The Organizational Structure, Work Culture and Global Business Essay

The Organizational Structure, Work Culture and Global Business Strategies of Google Inc - Essay Example The study is based on the discussion of different management issues faced by Google Inc. in the China market. It will illustrate various challenges faced by the organization to properly run their operation as per the social and ethical norms of China. The main objective of any management is to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization by motivating and directing the workforce. The modern management practices influence managers to focus on different requirements of the stakeholders of various countries. There are a number of management issues faced by global organizations such as economic, political, social and technological. Recession, inflation and currency fluctuation of different countries can provide the significant effect on the business management procedure of global organizations. The difference in the political rules and regulations also affect the decision-making capacity of the managers. Management needs to cope up with the rapid development of technologies in the diffe rent market to attract more customers. International organizations need to focus on the differences in the social structure of their operating countries before introducing any product or services. The decision of product or services design can differ as per locations due to the changing preferences of local people Customized products of local organizations can provide huge competition to the standardized products of the global organizations.

Censorship, The First Amendment, and Free Speech Essay - 2

Censorship, The First Amendment, and Free Speech - Essay Example Regulation of the general speech is censorship but regulation of evil and illegal speech is not censorship. The government should control some internet content such as hate sites, excessive violence, pornography and misuse of chat rooms (Kagan 12-46). The first step of controlling and regulating internet content is by proper enforcement of National laws. Laws are important since they are effective in controlling the harmful content in the internet. For example, the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) efficiently help in regulating harmful internet content to children. The government should also pass a bill which restricts contents such as pornography, misuse of chat rooms, information stimulating excessive violence and hate sites (Akdeniz 2-12). Pornography is the major evil element in the internet. According to the annual review of Online Computer Library Centre (2001), there were about 74000 websites containing â€Å"adult content† which were generating more than $1 billion as a profit. Despite the wide-spread of pornographic material in the internet, most of them are legal except the child pornography, bestiality, sadomasochism and necrophilia. Therefore, the government should establish laws that restrict adults from holding or viewing pornographic materials (Akdeniz 2-12). The law should also ensure that internet users do not misuse chat rooms. The government law should restrict the hate sites and ban their creation in the internet. R v Graham case of 1999 is an example of how government can regulate internet content through the enforcement of the law. Secondly, the government can regulate and control the harmful and illegal internet content by developing active hotlines for reporting various cases involving illegal internet content. Hotlines are important in regulation since they enable the government to identify users who are

Universities in Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

Universities in Middle Ages Essay 1. 1 Origin of the University The main reason for the establishment of the universities in Europe was a spontaneous and enthusiastic desire for knowledge. Centres of learning had grown up from the monastic and cathedral schools formed what might be called the secondary school system of the early Middle Ages and were mostly concerned with the study of the liturgy and prayer. Towards the end of the twelfth century a few of the greatest old cathedral, monastic or some other form of schools claimed, from the excellence of their teaching, to be more than merely local importance. These schools were generally recognized places of study, where lectures were open to student of all countries and of all conditions. However, for these places of study, it took a long period of time to become universities (Cubberley, 1920). The more ancient and customary term for an academic institution was studium generale. Let us explain the way studium was created in those days. It began when the teacher of some ability and reputation attracted more and more students to study. In period of time more teachers and more students came. The addition of generale meant that the studium was attended by students from other countries and it was contrasted with a studium particulare, which taught students only from the neighbourhood. In the thirteenth century, according to famous historian, Hastings Rashdall, three characteristics were connoted by the term Studium Generale; a school which aspired to the name must not be restricted to natives of a particular town or country, it must have a number of masters, and it must teach not only the Seven Liberal Arts, but also one or more of the higher studies of Theology, Law and Medicine (1969, p9). It was used in much the same sense in which we speak of a University to-day (Graves, 1914) The term universitas itself was a general Roman legal term and originally meant any legally defined guild or corporation unless qualified by other expression. The complete name of the medieval university was – Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium – the body of masters