Bless Me, Ultima Literary Analysis Essay - 714 Words

tSam Ennis Period #4 20 September 2012 â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya Literary Analysis Throughout the context of â€Å"Bless Me Ultima,† it is evident that there are many motifs and examples of dichotomy. I believe that Anaya uses the previously mentioned elements of literature in order to provoke his readers’ thinking and help embody a struggle of understanding the world we live in. Motifs in this novel include: family, dreams, religion, education, and the list continues. For examples of dichotomy, the idea of good versus evil is the most vivid in this novel. An important motif in â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† are Antonio’s dreams. His dreams foreshadow major events and make him question his beliefs, especially revolving around†¦show more content†¦Two other literary elements that Rudolfo Anaya includes in â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† are magical realism and archetypes. Magical realism can be described as something that is not necessarily real but is believable and could be considered a miracle. Archetypes are typical examples of a pe rson, place or thing. Anaya includes many examples of both not only to make the story grasp the reader more, but to guide the reader to interpret the story through their own lenses. An example of magical realism in the story is that of the Golden Carp. While many people would not consider it real, the concept is similar to the idea of god. The Golden Carp is something that Antonio considers magical and fascinating but is reluctant to believe in. At the bottom of page 113 Antonio says, â€Å"The Golden Carp came. Cico pointed and I turned to where the stream came out of the dark grotto of overhanging tree branches. At first I thought I must be dreaming.† (Anaya, Page #113). Even though he was enthusiastic to view the Golden Carp, once he saw it he had a hard time accepting its physical existence. Significant archetypes in this novel feature: Ultima as the good spirit and Antonio as the boy idol. Another important one are the girls from Rosie’s as temptresses. These girl s are the spark a lot of controversy and remain the reason for much of the sin in their town. On page 145 of chapter 14 Ernie says, â€Å"Is it true that your brother’s beenShow MoreRelatedBless Me, Ultima Literary Analysis714 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya Literary Analysis Throughout the context of â€Å"Bless Me Ultima,† it is evident that there are many motifs and examples of dichotomy. I believe that Anaya uses the previously mentioned elements of literature in order to provoke his readers’ thinking and help embody a struggle of understanding the world we live in. Motifs in this novel include: family, dreams, religion, education, and the list continues. For examples of dichotomy, the idea of good versus evil isRead MoreThematic Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima1580 Words   |  7 Pages Thematic Analysis of Conflicts in, Bless me, Ultima Differences in others aid to the stimulation of ideas and opinions that expresses an individual s personality. In Rudolfo Anaya’s bildungsroman, Bless Me, Ultima, the struggle between two families and their extreme differences cause numerous conflicts that are constantly present throughout his novel. In this chicano inspired novel, Antonio Marà ©z, the six year old protagonist, is perpetually faced with instances of dissimilarity throughoutRead More Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress Of A Young Society Essay example3164 Words   |  13 Pages Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress of a Young Society An answer to the discussion question of whether or not there is a defined border culture would need a great number of years in field research, but we can also observe a few of the characteristics of such border culture just by looking at scholastic essays and books related to the topic. Within the research that I did, I found a number of scholars who, while defining the border, mention all the specific or special characteristics of thisRead MoreAtticus, Scout, And Jem Finch2314 Words   |  10 Pagesof prejudice and to treat every â€Å"class† or â€Å"wrung on the ladder† equally. Her experiences made her a better person and, although she is still growing up, she is learning to treat everyone with respect and to treat every race kindly. Task #2- Bless Me, Ultima Many people are very fascinated and concerned with the idea of death. Antonio witnesses many deaths through his young like and as he does, it seems to shape the way he grows and understands the world, both positively and negatively. He was introducedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Holden Talks With Mr. Spencer Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis: This quote is from the part when Holden talks with Mr. Spencer. Since Holden failing all his classes except one, Mr. Spencer is advising Holden about the importance and the impact of his actions in his life. Holden’s perception of adults is depicted when he curses Mr. Spencer in his mind. By nodding silently to Mr. Spencer’s words, Holden actually disrespects adults. We can easily perceive that Holden feels alienated when Mr. Spencer tells him that he is one of those people on â€Å"the otherRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pages Bildungsroman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search In literary criticism, a Bildungsroman (German pronunciation: [ˈbÉ ªldÊŠÅ‹s.Ê oËÅ'maË n]; German: novel of formation, education, culture),[a] novel of formation, novel of education,[2] or coming-of-age story (though it may also be known as a subset of the coming-of-age story) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age),[3]

A Study On Preference Of Youth About Food - 1325 Words

A Research Proposal On A Study on Preference of Youth about food in LPU Submitted to Lovely Professional University In partial fulfillments of the award degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS Submitted By- Submitted to- Manish Kashyap Dr.Anand Thakur Harshit Srvastava Associate Professor Mridul Kr. Pandey Amit Kr.Gauarv Faculty of Business Applied Arts Lovely Professional University CONTENTS S.NO TOPIC PAGE 1. Introduction 3 2. Background 3-4 3. Structure 4 4. Current scenario of Campus Cafe 5-7 5. SWOT Analysis 8 6. Literature Review 9-10 7. Research Gap 11 8. Objective of the Study 12 9. Proposed Research Methodology 12-13 10. Bibliography 14 Introduction Now a days people prefer to eat foods of their taste at their respective preferable places only. They want to grab foods from the stores which are situated near to home/working places. They don’t to prefer to walk a long to order foods. This is mostly done by large community of our country i.e. YOUTH .Similarly, this project is about the research on Preference of youth about foods in Campus Cafà ©. How Departmental stores, Kiosk affected the sales of Campus Cafà © and no of customers reduced to come for different occasions for ex:- birthday, anniversary etc. Background Campus Cafà © is a eating joint in Lpu which offers delicious food, superior services with innovative practices. They provide multi-cuisine menus ranging from Indian toShow MoreRelatedObesity : Obesity And Obesity1637 Words   |  7 Pagescontributing factors to this increase in obese youths. A possible contributing factor is food advertisements that contain poor-nutrient food and are targeted at children. Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to various advertisements on a daily basis. Many studies have suggested that there would be an overall reduction in obesity and overweight rates with the ban or reduction of nutrient-poor food advertisements. The combination of advertisements of poor food choices, with increased technology useRead MoreStudent Preferences Regarding Fast Food1681 Words   |  7 Pagesstudent preferences regarding fast food. We have conducted a survey at a well-known college in the Klang Valley to find out students preferences regarding fas t food. The survey was conducted for about 1 week. 50 respondents were randomly selected and interviewed with 24 female and 26 male A related literature review showed that most of the younger respondents prefer Domino’s for home orders followed by others fast food outlet in India 2007. Their preference to visit a particular fast food outletRead MoreAdvertising to Children Must Be Banned957 Words   |  4 Pagesrealize that back then I was targeted by big companies to beg my parents for things that I didn’t need or that wasn’t good for me in order to make money. Advertising today is affecting the health of today’s children because they eat the unhealthy foods advertised to them on: television, the internet, and even at school. Therefore, an impassioned discussion of possible solutions has been brewing. Advertising is the paid, impersonal, one-way marketing of persuasive information from an identified sponsorRead MoreIs School Nutrition A Contributor? Childhood Obesity?1619 Words   |  7 PagesStatus: Any †¢ Nutrition-Related Problem or Condition: Obese or overweight and consuming at least lunch in a school setting. †¢ Study Design Preference: Cross-sectional studies, large randomized observational studies, time series studies. †¢ Size of Study Groups: sample size must include at least three elementary, middle, or high schools that serve lunch meals to students. †¢ Study Drop-Out Rate: 30% †¢ Year Range: 2004-2014 †¢ Authorship: †¢ Language: articles published in English Exclusion Criteria Read MoreFast Food Industry Research Proposal1593 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Proposal (Fast Food Industry) To study the attitude towards consumption of healthy food within the fast food industry Background We are a marketing research team of a fast food chain store. With increasing awareness about healthy food among the masses and with consumer preferences changing towards healthy food, we intend to launch a health food segment to cater to this need of the customers. We are also concerned about the pricing of the product that whether it should be priced same asRead MoreSocial And Ecological Model Of Public Health1480 Words   |  6 Pagesphysical, emotional, and cognitive begin to change. It is the period, where they are more easily influenced, more exposed and more curious about different activities. It is the transition from childhood to adulthood, and it is when behaviors can impact one’s long-range health implications (Coreil, 2010). When applying the social/ecological models to the study of adolescent health, it is important to focus on the micro and macro level. We tend to observe or see behaviors at a proximate or intermediateRead MoreFast-Food Advertising Causes Obesi ty Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesconcern that youth or children who eat from fast food restaurants have a big risk for becoming overweight. Some research shows that greater familiarity with fast food advertising on television is associated with obesity in young people (Pediatric Academic Societies parag.1). It is known that these children and adolescents are being extremely exposed to fast food advertising including the internet, social media, and particularly on television. The marketer and owners of these fast food restaurantsRead MoreThe Effects Of Obesity On Children And Adults1462 Words   |  6 Pagesnormal or healthy weight for his or her age and height. The main causes of excess weight in youth are similar to those in adults, including individual causes such as behavior and genetics. Different behaviors include dietary patterns, medication use, physical inactivity, and other exposures. Additional contributing factors in society include the food and physical activity envir onment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion. Childhood obesity is a significant health problem in the UnitedRead MoreChildren s Purchasing Decisions Are Affected By The Persuasive Nature1496 Words   |  6 PagesNow try asking that same child about any character that is associated with any major brand of cereal and I think you will probably be impressed by the knowledge they have on the subject. One would argue that is because they may love the cereal but I think it has more to do with the effectiveness of advertising. There was a study published recently on how familiar characters influence children’s judgements about information and products. It was a study done on 4 year olds and how theyRead MoreEffects Of Obesity And The Media1396 Words   |  6 Pagesgetting the right amount of physical activity. These aspects definitively lead to obesity and ultimately the negative feedback and oppression and discrimination from society. Society has been preoccupied about how people look for decades. While a society we are becoming heavier, our preferences about body image have become thinner. As a matter of fact, perceptions of body image are shaped from a sociocultural perspective from early childhood. Research has shown that sociocultural factors such as their

