A sociological perspective essays

A sociological perspective essays When a disaster befalls a society, inevitably the event becomes charged with emotional consequences of how one, or a community deals with the devesation of the situation. Behind the conseqences are reasonings that are able to justify the outcome of the event and gives it cause, context, content, and meaning. Disasters that occur within a cultural atmosphere can be classified into subsections: that of natural disaster, and of man made disaster; both posing as different problems, but resulting with the same degree of traumatic impressions left within a communitity. No one can calculate when these catastrophies will strike or when they are scheduled on the calendar, both forms of disaster are unpredictable and are able to catch civilizations completely off gaurd. They counteract the harmony and disturb the flow of societies, uprooting any means of establishment and community. In this paper I will asses a comparason between two major disasters in United States history. The disaster in 1976 at Buffalo Creek, in West Virginia, and a more well known disaster: The World Trade Center Bombing on September 11th, 2002. I will examin how two events, staged in completely different settings and with different stories, result in similar impacts within the cultures, harping on the negative consequences that scarred the lives of people who lived within these two seperate communities. It will examin these two traumas, one from the big city of New York, the ther from a little town in West Virginia, for the similiar insights they provide about the role that culture plays in the shaping of the experience of collective trauma, and the facilitation of recovery from these unexpected ruptures in social life In Buffalo Creek, Kai Erikson travells to this small area to investigate the sociological impact of the disasterous flood that took place in 1976. Erikson deals with the question of what happens to a community when it is faced with the conse...

Diversity in Toons essays

Diversity in Toons essays In comparing children's programs for their use of cultural diversity I watched several segments of Rugrats, Winnie the Pooh, and Out of the Box. The animated programs, Rugrats and Winnie the Pooh, dealt with diversity in much the same way. Out of the Box, however, was put together on a different level. The Rugrats is a delightful cartoon about a group of adventurous babies that are always getting into one thing or the other. The baby's personalities are all quite different and ones weakness is offset by another ones strengths. Tommy, a very intelligent, articulate, courageous, and compassionate one year old is the leader of the group. His best friend Chuckie is a neurotic two-year-old who is afraid of his own shadow! Phil and Lil, the twins from next door, look alike, think alike, and would follow Tommy Pickles to the ends of the earth. They love the adventures, the messier and scarier the better! They are the lovers of mud-pies, bugs, and moldy things. Tommy's older cousin, Angelica, rounds out the group as the spoiled rotten princess who bullies the babies and manipulates the adults. Angelica has one friend, other than the babies, a black girl her age named Susie who she is always in competition with. The adults in the show represent even more diverse groups. Tommy's Dad, Stu, is an absent-minded toy inventor who loves his son dearly but tends to let his preoccupation with his inventions rule his world. His wife, Didi, is your classic, practical, overprotective mother that is on a quest to be the world's most perfect mother. She, however, is completely unaware of just how much Tommy knows and understands. Tommy's Uncle Drew is a boring investment banker that dotes on Angelica and seriously believes that she is an angel. Aunt Charlotte, on the other hand, is the professional corporate type workaholic and assuages her guilt by lavishing Angelica with undeserved gifts. Betty Deville, Didi's best friend and the twin's mother, is a lou...

Demand, supply, and equilibrium Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Demand, supply, and equilibrium - Term Paper Example The amount of a product that people in a market are willing to buy is known as the demanded quantity. The existing relationship between quantity demanded and price is known as the demand relationship. The factor of supply indicates the quantity of a product or a service that can be offered by the market. The quantity supplied is the amount of any good or service that the producers are able to supply in return of a certain price. The factor of price is a reflection of the demand and supply in the market. The supply and demand relationship underlines the key decisions regarding the allocation of resources in a market. In the theories of market economy, the demand and supply theory is used to allocate the available resources in the best possible manner. The demand for a product is the representation of how much the buyers are willing to buy at different prices. Thus, demand can be defined as the existing relationship between quantity and prices while maintaining all other relevant factors as constant. The law of demand states that the higher the price of the goods, lesser would be the demand for the goods, if the other relevant factors are kept constant (Gomes, King and Stonecash 215). This means that a higher price would incur a lower demand. According to the law of demand, the factors of quantity demanded and price are inversely proportional. Therefore, a lower price would mean a higher quantity demanded. The market demand represents the total of the demands of all the individual buyers in a market. Since at a higher price, both the price and the opportunity cost of the purchase of the goods and services increase, therefore the amount purchased by buyers at high prices is lesser. People generally try to avoid buying any product o r service that will make them forgo the purchase and consumption of a product more important to them. Thus, a high opportunity cost often leads to a decrease in

