Psychology Is The Scientific Study Of The Human Mind And...

By definition, Psychology is â€Å"the scientific study of the human mind and its behaviours†. However, originally, Psychology did not begin as a science. The subject of Psychology began in 1879 when the first experimental laboratory was opened by Wilhelm Wundt. Since its establishment, Psychology has progressed into a world-renowned academic discipline with the formation of the first American experimental lab in 1883 and the first doctorate in 1886 which was presented to Joseph Jastrow, who became a professor of Psychology and president of the APA. Psychology has also developed with the establishment of various psychological approaches. One of the first approaches was Structuralism, formed in 1886 by Edward B. Titchner, which focused on the mental experience formed through a combination of events. Other contrasting approaches such as Functionalism were also formed. Some of these approaches remain the most controversial topics in psychology today. Overall, these historical eve nts have allowed Psychology to develop around the world. In Psychology, today, there are four key approaches that are discussed: Psychoanalytic, Behaviourist, Cognitive and Biological. The Psychoanalytic approach is the study of the unconscious mind and was first established by Sigmund Freud (1865-1939) who proposed the idea of mental illness being caused by psychological factors, not physical illness. Based on this, Freud attempted to use ‘the talking cure’ formally known as ‘Free Association’ to helpShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Psychology Is Defined As The Scientific Study Of The Human Mind And Behavior1281 Words   |  6 PagesPsychology is defined as the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. It was established as a separate discipline during the late 1800s and can be taken back to the time of the ancient Greeks. From around 500BC to 322 BC, Greek philosophers suggested a theory of â€Å"psyche† that is where the word psychology comes from. This meaning the mind, soul and spirit. The Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were some of the most influential philosophers of their time. However, due t oRead MorePsychology Is The Scientific Study Of The Mind And Behavior986 Words   |  4 PagesA Look into Psychology Psychology is known to be the scientific study of the human’s mind and behavior. Psychology is not the study of extraordinary mind activity like paranormal, extrasensory perception (ESP), astrology, nor phrenology. Psychology is theoretically constructed and uses a standard scientific process to discover evidences of that human’s behavior. Psychology also allows an individual to give special assistance to a specific group of children who could have a difficult time in schoolRead MorePsychology as a Science1163 Words   |  5 PagesPSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. (Fuchs amp; Milar, 2002). But what makes it a scientific study? First of all, why not? Nowadays the idea of psychology as a science seems so natural to us, but it was not always like this. The late-eighteenth-century declaration that a true scientific study of the mind was not possible posed a challenge that was answered in the nineteenth century when the possibilityRead MoreWhat is Psychology?925 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1929, psychology was defined as the study of consciousness. From about 1930 to1970, the definition of psychology changed with dealing more with the scientific study of behavior. From about 1970 on, psychology was defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. However, according to nowadays definition of psychology, it could be defined as the study of the behavior and human mind. Factors which influencing our behavior include physical, emotions, thoughts and social. It can helpRead More The Development of Psychology Essay1156 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development of Psychology Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and the mind. This definition implies three things. The first is that psychology is a science, a field that can be studied through objective methods of observation and experimentation. The second is that it is the study of behavior, animal activity that can be observed and measured. And the third is that it is the study of the mind, the conscious and unconscious mental states that cannot be seen but inferredRead MoreAdolescent Psychology Essay 31067 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion: What Is Psychology? One of the most common questions asked by students new to the study of psychology is What is psychology? Misperceptions created by popular media as well as the diverse careers paths of those holding psychology degrees have contributed this confusion. Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. Applications of psychology include mentalRead MoreThe Study of Human Behavior in Given Situations1613 Words   |  7 PagesPsychology is a social science study that covers diverse subject topics and carries out different forms of research in order to understand the development and function of human beings. It is a scientific study that focuses on peoples mind and its functions especially those affecting behavior in a particular context. Psychology is divided into different branches, and each branch addresses its own form of content in relation to mental processes and behavior. Social psychology is one of the psychologyRead MoreEssay about Definition of Psychology714 Words   |  3 PagesDefinition of Psychology The term psychology comes from two Greek words: psyche, which means 1. The spirit or soul. 2. The human mind. 3. In psychoanalysis, the mind functioning as the center of thought, emotion, and behavior. And logos, the study of. or according to modern researches science These root words were first combined in the 16th century, at a time when the human soul, spirit, or mind was seen as distinct from the body. Definition ofRead MoreThe Diverse Nature Of Psychology1200 Words   |  5 Pages The Diverse Nature of Psychology Name Institution The Diverse Nature of Psychology Introduction Psychology consists of a wide collection of diverse concepts, which influence its precise nature that includes the study of behavior and mind in different organisms. Ideally, these organisms range from the most complex to the most primitive. In essence, diversity involves recognizing the variability of characteristics, which make people unique such as their physical appearance, partnered/maritalRead MoreHistory of Modern Psychology836 Words   |  4 PagesA History of Modern Psychology Franklyn Rivas UOPX History and Systems in Psychology 310 Lillian Fillpot May 03, 2011 A History of Modern Psychology Before psychology officially became a science, many great intellectuals of previous centuries had contributed to the philosophy behind psychology. This philosophy can be trace back to the times of the Greeks, middle ages, and the renaissance period. However, the link between philosophy and modern psychology became possible in the late 18th

Xerxes Free Essays

Xerxes Debate – Prosecution Building Programs * Economic decline was related to his excessive building programs. * Even though his building programs were impressive he neglected other parts of the empire. * Olmstead: â€Å"Xerxes was more interested in completing the magnificent structures begun by his father than he was in testing the formidable military machine. We will write a custom essay sample on Xerxes or any similar topic only for you Order Now † * Josef Wieshofer: Persepolis was one of his â€Å"favourite past times†, was â€Å"hardly independent† of Darius’ style, was an â€Å"imitation of standards. † * â€Å"Xerxes spent considerable time, energy and resources on massive construction programs. – Granger Foreign Policy * Failure to expand into Greece was a lack of military ability. * He sent a squadron of ships to blockade the channel before Salamis which resulted in the fleet being destroyed. * Battle of Salamis: lack of loyalty within his navy and land troops. * Regardless of how big and revolutionary the military was, Xerxes still failed. * Didn’t actually get involved, sat and watched. Religious Policy * Sacrilege; destroyed temples (Egypt and Babylon), melted down the statue of Bel Marduk. â€Å"Xerxes was a religious fanatic who deviated from the religious tolerance of his predecessors†¦he has become a paradigm for religious bigotry, fanatically interfering in sacred matters where his predecessors had kept a distance. † – Granger * Wasn’t a pragmatic religious ruler; killed priests, took their land, melted down the statue of Bel Marduk resulted in the discontinuation of the New Year’s Festival. * Babylonian people resented the reign of Xerxes and did not consider him their king and archaeological evidence after this incident, Xerxes ceased calling himself the King of Babylon. Relationships * Weren’t strong with the nobility; was assassinated by a member of his nobility Character * Various ancient sources charge him with impetuosity, arrogance, sadism, madness and gulibilty. * â€Å"small, blubbering, ruled by women and eunuchs, cruel in victory, spineless in defeat. † – Greek propaganda * â€Å"deeply flawed ruler, one to follow passion rather than reason. † – William Culican and Augustine Alletz Comparison to Other Kings * The Greeks liked to compare Xerxes with other Persian kings to highlight his faults. In their comparison with Darius and Cyrus, Xerxes is hardly the ‘hero among kings’ as he is named in Persian inscriptions. Rather, he is the bad king, the ruthless despot, not at all in the tradition of the good and just Persian kings of the past. * Xenophon: Describes Cyrus as modest, tolerant and wise and the hero of Persia. Whereas Xerxes is depicted as an ambitious, often cruel and despotic Oriental ruler, described as a courtly womaniser, concerned only with Persian expansion and greatness. Concluding Statement Greek sources agree on his bad rule, even though they are bias, this viewpoint is backed up by Roman and modern sources. * Rodgers: â€Å"as Xerxes had failed in war and in civil organization so also did Xerxes fail to surpass his great predecessor. † * His megalomaniac motives, his attempt to master nature and ignore the gods, the sacrilegious destruction of foreign temples, his apparent cold-blooded disregard for the lives of his men and his mutilati on of Leonidas’ body, together with his love of luxury. How to cite Xerxes, Essay examples