and scholars. Graves suggests that â€Å"it signified a company of persons that had assembled for study and, like any other gild, had organized for the sake of protection; since they were in a town there they were regarded as strangers. Thus it did not refer to a place or school at all, but to the teachers and scholars† (1914, p87). Lyte affirms that â€Å"in the earliest and broadest sense of the term, a university had no necessary connexion with schools or literature, being merely a community of individuals bound together by some more or less acknowledged tie. The term was, however, specially applied to the whole body of persons frequenting the schools of a large stadium† (1886, p5). According to Mullinger there are at least â€Å"three new factors in the intellectual activity of the older universities which clearly distinguish that activity from anything that had gone before. Firstly, there is the introduction of new subjects of study, as embodied in a new or revived literature. Secondly it is the adaption of new methods of teaching, which these subjects rendered necessary. And finally there is the growing tendency to organisation which accompanied the development and consolidation of the nationalities† (1888, p4). Rashdall also concluded that the university had embodied three important educational values: â€Å"a commitment to providing not only useful professional training but also the highest intellectual cultivation possible; a desire not only to conserve and transmit knowledge but also to advance it by research and writing; and the most important of all, the idea of joining together teachers of diverse subjects into a single harmonious institution, the ideal of making the teaching body representative of the whole cycle of human knowledge† (1969a, p12). Practically in the second half of the twelfth century there were only few great centres where the highest education was attainable. The two great archetypal universities were those of Bologna and Paris. There was a great difference between them. The University of Bologna was considered to be the University of Students. It means that the students had entire charge of the government of the university. They hired and paid for the teachers. The University of Paris was regarded as the University of Masters, where the government was in the hands of the teachers and was paid by the church. These two types served as a pattern for nearly all the universities in Europe. The majority of the universities of northern Europe followed the system of Paris. On the other side the system of Bologna was the prototype of the southern universities. The other universities we focus on are the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. For their formation the University of Paris served as an example. However, they were not supported by the church but by the crown and the state (Rait, 1912). 1. 2 Privileges granted to universities From the time of the early universities popes, emperors and kings bestowed a large variety of exemptions, immunities and other special privileges on the masters and students of the universities. Basis for many special privileges granted to the professors and students in the early universities was formed by the grant of privileges to physicians and teachers made by the Emperor Constantine, in 333 A. D. and the privileges and immunities granted to the clergy by the early Christian Roman Emperors. In 1158, Frederic I. Barbarossa began the granting a privilege to the Studia Generalia in the document known as the Habita (the first word in the charter) in which he placed the students under his direct protection and declared them subject to the jurisdiction of their masters or of the bishop of Bologna. This grant was for the benefit of students of Bologna who were not natives of the city and were exposed to many dangers and disadvantages. It occurred that in case of any dispute between the students and a citizen of the town, the citizen had the advantage in the local court. Also the students were often robbed while travelling. So this emperor issued the following edict: â€Å"to all scholars who travelled for the sake of study and especially to the professors of divine and sacred laws They may go in safety,† he said, â€Å"to the places in which the studies are carried on, both they themselves and their messengers and may dwell there in security In the future no one shall be so rash as to venture to inflict any injury on scholars of to occasion any loss to them on account of a debt owed by an inhabitant of their province. If anyone shall presume to bring a suit against them on account of any business, the choice in this matter shall be given to the scholars, who may summon the accusers to appear before their professors or the bishop of the city, to whom we have given jurisdiction in this matter† (Graves, 1914, p82). During the period of time this privilege was also given for other universities by monarchs. A similar edict gave Philip Augustus to the students of Paris in 1200. A reason for conceding this privilege was a fight between the students and the king? s troops. The students were defeated and some of them even killed. Philip Augustus was afraid that the students would leave the school and it would be closed. He blamed his own official for the fight and gave the students full protection and immunity. It contained the obligation of every citizen of Paris to seize any one seen striking a student and deliver him to the judge. He also relieved students from trial by the city authorities unless the serious crime had been committed; in that case all judges were commanded to hand over the cases of the student criminals to the ecclesiastical judge (Munro, 1888). In 1231 Pope Gregory IX published a statute that was looked upon as the Magna Charta of the University of Paris. The members of the