Survey of European Firms. Financial Management Essay

Survey of European Firms. Financial Management - Essay Example Survey of European Firms. Financial Management They go on to elaborate that they two strategies are very connected to each other, thus insinuating that one could not be affected by investors reactions without the other being affected also. There is some evidence to support the fact that profits have nothing to do with investor over (or under) reaction. In light of the massive amounts of evidence that speaks otherwise, I find myself unconvinced that a market that lives a breathes because of the activity of the investors will be unaffected by their whims. Oumar and Kodjovi (2003) find that there is most certainly a parallel between the stocks that do well and the state of mind possessed by those buying them. They say that someone who has been a recent loser in the stock market will tend to be a bit cautious until they find a new hot investment. Once they come across something that looks promising they will, because of a sense of inflated optimism and hope, buy more than they normally would. Someone who has been a consistent winner, on the other hand, will typically encourage within himself to grow a particular sense of apprehension and reserve. What are the end results of these two separate mentalities trading together o n the market floor A bit of a confusing result to say the least. The market will reflect the optimism and pervasiveness of the investor who knows that he will bounce back. It will also reflect the introverted spending habits of someone who knows that the next big financial disaster is just around the corner. There is another investor whose ability to react rationally and stably (or lack thereof) affects the profits of a stock. This is the investor who has too much money and not enough sense to put it anywhere wisely. He will buy everything one day and sell it all the next for no apparent reason. Playing for market, for a person like this, is just another form of gambling. I will grant that this breed of investor comes few and far between, thankfully, but they are still out there trading with enough force and determination to effect the profits of others. Works Cited Conrad, J. & Kaul, G. (1993) Long-Term Market Overreaction or Biases in Computed Returns American Finance Association: Journal of Finance 48. 39-63 Kodjovi, A. & Oumar, S. (2003) Profitability of the Short-Run Contrarian Strategy in Canadian Stock Markets. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences Lusua, J. & Norden, L. (2005) Momentum and Contrarian Strategies at the Swedish Stock Market. Independent Academic Paper Question 2 Hackbarth, Hennessy, and Leland (2004) noted that the financial institutions in the United States share many consistencies when it comes to the regularities in their capital structure. Graham and Harvey (2001) not only agree with this observation but they further state that one of the large consistencies, or observed regularities, between modern United States corporations is their established predisposition towards a trade-off model as they feel it lends them a certain financial advantage, or an economical prepotency. Bancell and Mittoo (2004) believe that the observed regularities between companies are not so much a result of companies observing each other, but rather that the legal system has set up certain business models to be more

Liam and Irene live at 8 MacDuff Lane, Elgin. They have two children, Case Study

Liam and Irene live at 8 MacDuff Lane, Elgin. They have two children, Stuart and Tracy, aged 8 and 4 years respectivel - Case Study Example This is because the couple will be required to cater for the monthly mortgage fee and insurance premium before the new owners move in. Consequently, the computations below illustrated the actual amount each of the three offers will generate. Consequently, the analysis above reveals that the third offer is most preferable for the couple due to its potential of maximizing the untaxed capital gain they will accumulate (King & Carey, 2014). This implies that the couple should consider selling their house to the third buyer at the price of  £195,000. Even though the offer will cost the couple a higher maintenance, the strategy will allow a realization of a higher net value of the house. The optimal decision that Liam should undertake on the 1,000 shares he inherited from his father is to sell them at the current lower price. This is because the strategy will allow Liam to avoid capital gain tax from the sale of the inherited shares. Shares that are inherited use the market value price at the day they were inherited if they were inherited after 31st of March 1932 by the new owner (Mclaughlin, 2013). Owing to the recent sharp decline of the distillery shares, the current price is likely to be lower than the market value of the shares at the day of their inheritance. Thus, Liam will avoid paying lump sum tax amount by selling the shares at their current prices instead of keeping them in future that might attract tax (Spencer, 2013). In addition, selling the shares currently will allow Liam to claim for capital loss in his tax return. This is because the net amount that will be realized from the sale of the shares will be lower than the market value of the shares at th e day of their inheritance. Even though the price of the shares will be lower than the market value under consideration, the value of the shares has the potential of been higher to that of the original price his father acquired the shares.