Missing Essay Example For Students

Missing Essay I am a Grade 8 student. It all started when i was born. Born in a filthy old run-down hospital, with no real doctors. I dont even know why it was legal. Anyways while I was inside of my mom, the doctors said I would probably be deaf, or have a major bad birth defect or be blind my whole life. Not being certified doctors, my parents didnt believe themmmm. They went to see the doctor about where the defect would be on me. He said, There is no defect in or on you, its probably just a lie. Well, I disagreed with him because I found out when I started school what the defect was. It was non-existence, unpopularity, and unattractiveness. Just in case you were wondering, my name is Katy. I am now 14 years old in grade 9 and officially have no friends what soever. I grew up as what you can say a loser. I had and will never have any friends, and I was bullied. It was so bad, it even happened in preschool. Im as stupid as a branch on a tree, and well my life is the worst anyone could ever want. Actually, no one would ever want my life. My parents divorced because of a huge argument they got into when I was about 6 years old. Its been hard for me ever since my dad moved out. I live with my mom, and my dad lives just around the corner. I still dont understand why they dont just get back together for the sake of me. I use to wonder if it was my fault for the divorce. Was it a problem that I was born or something? No. Its not your fault! Thats what my mom used to always say to me. She said it was just not working for her. She means her marriage, but I think it means having me born. Monday, May 13/03 One morning as I was waking at 12:00 noon, I didnt smell any breakfastbeing made. Usually my mom would make pancakes that would fill up the whole house with yummy fragrances Right then I noticed something was wrong. I went to see my mom in her bedroom, but she was GONE!!!!!!!! How could this happen? Who couldve done this? I said thinking to myself. After finding out my mom was missing, I ran straight to the phone to call the police. Hello 911 emergency system. What is the problem? said a kind voice. My mom is missing!!!!! I dont know where she is!!!!! I said as I panicked. Ill send some help over soon. For now just stay on the phone with me okay? Okay. I said as I ran into every room, checking to see if my mom was anywhere. The police arrived so I hung up the phone. They had several weapons and tasers on them. So, when did you last see your mom? I said, Last night before I went to bed. Did you look all over your house? Yes! I already checked everywhere. Even th basement! As I was talking, the head-chief was calling in back up and a few detectives to find out if she was murdered, or if she was still in the house somewhere. After about 5-6 hours,the police and detectives gave up. They called off the search beacuse they didnt find anything. Not a single clue to help them. They said to me, Dont panic. Everything is under conrol. we didnt find anthting of your moms in the house. Its like she never existed. We are very sorry to call off the search, but we have to because theres no sign of your mother being alive. We are truly sorry for your loss if she did exist at one time.

The Great Gatsby And The American Dreams Essay Example For Students

The Great Gatsby And The American Dreams Essay The American Dream’s most basic definition is that anyone from any beginning could achieve wealth and status. Gangsters rose to power, taking advantage of Prohibition and turning to bootlegging turning a pretty profit. Immigrants from all over Europe used this as motivation to find a better life in America. This idea of â€Å"rags to riches† is portrayed in The Great Gatsby and is the primary ideology of The Roaring 20s. Booze, money, and corruption. The embodiment of The Roaring 20s. 1920, Congress shocks the world passing the Volstead Act, banning alcohol causing the start of the infamous Prohibition. Bootlegging became a get rich quick scheme, speakeasies popped up on every street corner, and powerful politicians were accepting bribes from anyone who could pay. The president became a figure head with all the power belonging to corrupt officials and gangsters. The 1920s was a notorious period of unrest in the United States. What was thought to be healthy for America, Prohibition increased alcohol consumption and the corruption rate was the highest it has ever been with half of America’s politicians accepting back door bribes and illegal drinking. We will write a custom essay on The Great Gatsby And The American Dreams specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now According to The 1920’s, â€Å"Prohibition allowed for a huge black market dominated by criminal groups. Each big city had its local crime syndicate.† (Wukovitz 11) It presented such a massive problem that Al Capone had total control of Chicago. All of the city officials were either too frightened to contest him or were under Capone’s rule. These infamous gangsters were above the law and ruled urban cities with an iron fist. Speakeasies, the nightclubs of the 1920s, were the face of the Roaring 20s. Robert Benchley says, â€Å"There were thirty-eight speakeasies on East Fifty Second Street alon. . while turning a pretty profit. With the rise of the speakeasies, the need for alcohol also rose to supply them. Many turned to bootlegging, the making and distribution of illegal alcohol as their â€Å"get rich quick† token. In Fitzgerald’s novel the people who attend Gatsby’s party are enjoying their own version of the American Dream, having a good time and living in the moment. Of course, there is the classic example portrayed through Gatsby of an impoverished individual turned successful through his own means.Portrayed in The Great Gatsby, the idea of â€Å"rags to riches† is the primary ideology of The Roaring 20s. Living life to the fullest and having a good time was a staple of this time. People could build up a new identity for themselves whether it be from illegal or honest means. People could achieve their idea of their American Dream with hard work and dedication.

buy custom Business Letter essay

buy custom Business Letter essay Dear Mr. XXX XXX, I hope you remember me quite well as we met at a trade show couple of weeks back. As the Executive Vice President of Sales at Hot Attacks I would like to have a meeting with you regarding presentation of my product which is a spray used to fireproof data storage drives and protect them from melting in high temperatures. As you know firefighting is no more a luxury but a necessity as per legal bindings and providing the best is a responsibility of any establishment. It is moreapplicable for an esteemed establishment like yours. As you know already that Hot Attacks is know for its firefighting equipments and these products would be highly beneficial for you. This is a predominantly state-of-the-art product and would be of immense help to your company. It is a known fact that Titan currently uses Meedy-A-Creedy but it should be noted that it is of inferior quality even though it is less expensive. However, you know very well that quality matters the most in these context and our product it much better in quality and it ensures complette fireproof data storage drives as it melts in very high temperature. Thus, it is a logical choice to accept Hot Attacks as your sole agent of supplier of fireproof data storage drives. For the purpose it is necessary to have a face to face meeting so that we can negotiate our terms and conditions and proceed with installations of products on a long term basis. I am eagerly waiting forward to meet you at you convenience on a date as early as possible. Sincerely, XXX XXX. Buy custom Business Letter essay

3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes

3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes 3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes 3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes By Mark Nichol Rules are made to be broken, but more often they are made to be followed, because violation of those rules, in writing as in any other human endeavor, often leads to unintended consequences. One case is the careless use of quotation marks for emphasis. Scare quotes, as quotation marks employed for this purpose are called, are often used to call out nonstandard or unusual terms, or merely to introduce a word or phrase. However, although this strategy used to be common, scare quotes have taken on a new role that has largely, at least among careful writers, supplanted the old technique: Now, they are better employed to convey derision, irony, or skepticism. For example, a writer who describes how â€Å"the institute offers workshops in ‘self-awareness therapy’† is widely presumed not to be gently preparing the reader for the appearance of an unfamiliar phrase; more likely, they are calling attention to what they feel is preciously New Age-y terminology. Meanwhile, the statement â€Å"The Pentagon’s strategy of ‘pacification’ certainly did make things quieter in the neighborhood† comments on the evasive military euphemism, while â€Å"The ‘new’ model strikes me as less sophisticated than the old one† calls attention to an unjustified adjective. Here are three types of superfluous usage of scare quotes: 1. The astronomers reported Tuesday that they had combined more than 6,000 observations from three telescopes to detect the system of exoplanets. Exoplanets is a term that has only recently entered the general vocabulary, but neologism is not a criterion for use of scare quotes; simply introduce the word, define it, and move on: â€Å"The astronomers reported Tuesday that they had combined more than 6,000 observations from three telescopes to detect the system of exoplanets.† (In the article from which this sentence is taken, a definition of exoplanet follows the statement.) 2. They engaged in listening exercises and musical analysis so as to better understand the musical DNA of their favorite songs. If you use an established term in an unfamiliar but analogous sense, trust readers to make the connection; don’t bracket the term in scare quotes: â€Å"They engaged in listening exercises and musical analysis so as to better understand the musical DNA of their favorite songs.† 3. So-called â€Å"notification laws† require businesses to notify customers when certain unencrypted customer data is improperly accessed. Never employ scare quotes around a term introduced by the phrase so-called. Yes, you may want to signal to readers your dissatisfaction with the term, but so-called performs that function, so scare quotes are redundant: â€Å"So-called notification laws require businesses to notify customers when certain unencrypted customer data is improperly accessed.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsNarrative, Plot, and Story

