Alaska-Does Its Oil Save our Nation

A territory is a large extent of land that belongs, or is under the jurisdiction of a certain government. It can also refer to a piece of land that is at a distance from the parent country or from the government itself (www.brainyquote.com, 2008).The certain places called territory are important to the groups of people that inhabit them due to several reasons. It is because territory means power and its role in securing nationhood, security and prosperity is a key for their survival (City, 2008).The concept of territory can be linked to ethnic races, nation, and states. Ethnic territories are only available to a certain race of people also known as tribes, and its primary importance to them is for the preservation of their culture and the value of the land that they inherited from their ancestors.Territories in terms of nation are those that are available for different races of different countries, and its primary importance is for security and in terms of the natural sources that ar e located within their territory.  Lastly, territories between states refers to those area within the same country but having different jurisdiction, and its primary importance is for the specific types of rules and regulations being bound their culture, that are being implemented for these certain localities. The competing use of territories can result to different challenges and conflicts. There have been many records of these territorial conflicts and some specific examples will be presented in this paper.An example of conflict between territories is the conflict between Russians and British. The conflict resulted when Russia proclaimed their ownership of a certain part of the Artic. This caused turmoil because it was Britain to first lodge a territorial claim over Artic in 1908.This conflict also involved other nations who are preventing other countries for the occupancy of the Artic. The major cause of this conflict is the huge oil and other mineral sources that are believed to be lying beneath the Artic (Stewart, 2007).Another conflict over territory is the oil drilling issue between America and Alaska. President George W. Bush is promoting the tapping of the Northeast Alaskan Oil in order to support America’s increasing demand for energy supply.However, a state territorial conflict between America and some inhabitants of Alaska arises arises. This is mainly due to the issue that the oil that can be obtained from Alaskan deposits will not be sufficient enough to pay for the potential environmental damage that can result from oil spills and oil drilling activities (www.govspot.com, 2008).Lastly, another example of conflict for territory is that of the Chaco War. This war was the result of territorial conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay due to the expansion activities of both parties for them to gain better hold of the Paraguay River, also known as Chaco Boreal.The route of Paraguay River is thought by the Bolivians to contain large oil deposits and it may be their primary reason for desiring to get a hold of its territory. The net result of this territorial conflict was a cease fire in 1935 and three parts of the region was given to Paraguay as declared by a truce that was signed to end the conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay (Lindsay, n.d).From the cases of territorial conflicts and challenges presented in this paper, it can be concluded that territorial grabbing is rampant all around the world, and is due mainly to arising interests in resources and land ownership.Works CitedCity, Jersey. (2008). The Importance of Territory. Retrieved April 12, 2008 from http://nandakumarchandran.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/03/the-importance-of-territory.htmLindsay, Ryan. (n.d.). The Chaco War. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.american.edu/ted/ice/chaco.htmStewart, Graham. (2007). A Bitterly Cold War Over a Frozen Territory. Retrieved April 14, 2008 fromhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/graham_stewart/article2 195749.ecewww.brainyquote.com. (2008). Territory. Retrieved April 12, 2008 from http://www.brainyquote.com/words/te/territory229138.htmlwww.govspot.com. (2008). Alaska Oil Drilling. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.govspot.com/issues/anwr.htm

Chinese Schools Essay

Chinese schools have come a long way since the colonial days. Over the years and with the evolution of the national education system, Chinese schools have had to face countless threats to their survival. Despite this, Chinese schools have gained popularity and have enjoyed high enrolments, even among non-Chinese students. It has been reported that at least 10 percent of students studying in Chinese schools come from non-Chinese backgrounds. A number of factors contribute to this growing phenomenon. First, Chinese schoolteachers are well known for their high level of commitment. For this and other reasons, students from Chinese schools often excel in public examinations especially in Science and Mathematics. The other attraction of Chinese schools is that students are required to learn an additional language, Mandarin, which is a highly marketable skill in the job market. Chinese Education: A Historical Perspective The beginnings of Chinese education in Malaysia can be traced to the early nineteenth century. It was recorded that by 1815, there were already three Chinese schools in Malacca. One was founded by the London Missionary Society. With regard to the other two, sociologist Yang Qinghuang suggests that â€Å"at least one would be a school founded by the Hokkien people. † Scholar Zheng Liangshu suggests that some old-type Chinese schools might have existed in the Straits Settlements since the end of the eighteenth century. For a long time, Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements received neither help from the British government nor assistance from the government in China. Despite this, they thrived —funded mainly by clan and dialect associations. When faced with political and financial difficulties at the turn of the twentieth century, the Ching government of China changed its attitude towards overseas Chinese and began to promote Chinese education outside of China. It implemented educational reforms based on a proposal by Zhang Zidong. Following the reforms, the curriculum was revised to include Chinese Classical Literature, History, Geography, Mathematics, Moral Education, Physical Education and other optional subjects like Commerce and Drawing. In Malaya, Chung Hwa Confucian School in Penang not only adopted this new curriculum (it was the first to do so), it went further to include English as a subject. Support from the Ching government, however, was short lived. It ended with the fall of the dynasty. Chinese schools that attempted to run modern educational programmes (with a modern curriculum and incorporating English as a subject) faced enormous challenges. On the one hand, they were constantly in need of more funds. On the other hand, they lacked competent teachers. Furthermore, they had to compete with the more established English schools. Even so, there were five hundred Chinese schools with modern educational programmes established in Malaya and Singapore in 1920. By this time, textbooks for these schools had departed from the classical into the vernacular Chinese language (baihuawen). Because of their impressive growth, the British government decided that it could no longer afford to ignore Chinese schools. On 29 October 1920, it introduced the Regist ration of School Ordinance to restrict the activities of Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States by way of registration and inspection. In 1935, control was further tightened: textbooks and teachers from China were prohibited. Only local materials and Malaysian-born teachers were allowed, and activities in Chinese schools came under strict scrutiny. Despite these challenges, Chinese education continued to thrive until it was suspended at the time of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya. After the war, Chinese schools resumed operation. By 1946, their number had ballooned to more than one thousand in Malaya. However, following the Barnes and Fenn-Wu Reports (June 1951) and the Education Ordinance 1952, Chinese education was exclude d from the national education system. The Chinese community rallied to form Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaya, UCSTAM) and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaya, UCSCAN) to safeguard Chinese education. The Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) joined in. Its president then, Tun Tan Cheng Lock spoke these memorable lines, â€Å"†¦Chinese in Malaya †¦ should be given Chinese education †¦ The dialect or mother tongue can be likened to a person’s shadow, and is inseparable from the person himself/herself†¦ † (translated from Chinese). Efforts to safeguard Chinese education became even more difficult following the Razak Report in 1956 and the Education Ordinance in 1957. Thereafter, Chinese primary education was officially included in the national education system, classified as standard-type primary schools with Chinese language as the medium of instruction. However, Chinese secondary schools were excluded from the system when the Lower Certificate of Education examination (L. C. E) was introduced in English. This was not in accordance with the promise of fairness to other ethnic languages in the country as specified in the Razak Report. Furthermore, the Chinese community were horrified by the terms of reference in Paragraph 12 of the Razak Report: â€Å"†¦the ultimate objective of educational policy in this country must be to bring together the children of all races under a national education system in which the national language is the main medium of instruction. † Paragraph 12 was subsequently omitted following strong opposition from the Chinese community headed by Jiao Zong. Both the Rahman Talib Report (1961) and the Education Act (1961) reaffirmed the education policy as stated in the Education Ordinance 1957. Since government financial aid was vital to the survival of Chinese secondary schools, more than half of the 41 Chinese secondary schools then had little choice but to ‘convert’ itself into English medium national type secondary schools. On hindsight, many Chinese view this decision as a big mistake. The remaining 14 schools refused to give in, and have remained ‘independent’ to this day. The MCA facilitated this ‘conversion’ as it was satisfied with the verbal promises made by the Education Minister that â€Å"the government has no intention to exercise its authority granted under the Act to change Chinese primary schools to national schools† and that â€Å"Chinese schools are allowed to allocate one third of their curriculum for learning Mandarin and Chinese literature. † As a consequence of this concession made at the secondary school level, development of Chinese education in Malaysia was restricted thereafter to the primary school level. The New Education Act 1996 posed an even bigger threat. It threw into question the status of national-type schools that were not established under Section 28 of the new Act. In fact, prior to this during the initial stage of implementing the ‘3R system’ (Reading, Writing & Arithmetic) in 1980, Chinese schools had already been challenged to forgo their medium of instruction. Materials for learning all subjects except Mandarin were available only in Bahasa Melayu. In response, Dong Jiao Zong and various Chinese guilds and associations submitted a memorandum to voice their opposition to the Ministry of Education in 1981. The schools were given the assurance that the government had no intention of changing the character of Chinese schools. However in the ensuing years, Chinese schools were asked to consider the concept of ‘integrated schools’ (1985) and Vision Schools (proposed in 1995, implemented in 2000), in addition to the latest â€Å"2-4-3† resolution that sought to introduce the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (proposed in 2002, implemented in 2003). Despite these challenges, Chinese schools seek to maintain emphasis on the â€Å"Five Aspects of Formal Education in Confucianism (Wuyu Jiaoyu)† namely, moral (de), intellectual (zhi), physical (ti), social (qun ) and aesthetic ( ei) education. Until today, Chinese schools m continue to value discipline, respect for the elderly, courtesy, personal character and morality, rather than marketable skills such as computer literacy, Mathematics and Science. Some Reflections How does the development of Chinese education affect the church community i Malaysia?n Should we stake our claims to citizenry and defend our right to be educated in our own (mother tongue) language? What about racial integration? Is it possible to promote Chinese education without further polarising the different communities? First, we have a moral basis for defending Chinese education. Being given the choice and having the opportunity to be educated in one’s own language is a universal human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Chinese education ha s existed in this country since the nineteenth century. As such, I believe we ought to defend the right of its existence in the same way as we would for the education of other ethnic communities in their own languages. Second, there is value in the Chinese school culture that is worth speaking up for. Even though outsiders might consider the Chinese community uncompromising in its stand with regard to educational issues, it must be pointed out that it is not just about safeguarding the Chinese language but it is also about retaining the ideals of holistic education. Furthermore, Chinese schools have a tradition of nurturing dedicated schoolteachers, and the Christian community should be at the forefront to encourage this culture of service and excellence. In the past, many of them have had to pay a high price for their conviction and dedication by becoming ‘martyrs’: Zhuang Xiquan, Chen Taomin and others were deported for opposing the Registration of School Ordinance 1920; Lim Lian Geok and Yen Yuan Chang were deprived of citizenship in 1961; Lim Huang Sheng and Sim Mow Yu were jailed under the Internal Security Act in 1987. Chinese education aids evangelistic work among the Chinese community. It provides students with a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Whereas in the past, the content of Chinese education was often influenced by traditional beliefs and practices, the Chinese education system today is more open to intellectual discourse on rethinking and repositioning the Chinese identity. The main grouse against Chinese schools is the lack of racial integration since students come from predominantly one ethnic background. The question we must ask is, is this acceptable or healthy in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia? Most advocates for Chinese education would argue that it is less than ideal but what choice do they have? If national schools were to adopt a more holistic philosophy, and their teachers showed a more credible record in terms of commitment and disciplining of students, and if they provided students with the opportunity to study their own languages, racial integration would be less of an issue and Chinese students would be more evenly distributed between national and Chinese schools. Despite this obvious shortcoming related to racial integration, I still advocate Chinese education for what it offers. Clearly, through its holistic philosophy and track record, it has produced many responsible citizens through the years. Chinese education continues to play a significant role in nation-building and church life in Malaysia. Florence Kuek lectures Mandarin at Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Internationl Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internationl Business Law - Essay Example Millions of dollars were also spent to pay up third parties that implicated embezzlement. It was found that there is an atmosphere of tolerance and even the company’s cultural acceptance of the practice in all levels of the corporation. There has been a systematic implementation of this scheme that engaged the members of the organization (ibid). There was a failure by the internal safeguards of Siemens to clean up their business adequately in time prior to the case filed by the SEC to their disadvantage. The main issue encompass the acts of the company in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) under the United States federal law which punishes bribery of foreign officials. This is in relation to the thrust of the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate businesses under its jurisdiction. Specifically, the provisions of Sections 30A, 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act were violated (ibid). The court found in favor of the SEC and grante d the highest settlement in this particular area where Siemens has offered $1.6 billion in payment for the fines and disgorgement provided under the law. Out of which, $350 million will go to the SEC in disgorgement, $450 million in criminal fine to the Department of Justice, about $569 million as fine to Germany’s Office of the Prosecutor General in Munich. This is apart from the approximately $285 million Siemens has already paid in 2007 to the Prosecutor previously mentioned (ibid). In the end, the SEC and the State together with the German government won this case through an amicable settlement by the plaintiff and defendant. This is a good manifestation of the gravity of the battle against foreign bribery as a matter of policy showing the best possible sign of its effectiveness. This was an ideal scenario where the company has offered on its own a significant sum to rectify its deeds. The willingness of the Siemens to settle, granted that $1.6 billion is already a sizabl e sum, brings to question the actual extent of the profit that they may have acquired through these dubious dealings. Further raising doubts is the fact that there are many countries involved in the transactions investigated by the SEC. Upon scrutiny of this case and the outcome, it is immediately apparent that the United States and Germany got the best end of the bargain. It must be noted that there are a number of other countries who suffered with most of them developing countries. It brings to mind the question of what the others will get out of this case and will they benefit from Siemens’ mea culpa. 1. How do the Siemens’ penalties relate to the caps on fines discussed earlier in this chapter? Fines are a form of sanction on companies to deter them from committing offenses and grave abuses to the expense of others. The penalty imposed upon Siemens is a glaring example for others not to follow suit on the ill practices that they have previously engendered as a comp any culture. The likelihood of a significant fine that

