Saturday, August 31, 2019

Sepsis: Blood and Fluid Resuscitation

Sepsis; pathophysiology, etiology and treatment Abstract To define the disease known as sepsis, briefly discuss its pathophysiology, etiology, signs, symptoms, and treatments. Outline protocols for sepsis screening, early directed goal therapy, and to establish the nurse’s role in the process. Sepsis is a complex disease, or response to a disease process that can lead to patient mortality rates up to 60%. Gram negative infectious organisms invade the blood stream, and activate a systemic response.This systemic response exacerbates the problem, leading to disproportionate blood flow, alterations in tissue perfusion, and eventually multiple organ failure. Sepsis screening begins in the ER, signs and symptoms that are indicative of sepsis, or early indications of infection that can eventually lead to sepsis should be identified quickly. Since the majority of these patients are already compromised, it is imperative to have proper screening and initiate early goal directed therapy. Following standard protocols has proven to reduce mortality rates by as much as 25%. Sepsis; pathophysiology, etiology and treatmentSepsis has been defined as a suspected or proven infection that has entered the blood stream, and has the clinical manifestations of what has been termed the systemic inflammatory response (e. g. , fever, tachycardia, hypotension, and elevated white blood cell count termed leukocytosis) (Dellacroce, 2009, p. 17). Sepsis can be a result of any infection in the body that has triggered this systemic inflammatory response. Often times especially in the elderly it might be a result of an untreated urinary tract infection, or some other unknown infection that enters into the blood stream.When the invading organism or antigen enters the bloodstream, it releases endotoxins, a toxic substance usually associated with gram negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia, Enterobactor, and Pseudomonas. In the patient who is ill already this invasion into the blood stream stimulates the release of too much immunodulators, causing an exaggerated response. Vasodilation is the body’s way of increasing blood flow to the attested area, thereby transporting more white blood cells, such as macrophages, to control the original infection.However, vasodilation, without a proportionate increase in blood volume leads to hypotension, increased capillary permeability which allows fluid to leak out of the blood stream and into the surrounding tissue causing edema. Concurrently, fibrinolysis is impaired leading to a decrease in clot breakdown. This is thought to be the body’s attempt to confine the antigen. However, the formation of fibrin clots leads to micro thrombi, causing hypoperfusion of tissues, tissue necrosis and eventually organ failure (Dellacroce, 2009, p. 17).Consequently severe sepsis is evidenced by sepsis-induced organ dysfunction or tissue hypoxia, hypotension, oliguria, metabolic acidosis, thromboc ytopenia, hypotension being a late sign of sepsis. Septic shock is defined as severe sepsis with hypotension, despite fluid resuscitation. Sepsis and septic shock are the most common form of vasodilatory shock, associated with the systemic response to severe infection. Sepsis and septic shock are very common in critically ill patients, elderly, and is accompanied by a high mortality rate.In many cases as high as 30 percent of patients die within the first month of diagnosis, and 50% of patients die within 6 months (Gerber, 2010, p. 141). The growing incidence has been attributed to enhanced awareness of the diagnosis, increased number of resistant organisms, and growing number of immunocompromised patients, and the increase in the elderly population. The early goal is direct therapy interventions and better treatment methods which have resulted in a decreased mortality rate; however the number of deaths has increased, because of the increased prevalence. Porth, 2011, p. 505) The pat hogenesis of sepsis involves a complex process in which the immune system releases a number of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. In doing so, the body reacts by generating a fever, tachycardia, lactic acidosis, and ventilation-perfusion abnormalities occur. Hypotension is caused by arterial and venous dilatations, plus leakage of plasma into the interstitial spaces, abrupt changes in level of consciousness and cognition, are a result of decreased cerebral blood flow.Regardless of the underlying cause of sepsis, fever and increased leukocytosis are present. Elevation in lactic acid levels may not always be immediate, but generally a lactic acid level that is above 3. 2 would trigger the sepsis screening and cause initiation of early goal directed therapy. Our role as the nurse is to recognize the signs of sepsis, and or infection that could lead to it, and make the Doctor aware of any abnormal values or signs. Sepsis screening should be done on any patient that present s to ER with symptoms that would indicate infection, or early sepsis.Sepsis should be ruled out by using the screening protocols, and standard blood work, including two sets of blood cultures, (should be from two separate sites fifteen minutes apart) (Dellacroce, 2009). If the patient has passed the sepsis screening, sepsis protocols for early goal directed therapy should be initiated. The sepsis screening for a patient should take a systematic approach. Does the patient have a suspected infection as evidenced by, white blood cells (WBC) in urine, cerebral spinal flood, or other normally sterile body fluid, cellulitis or other skin infection, new pulmonary infiltrate on chest x-ray consistent with pneumonia?Does the patient have systemic inflammatory response syndrome (sirs) as evidenced by, WBC’s greater than 12,000 or less than 4,000, temperature greater than 38C, heart rate greater than 90 beats per minute, respiratory rate greater than 20 breaths per minute, PaCO2 less th an 32, or on a ventilator? Does this patient have organ system failure as evidence by, respiratory on ventilator, vasopressors, and metabolic serum greater than 3. 2, urine output of less than 0. 5 ml/kg/hr or greater than 0. 5 ml/kg/hr above baseline, or platelets less than 100,000?Does this patient have serious condition that indicates septic shock as evidenced by, receiving vasopressors after fluid resuscitation or lactate greater than 3. 9? (EGDT, 2011) Early goal directed therapy or implementation of sepsis bundle, should be priority, after cultures and all blood work has been completed. Antibiotics should be initiated within 3 hours of admission to emergency room, with initial round of antibiotic started within one hour of diagnosis. Central line access should be established for vasopressors.Arterial line should be established to measure central venous pressure (CVP). Fluid resuscitation to maintain CVP of greater than 8, 12-15 for ventilated patients (Soo Hoo, Muehlberg, Ferr aro, & Jumaoas, 2009). Rapid fluid resuscitation is required with these patients it is recommended they receive up to 3 liters of fluid. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) should be maintained via vasopressors to achieve MAP above 65. One of the more recent advances in treatment of sepsis is the administration of recombinant human activated protein c (rhAPC). rhAPC is a naturally occurring nticoagulant factor that acts by inactivating coagulation factor Va and VIII. RhAPC has direct anticoagulant properties, including inhibiting the production of cytokines (Porth, 2011, p. 506). Sepsis is a complex disease that takes a multi-disciplinary team to detect and treat. It is vital for the patients that diagnosis and early treatment begun immediately. This disease process is accompanied by a high mortality rate, so vigilance on the part of the health care team is a must. Screening and early goal directed therapy protocols are vital tools in the treatment of septic patients.The implementation of these tools has been shown to reduce mortality as much as 25%. The health care professional must pay attention to the signs that may be subtle, such as a slight increase in temperature; this is especially tricky in elderly patients whose baseline core temperature may be hypothermic. Nurses should watch pulse rates from baseline, urine output, any changes in mental status. References Dellacroce, H. (2009, July). Surviving sepsis: The role of the nurse. RN, 16-21. Gerber, K. (2010). Surviving sepsis: a trust-wide approach.A Multi-disciplinary team approach to implementing evidence-based guidelines. British Association of Critical Care Nurses, Nursing in Critical Care 2010, 15, 141-151. Porth, C. M. (2011). Essentials of Pathophysiology (3rd ed. ). Philadephia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Screening Checklist for Early Goal Directed Therapy [Protocol]. (2011). LRMC Soo Hoo, W. F. , Muehlberg, K. , Ferraro, R. , & Jumaoas, M. C. (2009, July 4). Successes and Lessons Learned Implementing the Sepsis Bundle. Journal of Healthcare Quality, 31(9-15).

Friday, August 30, 2019

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: an Ecological Interpretation