Analysing the communication process in McDonalds

Analysing the communication process in McDonalds I have made a document and analyze the communication process in one of the worlds successful and largest fast food chain, towards the achievement of business goal. I have chosen the organization is McDonalds situated in Manurewa. Primary data was collected by interviewing the Branch Manager, he is my relative. After the primary research, all the relevant findings were analyzed and evaluated based on the communication theories learned from secondary sources through our textbook, lecturer handouts, online resources and the organizations information resources. The research draws attention to the importance of these findings on how effective, efficient, accurate and up-to-date these communication processes that shoe great impact on the three levels of communication in the main team namely: Team Communication Interpersonal Communication Organization Communication Findings showed some communication barriers on each level that hinder the affectivity and efficiency of the communication processes towards the achievement of their Team goals affecting the organizational goals is well. Though some of the problems were being acted upon promptly, some were not; therefore, I came up with some suggestions that may be helpful to the subject organization towards the achievement of their business goals. 1. Introduction McDonalds is the one of the leading restaurant chains in the world, touching the lives of people every day. They improved their quality of products and services with the time. In the past McDonalds does not have drive through and 24 hour services. All of them are open for late nights. McDonalds primarily sells hamburgers, cheese burgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milk shakes, and deserts. 2. Interpersonal communication Interpersonal communication is communication between two people. Some books like to refer to it as face-to-face communication, or communication when people are physically present with each other. In the interpersonal communication, we research on communication between the manager and staff members and also research the communication between customers and staff. 2.1 Communication between managers and staff members When we research on McDonalds, it was found that all the restaurant employees are from different countries with different backgrounds. Employees are well educated and experienced. However, there are some drawbacks in the communication between managers and the staff members. This drawback is a language barrier. Because most of the employees have come from different countries, they speak different languages from each other. The meetings conducted at McDonalds involve managers and employees communicating to find out the problems being faced at the department. 2.2 Communication between staff members and customers In this McDonald, mostly women are in the front and attend the new customers. The woman who is attending customer is very friendly and has good communication. All staff members are trained well before to communicate effectively. To communicate well, it is necessary to talk politely and use gestures to convey meaning. The crew members give customer satisfaction through good customer service 2.3 Communication barriers There are some barriers in communication between employees and the manager:- ROLES: Roles are always defined in relationship to someone else and they determine the way you communicate with the other person. In any organisation, information flow depends on good relations of employees. Sometimes employees hide mistakes from manager because of personal relationship then it becomes a barrier in information flow. STATUS: Status become a barrier in motivation .Some of employees doesnt talk with other because of their status. New employees try to avoid communicate with the manager because of his status. POWER: Power becomes barrier in motivation and control. An organisation uses communication to motivate the employees. When we communicate, there is often some element of power or control being exercised by one person or the other, or by both. If power is too much used then the communication is frustrating. MIXED MESSAGES: It becomes a barrier in communication when non verbal communication not matches with verbal message. 3 Organisation communication In the interview with the manager we asked some general questions about the Mc Donald have to gain some knowledge about the Organisation with in the Mc Donalds. Organisation communication is divided into two major parts which is as follow:- †¢ Internal organisation communication †¢ External organisation communication 3.1 Internal organisation communication:- 3.1.1. Organisation goals:- Basic goal of McDonalds on the basis of yearly and they mainly consider about the customer service. It also includes the waste of the McDonalds. They also want to give the customer fast service they want to decrease their waste as much they can so. The few goals of McDonalds are as follows †¢ CSO (Customer satisfaction objective)-100 %( McDonalds main goal is to give customer full satisfaction) †¢ KVS (kitchen video system)-35% this is the time taken to make burgers and other fast food products in the kitchen area after every order and its normally 35 seconds. †¢ Labor-26% McDonalds want to save the labour up to 26% as they had given last year. †¢ Refunds- below 0.10 %( company wants to give less refund to the customer to earn more profit 3.1.2. Information flow within the organisation- In the organisation information flows from higher level to lower level as every information for instance a launch of new product or changing of rules firstly comes to restaurant manager and after that he pass on the information to the middle level manager or we can call them as shift manager and the shift manager pass on the information to the crew members by a team meeting or putting the information on the crew room so that everybody can read that information. And especially when a new product is launching They create a group training team and they trained them how to make new product and Kinds of precautions they have to consider while making those particular product 3.1.3. Organisation culture within the organisation:- In this organisation employees are from different communities. And mainly in this organisation islanders and Indians are working with very few of kiwi staff. The restaurant manager is kiwi and almost all the other middle level managers are islanders and including one manager belongs to china. And in this organisation everybody works without any racism and they are very comfortable with each other. The organisation climate of the McDonalds is very good because everybody communicates in professional way and they can understand each other way of communication very well. 3.2 External organisation communication:- 3.2.1 Dealing with customers:- This is the continuous part of the communication in the McDonalds and which is to be used 24 hours to serve the customer. And it is used to handle the problems of customers as well. In the McDonalds there is a specific pattern to deal with the customers which is described by the manager of McDonalds. In this part of communication is used to deal with every customer and this pattern is written is also written in every order taking register and this pattern is divided into part and those are as follows:- 1) First smile and greet to customer. 2) Take the order correctly by repeating the order to the customer 3) At last say enjoy your meal and good bye. 3.2.2. Communication with stakeholders:- In this organisation mainly restaurant manager and senior assistant manager communicate with the stakeholders and the organisation like McDonalds plays a vital role in communication with the stakeholders because they have to always to be ready to give the customer a better service and not to get a stock out of anything which is used within the organisation. 3.3 Communication barrier in organisation communication- 3.3.1 Barrier in internal organisation- Within the organisation there is communication barrier when in busy time of restaurant if crew and manager do not communicate with each other they cannot give better service to the customers and sometime it happens in heaps of busy time because everybody is busy in doing their task as faster as they can. So to get rid of it managers take the help of the other crew and manager which is available at that time to do a proper communication within the staff. 3.3.2. Barrier in external organisation- There is barrier which is occurs by the customers and stakeholders mainly because of there is sometime misunderstanding 3.3.2.1 Linguistic barrier- Along with this there is some linguistic barrier in the communication. as some of the employees which are from other countries they cannot speak as much good English to communicate and sometime it become barrier in communication in the organisation. 