Federal Budget Must be Reduced :: Argumentative Persuasive Economics Papers

Federal Budget Must be Reduced The annual multibillion-dollar federal budget threatens the future of the United States and must be reduced.To cut the size of the deficit, federal revenues must be increased, and federal outlays must be reduced, or a combination of the two may be used.Under the 1990 budget agreement, Congress cut defense spending and benefits to veterans, farmers, and Medicare and Medicaid patients. In addition, the agreement increased taxes for the wealthiest Americans and phased out some of their tax exemptions. The act also raised taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, gasoline, and airline tickets. ("Current Issues". Close-Up Foundation,1993.) This was a good first step, at balancing rather than rolling over the debt to future generations. However, the Republicans need to find some more support to get another such agreement passed. Expensive defense programs that were once necessary are no longer needed. The money that was once used for defense should be put toward lowering the budget deficit, which grows at the rate of $10,000 per second and stood as $5,020,705,156,014 at eight o'clock p.m. on November 13, 1995. This is according to the National Debt Clock ([Debt Clock], //www.fusebox.com/debtclock/). Because Americans are not willing to sacrifice social programs, the only alternative is to raise taxes. Americans may not like it, but they need to pay for the government services they want and need. However, this increase in taxes should be kept in perspective, since a tax increase will reduce personal income and business profits. Too high of an increase in taxes will only stifle economic growth by reducing the money businesses would have to invest in expansion and job creation. The latest step in balancing the budget was a stop-gap spending bill which passed through the House of Representatives November 8, 1995, ([CNN-House passes stop-gap spending bill-Nov.8,1995], http://www.cnn.com//US/9511/budget/index.html) This bill reduces the funding for some programs. On Monday, President Clinton vetoed the stop-gap spending measure, and a debt limit extension calling them "too high a price"

Family run business Wyncraft Essay

As a Family run business Wyncraft produces high quality decorative home wear, ranging from mainly wooden products as well as high quality pottery, decorative metals and table decorations. Wyncraft will produce these quality products by using wood from only sustainable Norwegian Forests to maintain the future of the business and the environment from which the products naturally and originally derive from. Objectives: Staff levels of Wyncraft – Wyncraft operates with different levels including: Technical – the practical job roles involved with production of goods, staff perform tasks set out by manager and supervisors etc. Workforce are usually without authority and controlled by managerial and community level staff. Staff at this level- * Jack in addition to one full-time and one part-time member of staff in the sanding and varnishing department * Fred, Albert (â€Å"Tub†) and JR (John Roberts) are hands on in the cutting department and 8 full-time production staff, * Despatch employees – 3 full time staff and one driver Graham * Part-timers and home workers – assembly assistance * Assistant/secretary Jean Hudson, * Yvonne human resources role, * Harry sales, personnel as well as the books Managerial – the technical level interrelates with the managerial level, which is concerned with the co-ordination and integration of work at the technical level. Generally supervisors/managers, the main role is to outline the specific requirements to the technical level form the community level. Other roles include dealing with customers, clients and suppliers. Staff at this level – * Harry manages and oversees all operations of the company providing him with high responsibility and authority. * Jack manages the sanding/varnishing department * JR oversees the production department Community – the board of directors, this level makes decisions of how the company is to be run by the other interrelated levels. They are responsible for the operation of the organisation as a whole they have authority to provide regulations/requirements in which the rest of the organisation must comply with. In addition this level interrelates with the managerial level to inform of such procedures. Staff at this level – * Harry * Jack * Albert * Fred All the brothers above are the owners/directors of Wyncraft where as Harry has more of a managing director role. Although the brothers are at the community level they do operate in the technical level and most operate in the managerial level too. The three levels community, technical and managerial can be represented in a diagram to show the interdependence and authority levels. The diagram highlights the fact that each level could not survive without the other levels. Wyncraft Memorandum To: Harry Roberts From: Ryan Johnson Date: 5/12/04 Re: The importance of good organisational structure Although there are many factors and constraints, which can affect a company structure there is a need to establish a framework of order and system of command by which the work to be undertaken is accomplished successfully. This implies that attention be given to the design and implementation of the company structure. â€Å"Structure can make or break an organisations† (Mullins 2002 p.536) Organisations are groups of people brought together for a specific purpose, for this to be achieved successfully people need to be organised within the best possible structure. (Mullins 2002) In relation to Wyncraft it is necessary to organise and formalise the company into a structure in order to expand successfully and attract and recruit new staff. Good organisational structure can be a means of dividing responsibilities and tasks equally and fairly amongst executives to ensure a simple, effective and functional process for Wyncraft. At present it would appear that Harry Roberts has a higher responsibility level than his co-owners, it can cause pressure for one person to have the majority share in responsibility. It is not good for the company or Harry to oversee all departments and company functions, the role should be shared to ensure that quality is being produced within Wyncraft. If there were shared roles in high responsibility tasks then this could guarantee service and production are of an acceptable standard for Wyncraft. Furthermore specialist staff within managerial department roles could provide Wyncraft with higher standards and production leaving the executives more time to concentrate on further selling and expansion. Wyncraft Proposed Organisation Chart There are many possible structures for organisations to use when considering producing an organisational chart, function, area, process, product and customer. * Function – most common structure used, involving the company being split up into departments or specialisations. * Area – used by large national or multinational businesses, the concept being that co-ordination is implemented from Head Office to ensure that efforts are not duplicated when different locations carry out similar activities. * Process – this is used when requirements for different skills are needed, for example when product is manufactured it passes through several stages requiring different skills for the stages of the process. * Product – This is used in large organisations or for companies that have wide product ranges. * Customer – this is used when a business has different types of customers who need different and specialised treatment or modified service or products. Most organisations will structure themselves in a way that a variety of structure options are used, different departments could be structured using a different format. In relation to Wyncraft it is appropriate to consider using chart structures that are relevant to its production and process. Although all options should be considered I propose that Process and Function are more practical in terms of Wyncraft. Looking at the above descriptions of structure options Product, customer and area can be ruled out, this is due to the size of the company being relatively small in comparison to large multinational companies and the product range generally quite limited. It is important to remember the main function of the company: production of environmentally friendly quality home wear, which leads on to the need for clear process and function management. Read more:  Family Run Business Proposed Process chart for Wyncraft: How Wyncraft’s product is manufactured requires different departments/functions with different skills etc. The diagram above illustrates the process in which the product is made which highlights the need for a clear functional process. With a sufficient functional chart or structure then the process above can be implemented. Departments such as personnel are necessary to be part of the company but are not necessarily part of the process involved in the production of the product. Therefore although personnel and marketing etc. need to be considered a separate structure chart is not necessary at this stage. Proposed function chart for Wyncraft: Organisation Functions An organisation consists of departments they usually take the following format: * Personnel – the function of Personnel is typically to control recruitment, provide staff training, promote legal and safety requirements and create policies and procedures. In relation to Wyncraft personnel Yvonne manages issues and although she does not work full time for the company she takes a leading role in this department. Harry oversees this department and manages this role if necessary to cover any period of time Yvonne is not present. Being a company that only employs 48 people many of the typical functions of a Personnel department are not carried out. The kind of issues Yvonne would deal with within Wyncraft would be the less formal and personal aspects of Personnel for example staff absence etc. * Production – typically the function of the production department includes manufacturing the product, establishes priority order for consumer demand, works within standards and budgets and maintains flow of production. In relation to Wyncraft the main focus for the company is production, the list above does reflect the function of this department in Wyncraft well. The production department is responsible for cutting; shaping, drilling and preparing all the wood used in the production of their home wear products. They are heavily reliant on machinery and control machinery maintenance and must adhere to safe practice as well as storing and controlling materials. * Sales – typically this department sells the product and continually looks to expand and increase sales for the company. In relation to Wyncraft Harry mostly undertakes this role and concentrates on targeting major department stores and smaller (high quality) independent china/gift stores. Sales for Wyncraft is different to most organisations as selling direct to customers would actually most likely loose custom for the company. Sales for Wyncraft are expanding overseas due to the success of their web page; the main function of this department now is to concentrate on expansion overseas to supplying to the major department stores. * Marketing – generally consists of establishing consumer demand, promotes the product, examines the market and conducts market research. In relation to Wyncraft it seems apparent that there is no actual department for this function. Harry oversees this role and perhaps as part of his sales he also implements some form of marketing, however as Wyncraft is a small company it is realistic that there is no specific marketing department. Strong client relationships with major department stores could provide Harry with enough knowledge on consumer demand and market research etc. * Finance – this department deals with all monetary aspects of the company. Typical roles include, balancing accounts, planning and expenditure, wage and salary administration and account management. In relation to Wyncraft Yvonne is responsible for wages and accounts Harry takes control of the company accounts, all companies no matter what size need to manage their accounts and obviously pay their staff. Wyncraft does not have a specific finance department due to the small size of the company. * Purchasing – this department would generally be in charge of buying in materials required for production. In relation to Wyncraft all wood is bought from sustainable Norwegian Forests and quantities are provided from the production department, the product range for Wyncraft is small and therefore no specific department is required to buy repeat materials. * Research and Development – this department usually provides improvement for production methods and processes through research, identifies new technology and researches new products. In relation to Wyncraft there is no research and development department although progress has been made on the technological aspect with the implementation of the successful web page. Interdependence between these departments can vary between companies in the case of Wyncraft where not many specific departments exist then it could be assumed that the dependence occurs without recognition. The finance department will provide obvious constraints to all departments because without funding they cannot function. The main function of Wyncraft is obviously production and without this the other functions would have no purpose. Sales department is reliant upon production and vice versa because without demand production is pointless and without production sales are not attainable. Relationships within Wyncraft: = Line relationship = Functional relationship = Staff relationship = Lateral relationship Staff can operate with more than one relationship an example of this is Harry who operates in a staff relationship with his secretary, a line relationship with JR and Jack Roberts and also a lateral relationship with many of the other members of staff.

