O.M. Scott & Sons Company

DE LA SALLE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS â€Å"O. M. SCOTT & SONS COMPANY† SUBMITTED BY: ESTIMADA, ANNA GABRIELLA C. Executive Summary The O. M. Scott and Sons company was a company which first started to produce weed-free grass, but diversified into other products related to its product line: lawn mowers, fertilizers, and other garden paraphernalia. It encountered the problem of nationwide distribution, finding difficulty in the delivery of its product.The company solve this problem of nationwide distribution by first, increasing its work force to keep up with the voluminous orders. Second, by setting up dealerships which will distribute their products and lastly, establishing a trust receipt payment system in order to assure the quick returns of investments. Problem The company encountered difficulty in the distribution of its products for two reasons: the nature of its agriculturally based products necessitated the quick distribution of pro ducts upon order.The voluminous orders and distances of nationwide coverage rendered the distribution difficult. Corporate Objective In keeping up with the modernization of agricultural products and technology, the company expanded its product line by diversifying into related products and services. From grass, O. M. Scott & Sons started the production of fertilizers, lawn mowers and other products. This diversification assured the company against stagnation. Areas of Consideration Shareholders & Key Officers Sales Force The company’s success can be attributed to the efforts of the sales force since they are the ones who are improving the salesmanship of the dealers in order to be available to their prospective customers. * Dealers The dealer is one of the key players in the company’s sales since the products are made available through them. With the dealership, the company can save money from overhead expenses and other general and administrative expenses from operati ons. * ScottThe owner of the company is considered as one of the key players in the company since he had found ways to cope with the market trend. Market Profile * Product Initially, the company is only selling the country’s first clean, weed-free grass seed in 1868. Scott’s business began to grow rapidly in the local market in Central Ohio. In 1990’s, the company have expanded it’s product range from grass seeds to new chemical weed and garden pest controls and special-purpose lawn fetilizers. * Price * Place & DistributionWhen the company first started, the weed-free grass seed was available upon order over the phone and after some time, the seeds will be delivered to you house. However, as the business expanded, Scott realized that neither him nor his competitors were able to tap the potential market of lawn care. In the company’s case, this was attributed to the distribution system since the customer’s could not buy the products easily. To address this issue, the company opened its products to dealerships wherein the sales force is tasked to train dealers how to do a better selling job with the company’s products. Promotion and Advertising When the business became successful during its initial operations, the company began to advertise extensively, In 1927, the company added a free magazine called Lawn Care, which was widely distributed. Financial Profile * Profitability * The company’s profitability for the next 5 years, as computed in the projected plan, will greatly increase as computed for the gross profit rate and contribution margin rate. There is a yearly increase of 1% for both rates which is a good sign for the company. * Turnovers The turnover rate for the first projected year will not be good since it will take longer for the inventory to be converted to cash. However the succeeding projected years is seen to be improving in terms of the turnover rate. * Capacity Utilization * For the proje cted years, the rate of capacity utilization will improve as it was projected that the rate will increase by 2% yearly. * Financial Leverage * The liquidity of the company will neither improve nor worsen as projected in the plan. There was only a little difference in the yearly computed projected rates.

The Effect of Different Levels of Radiation in Growth of Plants Essay

Abstraction The consequence of different degrees of radiation was determined utilizing four set-ups-10kR. 30kR. 50 krypton. and the control ( no radiation ) . The four set-ups were observed for nine hebdomads and growing ( in centimeter ) . sprouting. and survival rate was measured. Consequences showed that at the right degree of radiation degree ( 10 krypton ) . radiation have a positive consequence on the works growing and has the same sprouting and survival rate from the control set up. The 30 krypton set up and 50 krypton set up are comparatively smaller in growing than the control set up. Therefore. increasing the radiation degree above 10 Krs maize inhibits its growing in footings of tallness and decreases the per centum sprouting ofcorn ( Zea mays L. ) but with right sum of radiation at 10 Kr radiation has a positive effects in footings of growing. Introduction Harmonizing to ( Mendioro. Laude. Barrion. Diaz. Mendoza. & A ; Ramirez. 2010 ) . Mutants are alterations in the familial stuff that are heritable and basically lasting. Mutants either may be self-generated. or induced by physical or chemical agents. Ionizing radiation such as X raies. protons. neutrons and alpha. beta. and gamma beams from radioactive beginnings like Ra and cobalt-90. X raies and other ionising radiation is one of the common mutagenic agents that break DNA strand which produce chromosome interruptions instead than base alterations ( Ramirerz. Mendioro. & A ; Laude. 2010 ) . Ionizing radiation can perforate tissues and undergo ionisation organizing ions. These ions undergo chemical reactions to hold a stable chemical constellation. While making these. ions produce interruptions in chromosomes. ( DNA ) which induce mutant ( Das. 2006 ) . The biological consequence of ionising radiation depends chiefly on the sum of energy absorbed by the biological system of which. of class. the chromosomes are the most mark ( Harten. 1998 ) . However harmonizing to Wort ( 1941 ) as cited by ( Sax. 1955 ) wheat seeds irradiated with low doses of X beams produced larger workss than the control. The survey aimed to find the consequence of different degrees of radiation on works growing in maize ( Zea mays L. ) . The specific aims were: 1. To detect the effects of different degrees of radiation on works growing in Termess of tallness. sprouting. and survivability. and 2. To explicate the observe effects of radiation in maize ( Zea mays L. ) to its growing. MATERIALS AND METHODS To measure the consequence of different degrees of radiation in works growing of maize. maize seeds were irradiated at changing doses: 10 krypton. 30 krypton. and 50 krypton. These irradiated seeds were at the same clip and the same topographic point including the control set-up. For nine hebdomads. the information for works growing ( centimeter ) . sprouting rate ( % ) . survivability rate ( % ) were collected and tabulated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION As seen in Table 1. consequences show that the the set-up that was irradiated with 30 kryptons and 50 krypton ended the lowest per centum sprouting while the set-up that was irradiated with 10 krypton was the same with the control based on per centum sprouting which is 100 % . At the first day of the month of observation. the lowest in mean tallness is the set-up that was irradiated with 50 kryptons. With the same day of the month and topographic point of seting. you can reason that radiation has an consequence to the works growing. sprouting. and endurance of the works. You can see at the Graph 1 that the control set-up and the 10 krypton set-up are about the same but in the terminal of the graph. the 10 kR set-up was the highest in footings of norm works tallness. At 50 krypton. the works can non last any longer due to the radiation and no information was recorded because the endurance rate is 0 % means all the workss in the 50 krypton was dead. Unlike in the 10 krypton. 30 kR set-ups was comparatively lower than 10 kR apparatus in footings of works growing. survival rate and sprouting rate. Plants have some resistant to some radiation because workss do non hold lotions and sunscreens and they need sunlight for photosynthesis and we know that the Sun emits UV beams. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The consequence of different degrees of radiation was observed by enlightening maize seed utilizing three different setups-10 krypton. 30 krypton. and 50 krypton. Data was collected and shown. Therefore. there is a certain degree of radiation that can do a works grow more. In this experiment. we conclude that at 10 krypton. maize workss turn better because of mutant. Furthermore. this experiment is subjected to further reseach to better the decision that at certain degree radiation. workss turn better. Bibliography Das. L. D. ( 2006 ) . Genetics and Plant Breeding. New Age International Ltd. Harten. A. M. ( 1998 ) . Mutant Breeding: Theory and Practical Applications. Cambridge University Press. Mendioro. M. S. . Laude. R. P. . Barrion. A. A. . Diaz. M. Q. . Mendoza. J. C. . & A ; Ramirez. D. A. ( 2010 ) . Geneticss: Laboratory Manual 12th Revision. 7 Lakes Printing Press. Ramirerz. D. A. . Mendioro. M. S. . & A ; Laude. R. P. ( 2010 ) . Lectures in Genetics Ninth Edition. 7 Lakes Printing Press. Sax. K. ( 1955 ) . The Effect of Ionizing Radiation on Plant Growth. American Journal of Botany. 360-364.

Fetal Pig Dissection Essay

-Three pairs of exocrine glands in the mouth that secrete saliva; the parotid, submandibular (sub maxillary), and sublingual glands The parotid is the largest and most easily visible of all the salivary glands. The sunbmaxillary is bean shaped and located under the bigger parotid gland. The submandibular gland lies near the jaw line. Glottis -The opening between the vocal cords at the upper part of the larynx. The epiglottis is what covers the glottis during swallowing, to block food/water form getting in the trachea. Epiglottis -The function of the epiglottis in a pig is to prevent food from going into the trachea. Epiglottis is attached to the entrance of the larynx and is made of elastic cartilage. The epiglottis projects up through the soft palate into a region called the nasopharynx Thymus Gland -Gland located near the heart; produces several hormones which stimulate development of cells important in immmunity Thyroid Gland -Endocrine gland located below the voice box; it produces hormones which control metabolism. The thyroid gland is darker and lies between the posterior ends of the two lobes of the thymus gland. Esophagus -Muscular tube that moves food from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus is dorsal to the trachea. Vocal Chords Lungs -To breathe, oxygenize blood Bronchi – At end of trachea, branches for air to enter lungs. Stomach – Digests food, breaks it down Small Intestine – Finishes digestion, absorbs nutrients, moves food to large intestine Large Intestine – Larger tubular structure that receives the liquid waste products of digestion, reabsorbs water and minerals, and forms and stores feces for defecation Rectum – A short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid form before being eliminated; straight, posterior part of large intestine Cecum – The cecum houses a large number of bacteria that help in digestion of plant materials, mostly cellulose, that remains undigested in the stomach and small intestine. Appendix – Evolutionary remains of a larger cecum Anus – It allows the pig to release waste Liver – Organ that makes bile to break down fats; also filters poisons and drugs out of the blood Pancreas – Gland that produces hormones that regulate blood sugar; produces enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids; and produces sodium bicarbonate, a base that neutralizes stomach acid Spleen – Organ near the stomach that produces, stores, and eliminates blood cells