Test the Expert Experiment Using the Sequence Generator Case Study

Test the Expert Experiment Using the Sequence Generator - Case Study Example The use of Random Sequence Generator as a valid randomization method requires maintaining the same conditions like temperature and size when preparing and serving the two samples not to have an effect on the test subject (Sharpe, De Veaux &Velleman, 2014).Independence of Trials Each trial of the experiment must be independent and an outcome of one trial should have no effect on the conclusion of the following trial. This aspect will bring validity to the statistical analysis of the experiment. Measures to influence the legitimacy of the test include running multiple tests with the practice subject to ascertain any faults in the process. The faults may cause poor results or incapacity of the test subject through fatigue or any other way. Rehearsal The rehearsal`s main purpose is to verify, improve or correct the experiment, and provide insight into the research in producing reliable results. The practice subject did not consume any of the samples, and no recommendations were needed to increase the potential of the experiment. The procedures and samples of the experiment were adequate to initiate the test. The critical value of the test statistic is -1.6499, the p-value is 0.005 at an alpha value of 0.05. The experiment has provided sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis as it is observed that H0: π < 0.5 (not an expert) indicating that the subject is statistically significantly considered an expert. Lavender is an expert in differentiating Diet Coke from Coke.

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Response paper - Essay Example The American citizens realize that the increased profit pressures are moving the press away from sensitive and controversial issues. These issues may critic on features of corporate America resulting to reduced sales. Thus, the media agendas receive direction from the government and business interests. The citizens are highly becoming aware that the media they are receiving is of lower quality filled with propaganda. The citizens also now understand that the media is a form of support or manipulation tool for the powerful. It also understands that the media consistently fails in its role of delivering true information to the masses. The distrust of media has grown quite extensively over the past five years in many American citizens (In Ward 2013 p. 67). Regulations limiting media products from entering a domestic market include import quotas, immigration rules, foreign ownership regulations, foreign exchange remittances and custom duties. This occurs to protect local industries from foreign competition. However, as times change the trade barriers undergo lessening in an effort to increase trade. If these barriers in the future receive lifting, the media products would flow freely between countries. This unlimited flow of entertainment and information would enhance media globalization. The transport of people and goods keeps improving. Over the years, it keeps getting affordable and reliable. These improvements will facilitate quick and easy transportation of media products to people across the world in the future. These improvements will facilitate growth of global media since the products will be easily accessible. Technology keeps evolving. It keeps reducing geographical distance while allowing for larger volumes of communication. With new developments, the speed of communication keeps increasing. Technology evolvements keep making communication and access of information easier and flexible. Thus, in the future these new

The Federal Reserve Bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The Federal Reserve Bank - Research Paper Example ng saving money foundations, keeping up the steadiness of the budgetary framework and giving monetary administrations to depository organizations, the U.S. government, and foreign official establishments. This paper explores numerous issues such as the history, purposes, structure and the available tools for the Fed. The Fed traces its inceptions to 1791, when Congress urged the Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton to establish the first U.S. bank. The first bank was headquartered in Philadelphia; the bank was given a twenty-year contract; however, numerous agrarian-minded Americans were uncomfortable with the ideology as they suggested this would affect the management of the central bank. They decided to restrict it, but the Congress declined through a single vote, and it was renewed in 1811 (Paul, 1996). Congress later created a national bank in 1816, in light of the expansion that came about because of the increment in banknotes printed to pay off the obligation occasioned by the War of 1812. Somewhat more than ten years after its opening, nonetheless, the new bank came into the line of sight of Andrew Jackson, who attempted to slaughter it after he was chosen president in 1828. After the second bank collapsed, state-sanctioned and uncharted â€Å"public banks† flourished. These banks issued their own notes, redeemable in gold or silver. Given that the National Banking Act, passed in 1863, attempted to provide a measure of cash strength, bank runs and money related frenzies stayed necessary into the mid-twentieth century. This was an episode of theory on Wall Street that bottomed out in 1907 (Paul, 1996). The advanced Fed follows its establishing to President Wilson, who came up with a group of counsels that created the proposition which eventually turned into the Federal Reserve Act, passed by Congress in 1913. The seven unique individuals from the FRB sit for a gathering representation, soon after being confirmed. They incorporate the first Chairman of the