Filippo Brunelleschi Essay Example For Students

Filippo Brunelleschi Essay Use of perspective in art finds its root in one man, Filippo Brunelleschi. Although we dont know for sure, it is likely that Brunelleschi also invented linear, or scientific perspective. Donatellos The Feast of Herod is the earliest surviving example of scientific perspective, which is established through the use of a vanishing point, an imaginary single point on the page in which all the parallel lines meet. Donatellos Feast of Herod was a groundbreaking work by that days standards, and a complete failure in the fulfillment of compositional requirements of traditional classical or medieval standards. The focal point of the piece, the presentation of St. Johns head to Herod, is in the far left corner, and the crowd watching is clustered into the right corner. Upon examination of the action, however, Donatellos intention is clear; by placing the people in this way, the gesture and emotion of the scene is more implicit and effective. It is also more clearly established that the scene does not end at the focal point, it in fact continues off into every direction, an impression more clearly made with his use of scientific perspective. This window view into the scene was a radical step, and would influence how the picture plane was to be seen from that point on. Another important milestone in the history of perspective is Pietro Perudinos The Delivery of the Keys. Painted in 1482, this work employs a grave, symmetrical structure, a tool he used to emphasize the importance of the scene being represented: The authority of St. Peter as the first pope, and all of his successors, rests on his having received the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven from Christ himself. The onlookers are all rendered with powerfully individualized faces. Equally powerful is the vast expanse of the almost surreal background. The spatial clarity, established by the use of mathematically precise perspective, is the influence of Brunelleschi. Andrea Mantegna was another 15th century painter. He was a prodigy that rendered in paint with skill from the age of 16 on. With the painting St. James Led to His Execution Mantegna established himself as a person who wasnt afraid to break with traditional painting techniques, and adds a daring touch by painting from a ground up view of the scene. This was used because the painting was hung so tha the bottom of the painting was at the viewers eye level. Because of this the architecture looms intimidatingly, and is made more convincing by his use of scientific perspective. His desire for authenticity can be seen in every small detail, including the Roman soldiers costumes. It even extends to the use of wet drapery patterns, an invention of classical Greek sculpture that was then passed onto the Romans. We can also find a reference to Donatello in Mantegnas rendering of the lean, tense bodies of the Roman soldiers. The intensity that Mantegna establishes by using these techniques hardly fits the subject matter, as the condemned saint, on the way to his execution, stops to bless a paralytic man and command him to walk. The onlookers facial expressions and gesture hint at how deeply this sight has stirred them. Mantegna has even painted a violent scene erupting off to the right as the crowd becomes agitated. In writing this paper, I assumed that you assigned the paintings in the Met because of their accessibility to engineering students who may not have any art books. I knew of these works as important stepping stones in the modern use of perspective, and I felt the need to write.

Original and Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Essays

Original and Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: An Overview Vernita Lewis Critical Thinking 501 March 15, 2011 David Krathwohl?s article ?A Revision of Bloom?s Taxonomy: An Overview? takes a look into Benjamin Bloom?s work entitled ?Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goal? and compares it to a more modern version of Bloom?s work. A more modern version of Bloom?s work was developed by Anderson, et al. in 2001. Krathwohl finds and explores the commonalities and disparities of the two works. Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi- level model of categorized thinking according to six cognitive levels of difficulty. In Bloom?s original Taxonomy knowledge, comprehension, and application make up the lowest levels and analysis, synthesis, and evaluation make up the highest levels. The levels are set up in a hierarchy, so students have mastered all levels lower than the one that the student is currently on. He recognizes that Bloom?s original Taxonomy of Educational Objectives served its purpose during its appointed era, but the revised version serves a more modern era. The rev ised edition of Bloom?s Taxonomy has been adjusted and revised to become more fitting of the 21st century. The major differences between the original Taxonomy and the revised Taxonomy are that the original Taxonomy consisted of a single dimension; the revised Taxonomy mirrors a double outlook on learning and cognition. The two dimensions of the revised Taxonomy guide the processes of stating objectives and planning and guiding instruction; leads to more visibly defined evaluations and a stronger relationship of assessment to both objectives and instruction. I understand the reasoning for developing a revised Taxonomy was to make it more relevant for the current era. I agree that Anderson et al. have achieved this through structural changes. Bloom's original Taxonomy was one-dimensional in form while the revised Taxonomy is two-dimensional in form. By separating the verbs from the nouns Anderson et al. was able to separate the dimensions. I find the two dimensional form make more sense. One dimension of the revised Taxonomy classifies The Knowledge Dimension while the second dimension identifies The Cognitive Process Dimension. The Knowledge Dimension composed of four levels and The Cognitive Process Dimension consists of six levels. The revised Taxonomy added Metacognitive Knowledge is knowledge includes strategic knowledge, task knowledge, and self-knowledge and most importantly consist of being aware of your own cognitive abilities. I find that this is a very important aspect of measuring learning. Krathwohl implies that metacognitive knowledge or being aware of your own cognitive reaches will aid in increased learning. Metacognative knowledge allows me to activate relevant knowledge about my own strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the task at hand and my motivation for completing the task. If I realize that I already know a fair amount about a specific topic and that I am interested in this topic; this realization will possibly lead me to change my approach to the task. I?ll probably adjust how I approach the task completely. I can also activate the relevant knowledge I already have for solving the problem. This type of metacognitive knowledge influences how I subsequently prepare for task or test. This need for a second dimension is also consistent with the multidimensional frameworks that David Krathwohl reviewed; Krathwohl implies two important points. Krathwohl examines Bloom?s Taxonomy and suggest that recalling or remembering knowledge, is the lowest level of Bloom's Taxonomy. With knowledge as a noun it?s something I gain or have, but the verb tense is actually what I can do or will be able to do; like recalling and recognizing facts. Anderson et al. applied verbs where Bloom had applied nouns and this created better clarity for teachers and educators and I also agree that replacing the nouns with verbs brings a better understanding of what the Taxonomy is attempting to convey. Krathwohl points out that the consecutively higher levels are all verbs; comprehending knowledge, applying knowledge, and so on. This is consistent with the disputation that the original Taxonomy categories were intended to function as verbs. With knowledge being used in verb form as described by Krathwohl it now functions as a second level category. Out of the two-dimensional form Anderson et al. provided us with the Taxonomy Table which provides teachers and other educators with an

Culture food and hospitality

Culture food and hospitality Food may be defined as something we consume in order to obtain essential nutrients so that we may be able to lead a healthy and balanced existence. However, this is a very narrow definition especially in the context of hospitality. Food not only provides us with essential nutrients, but also provides us with moments of pleasure, feelings of togetherness and happiness.(cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php?p_essay_id=1504There are many factors that affect choice of people. A major influencing factor affecting food choice is culture. There are many other factors as well, that are related to culture, which affect food choice. These include physical environment, history tradition, technology, economics, media and socialization. However, this paper will deal with only three of the above mentioned factors viz. the media, socialization and technology. All these three factors are linked with culture in some way or the other. Hence, in order to understand these three factors it is important th at we have an understanding about culture.Tasty Food Abundance in Healthy EuropeCulture is a learned experience; it is acquired by people as they live their daily lives. It is not biologically determined and therefore can be modified or unlearned. Culture is a group phenomenon, not an individual one. It is transmitted from one generation to another. It may be transmitted formally or informally by verbal instruction or by non-verbal cues and through personal examples. For example, it is an Indian tradition to greet someone by folding one's hands and saying 'Namaste'. This is something that is a part of Indian culture. However, it is changing as more and more people are exposed to western influences. This shows that culture can be modified to move with the changing times.Culture is something that is common to a particular geographic region. Sometimes, the culture of a particular region is not affected entirely by religion.