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: An Ecocritical Interpretation Lieutenant Asit Biswas Bio-Notes: Lieut. Asit Biswas is an Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, and Associate NCC Officer, Acharya B. N. Seal (Govt. ) College, Cooch Behar, W. B. ABSTRACT: Shakespeare studies in India started as early as in the early decades of the 19th century when the Indians seldom engaged in Shakespeare interpretation and so the term ‘ecocriticism’ was unheard of.What we mean by the phrase ‘Critical studies of Shakespeare’ started in India in 1917 when Hindu College (later on Presidency College and now Presidency University) was founded. Then Shakespeare began to be evaluated from an oriental point of view. Some of those interpretations may be considered ecocriticism. The same thing was done by Purna Chandra Basu (in his article â€Å"Sahitye Khoon†, D. L. Roy (in his book, Kalidas O Bhababhuti) etc. Eco-criticism as a literary movement, as Yogesh K.Tiwari and N. D. R. Chandra say, began in the 1990s. But ecocritical evaluation of Shakespeare’s plays from Indian point of view is yet to flourish well. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream one can find plethora of materials relevant not only for the students of literature but of environmental studies also. The aim of the present play is to reinterpret Shakespeare’ play A Midsummer Night’s Dream from ecocritical point of view and thereby justify the contemporaneity of the Bard.Now-a-days many in many universities in India the students have to read English and Environmental Studies as compulsory subjects, Shakespeare being a part of the former. As the students of literature they would be keen to trace out the aesthetic aspects of the dramas of Shakespeare while belonging to various disciplines they would naturally seek for the relevance of Shakespeare in the present context. So the paper is an attempt to bring out Shakespeare’s anticipation of the environmental problems a nd thereby prove Shakespeare as a topic of both literature and environmental studies.Modern environmentalism began with ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’, in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962). Mrs. Frederick Boas edited the Cambridge collection of Tempest Essays; Richard Kerridge N. Shammells published Writing the Environment, Eco-criticism and Literature (Zed Books-1998); J. Bate & L. Coupe published The Green Studies Reader from Romanticism to Eco-Criticism (by New York, Routeledge-2000);but the most outstanding book in this field is Green Shakespeare by Gabriel Egan who says, Crossing he boundaries of literary and cultural studies to draw in politics, philosophy and ecology, this volume not only introduces one of the most lively areas of contemporary Shakespeare studies, but also  puts forward  a convincing case for Shakespeare's continuing relevance to contemporary theory. There is a significant school named as the Association for the study of Literature and Envi ronment which was started in America and now has its branches in Japan and UK. It is mainly an association of the eco-critics. The Role of Literature in Placing a Value on the Environment: As Daniel B.Botkin and Edward A. Keller say in their book Environmental Science (5th edition, Page No. 11) the value of the environment is based on the following justifications: aesthetic, creative, recreational, inspirational, moral, cultural and utilitarian (materialistic). Aesthetic justification has to do with our appreciation of beauty of nature. Many people prefer living in the world of wilderness to one without it. Rabindranath Tagore created an instance by leaving the clutter of Calcutta settling down in the lap of Nature in Santiniketan.In Shakespeare the Forest of Arden minimizes the bereavement of the Duke in As You Like It. But in the Duke’s bemoaning for the subordination of the forest we hear the voice of an ecologist. It would not be a digression to say that Tagore’s e cocentrism is again found in Siksha: Tapoban in his comment on Shakespeare’s plays. While ecology is a mother branch of science, ecocriticism is comparatively a new branch which attempts to establish a relationship between literature and the physical environment.As Greg Garrard quotes in his book Eco-criticism from Glotfelty’s book The Eco-criticism Reader: Landmark in Literary Ecology: Simply put, eco-criticism is the study of the relationship between literature and physical environment. Just as feminist criticism examines language and literature from a gender conscious perspective, and Marxist criticism brings an awareness of modes of production and economic class to its reading of texts, eco-criticism takes an earth-centred approach to literary study.Garrard also adds that eco-criticism is closely related to environmentally oriented developments in philosophy and political theory. So eco-criticism may be interpreted as the analysis of a literary text from the point of view of an ecologist. Another epoch making writing that has relevance in our interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Simon C. Estok’s research paper titled Shakespeare and Ecocriticism: An Analysis of â€Å"Home† and â€Å"Power† in King Lear in which the author explains the key terms â€Å"Anthropocentrism†, â€Å"Biocentrism/ Ecocentrism† and â€Å"Ecophobia†.Agreeing with Greg Garrard, Estok says that ecocriticism is not simply the study of nature or natural things in literature; rather it is any theory that is committed to effecting change by analysing the function – thematic, artistic, social, historical, ideological, theoretical, or otherwise— the natural environment, or aspects of it, represents in documents that contribute to material practices in material world. The explanation of the term ‘ecophobia’ is also very much necessary in our revaluation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Estok thinks that â€Å"ecophobia is the fear of loss of agency and control to Nature†.This ecophobia, found in both Oberon and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, gives birth to various conflicts, both inner and outer, or, to say more explicitly, psychological and social (which includes ecological aspects also) and this sociological aspects of the play justify the contemporaneity of the bard. Some minor research works have been done on this particular topic on national and international levels. Some research papers have been published on eco-criticism in Shakespeare’s dramas in some journals; mention may be made of the one written by Dr.Subh Brat Sarkar, Rishi Bankim Chandra College, Naihati, W. B. The paper already written by the present researcher and published in the Research Spectrum (August-2012 Issue) contains some hints of the Eco-criticism in Shakespeare’s plays as seen by Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore considered it to be a kind of colonialism. Accord ing to him colonialism is not only the subordination of a weaker nation by a powerful one but the subordination of nature by human beings. Tagore also probably finds the ‘ecologist Shakespeare’ as in As You Like It, The Tempest etc.According to Nirmal Selvamony, the humans have introduced a hierarchy in nature. In that the humans have placed the domesticated animals higher than the wild animals. â€Å"Even animals were ranged in hierarchic order, the domestic and the wild† (Selvamony 4). But in A Midsummer Night’s Dream the role of the dominating power is taken by the fairies and the inferior race is the human beings. The fairies have occupied the topmost position in the hierarchy of Nature and they subordinate man and they quarrel in order to decide who will ‘domesticate’ the Indian boy who is the representative of the colonized people.This kind of colonialism found in Nature may be termed ‘Ecocolonialism’ or ‘Eco-imperiali sm’. In a supernatural drama like the present one the imperialists are the fairies but in reality they are the mighty people and the colonized ones may be the flora and fauna or even linguistically, culturally, racially, socially, politically, religiously or financially weaker section of the people. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream an ecologist easily finds plenty of materials relevant not only to the students of literature but of science, especially ecology also.The human beings in the person of the Indian boy or the European lovers are merely playthings to the mighty fairies. The fairies play with the humans for their own pleasure and showing their might and not for the amusement of the humans and they do it from anthropocentric point of view. In his Master’s Degree dissertation paper, (University of South Florida) Roy Patricia points out the environmental issues in MND by referring to â€Å"Folk Medicine and the Four Fairies of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,à ¢â‚¬  by Lou Agnes Reynolds and Paul Sawyer who have recovered the fairies from evil associations by casting them as herbal doctors.The article points to the strong early modern interest in the medicinal use of plants and finds that, by the use of this imagery, Shakespeare imbues his fairy characters and their natural remedies with beneficial, medicinal properties. Reynolds and Sawyer’s points are well taken, but we can develop them even further. Not only do the four attendant fairies – Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peascod and Mote – represent fairy medicine but all the actions in the forest also act therapeutically upon the lovers. The inversion of love-roles and the dreams of the lovers depend upon Oberon’s extensive knowledge of the herbal lore of his world.As Oberon himself states: â€Å"Fare thee well, nymph [Helena]. Ere he do leave this grove / Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. (2. 1. 245-6). In Act-1I, scene-i of from the speech of Puck we come to know that the king, Oberon is angry with the queen, Titania as she has seized away a boy from India and made him her servant. â€Å"For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, / Because she as her attendant hath / A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king†. But the king wants to roam about the forests (Nature), along with the boy. As a result whenever they meet, they quarrel.Titania also alleges him of emptying of the venom of jealousy. She says that whenever they meet they quarrel and as a result the wind cannot sing the song of peace and is sucking the fog from the surface of the seas and the water level of the seas has been raised up; the natural system has been disrupted, resulting in untimely flood and thereby destruction of vast area of crops and extinct of a number of species. The ever smiling spring, the scorching summer, the frowning autumn and the cruel winter have changed their plight and so people cannot identify them.Titania confesses that they are responsible for this unholy variation of the cycle of seasons. The people cannot endure the change of the cycle of seasons; suffer from untimely winter and also various kinds of diseases due to the change and endangered bio-diversity. In reply to the allegation of the queen, the king urges her to correct the ecological imbalance as she has the power to remedy. The reason of their quarrel is also clear to the readers—possession of the boy kidnapped from India.Here the quarrel is between a power that has deprived the creature of his natural habitat and made him her servant and the eco-friendly power that is keen to roam about the forests, along with the innocent creature. But none is ready to provide the boy with absolute freedom and so their quarrel does not come to an end here. The king requests the queen to hand the boy over to him but she is too obstinate to nod. She frankly declares that she cannot lose her control over the boy even if she is given the whole fairy land. So Oberon deci des to use tricks.He advises Puck to extract the juice of a certain flower which would act like black magic and leave its evil influence on Titania’s eyes, if administered properly. It would also be able to invert the usual behaviour and natural instinct of a person as in the modern age we see the evil influence of narcotics especially in the third world countries. The harmful effect of the use of drugs on eco system is mainly felt in the developing countries. Again Titania, admits that their quarrel has destroyed the usual course of the natural phenomena and nature has undergone vast changes, creating ocean of troubles for human beings.In Act-1, Scene-ii (Lines 81-117) Titania, the Queen of the fairies alleges that their quarrel has destroyed the usual habits of the natural phenomena and Nature has undergone vast changes, creating ocean of troubles for human beings. It may be considered Shakespeare’s anticipation of what McKibben says in his book The End of Nature (19 90): We have changed the atmosphere, and thus we are changing the weather. By changing the weather we make every spot on earth man-made or artificial. We have deprived nature of its independence, and that is fatal to its meaning. Nature’s independence is its meaning; ithout it there is nothing but us. (McKibben 1990: 54) In this connection it may be recalled that India was a favourite commercial place to the Western countries form the time of ancient history. And for the sole possession of India several wars were for between the English and the French and others. The Indian boy in the play is symbolically a colony, an ideal place for business. Now-a-day it may be a typical Indian plant for whose patent the economic colonialists are ever fighting among themselves and in order to supersede one another destroying the eco system of the whole globe.Recently we witnessed the war between Iraq and U. S. A. Various reasons may be found out but the naked truth is that the sole reason o f the notorious war is nothing but the shameless effort of control over the petroleum mines of the Arabian countries. When the two â€Å"do square, that all their elves for fear/ Creep into acorn cups and hide them there†. The peaceful people whenever get frightened, seek refuge in nature and it may be kept in mind that the best remedy of various pollutions including noise pollution is plantation.Nature is the man’s ultimate refuge because only nature can provide the human beings with eternal pleasure, both physical and mental. Puck also confesses that he, in order to make a fun and to show his prowess, perturbs the natural habits of an object both animate and inanimate. In modern age the modern Pucks very often destroy the Nature and subordinate the creatures of Nature very often out of fun. Examples may be given of the tortured animals in the circus shows, poachers’ activities etc; moreover, we torture the animals in the zoo.Keeping bird cages is a favourite b ut cruel hobby of a kind of people even after the passage of law against it. It is not only inhuman and unlawful but harmful to bio-diversity also. Recently a television channel telecast a live show of beating thousands of innocent seals to death in Antarctica by a community as it is the annual festival of the community. The pain of the poor seals, especially the half dead ones, the fear of the eco system to be disturbed, the melting of the glaciers and thereby upheaval of the sea level cannot render them anxious of the future of the earth.In this post-Modern age MND is quite relevant and significant since we witness the ecological imbalance, extinction of a large number of species, climatic change, global warming, uprising of the sea level, earth quake, tsunami, El Nino etc. The reason behind such troubles may be, along with the others, the wars (Gulf war, the long war between Iran and Iraq and of course the two World Wars), nuclear bomb testing and above all merciless deforestatio n. Here in the speech of Titania we seem to hear the voice of an environment scientist or of an ecologist.It may be noted that the more mighty the power, the more strong a destroyer is he in this post-Modern Age. Probably Shakespeare anticipated the natural problems created by the super-human power. The Titanias now-a-days are the war-mongers greedy of absolute power, who seldom think of the future of the globe. So in this age of science and technology the revaluation of the plays of Shakespeare is very much significant. In the same Act and scene the speech of Oberon (L-176–185) is also significant.He speaks of the juice of a flower that is able to hypnotize any man or woman and make him/her fall in love with any creature seen first. But the remedy is known to Oberon only. So it may be supposed that he wants to administer the cunning trick only to destroy the natural habit of a creature and to apply his remedy and thereby to prove his power. In the post-Modern age of economic colonialism this cunning theory is felt to have come back, but with a new dimension. For example the parthenium plant has allegedly come from U. S. A. As found in an e-article (http://www. streetdirectory. om) It appears that Parthenium is not native to India, but it came with the imported wheat as a mixture, when the US sent wheat to India under PL 480 (Public Law 480 passed in 1954 to give food grains to developing countries) in 1956. However this concept was contradicted by some as not the real story because Parthenium was present in India even in 1951 itself. Some people allege that this plant causes asthma whose medicine would be made in USA and so in order to sell the medicine and to prevail over the subcontinent, the Americans sent the parthenium seeds as adulteration with wheat seeds.So the purpose is to make the Indians asthma patients and then to sell to them asthma medicine. But we should not engage ourselves in this controversy, since we are not talking of international politics but of literary criticism. Here, in the drama the role of Oberon is like that of a modern capitalist who uses his cunning method in order to prove his supremacy and thereby dominate over the comparatively weaker sections and he is doing this out of ecophobia. Ultimately Oberon, the king realizes the harmful effect of his sports and then he feels sorry and takes the responsibility and so urges his assistant to correct the mistakes.He also pacifies his quarrel with Titania, once again with the help of the same narcotics. Here we see the constructive use of the herbs. Thus the play ends with an optimistic note and indirectly upholds the banner of Nature which is the best remedy for the revival of the impaired eco system. It also opines that man cannot remain happy by subordinating nature. Now in the age of global warming the plays of Shakespeare deserve a re-reading. One may recall the peaceful atmosphere in the Forest of Arden (As You Like It) and realize that subordination of nature cannot bring us mental peace as Tagore realized.He establishes his opinion by citing examples from As You Like It, Sakuntala etc. In the concluding song Puck urges the audience to consider the play to be a dream. We may do but it would not be an overstatement to consider it to be a dream of an ecologist because in the play we see what an ecologist would think of the vast change taken place in environment due to the modern leaders of the planet. Reference 1. Arumugam, E. (2008) Principles of Environmental Ethics, Sarup Book Publishers Pvt. Ltd. , New Delhi-2, India. 2. Bookchin, Murray, Anthropocentrism versus biocentrism – a false dichotomy http://climateandcapitalism. om. 3. Botkin, Daniel B. ; Keller , Edward A. , (2005), Environmental Science, John Wiley ; Sons, Inc, U. S. A. 4. Estok, Simon C. , Shakespeare and Ecocriticism: An Analysis of â€Å"Home† and â€Å"Power† in King Lear, http://simonestok. com. 5. Garrard, G. (2007) Ecocriticism, Routled ge, London and New York. 6. Gifford, Terry: (1999) Pastoral, Routeledge, London and New York. 7. Glotfelty, C. and Fromm, H. (ed) (1996) The Eco-criticism Reader: Landmark in Literary Ecology, University of Georgia Press, London. 8. McKibben, B. (1990), The End of Nature, Penguin, London, 9.Patricia, Roy, (2004), â€Å"Shakespeare’s Midsummer Fairies: Shadows and Shamen of the Forest†, http://scholarcommons. usf. edu/etd/1226 10. Purohit , S. S. ; Ranjan, Rajiv (2003), Ecology, Environment and Pollution, Agrobios (India), Jodhpur, India. 11. Sarkar, Subh Brat, (2005), â€Å"Ecological Theatre: Performance and Ecological Issues† (in Prakashkal) Unique; Panshila, Sodepur, W. B. , India. 12. Selvamony, Nirmal, (2001): â€Å"Persons for Alternative Social Order†, Chennai, India. 13. Shakespeare, William, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, New Delhi: Oxford ; IBH Publishing Co.Pvt Ltd. , 1980. 14. Tagore, R. , (1932) The Religion of Man, George Allen and Unwin, London. 15. Thompson, Jr. , E. , (1926), Rabindranath Tagore: Poet and Dramatist, Read, p. 12, http://en. wikipedia. org. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1. Dr. Amit Bhattacharya, Associate Professor ; Head, Dept. of English, University of Gour Banga, Malda, W. B. , India. 2. UGC (India) for MRP (No: F. PHW-131/09-10 (ERO) Date: Sept. 07, 2009) 3. The Essay was published in the International Journal of Innovative Research and Development (ISSN 2278-0211), Vol-1, Issue-6 September, 2012. www. ijird. com.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Actions means more than words