Is the U.S. Winning the Drug War in Latin America Essay

Is the U.S. Winning the Drug War in Latin America - Essay Example CON: U.S is losing the drug war in Latin America 1. U.S government has failed to re-evaluate her strategy to fight the drug menace. 2. The war fight largely focuses on the users and therefore leaves the other partners in the trade to thrive well in the trade. 3. There is no concrete drug enforcement mechanism to restrict the production of drugs. 4. The affordability and cheap processing makes it difficulty to wipe drugs out of Latin America. 5. A lot of resistance from human rights organization derails the efforts to do away with the drugs. The U.S will to control drug trafficking and abuse in Latin America confirms that it is very committed to wipe the drugs from these region. To begin with, since 1960s, the government has invested a lot of her efforts and attention to wage war on drug trade in Latin America. Regan and Bush declared war on drugs in U.S and Latin America when they occupied their presidential offices. The Bush successor; Bin Clinton continued with the worth fight on d rugs when he came into power in 19931. Since then, the U.S government has been strong on the war on drugs in Latin America. The U.S government recently got a support from Latin countries such as Mexico, Cuba, and Columbia. For instance, president of Mexico, Calderon has been in the forefront to combat drugs in the country2. Since he took office in 2006, he has made leaps towards the drugs war. For example, his government has formulated policies to deal with the consumers and traders of illicit drugs. These efforts have paid handsomely because the consumption of drugs has subsided. Obama’s government is in talks with Latin America Governments. Biden’s trip in 2012 to Latin America shows that the government has given negotiations a favorable chance. Biden was seeking to discuss on how leaders in that region can decriminalize drugs with an aim to stop its trade. Second, the new laws are in formulation stages. Policy analyst have advocated for a change in the current polic ies to allow U.S to win war on drugs. Arguably, their insights will provide new strategies to curb drugs trafficking in Latin America and U.S. The medical professionals have suggested programs to treat the drug victims. In addition, the social advocates suggests, that creation of awareness about dangers of engaging in drugs is the way to go. All these concerted efforts promise a win in the war on drugs in Latin America3. Third, the debates on drugs have attracted a lot of public interest. The Latin and the U.S population feel that drug consumption is not socially acceptable. They propose tough punishments for the growers, manufacturers, suppliers, and sellers. The public warns of the dangers of permitting drugs to get into the society. They provide a procedure, which can deter the abuse of drugs. The public suggests that, through identification, imprisonment, and persecution, the war can yield fruits4. Moreover, the drug user will be accountable for their actions. Implementation is now happening in the Latin America. This is a huge step towards gaining victory in the drug war. The increase of funds through budgetary allocation to fight drug abuse demonstrates U.S readiness to see the better end of the war. There has been a significant attention on the budget to allocate enough money in the drug war. In 1990, U.S budget on drugs was at $ 9.7 billion. This almost doubled in 2000 when it hit $ 17.7 billion mark. On top of this, the Drug Enforcement Administration department staffed

International Business--FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS KNOWLEADGE EDGE Essay

International Business--FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS KNOWLEADGE EDGE - Essay Example There are even times when self-assessment examinations and tests reveal personality traits that surprise one as being eminent as a self-image or concept. In this regard, the objective of the report is to indicate an assessment of oneself using several indicators such as The Big Five Locator (Emotional Stability, Extroversion, and Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness), Visual/Nonverbal Learning Style, and the Hemisphere Dominance Test, and Interactive Styles, among others, to give a clearer understanding of one’s assessment, as an individual, to be used for future endeavors. According to Dr. Joachim de Posada (2003), the Big Five Locator Personality Test aims in assisting an individual to â€Å"define issues that may be important to (one’s) effectiveness in a leadership capacity† (1). The focal areas upon answering well designed questions would determine an individual’s preponderance to the following: emotional stability, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. After taking the examination, the results reveal the following: emotional stability (14) with a norm score of 48 indicating responsiveness or practically a balanced emotional stability rating; extroversion (19) with a norm score of 57 which clearly manifests traits of extroversion as assertive, sociable, warm, optimistic, and even talkative, to some extent; openness to experience (11) and a norm score of 40 indicating the traits of a preserver, or someone with low openness to experience – one who is conservative, efficient with a great depth of knowledge, among others; agreeableness (20) with a 55 norm score which clearly manifests traits of being a negotiator – someone who is balanced in argumentation and in conflict resolution skills; and finally, conscientiousness scored 17 with a norm score of 50, which

Histroy week1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Histroy week1 - Assignment Example Furthermore, history is important to individuals and society given that it harbors the immense beauty of the world. Besides, through numerous ways, history is discussed in order to understand real functions of subjects; in fact, this based on the talents and paths towards understanding meaning of history. Therefore, various definitions in history are utilized to understand fundamental facts identified in the present world. History is also considered a laboratory, where data that was gathered during past event can be accessed, and this can be applied in the quest to understand complexity of occurrences in the present. For instance, history has been applied in understanding of complexity among different species and their behaviors in social settings. History is unavoidable and it offers all-embracing ground that is evidential based on analysis of different functions regarding specific people. Therefore, understanding history help in embracing and acknowledging simplicity of the way peo ple live or coexist in the world. 2. What have been some important events in your personal history? Some of the most important events in my personal history regard to transitions from one way of life to another. For instance, moving out from home and living in order to earn a living and live independently. Though this was accompanied by challenges such as boredom due to change of environment, I was able to recover and proceed to live a good life. Besides, the day that I joined the university was a significant day that marked achievement of my academic objectives. Therefore, I consider my personal history to be important since it offers a basis of evaluation. Moreover, history helps me to determine the extent to which I have managed to achieve my personal objectives. I consider fundamental reasons of studying history to be based on diverse application of in my life. History serves a real purpose through its grounds based on human understanding of events in peoples’ lives. For instance, a story about a person’s live can be done in a way that reveals their functionalities and societies. In this way, history has prompted my thoughts regarding my experiences in life in terms of time and places. Therefore, my goals are sources of inspiration to make effort in reconstructing remote past, which is withdrawn from immediate present day utilization. To me, the encounters are very good as they nurtured my talent, hardened me to be able to handle challenging situation that do arise during my undertakings. This is because both positive and negative challenges we encounter offer an ample ground for learning various aspects of life interaction. 3. What do you know about your family’s history? I was unable to gather information regarding my ancestors due to lack of relevant sources of information. However, some of the relevant information concerning our family’s history regarded, where my parents lived after they got married and before I was born. I managed to access may family’s history of medical records, which indicated a number of significant issues; therefore, history has a great benefit in understanding various occurrences in the present. For instance, I wondered why I ended up to live in the neighborhood that I live in now; in fact, I realized that my ancestors were living in the same area. The historical information gathered can be very

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Example for Free

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Basketball is a very competitive and popular sport in our society today. The NBA playoffs are going on right now and it has proved to be a very physical and intense post season. This sport takes an extreme amount of talent, coordination, and athletic ability to become a champion. There are a few biomechanical principles that are present during the game of basketball that help these athletes become great. The first biomechanical principle that is present in basketball is Newton’s Second Law of Motion. This law deal deals with acceleration in the sport. The law states, â€Å"The change in motion of an object is proportional to the force impressed; and is made in the direction of the straight line in which the force is impressed†. Newton’s Second Law is applied to the dunking aspect of basketball. When a player is about to dunk the basketball a certain amount of force must be produced to jump. Also a certain amount of acceleration must be produced to send the player upwards towards the rim. If this does not happen then the player is going to not be able to dunk the basketball. The weight of the athlete also plays a big role in this action as well. A player who is heavier is going to have a harder time jumping as high as a player with less mass. The next biomechanical principle I found that deals with basketball is another Newton law. Newton’s First Law deals with the law of inertia. This law is applied when a player is attempting a pass to his or her teammate. Newton’s First Law states that an object will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force. When a player is passing the ball to their teammate, the ball will stay in a straight line of motion unless a member of the opposing team attempts to steal the ball from its destination. Lastly frictional force is another biomechanical principle that I found present in the game of basketball. The friction between the athlete’s shoes and floor must be very high. Static friction is used when the player wants to push off from the floor to make an athletic move. The type of shoes that the athlete wears is also going to play a huge role in how affective the players’ moves are. Frictional for occurs when the player pushes down and backward on the floor. It is the force that acts forwards on the player and backwards on the floor. If it was not for frictional forces the athlete would not be able to start or stop his or her motion. In conclusion I found this biomechanical breakdown to be very interesting. Now that I have taken this course I look at sports from a greater biomechanical perspective. I feel that taking this course will really pay off as I become a professional in the field. Being able to break down sports into such a perspective is a great attribute to have as a future professional.