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Consultation For Leaders In Management - Smart Custom Writing Letter of CreditAssess the place of Letters of Credit in the International commercial arena What is International Finance Management? The international financial management of a trust/company is concerned with management of its funds which reflects how efficiently the company is managing its funds. The overall objective of all business is to secure funds at low cost and their effective utilisation in the business for a profit. The funds so utilised must generate an income higher than the cost of procuring them. Here it is to be noted that all companies need both long-term and short-term capital. The finance manager must therefore keep in view the needs of both long-term debt and working capital and ensure that the business enjoys an optimum level of working capital and that it does not keep too many funds blocked in inventories, book-debts, cash, etc. The capital structuring and average cost of capital for the company should also be examined.[1] Financial analysis is analysis of financial statements of a company to assess is financial health and soundness of its management. "Financial Statement analysis" involves a study of the financial statements of a company to ascertain its prevailing state of affairs and the reasons therefore. Such a Study would enable the public and investors to ascertain whether one company is more profitable than the other, and also to state the causes and factors probably responsible for this[2]. Letters of Credit In a document, the bank agrees to honor a draft drawn on the importer, provided the bill of lading and other details are in order. Obviously, the local bank will "not issue a letter of credit unless it feels the importer is creditworthy and will pay the draft. The letter of credit arrangement pretty much eliminates the exporter's risk in selling goods to an unknown importer in another country. Illustration of a Confirmed Letter The arrangement is strengthened further if a bank in the exporter's country confirms the letter of credit. A New York exporter wishes to ship goods to a Brazilian importer located in Rio de Janeiro. The im ­porter's bank in Rio regards the importer as a sound credit risk and is willing to is ­sue a letter of credit guaranteeing payment for the goods when they are received. Thus, the Rio bank substitutes its credit for that of the importer. In fact, the deal is mutually between the Rio bank and the New York exporter- the beneficiary of the letter of credit,. The exporter may wish to work through her bank, because she has little knowledge of the Rio bank. She asks her New York bank to confirm the Rio bank's letter of credit. If the New York bank is satisfied with the creditworthiness of the Rio bank, it will agree to do so. When it does, it obligates itself to honor drafts drawn in keeping with the letter of credit arrangement.[3] Thus, when the exporter ships the goods, she draws a draft in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit arrangement. She presents the draft to her New York bank and the bank pays her the amount designated, assuming all the conditions of shipment is met. As a result of this arrangement, the exporter has her money, with no worries about payment. The New York bank then forwards the draft and other documents to the Rio bank. Upon affirming that the goods have been shipped in a proper manner, the Rio bank honors the draft and pays the New York bank. In turn, it goes to the Brazilian importer and collects from him once the goods have arrived in Rio and are delivered. Trade Facilitation Rather than extending credit directly to an im ­porter, the exporter relies on one or more banks, and their creditworthiness is sub ­stituted for that of the importer. The letter itself can be either irrevocable or revoca ­ble, but drafts drawn under an irrevocable letter must be honored by the issuing bank. A revocable letter makes sure for an arrangement for pay ­ment of cash. However we cannot guarantee that the draft will be paid. Most letters of credit are irre ­vocable, and the process described assumes an irrevocable letter. The three documents described- the draft, the bill of lading, and the letter of credit- are required in most international transactions. Established procedures ex ­ist for doing business on this basis[4]. Process of the Letter of Credit transaction and the problems associated with enforcement of parties’ rights in a conflict situation.    Expansion and Contraction    Countertrading In addition to the documents used to facilitate a standard transaction, more customized means for financing trade. One method is the countertrade. Countertrade agreement is where the selling party accepts payment in the form of goods as opposed to currency. When exchange restrictions and other preclude payment in hard currencies, such as dollars and yen, it may be to accept goods instead. These goods may be produced in the country .But this need not be the case. Countertrading is nothing more than anything.-l needs to be mindful that there are risks in accepting goods in lieu of a hard facts. Quality and standardization on receipt may differ from what was there. There may be volatility in prices, if indeed a viable market exists at all. All the method involves risk, countertrade associations and consultants, together other infrastructure, have developed to facilitate this means of trade. Factoring . The factor assumes the credit risk, so the exporter is assured of being true. The typical fee is around 2 percent of the value of the overseas shipment. But receivable is collected, a cash advance is possible for upward to 90 percent a shipment's value. For such an advance, the exporter pays interest, and this is   and above the factor's fee. Most factors will not do business with an exporter . less the volume is reasonably large, say at least $2 million in annual transactions,   Also, the factor can reject certain accounts that it deems too risky For accounted are accepted, the main advantage to the exporter is the peace of mind that credit   entrusting collections to a factor with international contacts and experience. Forfeiting Forfeiting is a means of financing trade which resembles factoring. An expo who is owed money evidenced by a longer-term note, as opposed to sell the note to a financial institution at a discount. The discount reflects I length of time the note has to maturity as well as the credit risk of its drawer usually the note is for 6 months or longer and involves larger transactions. An institution would not engage in forfeiting a $9,600 note but might if it were $180,000. [5]    Expansion abroad is undertaken to go, into new markets, acquire less costly pro ­duction facilities, and secure raw materials. Foreign investment different from domestic investment, as there are a number of reasons left behind that. Taxation is different, and there are risks present in po ­litical conditions. A company faces three types of risk in its foreign operations: translation exposure, trans ­actions exposure, and economic exposure. Changes in exchange rates cause translation exposure and its change in accounting income and balance sheet statements. Transactions exposure relates to settling a particular transaction, like open account credit, at one exchange rate when the obligation was booked at another. Economic exposure has to do with the impact of changing exchange rates on the existing balance sheet of a foreign subsidiary and on the expected future repatriated cash flows. Two frameworks were presented for measuring the degree of eco ­nomic exposure. The first aggregated the indi ­vidual exposure coefficients for all balance sheet items.[6] The second measured the degree of net exposure for expected future cash flows. This was net of any natural hedge, where local cur ­rency margins adjust naturally to offset a change in exchange rates. A natural hedge de ­pends on the degree to which prices and costs are globally determined or domestically deter ­mined. A relationship can be plotted between the value of repatriated cash flows and the ex ­change rate. The direction of the line and its steepness tells us whether or not we are hurt if the foreign currency appreciates (depreciates) in value and the degree of exposure. Net expo ­sure is that which remains after any natural hedge.[7] Using several protective devices, a company can protect against any net exposure. If the expo ­sure is short-term in nature, it can adjust intercompany accounts in what is known as an operating hedge. For longer-term exposure, it can undertake a hedge by financing in differ ­ent currencies. The major sources of interna ­tional financing are commercial banks, discounted trade drafts, Eurodollar loans, and in ­ternational bonds. The last includes Eu ­robonds, foreign bonds, floating-rate notes linked to LIBOR, currency-option bonds, and multiple-currency bonds. Eventually, we can see that there are currency hedges, may include, futures contracts, forward contracts, currency swaps, cur ­rency options etc. For the first, one buys a forward contract for the exchange of one procedure for another at a specific future date and at an exchange ratio set in advance. For this protection, there is a cost that is determined by the difference in the forward and spot exchange rates. Currency futures contracts are like forward contracts in function, but there are differences in settlement and other features. Currency options afford protection against "one-sided" risk. Fi ­nally, currency swaps are an important longer-term risk-shifting device.    There are several theories provide a better understanding of the relationship be ­tween interest rates, inflation, and rate of exchange. Purchasing power parity is the idea that a basket of goods should sell at the same price internationally, after factoring into account ex ­change rates. Relative inflation has an impor ­tant influence on exchange rates and on rela ­tive interest rates. Interest-rate parity suggests that the difference between forward and spot currency exchange rates can be explained by differences in nominal interest rates between two countries. Three principal documents are involved in international trade. The draft is an order by the exporter to the importer to pay a specified amount of money either upon presentation of the draft or a certain number of days after pre ­sentation. Translation Exposure Translation exposure relates to the accounting treatment of changes in exchange rates. State ­ment of the Financial Accounting Stan ­dards Board deals with the translation of for ­eign currency changes on the balance sheet and income statement. An American company must determine a func ­tional currency for each of its foreign sub ­sidiaries under those mentioned rules, If the subsidiary is a stand-alone op ­eration that is integrated within a particular country, the functional currency may be the lo ­cal currency; otherwise, it is the dollar where high inflation occurs the functional currency must be the dol ­lar regardless of the conditions given.    The functional currency used is important because it determines the translation process. Moreover, translation gains or losses are not reflected in the income statement, but rather are recognized in owners' equity as a translation adjustment. The fact that such ad ­justments do not affect accounting income is appealing to many companies. If the functional currency is the dollar, however, this is not the case. Gains or losses are reflected in the income statement of the parent company using what is known as the temporal method. In general, the use of the dollar as the functional currency re ­sults in greater fluctuations in accounting in ­come, but in smaller fluctuations in balance sheet items than does the use of the local cur ­rency. Let us examine the differences. Differences in Methods With the dollar as the functional currency, bal ­ance sheet and income statement items are cat ­egorized as to historical exchange rates or as to current exchange rates. Cash, receivables, lia ­bilities, sales, expenses, and taxes are trans ­lated using current exchange rates[8], whereas in ­ventories, plant and equipment, equity, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at the historical exchange rates existing at the time of the transactions. This differs from the situation where the local currency is used as the functional currency; here all items are translated at current exchange rates. To illustrate, a company we shall call Richmond Precision Instruments has a sub ­sidiary in the Kingdom. At the first of the year, the exchange rate is 8 to the dollar, and that rate has prevailed for many years. During the year however, it declines steadily in value to 10 to the dollar at year end. But the rate of exchange comes to 9. It shows the balance sheet and the income statement for the foreign subsidiary at the beginning and at the end of the year and the effect of the method of transla ­tion.    The oppo ­site would occur in our example if the liso in ­creased in value relative to the dollar. We see that there is substantially more change in total assets when a local functional currency is used than when a dollar functional currency is employed. In our example, sales are adjusted by the average exchange rate that prevailed during the year for both accounting methods. For column 4, local functional currency, all cost and expense items are adjusted by this exchange rate[9]. For the last column, dollar functional cur ­rency, cost of goods sold, and depreciation are translated at historical exchange rates whereas the other items are translated at the current average rate. We see that operat ­ing income and net income are larger when the local functional currency is used than when the functional currency is the dollar. For the latter method, the translation gain is factored in, so that net income agrees with the change in re ­tained earnings from 12/31/xl to 12/31/x2. W e see that this change is $845 - $750 = $95. In contrast, when the functional currency is local, the translation adjustment occurs after the in ­come figure of $111. The adjustment is that amount, - $176, that, together with net income, brings the liability and net worth part of the balance sheet into balance. This amount then is added to the sum of past translation adjust ­ments to obtain the new accumulated transla ­tion adjustment figure that appears on the bal ­ance sheet. As we assume past adjustments total zero, this item becomes - $176. Thus, the translation adjustments far in two methods are in opposite directions. Shot the liso increase in value relative to the data the effect would be the reverse of that illus ­trated: Operating income would be higher. Implications Because translation gains or losses are not re ­flected directly on the income statement; it supported operating income tends to fluctuate when the functional currency is local when it is the dollar. However, the balance sheet items is increased, o the translation of all items by the current change rate. Because many corporate fives are concerned with accounting FASB No. 52 is popular, as long as qualifies for a local functional currency ever, this accounting method also has its backs. For one thing, it distorts the sheet and the historical cost numbers over, it may cause return on asset and other measures of return to be less.    RISK MANAGEMENT AND WEALTH MAXIMISATION    Here the techniques for managing financial risks, in particular those that arise more prominently in the context of international finance are being discussed. The above discussion of the impact of risk on the value of the firm gives rise to a very important and interesting question: what should be the attitude of the firm's management regarding firm-specific risks? It appears that since these risks are diversifiable, they are not "priced" by the investors, that is, they do not affect the expected rate of return demanded by the investors- the discount rate. Why then should the firm spend resources to insure against these risks? Even if certain risks are systematic in the sense that they affect almost all firms adversely, it is not clear hedging such risks necessarily adds to shareholder value.[10] Risks can be hedged only at a cost since the party to whom the risk is transferred will demand compensation for bearing the risk. Thus, while it is true that increase in energy costs will ha ve an adverse impact on almost all firms, in an efficient market, the compensation that has to be paid for bearing this risk would just equal the increase in the value of the firm resulting from eliminating this risk; on balance the firms’ shareholders will neither rain nor los[11]e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Risks arising out of fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices are pervasive, It is, they affect most firms; however they affect different firms in different ways and are therefore idiosyncratic.[12] Finally, even if the irrelevance argument is not found to be convincing, the well-known Modigliani-Miller analysis of a firm's optimal capital structure offers another argument against hedging. In a world of no taxes, no transactions costs and no information asymmetries, they demonstrated that a firm's financing policy does not matter as long as it does not affect its investment policy. If some shareholders are unhappy with the particular debt-equity structure adopted by the firm, they can achieve whatever leverage they de ­sire by trading on their own account. The same argument can be extended to hedging risks such as ex ­change rate risks. A firm which exports to the United States and has dollar receivables can hedge these with forward sales of dollars against rupees; but if its shareholders can achieve the same result on their own (by taking similar but smaller positions in the dollar-rupee forward market), hedging by the firm will add no shareholder value. If capital markets are perfect, individual investors, in particular a firm's share ­holders can replicate any financial strategy adopted by the firm. In such a world active risk management policy cannot add value. In practice, we find that firms do expend considerable amount of resources- managerial time and money- in an attempt to hedge firm-specific risks. For instance, they avoid highly risky investment projects, purchase insurance against product liability suits, enter into forward contracts in foreign ex ­change, and specific commodities and so forth. Is there a rationale for these actions? In addition to the "irrelevance of unsystematic risks" or "shareholders can do it themselves" arguments against hedging, it has also been argued that since financial markets are efficient, it makes little difference in the long run whether and what kind of risk management posture a firm adopts. This means that with efficient markets it would not matter in the long run whether a firm follows an active hedging policy, a purely passive strategy of hedging all risks at all times, or a policy of no hedging at all. Note however that the hypothesis of efficiency of financial markets is far from firmly established. If active risk management by a firm adds shareholder value it must be (i) because it alters the firm's cash flow in a way which is beneficial to the shareholders even after meeting the cost of hedging and (ii) the firm can achieve this at a lower cost than what the shareholders would have to incur if they did it on their own. This is possible in the presence of some capital market imperfections which are assumed away by the Modigliani-Miller theorem. With reference to the valuation equation, hedging can increase shareholder wealth both by influencing future cash flows and by reducing the discount rate at which these cash flows are discounted. In general it is true that the former effects stronger though there can be circumstances under which hedging can reduce the expected return investors demand from a particular firm[13]. One of the most cogent arguments for hedging by the firm has been presented by Froot et al (1994). They not only provide a rationale for hedging as such but also put forward an explanation as to why selec ­tive or discretionary hedging rather than 100 per cent hedging might be an optimal policy under certain conditions. The main thrust of their argument can be summarized as follows: Firms enhance shareholder wealth- create "corporate value"- by making good investments. "Invest ­ments" here means not only physical plant and equipment but also RD, product development, mar ­ket investments such as advertising and promotion and so forth.[14] THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKET The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of a vast financial market straddling national boundaries enabling massive cross-border capital flows from those who have surplus funds and are in search d high returns to those seeking low-cost funding. The phenomenon of borrowers, including governments, one country accessing the financial markets of another is not new; what is new is the degree of mobility d capital, the global dispersal of the finance industry, and the enormous diversity of markets and inst which a firm seeking funding can tap.    THE LETTER OF CREDIT MECHANISM   In such a case, the opening bank "accepts" the draft and it becomes A Banker's Acceptance: The exporter can get immediate payment by discounting the accepted draft either with the opening bank, o with his own bank or by selling the acceptance in the market'. Financing is thus provide* by the bank which discounts the draft or by a money market investor who buys the acceptance. (With sigh drafts, the importer's bank may provide credit to the importer as a part of their ongoing business relationship). To cater to the wide variety of transactions and customers, different types of letters of credit have evolved. A Revocable L/C is issued by the issuing bank and contains a provision that the bank may amend or cancel the credit without the approval of the beneficiary. An Irrevocable L/C cannot be so amended or cancelled without the exporter's prior approval. A Confirmed, Irrevocable L/C contains an extra protection; in addition to the issuing bank's commitment, a Confirming Bank adds its own undertaking to pay provided a] conditions are met. The confirming bank (which may be but need not be the same as the advising bank will pay even if the issuing bank cannot or will not honor the exporter's draft. A Revolving L/C is use when the exporter is going to make shipments on a continuing basis and a single L/C will cover several shipments. A Transferable L/C permits the beneficiary to transfer a part or whole of the credit in favor of one or more secondary beneficiaries. This type of L/C is used by trader exporters who act as middlemen on recourse basis. The ultimate holder of the notes than presents them to the bank at which they are pay ­able, as they fall due.[15] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer. Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the availing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. For a five year deal, for example, repayable by ten semi-annual equal installments, LIBOR rate applicable for 2.75 years would be used. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor[16]. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary. The whole transaction can be processed quite fast. Many Forfeiters claim that they take no more than two days after the exporter presents all the proper documents. Buyers' Credits are a form of Eurocurrency loans designed to finance a specific transaction involving import of goods and services. The importer works out a deferred payment arrangement with the lending bank which the bank treats as a loan. [17] Traditionally, Forfeiting used to be a form of fixed rate, medium-term (one to five years) funding, but over time Forfeiters have become very flexible and are willing to offer terms to suit the needs of their customers. Some Forfeiting houses will accept paper with maturities up to ten years while in other cases it may be as short as 180 days. The secondary market for the paper generally ranges between one and ten years, depending upon the reputation of the importer, the country to which the importer belongs and the reputation of the bank providing the guarantee. Normally Forfeiters will ensure that the importer, not the exporter bears the cost of financing. That is, the face value of the notes is such that after applying the discount, the exporter gets paid what he would normally charge for cash payment. However for competitive reasons some exporters may choose to ab ­sorb some of the financing cost to make the transaction more attractive to the importer.[18] Charges depend on the market interest rates for the currency of the underlying contract and on the per ­ceived credit risks related to the importer, his country and the credit rating of the analyzing (or guaranteeing) bank. The interest cost is made up of the following components: (1)   The Forfeiter’s refinancing costs benchmarked to the cost of funds in the relevant Euromarkets seg ­ment applicable to the average life of the transaction. (2)   A margin or spread for covering the political, commercial, and transfer risks attached to the availed/ guarantor. It varies from country to country, and guarantor to guarantor. (3)   Some additional charges such as interest for "grace period" granted to the importer and a commit ­ment fee when necessary.    Bibliography A.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Articles/Books/Reports Kraus, M.W.; Keltner, D. (2008), "Signs of Socioeconomic Status Barro, Robert (1979) "On the Determination of the Public Debt", Journal of Political Economy, Vol 87, pages 940-71. Barro, Robert (1999) "Notes on Optimal Fund Management", Harvard University, May2006 Dornbusch, Rudi (2001) 'A Primer on Emerging Market Crises', MIT, January. Leong, Donna (1999) " Fund Management: Theory and Practice", HM Treasury Occasional Paper. Boushey, Heather and Weller, Christian. (2005) â€Å"What the Numbers Tell Us.† Pp 27-40. Demos. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cases Lucas, Robert and Nancy Stokey (1983) "Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy in an Economy without Capital", Journal of Monetary Economics 12, pp. 55-93. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Legislation Missale, Alessandro (1997) "Managing the Public Fund: The Optimal Taxation Approach", Journal of Economic Surveys Vol 121 No.3.