Recommendation of Internal Control for Purchases, Payables and Essay

Recommendation of Internal Control for Purchases, Payables and Payments - Essay Example There also remains the question of assessing the adequacy of the policies and procedures, and determine whether these are being implemented, working efficiently and being monitored effectively. The paper will further discuss the strengths and weaknesses in the internal control system of purchases, payables and payments. Management is responsible to ensure that proper internal controls are being exercised and being operated as intended. We believe that this information will alert to possible weaknesses in our organization and enable the management to initiate appropriate actions to address the concerns. The text book defines internal auditing as an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organizations operations. It helps an organization to accomplish its objectives by evolving a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.   The internal audit activity evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of controls that encompass the organizations governance, operations, and information systems. Internal audit reviews include the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, safeguarding of assets, and compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. These reviews also ascertain the extent to which operating and program goals and objectives have been established and whether they conform to the requirements of the organization. Besides, it also examines the extent to which results are consistent with established goals and objectives and whether operations and programs are being implemented or performed as intended.   This paper will also strive to help in improving the functions of internal controls in purchase, payable and payment first by describing the existing

Improving Female Preventive Health Care Delivery through Practice Essay

Improving Female Preventive Health Care Delivery through Practice Change., (article review) - Essay Example 401). The authors noted however that despite the reduced or no cost access to the program, â€Å"the level breast and cervical cancer screening falls short of the ideal† (Backer et al., 2005, p. 401). As a result, the program was examined using the GAPs model with GAPS standing for â€Å"goal-setting, assessing existing routines, planning the modification of routines, and providing support for these improvements† (Backer et al., 2005, p. 402). The authors described the study as multi-method: a qualitative study design was used to describe the process of changes that took place in the implementation of the program while quantitative audits on mammogram and Papanicolaou test data were used to measure the success that was assumed to be related with the practice. The data that was used to assess the program involved observational field notes, audio-taped interviews with physicians and key staff, and chart reviews of the last female patients from 19 to 64 found in the clinic . Backer et al. (2005) led respondents to identify potential reforms in the EWM that can improve screening rates and advance key reforms that must be instituted in the program. Respondents identified several initiatives that may improve screening rates. ... Thirdly, it was suggested that the patient educational materials be more readily available. Fourthly, it was raised that the program creates a monthly computer-generated reminders for patients needing screening. Fifthly, it was proposed that a reminder system for patients be designed. Sixthly, it was recommended that a common fact sheet for all health providers be used. Finally, the recommendations were forwarded to increase the accessibility of the patient educational materials. Although these are the most practical recommendations of the research activity reported by Backer et al. (2005) in the discussion section of their papers, the authors focused on the theoretical aspects of their research initiative. In particular, Backer et al. (2005) stressed that their findings â€Å"support the concept of practices as unique, complex organizational systems† which may be hardly immediately relevant for the immediate and more important concern of improving clinical or public health st rategies; improving strategies and service delivery to promote preventive breast and cervical cancer screening. One important insight discussed in the discussion section of their research is that most practices are sometimes unable to institute change because of inertia. In other words, what is currently practiced tends to be perpetuated as practitioners tend to resist the movement to change: without friction, a body at rest tends to be rest while a body in motion tends to be in motion. However, a systems change model such as the GAPS can promote vigilance for systems change (Backer et al., 2005). II. Recommendations for Improving Every Woman Matters Program On reviewing the material of Backer et al. (2005), it is easy to see where the EWM program was probably weak. Firstly, while the

Video Sharing on Social Media Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11500 words

Video Sharing on Social Media - Dissertation Example Users have the option to restrict viewership but when the video owners seek mass audience they would not bother to protect their videos and music under copyright laws. Thus, with the aim to establish that public videos are posted aimed at cooperation and sharing, three objectives were set at the beginning of the study. Qualitative primary and secondary data was gathered after extensive literature review on the subject. Through qualitative analysis, all the study objectives have been achieved. The study highlights that the most popular video-sharing site is YouTube and its promotion can be enhanced by sending out tweets on the video. However, Facebook also appears to be a popular social networking site for sharing pictures and files. Users share files with different motivations which could be either the desire to individuate or the desire for self-enhancement. Users also derive satisfaction is letting others know who they are. However, sharing of videos require some amount of expertis e in the use of social media. This gives rise to issues of copyright and privacy. The study finds that users are aware of privacy issues but when the intention is to share, the issue of privacy does not arise. At the same time, with the intention is to share and attract a mass audience it is pointless getting the files copyrighted. Social networking sites offer the facility to maintain privacy if required. When information is shared, others merely ‘see’ the information but derive no shared experience, vision or meaning out of it. Therefore, even if they share videos, they can maintain privacy, they remain individuated. The study concludes that sharing of videos on social media does not compromise on issues of privacy, and it is up to the users to maintain their privacy and remain individuated.

Manborg film critical review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manborg film critical review - Essay Example Apart from this, the movie was also found to have a plot that was outdated and too far-fetched. This paper shall look at certain aspects of this movie that shape its ideological viewpoints and the audience that it was aimed at. The movie talks of the return of the Nazis who reigned over Germany during the era between the two world wars and during the Second World War. The movie depicts a demonic version of this set of people and the only way out for the people of the world is in the efforts of a man who is also partially a robot. The rise of this man from an ordinary foot-soldier to a manborg, or a being who is part-human and part-machine is something that is not completely explained in the movie. The rise of this man is not something that does not need to be problematized. The resistance of the world to the problems that affect the whole of humanity is located in Euro-America. This is to say that the hero and the messiah fall within certain frameworks of eurocentricity. The inabilit y of the movie to move beyond this is also seen in the conventional nature of the villains.

Bill Tilden - American Tennis Legend Research Paper

Bill Tilden - American Tennis Legend - Research Paper Example When he returned to the championships he quickly became the best tennis player of his era. His biggest win soon after his return came in the U.S. National Finals in 1920. It was a very important match for boosting his ego as he beat Bill Johnston, the same man who beat him in the finals in 1919. At the end of 1920 Bill became the number one player in the world. He was the first American to win Wimbledon singles in 1920 and he went on to secure victories in 1921 and 1930. Tilden dominated the sport. His wins were very impressive. In the decade of the twenties he won the U.S. singles championship seven times and the U.S. doubles championship four times. He played twenty eight Davis Cup matches and won twenty one times. He reached the finals of the U.S. Open ten times. He won fifty seven games consecutively in 1925. Between 1912 and 1930 he played in 969 matches and he won ninety four percent of those matches. These matches included singles, doubles and mixed doubles. One of the techniq ues that led to his fame and success was his powerful serve. It was referred to as ‘cannonball’ serve. He holds the record for the fastest tennis serve. This he achieved in 1931. It is recorded at 163.3 mph. Bill continued to be victorious in spite of some misfortunes. He suffered from a knee problem and he also lost one of his middle fingers due to infection but this did not deter his progress. In 1930 at age thirty seven he became the oldest man to win a Wimbledon singles title. Tilden’s Tennis Strategies Tilden had a strong backhand and he used several tactics while he played. He had a preference of playing from the backcourt. He sometimes liked to copy the tactics of his opponents while beating them.... The researcher of this essay focuses on the description of life, death and legacy of well-known American sports star and tennis player - William Tatem Tilden II, which was more popularly known as Bill Tilden or often nicknamed â€Å"Big Bill†. The researcher discusses his early years of life and his rise to stardom, that took place during the ‘Golden years of Sports†. He was born on February 10, 1893 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a relatively wealthy family. During the first twenty years of his life he experienced many tragedies within his family. When he was fifteen years old his mother became disabled after contracting Bright’s disease. She died three years later. His father died three years after the death of his mother and shortly after, Bill’s only brother Herbert succumbed to pneumonia. Three siblings also died in infancy from diphtheria before he was born. Bill Tilden, although, he may not have gotten the recognition he deserves, has left a lasting impression on the sport of tennis. The researcher mentones that perhaps his greatest recognition to date came in 1959, when he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It is concluded by the researcher that many great American tennis players have come after him, but none has reaped the number of successes like Tilden. His love for the sport has left an indelible mark in the American sports, one that is hard to erase by the passage of time even though full recognition has not been given to him. Fortunately, in the minds of some persons his memory still lives on.

Leading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leading - Essay Example He has managed to drive Facebook to attaining great possibilities through exceptional styles, skills, and expertise in management. According to Gallo (2012), Zuckerberg keeps the Facebook website clear and simple. It provides a user-friendly platform for social networking. Samson (2013) refers to Zuckerberg as a leader who owns the product he promotes because of the inherent passion for which he conducts his managerial affairs. The love for his products saw him deny offers to sell the Facebook account. For instance, Zuckerberg identifies thoughtful potential in his products. The initial purpose for the innovation of Facebook was to connect people (Gallo, 2012). According to Samson (2013), Zuckerberg had an insight of the path Facebook would take. The future of Facebook became his obsession. Passion to achieve his goal has seen the website progressive improvement. According to Walter (2014), Zuckerberg has a fascination about making the world more open. The state of Facebook in the world and the power of its influence in various aspects of life currently resulted from Zuckerberg’s effort courtesy of passion to his mission (Samson, 2013). Facebook mission has remained consistent over the years since its start (Walker, 2014). This has concentrated efforts towards improvisation of social networking systems. According to Gallo (2012), Zuckerberg believes in being a great leader and communicator. He puts efforts to improve his communication skills as a way to improve his persuasive leadership in the company. According to Marshall (2009), Zuckerberg underwent through a training in speaking to improve his communication skills. Zuckerberg has an inclination to interact with people to improve his leadership qualities. Marshall (2009) accounts for the structural positioning of Zuckerberg’s office in the new building of the company. The centric positioning of his office with offices of other leaders surrounding his