Corporate Social Responsibility in International companies

Corporate Social Responsibility in International companies Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an aspect of business ethics that has assumed significant importance in the age of globalization and expanding markets. The morally-influenced attitudes of consumers in markets have forced many multinational corporations to redefine their definition of social values and rules of their business. There is an increasing realization that corporations are created by the society and that they must give back by serving the society and not merely by making profit from it. New age corporate leaders are replacing the business philosophy of maximization of profits with optimization of profits by shifting their business focus from accountability to shareholders to accountability to stakeholders (including employees, customers, communities, etc.). The growing focus on Corporate Social Responsibility mandates that these stakeholders have a right to expect accountability and transparency as well as social and environmental investment from corporations Ignoring Corporate Social Responsibility would mean endangering business success in the global marketplace. It is unlikely that a company can be ethical while not manifesting a high degree of social and environmental responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility and responsibility to the environment are themselves large and important issues for any company today. Corporate Social Responsibility and Shared Value Corporate Social responsibility as a concept and a part of the business model started evolving from 1960s and in the Indian context companies like TCS have been using their core competency to the benefit of communities. But as more and more businesses start paying lip service to CSR a need for a new model which would broaden their view was much needed. In an article by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer in the Harvard Business Review titled The Big Idea: Creating Shared Value, the authors comment on how companies are widely being perceived to be prospering at the expense of the broader community. They go on to say the more business has begun to embrace corporate responsibility, the more it has been blamed for societys failures. Business is caught in a vicious circle. Companies no longer have a broader view when it comes to value creation as they are focused more on short term profit gains. They have started ignoring the aspects which make them sustainable in the long term. Important issues like customer well being, conservation of natural resources and community well being are being overlooked which is leading to a negative perception in the minds of people. According to the authors of the article The solution to this problem lies in the principle of shared value, which involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. Businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or even sustainability, but a new way to achieve economic success. It is not on the margin of what companies do but at the center. We believe that it can give rise to the next major transformation of business thinking CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY NATIONAL COMPANIES ITC ITC is well known for its CSR initiatives in India. Its e-Choupal program which was conceived by its agri-business division has helped farmers to come out of the vicious cycle of debt and risk and low productivity. It was launched in June 2000 and some of the achievements of this program are: Reach out to over 4 million farmers in over 40,000 villages across 10 states through 6500 kiosks. Choupal Pradarshan khet an initiative which provides Agri-extension services which provide the knowledge of the best agricultural practices to small and marginal farmers. This initiative covers over 70,000 hectares and 1.6 million farmers Watershed development schemes which cover 56,951 hectares which are brought under soil and moisture conservation. Primary education services to 252,329 children through 2,334 Supplementary Learning Centres. Their social and farm forestry efforts have brought 19,100 hectares of wasteland under social forestry helping more than 20,000 households across 525 villages. ITC also indirectly followed the shared value business as they linked their paperboards businesss wood fibre needs to the farmers need for income from their produce of the same. ITC claims it is taking conscious steps towards moving away from their Cigarette business and earning more revenues from their other business as many people were skeptical about ITCs CSR activities as they produce cigarettes and that is a major source of their revenues. Infosys Technologies Limited Infosys employees actively participate in the welfare of the local community. Their Development Centers in India make a difference through several Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Their employees organize and contribute to welfare programs, especially for underprivileged children. Infosys has pledged to make a difference to society by actively participating in community development. Their social contract inspires more than 100,000 employees to contribute to community welfare, environment sustainability and digital literacy. In 2009-10, Infosys organized several programs, enabling employees to give back to society: Volunteering:- A sabbatical policy encourages Infoscions to work for designated Indian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on community projects. Employees are paid an allowance by the company for up to a year. Infoscions actively support the mid-day meal program of the Akshaya Patra Foundation. It is the worlds largest NGO school meal program blending nutrition with education for more than one million children in rural areas across seven states in India, daily. Emergency aid:- In 2009, floods in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka caused widespread destruction of life and property. The Infosys Foundation and Infoscions donated 30 crore towards rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes. In 2010, Infosys Australia organized a fund-raiser to support Red Cross disaster relief efforts in the wake of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Infosys USA worked with Red Cross to provide Haitians with food and medical care. Digital empowerment:- Infosys initiates children into Information Technology at a young age through the SPARK program. In 2009-10, Infoscions touched the lives of more than 70,000 students across India by undertaking IT training and mentoring teachers of government-aided schools in rural areas. Shaping policies:- Members of the board of directors of Infosys serve on global councils and contribute to policy making in corporate governance, education, healthcare, diversity, and the environment. Infosys is partnering with state utilities in India to introduce voluntary green tariff, enabling consumers to offset the cost of renewable energy. Infosys hosted the Climate Roadmap Sub-National Workshop at Mysore, a platform to share best practices in environment sustainability. Promoting education and research:- Infosys is working with more than 400 engineering colleges in India to enhance their curriculum and enrich the talent pool through the Campus Connect program. The Infosys Science Foundation promotes research in pure and applied sciences with an annual prize of 50 lakh for Indian researchers. Tata Consultancy Services TCS has always recognized the responsibility Corporates should have towards the wider communities they operate in. Be it girl child education in South Asia in collaboration with UNICEF or adult literacy programs in South India, TCS believes in using IT as an instrument for social development and change. Other TCS community initiatives have been in areas addressing environmental and civic problems; setting up and maintaining infrastructure for urban beautification, pollution reduction and healthcare; waste management in the office environment, tree plantation and water treatment. Environment policy:- TCS provides a healthy work environment to all its employees, and conducts environment friendly business at all its offices. To achieve these goals, TCS has published this Environment Policy. In line with its continuous improvement process initiative, TCS will continuously enhance its environment policy, which encompasses air, water, natural resources, people and their interrelation. Employees:- TCS makes all its employees aware on how work practices affect the environment. For example, wasteful use of electricity or paper at work place depletes natural resources and adds to pollution caused by the generating/manufacturing units. Similarly safe work practices protect the environment by mitigating health risks and accidents. As members of the TATA family, and responsible citizens of the country, TCS employees should observe environment- friendly behaviour, both in and outside the work place. Management:- TCS management defines health, safety and environment goals and objectives, identifies roles and responsibilities for policy implementation, measures performance, and allocates necessary resources. It integrates resource planning with health, safety and environment concerns. Two-way communication is established with employees, clients and vendors to promote and share health, safety and environment initiatives. The Management will also initiate ISO 14001 certification for different locations in a phased manner. Work Place:- TCS managers review the work environment and suggest improvements in line with this policy. The policy initiates energy conservation, waste recycling, and paper reduction, in priority areas. The measures and initiatives emerging as a result of this policy get documented as processes. These processes ensure compliance with applicable health, safety, and environment regulations in all offices of TCS. WIPRO Apart from being Indias leading IT service company, Wipro has made a mark through their CSR activities. Making education a mission At Wipro, the commitment to education is driven by a mission to impart knowledge that helps the young develop holistic skills to address social, economic and environmental issues. Wipro perceives education as a fundamental enabler of sustainable social change. In this context, Wipro has undertaken educational initiatives that cover school reform and the curriculum. These include: Wipro Applying Thought in Schools Focused, long-term initiative in school reform Initiative based on the thought that every child must be given the opportunity to realize his/her potential Worked with over 10,500 educators in 1500 schools across 17 states in India Partnered over 30 social organizations in this endeavor Mission 10X A platform for the rapidly growing academic community of educators, learners and innovators Helps them impart education that enhances the employability skills of fresh engineering graduates in India Reached the first milestone and has empowered more than 10,000 faculty members across 20 states Azim Premji Foundation This is a not-for-profit organization with a vision to contribute to systemic changes in Indian education that facilitates a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. Operational since 2001, the Foundation has engaged with over 2.5 million children in 20,000 schools across 13 States through a committed workforce of over 250 professionals and hundreds of paid volunteers. Eco Eye Wipros commitment to the ecology around is as strong as their every endeavour. Their believe is that the future lies in sustainable solutions that will never interfere with our environment, an integral part of our social initiatives. With the formation of Eco Eye, Wipro is now a business that incorporates better ecological balance in every project we execute. Dabur Dabur defines CSR as conducting business in ways that provide social, environmental economic benefits for the communities and geographies where it operates. The greatest value is in making a difference in lives of people. Daburs CSR initiatives are driven by Sustainable Development Society or SUNDESH, which aims to reach out to the weaker and more vulnerable sections of society. SUNDESH operates in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand addressing childrens literacy, improving healthcare services, skill development, and environment Healthcare: Providing diagnostic facilities like urine and pregnancy test, haemoglobin, blood sugar and Doppler test to the poor rural populace at nominal rates. Reducing infant and maternal mortality rates by promoting and motivating expecting mothers to go in for institutional deliveries. Holding eye care camps at its Health Post and in villages. Organizing workshops on prevention of female foeticide and sensitization to make the community aware about the importance of girl child and improve the girl-boy ratio in the region. An awareness drive on HIV/AIDS was undertaken with CARE India Trust and UP State AIDS Control Society to reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections/HIV transmission among high-risk migrants Education Literacy: The educational initiatives of SUNDESH for underprivileged children include non- formal education [6-14 years non-school going], special school for working children [8-13 years], remedial education [6-14 years school-going], besides holding classes for women. SUNDESH holds classes for underprivileged children between 6 and 14 years of age. After completing their basic education, these children, who have never had a chance to see a school from inside or are school dropouts, are then encouraged to get enrolled in formal schools. Income Generation Programmes: Capability enhancement programmes have been introduced offering vocational training in cutting tailoring, machine hand embroidery, bee keeping, mushroom farming, mehandi application and vermi-composting. Dabur has started the project on medicinal plants in Nepal to provide the modern technology for cultivation of the required medicinal herbs of Himalayas to the farmers. AIRCEL The pursuit of CSR can take some very strange turns as demonstrated by the Aircel campaign to save the tiger. Aircel is one of the biggest mobile phone providers in India.  In 2010, they launched the Save our Tiger campaign represented by a tiger cub called Stripey with whom the country promptly fell in love with. Prime time TV could barely be watched without Stripey and his Im abandoned, please save me eyes. Now abruptly, he has disappeared and taken his much talked about cuteness with him. Every TV-watching, net-savvy person in India now knows that only 1411 tigers exist in the wild. We know the company has tied up with WWF to give it some credibility. Some of us wonder if this is an attempt at a badly executed CSR effort. What seems specifically unclear to me remains the ultimate aim of the campaign. Was it started to: (a) create awareness? or (b) create the impression of corporate responsibility? or (c) give people the impression that Aircel is going to take a lead in saving the tiger?  