Actions means more than words Facial expressions and body language communicate one’s intentions and emotions far better than words. Leo Tolstoy, in Anna Karenina, describes a plethora of physical descriptions, enabling the reader to more completely understand the characters’ emotional state of mind. Other characters and the narrator frequently describe Anna’s shoulders. When Vrosnky and Levin look at them, they have a surge of excitement. Dolly and Kitty notice them and are impressed. The narrator depicts her shoulders in times of discontentment or pain. In all three cases, Anna’s shoulders signify the mood at the time of the interaction. Anna’s shoulders are a tangible manifestation of her mental and emotional state, and what kind of energy she expresses. When Anna’s shoulders are described for the first time, Anna also acts promiscuously for the first time, by dancing with Vronsky, whom is expected to propose to Kitty. Kitty admires Anna’s dress, which exposed her shoulders and chest. She emphasized that â€Å"the black dress with luxurious lace was not seen on her; it was just a frame, and only she was seen – simple, natural, graceful, and at the same time gay and animated† (p.79). Anna’s dress choice is evidence of her mood; she wanted to fit within the â€Å"frame† of society’s expectations for her, yet still expose her exuberant nature. While still conforming to society’s expectations, she sympathizes with social outcasts, foreshadows her future affair. At the ball when Anna is exposing her shoulders, Kitty walks over to Anna, and interrupts a conversation, where Anna is saying, â€Å"No, I don’t throw stones (p.79). This is a reference in the bible when a woman is caught in the act of adultery. The woman is dragged into public, completely naked. The crime for adultery at the time was stoning. Jesus says, â€Å"He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her† (John 8:7). When Anna says, I don’t cast stones, she is saying that she is not without sin, but also that she may sympathize with a woman who commits adultery. The circumstances – her flirtatious mood, exposed shoulders, and the conversation foreshadow her leaving her husband in favor of Vronsky, her future lover. Once Anna becomes more comfortable with her expressive mannerism, Vronsky follows the opportunity until they consummate their relationship. The narrator compares this interaction; â€Å"as the murderer falls upon this body with animosity, as if with passion, drags it off and cuts it up, so [Vronsky] covered [Anna’s] face and shoulders with kisses† (pp.149-150). In this graphic description, the reader becomes aware of the toxic physical relationship the characters have created. Anna’s shoulders the tangible revealing of her previous mental restraint inform the reader of the characters’ actions. By comparing their physical relationship to a murder, Anna and the reader is forced to recognize that Vronsky killed her previously admired social standing because of â€Å"these kisses† on her shoulder, (p.150). Yet, she holds Vronsky’s love closely. He killed her mental resistance, and in doing so, encouraged her promiscuous behavior to grow. After an extensive stretch of time, Anna is dying from puerperal fever, and she reconsiders the growth of her scandal. She no longer holds her defiance as a dear characteristic, which is apparent in how she now carries her shoulders. As she lay in bed, â€Å"The doctor took her arms away, carefully laid her back on the pillow and covered her shoulders† (p.413). She is no longer in a position of physical power, which is represented by the doctor covering her shoulders, as if to say, you need to stop exposing yourself and return to your previous way of life. The physical recovering instigates verbal control, which she used to easily possess. She demands that Alexi Alexandrovich uncover Vronsky’s face and forgive him, which he does. Once this is complete, she prepares to die. Contrary to her plan, Anna miraculously lives, and resorts back to her previous risquà © relationship with Vronsky, much to society’s gossiping pleasure. Suppressed by the lies and exclusion, Anna decides to go to the opera to prove she does not care about society’s expectations for her. Vronsky describes Anna as she sits in a box at the show; â€Å"The setting of her head on her handsome, broad shoulders, and the restrained excitement and brilliance of her eyes and her whole face reminded him of her just as he had seen her at the ball in Moscow† (p. 546). Her shoulders are described as broad, which could mean they were drawing more attention than usual. It is interesting that the singer’s shoulders are the only other shoulders described in this scene. Obviously, being the main performer, the singer is seeking attention. By also wearing a revealing dress, Anna is competing for attention with the performer. She succeeds. Vronsky, not looking for Anna knows where she is sitting â€Å"from the direction of all eyes† (p.545). Anna is the center of attention. She ends up in a cyclical process: Anna is excited to prove she can act however she wants, so she dresses in a revealing manor exposing her shoulders, then when people stare and gossip she becomes even more excited. By showing her shoulders, she is physically displaying her emotional state of excited defiance toward social expectations. In Anna’s final moments of life, she looses her mental vigor. When she is at the train station looking for Vrosnky in a completely agitated state, she suddenly thinks of the train as a way to end her misery. â€Å"Exactly at the moment when the space between the wheels came opposite her, she dropped the red bag, and drawing her head back into her shoulders, fell on her hands under the carriage, and lightly, as though she would rise again at once, dropped on to her knees† (p. 768). Tolstoy describes Anna as â€Å"drawing her head back into her shoulders,† which could be a metaphor for her physical and emotional trial. During her entire relationship with Vronsky, there has been a struggle between what she verbally says and what her body reveals. When she meets Vronsky for the first time, â€Å"she deliberately extinguished the light in her eyes, but it shone against her will,† (p.61). At a party she encourages him to leave her alone, and when he refuses says , That only shows you have no heart, But her eyes said that she knew he had a heart, and that was why she was afraid of him.† (p.139). This is a reoccurring struggle, so when Anna finally has no more mental strength to fight the oppression of her situation, she acts purely how her body has wanted to the entire time. In her dying moments, her head, which represents her mental strength, falls onto her shoulders, which represents her physical desire. Her final moments are her mental ending her externally expressed internal struggle. This struggle can be related to Vronsky’s attention and Anna’s resistance. It is not accidental that both Anna’s shoulders and promiscuousness appear at the same time; when her shoulders are described, and when they are not, are based on her intentions. At the train station, when she first arrives in Petersburg and meets Vronsky, â€Å"she deliberately extinguished the light in her eyes, but it shone against her will†(p. 61). Upon their meeting, her shoulders are not depicted. Every other feature is described: her figure, expression, head, eyes, eyelashes, and lips. She tries to distinguish the light, which shows she is committed to maintaining her social expectations, despite her attraction to Vronsky. Similarly, at a party she encourages him to leave her alone, and again, her shoulders are not described. By dressing to expose her shoulders, she no longer attempts to restrain the defiant energy within her. Tolstoy is aware of the relationship between mental thought and physical action; he expresses his understanding of body language as a form of communication through his descriptions of Anna’s shoulders. While Anna’s mental strength is what was extinguished by her inner struggle, other characters are aware of her trials because of her expression of her body, particularly her shoulders. When she allowed Vronsky to kill her social standing, she introduced the beginning to her tragic end. Had she never exposed her shoulders, she would have maintained her moderate existence and extensive prestige.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Business Ethics In Tyco International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Ethics In Tyco International - Essay Example It tried to offer the high level of commitment and fair practices to its customer enhance its range of traffic as well as implementing to offer the higher degree of concentration over value-based leadership views. This is because value-based leadership describes a manager as a type of leader who acts for the betterment of the organization. He or she implements the decisions or ideas of the employees of the organization after vigorous discussion with them so as to attain the detailed information about them. Side by side, it also helps in analyzing the pros and cons of the ideas so that it might prove effective for the organization in the long run. Other than this, in value-based leadership, the manager or leader motivates the employees or co-workers in such a way so that they might work to accomplish the objective or goal of the organization. Apart from this, prior implementing any new law or regulation, he also tries to communicate with all so as to evaluate its pros and cons. Moreov er, the manager or leader of Tyco international always tries to maintain fair practices within the employees and also encourages healthy competition with its rivals. As a result, the level of commitment among the employees and the management or the leader also becomes more and more effective resulting in amplification of its level of performance of the organization and the individual employees as well. So as per the manager or leader of Tyco international good ethics leads to effective business dealings.... It tried to offer high level of commitment and fair practices to its customer enhance its range of traffic as well as implementing to offer higher degree of concentration over value-based leadership views. This is because value-based leadership describes a manager as a type of leader who acts for the betterment of the organization. He or she implements the decisions or ideas of the employees of the organization after vigorous discussion with them so as to attain the detailed information about them. Side by side, it also helps in analyzing the pros and cons of the ideas so that it might prove effective for the organization in long run (OToole, 52). Other than this, in value based leadership the manager or leader motivates the employees or co-workers in such a way so that they might work to accomplish the objective or goal of the organization (Tyco, 21). Apart from this, prior implementing any new law or regulation, he also tries to communicate with all so as to evaluate its pros and c ons. Moreover, the manager or leader of Tyco international always tries to maintain fair practices within the employees and also encourages healthy competition with its rivals. As a result, the level of commitment among the employees and the management or the leader also becomes more and more effective resulting in amplification of its level of performance of the organization and the individual employees as well. So as per the manager or leader of Tyco international good ethics leads to effective business dealings (OToole, 54). However, such type of commitment and fair decision making process is lacked in case of Samsung. Apart from this, the management of the Samsung do not desire any sort of participation of the employees prior making any new