The case study of Tui Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The of Tui - Case Study Example The report reveals its marketing strategy and describes how and why TUI has to change its plans and strategy under different changing environments. The study also reveals a general picture of company’s profile, history and achievements in all facets of tourism industry. The research is based on online data, excerpts from interviews and Company’s annual reports from 2004 to 2008. Touristik Union International abbreviated as TUI is a German based company with headquarters in Hanover. By name Preussag AG, the company remained involved in transportation and industrial business for many years. During mid-1990s the company adopted growth corporate strategy and introduced itself as a tourism and shipping company. Preussag AG sold off many of its industrial assets to beneficially purchase several travel and transportation firms. The structure of the group Preussag was renamed to Hapag Touristik Union (HTU) which in the year 2000 was transformed into TUI Group. Today TUI is the largest and leading tourism and shipping organization of the world, operationally active mainly in Central, Northern and Western Europe while it also has networks across Europe. The inventory of TUI is decorated with hotels, restaurants, retail stores, container ships, travel agencies and airlines. TUI AG Airline, having 7 common brand TUIfly airlines, is the largest holiday fleet in Europe. TUI is also the largest shipping company of the world. The company is strongly adhering to persevere with its position as world’s No. 1 tourism organization in all aspects along with a customer oriented vision. TUI as well as its affiliates like Thompson Travels, Portland Direct, Lunn Poly, and Skydeals are accredited as most trusted and professional organizations throughout the Europe. The company approximately consists of: At present, TUI has 43.3% shares in Hapag-Lloyd AG. During the fiscal year 2008, TUI’s had revenue about â‚ ¬759 million. On 31 December, 2008 the company and had 70,200

The Terrorist Group ISIS Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Terrorist Group ISIS - Research Proposal Example The inquiry into the rise of the terrorist group ISIS is of great significance as the kind of politics it connotes is something that is set to evince aspirationalism in a radical context, is bound to be pan-Arab and is based on concrete territorial and power grabbing motives. The kind of radical challenge that ISIS poses to Western democracies is something that was rarely seen in the past, even if one takes into consideration Iran or North Korea for that matter. This paper intends to answer as to whether the promulgation of Western-style liberal democracy and political values in the Middle East is an apt antidote to ISIS or whether ISIS is a direct outcome of the sectarian politics immanent in the region since long?The irony is that the solution to this research question is multifaceted and far from being simple. No doubt, the Western style political democracy, inclusiveness, and diversity can succeed in the region provided that attempts are made by the local political states and pow er structures to bring about some sort of reconciliation in the long-standing sectarian animosities in the region. The Western-style democracy in the region could also succeed in bringing a halt to the onward march of ISIS, provided the Western should also care to resolve the long-standing issues like the Arab-Israel animosity, a challenge that has distinct Western linkages and outcrops. I will use an array of methods to seek a viable and pragmatic answer to this question.

Traditionally since Essay Example for Free

Traditionally since Essay Traditionally since its inception, The Black Church in America has been a symbol of unity in the Black community. In times of crisis it has cut across various religious positions and has served as a spiritual base camp for Blacks in America for many years. It has also played a role in community participation, social activities and provided care for the sick and a place of refuge for the poor. During the civil rights movement the Black community looked to the church leaders as an instrument that could effect change for their social conditions. During that time, Black church leaders were influential to many of the social changes that we partake of today. Any important institution of society will have a number of roles and functions, and thus, an impact upon its membership. The Black church is no exception. In his study of the Black church, distinguished social scientist E. Franklin Frazier included a chapter, â€Å"The Black Church: Nation within a Nation,† in which he saw the church as an â€Å"agency of social control,’’ as an â€Å"economic cooperative,’’ as an â€Å"educational institution,’’ as an â€Å"arena of political life,’’ and as a â€Å"refuge in a hostile white world: (Frazier, 1964). These functions—political, economic, social, and security—all attest to the secular scope of the Black church. Some students of the Black church have supported this view of the church’s secular function. An example is Joseph Washington, Jr. (1964), referring to the work of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. as an extension of the religious role of the church into the civil rights area. Although Washington viewed King’s philosophy as a perversion of the uses of Christian theology, and tended to view this activity as negative, his rationale was based on a lack of emphasis on theology in the Black church. Other writers have tended to support the view that, the function of the Black church was not so much to foster the spiritual growth of its members by its adherence to and development of the normal Christian theology of the church, as it was to serve their spiritually-related secular needs. St. Clair Drake and Horace Cayton, for instance, say in their study of the Black church in Chicago in the 1930’s: The Negro Church is ostensibly a â€Å"religious organization,’’ but Bronzeville expects it, too, to â€Å"advance the race. † Negro Baptists think of their congregation as a â€Å"Race Church,† and their leaders concern themselves with such matters as fighting the job ceiling and demanding equal economic opportunity as well as â€Å"serving the Lord. † (Drake and Cayton, 1970 Pg 167). Kelly Miller also says that the Black church â€Å" was not yet able to formulate a theological statement of its doctrine,’’ that it broke from the white church and â€Å"decided to go worship God under its own fig tree,† and in so doing, developed a distinctive orientation (Miller, 1968). Others, however, such as Gayraud S. Wilmore and James Cone, built on the Drake and Cayton notion of the Black church as a â€Å"race church. † They outlined the tendency of the Black church to be responsive to the dominant forces in the Black community by pointing to the compatibility between the â€Å"Blackness† of the church and the dominant ideologies—such as Black power—in the community (Wilmore, 1973; Cone, 1969). Assuming these notions are true, it should be possible to test a theory of the responsiveness of the Black Church. Learning more about the function of the Black church is made urgent by the increased necessity for it to be responsive to the social needs of the Black community. The nature of these social needs is made urgent by the many new problems, of this age. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND PURPOSE Today’s problems which relate to the role of the church in secular activities is in its relationship to Black families. The number of Black families headed by Black females has continued to rise over the years verses other ethnic groups. This dramatic rise may be attributed to an increase in babies born out of wedlock, divorce and separations, all of which have more serious underlying causes, and which also have ramifications on the ability to maintain adequate income for provisional needs. The church formerly was the home for many entire extended families in the Black community; as such, it played a role in establishing standards of conduct; legitimizing births, marriages, and deaths; educating and caring for children; and counseling married individuals. Consequently, the church was a resource center for the Black family, and played a role in its survival. If there are now new pressures on the family which—in addition to employment-related difficulties—threaten the survival of the family, it is also worthwhile to assess the modern role of the church and the extent to which it provides services to meet these new needs. In light of the current problems facing the Black community, it is appropriate and necessary that a new assessment be made of the various institutions within the community which played a role in its progress. PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY The purpose of this study is to ascertain the present-day role of the Black church as a community institution, particularly with respect to the views of the church’s leadership, membership, and individuals in the community. To what extent, if any, does the church leadership believe that the Black church should be involved in the community? How do church members perceive the scope of the church as it relates to non-secular activities? And to what extent do residents, especially non-church members, view the church as a community resource?