Researced based analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Researced based analysis - Assignment Example Because the company invests substantially in research and development, the management is able to ensure that its manufacturing systems and training programs are able to keep pace with the latest developments in the industry. SWOT analysis The main strength of Filkar Inc. is the organizational capital that is invested in research and development. This investment enables the company to incorporate the latest technological developments into the manufacturing systems. As a result the company is able to manufacture the most competitive products in the industry. This is one of the key success factors because the industry is in a fast pace of change. Filkar Inc. also operates internationally so that it has to pay attention to maintaining the quality level. The investment in research and development enables the company to maintain the required level of quality in its product offerings. The company is able to combine technology with the existing manufacturing systems by using total quality ma nagement (Filkar Web, 2009). The application of this methodology enables the company to create synergies out of incorporating the latest technology in its manufacturing systems. ... The company’s strength in maintaining competitive quality is supported by the periodic training programs that ensure that its employees are among the most skilled in the industry. Because the motivational issues are addressed, the employees are also satisfied in working for the company. Therefore the productivity level is one of the most competitive in the industry. Filkar’s employees are its most important assets and the organizational culture reflects this strategic orientation. As a result employee interests and organizational interests are combined synergistically. This ensures that the strategic focus of the company is strengthened by strong productivity from the employees. The company’s weakness may be inability to respond to any disruptive technologies. The company has already made substantial investment in the existing manufacturing systems. Therefore if a competitor were to launch a new manufacturing system which would reduce the cost of production, then Filkar might not be able to make the change fast enough to remain competitive. Currently it is enjoying a market leadership position in the Turkish market because it has no competition. However it is also competing internationally. Therefore it is more than likely that international companies such as Westinghouse and GE can launch some transformational technology that will change the competitive landscape. In this situation the company might not be able to migrate to the new system. According to its performance management system, the company is doing well as it has the market leadership position in the domestic market. However if a competitor is able to cut costs significantly through the introduction of a new technology,