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Mobile Messaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mobile Messaging - Essay Example Studies have shown that currently, about one billion people in the world use mobile messaging services. This has been projected to grow to about two billion users in the next three years (Khalaf, 2014). Some of the mobile messaging platforms that have been widely used in the world include Facebook, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Kik and Messenger. Different users have different preferences when it comes to the choice of platform to be used. However, cases of use of multiple platforms are also common. With the increase in the use of smartphones, mobile messaging has also grown rapidly. Smartphones war has also been caused by the rise and popularity of mobile messaging applications. Handset manufacturing companies such as Samsung and Apple have fought fiercely in popularizing their smartphones basically as a result of the popularity of mobile messaging. Due to this rapid rise in the use of mobile messaging services, a lot of studies have been carried out on this topic. The studies have shown that the growth or increased use of mobile messaging supported by platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Messenger and Kik has impacted heavily on the society. The impacts of mobile messaging on the society have been both positive and negative. One of the straight forward advantages of the use of mobile messaging is that it provides a form of communication in the society. Mobile messaging is real time. The messages or data that is sent from one mobile phone handset to another is received in real time. This therefore allow for sharing of information very fast and hence providing a channel of communication. The current world is a world where communication has become an important element in the day today life of an individual. Mobile messaging, unlike calls, is free and therefore allows for communication just by few keystrokes. This has allowed people in various regions of the world to

Monday, August 26, 2019

Foreign market entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foreign market entry - Essay Example In case of companies, there can a variety of strategies to enter into a global market thus expanding the scope of operations. Globalization is always a positive sign for those who are striving for it (Causes and Effects of Globalization, 2012). But here it is important to be noted that expansion of the operations by entering into the foreign global market is not possible for all companies. The expansion actually depends upon the resource availability of the firm. It is crucial issue that either the firm has enough resources or not. Resources play an important role in all decision making of any firm. Before going across the boundaries in a foreign market the firm has to decide its strategy that either it would export the goods in the foreign market or may acquire a local firm in the host country to start operations. Another option might be a kind of joint venture with a famous local firm of the host economy. There will be a slight difference between the acquisition of a local firm of host country or doing a joint venture with that same local firm. Whether adopt any strategy, the important point is that the result will be growth of the firm in either case (Lynch, 2013). After consideration of all the resource availability and other strategies now the point comes that what will be the factors which may affect any firm’s decision of globalization. These factors include a long list of all the possible components which may affect a firm’s operations whether local or global. These factors may be country specific or even sometimes industry specific too. There may be certain Government rules and regulations which are not feasible for any small company. In such cases the company may not expand its operations though it may possess enough resources. Similarly there will be many other policies and rules which any firm must have to obey in order to enter into the local market. Though many economies are working on it and many of them have also revised their trade rules

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Case Summary and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Case Summary and Analysis - Essay Example Cannondale is a bicycle manufacturing company that supplies bicycles in 66 countries. The company has to manufacture numerous and varying models of bicycles ordered by their clients. The company environment is characterized by demand for numerous varying bicycle models that requires different parts. Therefore, the company has to make several orders, which are hard to track and monitor. This created the difficulty in overall performance of the company. The main challenge is the need to manage the numerous bills of materials (BOMs) required manufacturing the different models. Being an international company, the company is faced by complex demands due to the varying needs of the customers. The complexity of the clients’ needs made it difficult for Cannondale to deliver customized products to their customers resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Additionally, the company could not monitor its sales effectively (Rainer and Cegielski 378-379). The rapid response system enabled Cannondale to manage its demand and supply chain effectively. The ease in management was because the RapidSystem made it easy and fast for the company to track the demands from their customers and monitor their supplies. The RapidSystem processes the supply and demand data in an easy to interpret manner making it easy for the customer to manufacture bicycles that meet the demands of their customer in good time. The buyers would easily make orders. Additionally the managers and other planners would easily monitor the daily inventories and make appropriate schedules for production purposes. Financial reporting became easy since the financial managers would easily monitor the sales using the systems. Another impact of the RapidResponse was easing interactions between the different participants in the supply chain. It has made it possible for the participants to instant simulate and share other information crucial in enhancing the supplies. This is cruc ial in enabling the company and the

Strategy management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategy management - Essay Example These strategies are usually based on theoretical frameworks that guide a firm towards success or growth. There would be three different strategic frameworks utilized in this study for critical analysis such as Porter’s diamond model, Porter’s generic strategies and Yip’s drivers of internationalization. Michael Porter has been able to elaborate on three types of general strategies that are basically used by every other organization. There are two dimensions that define these three generic strategies like strategic strength and strategic scope. Porter developed the diamond model in order to analyze reasons behind some firms becoming competitive in specific locations. On the other hand, Yip’s drivers of internationalization states that there are drivers such as cost drivers, market drivers, competitive drivers and government drivers which drives overall international strategy. In this study all the three strategic models will be applied on Samsung and Micro soft Nokia. Samsung is a South Korean company and it consists of affiliated subsidiaries and business. The company had entered into electronics industry in 1960s. Nokia is an information technology and multinational communications firm of Finland. This firm is regarded as the biggest vendor in mobile phone market and has recently entered into strategic alliance with Microsoft so as to use for its smartphones an exclusive Windows platform. As per figure1, market drivers basically mean market forces. This driver encompasses similar needs of customers, transferable marketing strategy and global customers. Customers possessing same needs or wants are usually offered same product. On the other hand, global customers shall differ in their demands which have to be addressed properly. Cost drivers consist of economies of scale, country specific differences and favorable logistic conditions. Economies of scale can be well justifiable in terms of research and

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Campaign Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Campaign Finance - Coursework Example Campaign Finance comes through many different avenues, from single-person donations to contributions from big and small corporations and political special interest groups. These days it’s impossible to run for any position without money for travel, ads, and â€Å"get-out-the-vote† campaigns. The only way someone without the financial clout of Ross Perot can go toe-to-toe with the â€Å"big boys† is by joining one of the two main parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. Without the reach, both financially and politically, of these two parties, the odds are squarely against you. True, the occasional â€Å"independent† might win a seat on Congress, but how many independents do you know that won a seat who weren’t former members of one of the parties?So, the first step in financing a campaign is joining a party—unless, of course, you’re Ross Perot. But even he ended up getting squashed in the end through other, more political, methods.C ampaign finance is categorized in two ways: â€Å"hard money† and â€Å"soft money†. Hard money is â€Å"donations made directly to political candidates.† (Wikipedia: â€Å"Campaign Finance in the United States†, paragraph 2) These direct donations come from organizations, individuals, and (you guessed it) the political parties. â€Å"Soft† money is money that isn’t received or spent by the candidate’s campaign but spent by individuals/organizations for political advertisements (often made by the said individual/organization) for a favored candidate’s position or attacks on his opponents. More or less, â€Å"hard† money is donated to a campaign for the candidate to spend while â€Å"soft† money isn’t donated, just spent. There’s a fine line between the two that has more to do with semantics than the action, itself. While there’s a limit on how much â€Å"hard† money can be sent to a can didate, there is no limit on how much â€Å"soft† money his political allies can volunteer to spend on his behalf.  