Strategies And Evaluation Of Nissan Management Essay

Strategies And Evaluation Of Nissan Management Essay In 1999 Nissan had been facing great losses for seven of the past eight years which were now resulting in debts. This was mainly caused by the Japanese business custom of keiretsu investments which left little capital for other investments, like innovations in product designs. This lack of design innovation furthermore caused the Nissan brand to weaken as competitors were producing vehicles more stylish and up to date, reflecting customer demands. To foster a turnaround the Nissan president and CEO Yoshikazu Hanawa formed a mutual beneficial strategic alliance (Global Alliance Agreement) with Renault, allowing both companies to expand in new desirable geographic areas. With his experience in turnarounds Carlos Ghosn seemed to be the obvious choice to lead the Nissan turnaround from both the Renault and Nissan point of view. Evaluation The approach was an overall success in meeting the specific and measurable goal of turning the losses into profits not only on time but 6 month prior to the deadline. The Nissan Revival Plan was achieved one year ahead of schedule and succeeded in reducing their purchasing costs by 20 % which meant that they approximately reached the level of Renault. The large emphasis Ghosn placed on the execution also gave him an edge as this phase is much more demanding in terms of communication, meeting objectives on time and budget, potential conflicts with power resources and resistance to change. The respect Ghosn showed for the Japanese culture was vital for the initiatives to succeed, even though I believe it was a mistake for him not to learn about Japan before coming there as it is very easy unintended to insult people from other cultures if you are not familiar with their specific customs, but it also gave him an edge in being open-minded in perceiving the Japanese and Nissan culture. Coming to Japan he only brought three principles of management with him were to be well received and understood by employees: transparency, execution vs. strategy; improving quality and customer satisfaction and reducing costs. Not just anybody could have managed the Nissan turnaround as well as Ghosn did. For instance, A COO from Japan would not have been able to cut back on keiretsu investments. Because of the Japanese business culture to make these kinds of investments and the Japanese emphasis on cooperation and loyalty, it would have been considered to be a sort of betrayal and ultimately would 3 have harmed the Nissan brand even more. Only an outsider with different cultural background could legitimize such a change. The resistance Ghosn eventually faced when ignoring the almost sacred tradition of promoting by education, age and time within the company would likewise have been much more pronounced if the initiative came from a Japanese COO. Resistance to change Ultimately some sort of resistance was inevitable because of the major structural and cultural changes Nissan was facing with Ghosn as COO. People generally do not resist change, per se. but some underlying causes, like lack of understanding, fear of the unknown or fear of an outcome worse than the present situation.1 In this specific case Ghosn went a long way implementing many changes before meeting actual resistance in form of lack of cooperation among employees caused by the elimination of the old promotion system, allowing younger, less experienced employees to be promoted based on their skills and achievements. This resistance was clearly caused by fear of the unknown and fear of loosing/not gaining status by promotions. Resistance is generally a very important form of feedback and Ghosn chose to view the resistance as an opportunity for experience rather than a limitation.2 1 Dent, E. B. and Goldberg, S. G. (1999). Page 26 2 Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). Page 101 3 Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003). Page 45 4 Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). Page 100 Ghosn has overcome the actual resistance and prevented potential resistance to the cultural and structural changes in large by clearly communicating all initiatives and objectives to all Nissan employees. Communication had previously been a problem within the company but by creating a matrix structure (combining efficiency and effectiveness) and through consistency between his own actions, thoughts and communication Ghosn was making sure that transparency as well as communication within the organization was improved and afterwards maintained, keeping focus on the strategy.3 Likewise by creating the Cross-Functional Teams, he sought to build engagement and participation and made sure that the employees would have a sense of ownership over the Nissan Revival Plan and motivate communication across departments, stimulate future risk-taking and responsibility as well as regaining confidence in the companys future. Mitigating resistance by involvement and communication are generally very e ffective and will increase employee commitment to execution.4 4 The former lack of accountability and acceptance of responsibility among employees was eliminated by directly assigning responsibility and accountability and encourage people to take risks. This was accomplished in part by monetary rewards and stock options whenever the actions led to increase in operating profits or revenues.5 The previous consensus mentality at Nissan seems to have been: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢If everyone one is responsible then no one is accountable, and nobody gets punished,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- which was affecting risk-taking and slowing decision-making processes across the company. 5 Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. page C553 Organizational culture As mentioned above, the understanding and respect Ghosn expressed for the Japanese Nissan culture and the fact that he communicated his wish to work through this culture were vital for his acceptance within the organization. He made it clear from the very beginning that he too had a personal stake in the outcome and thereby created a sense of cohesion with the employees. His visibility in the organization from day one and the consistency between his communications and actions was a new but welcome change that made him human in the eyes of the employees. This transparency and consistency together with his explicit promise to respect the culture also helped building a sense trust and thereby employee support for most of Ghosns change initiatives. The Nissan president and CEO, Yoshikazu Hanawa, had a positive attitude towards Ghosn and his experience and abilities in turnarounds, since he explicitly asked Renault to send Ghosn to Nissan to lead the changes. But because Ghosn was a foreigner and not accustomed to the Japanese way of doing business, several industrial business analytics expressed scepticism and concern for this arrangement. It is likely that middle-managers and higher-level-managers have been influenced by these critics and therefore had a negative attitude towards Ghosn as COO, but if they did, they did not make much fuss about it. 5 National culture When you consider the differences between Ghosns leadership style and the Japanese (Nissan) way of doing business, it is actually a bit of an achievement that resistance did not arise earlier and more pronounced than it did. The cultural differences between Ghosn, with his experience in working in organizations with strong corporate cultures, and the Nissan organization, with its weak culture traits, were very pronounced and had great potential to cause some trouble along the way, but it takes two to tango, and one of them has to lead. The initiative of putting together Cross-Functional Teams had great potential for meeting resistance in part because of the Japanese tradition of reaching consensus when making decisions. In addition, if every member of a Cross-Functional Team had to make sure, that their respective departments were supporting every suggestion, then the decision-making process would not only have been slowed severely but would have staled. It is also very likely that the employees at Nissan would have resisted the Cross-Functional Team initiatives because of the Japanese culture of loyalty and cooperation within departments but not necessarily across departments (especially not in troubled times) caused by the weak organizational culture. Early on Ghosn became aware that in order to turn Nissan around, he would have to address some of these cultural issues in order to get to root of the problems and meet the overall goal of creating profits. First and foremost, he would have to communicate and make understood the importance of meeting customer wants and needs (included a radical change in the decision-making processe).6 The management would have to create a shared vision (or long-term plan as opposed to their usual sort-term). Management at Nissan was displaying tunnel vision and was focusing on regaining market share instead of increasing margins and product innovation to meet customer demands.7 The emphasis placed on informal contacts and information, complicated knowledge sharing across the organization, as nothing was written or formally communicated, which also slowed decision-making processes. He would have to overcome these cultural obstacles (underlying problems) before addressing the real problems at Nissan. 6 Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003). Page 46-47 7 Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. page C549 6 Luck and timing The timing for these changes was absolutely perfect. Had Ghosn and his Cross-Functional Teams tried to implement the same changes a few years earlier, they would most likely have met great resistance and possible failure. But because of the resent bankruptcy of the major financial house, Yamaichi, and the lack of bailout by the Japanese government, the employees at Nissan began to take their situation seriously and this imposed a sense of urgency among the employees. This sense of urgency helped push changes by making the employees more willing to cooperate and implement the proposed changes as well as taking more risks in order to turn the company around. This willingness for taking risks decreased the previous fear of making decisions (especially faulty decisions) which decreased the need for consensus decision-making , which again increased the speed with which decisions was able to be made. This further fostered motivation for innovative proposals for the product line, which had a positive effect on the Nissan competiveness and on consumer satisfaction. In short, the bankruptcy of Yamaichi was a stroke of luck at the exact right time to help kick-start the major changes at Nissan, especially in the minds of the employees. Looking forward In the next few years (2005) Ghosn will have to return to Renault to take over as CEO (his lifelong dream). The right replacement for his job must ensure continuous growth and success, keeping focus on customer needs and increases in profit as well as to nurture the newly accomplished sense of urgency to keep driving employees towards continuous improvements (Nissan 180). A successor should, besides the above mentioned, be able to create a balance between long-term and short-term objectives to ensure that employees do not fall back into old habits.8 Constantly setting short-term objectives, aligning them with long-term objectives will enhance motivation among Nissan employees as they will see their effort and hard work paying of. 8 Griswold, H. M. and Prenovitz, S. C.(1993). Page 5 9 Krackhardt, D. and Hanson, J. R.(1993). I would recommend Ghosn to use the network analysis9 as a tool for helping him making the best possible decision, ensuring that the person he will choose is trustworthy among employees, accountable and responsible, has influential power. The friendship network is always a good place to start, but he should be sure to mad both the communication network and advice network as well. Perhaps there will be an obvious overlap between the three. 7 Conclusion The Nissan turnaround was a great success in that it met measurable objectives and accomplished to overall strategic goal of increasing profits within the schedule. By approaching the Japanese and corporate Nissan culture with an open mind, Ghosn was able to gain the employees trust. His approach to the cultural differences combined with a great stroke of luck, turned the challenge into and opportunity and he was thereby able to meet the overall goal. In facing the fundamental problems within the organization; lack of clear profit orientation, insufficient focus on customers and too much on competitors, lack of a sense of urgency, no shared vision or common long-term plan, lack of cross-functional, cross-border, cross-cultural lines of work, he had to bend the rules of engagement by changing large parts of the Nissan culture. More specifically, based on the recommendations from the Cross-Functional Teams, he implemented some rather radical changes on the Japanese traditions of doing business, in order to help Nissan get back on track. Even though he was hereby violating his prior commitment to be sensitive to the Nissan culture, he did not experience serious resistance in doing so, because it was ultimately Nissan employees suggesting these changes, he was just executing them. In choosing his Successor Ghosn should map the informal networks within the organization, emphasising on trust, accountability and power to create change. 8 List of literature  · Dent, E. B. and Goldberg, S. G. (1999). Challenging resistance to change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35(1), 25-41.  · Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Decoding resistance to change.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, 87(4), 99-103.  · Fu, Dean and Millikin, john P. (2003) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The Global Leadership of Carlos Ghosn at Nissan,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Thunderbird The American Graduate School of International Management, C546 C556  · Griswold, H. M. and Prenovitz, S. C.(1993).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢How to translate strategy into operational results.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Business Forum, 18(3), 5-9.  · Krackhardt, D. and Hanson, J. R.(1993).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Informal networks: the company behind the chart.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, July/August, 104-111.  · Nohria, N., Joyce, W. and Roberson, B.(2003).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢What really works.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- Harvard Business Review, 81(7), 42-52.