Paper on Elder Abuse Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Elder Abuse - Research Paper Example They may not see or hear also or sense as clearly as they used to, leaving chances for immoral people to get benefit from them. Psychological or physical disorders may make them more demanding companions for those who live with them. A large number of elders all over the United States are   being abused: harmed in some considerable way often by people who are directly liable for their care. Over half a million accounts of abuse against elderly Americans get to concerned authorities each year, and millions more cases go unheard. Elder abuse is likely to occur where the senior resides; most frequently within the home where abusers are likely to be grown person; other relatives, for instance, grandchildren; or spouses of elders. Institutional situations particularly continuing care services can as well be sources of elder abuse. Every year many older individuals are badly treated, ignored, as well as subjugated. Several sufferers are people who are elder, weak, as well as defenseless and cannot help themselves and rely heavily on others to meet even their most fundamental requirements. Abusers of elder people are both males and females, and may be relatives, friends, or â€Å"trusted others† (Ulsperger & Knottnerus, 2010). Executors of elder abuse can incorporate any person in a position of dependence, power or influence. Family members, neighbors and associates, are all collectively known as relations of dependence, whether the older adult really consider people as reliable or not. A number of perpetrators may groom an older person by building a bond with them, with the intention of establishing a bond of dependence. Older people staying unaccompanied who have no grown children living near are mainly susceptible to ‘grooming’ by neighbors and friends who would look forward to to get control of their assets. The greater part of abusers is family members, usually the older adult's spouse or offspring, even though the form of abuse varies in ac cordance with the relationship. In several circumstances, â€Å"the abuse is domestic violence grown old, a situation in which the abusive behavior of a spouse or partner continues into old age† (Sandell & Hudson, 2010). During the year 2006, â€Å"the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) selected June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)† (Sandell & Hudson, 2010) and a growing number of events are organized around the globe on this day to increase knowledge of elder abuse, and draw attention towards ways to confront such abuse. Types of elder abuse Physical abuse Physical elder abuse is non-accidental use of strength against an aged individual that causes physical hurt, wound, or injury. This sort of abuse incorporates not just physical attacks such as beating or pushing but the unsuitable use of medicines, restraints, or detention. Emotional abuse In emotional or psychosomatic elder abuse, people talk to or treat aged individuals in wa ys that become reason for emotional hurt or grief. Verbal types of emotional elder abuse consist of threatening by shouting or warnings, dishonor and ridicule, and usual blaming or ‘scapegoating’. Nonverbal emotional elder abuse can take the shape of disregarding the elderly individual, separating an elder from associates or activities, and frightening or intimidating the elderly person. Disregard or rejection from caregivers Elder disregard, failure to carry out a caretaking responsibility, forms over half of all reported cases of elder abuse. It can be active (also known as

Social Policy review and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Social Policy review and analysis - Essay Example sily comprehensible process. Single issues or individual pressure groups are the basic building blocks of modern pressure groups. Every interest is "seen as expressing a joint purpose" of individuals that have come together to achieve convinced objectives. These groups have limited organizational skills and lack the knowledge of government to succeed in the few specific issues on their purpose. Single issues interest groups usually have a liquid membership base, which use the media and tremendous action to obtain their goals. The groups usually are fighting for a change in private or public policy they find inequitable or unmerited. These groups tend to break up when they reach their goals (or concede defeat). Although single interests groups are not completely unproductive, their "inclination towards passion" makes them not well liked in the Bureaucratic community and in revolve do not stay around for too long. The main key to success for these groups lies within their usefulness to demand to public opinion. If the single interests group is around for enough time either by following or refusing to give up they usually band together with other similar single interest groups to carry on the fight. Groups such as this are referred to as organizational interest groups and usually contain a higher level organization than the single interests groups. Joining two or more groups with concentration on "structural interests" can attracts a wider membership base that in turn provides a larger economic sustain to work with. With more money the group can appoint a small staff of experts including lawyers, public policy experts, and public relations staff to help meet the changes in the government. The structure and basic goals of the organization do not change after the amalgamation it simply becomes more complex. Organizational groups tend to keep away from unnecessary behavior in the name of the cause and the use of media to gather public attention. Instead, the groups use formal briefs to get thei r point across to the general public. The organizational groups are knowledgeable in the political arena but are not as useful as the institutional groups. Institutional groups or "super organizational" groups have an widespread membership basis that allows for a stable membership of like-minded people. Everyone within the institutional group does not partake in the same exact interest; the members are required to share the information with others in the group to act in a common manner. The groups have substantial resources to carry out their "concrete and instant objectives." The resources include a highly trained staff that has widespread knowledge of the government that effects the suitable government officials and can converse easily with them. Unlike the single interests or organizational groups, institutional interest groups have the skills and knowledge needed to act as a "go between,

16 Questions to be Graded Essay Example for Free

16 Questions to be Graded Essay 1. The researchers analyzed the data they collected as though it were at what level of measurement? a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval/ratio d. Experimental 2. What was the mean posttest empowerment score for the control group? 97.12 3. Compare the mean baseline and posttest depression scores of the experimental group. Was this an expected finding? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean baseline for depression 14.00 and the post-test for depression was 13.36. The post-test score is 0.64 lower than the baseline score which is what the study hypothesized. The study results state â€Å"This study found that there were significant differences in improvement of empowerment, self-care self-efficacy, and depression in patients who were in the intervention group using empowerment strategies than with the control group patients† (Grove, 2007). 4. Compare the mean baseline and posttest depression scores of the control group. Do these scores strengthen or weaken the validity of the research results? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean baseline and post-test depression score was 10.40. These scores strengthen the validity of the research results because it shows that depression did not improve for the patients within the control group but the scores did change for the patients in the experimental group. 5. Which groups test scores had the least amount of variability or dispersion? Provide a rationale for your answer. The control group had the least amount of variability with the depression  score which stayed with a SD of 10.4. 6. Did the empowerment variable or self-care self-efficacy variable demonstrate the greatest amount of dispersion? Provide a rationale for your answer. The empowerment variable demonstrated the greatest amount of dispersion because the mean not only went up by 6.64 the SD also went down by 1.91 suggesting the scores are also closer to accurate. 7. The mean () is a measure of __central__ __tendency__ of a distribution while the SD is a measure of __dispersion_____ of its scores. Both and SD are ____descriptive_____ statistics. 8. What was the mean severity for renal disease for the research subjects? What was the dispersion or variability of the renal disease severity scores? Did the severity scores vary significantly between the control and the experimental groups? Is this important? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean severity for renal disease for the research subjects was moderately severe with a mean of 6.74, SD of 2.97, from a range of 0-10. The severity scores did not vary significantly and it is important to have the same severity of disease across the board so the outcomes can be true. 9. Which variable was least affected by the empowerment program? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean for the control group was least affected by the empowerment program only rising 0.4. 10. Was it important for the researchers to include the total means and SDs for the study variables in Table 2 to promote the readers’ understanding of the study results? Provide a rationale for your answer. Yes it was important to include the totals so at a glance anyone can see that even when the experimental and control groups are combined the results still show an improvement in all three categories. References Grove, S. K. (2007). Statistics for Health Care Research: A Practical Workbook. [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/978-1-4160-0226-0/outline/16The citation provided is a guideline, please check each citation for accuracy before use.

Abortion :: essays research papers

Abortion: Murder or Convenience? The woman was 22 weeks pregnant when she sought the assistance of Dr. Martin Haskell, the originator of the partial-birth abortion procedure, to rid herself of her already-kicking child. Haskell performed the first stage of the partial-birth abortion. He inserted a seaweed-based substance into the woman's cervix and instructed her to return the following day. But in this case, things did not go according to plan. The woman complained of severe abdominal pain on the first night and, being far from Haskell's clinic, reported to the emergency room of her local hospital, Bethesda North, in Cincinnati. As she was being examined (she did not say she was pregnant), the baby was born - alive. Pediatricians and neonatologists came running. The baby girl weighed in at 1 pound. The doctors decided that the child was very unlikely to survive and instructed that nothing be done. Connie Boyles, a nurse, and Shelly Lowe, a medical technician, saw the baby girl gasp for air and were stunned. Lowe, knowing that the nurses were busy caring for other patients in the emergency room, asked if she could hold the child she dubbed "Baby Hope" until she died. The request was granted. Lowe wrapped Baby Hope in a blanket and settled into a rocking chair for what she imagined would be just a few minutes. She sang to her and stroked her cheeks. "I wanted her to feel that she was wanted," Lowe explained later. "She was a perfectly formed newborn, entering the world too soon, through no choice of her own." The baby sucked on her lower lip, opened and closed her hands, and moved a bit as Lowe held her. She also did something else - she continued to breathe on her own. After three hours, Baby Hope died in the arms of the compassionate Shelly Lowe. The state of Ohio issued her a death certificate. The cause of death was listed as "extreme pre-maturity secondary to induced abortion.† Lowe was asked at a press conference what her position on abortion was. She said she had been pro-choice but was now pro-life. What changed her mind? Three hours. (http://www.gravityteen.com/pregnancy/kickin.cfm?StoryID=52) Many people believe that a woman has control over her body, but is the â€Å"blob of tissue† inside her really part of her body? Many scientists say â€Å"no,† they say that life begins at conception. Dr. Matthews-Roth of Harvard Medical School has given over 20 resources that agree with and support the fact that life begins at conception.