Since Project Tiger,  which has been the most successful program in the 70s lost steam; tiger conservation in India has always had its lulls and rises. There has never been a concentrated effort to increase numbers by putting a check on poaching and habitat destruction. More importantly there has not been much transparency, advocacy or public involvement in the process. Every census releases varying numbers regarding tiger population does Aircel explain how the number 1411 was arrived at? Aircels attempt at gathering public sympathy for the fate of Indias national animal is admirable. The campaign regardless of whether it is CSR or not, is not strategically clever. It does really explain what the company itself is doing to save the tiger apart from throwing Stripey on the airwaves. The campaign would have infinitely more credibility if they could explain  why  it is really, truly important to save the tiger along with its habitat. Most unfortunately, the company does not galvanize on the campaign to further its image of CSR. The entire campaign looks like one quick brainstorm session resulting in the words tiger and save put together, how to publicize the issue with as much noise as possible and then abruptly stop. Conservation efforts are dependent on rate of biodiversity loss which is tied into economic losses. Stripey no matter how cute and how much celebrity support he garners, will not stir public sympathies for too long unless a holistic picture is provided. I hope someone from Aircel is reading this: more information is needed on their campaign objectives, overall picture of CSR   activities, how they plan on achieving these and where theyre getting their tiger numbers from for starters. Hindustan Latex Limited Hindustan Latex Limited, a public sector company established more than three decades ago, came to occupy a premier position in the countrys family planning and health care programs. Hindustan Latex Limited ventured into social sector projects aimed at creating a planned social change. It was with this objective that HLL formed the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, a non-profit organization promoted by HLL, undertaking the conceptualization and implementation of various Social Sector Projects and broad based to focus on reproductive and sexual health. Distribution of social marketing brands of contraceptives through unemployed, educated and mobile rural youth, supported by a comprehensive local media based IEC programme, thereby contributing to the reduction of Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the rural areas and Advancement of family health through the promotion of sanitary napkins and oral rehydration salts (ORS). Community based distribution of   Contraceptives project Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa , Sukha Parivaram is a social marketing programme for the state of Andhra Pradesh and will make available a basket of social marketing goods such as condoms, oral contraceptive pills, iron and folic acid tablets (for pregnant women) and ORS. Mobile Health Clinic Project to ensure that the health services are able to reach the remote, inaccessible and underserved areas. In combination with reduced education levels this innovative approach will help to take the health infrastructure at the nearest village of the rural populace specially in those villages which are currently not served by any PHC and private clinics. Hinduja Foundation It is an important milestone which began with the philanthropic work of Paramanand Deepchand Hinduja (1901 1971), founder of the Hinduja Group. This legacy is carried forward under the aegis of the Hinduja Foundation which works in tandem with Hinduja Foundations established in the UK and the USA. Together they form an integral part of the Hinduja Group and strive to achieve their goals by creating socially responsible institutions; working jointly with other institutions of repute and by supporting deserving NGOs working for similar objectives. Drawing inspiration from the founder, the Hinduja Foundation believes that philanthropy, a sacred social responsibility of all enterprise, is worthier when it encourages self help and sets an example for the younger generations. Srichand P. Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group, leads the Foundation. Our aim, he says, is to build bridges between India and the world, between the past and the present, between generations that are and generations to come. The Foundations core objectives are: Healthcare Education Arts, Culture and Interfaith Understanding Social Welfare Sports CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES Coke Coca cola follows corporate social responsibility practices in the following areas Beverage Benefits, Active healthy living, Community, Energy Efficiency and climate Protection, Sustainable Packaging, Live Positively Program, Water Steward Ship. The following are the salient features of their CSR Activities. All these programs are collectively known as the Live Positively Program. Under their Beverage Benefits Program they plan to invest more than $50 million in research by 2015 and aim to have low and no calorie options and smaller portion sizes to be made available in communities where obesity is a significant problem. Their Active Healthy Living Program aims to support the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation in reducing the total annual calories consumed in the U.S by 1.5 Trillion(by the end of 2015) By the end of 2015, Coke wants to ensure that it does not directly market their beverages to children less than 12 years of age following ethics in marketing. Through their Community Development Initiatives coke aims to form 1,300 to 2,000 new Micro Distribution Centers (MDCs) in Africa and by the end of 2020 empower 5 million businesswomen in their global business system. Cokes Energy Efficiency and Climate protection activities aim to Grow our business but not our system wide carbon emissions from our manufacturing operations through 2015, compared with a 2004 baseline. Through their sustainable packaging initiatives they plan to improve packaging material efficiency per liter of product sold by 7%, compared with a 2008 baseline. Through their water stewardship programs coke plans to return to nature and communities the water they use in their beverage production They also create diverse and healthy workplaces aligned with international human rights principles. Google Google developed a separate technological platform called google.org to use its core competency in the area of Information Technology to build products and advocate for policies that address global challenges. They have the following projects which fall under their CSR and philanthropic activities. Google Crisis Response Project aims at making critical information more accessible during the natural disasters and humanitarian crises. After the massive Earthquake in Japan they used this project to provide emergency information, maps and missing persons resources Googles Earth Engine enables the analysis of raw satellite imagery data and extraction of meaningful information about the worlds forests, such as locations and measurements of deforestation Googles RE Google Flu trends Project use Google search data to estimate flu activity. Google Power Meter Project, a free energy monitoring tool helps in saving energy and money. Using energy information provided by utility smart meters and energy monitoring devices, this software enables you to view ones home energy consumption from anywhere online. Googles Philanthropic efforts in the areas of Engineering Awards and Charitable Giving include supporting universities in their Academic research efforts and giving Google Scholarships which help students especially minorities and women with their Computer science and technology studies. They also gave out a $20 million donation in 2010 to charities from around the globe in order to help organizations who have been stretched thin by increasing requests for help at a time of lower donations. Nokia Nokia aims to lead in sustainability by taking it into account in everything they do. Over a billion people in the world use a Nokia phone, and Nokia employees are excited about the opportunities this provides for improving peoples livelihoods and encouraging them to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. As a market leader, one of the best ways they can contribute to the global community is to conduct their business in a responsible way. They are committed to drive ethically sound policies and practices that guide us in their work. They have a long track record of taking sustainability into account in all their operations, products and services, but their also look beyond their own operations to use their scale for good. Put simply, sustainability is their way of doing business, and their corporate responsibility agenda is framed around the Nokia values of being very human, engaging everyone, innovation and achieving together. Mobile communications have played a big role in billions of peoples lives. Now that mobile devices are connecting us in many ways beyond calls, Nokia has been leading and encouraging innovation around how to harness this new connectivity to help people solve everyday challenges and connect them to what matters most. New, innovative mobile solutions hold tremendous potential for changing the way the society lives. Their impacts and commitment:- Maximising the benefits of mobile communication and minimising potentially negative effects requires commitment from governments, civil society, and the business sector. As a market leader with global operations they recognise that their potential impact, and therefore their responsibility, is great. From a social growth and economic development perspective, they acknowledge their impact and responsibilities throughout their value chain: in their sourcing, product design, manufacturing, logistics, recycling, communications, employee well-being, business partnerships, community involvement and social investments. Through their solutions they respond to various environmental and societal needs. Their overall response to their stakeholders is to produce high-quality, safe products and valuable services for a consumer offerings that has a positive influence on the society and the planet. Kelloggs Based on their heritage and business, Kelloggs chooses to focus on three major areas: Helping Children and Youth Reach their Potential   Improving Opportunities for Minorities and Women Strengthening Communities In 2005, Kelloggs contributed more than $8 million in cash and $20 million in product to various charitable organizations around the world.   Half of their corporate giving is based on what is important to the employees contributions that are part of Kellogg Care-their matching-grant program, and United Way. The food donations primarily are made through Americas Second Harvest, a nationwide network of food banks and food rescue organizations that feeds hungry children and families across the country.   Kelloggs employees make a difference in their local communities by volunteering and participating in wide-ranging charitable activities. Kellogg Company provides a dollar-for-dollar match of employee gifts to qualified educational, cultural and environmental organizations. Partners  and Partnerships : Kelloggs works with organizations and programs with proven results, improving lives around the country and throughout the world including United Way, Americas Second Harvest, and HOSTS   Learning   Help One Student to Succeed. Wellness and Nutrition: The Kellogg legacy is based on the philosophy that people can improve their health by eating a balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity.   Living a healthy lifestyle begins with a good understanding of nutrition.   Kelloggs believes in providing high-quality, nutritious food and helping educate consumers about the benefits of a healthy diet. Ethics and compliance: Through their Global Code of Ethics, Kelloggs employees understand that: They are firmly committed to the fair and equitable treatment of all our employees and job applicants. Customers and consumers expect more from Kellogg Company and it is every employees job to make sure Kellogg meets their expectations. Investors count on Kellogg to deliver on its commitments, provide accurate information about its affiliates and to make responsible business decisions based on reliable records. Kellogg believes in doing business with suppliers, contractors, joint venture partners, agents, sales representatives, distributors and consultants who embrace and demonstrate high standards of ethical behavior. They actively seek opportunities to contribute to the communities in which we do business, and to improve the environment that sustains us all. Diversity and Inclusion: At Kellogg Company, Individuals are valued for their diverse backgrounds, experiences, styles, approaches and ideas.They actively promote diversity in work force.  This diversity inspires the innovation that drives business and helps enhance competitive advantage Workplace Health and Safety: Employee safety is a value at Kellogg.  Ã‚  They are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment and preventing accidents.   Employees are accountable for observing the safety and health rules and practices that apply to their jobs and are expected to take precautions necessary to protect them and their co-workers, including immediately reporting accidents, injuries and unsafe practices or conditions.   Kellogg and the Environment: Promoting and maintaining environmentally responsible practices is beneficial for everyone   our customers, consumers, employees and the communities in which they operate. Kellogg Company conducts business in ways that protect the environment and demonstrate good stewardship of our worlds natural resources.   They work closely and cooperatively with local communities, suppliers and contractors, government agencies, and other organizations engaged in improving the environment.  Their current focus is on energy use.   While a 10% reduction in the energy used to produce the products has been seen since 1997, the goal is to continue this reduction. The Kelloggs environmental audit program includes periodic and complete evaluations of all our manufacturing practices. Almost all Kellogg cereal cartons are made of 100% recycled fiber, with at least 35% post-consumer material. Citigroup The Public Affairs Committee of Citis Board of Directors oversees overall Citizenship priorities and performance. Its businesses, supported by Director of Corporate Citizenship, implement Citizenship policies and commitments through their daily work. Internal teams specializing in topics such as the environment, public policy, diversity, financial education, community relations and human rights support the businesses. Citi Foundation: The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where we work so they can improve their standard of living. It provides grant support for programs aligned with the Citi Foundations five strategic funding areas: Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, Financial Capability and Asset Building, College and Careers and Neighborhood Revitalization The key stakeholders include investors, employees, customers, vendors, suppliers, communities, regulators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and peer institutions in networks such as the Equator Principles and Carbon Principles. It seeks to engage regularly with both individual stakeholders and institutions to share information, listen to stakeholders ideas and concerns and, where possible, refine its policies and practices in response. The Citi Code of Conduct outlines the laws, rules, regulations and Citi policies that govern its activities and sets companywide standards of