Greek And Roman Mythology Essay

Divine Myth; †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"True myths† or â€Å"myth proper†. Stories in which the main characters are super natural beings. Generally explain some aspect of the world †¢Example would be Zeus over throwing his father and the related stories; creation of myths and of the ancient greeks †¢Nyx (Night): the abstract concept of night given to a few human characteristics. Union of Nyx and Erebus (Darkness) produced their opposites, aether †Radiance† and herma â€Å"day† Legends (Sagas) †¢Latin word is Legenda â€Å"something that must be read†. Originated referred to Christian Stories of the saints. †¢Stories of great deeds from humans. (Semi-divine), usually narrates the events of the human past †¢Stories of the Trojan war and the exploits of Achilles and the other Greek heroes fit into this category. Troy and Legend †¢Heinrich Schliemann 1822-1890 †¢Believed that Homer’s stories about Troy were based on historical truth †¢Funded archaeological digs at Troy and later at Mycenae †¢Founded a huge horde of gold and jewels, â€Å"Priam’s Treasure† Folktales †¢Stories whose characters are ordinary people or animals; folk takes serve both to entertain and teach or justify. †¢Greeks had a work for folk talk, â€Å"Ainos† (Simple fable) †¢Hesiod Works and Days â€Å"The hawk and the nightingale† Motifs †¢Regular appearance of certain identifiable narrative patterns in a story †¢The modern novel we see the motif of water or light which consistently comes up n the story, serves as a thread running throughout †¢Simple motifs include; double (Twins, doppelgangers); dragons, etc Theories of Myth Allegory †¢Greek word meaning â€Å"say something differently† †¢Similar to symbolism Physical Allegory †¢THEAGENES (6TH CENTURY B. C. ) †¢First use of allegory to interpret myth †¢Myths about battles between gods really represented natural conflicts between natural  causes †¢Based his interpretations on opposites. †¢One god may represent fire and another water. Clashes represent eternal conflicts between fire and water False Etymologies †¢Means getting to the root of a word †¢Cronus (father of Zeus) †¢Greeks tried to relate Cronus to Crono (Time) †¢Cronus eats children (Time devours everything) †¢However Cronus and Crono are not etymologically related words Historical Allegory Euhemerism †¢An interpretation created by Euhemerus (ca 300 B. C. ) †¢Opposed to physical allegory, Euhemerism says myths tell us historical truths not philosophical truthsÃ'Ž †¢Gods are historical figures, human kings ruled long ago and were transformed into stories by gods †¢Related to Euhemerism and false etymologies is the idea that myths were formed by an understanding. †¢Actaeoniane are not torn apart by his dogs, but ruined by spending all his money on hunting dogs The Minoans †¢Ca 2200 B. C. E – ca 1450 B. C. E †¢Elaborate palaces; significant wealth and technology †¢Bull is an important religious symbol †¢Worshipped female fertility goddess †¢No defensive structures- mastery of the sea †¢Non Indo-Europeans †¢Non Greek Speakers (Linear A script not deciphered) Thera (Modern Santorini) †¢A rich Minoan culture that was destroyed ca 1630 BCE The End of the Minoans †¢ca 1450 B. C. E Minoan Civilization was destroyed and palaces burned †¢Palace at Cnossus Mycenaean †¢Ca 1600 B. C. E- 1150 B. C. E †¢Indo-European Greek Speakers (linear B script) †¢Mycenae’s ruled by powerful king †¢Warlike people- Bronze weaponry, chariots. †¢1150 B. C. E, palaces destroyed by fire. Linear B language lost for 400 years until Archeic Period †¢Re-emerged as Greek Alphabets Near Eastern Influence †¢Mesopotamia â€Å"Land between Rivers† (Tigris and Euphrates, modern Iraq) Important source for myths †¢Non Indo-Europeans speaking society. ( linguistic group than the Greeks) †¢Greek myths of the origin of the present world order, a universal flood and other myths show the influence of the near east. †¢Other important peoples that influenced Greek myth; Sumerians, Semites, Akk September 12, 2013 Creation Myths 1: Hesiod’s Theogony †¢Ca. 700 B. C. E †¢2 works survive intact (fragments of some of his other works are extent) †¢About the origin of the universe and the ascension of Zeus to â€Å"kings of the gods† †¢Works and Days: The account of the fall of man from a golden age to one of the iron †¢Elaborated on the personification of various aspects of life. Eg Gaea is the mother nature †¢Gaea is in pain because of Uranos’ hatred of their off spring †¢Uranos imprisons his youngest children to Tartarus †¢Succession myth (Uranos feared that his children would take his power away from him) †¢Gaea encourages Cronus to exact revenge †¢Cronus threw Uranos genitals into the sea, which gave rise to Aphrodite (God of love/sexuality) †¢The Giants (Erinyes, Furies) and Melian ash-tree Nymphs sprang from Uranos spilled blood †¢Cronus warned by Gaea (Mother) and Uranos (Father), would be afraid of their off springs †¢Cronos (Time) and Rhea had ; Zeus, Poseidon (Earth Shaker), Hades, Hera, Demeter, and  Hestia †¢Once born, Cronos eats his children to prevent from being overthrown †¢Rhea, advice from her parents hid her youngest child, Zeus on the island of Crete in a cave. †¢Rhea gave Cronus a stone in place of Zeus’s place †¢Zeus raised in a cave by nymphs and fed milk from the goat Amalthea and the honey from the bee Melissa †¢Protected by the Corybantes (Whirlers)/ Curetes â€Å"young men†Ã'Ž †¢Metis (Cleverness) give Cronus an emetic (causes him to vomit his sons and daughters) †¢The stone become the famous omphalos placed in Delphi (Center of the earth) †¢Rhea and Cronos, and Gaia and Uranus  The Titanomachy (War against the Titans) †¢Titans led by Cronus, Olympians led by Zeus †¢Some of the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires (the â€Å"Hundred-handers†) helped Zeus. The Cyclopes fashioned Zeus’s thunderbolt. †¢Eventually the Olympians won †¢Zeus banishes Cronus to Tartarus, along with the other Titans where they are watched by the Hundred-handers †¢The women were neutral, they were not banished. Epimetheus, Prometheus, and Atlas were spared. †¢Atlas’s punishment was that he had to hold up the sky at the edge of the world Typhoesus/Typhons/Typhus †¢Typheous is the youngest son of Tartarus and Gaea  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢He was so terrifying that the Olympian gods fled to Egypt and disguised themselves as animals. †¢In a fierce battle (hurled, torn to sinews) Zeus defeated Typheous- Mt. Etna(Typheous was being held down there) †¢Dragon combat motif (Characteristics where they are born inside the earth) (Dragons represent feminity; Zeus represents masculine values Birth of Athena †¢Zeus escapes the pattern of the succession myth (overthrown) †¢Zeus has married Metis and she was pregnant †¢Zeus swallowed Metis (Assimilated intelligence into himself) †¢Gave him a headache (Cracks his skull into allowing Athena to come out of his head) †¢One of Zeus’s favorite children Gigantomachy †¢Not mentioned by Hesiod †¢Giants were urged to attack Olympus †¢Another test of Zeus’s powers †¢The Olympians defeat the Giants, in a great battle. †¢Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divide the world among themselves †¢Prophecy of the son of a mortal mother; Hercules. (Was the hero Zeus needed to defeat the giants) †¢Giants urged to attack by Gaea Creation Myths 2: The Fall of Man The Punishment of Prometheus †¢Prometheus cultural hero (Gives mortals a chance) †¢Said to be the creator of humans †¢Prometheus tricked Zeus at Mekone unto reserving the edible parts of the sacrifice for humans  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Gods get the bones and fat †¢Etiology (Explains the reason) Greek sacrificial custom †¢For the trick, Zeus punishes the humans (Withholds the fire) Prometheus and Fire †¢Prometheus steals the fire back from heaven in a fennel-stalk †¢Punishment for this trickery Zeus sends Pandora to men and chains Prometheus, years later freed by Hercules. †¢Prometheus gets a visitation from an eagle every day to peck out his liver Pandora (All gifted) †¢Name means â€Å"all-gifted† because of all the gods contributed to her creation and endowed her with many charms. †¢Hephaestos- Fashions her from the earth †¢Athena- Gives her domestic skills. †¢Aphrodite- gives her grace, beauty, desire and the ability to spark sexual longing †¢Graces and Persuasion: Necklaces †¢Epimetheus (after thought) is told by his brother Prometheus (fore thought) to not accept any gifts from Zeus †¢He sees Pandora