4 Team Communication 4.1. Team Goals Team goals are very simple make a plan and then follow it. In McDonalds teams are trained well to follow the pattern. Leader of the team asks the team to execute a plan and the whole team follows the plan. 4.2.Team Roles In a team each member has a role to fulfill the needs of the team. In McDonalds there is a branch manager, team leader or shift manager. Now there are three counters to serve the customers. On counter 1 there are three members working, on counter 2 there are two members and team leader working and on counter 3 again three members are working. Now cleaning team is there to do the cleanings and also to help the members of the team if anyone requires help and it consists of two members. So the information flow is from the both sides that are downward to upward and also upward to downward. Branch Manager Team Leader Counter Team 1 Counter Team 2 Counter Team 3 Cleaning Team 4.3.Branch Manager Now role of the branch manager is to give the order to the team leader and then team leader will give that order to the team and if there is any kind of problem to the member of the team he or she will let the team leader know and the team leader will let the manager know. So this way the information flows in a team that is both upward and downward. 4.4.Team Member The role of the team member is to contribute towards the goal of the organization. They just need to follow the orders and if they have any suggestions they can give it in the meetings organized by the team leader or by the head manager. 5.CONCLUSIONS 5.1. Interpersonal communication 5.1.1. Communication between manager and staff members According to the findings, we came up with the conclusion that due to the different background and culture of the stay members and managers, language becomes a barrier as far as communication is concerned. Because most employees are from different culture and they are new in this work might hesitate to talk to the manager about their problems. In the meetings, employees are always asked by the managers are they satisfied with their jobs and with the environment of Mc Donalds, which will ultimately motivate them to satisfy the needs of their customers as well. Indian and Chinese staff member hesitates a lot because English is not there first language. 5.1.1.1. Language barrier: Language becomes a barrier between manager and staff members because of employees are from different countries and hesitate when communicate with manager. 5.1.2. Communication between customers and staff members We find that the level of satisfaction depends on the quality of service a customer receives. In this restaurant, both men and women deal with the customers because they are trained well before they join the staff. While dealing with different customers of different background they have to communicate accurately to satisfy the customers needs. In this family restaurant every staff member communicates well with the customers to fulfil the customers needs. They speak well in English. 5.2. Organisation communication After going through all the aspects of McDonalds organisation communication we come to conclusion that both the internal and external communication of McDonalds is very necessary to run the business and earn profit. Without the proper communication, organisation cannot achieve the goals. In the McDonalds Manurewa, the staff got good communication skills and they are doing well in their business by communicating very well professionally in internal organisation as well as external organisation. 5.3 Internal organisation communication- In nutshell the McDonalds main aim is to earn profit and give the customer better service and for that they are achieving their aim by targeting this point of view. McDonalds Manurewa is very multicultural organisation so the employees enjoy each other occasion very happily. And along with this all the important information in this organisation flows from top to bottom level. 5.4 External organisation communication- In McDonalds external communication is mainly with the customers and stakeholders. And this communication is done by both the crew and managers .The dealing with customers is done by both the managers and crew but the communication with the stakeholders mainly done by managers of McDonalds. And on other side a better communication skills in the staff leads to profit of the organisation as if they can communicate well to the customers and as well as in the organisation they can achieve their goals easily. Now in McDonalds different ages, cultures and nationalities are working there together. So everybody is looking to give his idea which is good that shows there commitment towards the work but they all have different thinkings. So problems occurs in between the crew members just because they think that there idea is good but still not followed by the other members or by the group. 6. RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1. Interpersonal communication 6.1.1. Communication between customers and staff members Communication between staff member and customers is main part there. In this restaurant mostly women attend the customers. The staff is well trained and experienced. If the staff members are happy with their work environment, they can serve the customers better. Managers should also encourage members to deal with the customers to avoid any gender bias. 6.1.2 Create a positive climate The communication become better by creating a positive climate (Joan, 2001).The employees try to understand the roles of communication and working for win-win outcomes. They also enhance their communication by self disclosure. The employees should try to understand needs of the customers. Therefore, McDonalds good customer service is generated through employee satisfaction and a healthy work environment. Employees also try to learn more from old employees. 6.1.3. Communication between managers and staff members Communication between managers and staff members can be better if the meetings are held at least once a week in the organization. The managers should ask the staff members questions about their culture and background to get to know them better and to understand their behaviour, so their work environment could be set up according to their preference and comfort. Managers should also try to talk to the staff members as much as possible. 6.1.4. Making contacts Manager and employees try to make contacts with each other. We all need to be treated with respect and inclusion. These are basic human needs. Manager tries to give help to new employees who do not know about the work plan of the McDonald. New employees should make contacts with the experienced employees. Manager can help the employees who are best in communication but hesitate when they are speaking. 6.2. Organisation communication Organisation communication is vast area where everyone has to be including to targeting the aim and achieving that aim. In the organisation communication the important aspect is the organisation goals and the goals can only be achieved if the staff understand it and communicate about the goal by each other. In the organisation every individual employee has to contribute to the main organisation goal. Manger should do proper meeting with crew members to overcome communication gap in the organisation. They must take opinions of crew before implementing a new rule in the organisation so they can work as a team all the crew members must speak English with each other apart from any other languages. 6.2.1 Team communication 6.2.1.1 Conflict in Group If groups are to function well, there needs to be some conflict, because the value of group is that they bring people with diverse skills and ideas together. There, conflict is inevitable and necessary. If there is too much conflict, a group will cease to function, whereas too little conflict can lead to groupthink. Now in McDonalds a team needs to have a proper conflict shows in the diagram. If they discuss more than there is a problem and if they discuss less than there is a problem. If the team performance is not good enough then there will be a problem in Synergy. So they need to have proper to the point discussions rather than too short and to bigger meetings or discussions. 6.2.1.2 Group Dynamics Communication in a group is infinitely more complex than communication between two people. See Figure below. When two people communicate, there are two possible interactions. A B B A Now in McDonalds teams split in to four parts that is counter 1, counter 2, counter 3 and the cleaning team. On the bases of counter one there are three members that is A, B and C. Now A talks with B and B talks with C but there is no communication between A and C. If C does not talk with A then there is no interaction between team member A and C. They need to interact with each other to maintain a proper communication inside a group. If they interact with each they will automatically follow the group dynamics and the outcome will be good or improved.