Understanding of the Self Essay -- Compare Contrast Psychology Essays

Understanding of the Self INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social constructionist perspective holds the view that the self is continuing "shaped and reshaped through interactions with others and involvement in social and cultural activities" (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996, p 220). Social constructionist is concerned with explicating the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or otherwise account for the world (including themselves) in which they live (Gergen, 1971). Thus, the social constructionist approach implies that the self is shaped by social interaction within historical, cultural and social contexts. Social constructionist's apply an analysis of societal level which explain the self through social relations. Conversely, the psychodynamic perspective approach emphasises that much of the self of what we are driven by is hidden away in the unconscious and a battle for control takes place between the id, ego and superego. It is a very important point as it suggests that our internal representations of the world could be based on some innate propensities and these of course are unconscious. This interrelationship between world and the unconscious seek to rationalise that a self is produced through the internalization of the introjections of external people (Thomas, 1996). The essay will provide a brief introduction to the theory of the self as presented by both perspectives, then compare and evaluate the explanation offered by them. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST AND PSYCHODYMIC PERSPECTIVE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnographic accounts of incongruent cultures as provided by anthropologist are used to defend the argument that the self is socially constructed through socialisation processes (Sapsford, 1996). For example, Markus and Kitayama proposed that with the existence of social influence, there is a greater sense of autonomy in western cultures as compared to the eastern (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996). Therefore, the social constructionist point of view is that our personal private worlds are fused with our external environment's social contact. On the other hand, the self will continue to develop through the utilization of multiple internalisation's of social identities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harre believes that this internalisation can occur through language, linguistic practices and conversations. Language can be used for internal symbolisation. (Wetherell and Maybin, 1996). In ... ...y. The different levels of analysis require different methods; the social constructionist emphasizes on cultural studies of anthropologists whereas the psychodynamic focuses on psychoanalysis to explain subjective experiences. Both views concur that internalisation of others is a vital aspect for the development of self identity, which in actual fact is not a unitary self but the buildup of the fragments of others. The social constructionist's postulates that others are internalised through conversations and language influences, which leads to the generalization of others, to become internalised as our self identity. Mead and Vygotsky, however do not propose that self identity is totally developed from the external society, but instead attributes its development to the varying degrees of people interactions with the wider society. As such, our inner world is converged and dispersed to the wider society. On the other hand, the psychodynamic view recognizes that fragmentation of on e self is unavoidable, which will stimulate unconscious disagreement, only to be dealt with defence mechanisms within. This will eventually produce a self identity which is either incomplete or distorted. Understanding of the Self Essay -- Compare Contrast Psychology Essays Understanding of the Self INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social constructionist perspective holds the view that the self is continuing "shaped and reshaped through interactions with others and involvement in social and cultural activities" (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996, p 220). Social constructionist is concerned with explicating the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or otherwise account for the world (including themselves) in which they live (Gergen, 1971). Thus, the social constructionist approach implies that the self is shaped by social interaction within historical, cultural and social contexts. Social constructionist's apply an analysis of societal level which explain the self through social relations. Conversely, the psychodynamic perspective approach emphasises that much of the self of what we are driven by is hidden away in the unconscious and a battle for control takes place between the id, ego and superego. It is a very important point as it suggests that our internal representations of the world could be based on some innate propensities and these of course are unconscious. This interrelationship between world and the unconscious seek to rationalise that a self is produced through the internalization of the introjections of external people (Thomas, 1996). The essay will provide a brief introduction to the theory of the self as presented by both perspectives, then compare and evaluate the explanation offered by them. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST AND PSYCHODYMIC PERSPECTIVE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnographic accounts of incongruent cultures as provided by anthropologist are used to defend the argument that the self is socially constructed through socialisation processes (Sapsford, 1996). For example, Markus and Kitayama proposed that with the existence of social influence, there is a greater sense of autonomy in western cultures as compared to the eastern (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996). Therefore, the social constructionist point of view is that our personal private worlds are fused with our external environment's social contact. On the other hand, the self will continue to develop through the utilization of multiple internalisation's of social identities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harre believes that this internalisation can occur through language, linguistic practices and conversations. Language can be used for internal symbolisation. (Wetherell and Maybin, 1996). In ... ...y. The different levels of analysis require different methods; the social constructionist emphasizes on cultural studies of anthropologists whereas the psychodynamic focuses on psychoanalysis to explain subjective experiences. Both views concur that internalisation of others is a vital aspect for the development of self identity, which in actual fact is not a unitary self but the buildup of the fragments of others. The social constructionist's postulates that others are internalised through conversations and language influences, which leads to the generalization of others, to become internalised as our self identity. Mead and Vygotsky, however do not propose that self identity is totally developed from the external society, but instead attributes its development to the varying degrees of people interactions with the wider society. As such, our inner world is converged and dispersed to the wider society. On the other hand, the psychodynamic view recognizes that fragmentation of on e self is unavoidable, which will stimulate unconscious disagreement, only to be dealt with defence mechanisms within. This will eventually produce a self identity which is either incomplete or distorted.

My Storie :: essays research papers

A Random Idiotic Story Supplying No Real Purpose Trebor observed his messy office. He needed to get out of this diminutive space. He did not know why, but something impelled him to get out of his room. As he turned the doorknob, he felt a chill that took over his body. When the door opened, Trebor realized he was in a cubicle. The bleak room gave him a languid feeling. Trevor was skeptical of what he was seeing. As he turned around to exit this incredulous room, he noticed the door was gone. Where the door had once stood was a window. Trebor heard a voice whispering to him, but could not make out what it was saying over the rasping sound, which began to escalate. The noise impaired his hearing so he put his hands over his ears. As he looked up, he saw a horde of people. Trebor observed the powerful machines. Most of the people outside were lined up in straight lines with an auxiliary force near by. As soon as he thought he was hindered in this room, a grievous man came forward. The tag on his uniform was inscribed with "Korby". He had a candid expression on his face. He rendered, "I'm Korby -agent number 4248, an envoy of our invincible government." "Invincible government? You've got to be kidding with me! This sounds like something straight out of the movies." Trebor's stolid expression Trebor Visits the New World: 3020 A.D. said it all. He is lost in this world; incredulous about his surroundings. He asked himself where he was and told himself it has got to be just a dream, but it couldn't cure his anxiety. "What year is this?" "This is 3020," replied Korby. With this Korby went into a monologue, which seemed like an eternity to listen to. It was only the preamble to the rugged history of this futuristic world. "It all fell apart", explained Korby. "Democracy and stability can only last for so long. The fate of our world looked so bleak that we became desperate. The people of this world buil t these virtually invincible machines. They were almost human-like. They were peaceful and kept order, but as time passed, a few exploited these machines. Instead of keeping the peace, they destroyed it. The diamonds, which were their power source, were being used to destroy society. Millions died at the hands of the machines and those despicable people that controlled them.

How to be a New York Police Officer? Essay

A State with low crime rate and has deliberately peaceful community shows the effectiveness of the law and policies that the State has provided. Police department together with other related agencies is the prime partner of the government in maintaining the peace and order in the communities. With the proper and legal implementation of the state policies, people will not be worried of any threats or crime hat might harm them. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is currently the largest in population amounting to about 37,838 in January 2007. The core responsibility lies in enforcing the law and investigation of the crimes committed within the five areas of New York City. Being the largest police department in the US, it has specialized into broad divisions which include, the tactical operations, harbor patrol, intelligence, counter-terrorism, bomb disposal, and narcotics. Public transportation and public housing are also part of the responsibility of the department. According to a various statistics, police force is apparently decreasing. In June 2005, the number of sworn officers dropped to 35,000 from 40,000 in June 2004. In an interview to a New York police officer upon taking his opinion of reasons why there is decreasing number of sworn officers in the last 5 years, he certainly said that this may be due to the salary of a police officer which is only amounting to about $35,000 to $40,000 per annum. This salary is hardly to support the needs of the family and this amount is much lesser compared to other neighboring police department. As a tactical operation officer, he deliberately said that giving his life for the community is what he wants but with what is going on with the administrative part of the department, he considered shifting to other departments like the Port Authority Police which gives more salary for their officers. Reference â€Å"Careers. † New York Police Department. Retrieved April 4, 2009 @ http://www. nyc. gov/html/nypd/html/careers/cadet_corps. shtml