university were granted the right of making â€Å"constitutions and ordinances regulating the manner and time of lectures and disputations, the costume to be worn, the burial of the dead; and also concerning the bachelors, who are to lecture and at what hours, and on what they are to lecture; and concerning the prices of the lodgings or the interdiction of the same; and concerning a fit punishment for those who violate your constitutions or ordinances, by exclusion from your society† (Munro, 1921, p367). The universities had also certain recognized privileges that were specially granted by the civil or ecclesiastical authorities. Such was the jus ubique docendi, which meant that a master in one Studium Generale had the right of teaching in any other without further examination (Graves, 1914). Moreover the masters and the students had the right of cessation, the privilege of suspending lectures and go on a strike when university rights were violated. This right was frequently used to defend the university from the infringement of its freedom to teach, study, and discipline. This was closely connected with the right of migration. In the case that the members of the university were not satisfied they could leave the city and go to another town. Since the universities had no buildings and the lectures were held in the hired rooms, it was easy for them to move almost overnight. This grant caused the rise of many new universities. Sometimes it happened that a special invitation was issued to a university exercising the cessation to come to another city or even country. It was the case of the University of Oxford in 1229. King Henry III. promised the striking masters and scholars of Paris that â€Å"if it shall be your pleasure to transfer yourselves to our kingdom of England and to remain there to study, we will for this purpose assign to you cities, boroughs, towns, whatsoever you may wish to select, and in every fitting way will cause you to rejoice in a state of liberty and in tranquillity† (Graves, 1914, p85). Later Oxford, in turn, was to suffer from a similar migration. These privileges were generally held by all the universities through which the universities obtained a great power. They were free of the threat of royal or civic interference. An advantage of being self-governing corporations was that the universities were responsible for their own disciplinary arrangements and rarely had to deal with outside authorities. The liberty allowed to students resulted in recklessness, immorality, license, quarrels, dishonesty and care freeness. The students seemed to have become dissipated and quarrelsome. There were many conflicts with townspeople and even among themselves. 1. 3 Organization of universities. The students for a long time naturally grouped themselves according to the part of world and to the nation from which they came. These societies or confederations were generally known as â€Å"nations†. They came together for better protection and society. Every year each nation elected a chief, who was called the consiliarius (â€Å"councillor†). He represented the nation, looked after its interests and the rights and controlled the conduct of its members. There were constant quarrels between the different nations. A contemporary writer Jacobus de Vitriaco, has left us an account of student life at Paris, in which he says: â€Å"The students at Paris wrangled and disputed not merely about the various sects or about some discussions; but the differences between the countries also caused dissensions, hatreds and virulent animosities among them, and they impudently uttered all kinds of affronts and insults against one another†(Cubberley, 1920, p73). In each studium generale there were a larger or smaller number of â€Å"nations†. At Paris were four nations:†the honourable nation of the Gauls, the venerable nation of the Normans, the very faithful nation of the Picards, the very constant nation of the English†. Each was subdivided into provinces, and in a â€Å"province† might be included men from many lands. (Munro, 1921) According to F. P. Graves, â€Å"by the early part of the thirteenth century the students of Bologna had merged their organizations into two bodies – the universitas citramontanorum (â€Å"Cisalpine corporation†), composed of seventeen nations, and the universitas ultramontanorum (â€Å"Transalpine corporation†), made up of eighteen; but not for some three centuries were these two united† (1914, p87). In turn, the teachers themselves were combined together into â€Å"faculties†, that is to say, as associates in one and the same branch of learning and instruction. As H. C. M. Lyte states in his work that â€Å"the term faculty, which originally signified the capacity to teach a particular subject, came to be applied technically to the subject itself, or to the authorised teachers of it viewed collectively. Thus there might be separate Faculties of Theology, Law, Medicine, and the liberal Arts, coexistent within one university, although every university did not necessarily comprise all these Faculties† (1886, p7). Teachers and students were members of these faculties, and consequently also of the university. The importance of the faculties was different in various universities. A good example is the University of Bologna. Its Faculty of Law was the most prominent, the Faculty of the Medicine was established in 1316 and the Faculty of Theology was added in the year 1362. So it was with many of the early universities. All of four traditional faculties were found by the fourteenth century. Each faculty came to elect a decanus (â€Å"dean†) as its representative in the university organization. The deans, together with the councillors of the nations elected a rector, who was the head or president of the university. In a university of masters, he was generally chosen from the masters and in a university of students, he was usually a student (Graves, 1914). A long struggle aroused between the rector and the chancellor who was usually appointed by the Pope and represented the Church, to be the chief authority in the university. Ultimately the rector became the chief authority and the position of chancellor had no real importance. 