Aids In Africa

The pandemic brought about by the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Africa has become a very popular topic among healthcare experts, and interestingly, also among U.S. policymakers. This level of attention is due to the high mortality rate of AIDS victims in the said region as well as the significantly low life-expectancy among those infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – the pathogen that causes AIDS.In order to have a broader understanding about the topic four different kinds of literature related to the topic will be used to analyze the impact of the AIDS pandemic in Africa.Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyThe first source that will be analyzed is a reference book entitled, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology: Theory and Practice. This reference books deal with the transmission and control of diseases and it has a section dealing with AIDS/HIV.The authors were able to fully explain how AIDS is transmitted and also how to control the spread of the viru s. There is also a section that describes one of the most ambitious plans to significantly reduce the impact of AIDS/HIV in Africa.This source is valid and reliable as it is consistent with other sources that will be reviewed later in this study. Aside from that, the publisher, Jones and Bartlett in Massachusetts is a reputable publishing house.This source provides an overview of the AIDS/HIV problem in general and also provides information why it is very difficult to curb the problem of HIV infection in Africa. The discussion regarding transmission of the HIV virus will greatly increase awareness as to the kind of behavior that will lead to infection.The information that can be gathered through reading this source will help government officials to create strategies and enact laws that will make it harder for the virus to spread.This source is of great value to individuals, government or non-government agencies desiring to lend support in the fight against AIDS/HIV in Africa.This is because not only is the source an excellent reference guide for the epidemiology of the disease but it also provides useful information on what is being done to stop the virus from overwhelming the whole continent (Nelson & Masters, p. 869). There is a need to combine knowledge of science and knowledge of how to understand people.Life ExpectancyThe second resource that will be used for this study was taken from an article in The New York Times, entitled, Devastated by AIDS, Africa Sees Life Expectancy Plunge. The article provides a more tangible proof that indeed AIDS/HIV is wreaking havoc in Africa.It is one thing to simply know about the epidemiology of the disease and it is quite another to learn that infants born in seven African nations – those with very high HIV infection – could not expect to live beyond 40. Due to the catastrophic figures given, some of Africa’s politicians are saying that the numbers maybe inaccurate (Dugger, par. 7).But the report see ms to be saying that irregardless of the exact life expectancy number, there is widespread agreement that people are dying young inside the continent.One of the most information that could be gleaned from this article is the fact that people living in sub-Saharan Africa are not only dying young, their premature deaths increase the level of poverty in this region.The deaths of thousands of young men and women meant that there will be few people – especially those in the prime of their lives – who can contribute in the field of education, healthcare and various industries. This will cause a chain-reaction of events.For one there will be no strong and able bodied men and women who can spearhead the drive to eradicate AIDS/HIV and the reason is simple, many of them have died. If Africa continues to suffer from the AIDS/HIV pandemic, then it will not take long before the continent will destroy itself due to people living without hope.If the children are the future of a nati on then surely the AIDS pandemic is creating a bleak future for sub-Saharan Africa.This is a valid source of information because it came from a reputable source – The New York Times.Moreover, the information that can be gathered from reading this text supports many of the findings reviewed from other sources. Aside from being accurate, this resource is a valuable source of information because it focuses on falling life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa. This will help African politicians as well as their policymakers map out strategies that will help solve the problem.PEPFARThe official website of â€Å"The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief† (PEPFAR) will be the third resource for this study. The site offers a wide array of information regarding the AIDS/HIV pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.The site talks about the reason behind the creation of PEPFAR and what it hopes to achieve in the long run. PEPFAR is US-based and appears to be one of th e most important achievements of the Bush administration. This is a reliable source because it is a website created by the U.S. Federal government.There are also other U.S. government agencies that acknowledged the significance of PEPFAR and news agencies are also well aware of its existence.One of the most interesting facts that can be gleaned from the website pertains to the plan of former president George W. Bush to position the United States to lead in the fight against global HIV/AIDS. At the center of the plan is the need to focus resources on a region with one of the highest incidence of AIDS/HIV and this is sub-Saharan Africa.Aside from the lofty goals set by PEPFAR another interesting facet of this plan is the pledge by the U.S. government, to disburse billions of dollars of taxpayer’s money to help non-Americans, thousands of miles away.This was a daring move by the former president Bush who insisted that America is ready and financially able, to take a stand agains t HIV/AIDS. The former president authorized the release of a multi-billion package that will ensure that a significant part of Sub-Saharan Africa will be able to experience outside help. The huge amounts involved will signal to the rest of the world that America is ready.This resource is valuable not only because it provides an overview of the whole PEPFAR initiative. But aside from that, the website also provides detailed information with regards to the steps required leading to the creation of PEPFAR.The site also provides links that will help people discover how the president intended to finance a project that is so massive and so expensive that it is almost impossible for this Federal funded program to succeed.Corruption in AfricaThe fourth resource that will be used for this study is a book entitled, Corruption in Africa: Causes, Consequences, and Cleanups. The authors attempted to explain the unique circumstance that created a host of problems for Africa.Corruption in this sid e of the world was linked to power-hungry officials who used their position to enrich themselves. When it comes to corruption and the AIDS/HIV pandemic the common denominator is poverty, lack of education and the absence of government services that help worsen the situation in sub-Saharan Africa.This book is an excellent resource when dealing with factors aside from epidemiology and healthcare. It is very important that policymakers and strategists take a closer look at impact of corruption and why increasing the number of health workers and saturating the region with drugs will never be enough to solve the AIDS/HIV pandemic.The socio-political aspect must be considered as well. There is indeed a clear link between corruption and poverty and when these two are present it creates a social order where the government is inefficient and could not provide the necessary services that in turn will strengthen the capability of Africans to resist the AIDS/HIV onslaught.This is a reliable res ource because it is consistent with research findings used to support the three previous sources. For instance a good education will make it easier for health workers to explain the reason why sexual intercourse and the sharing of contaminated needles are two of the most important means to transmit the virus.If the people are well-educated then it is easy for them to understand the steps required to avoid those problems. But with corruption comes the inability to have access to good education and when the people are ignorant it will be easy for the virus to spread. AIDS in Africa The number of people living with Human Immune-Deficiency Virus (HIV) in Africa especially in Sub-Saharan part is quite big. More than half of the population is infected with HIV AIDS and the number of individuals being infected increases each day.It usually causes high death rates in children and adults. According to statistics, the number of those who are infected is quite high which is about 2.3 million adults and children (UNAIDS, 2006). The number seems to be dropping drastically which portrays that there has been a change of behaviour which has made the number to reduce and also the decrease can be as a result of increased mortality rate of those who are infected.The number of people who are most affected by AIDS are prostitutes and their clients homosexuals and most of individuals who inject themselves with drugs. In Sub-Saharan region HIV transmission is mostly experienced in most of heterosexual transmission in Africa most of the women are infected at early stages which incre ases the gap between men and women who are infected with HIV.In Africa, South Africa is the country which has the highest prevalence rate of individual who are infected with AIDS.According to epidemiological survey, it shows that the number of infected individuals in this country does not decrease and the main factors which have lead to this increase includes social instability, poverty, family disruption migratory labor system which leads to increased morbidity, sexual transmitted diseases are in increased levels in these regions, women lives in low status and sexual violence.The increased incidence rate of Aids in Africa has lead to a major economical problem which has made the country’s economy in most of Sub-Saharan countries to drop drastically and people in these regions to live under a lot of poverty.According to various statistics, most of the Sub-Saharan Africa countries drop economically with around 1-2% of the total economic status of the country annually. Most of the families with individuals who are infected with HIV AIDS live in total poverty than the rest of the household.This is because the level of productivity decreases drastically since individuals infected with HIV become weak and they are unable to carry on with their daily routine work.These individuals in most cases who are young eventually die leaving young children and the aged who are not able to work for their basic need. They are therefore left to depend on well wishers, government and other non governmental organizations for their living.Due to high death rates, it has also lead to great food shortage since those who work in farms are usually the young generation which is the group which is highly infected. This has lead to lack of essential labor which is needed in farm and therefore the family can result to use of finances which were not necessary to purchase food.In some Sub-Saharan countries such as South Africa, most of productive individuals such as those who work in v arious governmental organizations are dying of AIDS at a very high rate which makes the country to lost important people who are skilled and had a high potential of bringing revenue to the government.These usually pose a major drawback of the economic status of the country. When these individuals die, vital services are not delivered to the public and this can lead to loss of revenue that government could gain from these services.The main sector which is mainly affected by the high prevalence rate of HIV is the labor sector. This is because most of the individuals who are affected by AIDS are between the age of 15-49 which is the most productive age which is mainly the working age.When the labor of the country drops, its economic status is also affected this is mostly experienced by those individuals who are directly affected or infected by AIDS.When those people who are already trained for various job die because of AIDS, it means that factories, industries, schools and hospitals h ave to incur extra cost for training more skilled individuals who can replace them and those who can work efficiently (Cohen 1990). In order to facilitate this, these sectors have to use a lot of money which could be used for other purposes to boost the economic status of these sectors.Due to strong impact that HIV sets on labor force, in various enterprises and household, HIV has acted as a quite significant factor in drop of the economic development and growth of countries and also in individuals. It has played quite a vital effect in the economic development of Africa as a whole.Due to the fact that Africa faces a major economic drawback, it has made it quite difficulty for African countries to fight the epidemic. This is because the disease prevalence rate is quite high and the economic status of he country and individuals goes down which makes most of individuals not to afford the antiretroviral drugs (ARV) therapies which can help to reduce the prevalence rate of diseases.In s ome cases the productivity of infected individuals can be boosted by proper feeding and good diet, but in these Sub-Saharan countries, its quite hard for infected individual to have proper diet which will help in boosting the immune status of the body since there is no enough money to be supplemented in buying of food.Due to high poverty levels of those who are infected and their low economic status, the prevention methods which can be used to minimize high rate of disease infection are not quite applicable due to lack of money. This has increased the disease occurrence a lot since no prevention measures are taken and therefore transmission rate is quite high.This is mostly experienced in mother child transmission, since most of expectant women who are living in extreme poverty do not have money to attend the antenatal clinic and they usually end up delivering at home where there are no measures which are taken into consideration to prevent the disease from being transmitted to the child.In some cases, individuals who are infected with HIV also have high chances of being infected with other opportunistic infections which mainly affects individuals with AIDS such as TB. Due to their inability to access medical services due to lack of money, they get weak quite quickly and can result to death. In this case the economic status of the country drop due to lack of money.Most of the countries in Sub Saharan live under extreme poverty which makes them to lack basic access to education which is a major factor which can be used to alleviate poverty levels and boost the economic status of the country (Avert org, 2008). Those individuals who do not have basic education on the effect AIDS end up contacting it carelessly which increases transmission rate due to lack of knowledge about the impact the disease has on the society.Social impact of children and women in South AfricaSouth Africa is one of the countries in the Sub-Saharan region with quite a high prevalence rate of AIDS its estimated that around 15-20% of its total adult population is infected with HIV. The number of those individuals who are infected has greatly exceeded the number which was considered to be possible initially.There is no evidence of epidemic slowing in South Africa since around 4.9-6.1 million people in the country are infected with AIDS. Statistics carried out on 2004 showed that around 1-3 expectant mother are infected with HIV and since then gradual increase has been realized.