Environmental Knowledge

1. INTRODUCTION * The aim of this report is to discover the elements that give impact on their operations according to the principal elements of a dynamic business environment. In this report present two companies that I choose which is The Body Shop and Harley Davidson. Nature of business The Body Shop is about beauty product. They will produce product by use a nature and against animal testing. Besides that, nature of business Harley Davidson is manufactures heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycles.The company operates through two segments: the Motorcycles segment and the Financial Services segment. In this report, I will discuss about the important of environment knowledge which is explicit and tacit and explain their SWOT analysis on both companies. SWOT is a planning tool used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. It is used as part of Strategic Planning Process.Reason I choose The Body Shop and Harley Davidson company is because I’m user of this product, so when I do a research about this company, I can know more about the company and about their product. 2. COMPANY BACKGROUND 2. 1 THE BODY SHOP * The Body Shop International PLC known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries. The company, which has its headquarters in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick and is now part of the L'Oreal corporate group.The Body Shop mission are, to dedicate our business to the pursuit of social and environmental change, to creatively balance the financial and human needs of our stakeholders: employees, franchisees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders, to courageously ensure that our business is ecologically sustainable: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future, to meaningfully contribute to local, national and international communities in which we trade, by adopting a code of conduct, which ensures care, honesty, fairness and respect, to passion ately campaign for the protection of the environment, human and civil ights, and against animal testing within the cosmetics and toiletries industry and lastly to tirelessly work to narrow the gap between principle and practice, whilst making fun, passion and care part of our daily lives. Anita Roddick. Human Rights Activist. Founder of The Body Shop, state that the vision is â€Å"I just want The Body Shop to be the best, most breathlessly exciting company – and one that changes the way business is carried out. † 2. 2 HARLEY DAVIDSON * Harley-Davidson Inc often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer.Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson also survived a period of poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers. The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cr uising on highways. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as â€Å"Harleys†) have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper style of motorcycle.Except for the modern VRSC model family, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles reflect the styles of classic Harley designs. Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met with limited success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary. Harley-Davidson sustains a loyal brand community which keeps active through clubs, events, and a museum. Licensing of the Harley-Davidson brand and logo accounted for $40 million (0. 8%) of the company's net revenue in 2010.Mission statement for Harley Davidson is â€Å"To fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling, by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public and expanding line of motorcycles and b randed products and services in selected market segments†. For vision is Harley Davidson corporate conscience and it helps us to eliminate short term thinking, such as â€Å"cashing in† on the intense demand for our motorcycles by giving quantity precedence over quality to save a few dollars per unit. It also encourages every employee in our organization to be acutely aware of his or her role in satisfying our stakeholders. . THE IMPORTANT OF ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE 3. 1 THE BODY SHOP 3. 2. 1 Explicit knowledge – academic knowledge or ‘‘know-what’’ that is described in formal language, print or electronic media, often based on established work processes, use people-to-documents approach * Work Process – The worldwide employees of The Body Shop are creating a global brain of explicit knowledge to include cultural differences. Their repository of global ’’best practices’’ is founded on sharing and documenti ng knowledge. They approach business issues from an array of perspectives.No matter where in the world a problem occurs, there is ’’no one right answer’’ but many workable approaches. The Body Shop view knowledge objects as templates of core insights that can be used in any cultural environment * Learn – The Body Shop gives the employees on the job training and makes a trial and error. Senior will guide the others employees. From this, The Body Shop will meet goals and objectives set by organization. * Share knowledge – The Body Shop employees will extract knowledge from person, code, store and reuse as needed for customers by e-mail, electronic discussions or forums . 2. 2 Tacit knowledge – practical, action-oriented knowledge or ‘‘know-how’’ based on practice, acquired by personal experience, seldom expressed openly, often resembles intuition. * Evaluation – The Body Shop make an evaluation by encour aging overlapping teams to share interests and values. All employees submit a confidential evaluation of everyone with whom they have worked closely. Compensation is attached to the network of peer relationship and is directly tied to cooperation and sharing of knowledge. Employees are also evaluated on how ell they immerse themselves in various projects, work with different groups to meet priorities and meet clients’ needs. When there are enough close personal team contacts, it is possible to draw a truly multifaceted picture of an individual’s performance. * Teach – Every employee at The Body Shop have their own mentor. Mentor will guide them how to do work done well. Besides that, this company will have a internships to their employee. * Type of thinking – Their employee must have a creative, flexible, unchartered thinking. This because they always make a new product and they need satisfy their customer. . 2 HARLEY DAVIDSON 3. 3. 1 Explicit knowledge à ¢â‚¬â€œ academic knowledge or ‘‘know-what’’ that is described in formal language, print or electronic media, often based on established work processes, use people-to-documents approach * Share Knowledge – Harley Davidson created elaborate ways to codify, store and reuse explicit knowledge. Its ’’people-to-documents’’ approach extracts information from the person who developed it and makes it independent of its developer. All client sensitive information is removed and selected information is reused.Information is transformed into a proven, successful solution that can be used in the same or similar industry. * Relationships – Harley Davidson use a top-down approach. This makes their employee feel a good relationship between their top management. 3. 3. 2 Tacit knowledge – practical, action-oriented knowledge or ‘‘know-how’’ based on practice, acquired by personal experience, seldom ex pressed openly, often resembles intuition * Documentation – Harley Davidson used a common documentation method to facilitate lateral communication.Technicians write up ’’war stories’’ to teach each other how to diagnose and fix machines. Service reps access over 5,000 tips a month for a 5 percent saving on both parts and labor. Field service reps create and maintain the tacit knowledge base by contributing and renewing all the tips and information and maintaining the system. Each time reps contribute a tip, their name goes on the system. * Technology – Harley Davidson shares its explicit knowledge through Internet. This electronic system links to worldwide offices.Harley Davidson network connects more than 85 percent of its professionals through data, voice and video interlinks. Customers’ problems from anywhere in the worlds are posted on Harley Davidson electronic bulletin board. This request is followed up on with visual and data c ontacts that instantly self-organize around that specific problem. Centrally collected and carefully indexed subjects, customer references and resource files are accessed directly through Internet or from CD-ROMS distributed to all offices. Sets of possible solutions are created and sent to customers. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS 4. 1 THE BODY SHOP Body Shop International (Body Shop) is a multinational company which is mainly producing ecological skin and hair products. Their products are solely based on natural ingredients and manufactured according to an ethical code which is opposed to animal testing. The cosmetics franchise is considered to be one of the biggest around the globe with a well established reputation in 54 countries. L’Oreal, the dominant company in the beauty industry, acquired Body shop in 2006. Although Body Shop has become a subsidiary of L’Oreal S. A it still acts according to its own policy, values and ethical code.The acquisition has solved Body Shopâ€℠¢s financial problems and has provided the means for expansion to a bigger market share. 4. 1. 1 Strength for The Body Shop are: * Brand Loyalty – Body Shop is greatly dependent on its brand reputation which is a critical factor in sales. Due to its unique products, it has come out to be seen as one of the most environmentally friendly retailers. * L’Oreal’s support – By being a subsidiary of L’Oreal, Body Shop appears to have an increase in sales. Furthermore, L’Oreal’s experience in advertisement and marketing can boost overall sales. Niche marketing – Body Shop targets a niche market. By stating that it is not testing its products on animals and by appearing to have an ecological profile, it has appealed to customers with ethical issues. Being the only shop in the shopping centre that sells ecological products, has given it advantage in the local market. * Charity support – Body Shop provides financial aid in charitie s by giving small amount of money from particular products they sell. Body Shop’s support in local charities and non-profit organizations enhances its image in the local society. . 1. 2 Weakness for The Body Shop are: * Slow service – Body Shop’s location, inside a shopping centre where it is always crowded, in combination with the fact that there is inadequate personnel results in slow service for the customers. Customers may be discouraged and might prefer a retail outlet in a central location. * Political – Unstable political factors in the countries that supply the company with ingredients and the company doesn’t have the monopoly anymore * Consumer – The loss of trust from a part of the consumers 4. 1. Opportunities for The Body Shop are: * Product development – Body Shop can take advantage of L’Oreal’s experience in research methodology and efficiency in order to improve and develop their own existing products. Lâ €™Oreal’s takeover can bring financial and expertise or consulting support * The male grooming products – The increase in the usage of male grooming products indicates that there is a demand on this particular niche market. Therefore the supply of a wider range of products for men can increase overall sales. 4. 1. 4 Threat for The Body Shop are: Brands comparison – L’Oreal can prove to be harmful for Body Shop’s reputation. The public perception of Body Shop as ethical can be altered due to the fact that L’Oreal is considered to be unethical. * Competition – Body Shop can face competition in any country if a company that also produces natural based products e. g. LUSH, ELIANTO decides to open an outlet inside the shopping centre. * Legal – New legislation about animal testing can raise the competition in the so far monopolist market and difficulties in distribution because of the new legislation about chemical ingredients. . 2 HARLEY DAVIDSON * The Harley-Davidson Corporation has been dominating the motorcycle industry for many decades. Today, it continues to have a strong presence in the American market. Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company manufactures five families of motorcycles: Sportster  ®, Dyna Glide, Softail  ®, Touring and VRSC.Buell Motorcycles Company produces sport motorcycles, including four big-twin XB models, and the single-cylinder Buell Blast  ®. Buell also offers a line of motorcycles parts, accessories, apparel and general merchandise. 4. 2. 1 Strength for Harley Davidson are: * This year, Harley-Davidson celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Over the past century, the company has created a strong brand image and a loyal customer base. It maintains a close relationship with its customers through a vari ety of program, such as Hog Owners Group (H. O. G. , product offerings and events such as Daytona, motor shows, and rallies. In addition, Harley-Davidson has a strong financial position, excellent supply chain management, and a superior product line, which are enabled through creative engineering technology and design. Due to the decline in the market share to Japanese companies in the seventies, Harley-Davidson phased out its weak models, becoming more selective in targeting a specific customer segment and limiting sales and promotion. This strategy created a niche market for their bikes in which the company enjoys a strong position today. . 2. 2 Weakness for Harley Davidson are: * The Harley-Davidson company has several weaknesses. First, the company is in its maturity stage and, unless it manages to protect its position, it will be faced with the decline period again. Secondly, the company’s products are expensive, which limits them to a specific niche in the market and ma kes it difficult to grow their customer base. They also have a wait-list for certain products, which can create a substitute effect. Lastly, they are lacking a strong presence in Europe. 4. 2. 3 Opportunities for Harley Davidson are: There are various opportunities in the market for Harley-Davidson today, especially with the introduction of the new V-Rod motorcycle. The company has the innovator status advantage in the Performance Cruiser class market segment. They are expanding their partnerships with various European manufacturers, which should increase the presence of Harley-Davidson products in Europe. The corporation is well positioned to attract younger customers, and the company has plenty of room for growth due to the high demands for its products. 4. . 4 Threat for Harley Davidson are: * Harley-Davidson is facing rigorous competition from Japanese manufacturers, specifically Honda and Yamaha. Yamaha targets the low-end market by providing a variety of products at affordable costs. Yamaha’s core competencies are small engines, electronic control, and fiberglass reinforced plastic. Yamaha is currently focusing on increasing its global competitive position. Honda is one of Harley-Davidson’s strongest competitors and is responsible for one-third of all motorcycle sales in the U. S.It has a strong financial base and reliable products. It continues to improve the performance of its motorcycles by focusing on fuel efficiency and lower emissions. In addition, Honda is beginning to increase its performance in the market by introducing information technology tools through its dealerships. These tools help increase dealer performance and create a more positive experience for the customer. * Financial position – Harley Davidson currently holds a strong position in the market. However, it is in tight competition with Honda and Yamaha. . CONCLUSION * As a conclusion, SWOT analysis provides strategic insight on recommendations and opportunities for The Body Shop and Harley Davidson to map out a strategic plan. As an actionable management tool, the SWOT helps the both companies in on the right course of action to leverage the business's unique characteristics. By turning threats into strengths, and matching strengths with opportunities, they can make the most of their power in the current marketplace and maximize their chances of success.Other than that, both companies and environmental knowledge will benefit from the huge potential of knowledge management if they pursue the suggestions of how to integrate knowledge management aspects in their environmental information systems. A further winner, and may be the most important. Environment knowledge can help to further improve the effectiveness of their companies. Besides that, The Body Shop and Harley Davidson that recognize and use their employees’ steadily growing wealth of tacit and explicit knowledge to solve problems and achieve goals have a major competitive adv antage.However, both companies need to improve how they acquire and share tacit and explicit knowledge. 6. REFERENCE * http://www. thebodyshop. com * http://www. harley-davidson. com * http://www. e-referate. ro/referate/Harley_Davidson_-_SWOT_analysis2007-10-01. html * http://swottowsanalysis. blogspot. com/2011/08/tows-analysis-swot-analysis-body-shop. html * Text book: The Business Environment by Adrian Palmer & Bob Harley, Seventh Edition * Sir Mohamad Basari Bin Sapar 7. APPENDIX The Body Shop In 1985, in its first year as a public company, The Body Shop sponsor posters for Greenpeace. A year later, it creates an Environmental Projects Department of its own, while the first major window campaign for The Body Shop is â€Å"Save the Whale† with Greenpeace, in 1986. Harley Davidson * MARCH 17, 2003 Former racing director, Dick O’Brien, passed away. Dick O'Brien was arguably the most successful racing directors in Harley-Davidson history. Born in 1921, he worked as a mechanic and racer for the Puckett Motors Harley-Davidson in Florida.Hired by Harley-Davidson in 1957, he led the company's racing team to 16 Grand National Championships and 183 individual championships over the course of his career. In response to stiff competition from Japanese and British dirt and road bikes, O'Brien supervised the development of the XR-750. This innovative motorcycle went on to become the most successful dirt track motorcycle in AMA history. He also worked with Willie G. to develop the Sportster Streamliner, which set record-breaking speeds at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He retired in 1983 after 26 years with the company.