1. 3. 1 The Faculty of Arts At Paris, Oxford, and Cambridge the arts faculties were the most dominant and were preparatory to the other three faculties. There is no evidence of any formal requirement for entry into an arts faculty, but it was necessary to have elementary proficiency in Latin, however the lectures were given in this language. The prescribed length of the course was six years with a minimum age of fourteen or fifteen for admission. According to Robert of Courson? s statutes of 1215 the minimum age for graduation as a master was fixed at twenty years. The basis of the medieval curriculum in Arts is to be found in the Seven Liberal Arts of the Dark Ages. The term liberal, derived from the Latin liberalis, has its roots in the word meaning â€Å"free†. It can implicate that a liberal arts education â€Å"frees† individuals from the chaos of irrationality. In the medieval period, the liberal arts were divided into the Trivium, which was consisted of Grammar, Rhetoric and Dialectic, and the Quadrivium, which included Arithmetic, Astronomy, Geometry and Music. These â€Å"Seven Liberal Arts† were thought suitable for the development of intellectual and moral excellence (North, 1992). Grammar always had a central place in the curriculum, but it did not mean how sentences are constructed or the analyses of parts of speech. It was the foundation and source of all the Liberal Arts. In the introduction to an improved Latin grammar, published about 1119, grammar is defined as â€Å"The doorkeeper of all the other sciences, the apt expurgatrix of the stammering tongue, the servant of logic, the mistress of rhetoric, the interpreter of theology, the relief of medicine, and the praiseworthy foundation of the whole quadrivium. † Grammar also included the study of poetry and poetic structure. It was also used for the analysis of secular writings, scriptures and biblical commentaries (Leff, 1992). By the definition, Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. Defined by Maurus, it was â€Å"the art of using secular discourse effectively in the circumstances of daily life. † Students learned about the techniques of oral expression and strategies of debate. It also enables the preacher or missionary to put the divine message in eloquent and impressive language. Dialectics, or logic, was the study of the use of logic in debates. By means of its aid a student was enabled to formulate argument, expose error, unmask falsehood, and draw conclusions accurately. It also includes the theory that argument and debate are part of the learning process. Its popularity was greatly enhanced by the acquisition of writings of Aristotle (Leff, 1992). The Quadrivium had relatively little importance and received small attention during the medieval period. The chief purpose of the astronomy was to explain the seasons and the motions of the planets. The study of this field enables the priests â€Å"to fix the time of Easter and all other festivals and holy days, and to announce to the congregation the proper celebration of them† For telling the time and for surveying purposes were used instruments which included a map of stars, the astrolabe and the quadrant. Other field of Quadrivium was also used for determining church days and calculating the date of Easter – Arithmetic. Moreover it involved the study of theories underlying the study of numbers and interpreting passages in the Scriptures involving measurements. It has to be remarked that the Roman system of notation was used and the Arabic notation was not known until the beginning of the thirteenth century (North, 1992). Geometry, the science of measurements, was used primarily as a means of calculating and measuring. Its focus was on the relational values between objects and determining ratios. It involved the geography of Europe, Asia and Africa, too. Music was based on the same principle as Arithmetic. While Arithmetic concerned the numerical manifestation of universal ratios, music was considered to be the expression of numerical relationships using sounds. According to Michael Masi, harmony in Music was â€Å"the ratio and proportion expressed in musical terms. † The primary focus of scholars was to become familiar with the mathematical nature of music. John North cited Brunetto Latini who said that â€Å"music was the second mathematical science, which serves for our delight and for the service of the Lord† (North, 1992, p343). The study of music was also important in religious practises The education of Seven Liberal Arts prepared students for careers in the church, education, business and law. It came to be the standard for a university education for next centuries. 1. 3. 2 The Faculty of Theology This faculty was the most important of the four and it prepared students for the service of the Church. The book which received far greater attention than the Scriptures and the students put most of their time upon was Peter Lombard? s Book of Sentences. The neglect of the Scriptures for the scholastic theology was characteristic for this period of time. Graves in his work A History of education during the Middle Ages and the transition to modern times quotes Roger Bacon: â€Å"Although the principal study of the theologian ought to be in the text of Scriptures, in the last fifty-years theologians have been principally occupied with questions in tractates and Summ? , horse-loads composed by many, and not at all with the most holy text of God. And accordingly, theologians give a readier reception to a treatise of scholastic questions than they do to one about the text of Scripture† (1914, p90). The course usually lasted for eight years and some centuries later it was extended to fourteen years. According to C. Munro, â€Å"while theology is commonly spoken of as the â€Å"queen of the sciences† and the seven liberal arts are termed its handmaidens, the faculties of the theology did not enrol a very large number of students in the thirteenth century† (1921, p372). 