and accepts Pandora †¢She carries a JAR ( not a box) †¢In the jar, it contains all the evil and good things †¢When she opens the jar, all the evil things fall to earth while the good things fly to heaven/ †¢Only â€Å"hope† is caught in the jar 4/5 Ages of Men; Hesiod’s Works and Days and Ovid’s Metamorphoses Ovid †¢43 B. C. E – 17 B. C. E †¢Works include Art of Love and the Metamorphoses. †¢Exiled by Augustus Zeus : Father of Gods and Men †¢Derived from the Indo-European Sky God: di-cf. Germanic Tiu and Indic Dyaus Ritar – Roman Jupiter †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cloud Gather† †¢Aegis bearing Zeus – â€Å"Goat Skin† a magical object that represented Zeus power, it often represented as a shield with snake headed tassels. Zeus lent it to Athena †¢Many Lovers: (Eurynome (Graces); Mnemosyne (Muses): Ganymede (cup-bearer to the gods): Themis (rules and order) †¢Many offspring (Sarpedon, Zeus’s Son, Minos’s brother; Moerae â€Å"fates†: Clotho â€Å"spinner†, Lachesis â€Å"apportioner† and Atropos â€Å"she who cannot be turned aside†; Horae â€Å"Seasons†. †¢Zeus is renowned for his physical strength which guarantees his preeminence over all beings †¢Signature weapon which was the Lightning Bolt; Zeus Kataibates – â€Å"Zeus who descends† †¢Zeus is associated with the bull (Crete, power, fertility) and the Eagle †¢God of law and justice Dike- from the root â€Å"to point out† †¢Xenia (Formal guest friendship) cf. Xenophobia †¢As â€Å"The father of gods and men†, Zeus is a figurative father who oversees all that occurs on earth and in the heaven. †¢Literal father to a large number of gods and heroes- famous for his numerous consorts and paramours. 114 at some counts. †¢Sexual procreation as a metaphor for agricultural production- rain; semen, earth- the womb †¢Famous story from IIiad associates Zeus’s exploits and the growth of vegetation – Aphrodite’s girdle/belt (a symbol of sexuality and sexual consent) & Hera’s use of it leads to grasses, flowers and plants springing from the earth on which they reclined. Hera: Who sits on a Golden Throne †¢Hera (Juno) †¢Zeus’s wife †¢Marriage and child birth †¢Mother of Ares (by Zeus), Eileithyia, Hebe(personification of youth) & Hephaestus (Crippled and made fun of ) (Two versions of parentage) †¢Persecutes Zeus’s mistresses and illegitimate children. †¢Quarrels with Zeus incessantly †¢Seduces Zeus to turn tide of the Trojan War – Zeus; â€Å"remember when I strung you up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poseidon: Dark-Haired Lord of the Deep †¢God of the sea and earthquakes †¢Associated with the horse (drowned in a pool to sacrifice to Poseidon) †¢Produced Pegasus with the Gorgon Medusa (grotesque offspring: Polyphemus) Hades :Pluto’s â€Å"Wealthy One† †¢Name means â€Å"invisible† – unseen dead and the facelessness of death (Helm of invisilibty) †¢Never willingly allows anyone who comes to his â€Å"house† to leave †¢An immortal god but not an Olympian. Apollo †¢Origin of Apollo unknown; Lycian = Lycia (Asia Minor)? Or association with Hyperborean ( 3 Winters mos. In the far north)= Nordic Origin? †¢Born on Delos ( Floating island – Hera’s persecution of Titaness Leto â€Å"light of day† †¢Artemis is his twin sister †¢Depicted as a physically perfect young man and un-bearded and with long hair. †¢God of music, aristocratic concerns and light (later came to be associated with the sun) †¢God of illness (arrows- â€Å"Lord of mouse†, they bring disease) and healing (Asclepius, his son was the god of medicine) †¢God of prophecy; killed Python to establish his Oracle of Delphi (Dragon-combat: cf. Marduk vs Tiamat and Zeus vs Typhoeus)- shaman. †¢Known for his unhappy loves: Daphine, Cassandra, Sibyl at Cumae, Coronis (Asclepius Mother) Hermes; Psychompus; Mercury (Soul guide, or the leader of the souls) †¢God of travel, commerce, boundaries, theft and trickery (God that was worshipped from the thieves and bandits, and try to trick people) †¢Messenger to the gods (Called quicksilver because he was fast) †¢Important myths: Births, Invention of Lyre( by killing and gutting a Tortoise), Killing of Argus (Monster with 100 hundreds, watcher of 1 of Zeus’s lovers) †¢Worshipped as a Herm at crossroads and even doorways †¢Zeus had an affair with a star, and Hermes was born. Pan †¢Son of Hermes †¢Hoofs and legs of a goat with human features †¢The god’s name is likely from Indo-European root meaning â€Å"to feed† (cf Pasture) †¢The inspiration for later representations of the devil Hephaetus, God of Smiths †¢Lame smith god- highly skilled and ingenious †¢2 versions of his birth: Born from Hera alone (b/c of Athena) or son of Zeus and Hera †¢2 versions of expulsion from Olympus: Zeus threw him off for taking Hera’s side in an argument(landed on Lemnos); or Hera threw him from Olympus in disgust (Hephaetus’ golden throne of revenge and his subsequent return to Olympus) †¢Typhoeus’s jailer in Mt. Etna †¢Husband of Aphrodite (Ares & Aphrodite trapped in bed) â€Å"Hateful† Ares (God of War) Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena Sept 24 †¢Aphrodite â€Å"Of the Golden Daughty† †¢Goddess of Love †¢Born from sea-foam (ophros)- Hesiod (Roman: Venus †¢Always accompanied by Eros (Winged boy with bow and arrows or flaming torch) Also Himmeros= desire and the Graces) †¢Only Athena, Artemis and Hestia (Virgins for life, did not want to endeavor into Aphrodite’s powers) were immune to Aphrodite’s powers †¢Not originally Greek (cf. Eastern fertility goddesses, Inanna, Ishstar, Astarte)- Cyprus (transit point) â€Å"Cypris† & â€Å"Cythera†. Cyprus is the doorway between the East and the west †¢Temple prostitution (Corinth & Cythera) Important Myths †¢Birth (theogony) †¢Hermaphroditus (fused with Nymph Salmacis, became both genders by fusing with him) †¢Priapus (Dionysus or Hermes)- Boned †¢Aphrodite & Ares-Boned †¢Aphrodite & Anchises (Aeneas; lone survivor of the Trojan War)-Boned Artemis Potnia Theron †¢Mistress of Animals †¢Not a Greek Name- earlier (possibly as far back as the Paleolithic Period) †¢Twin sister of Apollo (Roman: Diana) †¢Virgin goddess, but alluring (dangerous) †¢Huntress (bow and arrows, deer) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Struck by the arrows of Artemis†. †¢Scared animals include the bear – (Braurania ritual and the Arktoi- â€Å"little bear†) Important Myths †¢Iphigenia (Sacrifice) Daughter of the great Greek general †¢Niobe (Boast about having more kids than Leto) Leto ask Apollo and Artemis to honor †¢Orion (constellation) tried to rape Artemis and Artemis put a scorpion on his head and he died. †¢Actaeon (Human Sacrifice? ) Turned into a Stagg because he saw Artemis nude. Then Actaeon’s dogs killed him Athena â€Å"Mistress of the City† †¢Takes her name from the city of Athens ( Not the other way around) †¢Roman: Minerva †¢Associated with the owl (owl-eyed). †¢Often represented with the helmet, shield and spear, wears the Aegis around her shoulders †¢Goddess of war (justified, defensive, strategic) †¢Goddess of domestic crafts ( especially weaving) Important Myths †¢Birth †¢Contest with Poseidon †¢ BIRTH OF ERICHTHONIUS (1ST KING OF ATHENS) HEPHATUS JIZZED ON ATHENA’S HIPS AND SHE wiped it off and she threw it off the ground on Athens and spawned the legendary king Erichthonius, he was snaky because he spawned in the earth †¢Arachne (Athena turned her in a spider) She weaved something that made fun of the gods. Athena slashed her face. She then committed suicide. Athena felt sorry for her  suicide and turned her into a spider September 26, 2013 Demeter †¢Meter means â€Å"mother†, De- unknown meaning †¢Greek Goddess most closely associated with the great mother-goddess †¢Goddess of grain and the harvest †¢Story of Demeter and Persephone comes from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter †¢Close association between the female, the underworld and the cyclical nature of existence †¢Demeter’s daughter by Zeus is Persephone, also known as Kore—Daughter or girl †¢D. and P. are often called â€Å"the two Demeters† or â€Å"the two goddesses†. The rape of Persephone †¢Persephone is taken to the underworld with Zeus’s permission- cf.marriage in ancient Greece †¢Persephone picked flowers as Hades arose from the depths to abduct her †¢Only Hecate and Helius heard her cries †¢Finally, Demeter heard her daughter’s cries and searched the entire earth for her Demeter’s Search †¢Nobody mortal or immortal would tell Demeter what happened †¢She wandered the earth for nine days with torches in her hands †¢Refused to eat ambrosia or drink nectar and did not bathe †¢Hecate finally told Demeter part of the story and then Helius filled in the rest †¢In disguise, Demeter left Olympus and descended to the towns and cities of men where she eventually came to Eleusis (Town outside Athens, center of the Eleusinian Mysteries) The Eleusinian Mysteries †¢At Eleusis, Demeter rested at the â€Å"Well of the Maiden† where she was approached by the daughters of Eleusis’ king Celeus †¢They asked where she was from and offered her hospitality †¢They hired Demeter as a nanny to their mother, Metaneira’s child, Demophoon †¢Lambe tries to entertain Demeter by telling her dirty jokes †¢Metaneira offered Demeter, Kykeon, as barley-drink †¢Demeter tried to repay their kindness by making Demophoon immortal. (Demeter would take the baby and put him in the fire, burning away his mortality). †¢Eventually, Celeus decreed a glorious temple be built in honor of Demeter. Tough Times for Humanity †¢In anger over her daughter’s abduction, Demeter withdrew all agriculture from the earth †¢Zeus demanded that Demeter relent but she refused. †¢Zeus sent Hermes to Hades to convince him to release Persephone and he agreed (etiological myth re: seasons). The Epic of Gilgamesh and Heroic Myth Oct 1 †¢Legends are stories about exceptional humans doing exceptional things which are said to narrate episodes from the human past- heroes. †¢Heroes were noble or well-born, originally living and breathing people-Homeric kings  and warriors. †¢Eventually these great individuals came to be worshipped as powers dwelling beneath the earth †¢The name of places of the individual’s cult where they were worshipped, were called Heroa †¢Heroa were often huge earthen mounds visible on the landscape for great distances eg Achilles at Troy’s Pelops at Olympia and Aenea’s near Rome. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Heroic Pattern †¢Few ancient cultures produced heroic myths; however the Mesopotamians and Greeks did †¢The Epic of Gilgamesh greatly influenced later Greek heroic myth(movement of ideas from the East to West in Archaic period) †¢Gilgamesh was a real man who rules the Sumerian City of Uruk c 2600 B. C. E (cuneiform lists of kings) evidence that heroes likely lived at one time. †¢This influence on Greek heroic myth is shown by shared motifs: Shared Motifs †¢One of the hero’s parents may be divine (eg Gilgamesh) but he is like all humans, destined to die. †¢Miraculous or unusual birth of which we know little (Part is missing from the Epic Gilgamesh) †¢Hero is outstanding in his strength and is a menace to those around him, friend, and foe alike. †¢Hero has a male companion (Enkidu created by the gods from clay to temper Gilgamesh’s spirit) †¢Hero falls under enemy power and is forced to complete impossible tasks (eg. Kills Humbaba) †¢Taboo broken by hero, terrible price demanded (Enlil the storm-god was angry that Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed Humbaba) †¢Hero resists the temptations of a dangerous woman (Ishtar asks her father Anu to send Bull of Heaven) †¢Hero responsible for friend’s death (Enkidu dies after he and Gilgamesh kill Bull of Heaven – cf. Patroclus & Achilles) †¢Hero goes on a quest to defeat death; even traveling to the underworld (Gilgamesh travels across the waters of death to see Utnapushtim (cf. Ziusudra, Atrahasis, Noah, Deucallion) †¢Has help of gods, spirits, or magical objects (Gilgamesh magical stilts/poles) †¢Hero returns home, atones for his misdeeds and accepts his mortality (after failing twice to achieve immortality- unable to stay awake for 7 days, loss of prickly herb at the bottom of the sea) †¢Hero given a great reward (Gilgamesh honored by people of Uruk) †¢Hero given a great funeral and may become a god (Gilgamesh given a fine funeral and his memory will never die) Rationalism and Allegory †¢THEAGENES (6TH CENTURY B. C. E) THEORIZED THAT BATTLES BETWEEN THE GODS REPRESENTED clashes between natural elements (e. g in the Lliad 20.54ff Apollo (representing fire) fights Poseidon (water) †¢Cronus is identified with time ( Cronos)- all things are begotten by time and devoured by it as well, just like Cronus’s children. Because of this false etymology, we still envision Father of time as the grim-reaper (with sickle) on account of Cronus’s castration of his father †¢Another false-etymological example stems of Hera sounding like the Latin word for â€Å"air†, â€Å"Air† lay just beneath the upper-atmosphere. Or â€Å"aether† ie. Jupiter/Zeus lays just about Juno/Hera. Historical Allegory †¢Euhemerism: myths reveals a historical truth (Euhermerus wrote of a golden column  inscribed with the names with early human kings) †¢The conflicts between Uranus, Cronus and Zeus were representative of palace intrigues †¢During his reign Zeus traveled the earth teaching the arts of civilization, banning cannibalism, and founding temples. Died on Crete after a long life †¢Gods may have been kings and heroes of real men who founded cities and did great deeds. Moral Allegory †¢The interpretation that a myth is a system of advice on good and bad behavior †¢Eg. Daphine was an example of chastity and Harpies who steal men’s food are really prostitutes who ruin men with their fees. †¢When Paris gives his famous judgment, he is really choosing between 3 kinds of life: active (Hera), contemplative (Athena), amorous (Aphrodite) which all men must choose. Perseus and the Myths of the Argive Plain †¢Rich Bronze Age area †¢Tiryns- Perseus was the king of Tiryns when he founded Mycenae †¢Argos not important in the Bronze Age, but is often confused in the myth with the Mycenae which was The Wanderings of Io †¢The River god Inachus and Melia- parents of Io †¢Io – ancestor of 3 great dynasties: the houses of Argos, Crete & Thebes †¢Zeus’s passion and Hera’s jealousy (spots mysterious clouds) †¢The â€Å"cow†, Hera took her and takes the cow puts a monster to watch her, so Zeus doesn’t see her again †¢Argus (Hundred Eyes) †¢Hermes (Argeiphontes; Killer of Argus) †¢Ionian Sea, Byzantium- the Bosporus â€Å"cow-missing†, the Caucasus Mountains(Meets Prometheus; things will get better), Egypt (Regains human form) †¢Gives birth to Epaphus â€Å"he who has been touched† Crimes of the Danaids †¢Epaphus + Memphis (name of the ancient Egyptian capital, daughter of the Nilus the Nile River)= Libya (country west of the Nile river in North Africa) †¢Libya + Poseidon are parents of †¢Agenor (Ancestor to the houses of Crete and Thebes)(Arabia) †¢Belus (ancestor of Perseus & Royal house of Argo, means â€Å"lord† in Semitic language)(Libya) Crimes of the Danaids †¢Aegyptus has 50 sons †¢Danaus has 50 daughters= the Danaids †¢They flee to Argos to prevent proposed marriages (feared a takeover of Libya) †¢The sons of Aegyptus eventually marry to Danaids†¦. (Danaus gives all his daughters daggers to kill every husband) †¢Only Hypermnestra spared her husband Lynceus- â€Å"all but one† motif †¢All the daughters/Sisters were doomed on the underworld, they had to fill a jar that would never fill The Legends of Perseus Danae and the Shower of Gold †¢Lynceus (the one sparred) in Argos after Danaus. †¢His sons Abas has twins ( hate each other-quarreled in womb cf. Jacob & Esau and Isis, Osiris & Seth) †¢Acrisius has a daughter, Danae but wants sons (Heirs) †¢Oracles say that Danae will have a son, but that he will kill his grandfather (Acrisius) (Forbidden to Marry- prohibition) †¢Acrisius builds underground bronze chamber to imprison Danae (folktake; Seclusion) †¢Zeus â€Å"shower of gold† impregnates her (Folktale motif: violation of prohibition. Heroic motif: extraordinary birth) †¢Perseus and Danae set adrift in a wooden box (folktake motif: threat of death) †¢Dictys (â€Å"netman†) at Seriphos saves Danae and Perseus (folktale motif: liberation). †¢Dicty’s brother Polydectes (â€Å"much-receiver†, the king of Seriphos) demands Danae’s hand in marriage †¢Perseus tricked into going on a quest for the head of a Gorgon: he had no horse as a wedding gift for Polydecates- Perseus boasts â€Å"I will bring anything, else Polydecates wants, even a Gorgon’s head (Heroic motif: hero falls under enemy power and is forces to complete impossible tasks) Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer †¢Gorgons: †¢Stheno †¢Euryale †¢Medusa (The only mortal Gorgon) †¢Instructions from Athena: find the Graeae â€Å"grey-haired women† and learn whereabouts of helpful Nymphs (grabs eye, demands answers – â€Å"where are they†). †¢Perseus receives magical objects from the Nymphs: Hade’s cap of invisibility, winged sandals; special pouch. Hermes also provides