Human Resource Management Essay -- Organizational Development, Trainin

Organisations around the world have for years invested a great deal of their resources on employee training and development. Training and developing employees means impacting them with relevant knowledge and skills so as to use the same to propel organisational performance. This is done in order to make their work more efficient and be able to adapt to upcoming trends or be able to multitask. Training is mostly for a specific job or task and it is short term while development is long term and it encompasses general operations. Training on the other hand is technical unlike development which is more theoretical. Many profit making organisations have their end goal being increased productivity translating to increased profitability. Bearing this in mind and the immense benefits that accrue organisations, many are still reluctant to invest in this endeavour (Gratton 2007). This paper will look into benefits of training and developments to firms and employees and delve to explain why som e organisations and individuals are reluctant to invest in training. Benefits of training and development of employees As mentioned earlier training and development of employees has numerous benefits to both a firm and its employees. One of the key benefits is that it results in higher productivity thereby increased profitability. Employees’ morale is improved which makes them identify more with the profit path and the specific goals of a business. Due to improved performance the firm creates a positive image in the process (Boxall & Purcell 2007). This in turn offers it a competitive edge over its rivals thereby being able to acquire a sustainable market leadership position. In the course of training employees, better relationships are created betw... ... that it requires huge capital outlay and stakeholders are quite sceptical of such expenditures but in the long run it goes a long way in assisting an organisation to succeed in the increasingly competitive business arena. Firms looking into extensive growth and market presence that is sustainable cannot achieve this unless their workforce is ready for the challenge. This readiness on the other hand is facilitated by organisations enrolling their employees for training. Employees after training become more productive and organisations benefit a great deal as argued in the paper. The onus is therefore left for the management to embrace the right policies for their firms. Training and development is one that will see an organisation sustain its production and service delivery initiatives through increased productivity, quality assurance and increased profitability. Human Resource Management Essay -- Organizational Development, Trainin Organisations around the world have for years invested a great deal of their resources on employee training and development. Training and developing employees means impacting them with relevant knowledge and skills so as to use the same to propel organisational performance. This is done in order to make their work more efficient and be able to adapt to upcoming trends or be able to multitask. Training is mostly for a specific job or task and it is short term while development is long term and it encompasses general operations. Training on the other hand is technical unlike development which is more theoretical. Many profit making organisations have their end goal being increased productivity translating to increased profitability. Bearing this in mind and the immense benefits that accrue organisations, many are still reluctant to invest in this endeavour (Gratton 2007). This paper will look into benefits of training and developments to firms and employees and delve to explain why som e organisations and individuals are reluctant to invest in training. Benefits of training and development of employees As mentioned earlier training and development of employees has numerous benefits to both a firm and its employees. One of the key benefits is that it results in higher productivity thereby increased profitability. Employees’ morale is improved which makes them identify more with the profit path and the specific goals of a business. Due to improved performance the firm creates a positive image in the process (Boxall & Purcell 2007). This in turn offers it a competitive edge over its rivals thereby being able to acquire a sustainable market leadership position. In the course of training employees, better relationships are created betw... ... that it requires huge capital outlay and stakeholders are quite sceptical of such expenditures but in the long run it goes a long way in assisting an organisation to succeed in the increasingly competitive business arena. Firms looking into extensive growth and market presence that is sustainable cannot achieve this unless their workforce is ready for the challenge. This readiness on the other hand is facilitated by organisations enrolling their employees for training. Employees after training become more productive and organisations benefit a great deal as argued in the paper. The onus is therefore left for the management to embrace the right policies for their firms. Training and development is one that will see an organisation sustain its production and service delivery initiatives through increased productivity, quality assurance and increased profitability.

Lab Questions – Business

Money is a medium of exchange representing something's worth, usually through coins or banknotes. 2. How did religious views influence money-lending In early Italy? When did money lending become acceptable? Many religions frowned upon money lending. Italy contained many Christians and Jews and their biggest question was whether money lending was worth living eternally In hell. The practice of lending money only became acceptable when the Meddle family rose around the asses. 3. How did the Medici get around the usury laws?The Medici got around the usury laws by changing how people studied God, and by buying the ruling of the pope, since the pope could do no wrong, this made them exempt from Illegal money lending. 4. How did the bond market develop? The bond market Is a financial market where new debts are Issued; It Is used to support the expenditures of the public and government. 5. What Invention did the Dutch have that influenced the stock market? The Dutch invented the stock excha nge in Amsterdam, which acted as the first stock market in the world. Their first traded stock was for the East India company, and the idea blossom soon after that. What was the first joint-stock company? What determined the stock prices? A joint-stock company is a business entity that is owned by shareholders. The first joint-stock company was the Company of Merchant Adventurers to New Lands in 1553. Their stock prices were determined by how many shareholders their were. 1 . What is money? Coins or banknotes. 2. How did religious views influence money-lending in early Italy? Whether money lending was worth living eternally in hell. The practice of lending money only became acceptable when the Medici family rose around the asses. Exempt from illegal money lending. 4. How did the bond market develop? The bond market is a financial market where new debts are Issued; It Is used to support the expenditures of the public and government. 5. What Invention did the Dutch have that influence d the stock market? The Dutch Invented the stock exchange In Amsterdam, which acted as the first stock market In the world. Their first traded stock was for the East India company, and the Idea blossom soon after that. 6. What was the first Joint-stock company? What determined the stock prices?A Joint-stock many Is a business entity that Is owned by shareholders. The first Joint-stock company was the Company of Merchant Adventurers to New Lands In 1553. Their stock prices were determined by how many shareholders their were. Lab Questions – Business By architects 1 . What is money? Money is a medium of exchange representing something worth, usually through The bond market is a financial market where new debts are issued; it is used to support the expenditures of the public and government. 5. What invention did the company is a business entity that is owned by shareholders.