Faculty Member Participation in Decision-making of Universities Essay

Decisions encapsulate and encompass the people and system that make up any institution or organization. The decisions and those making them reflect one another to give an accurate and precise notion of how they want to be perceived generally. In this effect, those that are not accounted for in the decision making process are not reflected in the notion of perception by society. Therefore, I am proposing that the faculty member must be given ample respect and opportunity in the decisions of the university. This proposal shall thus center its attention at the teaching staff members of University of Nottingham in Australia and king Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The main issue that is a stake here is the value and importance of including the decisions of a member of a teaching staff in the overall decisions in the university. The underlying implication here is to ask whether or not the decision of a faculty staff member will be beneficial or detrimental to the university. Moreover, pragmatically speaking, the decision process of any university must take into consideration the ideas and contributions of every staff and school official due to the fact that each of them knows what is happening in the university from their own point of view and at the same time, they will also be affected by the decisions they make. The decision that does not include other related aspects that can be attributed to it such as those that a faculty staff member can bring in making decisions will not be as encompassing as it should be. It is therefore a privilege to make this study and be able to promulgate this stand of revolutionizing the decision making process in the university so that it may truly encapsulate the very nature and purpose of what it really means to make the decisions. And at the same time, this research will draw the spotlight to where darkness has already made its niche; the unheard voices of the teaching staff members. Relevant Theories and Literature People say that making decisions is like speaking prose because they do it all the time knowingly and unknowingly. It is thus hardly surprising that the topic of decision making involves many disciplines, from mathematics to statistics, through economics and political science, to sociology and psychology (Kahneman and Tversky, 2000). Still, there are even some who liken and compare the nature of decision making to that of the game of chess analyzing the complex and multiple implications that it entails (Katsenelinboigen, 1997). While on the other hand, there are those who rely on statistical and mathematical facts administering decision theory (Berger, 1980). The responsibility of decision making and taking decisions are considered the essence of the administrative process as emphasized by Simon (AL Masri, 1989) since it forms an important part of the positions needed by humanitarian institutions including higher educational institutions. Academic sections in university faculties of different specialties are considered a means for satisfying universities basic objectives as 80% of administrative decisions are taken at the level of departments (Athuhaibti, 1981). The academic department, as seen by Anderson, is the academic unit that involves specialists in research, teaching and other academic aspects. Decision making in the administrative sphere consists of three basic pillars. The first one is about the availability of a human person in a position that has its special circumstances. Secondly, it also important to think in those circumstances to find an outlet to them. And lastly, it is vital to think right to be able to ensure an effective outlet or a suitable alternative. In another aspect, if this is seen from a statistical perspective, the decision making aspect of every problem can actually be formalized through an explicit specification covering the available decisions, the items of cost and gain involved in making the decisions and the relevant probability distributions (De Groot, 2004). Therefore, it is of great importance and of considerable value that a teaching staff member in a university’s department to be given the amount of respect in sharing the responsibilities in making the important decisions with regard to the university whether it is in a large scale level or in a small scale level. Such a person must be heard and be given significant attention for the very reason that the person who can make the best, most practical and most meaningful decisions are the very persons who are affected by the issues at hand and also the very persons for whom the decision will be made in the first place. How can anyone make a concrete and feasible decision if the very person making the decision does not even fully understand and feel the root and effects of the very decision itself? Moreover, it must be absolutely imperative that superiors deal with their subordinates under the bases of psycho humanitarian manners. What is essential to comprehend here is the fact that every person must be treated as a human being and not just a mere willing tool carrying out tasks. People must never be treated as a mere object disregarding their moral feelings and existence who are just as affected by the environment and the natural surroundings like everyone else regardless of their race, gender, color, ethnicity, educational attainment, and nationality. As a result, leadership should pay attention to the needs of their subordinates in a serious way. Thus, another essential thing is the value of loyalty. Loyalty here is not lopsided where in one side shall receive all the benefits while the other lifts the burdens of responsibility. The subordinates must be loyal to their leaders, and in the same way, the leaders must be loyal and even responsible for their subordinates. At the end of the day, both sides must work as one and realize that loyalty and responsibility does not only come through carrying out decisions, but more importantly, it is about the successful dialogue and participation in decision making by all. The subject matter of this study shall delve into the necessity and the relevancy of the involvement of the teaching staff members in the decision making process in the administrative arena qualifying and valuing their decision making contributions and capabilities not only for the betterment of the university but for the growth and development of the teaching staff members as well. This will then give credence and moral boosting performance and efficiency to their respective academic fields. This will further create more new and viable ideas that are usually unnoticed and ignored due to the massiveness of certain issues that are encountered in the decision making process. In addition, this will greatly lessen the burden of responsibility and the pressure of infallibility carried by the higher officials. Some institutions and organizations find the decision making process to be so relatively important that computer-based decision support systems have been invented to assist decision makers in considering the implications of various courses of thinking and help reduce risk in human errors (Flyvbjerg, 2006) Study Methodology This research shall depend in studying the subject and issues at hand through an analytical descriptive method. The research method will follow any deduction that takes this phenomenon from psychological and educational aspects as it is in present time for the purpose of diagnosing, revealing and identifying the relationships among its components or among educational, psychological or social aspects (Al-Ghanem, 1988). The focal point in this research method is seeing the interconnectedness and most importantly, the interdependence of every aspect and relationship that the faculty staff member has with the university. Empirical Work With regard to the empirical data that needs to be collected for this research, the primary source to look with respect to this proposal is the system of the university itself. This comprises of knowing who makes the decisions and how these people make them. The university structural hierarchy will give an ample specification of the decision making process in the university. Moreover, the opinions of the faculty staff members and school officials in relation to the decision making process will be a good foundation for this research. It is also of considerable value in tackling this issue by understanding the location and type of universities that will be assesses as well as the country or culture of the faculty staff members and school officials who will be involved. This research will concentrate on two universities as mentioned. The advantage of this is that the research will have a vast and diverse analysis on the matter and will not be limited by the boundaries that are set by the geographical location. The disadvantage of this research might be seen in the inconsistency in any information gathered. This may arise because of location of the universities and also the willingness of people to give truthful and relevant information. It is expected that this research may cause hesitancy to certain people due to the delicate issue it is asserting. Study Importance The importance of this study arises from the fact that it is going to: 1. Highlight the necessity of opening new horizons to a teaching staff member concerning the optimal method of participating in decision making so as to be an active member in promoting administrative work, which in turn also serves as an academic work done by the member himself. 2. Help the teaching staff member in employing and enhancing his various abilities and techniques in fields widening their knowledge aside from teaching, i. e. getting him outside the closed circle of academic work as well. 3. This study will transform and alter the terms of knowing the participation of a teaching staff member in decision making in University of Nottingham and King Saud University. 4. Add new information and recommendations that help and benefit in increasing the effective participation of a teaching staff member in decision making in those two universities. Study Objectives This study aims to identify teaching staff members’ points of view or perception regarding their participation in making decisions in University of Nottingham and King Saud University and in a way that is more defined; this current study aims at the following: 1. Identifying the extent of teaching staff members’ participation or contribution in university decision making in University of Nottingham and King Saud University. 2. Knowing the extent of difference in the points of view of the subjects of the study sample concerning participation in decision making with the difference of study variables. 3. Identifying the degree of importance of teaching staff member in university decision making by perceiving it through three dimensional studies: the academic dimension, the administrative dimension and the financial dimension. 4. Diagnose the obstacles that can lead a teaching staff member not to participate in making university decisions. Let it therefore be stated that this study tries to state out the motives and value of the teaching staff members in participating in decision making process at the level of the University of Nottingham in Australia and king Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as the factors that hamper or hinder their participation in an effective and beneficial way. Study Questions: The researcher will discuss his study questions with respect to the objectives mentioned above, therefore, the study will revolve around the following four questions: Question (1) How far or to what extent can a teaching staff member of the University of Nottingham participate in the university’s decision making process from the point of view of the study sample individuals? Question (2) How far or to what extent can a teaching staff member of the King Saud University participate in the university’s decision making process from the point of view of the study sample individuals? Question (3) Are there any statistical differences among the points on view of the study sample subjects concerning the participation extent in university decision making in accordance with demographic variables (gender, nationality, academic degree and experience)? Question (4) Does the degree of extent of a teaching staff member’s participation in university decision making differs towards the three dimensional study: â€Å"the academic dimension, the administrative dimension and the financial dimension† with the demographic variables: â€Å"gender, nationality and the difference in job (administrative and non administrative)? Question (5) What are the obstacles or hindrances that lead the teaching staff member from refraining or from being prevented to participate in university decision making from the points of view of study sample individuals? Conclusion I am therefore optimistic that this research can revolutionize or change the traditional way of how faculty staff members, school officials and universities think and interact in their own school communities. This research can further foster dialogue with regard to the conflicts that may arise between faculty staff members and school officials. This research can also bring about beneficial and better improvements to the university as a whole through having a comprehensive decision making process. This research makes an original contribution in the issue at hand because of the diversity in the information and subjects that are discussed which are not limited to only one culture, system or location thereby filling the gaps of other related researches that have narrowly focused in a limited subject and area. Finally, this research can expand to improving educational systems as a whole and also foster a developmental analysis on faculty staff member or school officials as indivudals. References: 1. Al-Masri, Ahmad Mohammad. (1989) Communications, Decisions and their Effectiveness in Administration, Dubai, Dar Al-Kalam. 2. Berger, James O. (1980) Statistical Decision Theory and Bayesian Analysis. 2nd ed. Springer Series in Statistics. 3. Best John, translated by Abdullaziz Ghanem Al-Ghanem and revised by Adel Izziddin Al-Ashwal. (1988) Educational Research Methods. Al-Kuwait Institution for Scientific Development, The Directorate of writing, translation and publishing, Al-Kuwait. 4. De Groot, Morris. (2004) Optimal Statistical Decisions. Wiley Classics Library. 5. Flyvbjerg, Bent. (2006) From Nobel Prize to Project Management: Getting Risks Right. Project Management Journal, vol. 37, no. 3, August 2006, pp. 5-15. 6. Kahneman, Daniel and Tversky, Amos. (2000) Choice, Values, Frames. The Cambridge University Press. 7. Katsenelinboigen, Aron. (1997) The Concept of Indeterminism and Its Applications: Economics, Social Systems, Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, and Aesthetics Praeger: Westport, Connecticut.