Character Analysis of Iago Essay

Imagine that you are an evil person. Do you have a reason for being evil? Is there always a logical motivation for villainous behavior? Most of us, even if we were to imagine ourselves as evil would probably also imagine a motivation for being so: a lust for power, greed for money, for revenge, or just anger about our painful or disappointing experiences. However, Shakespeare’s perennially favorite love-to-hate bad-guy, Iago, seems to defy simple interpretation when it comes to dramatic motive. In some ways, Iago’s behavior is so despicable it seems unlikely that any single motivation could be reasoned out from the play’s content that would adequately explain the causes of his villainy. He appears rather as what modern-day psychologists might call a sociopath, which is a person who demonstrates no acknowledgment of moral or ethical responsibility for their actions. Although a motive of sorts is ascribed in the play’s dialogue for Iago’s plot to undo Othello, the basis of revenge is slight. in fact, in order to make Iago a completely unsympathetic character, Shakespeare was careful not to ascribe any viable motive for his desiring revenge against Othello. If the audience perceived that Iago was truly â€Å"wronged, and has cause for vengeance, then he must certainly draw warm sympathy† and this would create a digression from the play’s theme of pride as a tragic flaw. (Rosenberg, 1961, p. 168) Also contrary to the idea that Othello gave Iago genuine provocation for revenge is the fact that Othello is consistently portrayed as virtuous, almost single-mindedly so. This fact is made clear by Iago’s own soliloquy when he reasons out that he is superior to the Moor because he is not susceptible to faith in goodness or virtue: â€Å"the Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so†; by contrasting himself with Othello, Iago makes it clear that he, himself, is not given to faith in men or their presumed virtues and he views Othello’s faith as a shortcoming: â€Å"the remark is not a compliment but a contemptuous acknowledgment of Othello’s naivete and foolishness. (Sadowski, 2003, p. 171) Despite Iago’s intentionally devised unsympathetic character, the complexity of Iago is adequate enough to create more than a simple cardboard villain. Though his motives for revenge against Othello may be slight or even ambiguous, the complete realization of Iago as a believable, multifaceted individual is accomplished by Shakespeare in brilliant fashion. An actor playing Iago would have to be careful not to personify Iago as a demonic or outright malicious person, but as a more cleverly masked and complicated person. Instead of acting like a â€Å"thug† or a typical evil-doer, Iago would be more effectively portrayed as a sociopath who is familiar with social mores and laws and moral codes, and in fact uses them to attain his self-interests, but has absolutely no sense of personal ethics or morality whatsoever. If an actor â€Å"tried to portray him purely as a symbol of evil[†¦ ] he would have had to ignore parts of Shakespeare’s complex characterization† because Iago is more than a cardboard villain, he represents Shakespeare’s exploration of a criminally insane personality, a person who is â€Å"all the more sinister for choosing evil rather than simply representing it. Arguably, some of his motives remain unstated, offshoots of a warped and paranoid nature seething with jealousy and envy. † (Hall, 1999, p. 72). Arguing that Iago has chosen to become malicious and evil may sound strange at first, but even the opening of the playsuggests that iago is himself aware of his own dual nature: one side which preceives and udnerstands the laws and moral parameters of the world, what is right and wrong, and another side which is wilfully evil and out to serve only self-interest and revenge. Iago says of himself :†I am not what I am. † This points to a psychologically unstable condition, but a self-aware condition. In this way it is possible to see â€Å"Honest Iago and Villainous Iago are obverse and reverse of the same coin. On the one side, the pure gold of human concern: ‘Sblood, but you’ll not hear me. If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. (1. 1. 4) (Calderwood, 1989, p. 94) Despite Iago’s complexities of character and the viability of viewing his character as a manifestation of a sociopath , another, less complimentary interpretation for Shakespeare’s complex villain is possible: that Iago functions as â€Å"not much more than a necessary piece of dramatic mechanism;† however, this â€Å"provocative judgment runs counter to most people’s impressions of Iago as a fascinating, multifaceted study in evil. (Hall, 1999, p. 71) That said, it is still a viable criticism of the play that Iago’s multifaceted evil is so dynamic and so all-ecompassing as to go beyond the purely psychological character study nad into actual plot-resolution technical trickery which Shakespeare found necessary to give his play movement and dramatic action. This is a fascinating interpretation, but it seems unlikely in the final analysis because Iago is immediately â€Å"recognizable† to audiences, as though he is somebody we all already know. In fact, he does represent an aspect of ourselves that we all do know and know well, which is the side of us which bases its motives on self-interest and has no feeling for moral obligation or ethical restraint. of course this â€Å"dark side† exists in all of us and must be mastered; when we fail to master our dark side we are sometimes called villains, sometimes â€Å"sociopaths. † Shakespeare’s great genius in the creation of Iago was to produce a character whose immersion in the â€Å"dark side’ was so deep as to create great tragedy, but so realistically rendered that it was universally recognizable as a constant aspect of and threat to human social order. References Calderwood, J. L. (1989). The Properties of Othello. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Hall, J. L. (1999). Othello A Guide to the Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Rosenberg, M. (1961). The Masks of Othello The Search for the Identity of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona by Three Centuries of Actors and Critics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Sadowski, P. (2003). Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare’s Mature Tragedies. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press.