1. 3. 3 The Faculty of Law The course generally contained civil and canon law. The authorized text for civil law was Justinian? s Corpus Iuris Civilis which included compilation of imperial edicts, the Digest of opinions of Roman jurists, and an introductory text for students. For the study of canon law it was Gratian? s Decretum which included ecclesiastical offices, the administration of canon law, and the ritual and sacraments. As Munro says, â€Å"many students in the law faculty, however, did not aspire to proficiency in the laws themselves, but were content with the more humble but lucrative study of the ars dictaminis, or ars notaria. and the ars dictaminis may be styled the complete art of letter writing. Hence knowledge of this art was especially useful in law matters and came to be known as the ars notaria† (1921, p373). Bologna was the acknowledged centre of instruction in both the civil and canon law. 1. 3. 4 The Faculty of Medicine The Medical Faculty taught the knowledge of the medical arts which included the Greek and Arabic text-books, especially the treatises by Hippocrates and Galen. There was no dissection of the human body practised till the thirteenth century; therefore the only way to study human anatomy was from text-books or from the study of the anatomy of animals. â€Å"The year 1300 is almost exactly the date for which we have the first definite evidence of the making of Human dissections, and the gradual development of anatomical investigation by this means in connection with the Italian universities† (Munro, 1921, p374). 1. 4 Degrees The system of degrees was common to all universities during the thirteenth century. There were three grades of degrees – Bachelor, Master and Doctor. After the three year? s course of trivium at the Faculty of Arts had been completed, the student entered upon quadrivium, and became a â€Å"commencing† bachelor or a â€Å"determiner†. According to Mullinger the â€Å"determiner was called upon to preside at certain disputations in the schools, and to sum up, or determine, the logical value of the arguments adduced by respondent or opponent. † (1888, p25). This meant nothing more than the student? s apprenticeship to a master but it was his admission to a degree of Bachelor of Arts (Verger, 1992). Performing the act of determining – to be tested in public disputations – made him a bachelor of arts. To be tested in public disputations meant that â€Å"a student was permitted to present himself for a test as to his ability to define words, determine the meaning of phrases, and read the ordinary Latin texts in Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic (the Trivium), to the satisfaction of other masters than his own† (Rashdall, 1969a, p28). According to D. R. Leader a bachelor of arts was â€Å"in effect a journeyman master who partially shared in the masters? privileges of lecturing and presiding at disputations† (1994, p22). This term as H. C. M. Lyte states, â€Å"was used in a technical sense at all the medieval universities, to denote a student who had ceased to be a pupil, but had not yet become a teacher† (1886, p7). The Bachelor was a student-teacher who was seeking to obtain a license to teach in his own right. At the end of quadrivium the bachelor was formally discharged from the state of apprenticeship and he could entreat the chancellor for the degree of master. If the masters of his faculty decided that he was a suitable candidate for the magisterium both by his learning and character, he was received into the brotherhood of teachers and became an â€Å"inceptor†, the candidate. After he passed the actual, â€Å"rigorous† examination which consisted of a disputation upheld by the candidate over a particular question, he was regarded as â€Å"graduated† but was not qualified to teach in the university. The â€Å"graduated† had to also pass the public examination. It was a ceremony during which he performed his first magistral act, usually a disputation with students, on a theme of his choice. There was no possibility of failing. After all these statutory requirements the â€Å"inceptor† received the degree of master and he was authorised to lecture. However, he was obliged by oath to act for two years as a regent or teacher. This period was known as his â€Å"regency†. This rule guaranteed the supply of teachers for the university (Green, 1969). J. Verger says that â€Å"the general attitude at the end of the Middle Ages was that the title gave its bearer genuine social dignity, giving him access to the world of the privileged, indeed, to that of the nobility† (1992, p145). If the Master of Arts wished to enter upon a further course of study, he had to pass through similar steps of bachelorhood and magisterium in one of the superior faculties as well. The terms â€Å"Master† and â€Å"Doctor† were at first synonymous, but during the fourteenth century the title â€Å"Doctor† began to be used instead of â€Å"Master† for the chief degree in the Faculties of Law and Medicine (Verger, 1992). As F. P. Graves expressed â€Å"the degrees â€Å"master† and â€Å"doctor† seem to have been originally about on a par with each other. .. As soon as a candidate was successful in the one, he immediately proceeded to the other, upon which occasion he received both the license to teach and the doctor? s degree† (1914, p92).