Freelance Writing 101

Freelance Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 By Guest Author Do you want to make a living as a writer? Perhaps its a dream youve always dismissed as impossible, and youve got a sensible day job, or a busy family life. But youve never given up your love of words. Ill let you into a secret. You can make your writing pay. I do, and so do lots of the people I know. Forget what youve heard about ridiculously low rates – it is still possible to make a professional rate from your freelancing. Heres how. Step 1: Pick Your Speciality When I started out freelancing, I offered everything from website creation to editing and proofreading. This only ended up confusing me and my clients, and often meant I worked on jobs which didnt really interest me. Nowadays, I focus almost exclusively on writing for blogs, and do the occasional magazine piece. Dont be tempted to offer every words-related service under the sun. It wont get you more clients. Think of it this way: if you were hiring a designer to create your business cards, would you go for the guy who does everything from website design to logos to billboards – or would you pick the guy who just does business cards? One quick word of advice: its far easier to make money from non-fiction than from fiction writing. By all means keep up with your fiction on the side (I know I do!) but dont rely on it to pay the rent. Some broad areas where you could position yourself are: Feature writing for magazines and newspapers Writing articles for websites and blogs Technical writing Copywriting (promotional or sales focused writing) Ghostwriting Writing resumes Of course, within many of these areas, you could drill down even further, particularly as you become more established as a freelancer. Step 2: Get Some Clips and Testimonials Freelance photographers and designers have portfolios. Freelancer writers have clips or samples – examples of your writing which clients can look at when theyre deciding whether or not to hire you. Obviously, youll want to make sure that your clips show your very best writing. You might feel like this is a Catch-22 situation: you need clips to get hired, but if youve never been hired, how can you have any professional pieces of writing to show off? Theres an easy answer: you produce some pieces of writing for free. You could simply write a few samples which will never see publication except on your business website (more on that in a moment), but you could use this as an opportunity to get publication credits by: Doing pro bono (free) work for a charity or non-profit organisation Guest posting for a large blog Writing for your local newspaper or a free magazine Honing a resume for your friend Where possible, stick with the area youre specialising in: clients looking for a copywriter may be surprised if all your samples are book reviews, for instance. As well as getting clips, youll want some testimonials. Usually, all you need to do is ask! Assuming that the people youve done free work for were happy with the results, theyll often be delighted to give you a testimonial. Never make up testimonials. Its unethical, it would be hugely damaging if anyone found out, and real testimonials always sound more convincing, too. Dont be afraid to use testimonials which include some doubts or negativity (e.g. I wasnt sure what to expect from Joe Writer because Id not seen any of his work before but I was delighted with the finished piece.) These are likely to be reassuring to prospective clients, who may well have the same doubts. Step 3: Setting Up In Business The process for setting up as a self-employed writer differs from country to country. Check out whats required in your own country, and make sure you file any relevant paperwork. Dont put this off indefinitely because you think its going to be a lot of hassle – in many cases, you can do it all online. If you dont have a PayPal account, Id strongly recommend setting one up. This is particularly crucial if youre going to be working for online clients (such as blog editors or website owners), most of whom will want to pay via PayPal. Its also extremely useful if youre going to be paid in foreign currency, as PayPal handles the converting. Depending on your specialisation and the market youre targeting, you may also want: Business cards and letter headed paper Software packages (e.g. Microsoft Office, invoicing software) A fax machine and a business telephone line Dont be tempted to go out and buy a ton of home office equipment right at the start of your freelancing journey – especially if you have yet to make any money. You may well want to upgrade your computer or your broadband connection, or you may want a new desk and chair once you start freelancing full-time, but if your writing is currently confined to a few hours at the weekend, you dont need to go out and spend lots of money yet. Your Website One real essential is your website. Its so easy and cheap to set a website up nowadays that clients will be surprised if you dont have one. Plus, theres no easier way to showcase your writing clips and testimonials: your website can be accessed from anywhere in the world, at any time. Absolute essentials for your website are: Have your own domain name. This could be your own name (yourname.com) or your company name. Id recommend going for the latter, especially if you might ever want to sell your business. Dont look amateur. Ideally, youd want to pay for a custom website design – but if youre starting out on a shoestring, use WordPress and look for a template which you like. Many are free, some cost just a few dollars. Check and proof-read your site. Missing links and typos look sloppy. Youre a writer, so make sure your website itself is a great example of your writing. Make it very easy to contact you. Some clients like to use a contact form, others prefer to email directly – offer both options. Unless you have strong reasons not to, give a phone number as well. Step 4: Learn All You Can Ive put this step now because its easy to get bogged down in learning about writing and business, without actually taking any action. Its definitely important to keep improving your skills – but not to the exclusion of actually using those skills. Plus, I know from experience how easy it is to buy books, courses and training materials and leave them gathering dust on the shelf. There are loads of great resources out there for new freelancer writers, so browse around and get friends recommendations so that youve got a good idea of what will work for you. There are two broad areas where youll want to keep learning: Your Writing Simply writing regularly, and polishing your work to professional standards, will teach you a lot – but you can accelerate your progress by making a conscious effort to learn. This might mean: Make sure youve mastered the basics. If your grasp of grammar is shaky, get a good basic book and take your time over studying. This may be a bit dull, but it is important. Following top writing-related blogs: Daily Writing Tips of course, but there are many other great ones like Copyblogger and Men with Pens. Read examples from great writers in your field. For example, if youre a copywriter, look out for pieces of brilliant sales writing. Keep a swipe file of your favourites – study them, figure out what theyre doing. Ask a fellow writer for feedback. If youre struggling with a particular piece, a second pair of eyes can often help you spot problems or flaws. Your Business Some people are brilliant writers – but terrible at doing business. They may end up failing due to a lack of marketing, an inability to meet deadlines, or an awful grasp on cash-flow. To get your head around business matters: Schedule regular time for admin. Youll need to contact prospective clients, send invoices, keep detailed records for tax purposes, and so on. Stay as organised as possible. Write deadlines onto a calendar, and plan ahead. Know how much time you have available in any given week. File all papers relating to one job in the same place, so that you can find them again when necessary. If the idea of marketing and self-promotion terrifies you, then start small. Use a blog and Twitter to gather a following online. Encourage customers to recommend you to friends (perhaps providing an incentive). Read freelancing and small business blogs: Freelance Switch, Freelance Folder and IttyBiz are three great ones. Good luck with your freelance writing journey – and dont forget to have lots of fun along the way! About the Author: Ali Hale is a freelance blogger, and author of The Bloggers Guide to Effective Writing – an ebook which covers everything you need to know about writing brilliant blog posts. Check Out Other Articles from The Writing 101 Series: The Writing Process Creative Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About Numbers30 Baseball IdiomsHow Do You Pronounce "Mozart"?

Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Example

Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Example Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Figurative Language versus Literal Language Critical Thinking – PHI 210 Figurative Language versus Literal Language Figurative language is a language that uses embellished words or expressions to convey a message different from the literal interpretation. They are not to be taken literally but instead are meant to be imaginative (creative, inventive, offbeat), vivid (intense, flamboyant, dramatic) and evocative (suggestive). Poets (and writers) frequently use figurative language as a way to make their words jump off the page. Case in point, â€Å"its raining hard† is literal; however, â€Å"its raining cats and dogs† is figurative – unless animals are literally falling from the sky. So in short, figurative language is used to add spice to text/words that would be uninteresting (dull, unexciting) otherwise. Executed (delivered) well, it can shrewdly (ingeniously) get a point across. However, an improper delivery can potentially lead to confusion. An idiom is a catchphrase (expression) that deviates from the usual meaning of the words used. Idioms would be nonsensical if taken in a literal context. For example, â€Å"don’t bring sand to the beach† is a clever way of telling someone not to take something that will already be supplied – such as taking alcohol to a bar. Using this idiom on someone not proficient in English would cause a delay in communication since the person would not understand the contextualization. They would be stumped and wonder why anyone would actually take sand to the beach in the first place. An analogy is a logical argument used to illustrate how two disconnected (disassociated, separate) things (concepts) share similar (certain) characteristics. : This form of figurative language is used with the intent of helping individuals grasp the concept of complex (ideas). For example, a teacher might instruct a confused student to think of pizza slices when trying to solve fractions; pizza slices are something the student can easily compare and relate to. There are two subcategories of analogies: metaphors and similes. A metaphor is a figure of speech that is phrased more like a direct statement than a comparison. For example, â€Å"life is a rollercoaster† is a phrase used to describe the ups and downs of life. If interpreted in the wrong context or used in the wrong situation, it might cause some confusion in communication. A simile is an expression that compares two things and explicitly contains either â€Å"like† or â€Å"as† to highlight the likeness. For example, â€Å"clean as a whistle† is used to describe someone that is flawless and free from guilt. However, interpreted literally, someone might question how exactly a whistle can be deemed clean seeing as how it is a mouth instrument. A cliche is a stale and overused statement that has consequently lost all sentiment. For example, â€Å"what goes around comes around†, â€Å"you get what you pay for† and â€Å"break a leg† are all examples of cliches. Cliches should be avoided as they demonstrate a lack of original thought and effort. And as with any figurative speech, a cliche can baffle anyone unfamiliar with the expression or oblivious to the context. An amphiboly is a sentence that, due to its structure, leaves room for more than one interpretation. For example, â€Å"the roads are dangerous†¦teenagers shouldn’t drive†. This sentence either implies that teenagers are the cause for the dangerous roads or the roads are too dangerous for them to be driving on. Sometimes amphibolies are done intentionally in an attempt at humor. Depending on the intended usage, amphibolies should be reworded to clear any confusion or ease an offended audience. A â€Å"flame word† is a term used to describe a word used to incite anger or argument. Confusion can occur because some â€Å"flame words† can also be used in sarcasm. For instance, depending circumstance, the word â€Å"loser† can be used as either an insult or a term of endearment. From a bully, the word is meant to be harsh. From a friend, the word is meant to be playful. A hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. For example, â€Å"I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse† or â€Å"this book weighs a ton†. Both examples are an exaggerated form of figure of speech used to prove a point. A euphemism is a less harsh, politically correct way of phrasing something. For instance, one might say they â€Å"lost their lunch† as opposed to â€Å"vomited† or â€Å"threw up†. Depending on the situation, someone might think they literally lost their lunch and offer to help them find it. A colloquialism is a grammatical expression that is only acceptable in casual conversation. It refers to language patterns or phrases that are indicative to a particular region or people. For instance, people in one region may associate â€Å"grub† with food while another region might associate that word with â€Å"dirty†. With all of the aforementioned types of figurative language, knowing your audience is essential in avoiding miscommunication. References Croce, R. , Horvat, M. , Zagrodnik, J. (2010, October 1). Utilization of Sensory Information in Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Developmental Physical Disabilities. 22, 463-473, DOI 10. 1007/s10882-009-9182-4 Facione, P. (1998). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Millbrae, CA: California Academic Press.