Contributions of Rome

â€Å"All roads lead to Rome. † This quote holds much truth as what Rome has left to Western Civilization is brought to light. The Roman made countless contributions to Western Civilization, but a few are the most significant of all. Rome, the most important civilization to the Western World, left a great legacy, paving the road for the spread of Christianity, forming the basis for republic, and allowing for a widespread diffusion of culture. Though not Rome's intention, it allowed Christianity to spread and flourish throughout Western Civilization.Rome, unified under one government, made possible the passing of information very quickly, thus greatly assisting the spread of Christianity. Even in the wake of persecution from such rulers as Diocletian and Maximian, Christianity continued to grow in strength. People were converted daily to this attracting faith. Men like St. Paul, who before becoming a Christian was a heavy persecutor of them, fervently preached the growing faith , adding more to their numbers.In addition, the cold religion of the Romans made Christianity extremely appealing, as Christianity offered a personal relationship with a deity who offered an everlasting life of beatitude after death. With the weakening government of Rome, the Christian church began to seize the power that the state lost, allowing more and more converts to be won over to the faith. Also, with the rise of the ruler, Constantine, who made Christianity legal, Christianity took the upper hand as Christian laws were passed and enforced.During Rome's reign, the spread of Christianity flourished, making way for Christianity to evolve from a small following of people to an accepted faith of multitudes. This incredible, though unintentional, contribution forever changed the course of history. The Roman Republic left a form of government similar to the democracy of Greece but with the ability to govern large bodies of people. Rome used a representation method, where senators r epresented groups of people, allowing for a democracy encompassing a very large population.Developed after the expulsion of the last Etruscan king, Tarqin the proud, this government was meant to prevent the development of a hereditary monarchy and did so until the rise of Augustus. It contained checks and balances to ensure that power was not too highly concentrated, much as the government in the United States of America is today. Unfortunately, the Roman Republic did not last throughout all of Rome's glory due to civil unrest, but it did leave an incredible form of government for the rest of humanity to mimic.This form of government would later prove vital to the structure of the government of the United States of America and many other countries. The republic gave the peoples of a large population a say in political issues, leaving a priceless gift to the Western World. Rome's magnificent size and its unified nature allowed for the spreading of ideas throughout Western Civilizatio n. Because of this unification of Rome, information moved like it had never before.Rome was a melting pot of cultures and customs, bringing together countless ideas to a place where these ideas could quickly be passed around like never before in history. Ideas ran rampant through the Roman Empire, mixing cultures and societies. The military fronts of the Roman Empire formed new cities, furthering cultural diffusion by Romanizing much of the Roman front, therefore leaving a permanent Roman mark. Many barbarian peoples came under the great influence of Rome, which in turn, was passed from generation to generation.Rome left an indelible mark on the Western World through its grandeur and unification. Surely, Rome has had the greatest influence on Western Civilization of all previous civilizations, leaving priceless gifts that should not be forgotten. Rome left cultures, customs, government, politics, and religion, contributions that to this day have greatly influenced Western Civilizati on. As Rome expanded on the ideas of the past and bettered them, so should the people of this world expand and elaborate on Rome's genius.

Eliza’s Transformation in Pygmalion by George Shaw Essay

In the play Pygmalion by George Shaw, Eliza experiences a type of transformation. Before Eliza first encountered Mr. Higgins, she was a dirty, improper, poor young girl. During her time with both Mr. Higgins and Colonel Pickering, Eliza did change. Her change seems so go in somewhat of a cycle, however. For the fist few weeks of her stay she questioned everything that Higgins asked her to do. She simply was unable to see how they would help her. Later, Eliza begins to understand that even though Higgins’ ways are so harsh, he is doing his best to teach her and he deserves some cooperation. After the ambassador’s ball, we see more of the old Eliza because her task is finished. She starts to worry again, and since she has grown attached to Higgins and Pickering, she is so upset that they still see her as something of little value. Eliza’s upper-class speech and manners can be observed, but her inner confidence is what changes the most. In the beginning of Higgins’s study, Eliza feels that she has to impress Higgins by making sure he knows that she arrived in a taxi. Eliza does not understand Higgins’ personality at first and feels like he is being specifically mean to her. During her lessons, Eliza is worked so hard she begins to regret allowing herself to put up with Higgins as a teacher. Her hatred towards the man disappears a little bit when she realizes that she can only accomplish her dream of working as a lady in a flower shop if he is shapes her into a lady. She tried to hide the anger built up because of Higgins and think of him as more of a friend. She does not realized at first that Higgins takes pride in his work and not his student. She soon realized that Higgins’ investment in her was merely a tool used to enhance Higgins reputation in society. Higgins showed no appreciation towards Eliza as he repeatedly boasted about his success, and he not once acknowledged her. Higgins was able to transform Eliza into a lady, but what he did not realized was that he had slowly been making Eliza a stronger person. During the process, his constant beating on Eliza made her realize that she did not deserve his disrespect. She begins to stand up for herself and believe in her worth. This is illustrated in Eliza’s throwing the slippers at Higgins. Eliza finally stands up to Higgins and does it in a bold way. Higgins was able to change Eliza. Originally she was an innocent girl trying to stay alive. Higgins through the introduction to a proper life-style had altered Eliza’s way of thinking. It was good for Eliza to become stronger as she did. At the end of the play, she becomes overpowering to Higgins, her beauty becomes irresistible as Higgins realizes that she is leaving. It took the threat of Eliza leaving for him to see his true feelings towards her. Eliza’s strength is shown the most when she is finally able to leave Higgins. She shows that she is able to take care of herself and does not need Higgins’ superficial changes to survive.