Rules of Evidence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rules of Evidence - Assignment Example ‘if it is offered to prove a fact that is at issue in the case.’(DiCarlo 2008) For evidence to be considered admissible it has ‘to show motive, plan, intent, or lack of mistake or, in federal court, to impeach a witnesss credibility (DiCarlo 2008). In the recent case against a man named Duena who is currently facing the death sentence after denied appeals he had been charged with killing police officer 1n 1997 .The evidence presented can be said to be both circumstantial and direct. Circumstantial evidence needs to be further interfered with so as to connect it to the actual crime. Some of the circumstantial evidence presented in this case is the murder weapon with Duena’s finger prints on it, another circumstantial piece of evidence in this case is the use of computer animation to illustrate that this crime was actually predetermined. It has also been determined that he was at the scene of the crime when the police officer was shot dead (Ansari 2012) According to Californian law substitutions of evidence are the alternatives to normal contemporary evidence provided in court to show prove that a crime was committed. These are useful to the court when circumstantial and direct evidence are both unavailable. The prosecution or defence is allowed to use substitutions of evidence when presenting factual information that is well known by the general public and can prove their arguments. Another substitute to evidence is when alluding to the testimony of an expected witness. Jury selection is the method of choosing individuals who will serve in a judicial trial. This procedure involves the participation of both the prosecution and the defence and the whole process is overseen by the judge on the particular case. Suitable group of jury members are presented before the prosecution and the defence in the presence of a judge, these potential jurors are each asked questions related to the case .This ensures there is no bias or personal affiliation with the case

The Ethnic Essay Example for Free

The Ethnic Essay ETHNIC RELATIONS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA: THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS Abstract This paper looks at the changing ethnic relations in Peninsular Malaysia in terms of the interactions between the state’s policies to advance Malay cultural dominance and reduce ethnic economic inequality and the aspirations and actions of the Chinese community. The state of ethnic relations partly will depend on whether the majority of the ethnic members, in particular the ethnic elites, are pursuing separatist or amalgamative strategies and goals, and on whether the rival ethnic groups stand in positions of marked inequality or near equality to each other. In this sense, since the 1969 ethnic riots, ethnic relations have eluded out right conflicts in part because the rival ethnic communities have pursued mainly amalgamative strategies and goals, and in part because the economic inequality gap has narrowed between the Malays and non-Malays. However, the expanding place of Islam in the Malay personal, and hence collective, identity and the relative success in making social classes more multiethnic have added additional complexities to the future of ethnic relations. Introduction Ethnicity remains the most potent force in Malaysia even if of late its influence has been somewhat adulterated by other social stratification forces, principally class and gender. The potency of ethnicity lies in its ability to combine both affective and instrumental appeals. As members of distinct and self-conscious cultural communities, Malays, Chinese and Indians naturally were inclined to identify with and treasure their respective languages, cultures and religions, and thus actively strived to preserve and propagate them. 1 Since they share a common pool of generalized symbols and values, the ethnic members would primarily socialize and associate with their own. Ethnicity thus continues to constitute an integral constituent of the individual Malaysia psyche and ethnic membership critically demarcates his/her social life and taste. It follows that the effectiveness of affective appeals originates from the evident passionate attachments to a particular ethnicity that continue to sway individual identification and pattern of social life. Passionate attachments are readily excited for the purposes of galvanizing ethnic individuals to preserve, protect and promote their culture, language, and religion. Historically, in Malaysia, the affective appeals also became intimately intertwined with the instrumental pursuit of political and economic goals that aimed to manipulate the system and distribution of rewards in preference of the particular ethnic members. Consequently, because ethnicity combines â€Å"an interest with an affective tie†, ethnic groups were more effective and successful than social classes in mobilizing their members in pursuit of collective ends in Malaysia. In post-independent Malaysia, ethnic relations became entangled and influenced by the rival ethnic communities’ struggle over the cultural constituents of national identity, the share of political power, and the distribution of economic wealth. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part examines the development in the cultural relations and the second part on the economic relations. The Cultural Dimension In the Western European experience, the process of nation building was preceded by or coincided with the cultural process of collective identity formation that was grounded in ethnicity. If and when ethnicity formed the basis of nationality, the construction of a national culture/identity almost always would be based on the dominant ethnic group’s culture with the concurrent marginalization, and usually annihilation, of the minority ethnic groups’ cultures (Smith 1986). In most of the Western European nations, assimilation of the minority ethnic groups into the dominant ethnic group culture became the normative historical experience. The tacit conflation of nation and ethnicity largely arose from the emergence of European nations with relatively homogeneous national cultures. Indeed, the tacit conflation entrenched and perpetuated the notion of a nationalism that imagines the nation in terms of a people sharing a common history, culture, language and territory. In the colonial world, the conflated conception of nationalism powerfully captured the imaginations of most of the national liberation movements. Inspired by 2 the image of a homogenous cultural nation led to efforts by the dominant ethnic groups in the postcolonial world to fashion national cultures out of their own. A result of this was the proliferation of assimilationist policies in many of the postcolonial nationstates. But, given the multiethnic character of nearly all the postcolonial nation-states, the imposition of assimilationist policies regularly resulted in accentuating the relations between the dominant and minority ethnic groups. Although Malaysia is an exception to the rule in terms of not pursuing an outright assimilationist policy, the Malays, nevertheless, persisted on the construction of a national culture founded on their culture. The unequal relation between the Malay and non-Malay cultures was formally recognized and written into the 1957 Constitution2. This was a radical departure from the colonial period where no one ethnic group’s culture was given privileged status and there was no conception of a common national culture. The colonial state moreover practiced an essentially nonintervention policy in the cultural development of the colony and each ethnic group had equal access to and could freely practice their culture in the colonial public space. The postcolonial state played, in contrast, an increasingly interventionist role in the cultural development of the society and actively promoted the public presence of Malay culture. In post-independent Malaysia, the site of cultural contentions was centered over the status and place of the different ethnic groups’ cultures in the public space. To construct a national culture founded on Malay culture necessary would mean the construction of a public space where Malay culture is omnipresence with the nonMalay cultures relegated to the periphery. However, to advance the Malay cultural symbols and Islam in the public space, the state would have to roll back the historically expansive presence of non-Malay cultural symbols in the public space in general and in the urban space in particular. Constitutionally, since the assimilationist notion was abandoned in Malaysia, the predicament was how to advance Malay cultural dominance without alienating the non-Malay communities and violating their rights to practice and to propagate their cultures as guaranteed in the constitution. In short, the ambivalence around the inclusion and exclusion of the non-Malays’ cultures constitutes the key predicament in the construction of the modern Malaysian nation. 3 In the 1960s, the cultural terrain was a fiercely contested arena. This was because, during this period, the majority of Malays and non-Malays held diametrically opposing stances on the cultural, religion and language issues. On the one side, the popular Malay opinion strongly backed the dominant and privileged position of Malay culture in the new nation and expected the state to uphold and promote Malay culture and the official status of Malay language. Consequently, the perceived slow progress made by the state in advancing Malay culture and language led to increasing numbers of Malays, especially the Malay cultural nationalists,3 to become disenchanted with the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) leaders. On the other side, the majority of Chinese vigorously and persitently advocated the equality of status for every culture in the society;4 Mandarin as one of the official languages, equal treatment of Chinese culture and religion, and equal recognition of and rights to education in their mother tongue. The Chinese demand for complete equality was powerfully captured in the notion of a â€Å"Malaysian Malaysia†. The heated cultural contentions considerably envenomed the ethnic relations in the 1960s. In the immediate aftermath of the 1969 ethnic riots, the Malay-dominated state proceeded, aggressively, to reconstitute the public cultural landscape. The National Culture Policy was implemented in 1971 to amplify the symbolic presence of Malay culture and Islam in the public space. Also in 1971, the National Education Policy was executed to incrementally make Malay language as the medium of instruction at all educational levels. Indeed, after 1969, the preeminence of Malay culture in the society became a non-negotiable proposition, and questioning it could result in prosecution under the Sedition Act. Conversely, the pro-Malay cultural policies put the non-Malay communities on the defensive and prodded them to safeguard their cultural presence in and access to the public space. In particular, when the state imposed increasing regulations and restrictions on the their rights to stage public cultural performances or to acquire land to build Chinese schools and places of worship and burial, it induced the Chinese to mobilize to defend and struggle for their cultural space and rights. The impact of the state cultural policies on the ethnic relations over the years depends on several factors. One factor is connected to what was the prevailing conception of Malay culture and the elements of the non-Malay ethnic cultures that 4 could go into the national culture. Another factor has to do with the specific cultural policies formulated and the manner the Malay-dominated state had pursued them. They varying responses of the Malay and Chinese groupings to the state cultural policies constitute another important factor. In the 1970s, pressures from the Malay cultural nationalists pushed the state to strive aggressively to enlarge the presence and function of Malay cultural symbols in the official and public spaces. Since the 1980s, however, pressures from the resurgence of Islam among the Malays led the state to introduce more measures to enhance the â€Å"Islamicization† of the society. Simply put, the state allocated funds and established institutions to research on and propagate Malay arts and cultures, â€Å"altering them where necessary to fit current ideological and religious sensibilities† .