a sword and a polished bronze shield (Heroic motif: has the help of the gods, spirits, or magical objects) The killing of Medusa †¢Uses shield as a mirror to avoid the gaze of the Gorgons, sneaks up on Medusa and cuts off her head †¢From the body of Medusa, who was at the time pregnant by Poseidon †¢Pegasus (Later tamed by Bellerophon) †¢Chrysaor †¢Puts his head in pouch, flies off with winged sandals with the Stheno and Euryale in pursuit (can’t see him with the cap of invisibility). †¢Perseus free’s his mother by showing the Medusa’s head to Polydecates Perseus and Andromeda †¢A variant has Perseus returning to Seriphos after a few adventures †¢Came to Joppa (near Modern Tel Aviv) ruled by Cepheus †¢Cepheus’s daughter, Andromeda, is about to be sacrificed to a sea monster, because of a rash boast by her mother, Cassiopeia (more beautiful than the Nereids) †¢Perseus given Andromeda’s hand in marriage and the kingdom for having freed her †¢Phineus (Cepheus’s brother) to whom Andromeda has been betrothed, bursts in a banquet in Honor of Perseus and is turned into stone with his men by the head of Medusa. †¢Perseus stays in the East for a year and gives birth to Perses, ancestor to the Persian people. The Death of Acrisius †¢Wanting to meet his grandfather Perseus returns to Argos †¢Acrisius flees (it is fated that Perseus will kill him) †¢At a sports contest in Thessaly, Perseus accidentally kills him with a stray discus (Motif: heroes can be a threat to civil society, even without meaning harm) †¢Ashamed to receive the kingdom from his death grandfather, Perseus trades Argos for Tiryns with Megapenthes (cousin) †¢Perseus also builds Mycenae (rules, begets dynasty) and lives there with Andromeda for  many years. At their deaths, Athena placed them among the stars as constellations, remembered forever. Heracles Oct 8 †¢Herakles Alexikakos (Wards off evil) †¢Obscure origins- Argive plain? (Eurystheus) or Thebes? (Birth place). Belong to all Greeks †¢Associated with an earlier time – club, bow & arrows †¢Excessive (Heroic) †¢Shaman figure- â€Å"Master of Animals† provided food and protection to his people †¢Heraclids (Dorians/Spartans) †¢Perseus’s granddaughter is Alcmena, wife of Amphitryon †¢While Amphitryon (H’s stepdad) was off fighting pirates, Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon. †¢As Zeus leaves, the real Amphitryon appears †¢In his way, Alcmena gave birth to a child of Zeus (Herakles) and of Amphitryon (Iphicles) †¢HERA IS NOT HAPPY†¦ (TRICKS ZEUS INTO SWEARING HIS 1ST OFFSPRING BORN THAT DAY WOULD RULE. Hera’s delay tactics- Eurystheus (Perseus’s descendent, Heracle’s cousin) born before Herakles. †¢Received an aristocratic education (wrestling, archery, warfare, playing lyre†¦ Kills Linus for telling Herakles that he is bad at playing the lyre (poor linus) †¢Herakles sent away to tend cattle in the mountains cf. cattle of Geryon- Herakles as master of animals. †¢Hunted a lion (Ravaging flocks) for king Thespius of Thespaie by day, stayed at his house by night (50 daughters-Heraclids, sons of Heracles, founded the noble family of the Spartans) †¢Herakles marries Megara daughter of Creon (King of Thebes) and has 3 children †¢Goes mad and kills his family (driven insane by Hera; he believes that they are his enemies) †¢Went to Delphi to learn what he must do to atone for his crime- must leave Thebes, go to Argive plain serve Eurystheus (Herakle’s cousin, king of Mycenae) †¢12 Labors †¢Miasma is that his blood is tainted and his blood his contagious. ( blood guilt) Must be purified by a God. †¢12 LABORS. 1ST LABOR, FACES A MONSTROUS LION; SKIN THAT IS IMPENETRABLE. NEMEAN LION. Wrestles with the lion and kills him. Use’s the lion’s claws to skin the lion. Wears the skin †¢2ND HERAKLE SLAYS THE HYDRA (OFFSPRING OF TYPHEOUS; GAEA) SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE THEY overcome the older generation. Herakle has help from his nephew, kills the Hydra by having his nephew torch the heads of which he cuts off, so they do not grow back. Hydra’s blood is poisonous, arrows dipped in it. †¢3RD HERAKLES AND ATHENA WAS TO CAPTURE THE GOLDEN HIND OF CERYNEIA WHO IS SCARED TOArtemis. By taking the stag when it was asleep. Told Artemis on the way back that he had to. †¢4TH TOLD TO RETRIEVE THE GIRDLE OF HIPPOLYTA FROM THE AMAZONS. IT IS TO EXERT SEXUAL dominances. †¢5TH HERAKLES TOLD TO BRING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR TO EURYSETHUS WHO HIDES IN PITHOS. (Eurysethus is scared and builds himself a jar to hide from) †¢6th Mares of Diomedes 4 man eating horses who were owned by Diomedes. In the end he fed Diomedes to his mares because the mares kill his favored companion Abderus †¢7TH TRIPLE BODY GERYAN, THE CATTLE’S WHERE HE KILLED GERYAN AND HIS BROTHER WHO GUARDED the cattle. Eurytheus sacrificed the cattle to Hera. †¢8TH APPLES OF HESPERIDES (WEDDING GIVES TO HERA WHEN SHE MARRIED ZEUS) THESE APPLES ARE immortal. They are grown on the edge of the world. Atlas taunt’s Herakle’s with the Apples of the Hesperides. Herakles took the world on his shoulder. Atlas gets the apples, Herakle’s trick Atlas by telling Atlas to hold the world while Herakle’s adjust his neck. Atlas takes the world, and Herakle takes the apples from him. †¢9TH CERBERUS IS HADE’S HOUND OF HELL. HE MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LEAVE HELL. DRAGS BACK THE hounds of hell †¢10TH AUGEAN STABLES; CLEANSES THE AUGEAN. IT IS A BIG STABLE, STABLE OF 1000 DIVINE CATTLE’S that poop a lot. Re-routed a couple of rivers and flush the stables out. †¢11TH HERCULES WAS TO DRIVE AWAY AN ENORMOUS FLOCK OF BIRDS WHICH GATHERED AT A LAKE NEAR the town of Stymphalos. Hercules had no idea how to drive the huge gathering of birds away. The goddess Athena came to his aid, providing a pair of bronze krotala, noisemaking clappers similar to castanets. These were no ordinary noisemakers. They had been made by an immortal craftsman, Hephaistos, the god of the forge. †¢12TH LABOR; HERCULES EASILY DISPOSED OF THE CRETAN BULL. BRINGS THE BULL BACK TO EURYTHEUS. King Midas was to sacrifice whatever animal that the Poseidon sent. The god sent a bull so beautiful that he couldn’t. Made the bull rampage all over Crete and made Midas’s wife fall in love with it, making the Minotaur. He put the Minotaur in the labyrinths, feed’s him with the prisoners of Athens. After the Labors †¢Wished to merry Lole, daughter of Eurytus, a local king. He refused remembering Megara’s fate †¢Eurytus discovers 12 prize mares missing, sends Son to question Herakles- son is killed (violate of Xenia) †¢Herakles goes to Delphi to find out how to atone for crimes, Pythia refuses to respond. †¢Herakle steals tripod runs off and boasts that he will establish his own oracle! †¢Apollo prescribe 3 years as a woman’s slave (Omphale the Lydian queen) †¢Afterwards marries Deianaira â€Å"man killer† †¢Tricked by the centaur Nessus; told that his blood and semen would make potent love potion to use on Heracles. †¢The blood is poisoned by the Hydra blood used to kill him †¢Undergoes Apotheosis (became a god of Olympus) after his mortal self is killed by the poison †¢Hercale marries Hebe (personification of youth) after ascending to Olympus Oct 10 Athens and Theseus.

Comparative Methodological Critique