Analyzing The Feminine Agenda In Plays English Literature Essay

Analyzing The Feminine Agenda In Plays English Literature Essay In the three dramas, Oedipus Rex, Death of a Salesman, and Macbeth the feminine characters craft their own personal agendas into the lives of the tragic heroes. Jocasta, Linda, and Lady Macbeth are all similar in their dynamic nature, ability to enable, and their need to care for others. The exploration of these similarities can also be considered the driving force which leads to each of the tragic heroes to their ultimate fates. This woman uses female methods of acquiring power- that is, manipulation- to further her supposed male ambition. The remarkable effectiveness of Lady Macbeths manipulation is apparent in several ways. She overrides all of his objections to the plot she construes. When Macbeth hesitates in murdering Duncan, Lady Macbeth persistently taunts his lack manhood and courage until he feels it necessary to prove himself. Interestingly, Lady Macbeth and her husband are presented as being deeply in love. However, many of Lady Macbeths speeches imply that her control over Macbeth is merely sexual. Lady Macbeths strong will persists throughout the murder of the king. Afterwards, however, she begins a slow slide into madness. Just as ambition affects her more so before the crime, so does the guilt afterwards. She falls victim to guilt and madness to a greater extent than her husband. The play implies that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men, but social constraints deny them the opportunitie s to pursue the ambition on their own. By the close of the play, Lady Macbeth has been reduced to sleepwalking and attempting to remove invisible bloodstains. When the plague of guilt has finally done its worse, Lady Macbeths sensitivity becomes her weakness. Subsequently, her husbands cruelty and her own guilt recoil on her, sending her into a madness which she is unable to cope with. In the end, she drives herself mad because of her guilt over the murders and she apparently kills herself. Linda Loman is Willys link to reality. She serves as a force of reason throughout the play. Linda is by far the toughest, most realistic, and most levelheaded character in the play. She sees what her husband is going through. Despite all of his failures and weaknesses, she supports him, loves him, and occasionally enables his behavior. Linda realizes that Willy is just an ordinary man living in the times, but she does not place blame on him. If anything, she loves him more because of it. Linda assumes the role of the protector, the defender, and the respecter. She protects Willy when Biff fights with him. Linda defends Willy to her sons who believe that he is going crazy. Also, she respects him enough to pretend that she is unaware of the fact that he is trying to kill himself and that he has lost his salary. She knows that Willy is suicidal, irrational, and difficult to deal with; however, she goes along with Willys fantasies in order to protect him from the criticism of others, as well as his own self-criticism. Linda tries to protect him, but her efforts are in vain. Linda enables Willy in many ways, but she also encourages him. She gently nudges him when it comes to paying the bills and communicating with Biff and she does not lose her temper when he becomes irate. Linda knows that Willy is secretly borrowing money from Charley to pay the life insurance and other bills. Despite all of this, Linda does nothing, afraid to aggravate Willys fragile mental condition. She goes as far as throwing Biff and Happy out of the house when their behavior threatens to upset Willy. Linda views freedom as an escape from debt, the reward of total ownership of the material goods that symbolize success and stability. Willys prolonged obsession with the American dream seems, over the long years of his marriage, to have left Linda internally conflicted. She appears to have kept her emotional life intact. As such, she represents the emotional core of the drama. Linda is a character driven by desperation and fear. Even though Willy is often rude to her, she protects him at all costs. According to Linda, Willy is only a little boat looking for a harbor (___________). She loves Willy, and more importantly, she accepts all of his shortcomings. Jocastas character is only strongly represented in the closing scenes in the play. Throughout the play, Jocasta tested the beliefs of those around her by feigning disbelief in the gods herself. Though she put up this false front, she did keep her faith. At the beginning of the scene wherein a messenger relayed word of Polybus death and Oedipus right to the throne of Corinth, we see Jocasta praying. In her first words, she attempts to make peace between Oedipus and Creon, pleading with Oedipus not Tiresiass terrifying prophecies as false. Unlike Oedipus, Jocasta distrusts the oracles and believes that whatever happens will do so by unforeseeable chance. However, she is still wary enough to honor Apollo with offerings in a crisis. Jocasta carries garlands and incense to the altar and tries to appeal to Apollo to purify the city of Thebes. Jocasta solves the riddle of Oedipuss identity before Oedipus does, and she expresses her love for her son and husband in her desire to protect him f rom this knowledge. She pleads with him to stop asking questions regarding the circumstances. Jocastas character is intelligent and capable, but not driven to exploration as Oedipus. She carries her own agenda about what should be known and looked into. Jocastas character is used by the gods, in a way, to test Oedipuss faith. After accusing Creon of conspiracy and treason, Oedipus relates to Jocasta the details of his meeting with Tiresias. Jocasta proceeds to plant doubts of the gods by telling Oedipus the story of the Delphian Oracle and the circumstances surrounding Laius death. Again, after Polybus death, she excitedly tells Oedipus that his prophecy was obviously untrue, though it was not, and by doing so she attempts to hint that the oracles and thus the gods are false. It can be drawn that Jocasta is forced to perform such tasks for the gods because she tried to avoid an earlier prophecy. By tying her childs feet together and casting him out, she attempted to defeat the gods, and this disbelief of course angered them. Her punishment, then, was to test the beliefs of the very child she cast out. Jocasta was, in this way, a victim. Though it was by her own doing that this penalty was cast upon her, it was not something she was happy to do, which becomes apparent when she realizes the truth in her earlier prophecy. It is at this moment that she becomes aware of her punishment, and in desperation kills herself. After the realization of the truth, Jocastas own panicked grief impels her to suicide. Jocasta is a victim in Oedipus Rex, but not as much as she is a catalyst for Oedipus own victimization. She keeps her faith throughout and tries to relieve Oedipus of his. Because of this, readers may in turn pity her and loathe her. But the gods tested the king of Thebes through her the main goal of the play and both he and she failed. In the exploration of Oedipus Rex, Death of a Salesman, and Macbeth the feminine characters obvious self-interest plays an important role in their counter parts downfalls. Jocasta, Linda, and Lady Macbeth are all similar in their dynamic nature, ability to enable, and their need to care for others. The previous exploration illustrates the female agenda in contrast to the tragic heroes.