Portraits of Escaping Slaves Portrayed as Heroic Fugitives

Portraits of Escaping Slaves Portrayed as Heroic Fugitives Introduction The institution of slavery that existed in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries brought great changes to the American culture. The colonialists imported slaves from Africa and used them in their agricultural plantations. Since slavery was a political, social, and economic issue, it gained significant attention among the writers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Portraits of Escaping Slaves Portrayed as Heroic Fugitives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many great writers tried to present the issue of slavery in literature by creating different fictional stories. The fictional stories portray experiences that slaves underwent in their struggle to overcome slavery and become heroic fugitives. Since slavery was common in both the South and North, slaves struggled to escape to Canada using different routes. While some travelled on foot, others navigated their way using a ship. Great literary wr iters in the 18th and 19th centuries dwelled on the issue of slavery as they tried to depict the experiences of slaves in a comprehensive manner. In this view, the essay examines literary portraits of escaping slaves depicted as heroic fugitives by comparing the portraits of Harriet Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs. The Experiences of Slaves The slaves went through traumatic experiences when they were under the control of their masters. The experiences compelled slaves to seek ways of escaping and attaining freedom. Since many slaves tried to escape, most of them did not manage to survive because their masters were ready to torture or kill them whenever they caught them. In this view, escaping was a heroic act, as many fugitives who dared to escape did not survive. In her fictional book, Harriet Stowe portrays the experiences that slaves went through and refers to them as the lowest, vilest, and filthiest form of human nature. According to Stowe, slavery shows us  "human nature in its lowest debasement, the slave degraded, and his owner degrading himself† (2). In her depiction, Harriet Stowe illustrates how slave masters degrade humanity in the manner they treat slaves who are under their care. Hence, slaves experienced a great ordeal, which made them to become heroic fugitives. Like Harriet Stowe, Fredrick Douglass is another literary writer who depicts the experiences that slaves underwent during the period of slavery in the United States. Fredrick Douglass concurs with Harriet Stowe that the institution of slavery degrades humanity. Douglass asserts that slaves lived an aimless and worthless life in that their deaths during escape were better than their lives in slavery (6). This implies that the nature of suffering that slaves endured was appalling and dreadful to humanity. Owing to such experiences, slaves decided to devise ways of escaping. To attain freedom, slaves helped one another. In some instances, they fought their masters, hid in bushes, escaped in the darkness, battled with hunting dogs, sustained gunshots, died during the escape, and eventually managed to escape as heroic slaves. While most died during the escape, those who managed to escape became heroic fugitives because they were able to overcome their powerful masters.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike Harriet Stowe and Frederick Douglass who wrote fictional stories about the slavery experiences, Harriet Jacobs presents her own experiences as she worked for twenty-seven years in slavery conditions. Harriet Jacobs refers to slavery as dark, deep, and foul form of persecution and the abomination that slaves endured. In explanation of her life as a slave girl, Harriet Jacobs highlights traumatic experiences that she experienced under the hands of her master. According to Jacobs, her life was an ordeal one because she saw her parents die in slavery when she was barely six years old, experienced sexual abuse, got married in slavery, became disabled, and ran away (150). Harriet Jacobs endured the horrendous acts because she was a young girl who was unable to defend herself. Eventually, Harriet Jacobs portrays the life of a heroic girl who managed to survive the awful experiences of slavery. Portraits of Escaping Slaves and Heroic Fugitives Harriet Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs portray heroic slaves in their literary works who manage to escape from slavery to safe places in search of freedom. Harriet Stowe uses Uncle Tom as character to portray the struggles underwent by slaves. Uncle Tom is a black man who lives in slavery conditions with his family. His master dictates what to do with his children and wife, and thus he has no authority over his family (Ammons 11). When he overhears that the master is planning to sell his children to other masters, Uncle Tom decides to escape with his fami ly. On the day of the escape, Uncle Tom makes his wife escape with his son and they manage to survive cold night, avoid hunting dogs, and eventually reach Canada, a safe haven. On the other hand, Simon Legree, a slave owner, buys Uncle Tom and uses him in his plantation as other slaves. However, when Simon Legree commands Uncle Tom to whip his colleagues in the plantation, he refuses. As he loves fellows more than himself, Uncle Tom plans the escape of Cassy and Emmline, and agrees to die for their sake (Stowe 354). Therefore, the escape of Cassy and Emmline makes Uncle Tom a heroic slave who gives his life for the sake of freedom of fellow slaves. Comparatively, Frederick Douglas portrays a fictional character, Madison Washington, a cook, who rescues fellow slaves. In the book, Frederick Douglass portrays how Madison Washington manages to rescue 19 slaves and make them attain freedom. Madison Washington endures slavery to the point where he decides to escape to Canada in search of freedom. Since his friendly master enables him to escape alone from slavery, leaving his family behind, Madison Washington starts missing his family when he arrives in Canada. As he comes home to sneak his family, the master notes them escaping, and thus kills his wife. The master then sells Madison Washington to traders who took him to the South.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Portraits of Escaping Slaves Portrayed as Heroic Fugitives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the ship, Madison Washington meets other nineteen slaves and plans their escape. Madison Washington leads a rebellion on the ship, takes control of the ship, and thus sets nineteen slaves who are on board free. In this view, Washington becomes a heroic slave as he manages to rescue nineteen slaves. As Harriet Stow and Frederick Douglass portrays the heroic acts of their fictional characters, Harriet Jacobs portrays her own experiences, which depict her as a heroine and fugitive slave who manages to escape slavery and attain freedom despite all odds. Linda (Harriet Jacobs) is born and grows in a slavery conditions and experiences many hardships, which range from child abuse to human sufferings in adulthood (Lyons 5). Since her parents die when she is six, she relies on mistress as her mother. In the hands of her mistress, Linda grows while enduring slavery experiences in her life and in the lives of other slaves. Given that the master (Dr. Flint) compels her to engage in sex, Linda decides to date a neighbor (Mr. Sands), who eventually impregnates her and makes her give birth to two children (Jacobs 207). Hence, by outwitting her master, Linda becomes a heroine for she has the power to determine the father of her children and secures their posterity. When Linda falls out with his master, she plans to escape with her children to prevent his master from avenging on them. Fortunately, a slave trader who happens to be a friend to Mr. Sands arrives and requests Dr. Flint to sell him the two children, which he consents (Jacobs 24). However, Mr. Sands takes the children and brings them up under slavery conditions, and thus annoys Linda. To rescue her children, Linda plans to escape into New York City where she finds a caring family, which accepts her kids. Ultimately, Linda becomes a heroine because she manages not only to secure her freedom, but also the freedom of her children. Family and Christianity Harriet Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs also portray escaping slaves as people who have great responsibilities in serving their masters and their families. Harriet Stowe portrays Uncle Tom as a man with a wife and children, which means he has a great responsibility of providing their needs. When his master wants to sell his son, Uncle Tom decides to escape with his family. Although his wife manages to escape, Uncle Tom dies after rescuing his colleagues from slavery. Comparatively, Frederick Dougla s portrays Madison Washington as a man who loves his family very much. Although he manages to escape into Canada, the love for his family prompts him to come back home and rescue his wife and children from slavery.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Likewise, Linda is a girl who fights slavery throughout her life. At the tender age, Linda is wise enough to choose the father of her kids, as she prefers Mr. Sands to his master, Dr. Flint. When the children grew up, Dr. Flint decides to sell them to another owner, but Linda is smart enough because she asks a friend to their father to buy them. Eventually, Linda manages to save her children from the bondage of slavery, which portrays her as a loving and caring mother. Harriet Stowe portrays Uncle Tom as a Christian who believes in God. In his Christian belief, Uncle Tom is determined that God is there to see him through the tribulations that he undergoes during slavery. As Uncle Tom struggles to attain freedom, he hopes that God is guiding him safely (Stowe 382). Hence, his faith in God sustains him to overcome numerous challenges. Frederick Douglass portrays Madison Washington as a man who also believes in God because he encourages his fellow slaves to trust in God. Madison Washin gton attributes his successful escape with friends to the plan of God. Similarly, Harriet Jacobs portrays Linda as a woman who fears God in all what she does and believes. Conclusion Slavery was a social, political, and economic issue that the Americans grappled with during the 18th and 19th centuries. Literary writers such as Harriet Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs wrote books, which portray escaping slaves as heroic fugitives who looked for freedom using all means. The writers present experiences of slaves, describes their heroic activities, and their convictions. Overall, the literary works portray slaves as heroic fugitives who did not only battle for their own freedom, but also freedom of their families and fellows. Ammons, Elizabeth. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Douglass, Frederick. The Heroic Slave: A Thrilling Narrative of the Adventures of  Madison Washington, in Pursuit of Liberty. New York: Wildside Press, 2012. Print. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Harvard University, 1861. Print. Lyons, Mary. Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs. New York: Simon Pulse, 2007. Print. Stowe, Harriet. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. London: John Cassel, 1852. Print.

The Worst Polluted Places on Earth

The Worst Polluted Places on Earth More than 10 million people in eight different countries are at serious risk for cancer, respiratory diseases, and premature death because they live in the 10 most polluted places on Earth, according to a report by the Blacksmith Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to identify and solve specific environmental problems worldwide. Top 10 Worst Polluted Places Chernobyl in Ukraine, site of the world’s worst nuclear accident to date, is the best-known place on the list. The other places are unknown to most people and located far from major cities and populations centers, yet 10 million people either suffer or risk serious health effects because of environmental problems ranging from lead contamination to radiation. â€Å"Living in a town with serious pollution is like living under a death sentence,† the report says. â€Å"If the damage does not come from immediate poisoning, then cancers, lung infections, developmental delays, are likely outcomes.† â€Å"There are some towns where life expectancy approaches medieval rates, where birth defects are the norm, not the exception,† the report continues. â€Å"In other places, childrens asthma rates are measured above 90 percent, or mental retardation is endemic. In these places, life expectancy may be half that of the richest nations. The great suffering of these communities compounds the tragedy of so few years on earth. The Worst Polluted Sites Serve as Examples of Widespread Problems Russia leads the list of eight nations, with three of the 10 worst polluted sites. Other sites were chosen because they are examples of problems found in many places around the world. For example, Haina, Dominican Republic has severe lead contamination - a problem that is common in many poor countries. Linfen, China is just one of several Chinese cities choking on industrial air pollution. And Ranipet, India is a nasty example of serious groundwater pollution by heavy metals. The Top 10 Worst Polluted Places The Top 10 worst polluted places in the world are: Chernobyl, UkraineDzerzhinsk, RussiaHaina, Dominican RepublicKabwe, ZambiaLa Oroya, PeruLinfen, ChinaMaiuu Suu, KyrgyzstanNorilsk, RussiaRanipet, IndiaRudnaya Pristan/Dalnegorsk, Russia Choosing the Top 10 Worst Polluted Places The Top 10 worst polluted places were chosen by the Blacksmith Institute’s Technical Advisory Board from a list of 35 polluted places that had been narrowed from 300 polluted places identified by the Institute or nominated by people worldwide. The Technical Advisory Board includes experts from Johns Hopkins, Hunter College, Harvard University, IIT India, the University of Idaho, Mount Sinai Hospital, and leaders of major international environmental remediation companies. Solving Global Pollution Problems According to the report, â€Å"there are potential remedies for these sites. Problems like this have been solved over the years in the developed world, and we have the capacity and the technology to spread our experience to our afflicted neighbors.† â€Å"The most important thing is to achieve some practical progress in dealing with these polluted places,† says Dave Hanrahan, chief of global operations for the Blacksmith Institute. â€Å"There is a lot of good work being done in understanding the problems and in identifying possible approaches. Our goal is to instill a sense of urgency about tackling these priority sites.† Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Implementing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Implementing Strategies - Essay Example Implementation mainly involves the activation oaf the strategy and how it will be operating and monitoring of the strategy Organization or the corporate culture is values in terms of the beliefs, experiences and attitudes within an organisation. This involves the steps which are usually taken to achieve the goals in a firm, it more so includes the general guidelines and the steps taken by the members within an organization in reference to all the activities in the organization. It's the senior management which usually determine the corporate culture which further reflects the corporate goals and objectives which are transmitted to the workforce. The identity of o corporate is the image of the firm which is reflected by the relationship of the firm within its self and the external environment which may include the customers, the government and the competitors. Depending with the type of the organization culture existing in a firm, it may affect the implementation and formulation of strategies at different levels this is because in broad-spectrum corporate culture consists of control systems, paradigm, organizational structures, routines and rituals. This is the first stage of strategy formulation, generally the idea is of the strategy is examined from the point of view of whether to go in for the detailed investment of the strategy or not. The organizational structure and identity can affect this process if it holds strategy is likely to affect its identity in the society or not if it's highly recognised. If the strategy is going to have a positive well being to the whole society, it's likely to be adopted. If the power structure in the firm is an democratic one, the strategy will be scrutinized by all the workers involved in the decision making and though is likely to take long period, a good decision is like to be arrived unlike when there is an autocrat form of leadership where by the decisions are made by specific people who can make erroneous decision about the feasibility analysis hence end up making a misguiding decision. Techno-economic analysis In this stage of strategy formulation, the estimation of the strategy demand potential and choice of optimal technology is made. The strategy may be a project to increase the production of goods and services, it's imperative to know the market for such goods and services produced. This gives the strategy a unique individuality and sets stage for detailed designed development. This stage of strategy formulation is evaluated at an economic point of view whether is going to have some long term positive residue to a firm. Depending with the goals of the firm and the myths of the corporate, a strategy may be opposed since its conflicting to the