Critical Thinking And Education Philosophy Essay

Critical Thinking And Education Philosophy Essay After providing a conceptual foundation of pragmatism, rationality, objectivity, and the goals of education, a discussion of critical thinking is made to present a concept of critical thinking which is 1) normative; 2) comprising of skill, ability, and habits of mind; and 3) acquiring intellectual resources. To address the vagueness of the concept itself, this review lends itself to the work of Israel Scheffler and Harvey Siegel, in order to provide a defensible proposal on how critical thinking can be infused within the educational curriculum. Critical thinking as an educational aim The current interest placed on critical thinking in the education context is well-founded. Citing Scheffler, Combs (2009) stated that education should be centrally concerned with developing rationality, reasonableness, and critical thought (p. 175). Moreover, Siegel (1988) provided the underlying principles on why critical thinking must be emphasized in youth education. First, because the youth make up the crop of tomorrows leaders, the education system must enable them to develop critical thinking as a tool towards a productive and rewarding life. Second, the development of critical thinking is viewed as a moral obligation of administrators and teachers to instill in students the ability to treat diverse views with respect and foster a climate of open-mindedness. Siegel thought that preventing students to critically think was a form of oppression. Third, the thrust of critical thinking is consistent with the belief that rationality is key towards a productive life for all. Fourth, i n line with Deweys thoughts on pragmatism, critical thinking is a crucial element of democratic citizenship. Scheffler further describes critical thinking as an educational ideal which would allow children to assess their beliefs, desires, actions, and their cognitive and non-cognitive emotions based on appropriate criteria or standards and good reason, and engaged them in the critical dialogues that relate to every area of civilization (Scheffler, 1991, p. 64). Education should not only be aimed at the development of critical abilities, but also at the development of the cognitive emotions and virtues, the critical attitude (Scheffler, 1991). Every educator must endeavor to ensure that all children blossom into critical thinkers. Critical thinking is significant to the ethics, epistemology, content, and manner of education (Siegel, 1988). Its ramifications are broad in scope and pose serious implications to society at large, not only to persons being educated. The key aspects of critical thinking include rational virtues (skills and dispositions to judge in an impartial manner) and to deli berate with objectivity, even disregarding self-interest in the process. These elements are indispensable to moral education (Scheffler, 1973). In science education, critical thinking ability helps students evaluate the strength of reasons and the defensibility of arguments in order to evaluate which among competing paradigms or theories is best. Critical thinking is also an indispensable aspect of the practical component of education. The skills and know-how of students which figure prominently into the curriculum require critical thinking. Reading, spelling, and mathematics do not only require processual skills but the ability to apply criteria or good reasoning to specific domains of inquiry. While operative principles may be taught, students need critical thought to practice these skills effectively. Furthermore, in the context of teaching, critical thinking is reinforced by a teachers critical spirit considered a principal obligation (Scheffler, 1973). In the context of teachi ng, good teaching requires educators to develop in students the skills and attitudes as described in the two-component theory of critical thinking which will be discussed later (Siegel, 1988). Critical thinking: a normative concept That critical thinking is a normative concept means that it is an educational ideal a goal that educators and administrators must strive to aim. It also means that critical thinking is considered generally relevant in the educational realm. As an educational ideal, critical thinking is helpful in organizing the educational enterprise as well as set objectives of educational efforts. Mainly, critical thinking as a normative concept addresses the questions of 1) the purpose of education, and 2) the manner of education. Our basic concept of critical thinking is essentially a normative notion, i.e. that critical thinking is in some sense good thinking. It is the quality of the thinking, not the processes of thinking, which distinguishes critical from uncritical thinking. In addition to deciding how to describe critical thinking activities and standards, we need to decide the boundaries of critical thinking, i.e. what sorts of tasks we see critical thinking as encompassing. Critical thinking is sometimes contrasted with problem solving, decision making, issue analysis and inquiry. Terms such as `problem solving and `decision making designate rather general kinds of thinking tasks. But, carrying out these tasks typically requires one to make a number of judgments, and the thinking that leads to these judgments can either fulfill relevant standards of good thinking. One may solve a problem in a critical or an uncritical manner. So, problem solving, decision making, etc., are best seen as arenas in which critical thinking should take place rather than as other kinds of thinking to be contrasted with critical thinking. Critical thinking draws from rationality and reasonableness as fundamental concepts (Scheffler, 1982). However, critical thinking is considered not only an element of rationality but an aspect which co-exists with it (Siegel, 1997). As such, critical thinking may be considered an educational cognate of rationality since it emphasizes both on beliefs and actions (p. 2). By this definition alone, we can consider the critical thinker as an individual who is motivated by reasons both in thought and action. Siegels reasons conception consists of two components: reason assessment and critical spirit; the former deals with the epistemic realm of reasons while the latter focuses on the motivational realm. This theory merits additional discussion. The two-component theory of critical thinking 1. The reason assessment component Siegel considers the critical thinker as an individual possessing the skill and ability to evaluate reasons and arguments using logical or epistemic standards. Siegel (Reason and Education, 1997) quoted Schefflers view that the critical thinker is not just being moved by reasonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by by appropriate reasons (p. 20). What this means is that a critical thinker takes it within himself or herself the epistemic responsibility for this thoughts. To be appropriately moved by good reasons is to consciously accept and appreciate the importance of having evidential force to justify thought and actions. In determining what standards are considered meritous, Scheffler (as cited in Siegel, Reason and Education, 1997) said: However, what reasons are appropriate is not fixed once and for ever. It depends on principles which themselves are the result of evolving traditions and may be different for various domains. There are no fixed foundations. The most fundamental presupposition underlying Schefflers epistemology and philosophy of education is the possibility of rational evaluation of principles of rationality. (p. 21) While the acceptability of reasons is not fixed, Schefflers (1973) epistemology of rationality warrant reasons to be consistent, impartial, and non-arbitrary. Critical thinking acknowledges that universal and objective principles have a binding force, but subject to evaluation. The principle-based character of critical thinking is what gives it its normative character. Critical thinking is not merely a cognitive mental process but a mental process that meets epistemic criteria, separated by good and bad reasons. An individual who thinks critically is one who is able to evaluate reasons and ascertain whether prospective reasons are good or bad based on their evidential force and in light of standards or criteria. Siegel (1988, 1997) and other theorists who support critical thinking categorized the principle of reasons of assessment into 1) general (subject-neutral), 2) principles (context-bound) and 3) subject-specific. There are debates on whether reasons assessment should be based on the generalist or the specifist view and to what extent reasons can be considered general or specific. As far as Siegel is concerned, the subject-specific criteria overlook the blurring of boundaries between genres and must be debunked. Siegel proposes that while there may be different criteria, the epistemologies operating are more or less similar. The more significant consideration for Siegel is how beliefs are justified: based on good reasons and supported by universal but fallible standards. This could be interpreted as generalist or a form of contextualism because Siegel supports the identification of good reasons across a range of contexts. Siegel (1997) elaborates: We are entitled to regard these various criteria as appropriate criteria of reason assessment, and to appeal to them in order to establish or determine the goodness of putative reasons, only because they are sanctioned by a common epistemology: a theoretical understanding of the nature of reasons, according to which putative criteria are recognizable as appropriate criteria of reason assessment. (p. 32) The point Siegel tries to make is that although various groups may have their own standards to judge whether reasons are good or bad, they are still governed by common epistemology for justification across different contexts. Furthermore, one question is if emotions are relevant to reasons assessment. Scheffler (2010) described the role of emotions in reasoning, showing how the rational passions contribute to critical thinking. Inquiry is not a dispassionate activity, disassociated from emotion. Rather, people can be very emotionally committed to the search for truth and care passionately that the outcome of an inquiry be the best justified. Such rational passions as love of truth, repugnance of distortion and evasion, and respect for the arguments of others as well as emotions such as curiosity, surprise and the joy of verification (Scheffler 1991) all play a significant role in inquiry, and educational efforts should be directed to their development. In addition, emotions play an important role in rational assessment in several ways. One way is by constraining and directing attention and rendering salient certain aspects of our experience. This likely has to do with connections established in the past between certain emotions and rational assessments. Such emotions can provide useful cues for future assessments, but their adequacy must be assessed through rational criteria. 2. The critical spirit component Because critical thinking is, in our view, thinking in such a way as to fulfill relevant standards, it is the standards of good thinking that provide the criteria for determining what attributes are important for critical thinkers. If an attribute is required by persons in order to fulfill a standard of good thinking, or if it will significantly increase the chances that their thinking will fulfill such standards, it can legitimately be regarded as an attribute that should be fostered in a critical thinker. Having the intellectual resources necessary for critical thinking does not, by itself, make one a critical thinker. One must also have certain commitments, attitudes or habits of mind that dispose himor her to use these resources to fulfill relevant standards and principles of good thinking. Moreover, as Siegel (1988: 9) points out, the critical thinkers tendency to ful ® l the standards and principles of good thinking cannot be mindless or simply the result of habituation. Rather, it must be based on a recognition of the value of critical thinking, i.e. its importance in fostering true belief and responsible action. Siegel recognizes that while reason assessment is a necessary condition for critical thinking, it is not a sufficient one. For example, a critical thinker may be equipped with the skill to evaluate reasons but not be predisposed to use it. Moreover, it is not enough that a critical thinker is capable of assessing the probative force of reasons; the critical thinker should also be inclined to seek out good reasons and disposed to question whether or not candidate reasons fit epistemological criteria. Hence, for a person to become a critical thinker, he or she must be able to habitually engage in reason assessment. In addition, a person must also have a complexity of attitudes, dispositions, character traits, and habits of mind or what Siegel refers to as the critical spirit. Siegels conception of the critical spirit means that critical thought is not a product merely of skill but also of character and motivation. The critical thinker then not only values the use of good reasons and evidentiary power in judgment or deliberation, he or she must also be willing and motivated to evaluate those reasons based on consistent, impartial and non-arbitrary criteria. In other words, the critical spirit is the life force of reasons. The critical spirit motivates and guides a critical thinker in action and belief-formation. Siegel (1997) considers that having reason assessment ability as well as the critical spirit are significant are individually and jointly sufficient requirements for a person to become a critical thinker.   In defense of the critical spirit component, Siegel (1997) enumerates some of the traits that may figure into a complex of dispositions, attitudes, habits of mind, and character traits (p. 35) found in the critical thinker: dispositions to seek reasons and evidence in making judgmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦; respect for the importance of reasoned judgment and for truthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦; a rejection of partiality, arbitrariness, special pleading, wishful thinking, and other obstacles to the proper exercise of reason assessment and reason judgment; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦habits of reason seeking and evaluatingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, engaging in the fairminded and non-self-interested consideration of such reasons.  Ã‚  (pp. 35-36) On the other hand, Scheffler (2010) also describes the critical thinker as disposed to the following traits: objectivity, consistency, intense aversion to contradiction, repugnance of error, disgust at evasion, love of reason, love of truth, and admiration of theoretical achievement. That character is indispensable in the formation of the critical thinker has been criticized (Missimer, 1990). The so-called character view espoused by Siegel is said to run in contradiction to the contributions of the worlds greatest thinkers. The intellectual greats such as Marx, Rousseau, Bacon, Freud, Russell, Newton, and Feynmann lacked many of the traits which the character view holds to be necessary for critical thinking. Marx was considered anti-Semitic; Newton was averse to criticism of his work; Rousseau and Fenymann were venal and rude to people who espoused incorrect ideas; Freud was a hothead; and Russell lied about his support for the U.S. nuclear program (Missimer, 1990, pp. 146-147). Accordingly, Siegels definition would not make the greatest intellectuals history has ever known critical thinkers. Critical thinking as identity constitution and autonomy Because critical thinking is fundamental educational ideal, Siegel (1997) considers it crucial in identity constitution. Critical thinking develops not only out of honing reasoning ability but also cultivating a motivational complex to create character disposed to the critical spirit. Character traits are fostered which constitute the critical spirit component, making up the traits of a particular type of person or identity. Thus, developing critical thinking entails no less than the formation of a certain identity. In the context of education, young people must be taught not only how to think critically, but more importantly, how to be critical thinkers. Therefore, making critical thinking a constitutive ideal is to propose for educational programs which focus on character-formation in support of critical thinking. Equally important to the concept of critical thinking is autonomy. Aside from critical thinking being coexisting with rationality, autonomy also figures into the same educational ideal. Siegel (1988) considered the importance of autonomy: If we accept critical thinking as a fundamental educational ideal, we explicitly acknowledge the desirability of the attainment by students of self-sufficiency and autonomy . . . The critical thinker must be autonomous-that is, free to act and judge independently of external constraint, on the basis of her own reasoned appraisal of the matter at hand. (p. 54) Autonomy is a state characterized by self-government. Similar to critical thinking, autonomy is also identity-constitutive in the sense that it makes up a certain type of person. Educators should strive in order to develop students who are autonomous agents. Autonomy is necessarily aligned with rationality: This aspect of the educational ideal of rationality aligns it with the complementary ideal of autonomy , since a rational person will also be an autonomous one, capable of judging for herself the justifiedness of candidate beliefs and the legitimacy of candidate values. (p. 56) An autonomous person is one who makes his or her own choices by evaluating them rationally and critically. Siegel (1988) expresses that choosing is not enough for autonomy to surface. A student must be a competent chooser and not subservient to conditions or standards he or she accepts uncritically. Also, a person can be a proto critical thinker because he or becomes slave to reason without having the necessary motivation to propel critical thought. Autonomy, then, requires not only independence in the execution of the action but also with respect to the motivation behind the action. For autonomy to be present, there must also be autonomy in the feelings, emotions, evaluation, or restructuring of principles. Autonomy must exist not only in relation to the reason assessment component of critical thinking but also on the critical spirit component.