Friday, August 23, 2019

International Monetary Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Monetary Economics - Essay Example One of the main fields of research which has attracted the attention of the researchers worldwide is the exchange rate and the trade balance relationship (Liew, Lim & Hussain, 2003, p.1). The elasticity model which is one of the most important models of balance of trade throws light on the prevalence of theoretical relationship between trade balance and rates of exchange of a nation (Stucka, 2004, p.22). There are a number of ways in which exchange rates can influence the trade balance of nations which provides valuable inputs to the nation’s policy makers to undertake exchange rate policies like devaluation policies etc in order to being about balance in the nation’s foreign trade. Devaluation increases the prices of foreign currencies making imports more expensive in the home nation till the foreign suppliers reduce their prices in order to compensate (International monetary economics-a, n.d., p.4). The reason why countries devaluates is to attain a competitive positi on in comparison to its competitors through the reduction of prices of goods produced domestically below the level which is compatible with the purchasing power parity (International monetary economics-b, n.d., p.5). ... This would be followed by a critical analysis through the presentation of a critical literature on the above aspects through which it tries to present the impacts of exchange rates adjustments on the balance of payments of nations. The monetary approach This approach is based on the fact that the disequilibrium in the balance of payments is based on the monetary disequilibrium which is the difference between the amount of money that individuals want to hold and the amount of money that the monetary authorities supply. In case the people want to hold more money, which exceeds the amount supplied by the Central Bank, then this would be met by a greater money inflow from abroad (Malik, 2006, p.2). The elasticity approach As per the views of Marshall, trade deficits lead to devaluation. Exports become more attractive in other nations. On the other hand the imports are made costlier in the domestic nation and this leads to the squeezing of the import bills. Trade deficits are thus elimina ted in the process (Sharan, 2011, p.121). The traditional approach The traditional approach deals more with the current account or the trade balance of nations. However, the approach does not consider the other components of the international accounts other than the current account. The balance of payments goes up along with the current account. However, since 1960s and the 1970s the traditional views have changed after studies emphasizing on factors determining the capital account flows (Arize, 2000, p.35). Critical Analysis Previous research reveals the importance of exchange rate fluctuations as a tool for international monetary regime. The comparison for seven of the largest non

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The House on Mango Street and A Dream Deferred Essay Example for Free

The House on Mango Street and A Dream Deferred Essay In the short story The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros unfolds her childhood memories where she and her family struggled with poor living conditions on the way to their own house, and she seems to suffer from it more than anyone of the family. When one day they finally get the house of their own and her family seems to be ready to settle with it, she continues suffering because its not the house she imagined and built up in her dreams. At that point Cisneros obtains her dream to be fulfilled: she decides that whatever happens, she must have her dream house. Whereas Cisneros talks about a dreams birth, Langston Hughes in his poem A Dream Deferred investigates the destiny of a dream. Predicting what could happen to a dream that is not yet realized, he tries to measure the impact of a dream in our life. At first sight, these two works might seem completely different; however, upon a closer look its obvious that they are closely connected: Cisneros tells us what led her to obtain a dream, whereas Hughes contemplates on continuation of a dreams existence. In The House on Mango Street the author tells us how she found her dream. Her large family had to move all the time in search of a decent place to live. Experiencing what not having her own place is like, moving all the time and being ashamed of her shelters, Sandra Cisneros defines the features of the house of her dream. It has to be not just her own place to live, but also a place that she could be proud of. She describes her dream house: inside it would have real stairs, not a hallway stairs, but stairs inside like the houses on TV; it would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence(501). Moreover, she says it has to be the house one I could point to (Cisneros 502). Even though these features are not necessities for living, the authors own dream becomes her necessity to be fulfilled. In A Dream Deferred the author proposes a lot of theories of a dreams destiny: it may calm down, but still exist. In his words, it dries like a raisin in the sun, or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet (Hughes); or it may redouble with the time: fester like a sore- and then run (Hughes), and eventually, it may just explode. But one thing he shows he is sure about that dream deferred never dies; he doesnt even  consider such an option in his poem. Sandra Cisneros describes what caused her to build up her dream, whereas Langston Hughes tries to guess the results of any dreams existence. Cisneros doesnt unveil to us what happened to her dream; in contrast, Hughes gives a lot of options. However, upon a closer analysis we might notice that their ideas are quite similar: Cisneros leaves her future on a readers imagination, and Hughes gives the reader a right to chose from options he gave. And what completely unites them is their belief that dream is immortal. Cisneros proves that by her certainty that she has to have her dream house: I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. (Cisneros 502), and Hughes refutes the traceless disappearance of a dream. From millions of childhood experiences there are some that form our dreams. These experiences can be positive, thus, they will play as a role model throughout our life, or, they can be negative then our dream will be imagined ideal for our future. Whatever it is, once dream is born, it will never disappear; it can become almost indistinct, but still, its influence on us is tremendous. Even though both authors leave the question open, they imply similar ideas of dreams importance in ones life and danger of a dream to be deprived of fulfillment. When we read both works, the final decision is not a question for us: we agree with Hughes that dream doesnt extinct and is made to be fulfilled and we know for Cisneros that shell pursue her goal, because the energy of a dream is absolute. Works Cited: Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. 40 Short Stories. Ed. Beverly Lawn. New York: Bedford, 2001 Hughes, Langston. A Dream Deferred.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Group Dynamics Essay Example for Free

Group Dynamics Essay Trait approach- a trait is something we are born with. Certain characteristics have certain traits and these characteristics may make one player better suited to captaincy than another. Traits or personalities will affect performance and players in positive and negative ways. It can affect performance positively because if a person has a strong, slightly aggressive and determined personality then they can give the team an extra drive to win the game. However someone of this personality can get over aggressive if the team is losing therefore lowering other players morale and maybe causing arguments. Behavioural approach- this suggests that leaders display certain behaviours. This is different to trait in that behaviours are learnt rather than something we are born with. Players, managers and coaches who lack certain skills can watch others and pick up new skills and techniques. This will mostly have a strong positive affect on performance because if you are learning new skills then technically you are improving. On the other hand the new skills that are learned could not be very effective for a team/individuals style of play. Interactional approach- this combines trait and the environment influences. It looks at the need for different behaviour and leadership styles dependant on the characteristics of the group and the situation. If you have both type A and type B personalities on the pitch then this will have a positive affect on performance because you will have someone who can psych the team up and add some aggression to the team (type A) but you will also have someone who can clam things down and relax the team (type B). Stages of group development Forming- this is the development of relationships within the group. This usually involves a player assessing where they feel they fit into a group structure based on other players strengths and weaknesses. It also gives player the opportunity to see if the belong in that group. If a player fits into a team well it will have a positive affect on performance because it will raise the morale of both the individual and the team. However if the player finds that he/she isnt fitting into the team then their level of performance is likely to be low. Storming- sometimes involves conflict within the group as individuals attempt to establish their position and role in the group. It may involve confrontation between the leader and the player until different roles are established. This is more likely to have a positive affect on performance as players will be battling for positions therefore there will be a harder work rate from the team. On the other hand players may feel threatened and pressured by new players so they may be nervous in their performance incase they lose their position. * Norming- once the structure has been established the group gains stability and becomes cohesive. Players start co-operating and work towards their common goal. This is extremely positive on the teams performance because they are becoming more cohesive meaning that they will work better together and the team can become more successful. Performing- this is the final stage and involves all the players working together towards their common goal. Each individual accepts their role and supports other group members accordingly. Again this is very positive for the teams performance because by this stage the team will be both task cohesive and socially cohesive. It will bring great success to the team as players will be both mentally and physically prepared with each other.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Privacy on the Internet: Advantages and Disadvantages

Privacy on the Internet: Advantages and Disadvantages The scenario asks me to explore how the advantages, and disadvantages of privacy on the internet, and how it would affect Grandmas Treats business, and address the concerns of the internet and how would it be effective in protecting you and others from sharing information that should be kept private. It also would like me to choose which environment would be best for Grandmas Treats and why? Well lets take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages that I believe would help us all when using the internet, and e-commerce. When a computer connects to a network or website, and begins talking with other computers its taking a chance or a risk of getting effected. The internet world could be very dangerous if companies dont know how to protect themselves or theyre computers. Now let me ask this question, what can happen with an unsecured web site? Well let me explain, the list below should give you an example of the kind of things that can occur. Unsolicited mail Files and information attacks Viruses, and worms Stolen credit card information Computer hackers, have access to personal information Customers feel threatened and will refuse to your web site Annoying messages Spams messages These are just a few concerns that one would have over an unsecure web site. Now most company try to protect their computers, and fell to add the necessary requirements to fulfill their needs, that why, I will explore the advantages of having a secure site. With a secure website it will allow the company to protect the customers private information so that virus or hacker cant access their records. The list below is the advantages that a secure website has over an unsecure site. It makes customers feel secure about their information Protect the sites integrity and well being Stop unwanted attacks or misuses Encourages customer to shop and share information with companies With this type of security feather in place it allows companies to give their customer the protection that they need. It also allows the company to make the customer feel more secure about providing information on their website knowing that it cant be access from the company main data base. When it comes to Grandmas Treats the approach should be focusing on protecting the security and privacy of their customers. This means that the secured site would be the best choice for their business. The secured site is the best choice, because of the following list below. Make customers feel secure Encourage customers to shop and share private information Stop unwanted attacks or misuses Firewalls Software and hardware tools that define, control, and limit access to networks and computers With these measures in place it would allow grandmas treats to operate a safe, secure environment that would protect their customer privacy. References Web companies Announce Privacy Standards (announcing partnership of Netscape, VeriSign and Firefly). Internet Site Agrees to Settle FTC Charges of Deceptively Collecting Personal Information Agencys First Internet Privacy Case, FTC News Release, August 13, 1998.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Anabolic Steroid Use in Sports :: essays research papers

Drug use has been a part of competitive sport for almost a century. At the first olympics in Athens in 1896, marathon runners drank a mixture of brandy and strychnine to help them on their ways and used opiates to control pain during a race. Use of alcohol was very common in the early years of the twentieth century. It might be argued that the first athletes to use drugs to enhance their performance were, in fact, cheating. We need to remember that drug use is not new. East Germany athletes used drugs to enhance their performance. Soviet Union was also involved in drug experimentation. In the United States the drug culture had become so widespread that steroids and stimulants were known to every high school coach. The use of drug was believed by athletes to enhance performance, in one way or another. Until 1960, nothing was done about the issue. The sports council of Europe officially moved against drugs when it tabled a resolution calling for the banning of drugs on ethical, moral and medical grounds. The Olympic games, even though they are only held every 4 years, represent the pinnacle of sporting achievement. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a critical role to play in demanding extensive drug testing and in providing funding for such testing. This is a controversial issue. The IOC believes that each of the international federations which governs particular sports should be responsible for its own testing. This seems reasonable enough, but it is argued that the Olympic Games are the highest profile competition in the world and the most prestigious. The world stops to watch them and they represent the culmination of years of work for athletes. Winning a gold medal is the glory to any sporting career. Urine testing is the usual testing method, and it doesn't reveal the full range of drugs taken to enhance performance. Blood testing is a more efficient way, it can detect drugs that urine testing cannot. By the beginning of the 1980s, the use of anabolic steroids had become quite common. These drugs - and the allied substances, testosterone and human growth hormone - were basic muscle builders. They increased mass and strength, while producing, as one side effect, a heightened aggression. In other words, they made winners in sports. The problem seems to be in the definition of drug. For example, if it is all right for a competitor to take a pain-killer or a vitamin supplement, why is it not right to stop exhaustion with a caffeine hit? The answer would seem to be that drugs such