Boardman Management RFP Assesment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boardman Management RFP Assesment - Article Example At the primary stage of analysis, Boardman Management will need to investigate the possibility of using lower-priced materials. If this is not possible, the organizational structure will be redesigned to take advantage of lower-priced materials. Such an approach will enable the company to remain competitive and, in some cases, beat the prices of its competitors. Additionally, the assessment will be made regarding the possibility of storing the cost data for in-process items on-line within the computerized information system so that cost data would always be up to date. With the implementation of such an approach, the problem of out-of-date standard cost figures should never recur (Burkun, 2006). The analysis of the budget will be an important step for Boardman Management to evaluate and calculate investment decisions. Budgets are both planning and control mechanisms that, although essential to control (particularly cost control), serve as a balance between planning and control. They refer to future periods of time, and translate company plans into financial resources. They furnish a guide for future expenditures, and by helping to guide actual performance toward budgeted performance, assist in the achievement of objectives. Budgets establish expected relationships among a number of factors in need of control, such as expenses for advertising, product planning, personal selling, and product development. They may be thought of as short-run aspects of planning (Burkun, 2006). The next step is to analyze the proposed structure of changes and their impact on the organization. The evaluation will uncover an important problem that is not included initially in the investigation. The assistant analysis will take several directions. The company will analyze costs required for implementation and change management, and time schedule. The cost control difficulties caused by restructuring are not hard for the experienced outside auditors to detect. However, developing appropriate recommendations in the form of cost control procedures take a little more time. Such analysis requires the development of different cost information, with cost classifications normally supplied by accounting statements. But generating relevant cost information from accounting statements, though conceptually simple, is actually quite complicated. First, the problem of discerning the costs of different activities is not easy (Burkun, 2006). Second, the allocation of costs among functions and other control units involves subjective judgments. Accountants classify expenditures on a natural basis. Hence, costs may be assigned to advertising, personal selling, transportation, warehousing, and sales promotion. The real purpose of these expenditures, however, is to achieve other objectives, such as sales, market position, image, and reputation. The next step of responses evaluation is to analyze pros and cons of the proposed software and its benefits for the company. The effectiveness of management and its staff in fulfilling their assigned tasks is evaluated. Within the next subsection, the ability of R&D management to exert the necessary leadership to accomplish stated objectives and oversee R&D projects effectively is examined. In a somewhat similar manner, the upward and downward flows of information between different departments and its staff

British Airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

British Airways - Assignment Example The company has won several awards for best in customer service, the best airline, just to name a few (British Airways Plc SWOT Analysis, 2014, p. 4). This is the most recognized motivation model. Maslow suggested that in this model, people have a set of strong needs that are possible to arrange in a hierarchy. Once the motivation needs have been satisfied, they decline in importance. After a need has been satisfied another emerges to take its place. In addition, the lower needs must be satisfied before the upper level needs. The model states that an individual has five types of needs (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2009, p. 131). 1. Outcomes- first level outcomes refer to performance and the second level outcomes are the consequences in which the first level outcomes lead to (result of performance is some reward for attaining goal). 4. Valence- this is the strength of the employee’s preference for any particular reward or outcome. The first level outcome valence is the sum of the product of the associated second level outcomes and their instrumentalities. Thus, the first level valence depends on the extent to which the results are valuable in the second level outcomes. The valence can be either negative or positive (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012, p. 91). The logic of expectancy theory is that British Airways administration intervenes on the work situations to maximize expectancies, instrumentalities and valence that support organizational goals. To influence the expectancies, British Airways selects people with the appropriate abilities and skills, providing them with continuous professional development, supporting them with the needed resources and identifying clear performance goals. To accomplish this, British Airways makes the desired performance goals attainable. The administration makes it clear what is expected of the employees thus enabling them to attain the goals. To influence instrumentality, the administrators clarify the