The aim of this paper is to compare two academic research papers, one informed by qualitative and another one by quantitative research designs with focus on the methodological factors. Both papers describe working lives and attitudes of gay and lesbian workers in the UK and USA, possible consequences of disclosure of sexual orientation on their working relations and organisational arrangements towards equality and diversity of working practice. These research projects add to the growing number of studies which shed light on the sensitive nature of homosexuality in the workplace and anti-discrimination policies and practices that organisations deploy to create a more inclusive working environment. Governed by the difficulty of access to gay and lesbian population both in UK and USA, and its â€Å"hidden† nature both teams chose their own strategy in unveiling the nature of work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees and demonstrating the progress organisations have made or are making towards the establishment of good practice. st paper (qualitative) The paper deals with identifying good organisational practice concerning equality, diversity and sexual orientation in the workplace, and considers any changes following the introduction of Employment equality (Sexual Orientation) regulations 2003. It also aims at addressing the gap between equality policy and practice which provides the foundation for further analysis of the significant shortfall in knowledge relating to the experience of LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) employees in UK organisations. Even today, the issue of sexuality still remains a sensitive one, despite the coming into force of legislation offering protection to LGB people. It is also the cause of unease for some employers in the modern world in discussing (not to mention dealing with! ) this issue, and consequential bullying, suffering and fear which make life and work unbearable for so many LGB people. So far progress has been made based on social justice and business case studies which means that this still â€Å"remains †¦an under researched area in which there have been very few case studies of particular organisations† (Colgan et al. 2007:591). Having adopted a phenomenological position in their design, the research team chose to carry out a longitudinal (2 year) qualitative study in 16 â€Å"good practice† case study organisations in the area of employment of LGB workers, to discover â€Å"the details of the situation†¦[in order to] to understand the reality† (Remenyi et a l. , 1998:35) of working relations in organisations with LGB workers. Also focusing on the ways that people make sense of the world especially through the sharing of experiences with others has dictated the use of a social constructionist framework (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The case studies involved the analysis of companies’ documentation and reports, trade union publications and websites to get an inside view of companies’ attitudes and practices. The main challenge of the project in data collection was â€Å"limited resources †¦ inability to specify a sampling frame† (Saunders et al. , 2003:170) which dictated the use of non-probability sampling. Therefore, snowballing sampling was applied as the most appropriate for this kind of research. The research team interviewed in depth 154 LGB employees who, prior to that, completed a short survey questionnaire. All completed the survey giving a complete census. However, due to â€Å"a lack of robust statistical evidence concerning the proportion of the UK population who identify as LGB† (Colgan et al. , 2007:591) and the difficulty of access to such people, it’s hard to say how representative this sample of LGB people is. Determined by these practical constraints, the research team adopted a mixed methods research strategy (case study/interviews) with various data collection methods that allowed them to have a cross-check against each other's results. Difficulty of accessing LGB employees also dictated the choice of analysis focusing only on â€Å"good practice† organisations. Hence, using survey, in-depth interview and secondary data enabled the team to combine the specificity of quantitative data with the ability to interpret perceptions provided by qualitative analysis. Though, there is evidence and justification by the research team of how respondents were selected, the project itself demonstrated a disproportioned balance of respondents not only in terms of gender (61,7% -men, 38,3% – women) but also in terms of ethnic division. This means that the balance tipped so far in terms of the depth of their research. The research team adapted an inductive research approach to accommodate the existing theories and findings as well as their own empirical studies, for example â€Å"that those in lower level and perhaps more difficult working environments are less likely to be â€Å"out†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦at work† (Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). The paper also gives a good historical overview of how public and private sector organisations have made progress towards the â€Å"inclusion of sexual orientation within its organisational policy and practice† (Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). This provides readers with a comparative overview of how the situation has changed following the introduction of the legislation. The research team identified the number of steps organisations took to follow â€Å"good practice† in relation to equality and diversity, at the same time outlining the differences in progress between public and private sector companies. In doing so, the authors also assert that the implementation gap between policy and practice still exists and requires further measures such as â€Å"the need to see policy championed, resourced and implemented by senior line managers† (Colgan et al. 2007). Whereas the Regulations empowered LGB people to step in and â€Å"challenge discrimination and harassment† (Colgan et al. , 2007:604), the key factor, as identified by the authors, â€Å"that prevented some respondents coming out at work †¦ the fear† (Colgan et al. , 2007) remained the main obstacle to LGB workers to blowing the whistle and reporting an incident. These findings are supported and justified throughout the paper by respondents’ statements and results of previous studies. The research team also defined the relation between the impact of the employment equality (SO) regulations, considered as independent variable, and such dependent variables like job satisfaction, being out at work, experience of harassment and discrimination, this in fact gives an idea of the existing problem in organisational practices. In terms of structure, language and appropriateness of referencing to other material this paper proves highly informative. It suggests that further research needs to be done in order â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative† picture of working lives of LGB employees† (Colgan et al. , 2007) as it only explored the â€Å"tip of the iceberg†, because the research project was able to examine only a fraction of the whole, and, unless an organisation adopts more effective and proactive leadership on equality and diversity, the legislation on its own will take only a small step towards the inclusivity of LGB people and the creation of harmonious equal working practices in UK organisations. The research project involved cross-sectional design that allowed the team to compare and contrast their findings derived from each of the cases. This is considered to be a great advantage of the project as it allowed the team to consider â€Å"what is unique and what is common across cases† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:64), thus facilitating an attempt to generalise their findings. The research team does not explicitly express their own opinions, allowing personal values to sway the conduct of the research and the findings deriving from it, this ensures that they acted in good faith and followed good practice. However, having conducted a survey following the implementation of (SO) Regulations 2003, this study failed to provide a sufficiently broad spectrum of opinion of how organisational culture has changed as a consequence of the legislation. Moreover, the research team did not specify whether any of the key informants or interviewees had worked in â€Å"good practice† organisations before the regulations came into force which would allow a comparative analysis of organisational practice to take place and, thereby, for data to be more representative. Much attention was focused upon good practice organisations in their study; however, there was a failure to demonstrate what was meant by â€Å"good practice†. This would have enabled readers to have a more explicit understanding of what expectations are from any organisation with LGB employees. In terms of access to respondents, although the team acknowledged the difficulty, they were not as resourceful as they might have been. Lack of robust information undermines the conclusions, arguably, brings into question the credibility of the findings as the research net was not cast widely or deeply enough. For the readership of this paper there is no ultimate enlightenment as the paper does not show any argument or advocacy that invite readers to the world of unexpected discovery; instead, it is rather a presentation or portrait. It also remains difficult to conduct a true replication of this study, even though majority of the organisations â€Å"were willing to be identified by name† (Colgan et al. 2007). 