Information Technology :: essays research papers

OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE IMPACTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY â€Å"THE COMING OF THE NEW ORGANIZATION† Reading the article â€Å"The Coming of the New Organization† by Peter F. Drucker mentioned several major points of how Information Technology has impacted management and re-structured the corporation process on a whole. Information-based organizations have sufficient computing power to control the labor force without certain levels of management. Information Technology has reduced a variety of positions in the work place today. Positions ranging from cashiers, security personnel, typists and teachers to analysts, supervisors and managers and even higher levels of management have been eliminated. As new technology emerge, corporations will constantly review their business practices and processes to enhance their operations as well as cut costs. I agree with Mr. Drucker that positions most affected are, and will be, several layers of management and clerical positions. The function of a Supervisor, Assistant Manager and Manager is to merely coordinate, review and oversee an area or department of employees. Most levels of management do not have the knowledge of completing day to day operations and tasks, but more of an ideal of the process. In my eleven years of employment with Fortis Health, formerly John Alden Life Insurance Company, several positions were eliminated, replaced by some form of Information Technology. Managers and supervisors that produced a variety of productivity reports using an Excel spread sheet (a form of technology), are replaced by a programmer implementing a software and coding a program to automatically read other input/output systems and calculate and measure productivity. Clerical positions such as typing, filing, and phone operators were eliminated, replaced by voice automated software and imaging software. Information Technology is defined as any system for the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information, via computer system, software and computer equipment. Working in this field requires a variety of knowledge with specific and detailed knowledge. Employees with this knowledge (specialists) are more likely to survive a corporation’s re-structure due to an implementation of new technology. The most powerful positions within a company are Information Technology positions. These positions create, monitor, enhance and control the day to day operations of a business. A year ago I was recently transitioned from an Accounts Payable Supervisor to a Project Analyst in an Information Technology department. In my year of being employed in this department, I’ve been exposed to a vast amount of Information Technology knowledge.

Gertrude’s portrayal suggests Ophelia Essay

At the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet is reprimanded by Claudius because of grieving for his father, King Hamlet. Claudius calls Hamlet unmanly ‘Of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief. ’ Claudius’ use of the word ‘Unmanly’ suggests Hamlet is frail like a woman, this shows in Hamlet not just women are weak in this play but men also display forms of frailty. Claudius’ use of the word ‘unmanly’ surely suggests Hamlet is feminine, and if Hamlet is feminine surely as a man, that also makes him weak. The phrase ‘Frailty, thy name is woman,’ appears in Hamlet’s first soliloquy. Here Hamlet condemns Gertrude, his mother, for having a swift remarriage to his uncle, Claudius. In ‘Hamlet’ Shakespeare presents women as the weaker sex, used for the purpose of men’s satisfaction sexually. For a woman to consider, or commit a sexual deed, it is seen as corruption. Today, a modern audience may see Hamlet’s, Polonius’ and Laertes’ actions toward Gertrude and Ophelia as a form of sexual abuse. Women were the victims of a Patriarchal society, corrupted by sex and hated by misogynistic men. Patriarchy describes a social structure where the behaviour and ideas of men and boys are overriding over those of women and girls. This situation of male authority is reflected in correlative unfairness throughout the society and in the play ‘Hamlet’. The Shakespearean era was a patriarchal society where women were seen as powerless to the extent that in the time that Shakespeare wrote his plays; women were not authorized to act on stage, which meant that boys were required to dress up as the female characters in plays. Frailty can be a condition of being frail, whether it is being mentally frail, physically or morally. ‘Frailty, thy name is woman,’ is a statement, which at the very least could infuriate a feminist critic who may view Shakespeare’s opinion of women misogynistic because he frequently displays women as being dependant on men. Hamlet criticises his mother for incestuous relations with his uncle, Claudius. He says, ‘Almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother. ’ Hamlet believes his mother to be morally frail as she has an apparent refusal to control feelings to how a woman should be and has committed a sexual rebellion ‘Rebellious hell. ’ Hamlet’s disgust towards his mother’s ‘incestuous’ relationship comes to a climax ‘Stew’d over corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty! ’ Here, Hamlet refers his mother making love over a pig sty, once again referring to women as victims of sexual corruption and as dirty as pigs. Hamlet stated ‘Frailty, thy name is woman,’ he refers to by his mother, Gertrude, being a woman, she displays moral frailty in being vulnerable to the act of seduction by Claudius. This provides the audience with a model of women’s infidelity in Hamlet. For Gertrude to give into this, Hamlet felt his mother was morally frail. An audience would believe Gertrude was frail to a degree from giving into her brother in law and accepting his hand in marriage. To a Shakespearean audience, Gertrude disobeys patriarchal boundaries by marrying her brother in law, so soon after her husband’s death would be frowned upon. Henry the VIII married his brothers widow, Catherine of Aragon, because this was frowned upon in the Tudor times, he used it as an excuse when he later wanted to divorce her. Hamlet says ‘But two months dead,’ the essential association of incestuous desire takes place between Hamlet and his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet appears fixated on the disgust of his mother’s sexual welfare with Claudius, from this Hamlet appears to become cynical about women in general and perceives a connection between the female sexuality and moral frailty. The concept of misogyny continues to occur throughout the play and is a significant constraint in Hamlet’s relationships with his mother and Ophelia. Hamlet also refers to his mother’s incestuous sexuality with Claudius in Act One Scene Two; Hamlet says ‘O most wicked speed! To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! ’ suggesting Gertrude moved into bed with Claudius too quickly. A theme of incest is repeated several times throughout the play and is frequently insinuated by Hamlet and the ghost, who says ‘So to seduce! – won to his shameful lust to the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen. ’ Referring to how Claudius won Gertrude over with his lustful charm. Gertrude is the mouthpiece for the description of Ophelia’s death to Laertes and Claudius, at the end of Act four Scene seven. An audience may see by Gertrude being the representative for this description, as solidarity and uniting of women. She was ‘As one incapable of her own distress and indued unto that element. ’ Her description is full of pathos, reflecting Ophelia’s innocence and beauty. Gertrude’s portrayal suggests Ophelia was one with nature and native to the water. This suggests her death could have been caused by physical frailty ‘incapable of her own distress’, Gertrude explains how Ophelia was ‘Pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death. ’ Her ‘Melodious lay’ suggests to the reader, she was calm and at ease around the water. When Gertrude says ‘Her clothes spread wide, and awhile they bore her up,’ which shows the reader a powerful image of Ophelia struggling and drowning and eventually dying, it suggests due mourning over her father and the love of Hamlet, she became physically weak enough to let life defeat her therefore Ophelia is presented as a weak victim. If Ophelia’s death was suicide, it could suggest Ophelia was morally frail to want to take her own life, going against what was right. Today, a modern audience would look upon victims of suicide, supposedly Ophelia, with empathy for the desperation that must have preceded their demise. An Elizabethan audience however saw suicide to be such a hideous form of murder. Ophelia in Act four Scene five says ‘We must be patient. But I cannot choose but weep to think they would lay him I’th’ cold ground. ’ Ophelia appears mad and weak over Hamlet’s misogyny, the death of her father and rejection of her. Ophelia goes into a double realm of remorse, believing herself to be to blame for both Hamlet’s madness and her father’s death. Ophelia here is showing an appearance of being physically and mentally frail. Ophelia sings songs concerning chaos, death, and unrequited love. As she is singing Claudius and Queen both try to reason with her, but she replies only incomprehensibly. Claudius says ‘Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? ’ Ophelia’s rogue line breaks of poetry, disrupts the prose of the other characters in the scene, the audience is distracted by Ophelia’s deep thoughts, emotions and feelings.