TATA Consultancy Services (TCS): Organisation Culture

TATA Consultancy Services (TCS): Organisation Culture Understanding an organizations culture from an employee as well as management point of view is as important as understanding ones own job profile and responsibilities to perform well in any structural setup. Given the continuously changing environment, employee insights on his or her work culture is very important for an organization to best define and upgrade its role and objectives. To call for successful implementation of these objectives, it is pertinent to emphasize the importance of culture in motivating and maximizing the value of its human and intellectual assets. Organizational culture can be defined as the pattern of shared values, beliefs, and assumptions considered being the appropriate way to think and act within an organization. Seven key characteristics of what the organization values capture the essence of culture: (1) Innovation and risk taking, (2) Attention to detail, (3) Outcome orientation, (4) People orientation, (5) Team orientation, (6) Aggressiveness, and (7) Stability. Organization TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) Culture of TCS relevant from the employees perspective: The Culture of TCS is observed to be highly ethical as is the case with most TATA Group Companies. The culture according to the various interviews was found to be highly networked although the job responsibilities and positions of employees were clearly defined. This helped the employees settle down in the organization quickly and effectively along with giving providing them the autonomy to bring out the best in themselves due to highly networked nature of the environment. This is well exemplified by the fact that even the CEO of the company is addressed by his first name. The culture of TCS is also the one that supports growth and learning by providing and facilitating platforms for individuals to innovate and experiment even if that is not a direct requirement of their project. One of the most striking feature of this company is that employees are referred to as associates and not employees. This reflects the pride the company wants to experience in being associated with the concer ned individuals and holds them as important and superior as the company itself. However since TCS is huge organization with approximately 170,000 employees, many-a-times underutilization of human resources is observed before the project allocation. Hence periods of inactivity is observed in such cases. The size of the company and its well defined hierarchy is centralized at higher management level and localized at domain or vertical level. The company is also studied to be too customer driven even when its not a part of the customer requirement or specification. TCS overall is an employee driven company, The Company provides the best in the class facilities to work and learn. TCS has a separate learning and development cell, which encourages the associates (yes the employees are called associates) to learn and develop their technical, managerial, interpersonal communication and other skills. The company provides a good mix of talent and challenging work which appeals to the associates. In the interviews, we didnt find one thing that was low on culture practices at TCS. The employees are well paid, well satisfied and love the culture. The company has the lowest attrition ration of 9% for the last 4 quarters is a proof of the culture that prevails there. Apart from the learning and growth prospects, TCS also provides timely work review, assessments, various bonuses, leaves and also growth opportunities. The boundary of management and associates is low and the management is easily assessable. The level of respect for every employee is very high and is maintained with the high to low management and associates. Interview Guidelines:- The interviews should be conducted along different levels of hierarchy. The interviews should be conducted from equal participants from male/female employees The interviews should be conducted in such a way that there should be equal participation from both the freshers and experienced. Avoid conducting the interviews during peak working hours, to avoid any responses based on immediate happenings. Try and accommodate the interview on different days of the week and at different timings. Interview Transcripts Participant: Vanshika Shrivastva Designation: Asst. System Engg. Working with TCS for: 2 Yrs Q: How do you define the work culture at TCS? R: The work culture at TCS is bifurcated in two aspects; there is the organization work culture which follows the Tata Group ethics and beliefs, good learning atmosphere and also a healthy place to work at. The other is the project specific work culture, as there are different client, the project culture varies according to the client and the work needs. But the overall culture is filled with learning and growth option. Q: Can you elaborate with examples what are the learning and growth examples provided to you by TCS? R: TCS has the work evaluation process twice a year, once for the appraisal and once for the review, which helps employees assess their working capabilities, There are timely seminars, webinars, trainings, workshops and other such events to promote learning. TCS also encourages its employees for continuous learning and certification drives to promote a more competitive and better working atmosphere. Q: Are there any specific training program or department taking care of these? R: Yes, there are various training programs available for the associates; we have a learning and Development cell which conducts trainings across various technological platforms, also around better working skills, communications skills, managerial skills, work life balance etc. Plus apart from this, the HR department of every project keeps a [emailprotected] event once every month to promote a healthy working culture. Q: What are the most striking features you find in the workplace at TCS? R: TCS is my first organisation and I dont have any plans to change it in the near future. This is basically for the ethics and culture of work that we find with the company. We do not call anyone sir/mam even the CEO is called by the first name. Also TCS does not call its employees as employees they call us associates. Plus the timely review process at various levels, the apt compensation and the services at the disposal are really good at TCS. Q: What is the hierarchy like at TCS, in terms of working? R: The hierarchy is very well defined at this organisation. Apart from the technical associates like me, there are managerial hierarchies. I report to my team lead, he reports to the project lead, the project lead reports to the project manager and the project manager reports to the group manager. But the best part is, all the managers for the project/domain are present at the same location and are accessible to everyone. So the hierarchy is put across well and is also easily accessible. Participant: Ashish Rustagi Designation: IT Analyst Working with TCS for past: 4 yrs (onsite at US for past 1 yr) Q: How do you like the work culture at TCS? R: TCS is my second employer, I found the work atmosphere here challenging and refreshing at the same time. Q: How would you rate the work ethics at TCS? R: TCS is very high on work ethics, like any other Tata group company. Q: Throw some light on your relation with peers, seniors and juniors. R: At TCS there are no seniors, juniors when it comes to work, everyone is asked to make a contribution to every work, the team work is the driving force here. A team comprises of a good mix of people. So its always challenging and fun as I mentioned. Q: How does TCS help you shape your career? R: TCS provides you immense opportunities to learn and develop your skills. As TCS serves a number of varied clients, so learning in every field is encouraged. The managers are given some technical training so that they can understand the associates better and the associates are given managerial training to maintain small management at work. Q: How do you find TCS in providing learning and development opportunities? R: TCS has a rich culture with learning, the learning and development cell has their weekly and monthly trainings. These trainings are conducted by industry specialist and sometime in house faculty. Even the initial learning program was a fantastic builder for confidence and learning platforms. Q: How does the organisation looks towards the employees? R: TCS believes that their best assets are their employees; Employees are given all sought of comforts to help them shape their future and also help the organisation grow. With good services, Timely appraisals, proper work review, other team building activities makes you come to office with a smile. Q: What is your take on the overall organisational structure at TCS? R: TCS is divided into various segments, with multinational presence the company is divided into service segments called verticals. Apart from this, the various departments work hand in hand and with strength of over 170,000 associates is still one of the best places to work. Participant: Siddharth Khetawat Designation: Associate Consultant Worked with TCS for: 6 yrs (recently left TCS) Q: Why did you leave TCS? R: TCS was the first company I worked for; I had to move on to higher studies. Q: Do you have plans to get back to TCS after your studies? R: I would love to do that, if I get an opportunity. Q: How did you find the culture at TCS? R: TCS game me the perfect ground to work and provided great facilities to sharpen my skills. The infrastructure was well established, and it always felt good when you know everything is in place where you work. Q: How was the management at TCS? R: The management was very well established at TCS, they had a clear goal and mission stated and in my 6 years I learned that the long term plans were very well implemented. Q: Do you have anything that you thought was lacking at TCS culture? R: Its like answering one of the things for apple; you never know what you need till the time they give it to you. Same is the case with TCS, I always thought TCS gave the best work place for associates, Till they included the quarterly appraisal and reviews, then I thought its the best possible thing, till they gave the TCS social service Maitri wing. Finally even before leaving, TCS gave me an opportunity to sign a 6 months working deal and sponsor me a big amount of money for my education. Its a great place to work and I am glad I was associated with them Q: Did TCS provide sufficient learning grounds? R: Indeed, TCS gave a great variety of learning platforms. I did 4 certifications from TCS including an auditors certificate for 6 sigma. Now being an engg. Where can I get such an opportunity? It just reflects the amount of diversity TCS offers someone who is willing to learn. Participant: Ragini Mishra Designation: Group Lead (BFS2.2 domain) Worked with TCS for: Past 14 yrs Q: Such a long time with TCS? R: I worked initially for 6 years with TCS, when I was posted in London for the project. The client that I was working for gave me an offer and looking at the better prospects then I decided to join. But only 18 months into the job I realised that the money might be better but the culture was something that was not what I was used to. So I came back to TCS and since then have been climbing up the ladder. Q: You started your career at TCS as asst. System engg trainee. And now a group lead.. So from technology to management . How was the journey? R: Firstly the journey still continues, I joined TCS as a programmer like everyone else. Then climbing the ladder was easy. As TCS gives opportunities to learn and do everything that one wishes, I was inclined towards management, so after a few years as a technical associate I walked up to my manager and asked told him about it. He advised me to take up the training sessions from the LD department for managerial skills. And since then it was a great transformation. Q: How did TCS help you shape your career? R: TCS provided an excellent ground for me to build my career. When I moved into lower management in the project, I was invited to learning sessions with mid level and upper level management to sharpen my skills and learn. And it proved a great experience and the participants were from the same league as me and all started with experience with TCS as an associate. Q: Does TCS stand by the Experience Certainty tag? R: Oh hi bet we do it better than anyone else in the industry. We stand tall to our mission, vision and practices. And ensure that the client in projects experience certainty in our work and commitment. We believe in providing services of top most quality to our clients so that in turn they can provide better services to their clients. Q: How does the work culture appeals to you at TCS? R: TCS is an employee driven company. Here we believe in putting the Clients and employee first. The company ensures the best possible working environment with challenging and target driven associates. I was personally touched by the company culture when I was given a 3 months maternity leave and my Husband who also is a TCS employee was given a 1 month leave. No other organisation can understand you as good as TCS does. Functional and Dysfunctional aspects of TCS culture/organizations culture in the light of its mission: To help customers achieve their business objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and services To make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with us Functional Aspects Well Defined Job Responsibility Clear Hierarchy High Values and Ethics Employee Focus Customer Driven Highly open and networked culture Learning Environment Dysfunctional Aspects Stress Under-Resource Utilization Inflexible Project Allocation Regional Bias Allocation of Base Branch Action Plan Stress Management at TCS the workplace has become a high stress environment in many organizations cutting across industries. Employees are experiencing high level of stress due to various factors such as high workload, tight deadlines, high targets, type of work, lack of job satisfaction, long working hours, pressure to perform, etc. Interpersonal conflicts at the workplace, such as boss-subordinate relationships and relationships with peers, are also a source of stress. Experts believed that the dysfunctional aspects of stress could directly impact an organizations performance and also affect the well-being of its employees. Stress at the workplace is linked to absenteeism, higher attrition, and decreased productivity. Stress lead to fatigue, irritability, poor communication, and quality problems/errors. High stress levels also affected the morale and motivation of the employees. Prolonged exposure to stress without effective coping mechanisms could lead to a host of physical and mental problems. For instance, stress could lead to stress-induced gastrointestinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome, acidity, acid reflux, insomnia, depression, heart disease, etc. Moreover; stress could push the victim toward high risk behavior such as smoking, drinking, and substance abuse. Stress-related illness leads to increase in absenteeism and attrition affecting the profitability of the organizations. Organizations cutting across industries are gearing up to provide employees with a stress-free healthy environment. The efforts to address this issue are more pronounced in some industries than others. Experts felt that, though stress at the workplace is a global phenomenon, professionals in some industries are more susceptible to stress than others. For instance, surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 in the UK and the US respectively, found that employees in Information Technology (IT) industry (including the ITeS outsourcing industry) are the most stressed. Accordingly, these organizations had started implementing various unconventional methods to decrease stress at the workplace. Even in India, organizations had woken up to this menace and were resorting to novel methods including teaching the employees dancing and music, trekking, etc, to reduce stress at the workplace. For instance, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. had started different clubs like Theatre Club, Bibliophile Club, Adventure Trekking Club, Fitness Club, Sanctuary Club, Music Club and Community Services Club, etc. TCS should focus on increasing self-awareness and provided the employees with guidance on how to cope with stress through a series of workshops by experts. In addition to conducting stress management workshops, TCS should also conduct off-site picnics, games, and inter-departmental competitions. Some companies were also using a system of mentors and promoted open communication to improve interactions and camaraderie at the workplace. Employees in most of the established companies had access to in-house counseling centers. It can also employ nutritionists to provide healthy food at the office canteens and counsel the employees on healthy eating habits and lifestyle. TCS can also consider employing psychologists to counsel their employees. Experts felt that organizations are resorting to creative methods to address the issue of stress at the workplace, but more action was required on this front, both in terms of assessment of the situation and implementation of concrete steps to tackle the problem. Under-Resource Utilization When new employees join TCS they are put on bench cause of lack of projects availability. It creates a lot of tension amongst them because they are mostly freshers. The duration of the bench time usually varies from a month to even a year. Keeping the resource idle for such a long time makes them unproductive. TCS has around 170000 employees and substantial amount of people on bench. TCS should be leaner they should focus on recruiting people as per requirement of the projects. TCS should also engage people in internal projects and trainings so that people have enough stuff to do at home and they should not be idle. Inflexible Project Allocation After the allocation of Projects to employees its really hard for employees to get release from the projects. They also have hard time dealing with lower management. It finally leads to employee dissatisfaction. The Project Allocation Process should be more transparent and employees should not have hard time to choose/change their projects as per company norms and employee interest. Regional Bias There is a regional bias especially in some office locations of TCS wherein people perform conversation in their local languages at office and people from other regions of the country find it really awkward to adjust in the office environment. It happens majorly because majority of the people at office are from local region and they have bias towards conversations in their local languages. HR of the respective locations should conduct regular sessions to let employees know about the company policies and ethics to be followed in the company. Allocation of Base Branch The issue with the allocation of base branch is also a major problem at TCS wherein employees find it difficult to find a transfer request being accepted. Even the female employees are the victims wherein they dont have option to choose Base Branch of their choice. The Allocation of Base Branch should be done after taking options from the employees and there should be guidelines to let employees decide the base branch and change after serving after certain duration at the respective location.