John Donnes The Sun Rising :: Sun Rising Essays

John Donne's "The Sun Rising" In his poem, "The Sun Rising," Donne immerses the reader into his transmuted reality with an apostrophe to the "busy old fool, unruly sun" that "through curtains" calls upon him, seizing him from the bliss which "no season knows." This bliss, a passionate love, stimulates him to reinvent reality within the confines of his own mind, a wishful thinking from which he does not readily depart, much like a sleepy child clings to the consequences of a dream. In his address to the sun, he bids "the saucy, pedantic wretch" "go chide late schoolboys, and sour prentices," resembling a petulant youth imploring for more time to slumber. His reference to the sun as "saucy" and "pedantic" evinces his aversion to the hindrance that time poses upon his life. The rude, or "saucy" morning intrudes upon his rapture, a punctual reminder that time ceases for nothing and for no one. The speaker then boastfully asserts his power over the sun's rays, stating that "he could eclipse and cloud them with a wink, but that he would not lose her sight so long." This obviously undermines his argument because if it were not for those same beams of light, he would not see his love. Donne surely was aware of the ridiculous nature of this assertion; he appears to be attempting to accentuate the flaws in his argument against the sun, perhaps to emphasize the foolishness of a person in love. He continues this emphasis with his claim that all the riches and nobility the sun has seen "all here in one bed lie." His frivolous praise to his love continues; he declares that he and his mistress are superior not only to the ruler of the sky, but all others as well. "Princes" he sneers "do but play us." He declares that "all honour's mimic" of the reverence he and his love share, that "all wealth alchemy" compared to the splendor of love, and that the sun is but "half as happy" as this couple. It is evident that the speaker is aware of his folly; his foolish, yet eloquent speech is solely for the benefit of his beloved.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Swirling Colors :: Essays Papers

Swirling Colors Psychological research has shown different colors to arouse or symbolize different emotions or states of mind. In a color reaction test, the warm colors, most significantly red, but also yellows and oranges, were found to represent an active state of mind. The cooler colors, most significantly blue and green, and also purple, were more passive and calming. â€Å"warmth signifies contact with the environment, coolness signifying withdrawal into oneself.† (Sasaki) Red specifically can also symbolize aggression, warning, or danger, or cause an agitated state of emotion. Likewise, green can symbolize passivity, or safety. Blue can signify guilt, and violet or purple a sense of calmness and appeasement. The most opposing of these two are red and green, colors complimentary to eachother due to their contrary positions on the color wheel. In Hitchcock’s Vertigo, all these colors play a role in character development, contrast, and symbolism, each character having a colo r with which they are associated, with a striking emphasis on the contrast between red and green, and a later omnipresence of blue. Midge, one of the first characters seen after the opening chase scene, is associated with yellows and oranges, the colors in which her apartment is decorated, and also wearing red glasses. This signifies that Midge is in contact with her environment, according to Sasaki. The next scene is in Elster’s office, with hues of red and reddish tones. This is a fitting color for the representation of Elster, who, though rarely seen, is the one person in any position of true control in the film, though once his story is played out, he disappears entirely. The first introduction to the character of Madeline, regardless of her true identity, is her in a green dress contrasted with the voluptuous red plush walls of the restaurant. The next time she is seen is getting into her car, appropriately green, completing for the viewer the association of this color with that character. Throughout the film she is amongst green things, such as the green box in the flower shop she enters. She even mentions that she loves the green of the trees, ironically in the Redwoods, another striking contrast of the two colors, though only verbal. The color plays into the mystery and trickery of the story more to fool the reader as well as Scottie as this is a color signifying passiveness.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Mahatma Gandhi

One of the greatest men in the history of India is unarguably Mahatma Gandhi . He sacrificed his own life for the sake of his country. The respect that he earned for himself despite leading a simple lifestyle is much appreciable. Mahatma Gandhi played a vital role in the freedom struggle of India. His non violent ways and peaceful methods were the foundation for gaining independence from the British. Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2nd October at Porbandar located in Gujarat His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi He went off to South Africa after marriage and worked as barrister there for twenty years. Once while he was traveling in a train, he was thrown out of the first class compartment despite having a ticket. This made him swear that he would do his best to erase apartheid from the face of his world. He went back to India only to find that his own country was being ruled by the British and his fellow citizens were being treated harshly by British. Non Co-operation Movement One of the first series of non violent protests nationwide was the non cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandh. In this freedom struggle, the non cooperation movement was basically aimed at making the Indians aware of the fact that the British government can be opposed and if done actively, it will keep a check on them. Thus, educational institutions were boycotted, foreign goods were boycotted, and people let go off their nominated seats in government institutions. Though the movement failed, Indians awakened to the concept of going against the British. Civil Disobedience Movement Gandhi again took off with another non violent movement known as the civil disobedience movement. This movement was more active than the non cooperation movement and brought about a revolution of sorts. This movement aimed at bringing the British administration to a stop by withdrawing support from everything. There was agitation against land revenue, abolition of salt tax, cutting down military expenditure, levying duty on foreign cloth, etc. A very important movement was that of Salt Satyagraha where Gandhi undertook the Dandi march as a protest against the Salt tax.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Disposable Society: Capitalism and Consumerism Combined?

It was an interesting day of picking up otherwise â€Å"unimportant things,† noting my own urges to just dispose of varied materials, and observing my precious â€Å"living environment. † At the end of the day, it was time for sorting out other people’s â€Å"thrash† and noting my own habits plus reflecting on these various disposable items that I am supposed to learn from. These are what I have seen and what I have realized. Food items and their packaging materials come at the top of the list. Second in line, I found office and school materials – paper clips, ballpen caps, paper, etc.Then there were the miscellaneous home and personal items, various odds and ends including Styrofoam pieces from certain packaging materials, plastic containers bolts and nuts and various unidentified metal pieces, pieces of colored cloth, cigarette butts, an old plastic toy top, a CD, and a torn magazine. There are other small items not include in the list here but ba sically these are my categorizations of the disposable or â€Å"disposed† items collected in a day of walking and observing around.From one angle, it is a most convenient, socially constructed environment that we have—the so-called modern society with all its technology and other trappings. Part of the convenience lies in the disposability of many, if not all the items, that we see around us and which we utilize for meaningful survival on the planet. For example, how would we be able to store and therefore distribute food across great distances without the modern techniques of food packaging?The sanitary handling of food through these technologies however have an implication after the packaged food has been consumed: where goes the inedible packaging? There is a need for food manufacturers to factor in this question in their development of packing and packaging technology. Everyday, everyone eats, and the more we consume, the more we throw away. In 2004, a University o f Arizona study indicates that forty to fifty percent of all edible food never gets eaten. Every year $43 billion worth of edible food is estimated to be thrown away.(â€Å"US wastes half its food,† 2007) What can be done about this? To eat less? Joking aside, we have to be more responsible consumers. There’s a hungry world out there. Moreover, developing biodegradable packaging and eating utensils could be the simple long-term solution perhaps so that environmental pollution is lessened. Or how about edible utensils for a species that is constantly on the go? Perhaps someday. Ours is a society that does not sleep. 24-7 we say. Society moves every second, every day and the more we move, the more be create garbage, the more we develop disposables.Ours has become a disposable society. Even many relationships today seem disposable — fleeting and cold. In the coldness of many offices and supposed institutions of learning, many items are disposable. Containers, small items that make work less tedious like those yellow sticker-like notepads, pens, and computer printer ink cartridges, among others. In the relative warmth of some homes, still we see the signs of disposability: the Christmas tree, the decorations from the last party, the old TV guides.How would life be if we had disposable parents? Frightening thought? Indeed, but perhaps not for some who may have had the unfortunate experience of having dysfunctional parents or adults in their life. Work and family, 24-7, in modern societies, live off disposables. They make life easy and they spur more productivity and innovation. On the large downside, we are using off precious scarce resources, which can be depleted in the long run, and dirtying up the whole planet against the interest of future generations.At the heart of all this is a peculiar system that is consumerist in orientation. Consumerism is a lifestyle fanned by the current economic system, an orientation that appears negatively util itarian, unduly pleasure-oriented, and has no regard for long-term negative consequences of degrading the planet’s natural environment. As things are consumed and disposed, more production and profit is created to replace the old disposed material. What would the world be if things were not as disposable? Production could grind to a halt, as there could be less needs to fulfill.If cars, for instance, were not too disposable and new models are not made to be so appealing (as if they were needed and not simply desired), where would the car industry be now? We see this even in the use of computer technologies. As Smith (2008) notes: Creating products that aren't meant to last is a very viable business strategy as this means that consumers will need to buy replacement products†¦ In a more modern context, consider videogames. Old games, like Pong, could be played over and over again. Today's games, like the popular Grand Theft Auto series, have a beginning and an end.Once you â€Å"beat the game† you need to buy the next installment in the series. The same concept applies to computer software. If you call Microsoft and try to get support for Windows 98, a once expensive product that still works just fine on many computers, you'll be told that it is no longer supported. It's not that the product doesn't work, it's that the company wants you to buy the latest and greatest version of whatever they're selling. Is not consumerism and capitalism complementary with the reality of a disposable society? The profit seekers are only too glad we throw their products away—the sooner, the better. References http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/08/30/60minutes/rooney/main308969.shtml â€Å"US wastes half its food.† http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=56376-us-wastes-half. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. Smith, L. (2008). The Disposable Society: An Expensive Place To Live. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/disposablesociety.asp. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Efficient Market Hypothesis Essay