2nd paper (quantitative) This paper describes the relationship between reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies and top management support. It is also aimed at identifying work-related attitudes of gay and lesbian workers if such disclosure takes place and its effects on individual performance of gay and lesbian workers. At the time of the research very few empirical studie s had been conducted to investigate work attitude and disclosure of sexual orientation. Since the recognition of the gay and lesbian population within the workforce, inclusiveness of gay and lesbian employees in organisational diversity management policies was desperately needed. It has been argued that â€Å"an approach of workplace tolerance is needed† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:347) which can contribute to the knowledge of human resource function when taking appropriate actions if conflict arises and to help create a more conducive environment for the disclosure of sexual orientation. Emphasising the importance of collecting facts and studying â€Å"the relationship of one set of facts to another† (Anderson, 2009:45) underpins their positivist paradigm. Focused on key unresolved questions such as â€Å"closeted homosexual workers will have a less positive work-related attitude† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:346) the research team takes a deductive research approach to test three formulated hypotheses which together with research paper aims do not appear until well into the text. This can lead to uncertainty on the part of the readership. In terms of selection of respondents and its rationale, the research team fails to demonstrate the proportion of respondents relating to ethnics; also gender division appeared to be highly disproportioned with 485 gays and only 259 lesbians. Their chosen data collection methods (sampling, focus groups and a questionnaire) highlighted some problematic issues such as â€Å"identifying a representative sample of working lesbians and gays† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:350) due to the sensitive nature of research and lack of current data on the lesbian and gay population. Great attention was paid to demonstrating their strategy in obtaining possibility sample. Having looked at various options, the sampling choice was justified on the basis of geographical location (USA Midwest) which it was thought would benefit in the existing research as it involves lesbian and gay population not surveyed before. A large sample would allow them to easily obtain a significant test statistic (Esterby-Smith et al. 2008), the research team sampled several resources, principally Human Rights Project (HRP), and then broadened them getting a reasonable response of 29% which â€Å"showed no statistically significant difference from the larger sample on the major variables† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). However, such considerations cannot be viewed as justification for not following the principles of probability sampling and therefore team’s findings do not represent the whole gay and lesbian population of USA and cannot be generalised. In testing three formulated hypotheses the research team established three independent variables (disclosure of sexual orientation, presence of anti-discrimination policy and top management support) and 5 dependent ones (affective commitment, continuance commitment, job satisfaction, job stress and conflict between home and work) and selected a multivariate analysis to find a way of summarising the relationship between these variables and at the same time capturing the essence of the said relationship (Esterby-Smith et al. , 2008). Adopting objectivist ontology the research team aimed at analysing the relationships between these variables thus creating static view of social life (Bryman and Bell, 2007). However, there was a failure to specify which statistical test was used to demonstrate and examine interdependence between them. This, in fact, point to a lack of transparency of their project. Based on several example questions the team demonstrated it can be deduced that they were dealing with categorical data (ordinal and cardinal) and therefore the Spearman correlation test and regression analysis (linear regression model) were used to represent non-parametric data. This allowed them to measure the strength and the direction of association between the variables, and confirm whether there is any difference in the population from which the sample was drawn. The research team also used a qualitative research method. They conducted a focus-group discussion to ensure that â€Å"the construct of disclosure of sexual orientation be precisely defined and relevant to†¦ [this] population (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). This helped to ensure that the concept was precisely defined and relevant to the population. The lack of secondary data sources also explained the rationale of their chosen method of data analysis. However, had this data been obtained, it would have allowed to create a more comparative analysis. For each independent variable the research team demonstrated several example questions and interpretation of the results which provided readers with an overview of a critical analysis of the conclusions the research team came to. However, those who are not familiar with statistical data would find it hard to follow the argument as there was a failure to provide basic explanation of roman letters and include notes when referencing to the tables. Therefore, it is impossible to cross-check their results and to confirm their findings. Focusing on facts, and looking for causalities throughout their analysis, underpinned their positivist paradigm and reflected their research approach and strategy. Like any other quantitative researchers the team was trying to describe why things are, rather than how they are. They admit that the issue of causality should be discussed to achieve a better understanding of the relations of the variables. Nevertheless, the research team found the evidence to support portions of the three formulated hypotheses. They critically evaluated each one by giving their own suggestions and recommendations to organisations and HR practitioners on how to improve their working practice and establish the inclusiveness of gay and lesbian workers. The presence of modal verbs in the quantitative research once again emphasised the invariably implicit nature of this research often criticised by the qualitative researchers for its high level of assumptions (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Their data analysis and interpretation of their findings are well structured and presented. The ability of the research team to point out the pitfalls of their own project and critically approach their findings is considered to be a great advantage of this research paper. Conclusion The papers provide a solid foundation for further analysis in the field of equality and diversity in organisations with gay and lesbian workers. Governed by own choice for research strategy and approach to answer research questions, they were both affected by the same practical constraint during the research, extremely sensitive nature of sexual orientation and the â€Å"hidden† nature of the gay and lesbian population which led to that fact that probability sampling was impossible as there was no accessible sampling framework for the population from which the sample could be taken. Hence, one cannot confirm that both research projects were successful in generalising their findings beyond their chosen sample. Both research projects lack of robust evidence of the proportion of the UK gay and lesbian population and base their research projects on out of date information. This, in fact, stress the importance of secondary analysis to take place which would allow them to obtain good-quality and up-to-date data, and, as outlined by the quantitative research team, offer the opportunity for research to â€Å"compare an individual’ responses longitudinally† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:361). It would also provide the opportunity to gain a more descriptive picture of gay and lesbian working lives and facilitate the emergence of a new data interpretation and theoretical ideas as new methods of quantitative data analysis are constantly appearing in the business research field. Unlike the qualitative research team which totally avoids any advice, the quantitative research team succeeded in providing various recommendations for organisations that can help them create a more inclusive environment, â€Å"this process could begin through education top management in the importance of the issue and the consequences of ignoring it† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:360). In terms of contribution to the field unlike quantitative research the qualitative research project rather confirmed the existing findings and results of previous studies then introduced new information that would benefit and add to the existing knowledge. However, both research projects draw the parallel between UK and USA in terms of work attitude and practice in organisations with gay and lesbian workers pointing at lack of effective leadership and commitment of top management needed to create inclusive working relations in a contemporary business world. Both research teams admitted that further analysis will be required, perhaps, a combination of two research methods, as stated by the quantitative research team, â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative† picture of working lives† (Colgan et al. , 2007:606) of gay and lesbian workers.

