polis identity, and so it would seem only natural that city sanctuaries were invested in before competing against other poleis on the wider stage at the sanctuaries of Delphi and Olympia. As a result, it would seem less an argument of which was the more important and therefore most deserving of communal investment, and more about which was the most fundamental to the establishment of a collective civic identity. This change in the notion of identity, away from the promotion of self interest of the individual and towards the collective identity of the polis, is also noticeable in the building of treasuries, particularly at Delphi. At first these were constructed by elites in order to promote their own status, such as the treasury of Cypselus mentioned by Herodotos: These bowlsstand in the Corinthian treasury though to speak strictly it should not be called the public treasury of the Corinthians, but the treasury of Cypselus, son of Eà «tion.'(Herodotos Histories 1.14) As Hall notes however, by the 6th century these, despite still probably being financed by the most affluent, were constructed in the name of the polis, the treasury of Knidos being built in c.560-550 and the treasury of Siphnos in 525 for example (Hall 2007: 272-3, Snodgrass 1980: 141). Their function would have been the same, but the focus had shifted to the glorification of the polis rather than individuals. Only once a city state, and thus the communal identity that went with it, had fully formed could this be possible and allow for competition between states. Treasuries also existed in state sanctuaries, but all would have been financed by local inhabitants of the controlling city again differentiating from the Panhellenic appeal of Olympia and Delphi. The Heraion at Samos for instance has several possible treasuries, which were likely funded by local elites (Kyrieleis 1993: 129, 133). As previously mentioned, the majority, if not all of the Panhellenic sanctuaries introduced games in the early 6th century and this is the period when they can truly be called Panhellenic, involving competition between many poleis, rather than just elite individuals from neighbouring states. Individuals were still fà ªted as heroes for victory, both by their polis and on a wider scale; through winning they had increased their own status, but also the prestige of their home city. All athletic competitions were linked to religious festivals, and by 500BC there were around 50 sets of games in place throughout Greece (Sweet 1987: 3). This wider recognition of ability of course, could not happen at these local games, such as those of the Panathenaia, and so added to the appeal of the Panhellenic games and must have been one of the main reasons for the assured interest of so many states. Again the reason that so many city-states could come together in one place to compete was because none of the Panhellenic sanctuaries were dominated by a powerful state. This meant that there was no reason to feel threatened as perhaps could happen at more urban sanctuaries, located within or close to a dominant polis. This was one of the reasons why the Panathenaia, despite efforts from the Athenians to make it an inter-state festival to rival the Panhellenic games, was ultimately unsuccessful in attracting other poleis to compete (Finley 1985: xviii-xix). The Pythian games at Delphi and the Olympic games consisted of similar events, except that Delphi also offered musical competitions: contests for harpingfor flute-playing and for singing to the fluteThe competitions being the same as at Olympia, except the four horse chariot, and the Delphians themselves added to the contest running races for boys, the long course and the double course.'(Pausanias Description of Greece 10.7.4-5) These contests clearly fixed the Panhellenic status of these sanctuaries, but could they have been classed as Panhellenic prior to the introduction of athletic competition? This is harder to determine with Olympia, as the games were the main attraction of the sanctuary but also because the origins of the games are so hard to determine. Delphi however was just as famous, if not more so, for its oracle. The Delphic oracle is believed to have been established in the late 8th century, although like the Olympic games this is disputed. Again the only material evidence is the rise in votive offerings at the end of the century, which as discussed above is present in many places and could be indicative of a number of practices. There is a mention of the oracle in the Odyssey however: in sacred Pytho, when he passed over the threshold of stone to enquire of the oracle.'(Homer Odyssey 8.79-82) If its provenance is to be believed, and if it was not a later addendum to the story, then this would seem to support an 8th century origin for the oracle. Whatever the actual date, it is Morgans belief that the introduction of the oracle may reflect early state domination of the sanctuary, in a similar fashion to the way treasuries began to reflect the polis rather than the individual (Morgan 1990: 184-5). Osborne advocates that the oracle was part of the wider appeal of Delphi, but Delphi was not the only sanctuary with an oracle, and this again brings us back to the question of when it first became Panhellenic and what determined this status; the oracle or the Pythian games (Osborne 1996: 204). No matter what the actual cause of panhellenism was, the activities in place at both Olympia and Delphi were available elsewhere at many other sanctuaries that never achieved the status Panhellenic. The apparent reason for this, as has been reiterated many times through this work, was the geographical location of the sanctuaries. The Delphic oracle would have been perceived as far less likely to give biased advice to protect its political allegiances, as its neutrality meant that it was not dependent on the ambitions of a controlling polis. Similarly, the Olympic and Pythian games would have provided impartial ground on which to compete for greater glory than was possible within the confines of a state or intra-regional festival. It can be seen therefore that the origins of both Panhellenic and civic sanctuaries were quite comparable, and it was only following the emergence of a fully defined state, with territorial awareness, that the varying roles of sanctuaries became distinct. Co nsequently, it is my belief that it was a combination of geographical location and the rise of the polis that provided the environment for Panhellenic sanctuaries to be set apart, but that they had to have something to offer in order to appeal to a wider audience, whether it was an oracle or athletic competition. It is mainly through these factors that inter-urban sanctuaries differentiated from those directly under the control of a city-state. Bibliography Herodotos. Histories, translated by A. De Sà ©lincourt (Penguin Classics). 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