These will be presented by practitioners Media Conference This will be populated by journalists Board Meeting Presentation will be to Board members Module Outline The module aims to enable students to develop business and management skills and to capture an integrated view of their learning across their MBA programme. It also builds specifically on Media Training and three Preparatory Sessions. It combines substantive lectures; ‘Business Briefings’ in the form of practitioner presentations pertinent to the Case; and experiential learning through a ‘live’ Case involving group work. Justification of the strategy (10%); Integration of business relevant functions and underpinning disciplines (10%); and Coherence & Focus of the document (10%) To be submitted by 13. 00 hours Thursday 18th April 2013. The Strategy Document should consist of four separate documents: †¢ Title page including Group name and team members †¢ 1 page Executive Summary †¢ Strategy Document (1,500 words) †¢ Appendices (make sure that these clearly reinforce points made in the Strategy Document). The Strategy Document should be in a format suitable for presentation to the company board. It should not be in the form of an essay. It should not simply be the sum of different departmental strategies. Rather, it should present an overall integrated strategy reflecting a long-run scenario plan. It should be supported by the different departmental components of that strategy. The full details of the departmental strategies can be included in Appendices. There are plenty of on-line examples of how to write a strategy document. You will still need to decide which format suits your strategy. Further advice will be given in the module. 2. Media Statement in Response to Intervention (500 words 10%) We will be looking for a justification, integration and coherence & focus of action in the statement. To be submitted by 17. 00 Thursday 18th April 2013. 3. Media Conference and Board Presentation (10% or 5% per event) This includes the Management, Presentation and Coherence of the Media Conference and Board Presentation. Individual Assignment 4. Individual Reflection (50%) Critically reflect on selected strategy (10%), group processes (10%); response to the intervention (10%); and your individual role (10%). Identify what you take from these experiences; what you would have done differently? (10%) This report should be in an essay format and can include supporting documents. The purpose of the individual coursework is to enable you to reflect on your learning from the coursework and the Company Case experience. This can include reference to: The challenges of integrating multi-disciplinary approaches to business and integrating business strategy; †¢ Group dynamics and management, your role within the group and interactions with others, decision-making processes under pressure; and group development and coherence; †¢ Real busin ess experiences of public exposure through the media and defence of strategies from senior managers. You might want to structure it by time or key stages (i. e. Strategy formulation and process; responses to interventions and the Media statement; Group formation and dynamics; Media and Board Events and event management). Please do not use this essay to criticise others but to reflect on your experiences and how you might approach this differently in the future. The essay is due at 16. 00 on 24th May 2013. Session 1 Monday 15th April 09. 30 – 11. 00 Module Introduction Introduction to the Case; Allocation of Groups What is Sustainability? In this session we will introduce the Module, its aims, activities and structure and we will clarify the assignments and assessment. We will introduce the Company Case, Wearing Well or Wearing Out? and allocate the groups. We will address the question, what is sustainability? The Company Case The Company Case ‘Wearing Well or Wearing Out? ’ will be introduced; the full case will be circulated separately. In essence Wearing Well is a long-standing UK retail chain which has recently been taken over by a private equity consortium. It has principally sold women’s clothing but also men’s clothing, men’s and ladies shoes and accessories, furnishing, appliances, and home accessories. The company is not considered to be performing well by the owners and they have commissioned a new management team (i. e. YOU in the different groups) to turn the company around. You are asked to prepare an initial five year plan in the form of a Strategy Document and to consider how integrating sustainability into the strategy can add value to the company. You will also be asked to respond to an ‘intervention’ in the form of a Media Statement. You will be required to explain and justify your initial strategy and the subsequent response in two ‘live events’ both on Friday 20th April:1. A Media Conference (supported by a Media statement that you will need to prepare) 2. A Board Meeting (supported by a Strategy Document that you will also need to prepare) Groups The class members will be organised into groups with whom they will address the Group Assignments (Strategy Document, Media Statement in Response to Intervention, Media Conference and Board Meeting). Break out rooms will be allocated. When class members are allocated to their groups, the groups will then need to decide and agree job roles / descriptions / responsibilities and assign these to group members. Each member will then be required to sign a ‘contract’. What is Sustainability? A general introduction to the theme of sustainability will be provided. The key pillars of sustainability will be introduced: 1. Balance of social, environmental and economic criteria 2. Intra-generational justice 3. Inter-generational justice. A systems approach is used to highlight the importance of sustainability and to understand the importance of sustainability to business. Preliminary Reading Senge, P (2009) ‘Sustainability: Not What You Think It Is’ MIT Sloan Management Review June Michael Porter and Mark R Kramer (2011) ‘Creating Shared Value’ Harvard Business Review Jan – Feb 2011 See http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sustainability. Core Reading Stead and Stead (2009) Chapters 1-4 OR Stead and Stead (2004) Chapters 1-3 (Chapter 2 provided) Dunphy Dexter, Andrew Griffiths and Suzanne Benn (2007) Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability, New York: Routledge. Chapters 1 and 2 (Part 1), Background reading on Sustainability (All provided in the Module Booklet) Assadourian Erik (2007) ’Acknowledgements,’ Vital Signs 2007-2008, 104-105, New York: WW Norton and Company. Brown, Lester R. (2008) Plan B 3. 0: Mobilising to Save Civilisation. New York: WW Norton and Company. Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and William W. Behrens III. (1972) The Limits to Growth. New York: Universe Books Ehrlich Paul R. and Ann H. Ehrlich (1990) The Population Explosion. New York: Simon and Schuster. Elkington John. (1997) Cannibals with Forks. Oxford UK: Capstone Publishing Limited. Hart, S and Milstein, M (2003) ‘Creating Sustainable Value’ Academy of Management Executive 17 (2) 56 – 69 Laszlo, C (2003) The Sustainable Company Island Press Chapter 1 Munasinghe, M (2009) Sustainable Development in Practice: Sustainomics Methodology and Applications Cambridge Chapter 2 Senge, Peter M (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Wearing Well CEO Agreement Group Role Description Manage allocation of group roles and submit Manager Agreements Manage decision processes for Group Strategy and Media Statement in Response to Interventions Manage preparation for Media conference and Board presentation Submit Group Strategy and Media Statement (according to deadlines and word lengths) CEO Name Signature Module Lecturer (Simon Wright) Signature Date Wearing Well Manager Agreement Group Role Title Role Description Name Signature CEO Name Signature Date Session 2 Monday 15th April 11. 30 – 13. 00 Shared Value and Stakeholder Value This session will provide the opportunity to revise the concept of stakeholders and to apply it specifically to the question of strategies for sustainability. Different frameworks for understanding stakeholders will be discussed and contrasted, highlighting the importance of understanding and managing stakeholder expectations in strategy formation for sustainability. We will have virtual appearances by the Stakeholder guru, RE ‘Ed’ Freeman and by Harvard Professor Michael. E. Porter discussing the concept of ‘shared value’. Core Reading Michael Porter and Mark R Kramer (2011) ‘Creating Shared Value’ Harvard Business Review Jan – Feb 2011 Freeman, R. Edward, Harrison, Jeffrey S. and Wicks, Andrew C. (2007) Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation and Success Yale University Press. See provided a short paper R. E. Freeman (2008) ‘Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation and Success’ Darden Business Publishing, University of Virginia (note permission has been obtained for the use of this paper in this module). Stead, W. Edward and Jean Garner Stead (2009) Management for a Small Planet Greenleaf 3rd Edition Chapter 7 provided Session 3 Monday 15th April 14. 00 – 15. 30 Business Briefing: Sustainability in the Retail Sector Stuart Wright, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability J Sainsbury PLC http://www. j-sainsbury. co. uk/responsibility This presentation will highlight the current sustainability policies, practices and issues for J Sainsbury PLC, one of the UK’s largest supermarkets. The session will provide an opportunity to consider trends, opportunities and challenges from the perspective of one of the UK’s most innovative and successful retailers. Stuart is responsible for the delivery of Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan, a ? 1 billion initiative to drive corporate responsibility across a variety of stretching targets encompassing environmental, sourcing, communities, food ; health. Session 4 Monday 15th April 16. 00 – 17. 30 Business Briefing and Group work: First Steps Here you will begin your assessment of the Company Case and your preparation of your Strategy. This will involve agreement about individual roles within the Group, integration and time lines, and about decision-making and strategy-making processes. You should start your stakeholder scanning for WW. Sessions 5 ; 6 Tuesday 16th April 09. 30 – 12. 30 Business Briefing and Group work: First Steps Here you will begin your assessment of the Company Case and your preparation of your Strategy. This will involve agreement about individual roles within the Group, integration and time lines, and about decision-making and strategy-making processes. You should start your stakeholder scanning for WW. Sessions 7 ; 8 Tuesday 16th April 13. 30 – 17. 30 Group Work: Scenario Planning for WW This will enable you to apply the processes of scenario planning for sustainability (Sessions 5 and 6). What sort of environment (supply, employees, market) and company do we plan for? What overall strategy should we follow? You may find that this overview gets reviewed as you explore operational realities and develop operational strategies. Session 9 Wednesday 17th April 09. 30 – 11. 00 Business Briefing and Group Work: Operational Scanning for WW Each operational manager should be scanning their area of responsibility: what is working? Why? How do the operations support / undermine the overall performance of WW? This will enable you to apply the thinking about developing operational strategies for WW. Session 10 Wednesday 17th April 11. 30 – 13. 00 Group work: Operational Strategies for WW The process started in Session 8 should feed into the preliminary thinking about operational strategies. You will need to think about the relationships between the results of the different operational scanning exercises and the fit – or otherwise – of preliminary operational strategies. These will ultimately need to be informed by the overall strategy that you select. However, also the overall strategy needs to take account of operational realities and to integrate operational strategies. What do you remember from your Strategy modules? Session 11 Wednesday 17th April 14. 00 – 15. 30 Group Work: Preliminary Integration of Strategies for WW Here you will begin to integrate your operational Strategies; identify and address inconsistencies. Do the operational strategies reinforce one another? Does the overall strategy run through all the operations? Is there a clear vision for WW?