Parenting Styles Theory by Diana Baumrind Essay

According to psychologist Diana Baumrind there are four parenting styles; Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive and Uninvolved parenting. Baumrind studied how these parenting styles impacted a child’s development. †¢Authoritarian Parenting – this type of parent is demanding but not responsive, children are expected to follow the strict rules and parents fail to explain their reasons behind their rules and might just reply by saying, â€Å"Because I said so!† †¢Authoritative Parenting – the parent is demanding and responsive, lie authoritarian parenting these parents have rules to follow but this parenting style is much more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, these parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. †¢Permissive parenting – this type of parenting is usually referred to as indulgent parenting, this parent is responsive but not demanding. They are nurturing and accepting and are very responsive to the child’s needs and wishes. Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent. †¢Neglectful Parenting – this type of parenting is usually referred to as uninvolved parenting, they are neither demanding nor responsive. Parents are emotionally unsupportive of their children but will still provide their basic needs (food, housing etc†¦). In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children. One of the main parenting styles identified by Baumrind is known as the authoritative parenting style. This style of parenting is sometimes referred to as â€Å"democratic† and involves a child-centric approach in which parents hold high expectations for their children (Baumrind, 1967). This type of parenting reflects the type of parent that my sister is to her son. My nephew is fourteen (14) years old now, during his child hood my sister would lay down a set of rules for him to follow. These rules matched with his daily routine of small chores and responsibilities seemed harsh at the time, but whenever he needed to be disciplined instead of immediately punishing him, she would put him to sit down and ask him why he did the things he did. This was more or less the method she chose to use with him and as a result, my nephew would be more open about his reasons for his actions and in so doing she was able to build a trusting relationship between them. My nephew grew so accustomed to this method that over time he became more respectful and focused in his studies. He began to understand that with every wrong action there would be consequences, yet he felt loved and he felt comfortable opening up to his mother about any problems. My sister’s authoritative parenting style not only encouraged him to be independent but now he reciprocates these actions with my 18 month old son. I can identify with Baumrind’s Authoritative parenting style since that is the way that I too was raised by my mother and since the birth of my son I have adopted the same method. I express warmth and love while at the same time I give him limits and consequences for his actions. My method is to try to reason with him and try to explain to him that what he is doing is wrong by teaching him from the early stages to discuss things. In my opinion it demonstrates fairness for both parent and child and it encourages a trusting relationship which I believe is necessary for a child’s development.

Basic skills for managerial success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Basic skills for managerial success - Essay Example The targets focus on the number of consultants that generates revenues for the organisation. His managerial function also involves motivating his team members to perform their work at the highest possible level for the benefit of the team and the organisation. Since the company is a target-driven organisation, the manager's major functions also involve monitoring and correcting the activities of his members through weekly reports and meetings. According to Daft and Marcic (2001), the general definition of management is the achievement of desired organisational goals in a manner that is efficient and effective. In order to achieve these goals, a manager must perform different functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling organisational resources. A manager must know how to learn what is valued, what would be of more value, and what will be valued by customers and users. (Parr, 1992) Planning involves setting goals and deciding how to best achieve these goals. It helps the organisation set its future objectives and map out activities that are necessary to attain these goals. Plans are created as guide for the organisation to obtain and commit the resources needed to reach its goals. This also serves as a framework where members of the organisation carry on activities which are consistent with the chosen objectives and procedures. Plans are necessary in order to measure and monitor the progress towards the achievement of the objective. (Mintzberg, 1994) Organising is assigning responsibilities for the accomplishment of tasks. Organising also includes allocation and arranging of organisational resources so that plans can be carried out successfully. These resources may include financial, physical, informational, technical and human resources. Leading is the manner of influencing other people to work towards the achievement of goals. Influence can be used to motivate people. Controlling is the manager's role of monitoring activities and making corrections. It is also considered as regulating activities to reach the desired goals. (Daft & Marcic, 2008) In association to the general definition of management, it is observed that the middle manager interviewed for this paper has performed the different functions of management. The planning function is demonstrated through his setting of the team's targets for the month and creating work strategies focused on achieving the targets. The manager follows the principles of management by objectives. (Hindle, 2003) The organising function is exhibited through assigning team members to meet with clients and prospects on a daily basis, in order to create business transactions. The leading function of the key account manager is best displayed when the manager motivates his people to perform exceptionally and creates a happy and healthy work environment. The controlling function is shown through weekly monitoring as well as business improvement meetings and brainstorming. The manager monitors the team members through a feedback mechanism and reports. Such reports will be compared with the expected results or targets. Corrective actions are made in order to put the members back on its track of achieving the desired objectives of the month. Effective managers are concerned with accomplishments where they set standards of performance, pursue aggressive goals and work hard to

Islamic Banking case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Islamic Banking case - Term Paper Example Moreover, the fact that the owner of the bank plays a huge role in managing the bank is strength, which makes it possible to analyze the bank’s current position in the market and make management decisions in a quick way. The biggest weakness in the bank regards the vulnerability posed by the lack of knowledge on other products in the market, and especially by competing products. In this regard, it is evident that Sultan does not know the principles and concepts of Islamic Banking, which is a major weakness since the bank is losing customers to other banks that offered products based on these concepts and principles. ABB’s major opportunity for development and growth lies within the bank’s niche market amongst the local community. With proper restructuring of the bank’s policy in banking, the bank can maintain this segment of clientele since locals have been the target market since the bank’s inception. In addition, the CEO, who is also the owner, has a â€Å"substantial inherited personal wealth† that he wishes to reinvest in the bank. In effect, this potential source of capital is essential as the bank seeks to position itself in the competitive banking industry due to the increasing role of Islamic Banking principles and concepts. Finally, the major threat that the bank faces is the increasing role of Islamic Banking, which has made some of ABBs customers switch to banks that offered services based on Islamic Banking principles and concepts. In line with this, the threat posed by Islamic Banking concepts and principles requires a rethinking since the bank is losing existing and potential customers due to its failure to establish Islamic Banking principles and concepts. Hence, this market trend is a threat to the long-term objectives of the bank and the bank can only restructure to accommodate this market trend. Sultan can restructure ABB’s banking structures and systems to accommodate