Black America and the American Nightmare :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Black America and the American Nightmare "The Myth of Sisyphus" parallels the lack of an "American Dream" in black America. In " The Myth Of Sisyphus, " Albert Camus describes the tragedy of Sisyphus, forever punished by the gods to push a rock up a mountain, watch the rock roll down the mountain, and then push it up the mountain again. In the words of Camus, "there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor." The "American Dream" is still alive for white Americans. They still dream of large houses, big paychecks, and hard work leading to a comfortable retirement. However, like an animal battling to fight extinction, the "American Dream" is on its last breath in black America . . . " Uh, you know that stuff we told you about apple pie and equal opportunity, spacious skies and rags to riches and making more money than your parents did? Well, uh, we forgot to tell you something. That was only supposed to apply to white people." Does the "American Dream" really exist in the black community or do blacks labor under the false impression that our lives will be better in the future? Am I wasting my time paying for a degree from college in a country where I have to put my skin color on every form I sign my name to? Sisyphus intrigues Camus because he questions Sisyphus' thoughts about his fate. " At that subtle moment when man glances backward over his life, Sisyphus returning toward his rock, in the sight pivoting he contemplates that series of unrelated actions which becomes his fate, created by him, combined under his memory's eye and soon sealed by his death." As Sisyphus returns to his rock, does he question his fate? Unlike blacks in America, Sisyphus created his own fate. Sisyphus is aware that he will labor in futility until the end of time. He is not under any false impressions that the gods will call his punishment off because of good behavior. He knows his fate and has accepted it. Do blacks also labor in futility, hoping that someone will go back and change history? Sisyphus accepts the rock as his future. This absurd form of acceptance is the only thing that keeps Sisyphus from going crazy. He is superior to his fate because he survives despite it. Do blacks in America also accept their fate?

Lewis Thomas Essay

Biologist Lewis Thomas argues that mistakes should be thought of as a blessing rather than a misfortune, because they pave the way for new discoveries and understandings. As can be seen with past events and happenings, this claim proves to be valid as mistakes are necessary for progress. Various scientific advancements throughout history have been errors turned into findings. Such an example can be seen in medical discoveries. Penicillin, founded in 1928 by accident, was at first thought to be useless, but after countless experimentation it was finally used as medicine and a Nobel Prize was received for it. Other substances that were discovered by coincidence include Viagra and a small pox vaccine. Viagra was originally a cardiovascular drug but during the testing phase it wasn’t effective in treating heart ailments. Scientist continued to study the unexpected side effects which were an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction. Small pox vaccination was encountered through the injection of cow pox into an eight year old boy which resulted in a counteraction of small pox. These are merely a few of that many scientific findings that at first were thought to be mistakes. The nutrition industry of The United States of America would be incomplete without the numerous, spontaneous, discoveries over time. A man in San Francisco accidently left his juice outside in the winter and it froze. He ate the frozen juice and came up with popsicles. America’s favorite chocolate chip cookies were also a mistake. When the Toll House Inn’s Ruth Wakefield ran out of baking chocolate one day in 1930, she smashed up a bar of semi-sweet chocolate and added the pieces to her dough. Upon their removal from the oven, the cookies weren’t uniformly infused with melted chocolate, but rather studded with little chunks throughout. The signature sweet put her Whitman, Massachusetts inn on the culinary map. These accidental discoveries are what made the food industry what it is today. To be successful you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to gain that success. Even though people seem to believe that when you’re trying to be  successful mistakes should be avoided. However, that is not the case because through mistakes you are able to realize what you did wrong and correct it to what you’re supposed to do to be successful.

Mid Semester exam

It's not a noise that you usually hear coming from a hospital room. â€Å"Ha ha ha! He heel† You open the door to see twelve patients – all sick, several in wheelchairs – tickling each other with long balloons and laughing as hard as it's possible to laugh. Joining in with the fun is Dry Tim Crick, and this is his weekly session of laughter therapy at Leeds City Hospital. The aim of these 30-minute sessions is not only to help patients forget that they are sick, according to Dry Crick: â€Å"Laughter gives the lungs and the muscles a good workout, which Is Important In long-term patients.But more than this. I believe that laughter can actually speed up recuperation from sickness. † Laughter therapy's recent history begins in the asses, when writer Norman Cousins described in Anatomy of an Illness how he used comedy films to successfully give himself some relief from a painful medical condition. This promoted academics to begin looking at the physiological effects of laughter. The spread of therapeutic â€Å"laughter clubs† began In India In the asses with Dry Madman Astral, who began taking patients for sessions In a public park.So Is there any science behind the claims that laughter speeds recovery? Certainly, it triggers a range of reactions in the body. Some studies have shown that the ability to use and respond to humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies, and boost the level of immune cells. A recent study with diabetics showed that laughter helped control blood sugar levels. And research at the University of Maryland showed that laughter helped blood flow by keeping blood vessels relaxed.For Dry Crick, It is In laughter's ability to relax s that Its healing power lies. After a good laugh. Our muscles relax. Our mind stops focusing on pain or negative thoughts, and endorphins start to flow in our brains. It puts the body in a situation where it can begin to heal itself. When we are healthy we can achieve this state through physical exercise, social contact, and on- things that are more difficult when you are n hospital. Laughter, in the same way as music, can bring relaxation into the wards. While many are doubtful about the scientific basis of laughter therapy, It would be Impossible for even the most extreme septic to watch these helve patients In Leeds laugh until tears run down their faces without thinking, â€Å"this is doing them good. † Questions: 1- Read the text and answer the following questions: 1. In what two ways is laughter good for patients, according to Dry Tim Crick? Laughter therapy session held? † 3. Why might laughter help diabetics? Ã'› 2. Where were the 1st 4. How does laughter help fight infections, according to some studies? 2- Match the highlighted words In the text with the meanings below: a.Designed to effect that you are trying to achieve: c Makes something begin to happen: † 3- Fill in the blanks with the comparative or superlative f orms of the adjectives: a. Aspirin is (strong) painkiller we've got, I'm afraid. B. Can I do anything to make you feel (well) ? C. Moving around is getting (hard) to do. D. Injection is (fast) way to administer pain relief. E. He is (weak) † he was yesterday. F. For children, thinking about the injection is (frightening) the pain itself. 4- Complete the questions in the dialogue: Nurse: When did the symptoms first appear? Patient: About a year.Nurse: Why (you/not come) to see me? Patient: At the time I wasn't very worried. Nurse: And (the symptoms/ get worse) † 7 Patient: Yes, they started to get worse about a month ago. Nurse: I see, and (you/ take) any medication since then? Patient: I went to see a homeopath and he prescribed these pills. Nurse: I see. (You/ your mouth wide and say â€Å"ah†? – Ah. Nurse: Good, can open) † and (what/ happen) when you took the pills? Patient: This rash appeared. (You/ can see) it on my back? Nurse: Yes, I see. SO, ( there was) any improvement when you took the pills? Patient: No

AP StyleGuard and the Death of Editing

AP StyleGuard and the Death of Editing AP StyleGuard and the Death of Editing AP StyleGuard and the Death of Editing By Mark Nichol Thanks to a new software program called AP StyleGuard, human intervention in improvement of written content is no longer necessary. All editors, please clean out your desks and report to Human Resources for your exit interview in five minutes; HR staff will provide information about career-change counseling on request. That’s a joke, folks. (So’s the headline.) But StyleGuard is fact, not fiction: The Associated Press announced it last week in a press release. According to the release, the plug-in â€Å"is similar in functionality to Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar proofing tools and intuitively checks Word documents for the AP Stylebook’s fundamental spelling, language, punctuation, usage, and journalistic style guidelines.† That’s all well and good just another layer of technological assistance for writers, like spell-checking functions but every editorial enhancement like this increases the possibility of two unfortunate outcomes: 1. Upper management will assume that such tools obviate or reduce the need for flesh-and-blood-and-red-ink editors. 2. Writers will become less diligent about taking responsibility for the quality and clarity of their prose. Call me biased, but I strongly believe that the classic editorial-review protocol writer, editor(s), proofreader will never go out of (ahem) style. The latter stages can be (and often are) omitted, but at the expense of editorial excellence. As an editor and writer, I know all too well, from both perspectives, how the lack of an editing stage can have a deleterious impact on prose, or at least result in published errors. Also, I know that tools can become crutches if they supplant rather than supplement human judgment. Spell-checking and grammar-checking programs, StyleGuard, and similar innovations to come will never replace the writer’s own critical eye (or an objective second opinion), and there is some evidence that using them can cause one’s own editing skills to deteriorate. Not only that, but less skillful writers can overrely on such tools, accept their sometimes flawed corrections without question, and otherwise ignore their shortcomings. Do I use spell-checking? Of course. No sensible writer (or editor) should bypass the opportunity for its assistance. But I overrule it regularly, and I carefully peruse my prose (admittedly, sometimes not carefully enough) before I submit it for publication. Would I use StyleGuard? Of course if I adhered to Associated Press style. (And if I used a PC; it’s not compatible with Macs.) But I don’t. It’s ideal for writers who do so, thoroughly or with few exceptions. But AP style is highly formulaic, allowing for little flexibility or ambiguity. Compare it with the much more complex (and therefore, for me, much more useful) guidance of The Chicago Manual of Style. Because Chicago often offers alternatives and is much more detailed it’s ill suited for a regimented software program. By all means, buy AP StyleGuard if it suits your needs. But don’t uninstall your brain. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksDissatisfied vs. Unsatisfied