Sophocles Oedipus the King and Cocteaus The Infernal Machine Essay

Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine relate the same story, yet from quite different angles. Sophocles' play is written in heightened language and spends 1,530 lines on an hour of time. On the other hand, Cocteau's characters speak colloquially, and his 96 pages cover 17 years, putting much more emphasis on the events prior to where Sophocles begins his play. Sophocles and Cocteau present Oedipus' character in different lights, and through these characters express contrary themes. Sophocles' proud yet wise Oedipus reveals that a human's future is determined by his actions, while Cocteau's haughty yet immature Oedipus suggests that mortals' fates are completely predetermined by the gods. In both plays Oedipus appears to have extreme pride; while Sophocles' clever Oedipus has reason for his pride, Cocteau's foolish Oedipus is arrogant without cause. Sophocles' Oedipus solves "the (sphinx's) riddle by (his) wit alone."(Soph .O.T. 397) The Sphinx sits on the road to Thebes and kills anyone who can not answer her riddle until Oedipus appears, solves the riddle, and saves Thebes. It is at this point that he becomes King of Thebes and rules his people well. He does not know that he has killed his father, the former king, and married his mother. When his presence in Thebes causes a plague to strike the city, he sincerely seeks out the cure for his city's plight. <block quote>I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, that is as sick as I myself. Your several sorrows each have single scope and touch but one of you. My spirit groans for city and myself and you at once. You have not roused m... ...sary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine and other plays. (Bermel, Albert.). New York: New Directions. Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sophocles. (1991). Sophocles I: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Grene, David.). Chicago: University of Chicago.   Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi       Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine Essay Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine relate the same story, yet from quite different angles. Sophocles' play is written in heightened language and spends 1,530 lines on an hour of time. On the other hand, Cocteau's characters speak colloquially, and his 96 pages cover 17 years, putting much more emphasis on the events prior to where Sophocles begins his play. Sophocles and Cocteau present Oedipus' character in different lights, and through these characters express contrary themes. Sophocles' proud yet wise Oedipus reveals that a human's future is determined by his actions, while Cocteau's haughty yet immature Oedipus suggests that mortals' fates are completely predetermined by the gods. In both plays Oedipus appears to have extreme pride; while Sophocles' clever Oedipus has reason for his pride, Cocteau's foolish Oedipus is arrogant without cause. Sophocles' Oedipus solves "the (sphinx's) riddle by (his) wit alone."(Soph .O.T. 397) The Sphinx sits on the road to Thebes and kills anyone who can not answer her riddle until Oedipus appears, solves the riddle, and saves Thebes. It is at this point that he becomes King of Thebes and rules his people well. He does not know that he has killed his father, the former king, and married his mother. When his presence in Thebes causes a plague to strike the city, he sincerely seeks out the cure for his city's plight. <block quote>I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, that is as sick as I myself. Your several sorrows each have single scope and touch but one of you. My spirit groans for city and myself and you at once. You have not roused m... ...sary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine and other plays. (Bermel, Albert.). New York: New Directions. Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sophocles. (1991). Sophocles I: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Grene, David.). Chicago: University of Chicago.   Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi      

Self Discovey in King Lear Essay -- History, Renaissance, Galileo, Cat

Throughout recorded history, humans have deemed themselves superior to all other living creatures. The Bible, arguably the most influential work of literature extant, demonstrates human superiority in the excerpt, "Let us make man in our image...let them rule over the flesh of the sea and the birds of the air, over all the earth." This notion of superiority was especially evident during the Renaissance, a period categorized by the rebirth of thinking and knowledge. The Renaissance, which lasted from about 1300 to 1600, brought advances in science that clashed with traditional viewpoints on life and the universe. Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, with evidence from Copernicus' works, proposed a heliocentric model of the universe; that is, a model in which the planets revolve around the sun. The Catholic Church opposed Galileo's ideas, claiming that Bible verses placed the earth at the center of the galaxy; this further supports the notion of human eminence. Galileo was placed on trail in 1633 for heresy and imprisoned for the remainder of his life. Galileo's imprisonment demonstrates the stronghold the church had on society, even during the Renaissance. Equanimity, compliance, and human superiority were tenets supported by the Catholic Church; dissent and individualism were not. Renaissance authors, such as William Shakespeare, seemed to protest human superiority and Stoicism. In King Lear, one of Shakespeare's especially famous works, the main character from which the play gains its namesake embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery. The play commences with Lear, the reigning King of England, preparing to divide his kingdom. Lear has three daughters: Regan, Goneril, ... ... 39-year old man from California, slaughtered his family in an attempt to receive a sizable inheritance. Lyle and Erik Menendez, also from California, ended the lives of their parents in pursuit of an upper-class lifestyle. These individuals valued money over familial ties; King Lear originally valued power and compliance over his own blood. The self-discovery of King Lear exemplifies the fact that humans are far more valuable than money or power in attempt to set an example for humanity. These lessons still ring true in more modern times; famed psychiatrist Sigmund Freud warned against accepting flattery as genuine and giving away one's possessions during his or her lifetime. Lear's self-discovery came too late to save his daughters; the play seems to encourage humanity to have its own self-discovery before it disavows its Cordelias in the pursuit of niceties.

Precarious Assumptions :: Research Essays Term Papers

Precarious Assumptions It is easy to look back on an event and judge people's motives and consequential actions, deciding or at least speculating about whether or not they acted reasonably. But, few people can step back and examine their impulse while making a decision. On January 13, 1898, French writer Emile Zola attempted this when he interrupted the cry "Death to the Jews!" sounding from mobs of Frenchmen, and wrote the famous expository article, "J'Accuse" (Burns 104). The letter addressed to the President of the French Republic, foretold that a scandal the government left unsettled, The Alfred Dreyfus Affair, would haunt France as one of the most shameful events in its history. His motivation, he wrote, had "but one goal: that light be shed, in the name of mankind which has suffered so much as has the right to happiness" (Burns 102). The outright accusations Zola publicized assured him a cell in jail, but only for a short time for his candor also exposed the fiasco to the previously naÃÆ'Â ¯ve publ ic. Despite his immediate influence on the events of the republic, it was not until 1998, that a French president formally acknowledged Zola's courage and insight. On the centenary of "J'Accuse," President Jacques Chirac wrote his own letter thanking the man who "rose up against the lie, the baseness, and the cowardice. Shocked at the injustice against Captain Dreyfus, whose only crime was to be Jewish, [he] launched his famous cry. . .that. . . struck like lightning and, in a few hours, changed the destiny of the Affair. Truth was on the march" (Burns 191). Even the words of the trusted French author Emile Zola obliged a century of reflection before inspiring the adulation of President Jacques Chirac. Had Zola remained indifferent, another Frenchman may have taken up Dreyfus' cause. But if not, could France have remained shrouded by an injurious lie? What historical price do we pay when fear and prejudice mingle? My heart sank when I received an Instant Message three nights before Halloween from a high school friend who now attends Columbia University: Two Arab men were apprehended yesterday at a Costco in New Jersey after a suspicious employee phoned the police on the men who were attempting to buy $5,000 worth of candy. One of the men escaped, but the one detained was found to be in the country illegally. Josh and I agreed that if it were true, the incident would make it on the news, actually, that a reporter would most likely have made it to the New Jersey Costco before the Police.