Anorexia and Bulimia :: Causes of Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia

A variation of Anorexia, Bulimia ranges from excessive food intake, to an out of control compulsive cycle of binge eating where extraordinary amounts of any available food, usually of high carbohydrate content, may be consumed. Once having gorged, the victims are overcome with the urge to rd themselves of what they hate eaten by purging themselves, usually by vomiting, and sometimes by massive doses of laxatives. Between these obsessive bouts, most are able to accept some nutrition. Whereas the anorexic sufferer fears fatness from anticipated loss of eating control, and unlike the anorexic sufferer the typical bulimic individual is not emaciated, but usually maintains a normal body weight and appears to be fit and healthy. However, the obsessive binge purge cycle causes them deep distress, shame, guilt, self-loathing and social isolation, and many will go to any lengths to hide their â€Å"shameful† secret from the family and friends. Typical Sufferers The anorexic or bulimic may be either sex, but the smaller percentage is in males. However the male percentage is on the increase. Most sufferers come from middle and upper income families, and are usually highly intelligent. Anorexic and bulimic people are often perfectionists, with unrealistically high expectations. They frequently lack self-esteem, with their feelings of ineffectiveness and a strong need for other peoples’ approval. Causes There is at present no generally accepted view of the causes of anorexia or bulimia. Most authorities believe the problem to be psychologically based, possibly stemming from family and social pressures, or other forms of stress in our modern environment. Where a high value is placed on slim-ness, women are most likely to be judged on their appearance, against a heavy background of high carbohydrate junk food promotion. Often, the illness is triggered by a major change in the person’s life. Age and Extent Anorexia tends to start in early the early teens, whereas bulimia usually occurs in the late teens and older age groups. Sometimes bulimia develops out of anorexia, but can occur without a previous history of anorexia. It often persists over many years. It is known girls as young as 8 years of age had displayed an unhealthy pre-occupation with dieting. The full extent of the problem is not known, but estimates very from one in every hundred school girls with anorexia, to six percent of Australian women with bulimia. Since bulimia is not a physically obvious condition, the numbers could be far higher. Social Isolation People who have anorexia or bulimia have probably been feeling isolated and friendless for a long time. This may have been one of the factors contributing to their belief that they are essentially unacceptable people. However, the condition itself increases social isolation. Sufferers dare not let people get too close to them in case their real self, which they

Art and Aesthetics Essay -- Art

Art and Aesthetics Art is usually referred to as the visual arts, where a piece of work is judged through the aesthetics in which it creates. However, art refers to all human endeavors, including the product of oneÂ’s creative impulse. In other words, art does not have to be innovative to be good. I believe art is the communication of an idea, be it visual, musical, communicative or other. Art is the interplay between the conscious and unconscious part of our being, between what is real and what is an illusion; it is the voice of our soul through color and form in a constant search for connection with something beyond. I think of art as the bridge between our souls and the physical world. I see art as both an interaction between our psychological existence and our cultural expression of that existence. Thus, this can include challenging and sometimes disturbing imagery as well as the aesthetically pleasing. The artist's conceptual vision and a personÂ’s ability to translate this to an audience is what transforms the ordinary experience to a historically and culturally significant event. Moreover, art has a purpose. It is a way of reaching out and sending out a message, of opening a different way of communicating something with others, in ways otherwise would not be possible to achieve. Culture definitely plays a big role on the different varieties of art we have in our world today. For example, Japanese adolescents can be seen spending hours of their spare time trying to create animated art, otherwise known as Ââ€Å"manga†. This form of art may not be acceptable to every culture, as it may be seen as being unrealistic childish nonsense. However, to these Japanese adolescents, Ââ€Å"manga† is a valuable work of art. Contemporaries like Andy Warhol may have a different definition of what art is. However, traditionalists may sneer upon WarholÂ’s creation of the CampbellÂ’s soup can as a work of art. Generally, an artistÂ’s surroundings and culture plays a big influence in the type of art he or she creates. Personally, my culture did not play a big role when I was in the midst of working on my artwork. Although I consider myself as an amateur when it comes to art, I believe that if you let your emotions and inspirations guide you, you would be able to produce