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

1st and 2nd Timothy

INTRODUCTION The pastoral epistles are the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus in the New Testament. These books include 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. The title â€Å"Pastoral† comes from the instructional nature of the letters themselves. Timothy was an assistant to Paul during his ministry. He was taught the scriptures as a child by his mother who was named Eunice. Both Timothy and his mother were probably converted during Paul’s first missionary Journey. There is also evidence supporting that Paul led Timothy to the Lord because he calls Timothy his â€Å"son in the faith. [1] Timothy was highly recommended by the Christians in Lystra and Iconium at a young age. Titus was also a minister who accompanied Paul on at least one of his missionary trips. During Paul’s ministry in Crete, he raised new churches that Titus would have direct influence over. These letters are primarily instructions for the general functions within the church. Collectively they pro vide guidelines for all forms of leadership within the local church body. Paul touches on the subjects of women, elders, deacons, and overseers in relationship to authority and function.Before discussing the restrictions and responsibilities of each of these, I’ll briefly provide the historical setting for the pastoral epistles as well as the different views of Paul’s Authorship. Historical Setting These three letters were written after Paul was first imprisoned in Rome at the conclusion of Acts. The order and dates of Paul’s ministry between the release of his first imprisonment and his second imprisonment are not known. It is commonly accepted that he wrote the bulk of the pastoral epistles between A. D 60 and his death around A. D 67 to 68.Most believe that he began writing his first letter to Timothy within a year of being released from prison in Rome around A. D. 63. Paul informs Timothy that he left him in Ephesus so that he could go into Macedonia. Thereà ¢â‚¬â„¢s no evidence that he went anywhere else so he probably began writing the pastoral epistles there. Pauline Authorship Paul’s authorship of the pastoral epistles has been challenged by critics on four grounds. The first is the Historical Argument. This argues that the letters do not fit into the history of the book of Acts. The Second is the Ecclesiastical Argument.This claims that the organization of the local church as taught in these letters is to advanced for Paul’s lifetime. The the third argument is the Doctrinal Argument. This claims that the false teaching attacked in the letters is Gnostic heresy that took place during the second century. This argument also contends that the authors theological outlook is different than the outlook expressed by Paul in his other writings. The last argument is the Linguistic/stylistic Argument. This argues that the authors style, linguistics, and vocabulary differs from the writing in Paul’s other letters. Each of these arguments have recognizable flaws.Apart from those, the external evidence for Paul’s authorship is significant. Early church fathers such as Inatius, Polycarp, and Irenaeus concerned them as written by Paul. The evidence both internally and externally appears to supports the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles. NATURE OF LEADERSHIP IN SCRIPTURE Servant Leadership Jesus completely turned the table when there was no servant to wash feet as was custom. Under normal circumstances, a servant was expected to wash the dirty road-worn feet of guests. In John 13:1-17 Jesus provides his disciples with an excellent example of leadership.Jesus humbled himself to a position of servitude and washed his disciples feet. He says in 14-15, â€Å"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. † The most effective leaders are those people who are servants to others. Servant leadership is a leadership style that has g ained a large amount of popularity in recent years. [2] Jesus modeled it perfectly in this example. Jesus got on his knees and washed the dirt of His disciples feet even though this act of kindness was customarily views as custom fit only for servants.Philippians 2:5-11 says, â€Å"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. † Christ was the ultimate example of servanthood. In his book The Leadership Genius of Jesus, William Beausay says, Servant leadership was the core of Jesus’ style. We see it reflected in the actions of his followers. His disciples were not docile little robots. They often asked him for help.They needed guidance and clearly felt comfortable approaching him for personal support. † (Beausay 23)[3] Jesus He, being God, humbled himself to the point of death on a human-made cross and showed us a perfect example of want it means to be a servant leader. All the pain He endured was for our sake. Paul, the author of the pastor epistles, understood this importance in leadership and lived in a way that showed servant leadership qualities. Not only did Paul write to train and instruct the early church, but he preached the gospel boldly and was persecuted for his devotion.Ultimately, he was more than likely killed for his faithfulness to God. It is from this perspective that Paul instructs the early church leaders in the pastoral epistles. Responsibility To Teach Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 4:11-12 that God has directed some as evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He writes that the purpose of this is â€Å"for the building up of the body of Christ. † He also writes in 1 Timothy 4:13, â€Å"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. To devote oneself is to give up everything for that one cause. It doesn’t take much research to see that our society does not like responsibility nor do we tend to enjoy accepting blame for our mistakes. In many cases to accept responsibility and and accountability is considered foolish. Paul thought it important that our church leaders devote themselves to such things. I, for one, believe that all of us are called to the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. It is our responsibility as Christ followers to share the truth about who Jesus is with those around us.Certainly the presence of God can be experienced through nature and other visual stimuli, but something can be missing without a clear representation of the truth. 4 Knowing the truth is simply irreplaceable. 5 Just as God expects us to put forth this effort, Paul expected Timothy and Titus to abide by this principle and to teach it to their local congregations. We should take seriously the responsibility to present truth in our teaching and witnessing. CHURCH L EADERSHIP Deacons Deacons provide a ministry in the church that is associated with service of some kind. This service varies among theological and denominational customs.The word â€Å"deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning â€Å"servant. † Other uses of the word are diakonia, which means â€Å"service† and diakoneo, which means â€Å"to serve. †6 Broadened, it has come to mean any kind of service. Specifically we can find in scripture where these phrases were used applied to general service and spiritual service. Paul addresses the qualifications of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13: Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,  but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. He says first that deacons must be men of dignity. This stresses the importance of deacons to be men worthy of respect.This does not mean that they lead with a strong hand and enforce others to respect them. Instead, they are to live lives that bring honor to God. Thus, gaining them respect from others. Paul also says that deacons are not to be double-tongued. This means that they are to be self-controlled in speech. Any form of Gossip or slander should not be a part of his nature. Instead, he should speak out for righteous causes while being slow to anger. They also must not be deceitful. Deacons should not be addicted to much wine nor should the enter the position for what they can get out of it.Paul may have written this because of the pagan influ ence in first century world. He knew that every single deacon would be under the careful watch of non-Christians. It would be possible for a deacon to hurt his family and lose his witness if he was bondage to different excesses. Next, Paul writes that these men should hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. This means that they should hold a certain reverence for the soul purpose of service and honoring God. The Christian faith truly is mysterious. Sometimes people have to walk into situations where there are no clear certainties.Deacons must be confident and do with a genuine character. 7 Those wishing to be deacons must also be tested to see if they are beyond reproach. Just as Athletes wishing to be on Olympic teams have to prove themselves as disciplined competitors, so Paul believed that a person must have proven a spiritual maturity before serving as a deacon. 8 Attaining any spiritual maturity only comes from seeking to be more like Christ. Next, Paul writes that deacons are to be husbands of one wife, and good managers of the children and households.Though this verse is one of the most controversial of deacon qualifications, at least three things are clear. First, he must acknowledge and embrace the biblical emphasis on marriage and view of the home. Second, the deacon is to be devoted to only one wife. Third, there is a theme behind the passage that should remind the deacon of the absolute rejection of divorce. 9 Overall, Paul’s experience with young and growing churches taught him that deacons must be people with a strong spiritual character. Elders and Overseers Elders and Overseers share many of the same qualifications as deacons.Paul also lists their qualifications in 1 Timothy 3: It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable,hospitable, able to teach, not ad dicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity. but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?   and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Though Elders and Overseers are two distinct words, they seem to be used for the same role throughout scripture (Acts 20:17,28). â€Å"Elder† may be reserved for someone who deserves the respect that someone of an older age would attain. â€Å"Overseer† may lean more towards the function of the person in that position.The qualifications that are mentioned here vary only slightly. Paul makes it a point to warn them to be free from the love of money. This may give evidence that elders were held responsible for financial matters within the church. In all matters they are to serve as unto the Lord. 10 Paul also says that elders and overseers are to be able to teach. This provides evidence that they were held responsible for teaching theology as well as doctrine in the church. Paul makes it a point to mention that elders and overseers are not to be new converts. New Christians can fall quickly to temptation and become prideful.They often hold on to their pride, while a more mature Christian has come to understand the importance of humility. Older leaders are more likely to have a servants mindset ingrained in their character. 11 These leaders have a unique role in that they oversee the affairs of the church body. One of these roles included protecting the church from false doctrine. Some of the false teaching during this time was sparked from gnosticism and Jewish speculation. There were a number of different variations to the gnostic doctrine, but the main emphasis claimed that gnostics acquired a knowledge normal believers did not have.Thus, Gnostics believed their faith was superior to others. It was the responsibility of all the church members to know the truth and speak out against it. That is why it is vitally important that elders spoke the truth against different forms of heresy. This type of leadership is a critical factor related to how well the church is doing in reaching the goal of spreading God’s word. 12 Women in leadership Paul makes it clear in the pastoral epistles that women play a key part in the church. They are vital in the raising and teaching of Children.He writes concerning them so that they will understand proper submission. He writes this in in the second chapter of 1 Timothy: Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. First, Paul informs the women of the church to present themselves in a modest fashion. Paul, again new that non-christian eyes would be on believers. He did not want women to cause offense to anyone outside the Christian community. 13 Women He says that it is important they make a claim to Godliness. He then says that they should receive instruction submissively.This stresses the importance of male leadership in the church. Paul clearly points out that women are not to have any type of authority over other men. He reminds Timothy that Adam was created first, and then Eve. Paul stresses that women keep silent because it give a concrete and essential reason for the submission of women that is grounded in the creation story. 14 There are three major views when it comes to the role of women in the church. The first is total silence. There are surprisingly a large number of churches who practice this view. Second, is that they not teach Doctrine in the Assembly.Third, They may teach anything allowed by male overseers. The third view is what most churches use today. 15 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CHURCH TODAY? Church’s today should strictly follow the biblical qualifications for deacons, elders, overseers, and women in the church. In light of a church’s specific situation, each church must decide what leadership roles will be as they seek to live out the biblical conception of that role. 16 Church’s today should seek to find men who can serve well. Men should be chosen only if they are well qualified and have developed skills in witnessing and other types of ministry.The most important qualities are found in those men who â€Å"hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,† and are committed to serving other people. 17 The ability to work well with others should also be a key quality desired by churches looking for deacons or elders to serve. In today’s world, much of the work by the deacon involves a great deal of patience and understanding. 18 Church’s want to be able to trust that their deacons, and elders will exercise sound judgement in all matters concerning the well being of the assembly. It is clear that women were highly important to Jesus as well as Paul.There is no argument to be made that women are inferior to men. Jesus severed social and religious customs to show his high regard for women. 19 Women should strive to be excellent examples of Godliness in our church’s today. This is a very important role within our church’s. While they are not to exercise authority of men, they play a key role in teaching our children what it means to live godly lives. CONCLUSION Paul has outlined specific qualifications for the office of deacon, elder, and overseer as well as restrictions for women in regards to leadership.It is our job to strive for obeying these qualifications and restrictions in our own churches. Paul writes this in the fourth chapter of Ephesians: Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,   being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.It is God’s desire that we be unifi ed. It his is intention for us to be moving as one unit towards one common goal. We need men who are faithful to serve in the role of deacon, elder and overseer to achieve this goal. BIBLIOGRAPHY Beausay, William II. The Leadership Genius of Jesus (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Business). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1197 Brindle, Wayne A. The Pastoral Epistles (Notes and Outlines). Liberty University School of Religion, 1996 Chartier, Jan. Developing Leadership in the Teaching Church. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press 1985 Dale, Robert D.Leadership for a Changing Church (Charting the Shape of the River). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1998 Foshee, Howard B. The Ministry of the Deacon. Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968 House, H. Wayne, The Role of Women in Ministry Today. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1990. Howe, E. Margaret. Women & Church Leadership. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1982. Naylor, Robert E. The Baptist Deacon. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1955. Samra, Jim. The Gift of Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan 2010. Stendahl, Krister. The Bible and the role of Women. Stockholm: Fortress Press, 1966. ———————– 1] Wayne A. Brindle, â€Å"The Pastoral Epistles Notes and Outlines,† (Liberty University school of religion, 1996) [2] William Beausay, â€Å"The Leadership Genius of Jesus,† (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1197) [3] Ibid 4 Jim Samra, â€Å"The Gift of Church,† (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan 2010) 5 Ibid 6 Howard B Foshee, â€Å"The Ministry of the Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968) 7 Ibid 8 Ibid 9 Ibid 10 Robert D. Dale, â€Å"Leadership For a Changing Church,† (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1998) 11 Ibid 12 Jan Charter, â€Å"Developing Leadership in the teaching church,† (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press 1985) 13 E.Margaret Howe, â€Å"Women & Church Leadership,† (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1982) 14 Krister Stendahl, â€Å"The Bible and the Role of Women,† (Stockholm: Fortress Press, 1966) 15 Wayne A. Brindle, â€Å"The Pastoral Epistles Notes and Outlines,† (Liberty University school of religion, 1996) 16 Robert E. Naylor, â€Å"The Baptist Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1955) 17 Howard B Foshee, â€Å"The Ministry of the Deacon,† (Nashville, TN: Convention Press 1968) 18 Ibid 19 H. Wayne House, â€Å"The Role of Women in Ministry Today,† (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1990)