American History (the Old America and the New America) Essay

American History (the Old America and the New America) - Essay Example Author Gene Smiley (2008) writes that "despite the 1920-1921 depression and the minor interruptions in 1924 and 1927, the American economy exhibited impressive economic growth during the 1920s. The same can be said for the periods from 1992-2000, where the American economy grew only to worsen in the years after. Economic commentators in both era's have suggested that the 'seeds' to both the depression in the 1930's and the current recession in 2008 were sown in the boom periods preceding them. According to Smiley (2008), the 1920's America economic growth was very impressive. Many in the population owned cars, new household appliances, and homes. Innovations and inventions were in high rates and drove growth. Manufacturing was increasing leading to the growing rise in the productivity of labor and capital. New innovations and products created new markets and services. Company stocks experienced a boom in the markets. For example RCA, one of the 'high end' stocks of the era, experienced an appreciation in its value even though it paid no dividends: expectations were that high. Again similar to 'Old America', the period of the Internet boom of the late 1990s, led to a rapid expansion in the stock market for 'New America', especially for dot com and related companies. Schisms in 1920 American Society While America has transcended much of its infamous past, the issues of those days caused major splits in opinions between the supporters and those in opposition. The issues included conflicts of city and country, science and religion, and even issues relating to relationship with the monarchy and modernism. Schisms were the proof of America's multi-racial, multi-cultural fabric and multi-idealistic society. The 'melting pot' of nations was battling for its identity and there was a lot of resistance and disagreements. The Conflict of City and Country The so-called war [of ideas] between 'Old America' and 'New America' was in full throttle about the 1920's. Around 1919 anti-immigrant sentiments, nativism and radicalism were on the rise, mostly directed at the new arrivals from Southern and Eastern Europe. During period, urbanization trends were on the rise among native-born American population. The trends were spurred on because many Americans were now first time owners of automobiles. A drove of individuals from rural America migrated into the cities, and the cities expanded into the rural hinter lands. This shift brought issues between the city and country to the 'front burner' of debates. Yet this split between the rural and urban life was not between two exclusively opposing sides; there was an intertwining relationship. There were small towns with radicals and immigrants citizens, and a majority of people in cities still had ties to the country or were from it. At times the schisms seemed like they would 'destroy' the country. Indeed for many of the rural or city-dwellers the times were apocalyptic. There were no shortages of movements and schools of thoughts 'preaching' Freudianism, Evolutionism, and innumerable other ideas that seemed to be in concert to erase the traditional life or values of 'Old America'. It was also during this period that America initiated

To what extent does the Children Act 1989 achieve its aim of Essay

To what extent does the Children Act 1989 achieve its aim of protecting children that have been or may be harmed by their families - Essay Example Once the child goes into care, there is no doubt that the legal effect is that the local authority gains parental responsibility for the child while the order is effectively in force. It should be noted that a care order automatically brings to an end any residence order that may exist. The Children Act 1989 contains provisions relating to the services that a local authority must or may provide for children and their families. It’s very important to note that for the first time services for children in need and disabled children are brought together under one statute. The government’s voice in protecting the children is very loud and clear. There is no doubt that the Children Act 1989 came into being specifically for the protection of children, and the intention of parliament seems to have been obvious. â€Å"To safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need; and so far as is consistent with that duty to promote the up bringing of such children by their families, by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those† â€Å"(a) he is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of him of services by a local authority under this part; In cases where a particular local authority has information regarding a child likely to suffer harm outside its area, it is expected to inform the local authority in the area where the child lives or proposes to live. Guidance and Regulations 2008 adds: â€Å"If the child is assessed as being in need and the local authority is concerned that the child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm, the authority is under a duty to make, as soon as practicable and, in any event, within 48 hours of the authority receiving the information, such enquiries as it considers necessary to enable it to decide whether it should take action to safeguard or promote the welfare