Overseas Employment Essay

Overseas employment refers to employment of a worker outside a country. Overseas employment has been part of Filipino households’ lives. It provides opportunities for developing responsibility, flexibility, and self-resilience. It can also prepare individuals for an international career change that can lead to a satisfying life working overseas. Approximately eight million Filipinos overseas are permanent residents, temporary workers, or irregular migrants. Majority are temporary workers known as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). Although, there are some who leave the country for tourism and other purposes but they eventually overstay, seek employment, and become irregular workers overseas. There are different reasons for individuals to work abroad. To earn money, to meet new companions, to be more skilled, etc. The reasons for working overseas are unlimited – from a desire to travel, learn new ways of living, learn a new language, to developing a stronger career with international experience in your field. Overseas jobs can give you the chance to take on more responsibility and develop some new skills, particularly in the area of cross-cultural communications. The challenges you’ll meet will call on your creativity and resourcefulness. For us students, it helps to solidify our life purpose, or launches us in an exciting new direction with our career aspirations. Hence, this paper aims to answer the following questions: 1. What is Overseas Employment? 2. What are the purposes and effects of Overseas Employment? What is Overseas Employment? Overseas came from Middle English â€Å"overse† while employment came from Middle French â€Å"empleier†, from Latin â€Å"implicare† which means â€Å"to enfold, involve, be connected with†, itself from in- â€Å"in† + plicare â€Å"to fold†) + -ment. Overseas means pertaining to countries, associations, activities, etc., beyond the sea or abroad and employment means an occupation by which a person earns a living; work; business. Overseas employment is referred as the employment of a worker outside a country, including employment on board vessels plying international waters, covered by a valid employment contract. The nature of overseas employment is that for decades, the toil of solitary migrants has helped lift entire families and communities out of poverty. They have woven together the world by transmitting ideas and knowledge from country to country. The migrant workers have provided the dynamic human link between cultures, societies and economies. Will I need a work permit or visa? Yes. You can apply for it at the Philippine Embassy and don’t forget all of the documents that you need. How will I search for an appropriate job? Search for an appropriate job which fits and suits your personality. In that way, you will be comfortable and you can easily adapt your current situation when you are working abroad. How will I contact prospective employers? Contact the â€Å"legal recruiters†. Ask the government’s agencies if your employer has its permit to recruit and employ applicants like you. What are the purposes and effects of Overseas Employment? First, what agency is concern about the migration of the overseas workers here in the Philippines? P.O.E.A is the agency that handles the country’s overseas employment. It was created to promote and develop the overseas employment program and protect the rights of migrant workers. It goes hand in hand with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration (OWWA). DID YOU KNOW? Philippine is one of the most labor-sending country. Because of this, migration management has always been grounded on the goal to make labor migration work for the benefit of the migrant workers themselves, their families and society as a whole. Reasons of working abroad To earn money on the road. Work equals money. Money is needed in traveling. Getting a job abroad is a great way to raise funds and keep your bank account happy; To learn new skills. Working abroad gives you the chance to do all sorts of crazy jobs you’d probably never even think of trying at home; To prove your independence. Generally speaking, jobs you land while on a working holiday won’t be the most challenging, career advancing in the world but many employers still look at time spent working abroad positively. Heading overseas, landing a job, sorting out a place to live and starting a new life takes some guts and clued up employers will take note; To meet the Locals. As you travel, you’ll meet locals. But chances are they will be in the tourist industry and will have a vested interest in being nice to you. If you really want to meet the locals and know their culture, you should fly abroad; To make lasting friendships. You will meet plenty of travelers, and mostly you’ll get along with people same as your nationality. Stopping to work will allow you the time to develop lasting, meaningful relationships with other travelers and co-workers; To get a feel for destination. As you hop from one country to another, it is normal to feel that you wanted to stay for that particular place for good, for everyday life; To experience real freedom. While you’re working abroad, you won’t exactly be free, but it is having or starting your new life. The whole world opens up to you. Having the confidence to head off anywhere in the world to make a living really gives a great sense of freedom. Once you feel as though you can go anywhere and still manage to support yourself, the world truly is your oyster; For Lots of energy. Majority of works and opportunities abroad requires people who if physically fit and have skills in physical activities that can work harder; Due to many options. Lots of companies hire young people that tend to work hard, don’t want to be concerned with the needing a job for the rest of their lives, and are willing to take part time work so that they can have a little bit fun; For activities galore. Different jobs in different place. You will discover that every place has its own culture and local attractions and way of life. You can spend free time in exploring; And for schedules to suit your taste. As you are working part-time, you will be able to spend extra time traveling, meeting new people and find out more about the world. Effects of working abroad Positive effects of working abroad are: The migrant workers earn more money, meet new people (foreigners and locals), and they get a chance to travel and explore. While the negative effects of working abroad are as follows: The migrant workers’ health were affected and the families’, discrimination, and no time for the family—with this, everyt hing follows. For overseas workers, yes you can have lots of money. It may be the quantity of money you could never imagine. Your salaries here in the Philippines may be doubled or tripled depending on the job you are fitted to and offered for. The salary that would help you and your family to build a house you’ve dreamed of, for your children to finish their studies, and for your own personal needs. Filipinos have the mentality of â€Å"Magtrabaho ka sa abroad. Mag-nurse ka. Malaki sweldo doon sa abroad† and so on an so forth. That’s why Philippines is one of the most labor-sending country. Being able to work abroad is passed on from generation to generation. The parent who is working abroad has the tendency to get his/her family to live in a particular country for good. Meet new people. Yes! You may have friends in your work or within the vicinity of the place you’re living at. Foreigners, particularly Americans, are friendly that they are defined as very approachable and helpful (based on researches and facts). You may also have friends same as your nationality. Like in Milan, OFWs in that place stated that they tend to have parties together to know who the Filipinos are living in the country same as them— to mingle and build friendship. One example of a positive effect of this is when a Filipino is heading off and flying back to the Philippines, other OFWs are asking him/her a favor. It may be giving money to the family left or packages. It’s very usual. Overseas workers can be called travelers. They build up their confidence and perseverance during their work in other countries. Usually, the Filipino heading off to a different country is alone. He/she get a chance to learn being independent, no one to count on, and he/she will be the one to count on by the family they left here in the Philippines. They serve as the bread winners and so they persevere for the benefits of their families. There may be positive effects but there are also negative effects—like broken families. It may not be literally broken that one of the parents divorces the other. But the thought that it’s not complete. It may be the mother, the father, or both are leaving. The effects are on both of them—the one who leaved and the people left. The one who leaved experience home sick. He/she misses his/her family but he/she has nothing to do knowing that being away from them will benefit them and give their family a more prosperous life. The people left experience hatred and of course missing the parent who leaved. Why hatred? Children who are left at an early age may grow with the thought of â€Å"Iniwan niya kami para magpakasaya doon kasi hindi nya kami mahal†. They will rebel against their family and especially the parent who left them. The movie â€Å"Anak† is a very good film to understand my point on this. Health. Being apart from your love ones will have an effect on your health, especially due to too much stressed, too much thinking, too much work, home-sick, sadness and other negative emotions. That’s why OFWs find time to meet people same with their nationality to reduce the emotions and stress. Discrimination. Why do I say so? Filipinos are known to be very patient, caring, clean, kind, and very hard working. By these, other foreigners tend to discriminate us, give us more work, less salary, and sometimes, for brutal foreigners, they hurt Filipinos. And worse, if you look for the word â€Å"Filipina† in a foreign dictionary, the meaning of it is â€Å"household or maid†Ã¢â‚¬â€(by Ms.Aquino). * As of today the Philippine state is pursuing its constitutional mandate to afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all. Filipinos work abroad. Why not work in the Philippines instead? Why leave your own country? Discussed from before, it’s because Filipino can’t sustain the needs of his/her family. So he/she needs to work abroad in order to earn more and give a better future for his/her family. So what are the disadvantage in the Philippines that Filipinos decide to work abroad instead? Unstable economic situation in the Philippines wherein the lack of confidence in the government to secure a better future for its citizens. Example of this is Corruption, right? People in high authority take the money from the people through Taxes and use them for their own leisure. High unemployment rate in the Philippines this has been a problem in the country that produces almost million college graduates on courses that are popular but whose demand is on decline. Example is the Fresh graduates who just join the labor force, this will the increase that competition for jobs available. Low salary offered by local companies this is the biggest reason why Filipinos are willing to work abroad because of the low salary offered by employers in the Philippines. Even nurses, engineers are paid poorly in spite of the skills they have through the 4 years course. Contractual employment arrangement this brings high unemployment rate due advantage to employers who simply hire people on contractual basis. Poor Benefits another disadvantage, examples of this is PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, which is a monthly contribution that can significantly reduce the low-paid workers. OFWs are now pampered, OFWs are now covered by better protection, they are offered advantages in addition to being the nation’s new breed of heroes. It’s not so lonely to go abroad anymore we have so many Filipino communities have travelled all over the world, Filipino entertainers brought the overseas Filipino workers close to home. We have the availability of the Web to communicate with loved ones. Discrimination in job hiring in the Philippines this is very degrading as a Filipino, some are willing to get paid lower salaries and not enjoy benefits and paid holidays. We came up with the conclusion that, yes, there are a lot of benefits we can get in working overseas. Yes, we earn more money. And yes, we will have a better future. But because of that, we lose all the skilled workers that instead of serving and making the country more progressive, they migrate to different countries. What will happen to the Philippines then? Example of this is the tourist, the foreigners. They visit the Philippines because of the beautiful sceneries. Now instead of their information became ours, the little information we have is becoming theirs. Instead of us giving benefits to them, they rather give us the benefits. Why is this so? Because all of our skilled workers, or all of our professionals are owned by them. Philippines is a rich country, we don’t need to work abroad. We have jobs here. Job opportunities shouldn’t be â€Å"Out there† but it must be â€Å"here†. References Henderson, K. (2007). 7 reasons why working abroad is your best career move. Retrieved from http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/7-reasons-why-working-abroad-is-your-best-career-move/ Tomson, B. (2011). 10 good reasons to work abroad. Retrieved from http://www.ideamarketers.com/?10_Good_Reasons_To_Work_Abroad&articleid=419109 Overseas employment: choosing an international career (2008). Retrieved from http://www.best-career-match.com/overseas-employment.html Fung, J. B., & Tan, F.A. (2010). Preliminary considerations, Handbook on Overseas employment and Pleadings, 1-9 Pinoy OFW (2009). Reasons why many Filipinos like to work abroad. Retrieved from http://www.pinoy-ofw.com/news/355-reasons-why-many-filipinos-like-to-work-abroad.html