The Development of the Professional Engineer Essay

The Development of the Professional Engineer - Essay Example epartment of Innovation (2009) states that Engineering Council maintains a set of standards that the chartered engineers are expected to follow; these recognized standards are meant for professional outcomes and ethical conduct in the industry. These standards help to ensure the employers that their engineers have confidence in their knowledge areas and have the required expertise. There are a list of member institutions who have been authorized to assess engineers for registration for this recognized title; Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIOB), Institution of Engineering and Technology etc. Finch (2008) stated in her article that according to the ICE website, there were 79,432 members recorded in 2006. A chartered engineer is required to portray a standard of performance and possess a commendable level of expertise in his field. ICE 3005 Development Objectives (2009) states that in order to acquire the title; one should follow a set of development objectives that will serve as a planning tool for learning and acquiring the desired level of expertise. These development objectives are not any assurance of the membership of the institution, but provide a strong base and foundation on the basis of which one can be confident when the level of expertise is to be judged by the professionals [2]. Fig.1 gives the membership process that is followed by ICE: In the above figure, it can be seen that ICE proposes two approaches for membership. One approach is through the individual himself and the other one is ICE approved company scheme. The common thing in both of these approaches is that development objectives are given utmost importance. If an individual comes for the ICE ‘Training under Agreement’ then a supervisor (SCE) will be appointed to him/her to help him and guide him through the process of increasing his knowledge and level of professionalism. On the other hand if the individual is not under any

Design Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design Analysis - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses Apple company logo and its design features. The apple logos given above are designed by Steve Jobs. The initial rainbow logo was designed in 1976 whereas logo 2 was designed in 1998 (The Evolution and History of the Apple Logo, 2009). The initial rainbow logo had seven rainbow colours arranged in a random manner. The designer might have thought that the seven colours in the logo may remind the viewers about the seven continents and Apple’s popularity worldwide. Moreover a handful of colours used in this logo made the logo attractive and because of colour richness this logo caught the attention even at the first look. Seven colours arranged in an apple’s shape forced the viewers to analyse the apple logo more deeply. â€Å"As for the rainbow stripes of the logo, Steve Jobs is rumoured to have insisted on using a colourful logo as a means to â€Å"humanize† the company† (The Evolution and History of the Apple Logo, 2009) A bite was incorporated to the Apple logo by the designer just to make sure that the viewers may not misunderstood it as a tomato instead of an apple. The shape of apple and tomato are almost same and if the bite was not there, viewers might have misinterpret it as a tomato and Apple’s effort to remind the brand name through logo might have been spoiled. The monochrome logo was launched in 1998 in order to give Apple Company a polished look. The changing trends, life styles and needs of the consumers forced Apple to make necessary corrections in their logo to make it more professional. Multicolour logo was expensive and it created lot of inconvenience for apple to accommodate it in its iMac series. The excessive use of detail in logo will seriously compromise its ability to be reproduced. Fine details will disappear when printed at smaller sizes (iStockPhoto, 2010). Apple made their logo so simple which helped them to decrease the reproduction costs immensely. They used simple colours and avoided excessive

What Special Educators Need to Know about Students with Learning Research Paper - 1

What Special Educators Need to Know about Students with Learning Disabilities - Research Paper Example With regards to the special education of the students with learning disabilities, some of these district policies usually find themselves in conflict with the CEC code of ethics. This creates a dilemma for both the teachers and the students under these policies. An example of such a conflict comes in with regards to the code of ethics outlining the disciplinary measures to be taken against students when they break the laws laid down by the institutions. According to the district policies, in the event of a discipline case, all the students are meant to receive the same kind of punishment without any form of biasness (Council for exceptional children, 2012). However, the code of ethics dictates that special consideration should be given to the students with learning disabilities. Their involvement in the disciplinary cases may not have been entirely their fault. This scenario presents a point of conflict between the district policies and the code of ethics. Another example is the evaluation of the students academically. This presents a conflict with the district policies, all the students are supposed to be evaluated on their merit based on the same rubric. However, the code of ethics clearly stated that these students with learning disabilities are supposed to be evaluated individually (Council for exceptional children, 2012). Their condition does not allow them to be evaluated on the same basis as other students. This presents a conflict in this issue. While looking at the characteristics of students with learning disabilities, it is very important that we do not overlook the fact that some of these students actually possess more than one of these characteristics. However, not all of the characteristics are commonly shared by the students.  

Music assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Music assignments - Assignment Example By rigid vocal orchestration it is meant the seconds and thirds are 3rd (Me i.e., 3rd note from the root note) and 5th (So i.e., 5th note from the root note) derivatives. Instead the vocal harmony is created by the creative blending of different note progressions altogether. This kind of vocal symphony is more predominant in instrumental presentations for example a violin line playing on the background while a main instrument or voice is reciting the main composition. This secular motet is in many ways different from the sacred chants that we have listened to in the past. It has a polyphonic texture and also a varying duple, triple meter. Rather it doesn’t strictly follow a particular meter just sticking to a metronome rather. It has complex harmony sections giving rise to minor 7ths and minor augmented chords. It is also rich in melody and has a shifting root note, which means that not one root chord or root note can be identified, that stays as the reference throughout the song. It is less structured and more melodic having complex phrases, grace notes and touch notes. It easily falls under the category of sacred choir music rather than periodic and rhythmic chanting. The timbre is also quite different through the synthesis of multiple voices forming the instrumental base and giving the composition a reverberating and continuously flowing tonal background. The composition also has chromatic note progressions and chromatic tonic change of chords. Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is a Symphony Concerto involving the narration of a story musically through the drama and conversation of instruments created by different notes. Climax is brought out through the high pitched and rhythmic progressions of violins. The quick succession of notes or straight-through notes brings the effect of a drama and a peak of emotion. Smetana’s The Moldau on the other hand is a Symphonic Poem meant for

Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay Today the Arms Procurement Commission began public hearings into what appears to be the biggest corruption scandal in the history of South Africa. Apply the Global Business Standards Codex and explain if and how the Defense Department used these principles, what they could have done differently if the Codex was applied GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARDS CODEX. †¢ Fiduciary Principle (Diligence, Loyalty) †¢ Property Principle (Protection, Theft) †¢ Reliability Principle (Contracts Premises, Commitments) †¢ Transparency Principle (Thruthfulness, Deception, Disclosure, Objectivity) †¢ Dignity Principle (Respect for the Individual, Health and Safety, Privacy and Confidentiality, Use of Force, Associatiation Expression, Learning Development, Employment Security) †¢ Fairness Principle (Fair Dealing, Fair Treatment, Fair Competition, Fair Process) †¢ Citizenship Principle (Law Regulation, Public Goods, Cooperation with Authorities, Political Noninvolvement, Civic Contribution †¢ Responsiveness Principle (Addressing Concerns, Public Involvement). LEARNING OBJECTIVES (TOPIC 3) After completion of this topic, you will be able to: 1. Describe the main ethical theories and apply it to business scenarios  © iStockphoto. com/Dan Bachman ETHICAL THEORIES Three periods in history of ethics Greek period (500 BC-AD 500) †¢ The man who performed his duties as a citizen = good man †¢ Greeks – â€Å"Man is the measure of all things† – he decides for himself what is right and wrong †¢ Socrates, Plato and Aristotle emphasised the need and importance of understanding the nature of goodness †¢ Stoics emphasised that goodness is natural to man, laws of morality are the laws of nature – rational and comprehensive to human reason. ETHICAL THEORIES Medieval period (AD 500 – AD 1500) †¢ Attention was given to inner aspect of morality due to spread of Christianity †¢ Changed Greeks’ view that ethics is a part of politics †¢ The standard of right and wrong was according to God’s law in the Bible and was against any doubts ETHICAL THEORIES Modern period (AD 1500 onwards) †¢ Individualism more important that priests’ preaching and church principles †¢ Human freedom and human accomplishments more important than the Christian revelation †¢ The difference between right and wrong was subjective, depending on the attitude of the individual making the moral judgement ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES. †¢ Developed by moral philosophers over generations to distinguish ethical from unethical behaviour †¢ Viewpoints from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision †¢ Each theory emphasizes different points in order to reach an ethically correct decision †¢ Theories are directed towards achieving a common set of goals (Ethical principles) ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES ETHICS DEFINED The domain of ethics is centrally concerned with human CHARACTER (the kind of people we are) and CONDUCT (how we relate to others) Three key questions comprise the focus of this domain: 1. 2. What is good or bad for humans? What constitutes right or wrong conduct? 3. How ought we to live and treat others? ETHICS OF CONDUCTS CONSEQUENTIALISM The rightness/wrongness of an action is determined by its consequences or results The right action is the one that: †¢ Promotes the greatest happiness of the greatest number (maximizes social utility) = Utilitarianism †¢ Produces results that maximise a person’s selfinterest = Ethical Egoism CONSEQUENTIALISM UTILITARIANISM †¢ Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) Creator of Utilitarianism †¢ Goodness = human well-being – what benefits is good and what harms is evil †¢ Two concepts of importance: †¢ Pleasure and pain governs our lives †¢ Pleasure makes life happier and pain makes it worse †¢ Utility – net benefits. and usefulness produced by an action †¢ An action is right if the act is greater than the sum total of utilities produced by any other act †¢ Hedonistic Calculus – system to measure amount of pleasure and pain that an action produces CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM 7 Criteria Questions Asked 1. Intensity How intense/strong is the pleasure and emotional satisfaction? 2. Duration How long will the pleasure last? 3. Certainty How certain am I that pleasure will occur? 4. Propinquity How soon will the pleasure occur? How near is it? 5. Fecundity How likely is it that this experience will cause more pleasure in the future? 6. Purity Is there any pain that accompanies this pleasure? 7. Extent How many people will be affected? CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM. †¢ John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) – qualitative separation of pleasures †¢ Bentham treats all forms of happiness as equal, whereas Mill argues that intellectual and moral pleasures (higher pleasures) are superior to more physical forms of pleasure (lower pleasures) †¢ Mills argument is that the simple pleasures tend to be preferred by people who have no experience with high art, and are therefore not in a proper position to judge. CONSEQUENTIALISM – ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM †¢ Rule Utilitarianism an action is right if it conforms to a set of rules which produce the greatest balance of pleasure over pain †¢ Act Utilitarianism – an action is right if and only if it produces the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for everyone CONSEQUENTIALISM – ETHICAL EGOISM †¢ One’s self is, or should be, the motivation and the goal of one’s own action †¢ Three categories: individual, personal, and universal ? An individual ethical egoist would hold that all people should do whatever benefits them ? A personal ethical egoist would hold that he or she should act in his or her self-interest, but would make no claims about what anyone else ought to do ? A universal ethical egoist would argue that everyone should act in ways that are in their self-interest CONSEQUENTIALISM All is well that ends well, regardless of means used to produce results End justifies the means! NON-CONSEQUENTIALISM DEONTOLOGY †¢ Emphasis on rules, duty, rights †¢ Actions are right if they respect rules and wrong if they violate them †¢ Golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (human dignity, respect for people, obligation, duty) DEONTOLOGY. †¢ Morality and ethics are to be understood as systems of rules meant to govern and guide conduct †¢ Deontological ethical theories are agent-relative as opposed to agent neutral you have a duty †¢ If an action is of the wrong kind, it is forbidden, no matter how good its consequences are †¢ Rejects both Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism DEONTOLOGY – KANTIANISM †¢ Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Ends, not mere means: don’t treat rational agents (others or yourself) as mere objects to be used or exploited Categorical imperative – everyone should be treated as a free person equal to everyone else (unconditional) Everyone has a moral right to such treatment and a correlative duty to treat others in this way Mustn’t sacrifice the few even to benefit the many †¢ †¢ †¢ DEONTOLOGY – KANTIANISM. †¢ Performing an action solely because it is our duty is what Kant refers to as a good will – being good without qualification Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will it that it should become a universal law of nature – offers consistency †¢ DEONTOLOGY – NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS †¢ Another approach to Deontology and complementary to Kantianism †¢ Natural rights: ? Right to freedom/ liberty – freedom from coercive powerful rulers ? Right to ownership and property – each person has a right to ownership over own body and own labour and is free to decide what will be done with what he or she owns, without interference NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS. †¢ †¢ Moral rights –by virtue of being human Each right has a corresponding duty and these duties may be perfect or imperfect Rights play an important role in business ethics – stakeholders have rights Many rights however come into conflict and it is difficult to decide whose rights receives priority (victims or criminals) †¢ †¢ DEONTOLOGY – JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS †¢ †¢ †¢ Fair and equitable distribution of opportunities and hardships to all Ask how fairly benefits and costs are distributed to everyone regardless of power, position, wealth, etc. Seven categories: ? Distributive Justice – concerned with fair distribution of society’s benefits and burdens ? Cooperation and competition – taking a proper share of some good ? Procedual justice – fair, decisive practices, procedures and agreements among parties DEONTOLOGY – JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS. ? Retributive Justice – just imposition of punishment and penalties upon wrong-doers – does the punishment fit the crime ? Compensatory justice – compensating people for losses they have suffered when they were wronged by others – losses due to Apartheid ? Corrective justice – laws themselves as instruments of justice should be considered as just ? Distribution – take into account who has suffered an unfair share of the costs of a policy and others who have unfairly benefitted from a policy RAWLS’ PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE †¢ All social values – liberty and opportunities, income and wealth, and the bases of self-respect – are to be distributed equally unless unequal distribution of any, or all of these values, is to everyone’s advantage. Two principles †¢ †¢ Basic freedoms Freedom of speech, liberty and pursuit of happiness Difference principle -There can be inequalities as long as it makes the worst person better off DEONTOLOGY â€Å"The end doesn’t justify the means. † ETHICS OF CHARACTER ARISTOTELIANISM – VIRTUE APPROACHES †¢ Examines a person’s moral character and whether or not this exhibits virtue †¢ Aristotle – a moral virtue is a habit that enables one to exercise reason in all actions †¢ Action of giving people goods they exactly deserve is justice (virtue) or giving too little/ too much is injustice (vice) †¢ Virtues are means to and constituents of happiness †¢ Virtue ethics makes being virtuous an essential element of leading a moral life SUMMARY ETHICAL THEORIES Utilitarian Model. ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify alternative courses of action †¢ Determine both benefits and harms of each alternative course of action for ALL stakeholders †¢ Most benefits and least harm to the greatest number of people ? The Utilitarian Model has a strong capitalistic orientation and supports: †¢ Profit maximisation †¢ Self-interest †¢ Rewarding hard work Weakness: Focus †¢ Competition on outcome rather ? Focus of ethical behaviour is around: than process which might be †¢ Organisational/ Public Services goals unethical †¢ Efficiency †¢ Conflicts of interest ETHICAL THEORIES Moral Rights Model ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of an individual †¢ If it does, it is wrong Weakness: Focus only ? Focus of ethical behaviour is around: on individual †¢ Right to safety and not societal rights †¢ Right to know the truth †¢ Right to privacy †¢ Right not to engage in behaviours that are contradictory to a person’s moral or religious beliefs †¢ Right to freedom of speech ? Provides clear guidelines on moral individual rights ETHICAL THEORIES Justice Model ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of both individuals and groups †¢ If it does, it is wrong ? Focus of three principles: †¢ Distributive Justice Principle ? Everyone needs to be treated the same, unless they differ in ways which are reliant to the situation †¢ Fairness Principle ? Obligations as a result of relationships †¢ Natural Duty Principle ? Accepting responsibility in exchange for certain rights Any questions?

Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior

Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior The concepts Acculturation and ethnicity are often used by the researcher to describe consumption experiences of ethnic minority consumers. This paper presents a review of the relationship between cultural process, specifically what has been termed Acculturation, and how it helps to understand consumer behavior of ethnic minority consumers. Consumer Acculturation is a socialization process in which an immigrant, or marginalizes consumer learns the behavior, attitude and values of a culture that are different from those of their culture of origin (Lee 1998). Ethnic groups are ..any group which is defined or set off by race, religion, or national origin, or some combination of these categories, (Gordon, 1964, p.27). Historically Acculturation has been primarily shown as a one-way process where the microculture adopts the dominant cultures norms without corresponding influences. This paper looks for explain the impact of acculturation on consumer purchase decisions of ethnic minority gr oup and how it helps to understand consumer behavior of ethnic minority group. INTRODUCTION: Minority ethnic audience in all over the world represents a significant cultural and consumer force. Increasing ethnic and cultural diversity- like other forms of social change represents both a threat and an opportunity to marketers. New consumer segment can provide fresh sources of top-line growth with focused new product development to the marketer. And for that producer has to be aware of the cultural change among the ethnic minority consumer. Acculturation provides a qualitative overview of how cultural differences of the larger minority ethnic communities affect their consumer behavior. Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior: Acculturation and Assimilation: Redfield, Linton and Herskovits (1936,p.149) ) define acculturation as those phenomena which result when group of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact, with subsequent change in the organizational culture patterns of either or both groups. Under this definition, acculturation is to be distinguished from culture-change, of which it is but one aspect, and assimilation, which is at times a phase of acculturation. Acculturation is a process of adopting the believes and behavior of one culture group by another cultural group. The direction of adaptation can be a minority group adopting habits and language patterns of the dominant group, and can be other way- that is, the dominant group also adopt patterns typical of the minority group. The changes may take place in dominant culture, the subculture or both groups, according to Berry (1977); in practice Acculturation tends to produce more substantial change in one of the groups. Assimilation of one c ulture group into another may be evidence by changes in language preference, adoption of common attitude and values, membership in common social groups, and loss of the separate political or ethnic identity. Many researchers have used the term acculturation and assimilation interchangeably, or in some case, the meaning has overlapped (Gordon 1964). To ass to the confusion, different disciplines use the terms to mean different concepts (Berry and Annis 1974; Padilla 1980). For example, sociologists like Gordon (1964), typically use the term assimilation to describe encounters between ethnic groups and the cultural negotiation process to find common ground. In contrast anthropologists prefer the term acculturation to describe the same cultural negotiation process (Gordon 1964). A review of the consumer acculturation literature reveals a similar inconsistency. Therefore, it is important to relay the predominant difference between assimilation and acculturation in terms of their usage in the consumer acculturation context and the next outcome of the cultural negotiations. While assimilation occurs when an immigrant fully adopts mainstream values and gives up their cultural heritage, accultur ation can occur when some elements of the mainstream culture and added without abandoning the native culture ( Berry 1980; Padilla 1980; Wallendorf and Reilly 1983; Jun, Ball et al 1993; Rossman 1994). Consumer Acculturation: Consumer Acculturation is a subset of acculturation and socialization. While acculturation is more general, consumer acculturation is specific to the consumption process. Consumer acculturation can be seen as a socialization process in which an immigrant consumer learns the behaviors, attitude and values of a culture that are different from their culture of origin (Lee 1988). Webster (1994) views ethnic identity as a subset of acculturation and assimilation as a mode of acculturation. In the Websters study, ethnic identification is operationalised by determining which language is used in the home. Webster believes the combination of the ethnic identification and self-identification captures assimilation dimensions. Laroche, Kim and Tomiuk (1998) state that the primary different between the two constructs is that ethnic identity measures focus on maintenance/retention of the culture of origin and acculturation measures focus on acquisition of the host culture. Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity: Although closely related, ethnicity and ethnic identity are two separate constructs. Ethnicity is an objective description and refers to a group with common national or religious background. In contrast, ethnic identity is more subjective ( Cohen 1978; Hirschman 1981; Minor 1992) and is a self-designation which relays a persons commitment and strength of association to a particular group (Zaff, Blount, Philips and Cohen 2002; Chung and Fischer 1999). The concept of acculturation refers to a process or change. Ethnic identity , on the other hand, refers to a status, which may or may not be statics. Thus the strength of ethnic identity may influence the level of acculturation as suggested by Penazola and Gilly (1999) and others. The contrasts of the ethnic identity and acculturation are neither parallel nor opposite of each other; rather they influence and shape each other. Measurement of Acculturation Constructs: Measures of acculturation typically attempt to determine the extent which a person has adopted to a new culture (Magana et al 1996) and the resulting behavioral changes that occurs a result of the contact (Ward and Arzu 1999). There has been a great deal of variation in the measurement of acculturation and ethnicity in both the social science and the consumer behavior literature. Some factors, either individually or in combinations, that have been considered in the measurement are language, reference groups, intermarriage, identity, culture (Laroche, Kim and Tomiuk 1998; Lee and Um 1992), and religion (Hirschman 1981). Communication based measures =, such as media usage, have also been used (O Guinn and Faber 1985; Kim, Laroche et al. 1990).

Media And Writing Essay Semiotic Analysis

Media And Writing Essay Semiotic Analysis Any journal article essentially tries to convince the reader to accept the fact that something exists, and it should draw more attention. With the use of semiotic analysis and the codes, conventions, connotations and ideologies to construct it, this essay will analyze the chosen photo and to highlight The Question of Youth Violence article. The first step in analyzing the multiple meanings of a photo is to understand what is this image and textual message telling to us at a denotation level, which according to Barthes, is the first order of signification (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005:115). The photo in this article is a picture that shown the image of a pencil-bag with a light blue flower on its red background, around edge of an opened zipper there is a ball-pen with pink colour, and another ball-pen with flowers hanging over the edge. Moreover, at middle of those ball-pens a sharpen knife stick out of pencil-bag and lights shine onto the pencil-bag gives a shaded area is beneath it. A quote children are more aggressive and grow up more likely to become involved in violence C either as a victimize or as a victim C if they witness violent acts. The home is the most fertile breeding place for this situation, (American Psychological Association, 1996) at top of the photo. In article, American FBI figures shown in 1996 girls accounted for 15 percent of all violent juvenile arrests in United States and followed with few cases related to juvenile arrests. Thus, this article are constructed by a complex system, which includes implied narrative, interpellation, ideology, index , symbol, signifier and signified which aim to gain more attention from the reader. Secondly, in order to highlight a relevant mental representation to the photo, one can evaluate the connotation of the photo and then the context itself. According to Barthes, connotation is the emotions, values and associations that a sign gives rise to in the reader, viewer, or listener (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005:116). This pointing out in order to explain the ideologies of the photo, its need a full understanding of all elements that build up the photo. In the photo a knife dramatically sticks out in the middle of stationeries could been considered in school, students starting behave more rational and it is dangers to other student. Furthermore, the quote children are more aggressive and grow up more likely to become involved in violence C either as a victimize or as a victim C if they witness violent acts. (American Psychological Association, 1996) also supporting the photo in a more generalized perspective and at same time suggests prevent children from experiencing any for m of violent acts. Today, due to the liberation of express oneself and lack of restriction of selling and buying knife and firearm the social and moral boundaries are weakling day by day. For example, in journal article July 29, 2009 C 17-year-old Alexis Harris dies after being stabled by another girl during an argument on a basketball court in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gina, 2009:22), in this paragraph exposed security issues in high school. In addition, from this quote we noticed teenager boys and girls could not control themselves when their conscious driven by anger, humiliation. Before any further discussion, it is important to know the target audience of the article. The context of a photo article is linking with our understanding of the inscribed reader and the meaning of the text (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005:127). This photo article was found in the Vision journal. The journal is mainly focusing on the challenges that face society today. The journal article is aim at any person who is passionate to examining and researching in complex social, moral and philosophical perspective, and brings solutions to the problems humanity faces today. This may explain the metaphorical approach of the photo and a quotation from American Psychological Associations research paper, highlighting the youth violence is critical. Thus, the link between context and inscribed reader is obvious. In semiotic analysis, interpellation was used to describe, A process in which we internalize ideologies as response to being addressed (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005:162). That red pe ncil-bag in the advertisement and filled with the feminine colored stationery. Thus, such image leads me to think, in general are all children who use a red pencil-bag indicate they are potentially being violent or only the girls are intend to be more violent. Furthermore, I am interpellated as being concerned with school violence because each student in school having their pencil-bag, thus readers are getting more concerning about their children in reality. In terms of the text of the article, three areas should been discussed in detail in order to understand connotative ideas of the photo. One is the quote on top of the photograph; the large and bold font size; and the organization name in a catching red font color below the quote. The word children of the quote children are more aggressive fertile breeding place for this situation. is implied in general all children are more aggressive without gender difference. Moreover, the publisher of this quote and examples in the context C American Psychological Association, shows the truth and evidence of this studies have developed and concluded by authority. Last, FBI figures indicated 15 percent of total juvenile arrests are girls, who committed in violence. This figures increasing since 1996 (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2006). In terms of the journal article name the question of youth violence, the words youth and violence contains a symbol C which It is well established that co-relation between signifier an signified based on understanding of the article and background (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005). In this case, the signifier is the pencil-bag and knife in the photo and the signified is a fact C youth violence has a increasing trend in female gender. This symbol is widely understood in the world as a symbol of schoolchildren and violence, and it relates to the title the question of youth violence at first look on the photo. Thus, the quote, the figures and live examples in article has constructed a central ideology on Youth Violence. Visually, this photo has many layers, as William says, Reading media imagery is an active process in which context, social location, and prior experience other readers who may see different meanings. (William, et al., 1992). The first thing one saw when looking at the red pencil-bag, we know this is belong to a student. Furthermore, stationary in the pencil-bag are include a various ballpoint pen, pencil sharpener and mathematical instruments because every student has math and a language course at least. Thus, a knife was inside a pencil-bag means a student was intended to hurt someone, because knife was a symbol of violence and blood. Using this image, the author tried to link student and violence and he successfully combined those two ideas. Another successful creation of the photo is its colour scheme. The pencil-bag is coloured with a flashing red colour C a colour possibly implied feminine characteristic of the pencil-bag, and light blue symbolize cold and consciousness. In addition, all stationary inside the pencil-bag are followed with same color scheme to define the owner is a female. Thus, from this analysis one can draw narrative image in their mind. It has called the story a picture presents (OShaughnessy and Stadler, 2005:125). The implied story is a teenage girl who are intended or an urges to hurt somebody with a knife. The implied narrative is furthered by the quotation on the top of the page, and that leads reader to continue to read more about article in details and further. Finally, semiotic terminology is developed with various effects from a particular ideology, which relate to the photo and context of an article. When analyzing the the question of youth violence photo article, one main ideology is established. Which is the ideology that youth violence is increasing over decade and its become more serious than ever; In addition to this ideology is juvenile arrests starting include females as well. According to American FBI figures from 1996 to 2002, female juvenile arrest has increased by 9 percent (Gina, 2009:22). In reality, many readers are not aware of the facts of teenager is very easy be affected by various source to become violent. Through the narrative implication author warn the parents and teenager themselves to be aware of the world have to pay more attention to youth as a whole and in order to prevent any sad incidence in future we need to guide children to a strong and heath shape in term of physical and psychological balance.