The Grapes Of Wrath English Literature Essay

When we were foremost given this assignment, I thought, how will I larn anything from this? By the clip I was on the 3rd chapter I had my reply. A book filled with emotions, calamity and difficult clip, I could n't assist but believe how in some ways, many of these are slightly like today ‘s. While, granted, the bulk of us still have occupations, instruction, and roofs over our caputs, I will explicate subsequently on how there are many similarities between today ‘s economic system and the economic system which lies within this book. But first, allow me take you into the absorbing universe that is, The Grapes of Wrath. It begins with the debut of Tom Joad, fresh out of McAlester prison after functioning four old ages for manslaughter. As he makes his manner back place he is incognizant of what has happened in the last few months while he has been locked up. When a truck driver, who kindly agrees to give Tom a lift slightly of the manner, asks him why he is returning place to what is most likely empty land as its more than probably that the Bankss have seized it, as they have done with many other belongingss. On his concluding stretch of route in which he walks, Tom comes across a tatterdemalion looking adult male sitting in the shadiness of a tree. It turns out to be Jim Casey, the sermonizer from the church Tom attended as a kid. As they walk together we hear of how Casey has decided to no longer a sermonizer due to his behavior with misss after mass. As the brace arrive to the farm in which the Joad ‘s owned it is noticed how dead it is. While houses are half knocked, Tom recognises how no 1 had stolen wood or anything else. He realises that what the teamster says was true and fears he will non be able to happen his household. Fortunately for him, an old neighbor informs him that the Joad ‘s have gone to Uncle John ‘s place, and program to travel to California from at that place on. When Tom arrives to Uncle John ‘s he is heartily greeted by a happy male parent, Pa, and an even happier female parent, Ma. As he settles down he learns of how the Bankss have evicted households from their land as the bankers are non doing adequate net incomes from the agriculture. It is so announced that the program to travel to California is in fact true. They have been told that many occupations are to be found and that one could do a batch of money from picking the likes of oranges and grapes. Bombarded with this intelligence Tom insists on fall ining his household. They plan on going in a truck which was picked out by Tom ‘s younger brother Al. We are besides i ntroduced to the youngest sibling Ruthie and Winfield along with Tom ‘s pregnant sister Rose of Shannon who is married to Connie, a local male child from a neighbouring farm. We besides meet Tom ‘s grandparents. It is told how they all plan on going in this truck, including Tom and the sermonizer, with all that they posses. As they pack up what is left of their properties, holding sold most of it to do money to acquire to California, the household make up one's mind it is clip to travel. However, holding lived on the land all his life Grandpa decides he does n't desire to go forth. Knowing he ‘ll be asleep shortly the household complete the wadding and carry him to the truck, and off they set. As autos line the Highway 66 we learn of how every squeak, every jar and every hushing of noise is to be listened for in the truck. All driver know precisely how far it is from service station o service station, aware of the possibility of interrupting down and holding no manner of repairing the auto if they are in the center of nowhere. It is after go throughing through Oklahoma and settling for the dark that the first calamity occurs. As the household draw up and bivouac on the route side they meet a adult male, Ivy Wilson, and his married woman, Sairy, whose auto has broken down at the side of the route, all households worst incubuss. We besides find out that Grandpa is ill, really ill. The Wilson ‘s are sort adequate to offer their collapsible shelter for Grandpa to lie down in, nevertheless, it ‘s non long before he has a shot and unfortunately passes off. It is so decided to bury Grandpa and to go forth a non saying what happened. Come morning, both households decid e it will be a good thought to go together from now on. With the Wilson ‘s auto fixed for now, the all set off one time once more. However, on the 3rd twenty-four hours of going the Wilson ‘s auto one time once more brakes down. Tom and the sermonizer stay behind with the auto while Al brings the remainder of the household to a nearby encampment topographic point before heading back to Tom and the sermonizer to assist repair the auto. Back at the cantonment site a adult male is informing Pa of how there is really no occupations in California and it is a waste of their clip traveling at that place. Not being one to be put off, Pa bushes the remarks to a side and continues on with his eventide. When the male childs arrive back with the auto fixed they decide to kip in it so as to avoid holding to pay more money to remain in the cantonment site. However, in the cantonment site, Grandma is highly ill, holding fallen ailment after the decease of her hubby. Geting sicker by th e minute the household decide to head off at the cleft of morning so as to make the desert before taking nether interruption. Once the range the outskirts of the sweet, technically already in California, another adult male tells of how he is on his manner place after gaining there is no proper occupations to be had in California. As Grandma gets worse the household make up one's mind it will be easier to take the desert at dark so they set off. However, this clip it is with sibling Noah, who has decided that he wants to remain on the outskirts. Convinced he is non truly loved by his household he pleads with Tom to inform the remainder of the household about his determination. When Ma hears this, she believes her household is falling apart. As the household get stopped for a everyday review, Ma pleads with the constabulary to allow them on as Granma is in demand of some medical intervention. However, when they reach the other side of the sweet, Ma announces that Granma has been dead since the review of the truck. The household eventually arrive to a cantonment where there is a little possibility of acquiring work, nevertheless as a battle breaks out between Tom, the sermonizer and a constabulary adult male, it ‘s realised that Tom has one time once more interrupt his word. The sermonizer kindly steps frontward and takes the incrimination for the battle and he is put in prison. With the disappearing of Connie as good, the household decide to travel on to another cantonment. It is here that Tom finds work and the household start to settle, nevertheless, after a few hebdomads Ruthie accidently outs Tom about being in prison and the household must one time once more travel on. Here strikes the 3rd calamity, Rose of Shannon gives birth to a still babe. With heavy rain endangering the hovel in which the household are remaining in, they decide they must happen dry land. On their travels they see a barn and venture to it. It is here they find a adult male and his boy. The adult male is deceasing have n't non eaten in yearss. So ill that he is unable to eat any solid nutrients, merely milk or soup, it is here that Rose of Shannon asks the household to go forth them entirely for a piece. John Steinbeck, born Febuary 27th 1902 wanted to be a author. He graduated high school in 1919 and went on to analyze at Stanford University. Having left University without a grade he moved to New York to prosecute his passion of going a author. When times were tough at that place he moved back to California where his first novel was published. He wrote a sum of 20 seven books and in 1962 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is best known for his plants including East of Eden, Mice of Men and of class, The Grapes of Wrath, is an writer that many people can fall in love with. His ability to convey you into a book and do you experience like you are at that place with him, along for the drive. He does n't compose to compose, he writes to inform and edify 1s ego of what times had been like. He connects profoundly with the book, about as if he is stating you his really ain life narrative. It ‘s rare to experience as if the writer is composing from the bosom. Yet, Steinbeck draw s you in from the really get downing. His ability to do you oppugn what his characters do, how they act and what they say. It ‘s as if he is a portion of the book and the book is a portion of him. It ‘s about as, daring I say, if he got stuck in witting, the book could give him a intimation as to where to travel on from. A great author, possibly, an even better narrative Teller. It ‘s astonishing how a book can merely catch your attending from the start. It sucked me right in. I was in a universe of my ain reading it. I could n't assist believe to myself how things are so different now but yet, so the same. However, some of Steinbeck ‘s descriptions bothered me a spot. While they were full of imagination and gave great item, I found myself oppugning was it truly necessary. Such as the first chapter on dust. I merely did n't see how it related to the remainder of the narrative. I do nevertheless, understand why there was such great description sing California, it was the hereafter of the household so I was happy to read about it. I merely felt that some spots of it seemed meaningless, they did n't look to add to the narrative line and frequently, I felt myself planing over it to acquire to the good portion. But when we reached the parts about the household I was in my component. Reading the battle they had to get the better of, about being able to see it was astonishing. One of my favorite minutes in the book was when we read of how Tom and Al had found a debris pace and because the proprietor was n't at that place, they were able to acquire pieces of a auto at a fraction of the monetary value to what it would of been had the proprietor been at that place. It merely shows how concern proprietors were taking people for granted, cognizing they would pay about anything to repair up a auto so they could acquire to California. There were many minutes in this book when I merely halt and believe. The looks people used, the cognition people had without an instruction. It was astonishing to see how the male childs were able to repair up a auto that had something incorrect with it that I had ne'er heard of. At the age of 16, Al was able to pick out a truck he knew was trust worthy plenty to acquire him and his household all the manner to California. He was so able to drive the truck and listen out for any little, uneven noises the eng ine might do. The manner it was written, you would hold thought he was in his mid-twentiess, non a immature teenage male child. I besides thought the character of Tom Joad was one of the best written characters I have of all time read approximately. He puts everything aside to mind and protect his household. He is even willing to allow them travel in front and remain behind if it means they will be happier and no problem will follow them. He did n't inquiry interrupting his word to remain with his household. It ‘s as if he was the knight in reflecting arm for the household. Possibly sometimes a difficult read, over all, there was a sense of achievement reading this book. It would n't hold been one I would hold read out of wonder, but I ‘m glad I got to read it. There is something particular about completing a book and holding it linger in your head for a clip after. Who would hold thought a book about the great depression would somewhat mirror today ‘s economic system. Does that demo merely how bad things have gotten? I think it ‘s clip we have a expression and happen out merely how much the economic system in The Grapes of Wrath are mirrored in today ‘s economic system. Let ‘s foremost compare the â€Å" monsters † , otherwise known as the bank directors. Back so, they regarded the bank directors as the monsters as they took the land in which people lived on, took all their money and got off with it. I think it ‘s just to state today that the Bankss can be called monsters as good. Some high up bank directors have besides taken what is n't theirs and a few have in fact gotten off scot free, or have been somewhat punished but nil to what should hold happened. Therefore I think it is just to state that in both universes, bank directors can be regarded slackly as monsters. I besides think the book helps explicat e what is go oning in the economic system today. We seem to be in a province of daze, or we were when the recession foremost happened. it was like nil we have of all time seen earlier. Jobs were traveling left and right. Peoples all of a sudden realised they had auto loans and monolithic mortgages to pay and did n't hold the money to pay them. Suddenly Bankss did n't hold money and set force per unit area on people to pay up. We ‘re selling our 2009 Mercedes and B.M.W.s for 2004 Opel Astra or a Ford Fiesta so that we can afford to run it and pay back loans. We ‘re no longer heading in Brown Thomas on a Saturday afternoon to sit down with a friend to hold a java and a scone merely because we have n't seen them since last Saturday! We non traveling into the bag section and purchasing a Miu Miu bag because we think it ‘ll travel with one outfit we have. Now let ‘s expression at what happened in the Grapes of Wrath. Suddenly they excessively had a strain on their money. They sold what they had to do money. They were cognizant of how much they could afford to pass on a auto to acquire them to California and non a penny more. They knew how much they would necessitate to pass on gas to acquire at that place. They knew they may necessitate some trim hard currency to set towards parts for the truck if it broke down. They were n't traveling down the town for a few pints, or passing money on Sweets for the kids. To me, the lone difference between both universes is one thing and one thing merely, the kids in the Grapes of Wrath understood what was go oning, even at the stamp age of seven or eight. Now, do n't acquire me incorrect, today, plentifulness of 16 twelvemonth or 17 twelvemonth olds and above understand what ‘s traveling on. But allow ‘s be honest, the younger kids do n't. They do n't understand that Ma and Pa may non be able to acquire them that Xbox game they wanted this month, they ca n't afford to purchase a new brace of Ug gs every clip a brace gets soaked and takes a few hebdomads to return to normal coloring material. But the kids in The Grapes of Wrath, Ruthie and Winfield for illustration, they know why they ca n't hold a saloon of cocoa ; they know how lucky they were to be given Sweets towards the terminal of the book. It ‘s as if, straight away the Joad ‘s were cognizant they need to maintain money tight. It ‘s besides as if, it took people today a piece to gain they needed to make the same, but after clip, they realised. We could hold learned from this book though. There was no authorities bond outs in the Grapes of Wrath, no NAMA, no 2nd opportunities. Imagine if we had applied such thought to our economic system. If your thought would we be in the same places as the Joad ‘s had no such bond outs occurred, I know we would n't hold. But we can larn from this book to assist us today. We can be smart with our money. We can make as Tom and Al did and pass maintain the mone y they saved when purchasing the auto parts. They could hold gone down to a saloon and had a great dark if they wanted to. But they were smart with their money. We could travel and book a vacation with the money we could acquire for selling a twelvemonth old auto and down rating to an old auto, or we could make as the male childs did, and salvage it. Put it towards the hereafter. Bring back the economic system so our kids and expansive kids can hold the life we had. We can larn a batch from this book sing the economic system. Our economic system today is their economic system seventy old ages ago. It could easy be said that The Grapes of Wrath is about one thing and one thing merely, the difficult times people can fall on. But we know it ‘s non. While it is about the difficult times, it is besides about the unbreakable yet breakable bond of a household, their desire to populate another twenty-four hours and their will power to travel on when everything is traveling against them.