Free Essays on Honesty & Integrity

Honesty And Integrity Honesty and integrity are defined as qualities that allow an individual to do the right thing as often and as much as possible, and when they have done they wrong thing admit to what they have done. Honesty is the adherence to the facts and sincerity. To perform honestly would be: to tell the truth, to be able to be trustworthy, to not cheat and to be true to yourself. Honesty is doing the right thing, integrity; following through and being able to be counted on, trustworthy; you will not take credit, money or rewards for things you didn’t perform or do, fairness/ honor; meaning what u say, sincerity; and finally you will act and explain yourself as you truly are, genuine. When a person is dishonest they will act in a way that they know is wrong and, if asked to explain, will proceed to lie about what they have done. Being dishonest usually will catch up with the person. If dishonesty lets them get too far, it will go to their head and will take it to an extreme, making it mu ch better to start out honestly. Integrity goes hand in hand with honesty, seeing that each word uses the other in its definition. Integrity is the quality or state of being undivided. It is moral soundness, honesty, and freedom from corrupting influence or motive. It can be used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of agencies, or trusts. Integrity allows a person to be proud of what kind of morals they have, what kind of things they do and are proud and unafraid to tell the truth. If a person with integrity has done something wrong, than they probably did not purposely do it and are absolutely fine with admitting to it and taking responsibility for it. Honesty and integrity also have a meaning for me. I will do my best not to do the wrong thing but if I have chosen to do so, for me to be honest, I will tell the truth to my parents, teachers, friends and anyone I speak to or come in contact wi... Free Essays on Honesty & Integrity Free Essays on Honesty & Integrity Honesty And Integrity Honesty and integrity are defined as qualities that allow an individual to do the right thing as often and as much as possible, and when they have done they wrong thing admit to what they have done. Honesty is the adherence to the facts and sincerity. To perform honestly would be: to tell the truth, to be able to be trustworthy, to not cheat and to be true to yourself. Honesty is doing the right thing, integrity; following through and being able to be counted on, trustworthy; you will not take credit, money or rewards for things you didn’t perform or do, fairness/ honor; meaning what u say, sincerity; and finally you will act and explain yourself as you truly are, genuine. When a person is dishonest they will act in a way that they know is wrong and, if asked to explain, will proceed to lie about what they have done. Being dishonest usually will catch up with the person. If dishonesty lets them get too far, it will go to their head and will take it to an extreme, making it mu ch better to start out honestly. Integrity goes hand in hand with honesty, seeing that each word uses the other in its definition. Integrity is the quality or state of being undivided. It is moral soundness, honesty, and freedom from corrupting influence or motive. It can be used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of agencies, or trusts. Integrity allows a person to be proud of what kind of morals they have, what kind of things they do and are proud and unafraid to tell the truth. If a person with integrity has done something wrong, than they probably did not purposely do it and are absolutely fine with admitting to it and taking responsibility for it. Honesty and integrity also have a meaning for me. I will do my best not to do the wrong thing but if I have chosen to do so, for me to be honest, I will tell the truth to my parents, teachers, friends and anyone I speak to or come in contact wi...

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan A popular behavior management plan most elementary teachers use is called the Turn-A-Card system. This strategy is used to help monitor each childs behavior and encourage students to do their best. In addition to helping students display good behavior, this system allows students to take responsibility for their actions. There are numerous variations of the Turn-A-Card method, the most popular being the Traffic Light behavior system. This strategy uses the three colors of the traffic light with each color representing a specific meaning. This method is usually used in preschool and primary grades. The following Turn-A-Card plan is similar to the traffic light method but can be used throughout all elementary grades. How it Works Each student has an envelope containing four cards: Green, Yellow, Orange,  and Red. If a child displays good behavior throughout the day, he/she remains on the green card. If a child disrupts the class he/she will be asked to Turn-A-Card and this would reveal the yellow card. If a child disrupts the classroom a second time in the same day he/she will be asked to turn a second card, which would reveal the orange card. If the child disrupts the class a third time he/she will be asked to turn their final card to reveal the red card. What it Means Green Great job! Working well throughout the day, following rules, demonstrating appropriate behavior, etc.Yellow Warning Card (breaking rules, not following directions, disrupting the classroomOrange Second Warning Card (still not following directions) This card means that the student loses free time and takes a ten minute time out.Red A Note and/or Phone Call Home A Clean Slate Each student starts off the school day with a clean slate. This means that if they had to Turn-A-Card the previous day, it will not affect the current day. Each child starts the day with the green card. Parent Communication/Report Student Status Each Day Parent-communication is an essential part of this behavior management system. At the end of each day, have students record their progress in their take-home folders for their parents to view. If the student did not have to turn any cards that day then have them place a green star on the calendar. If they had to turn a card, then they place the appropriate colored star on their calendar. At the end of the week have parents sign the calendar so you know they had a chance to review their childs progress. Additional Tips It is expected that each student stays on green throughout the day. If a child does have to turn a card, then kindly remind them they get to start fresh the next day.If you see that a particular student is getting a lot of warning cards then it may be time to re-think the consequences.When a child has to turn a card, use this as an opportunity to teach the child the correct behavior that should have been displayed.Reward the students that stay on green all week. Have Free-Time Friday and allow students to choose fun activities and games. For the students that flipped over an orange or red card during the week, they will not be able to participate.

How are these works of arts reflect the tradition(s) of avant garde Essay

How are these works of arts reflect the tradition(s) of avant garde - Essay Example (Acton 25) A further understanding of the characteristics of avant-garde art can be achieved by examining paintings such as â€Å"The Scream† by Edvard Munch; Henri Matisse’s â€Å"The Dance† and â€Å"The Dance II†; â€Å"Portrait of Ambroise Vollard,† â€Å"Three Dancers† and â€Å"Woman with Mandolin† by Pablo Picasso and â€Å"Woman in Blue† by Fernand Leger. Expressionist artist Edvard Munch’s â€Å"The Scream† depicting an indistinct shape of a human whose face and mouth shown as distorted in fear or in anxiety. The figure seems to be unnerved by someone or something but may probably also be frightened by the bloodied sky overhead. In this painting from the Expressionist period, the artist portrayed the figure as an indistinct form to accentuate the raw emotion. The core of Expressionism was to paint and convey emotions through art therefore Munch exhibits in this painting the avant-garde way of addressing the principle of the art movement, which is to purely capture and express emotions through art without defining the form. Henri Matisse’s first version of â€Å"The Dance† shows lightly-hued human figures dancing and floating in plain green and blue background while â€Å"The Dance II† shows the human figures in an intense shade of red dancing and floating in a more vivid blue and green. The two paintings each possess an avant-garde character, the first version discards the foreshortening technique of painting; Matisse employed colors instead to give the figures an impression of distance and movement thus creating an innovation on the use of colors for his artwork. â€Å"The Dance II† has the same innovative avant-garde character as the first version, however, the artist made another new approach for the second version by using colors in their unmodified or slightly modified value resulting into colors that are more vibrant and more defined impression of