The Effectiveness of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay example

The Effectiveness of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift "A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public" - Jonathan Swift 1729. In reading this you will discover the answer to the above question in three parts;  · How effective is it as an argument  · How effective is it as a piece of information  · How effective is it as satire "A Modest Proposal" first appeared in public in 1729, Swift wrote this article after all of his previous suggestions had been rejected by the Irish authorities. Swift felt the English government had psychologically exiled him and this greatly added to the rage he felt over the way the Irish People were treated or rather mistreated by the English. Although Swift's highest and most prominent concerns were for his own class, the Anglo-Irish, he in the end spoke for the nation as a whole. Swift defined satire as; 'A sort of glass wherein the holders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it." Swift presents his "Proposal" as an entirely reasonable suggestion to aid the Irish, he enumerates the many benefits, counters the objections many may have, uses rhetoric reasoning and proves his humanitarianism views. Swift has written in considerable detail over the degree of poverty in Ireland, he draws attention to the causes of it obliquely and proves in great detail that his "Proposal" will work and in which ways it does work. Ireland was a colony of England; it was economically, politically and militarily dependent on ... ...tire Swift has successfully drawn attention to the extremely dire economic state of Ireland and the incompetence of the British government to solve or even begin to contemplate, in Swift's mind, these problems. This "Proposal" should be viewed as a fictional work, designed to entertain the upper-class whilst enlightening them upon the conditions of poverty in their own country. This "Proposal" could be viewed as an attempt to change the ways in which both England and Ireland viewed the state of Ireland, which was in a lethargic state. It is masterful in its own nature, the way in which Swift has challenged the prospect of changing lives and living conditions, while entertaining the audience at the same time. The true irony in "A Modest Proposal" lies not in analysing the minute details, but rather in the context of the "Proposal" as it is written.

Consequence of Artificial Light Essay examples -- Essays Papers

Consequence of Artificial Light Our world is an ever changing place, in the last 100 years we have seen more technological advances than ever in the preceding years of history. We have built computers, gone to the moon, developed x-rays, microwaves, telephones, and the incandescent light. A seemingly small invention, the light has forever placed its mark not only on the human race, but on the earth itself. In pictures taken from space, we can see that much of the world is lit 24 hours a day, which begs the question: is that much light good for us? It is not an easy question to answer, but in this essay, I hope to examine some of the history that has brought us to the situation that we are in as well as some of the possible solutions to try and cope with a world that has become addicted to never-ending light. As our knowledge of the world grows, so too does our understanding of the health hazards that excessive light during the night can bring to the human body, and this understanding has led to many interesting discoveries. The search for medical understanding that too much light in the dark hours is poor for health was begun by astronomers who were dismayed at the growing loss of darkness in the night sky, but has quickly grown to include, medical researchers, city planners as well as average people in the community that are unhappy with the excessive amount of light that is prevalent today. One of the major discoveries that have been made in recent history is the finding of a photo receptor that sets circadian rhythms1. Cryptochrome is a protein that is sensitive to blue light, and it is theorized that in the morning and evenings, when blue light is most prevalent, this protein helps humans adjust their internal... ...roduce into our lives and culture, the more problems begin to arise, it is time that some major steps need to be taken to help stop this problem, and I hope that some of the solutions outlined above will be a good start. References: 1:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1998-11/BU-TBSS-231198.php 2:http://www.peerless-lighting.com/p20_body.htm 3:http://library8.municode.com/gateway.dll/RI/rhode%20island/875? f=templates&fn=default.htm&npusername=11458&nppassword=MCC&npac_credentialspresent =true&vid=default 4:http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/pollprev/lighting/outdoor.htm 5:http://www.turtles.org/threats.htm 6:http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/NightLights.html 7:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=f1000&cmd=Retrieve&db=P ubMed&list_uids=12495746&dopt=Abstract 8:http://www.darksky.org/infoshts/is012.html

July at the Multiplex Essay

The purpose of this report is to inform Mr. Mull T. Plex and the consortium of theaters about the recommended actions to take against moviegoer Tommy. The options include proceeding with the litigation or negotiating a settlement that will be dealt with privately. The litigation against the Royal Theater is made by Tommy, a customer who claimed to have received a poor experience at the theater. In the following report, we used legal, statistical, and ethical reasoning. Legal: After analyzing both parties’ facts, there is a lack of fraudulent misrepresentation to follow suit. Therefore, Tommy has a weak standing. Statistical: 94% of surveyed moviegoers were not fazed by the commercials screened before the featured film. Ethical: The litigation by Tommy was propelled by the lack of quality customer service on Royal Theater’s behalf. This case does not need to proceed and can be resolved by making small adjustments to Royal Theater’s policies. Based on these analyses, we advise Mr. Mull T. Plex and the consortium to negotiate a private settlement. In order to prevent this from occurring again, we have also suggested our recommendations on adjustments to Royal Theater’s ticket stubs and refund policy. Introduction Mr. Mull T. Plex and the consortium of theaters around the area have hired our consulting team to analyze and break down the litigation against the Royal Theater made by Tommy. Tommy is suing the Royal Theater on charges of fraudulent misrepresentation and the consortium of theaters is very well concerned with the possibility of a class action lawsuit that could prevail from this case. Tommy’s lawsuit is based on his experience at the Royal Theater during the screening of movie â€Å"The Governator.† After a displeasing chain of events, Tommy demanded a full refund in which Royal Theater refused. Mr. Plex and the consortium of theaters have asked us to assess the  situation and to authenticate whether or not Tommy’s case will prevail in court. We have put together a thorough report containing evidence that Tommy’s case against the Royal Theater is very unlikely to be triumphant in court, survey results and recommendations which will not only help the Roy al Theater, but also the consortium of theaters to abstain from future allegations such as the ones made by Tommy. Facts 1. Representation of facts Tommy: Royal theaters informed Tommy that the movie begun at 1:00 PM. Tommy not only saw it on a newspaper advertisement but also confirmed it with the clerk. It was also the dimming of the light at 1:00 PM that led Tommy to believe that the showing was about to begin. 2. Representation was false Tommy: Tommy was lead to believe that the movie was to start at 1:00 PM, not the commercials. Since the commercials were 20 minutes long, the movie technically started at 1:20 PM and should have been represented like that. 3. Misrepresentation Tommy: Tommy is not a regular moviegoer; having some free time gave him the opportunity to enjoy a movie. Following a misrepresented time line left Tommy in a fraudulent misrepresentation of an untrue statement. Royal Theaters shouldn’t assume that just because other theaters show commercials that they shouldn’t disclose the knowledge of the movies true start time. Royal Theater: Royal Theater did not lie to Tommy. The viewing did start at 1:00 PM. The commercials are part of the experience of watching a movie and have been for a while not only at that theater but many others. The dimming of the lights is an indication that the audience should grab their seat so they won’t disturb the audience if they walk in a couple minutes late from the actual movie. 4. Intention the Plaintiff Should Rely Upon Tommy: Tommy saw an ad that was intentionally placed for movie goers by Royal Theaters. Relying on the information provided, Tommy rushed to make it on time to the movie that was said to start at 1:00 PM. What Tommy didn’t know was that Royal Theaters intentionally doesn’t inform people that the commercials start at 1:00 PM and lasts about 20 minutes. Dimming the lights  at 1:00 PM also seem to have prompted Tommy into coming early so he wouldn’t struggle to find a seat, forcing him to watch the commercials. Royal Theater: Royal Theaters is aware that not everyone is punctual. This commercial time allows people to not run around frantically looking for seats. Instead, it allows people to use the restroom facilities, grab any snacks and drinks from the concession stand, and return to the screening to avoid missing the movie. 5. The Plaintiff Reasonably Did So Rely Tommy relied on the continuous notion provided by the theater that the movie starts at 1:00 PM. Taking initiative to double check the times left Tommy no other choice but to trust and rely on the theaters ad and employees. 6. Damages Tommy: Being emotionally and financially damaged, Tommy is suing Mr. Mull T. Plex for the money spent on the ticket, concession stand, gas and mileage, and his time that was wasted. Royal Theater: Tommy did not suffer any severe damages. Driving to the destination is a choice that all moviegoers make on their own. Whether or not they would like to enjoy snacks and a drink is their decision to make and he had no complaints about that. The movie that was being played at the theater was an anticipated one that most people seem to have enjoyed. Survey Results We conducted a random survey consisting of a sample size of 100 moviegoers. They were asked if they were disturbed by the commercials and only 6% of the sample were disturbed by the commercials. Another random survey was conducted and 300 people were asked if the commercials were a disturbance. The result was 6% of the sample were disturbed. This shows that the showing of the commercials before the movie didn’t disturb many moviegoers. Please refer to the attached appendix for the full analytics. Recommendation The litigation made against Royal Theater heavily revolves around customer service. In order to improve customer service it is advised that all employees answer correctly in accordance to show times. Employees should inform customers the time the lights dim and the time the actual film  begins. In addition, a refund policy should be implicated. If the customer isn’t satisfied with the movie within the first 30 minutes, they reserve the right to a full refund. Movie ticket stubs should indicate what time the actual film begins to avoid future confusion with movie patrons. To ensure that Tommy is satisfied, the Royal Theater should issue a private apology. We also recommend that Tommy be gifted a pair of movie tickets and vouchers for the concession stand. A public announcement should be published in the local newspaper informing future moviegoers that there are 20 minutes of commercials before any movie. Conclusion Using legal, statistical and ethical reasoning, we found that Tommy’s case is minor and should not reach the courtroom. The issue roots from Tommy’s opinion on the Royal Theater’s customer service and commercial policy. Tommy’s reasoning does not hold legal value, therefore would not make it to a court room. Only 1% of moviegoers felt bothered by commercials before their anticipated screening. The consortium shouldn’t adopt drastic changes, as our survey results displayed that there weren’t many movie patrons disappointed that their film started twenty minutes late due to commercials. By issuing a private apology, Tommy would feel appreciated as a customer. We feel that by applying minor changes, movie patrons will continue to frequent Royal Theaters and leave happy with their experience.