1.Should the sentencing process in the U. S. be changed Why or why not Essay

1.Should the sentencing process in the U. S. be changed Why or why not 2. Discuss the key relationships of the prosecutor with others in the criminal just - Essay Example They are supposed to deter individuals from committing crimes, they are supposed to incapacitate those who are likely to commit crimes, bring about the process of rehabilitation and finally, to punish those who do not follow the laws of society. However, as discussed by Bellisle (2007), the sentencing system in America seems to focus more on the idea of incarceration and putting people in prisons rather than on rehabilitation and allowing them to become productive members of society. The courts hand out sentences to eighty thousand criminal defendants every year and the number of those who go into prison are far more than those who are released (Richey, 2005). Sentences handed out by courts simply put people away for long periods of time while not looking at the impact it would have on the prison system or even the nature of their crime. Many violations of the law come with mandatory minimum sentences and these sentences can be as long as 10 years for some drug offenses. Instead of allowing a judge to come up with a reasonable idea for how long a person should be put away for smoking marijuana illegally, the laws give mandatory minimum sentences which have to be followed (Bellisle, 2007). The sentencing process could be improved drastically if the judges are trusted to establish their own criteria for punishments equivalent to the crime. Of course, it can be argued that race and ethnicity can creep into the issue when judges are allowed to have a lot of discretion with regard to sentencing but that issue can also be monitored by the higher courts to ensure that the sentencing remains fair and transparent. Undoubtedly, the transparency of the justice system is also hurt by the idea that prosecutors may manipulate the accused to get plea bargains and thus avoid trials in the first place (Murphy, 2004). In certain situations, the laws not only cause the crime to be enhanced in a crime, they may even double the minimum time which is mandated by the law. For

(educatio)culture geography of childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

(educatio)culture geography of childhood - Essay Example onal researchers have mentioned culture and tradition play a vital role in acquisition of values, knowledge, beliefs, behaviours and expectations of a child’s life. Eminent psychological and learning theories such as social constructivism and cognitive theory underlines the significance of social or family interaction in character formation and learning. By Barbara M. Newman, Philip R. Newman remark; â€Å"Vygotsky considered the nature of reasoning and problem solving as culturally created.† (Newman & Newman 2008, p.60). This photographic essay the researcher investigates the role of culture and tradition in a person’s character formation and learning. The selected photograph is about a boy named Aissa from an Algerian Islamic family. The photographic essay reveals a story or evokes a sequence of emotions in the mind of the reader which discuss cultural beliefs and traditions of a child. The first set of the photographs reveals that the boy Aissa is very frankly mingled with his family members and one can easily find his positive attitudes towards his parents. The boy keeps a healthy relationship with his family members. The given image (figure1and 2) also expresses the boy has developed good and excellent personality because he respects all members of his family and his society. Erich Fromm, Michael Maccoby assert;† Village parents are serious about obedience, and they feel that to be playful for or to show enthusiasm about the child at this age would undermine respect.† (Fromm & Maccoby 1996, p.189). The boy in this photograph is a member of a conservative Islamic Algerian family and this picture shows the cultural and religious background of the family. The given photographs help the viewer to reach the idea that the boy has followed and sustained a structured behaviour and it also reveals the characteristics of his culture and tradition which follow the habit of respecting others. Don Tinkler argues that â€Å"Of major importance in the development of

Sony and Samsung Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony and Samsung - Essay Example Samsung has continually invested more than any of its rivals on its research and development, rising during the past couple of years to almost 9 percent of its revenue. It has a large and growing force of designers and engineers working in 17 research centers located all around the world (see Exhibit 6). Yun has also forced Samsung's own units to compete with outsiders in order to speed up the process for developing innovative new products. Samsung has also created the post of chief design officer to make sure that designers can get their ideas to top managers. Yun appears to be well aware of the challenges that lie ahead for Samsung. He understands that his firm must keep investing heavily into R&D and keep developing new factories in locations that offer lower costs. Sony probably restructure for a number of reasons. Companies typically restructure when they need to correct poor financial performance or to capitalize on market opportunities or to strengthen corporate value. Each of the five main change programs presented reasons why they were introduced. The changes are clearly sub-headed in the case and you'll find that towards the end of each main section, reasons are given for the next change in line. Just go through each section meticulously, and select a few relevant points to include. Centralized decision-making t... Companies typically restructure when they need to correct poor financial performance or to capitalize on market opportunities or to strengthen corporate value. Each of the five main change programs presented reasons why they were introduced. The changes are clearly sub-headed in the case and you'll find that towards the end of each main section, reasons are given for the next change in line. Just go through each section meticulously, and select a few relevant points to include. 3. To what extent did Sony's restructuring efforts centralize or decentralize decision-making within Sony Centralized decision-making tends to come from a particular group or at a particular location, usually from the senior team/HQ and is typical of hierarchical structures where information is passed down through the layers from the top. Decentralized decision-making suggests greater autonomy and the delegating of decision-making to lower levels of management or to different strategic business units. Sony seems to drift in and out of different approaches to decision-making - sometimes a centralized, sometimes a more decentralized approach. Scan the case and look for information relating to how decisions are made and look for some relevant points to include. At a couple of places in the case, there is direct mention of the terms decentralization and centralization. 4. How culturally diverse do you think the different Sony businesses were, for example, consumer electronics, entertainment, insurance, etc Include just a few brief points here and one or two assumptions. Is there likely to be different cultures in operation due to the nature of the businesses involved Would you expect a different level of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the