Introduction to Operating Systems

Brief history of triad different Operating frames (OS). For the collar OS I chose Windows, Linux and apple placements. Windows 1. 0 The truly early transformation of Windows, Windows 1. 0, elementary interface that used thingummys, equivalent the calendar and calculator, however it gained little popularity. Released in 1985, the arranging of rules had elemental functionality, introduced the first adaptation of MS paint and a primitive word mainframe. Windows 2. 0 Released in 1987, was non much best(p) than the first.While 2. 0 introduced devil original staples Excel and Word to users 2. went under cease when mackintoshintosh sued Microsoft for mimicking the look and feel of their menstruation operating(a)(a)(a) strategy. The lawsuit was dropped. Windows 3. 0 The trigger of realistic memory, meliorate graphics, and the ability to multitask assisted be active Windows to sell 10 million copies. In fact, while it was released in 1990, Windows 3. 0 wasnt c ease until 2001. Windows 3. 1 A pseudo-release for Microsoft, Windows 3. 1 contained fixes and improve font functionality. Microsoft continued to develop a novel release, Windows NT, hoping it could be released as a continuation of Windows 3. and 3. 1. Unfortunately, issues with driver support and bundle program system meant it was time for a new version alto claimher.Windows 95 The change from 16-bit to 32-bit, Windows 95 was intentional for increased compatibility and ultimate user-friendliness. Became clear that consumer computing machines would bring about the future, Windows 95 was offered on newer figurers all because it lacked or so backwards compatibility at first. Newer releases and patches make the version easier to use on older machines, by 1995, Microsoft had achieved a widespread interest in home computers.Windows 4. The follow-up to Windows 3. 0, Windows 4. 0 released in 1996 with minor improvements and is not considered a major Windows release. Windows 98 As consumer computers became widespread, Windows 98 improved hardw ar and hardw are drivers, Internet Explorer, and at last Internet connection sharing. Released in 1998, with a new release in 1999, Microsoft 98 was the first release designed specific exclusivelyy for consumers, as opposed to the business or technology set. Windows 2000 Windows 2000 do everyones lives easier increasing the bout of plug and play devices compatible with the OS.Windows ME (Millennial Edition) was excessively released, crack the system recovery puppet to tending return a crashed computer to its last known operating settings. Windows XP The system designed for ease and stability, Windows XP was released in 2001, offering plenty of ease and functionality for laptop and scope users. The OS was designed to offer users help by means of a comprehensive help center, gave users the ability to consume a derive of different types of media. Windows conniption Widely considered a flop in technology circ les, Windows Vista was released in 2006.Vista had high system requirements and suffered issues with carrying into action and security. The OS also tended to bolt laptop batteries. The version lasted only three years, during which some users downgraded back to XP avoiding the pitfalls of Vista. Windows 7 For this present-day(prenominal) release of Windows, Microsoft learned its mistakes with Vista and take a crapd an OS with speed, stability and minimal system requirements. Microsoft ditched the gadget bar from Vista, replacing with a spick-and-span feel. This version was released in 2009. Windows 8 This current Windows release is getting a jalopy of attention.With redesigned Metro-style user interface and Windows Store, this version is, one time again, redefining what Windows is. It also comes with integrated antivirus protection, a virtual hard disk and a new platform based on HTML5 and JavaScript. Windows 8 promises faster boot time, touchscreen compatibility and the abili ty to create a bootable USB flash drive. It may not be enough to get sight to switch from Windows 7, but at least(prenominal) its a glimpse into the future of the Windows operating system. Linux is an OS for your computer.Like the macintosh and Windows systems, it provides the basic computer services needed for soul to do things with a computer. It is the middle point between the computer hardware and the software applications you run. Full applications keep up capabilities resembling bold face type and picture editing tools. no(prenominal) of this is on hand(predicate) through the OS. Yet all of it is done by communicating with the machinery of the computer through the OS. You may highlight a word in word processor and tell it that you want that word in bold type, but the OS tells the computer which pixels (or part of the screen) to darken.Linux was demonstrable by Linus Torvalds and a band of programmers who voluntarily developed the marrow program of the system (aka, the kernel). That program was in the beginning compatible for an early(a) operating system called Minix, but later development made it usable with wildebeest software. wildebeest is marked like the animal and stands for GNUs Not Unix. It was a project conceived by Richard Stallman in 1983 in response to the increasing tendency of software companies to copyright their software under impairment that prohibited sharing. GNUs purpose to develop a wholly free system.It had achieved significant hand toward this goal by the time that Linus and another(prenominal)s had developed their kernel in the 1990s. While umteen another(prenominal) people refer to the combination of the two as Linux, this is not correct. The kernel feature with GNUs free software is properly called GNU/Linux. Both the kernel and the software are freely easy under licensing that is sometimes called copyleft. Where traditional copyright was meant to restrict physical exercise and ownership of a copyrighted particular to as few people as possible, inhibiting development and growth, GNU/Linux is different.It is released under scathe designed to en certain(a) that as m some(prenominal) people as possible are allowed to receive, use, share, and modify the software. That license is called the GPL (GNU Public License). Ubuntu depends on the Linux kernel and includes many GNU applications. So, when psyche speaks of the Ubuntu kernel for a computer, they are actually talking about a novel version of the Linux kernel. Most of the applications that are available for Ubuntu are either part of the GNU collection or are released under the GPL. For apple not much schooling was found.However, they provide a timeline of the OS. 1978 In June of 1978 orchard apple tree introduces apple DOS 3. 1, the first operating system for the apple computers. 1984 Apple introduces body 1. 1985 Apple introduces governing body 2. 1986 Apple introduces System 3. 1987 Apple introduces System 4. 1988 Apple in troduces System 6. 1991 Apple introduces System 7 operating system May 13, 1991. 1995 Apple allows other computer companies to clone its computer by announcing it is licensed the Macintosh operating system rights to Radius on January 4. 1997 Apple introduces Mac OS 8. 997 Apple buys NeXT software program Inc. for $400 million and acquires Steve Jobs, Apples cofounder, as a consultant.1999 Apple introduces Mac OS 9. 2001 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 0 mark named Cheetah and becomes available process 24, 2001. 2001 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 1 inscribe named Puma and becomes available on September 25, 2001. 2002 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 2 code named Jaguar and becomes available on lordly 23, 2002. 2003 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 3 code named Panther October 25, 2003. 2004 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. code named Tiger at the WWDC on June 28, 2004. 2007 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 5 code named Leopard October 26, 2007. 2008 Apple introduces Mac OS X 10. 6 code named hundred Leopard and MobileMe at the WWDC on June 9, 2008. Factors that may suggestion users to upgrade the OS they use is stability, performance and security. Windows Vista had many issues in these areas make users switch back to XP. For other OS not quite sure if any had serious issues, though the newer versions gave more resolve to upgrade. My soulfulnessal use of OS has only been with Windows and Apple IOS on a cell resound.Never a fan of Apple but Windows I like. It has been so big since I used XP that I am unsure of why I switched other than I had to because my new PC had a different version. Despite the problems with Vista I was like Sheldon when using 7 the first time, 7 is too user friendly. However, I love Windows 7 and do not intend on upgrading until I have no choice. For Apple use on a cell phone in that location may be a guess I do not like this IOS because it is only through a phone and they have not yet made phones run just like PCs.I do plan on buying an Ap ple computer presently so I can get more experience with the OS. Linux is an OS I am not even sure if I ever used, it is possible I did when computers first came out because my neighbor was a computer fan and was also the person that got me into technology. That was so long ago that I barely recall anything I did through her computers, all I remember is I had to tell the PC what to do like command prompts. If Linux OS is the same, than I do enjoy this system.