Macbeth’s Obsession with Power Essay

In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, on page 147, the important truth of the play leaks out through Macbeth’s lines. In this one lucid moment, Macbeth realizes that life isn’t worth living without his wife, and he realizes he has gone through a metamorphosis into a power-hungry monster, both caused by his lust for power. The speech illustrates that power will always lead a man astray. In his hunt for power, Macbeth has indefinitely ended the lives of at least 4 people. Creating a blood stain on his conscience that he will never be able to rid himself of. But, these deaths have hardened and changed him. He has become immunte to the disgust and fear that comes along with gore. There was a time when â€Å"To hear a night-shriek and my fellof hair would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in’t† (A5 S5 L11-13). This refers to before he murdered Duncan, where both he and Lady Macbeth were afraid of a night-shriek, or an owl. She cried â€Å"Hark, peace! It was the owl that shrieked† (A2 S2 L2-3). But now, after his drive for power is coming to an end, he realizes how much power has changed his family. In Macbeth’s small speech on 147, he is saying that time moves quickly and that life is short. He says â€Å"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day†¦Out, out, brief candle† (A5 S5 L 18-19, 22). This line uses both a metaphor and personification, by saying that tomorrow creeps, he is saying that one thinks they have all the time in the world, but before one knows it, their time is up. He continues on to use the metaphor ‘brief candle’, he is comparing candle with a short wick to the lifespan of a human, who just burns it away. At the end of this speech, he says â€Å"It is a tale told by an idiot†¦signifying nothing† (A5 S5 L26-27). At that point, is when he is finally saying life is nothing, it has no meaning. The reader sees here that he has fallen so far from the beginning of the play, all because of his appetite for power. If you compare Macbeth’s character at the end of the play to Macbeth’s character at the beginning of the play, the changes are clear. A man who had morals, had a happy life, but as soon as he disregarded them, his life fell apart. Shakespeare is trying to show the readers that nothing good can come out of too much of one thing, in this case, power. Like the old adage says â€Å"Everything in moderation†.

Giovanni Boccaccio Essay

Im going to write an essay on Giovanni Bocccaccio and tell about him and his works and their affect to the middle-age literature and the literature today. As my sources Im going to use the illustrated history of Europe, wikipedia, http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/giovanni-boccaccio.htm and http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Giovanni_Boccaccio.aspx. Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? When did he live? What is he known of? How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian Renaissance humanist, author and a poet. He lived during the years 1313-1375. Giovanni Boccaccio was born near Florence in Italy. His father was a successful banker, who wanted him to have a practical education and to follow his footsteps as a wealthy businessman. His father often took Giovanni with him to business trips, so he could see what his life will be like when he grows up. Giovanni Boccaccio studied banking and religious law, although he was not very interested in them. Later on he even said that he regretted the time that was lost in these studies. He was more interested in literature and classical learning. His father never supported or accepted his plans on literature. He always thought that Boccaccio should have been a respected businessman. It is believed that Boccaccio was tutored by Giovanni Mazzuoli and received an early introduction to the works of Dante from him. When Boccaccio and his father moved to Naples in 1326, Boccaccio found many teachers at the university and at the court. He learned Italian poetry, ancient mythology, astronomy, and Greek. He also began to do what he really wanted to do, which was writing. Boccaccio and his father left Naples in 1341, because they escaped the plague and because Boccaccio`s father had to go work to Florence. Boccaccio did not want to leave Naples, because he didn’t like Florence that much. However, he spent the rest of his life in or near Florence. There he composed his most famous works such as the Decameron and the Famous Woman which were revolutionary at the time. In the autumn of 1350 Boccaccio received Francesco Petrarch as his guest in Florence, whose biography he had written shortly (De vita et moribus, F. P.). It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. He supported and encouraged Boccaccio to go on with his passion for literature. Giovanni Boccaccio was also influenced by many others. In his lifetime he had three children, even though he was never married. Mario and Giulio were born in the 1330s. Violente was born in the 1340 ´s. Giovanni Boccaccio died in 1375 from the causes of various illnesses, obesity and finally heart failure. By the time he died he had made many works that even today affect our lives. When did he live? Giovanni Boccaccio lived during the late middle-age period to the very early renaissance. Boccaccio was ahead of his time. He was one of the first humanists with Patrarch. Renaissance was a cultural movement that was roughly in the 14th to the 17th century. As a cultural movement, it was all about literature, science, art, religion, and politics, and a resurgence of learning based on classical sources. Giovanni Boccaccio was one of the first writers of renaissance. This shows how revolutionary his work was already in the 1330 ´s. What is he known of? Giovanni Boccaccio was a very revolutionary figure of the time, because he used females in his works as main characters, which was a new idea. Later other authors copied this idea. His work are very precious to us, because they tell us a reliable picture of the life in the late middle-ages as it was. Giovanni Boccaccio’s most known work is the Decameron, that he made between the years 1348–1351. It tells about ten young men and women, that escaped the plague to a remote villa near Florence. The word Decameron is translated to ten-days, which refers to the fact that they spent ten days telling stories in the villa. During the ten days they share 100 tales about topics such as love, trickery, and fortune. These tales form a larger story which can also be read alone. The Decameron was very popular at the time. Readers enjoyed its lively speeches, wordplays and intense plots. Giovanni knew how to mix humor and romance into one working piece. In this work Boccaccio gathered material from many sources: the French fabliau, Greek and Latin classics, folklore, and observations of contemporary Italian life. The prose of the Decameron, in its balanced, rhythmic cadences, became the model of Italian literary prose. Many other writers later used the Decameron in different ways in their own works. The church did not like the Decameron. On Famous Women he wrote about women who became learned, wrote, and even had battles and ruled kingdoms. Boccaccio’s moral approach to history suited both medieval and Renaissance readers. Which is also a reason that he was so famous and respected. Later renaissance writers used the books as sources for their own works once again. His most famous poem is probably II Filostrato, published in 1335. It tells about Calcas, a Trojan prophet who had foreseen the fall of the city and joined the Greeks. Shakespeare got the inspiration for Troilus and Cressida from the II Filostrato. Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy that Shakespeare made in 1602. Boccaccio was also a very well educated man. Boccaccio shared his knowledge and love of the ancient world with others. In Genealogy of the Pagan Gods that he wrote between the years (1350–1373), he created a complete catalog of pagan mythology. This book became a major reference work for much of the Renaissance. Giovanni Boccaccio also had a huge respect to the study of ancient Greek literature. He established a position for a professor of Greek at the University of Florence. He encouraged the new professor to translate the great Greek writers Homer and Euripides into Latin. Through his writings and his share to the study of the ancient world, Boccaccio had a lasting impact on the Renaissance and on the rest of the western history. Some selected example ´s from Giovanni Boccaccios works: II Filostrato (1335), Filocolo (1337), Teseida (1341), Comedy of the Florentine Nymphs (1342), The Amorous Vision (1343), La Fiammeta (1344), Life of Dante (1355), Fates of Illustrious Men in Latin (1360), The Decameron (1348-1351), The Famous Women (1374) How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Giovanni Boccaccio ´s affect to the literature of that time and today is huge. He wrote about things that nobody else had the courage to write about at the time. For example about woman as the main characters that had power to decide about important decisions and had a high position in the community. The Famous Women is a good example of his revolutionary way of thinking. It is a collection of biographies of 106 historical and mythological women, as well as some of Boccaccio’s Renaissance contemporaries. Giovanni Boccaccio had a big impact on other authors and poets, who used his work as source material. For example Geoffrey Chaucer ´s, Shakespeare ´s, and John Dryden ´s works were influenced by Boccaccio ´s works. He and Petrarch are said to be the founders of humanism. Giovanni Boccaccio was a man that basically protested against the morals at that time by writing about woman and other revolutionary things. He was ahead his time and was respected by many fellow authors. His works were famous and are is still precious to us, because we can take a realistic view of the late middle-ages through his work. Many other authors also got inspired by Boccaccio ´s work and still do.