a fine piece of art. This will make your piece of art original, as it would have come from deep within yours... ...of something to the person who tries to interpret it. Every piece of art is created through the knowledge of something, be it objective or subjective. For example, in an artistic way, a skilled craftsman would have a purpose and message in mind and he adapts and molds materials to fulfill this end. If he is to succeed in conveying his message, he needs to develop his expertise. There is a kind of craftsmanship and intelligence at work in the practice of his art. Whether a ship builder or weaver, he applies his practical knowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœhow, virtuosity, and talent in fashioning objects that he is creating, and he draws upon general principles which he applies to concrete cases. Moreover, art can help a person develop their critical senses. It could give a person an intuition for forming judgments and trying to decipher what the artwork is trying to portray. Knowledge provided by art is very distinct, as it deals with having a good sense of judgment and interpretation. In conclusion, there is no one true definition of art. Art is valued differently, depending on the individual. Different individuals have different views as to what art is; and as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Advantage of SNS

The term Social Networking Site has often been used interchangeably with the term social network site. The definition of the two terms are one the same. According Boyd and Ellison, social network sites are, â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.† The authors chose the term network instead of networking simply because the latter term emphasizes building new relations between people. Although SNS have allowed people to meet others, it appears that the main purpose of SNS is to communicate with people who are already part of their extended social network.Social network sites are used in different ways and for different purposes. Users of such sites take advan tage of its various features that allow them to do different things. One feature of social network sites that is considered advantageous is that it allows users to share information with each other.Also, users have the option to share only the information that they want. Each user of each site has a profile page. This page contains a personalized description of the member.Demographic details, tastes, videos and photographs are the common things found on profiles. (Boyd) From these pages, the users can share their information with others people. Also, some use SNS to share pictures and videos with their friends.SNS are also useful for they allow users to build new relationships and maintain current ones. Some use such sites to meet new people. According to Lenhart and Madden, â€Å"For girls, social networking sites are places to reinforce pre-existing friendships, while for the boys who use the sites, the networks provide opportunities for flirting and making new friends.†Soc ial network sites are commonly utilized to communicate with friends. In a study conducted on why teens use social network sites, Lenhart and Madden found that, â€Å"91% of all social networking teens say they use the sites to stay in touch with friends they see frequently, while 82% use the sites to stay in touch with friends they rarely see in person.†Whatever type of relationship it is, it is evident that social networking sites build and foster relationships particularly friendships.Another reason why social networking sites are useful and popular is that it builds and strengthens communities. Social network sites allow users to choose the people who will become part of their network. These associations form the communities.Choosing Friends in social network sites give the users a chance to write their communities into being. (Boyd). SNS creates and improves communities based on similarities between users. Some sites such as MySpace connect people based on shared interest s. (Ellison et al)Also some sites such as Facebook allow its members to, â€Å"Join virtual groups based on common interests, see what classes they have in common, and learn each others' hobbies, interests, musical tastes, and romantic relationship status through the profiles.† (Ellison et al)Social network sites are advantageous because they allow users to create their identity and space. Through the profiles, the users are able to create an image of themselves. Their profile page is their space, defined they way they want and containing the things they want.More importantly, the user’s social network is his space and he has the ability to change it simply by adding or removing people from his list. His social network defines his identity as well. According to Donath and Boyd, â€Å"Public displays of connection serve as important identity signals.†Works Citedboyd, danah, & Ellison, Nicole. â€Å"Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship.† Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2007, 13(1), article 11.   2 December 2007 .boyd, danah. â€Å"Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life.† In David Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, Identity, and Digital Media (pp. 119-142). Cambridge: MIT Press. 2 December 2007 .