Bloom’s Taxonomy

Designing Effective Projects: Thinking Skills Frameworks Bloom’s Taxonomy: A New Look at an Old Standby Traditional Hierarchy of Thinking Processes In 1956, Benjamin Bloom wrote Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain, and his six-level description of thinking has been widely adapted and used in countless contexts ever since. His list of cognitive processes is organized from the most simple, the recall of knowledge, to the most complex, making judgments about the value and worth of an idea. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Traditional) Skill Knowledge DefinitionRecall information Comprehension Understand the meaning, paraphrase a concept Use the information or concept in a new situation Break information or concepts into parts to understand it more fully Put ideas together to form something new Make judgments about value Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Key Words Identify, describe, name, label, recognize, reproduce, follow Summarize, co nvert, defend, paraphrase, interpret, give examples Build, make, construct, model, predict, prepare Compare/contrast, break down, distinguish, select, separate Categorize, generalize, reconstructAppraise, critique, judge, justify, argue, support Today’s world is a different place, however, than the one Bloom’s Taxonomy reflected in 1956. Educators have learned a great deal more about how students learn and teachers teach and now recognize that teaching and learning encompasses more than just thinking. It also involves the feelings and beliefs of students and teachers as well as the social and cultural environment of the classroom. Several cognitive psychologists have worked to make the basic concept of a taxonomy of thinking skills more relevant and accurate.In developing his own taxonomy of educational objectives, Marzano (2000) points out one criticism of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The very structure of the Taxonomy, moving from the simplest level of knowledge to the m ost difficult level of evaluation, is not supported by research. A hierarchical taxonomy implies that each higher skill is composed of the skills beneath it; comprehension requires knowledge; application requires comprehension and knowledge, and so on. This, according to Marzano, is simply not true of the cognitive processes in Bloom’s Taxonomy.The originators of the original six thinking processes assumed that complex projects could be labeled as requiring one of the processes more than the others. A task was primarily an â€Å"analysis† or an â€Å"evaluation† task. This has been proven not to be true which may account for the difficulty that educators have classifying challenging learning activities using the Taxonomy. Anderson (2000) argues that nearly all complex learning activities require the use of several different cognitive skills. Like any theoretical model, Bloom’s Taxonomy has its strengths and weaknesses.Its greatest strength is that it has taken the very important topic of thinking and placed a structure around it that is usable by practitioners. Those teachers who keep a list of question prompts relating to the various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy undoubtedly do a better job of encouraging higher-order thinking in their students than those who have no such tool. On the other hand, as anyone who has worked with a group of educators to classify a group of questions and learning activities according to the Taxonomy can attest, there is little consensus about what seemingly self-evident erms like â€Å"analysis,† or â€Å"evaluation† mean. In addition, so many worthwhile activities, such as authentic problems and projects, cannot be mapped to the Taxonomy, and trying to do that would diminish their potential as learning opportunities. Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy In 1999, Dr. Lorin Anderson, a fromer student of Bloom's, and his colleagues published an updated version of Bloom’s Taxonomy that takes into account a broader range of factors that have an impact on teaching and learning. This revised taxonomy attempts to correct some of the problems with the original taxonomy.Unlike the 1956 version, the revised taxonomy differentiates between â€Å"knowing what,† the content of thinking, and â€Å"knowing how,† the procedures used in solving problems. The Knowledge Dimension is the â€Å"knowing what. † It has four categories: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Factual knowledge includes isolated bits of information, such as vocabulary definitions and knowledge about specific details. Conceptual knowledge consists of systems of information, such as classifications and categories.Procedural knowledge includes algorithms, heuristics or rules of thumb, techniques, and methods as well as knowledge about when to use these procedures. Metacognitive knowledge refers to knowledge of thinking processes and information about how to manipulate thes e processes effectively. The Cognitive Process Dimension of the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy like the original version has six skills. They are, from simplest to most complex: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Remembering Remembering consists of recognizing and recalling relevant information from long-term memory.Understanding Understanding is the ability to make your own meaning from educational material such as reading and teacher explanations. The subskills for this process include interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining. Applying The third process, applying, refers to using a learned procedure either in a familiar or new situation. Analysis The next process is analysis, which consists of breaking knowledge down into its parts and thinking about how the parts relate to its overall structure.Students analyze by differentiating, organizing, and attributing. Evaluation Evaluation, which is at the top of the original taxonomy, is the fifth of the six processes in the revised version. It includes checking and critiquing. Creating Creating, a process not included in the earlier taxonomy, is the highest component of the new version. This skill involves putting things together to make something new. To accomplish creating tasks, learners generate, plan, and produce.According to this taxonomy, each level of knowledge can correspond to each level of cognitive process, so a student can remember factual or procedural knowledge, understand conceptual or metacognitive knowledge, or analyze metacognitive or factual knowledge. According to Anderson and his colleagues, â€Å"Meaningful learning provides students with the knowledge and cognitive processes they need for successful problem solving†. The following charts list examples of each skill of the Cognitive and Knowledge Dimensions. Cognitive Processes Dimensions Cognitive ProcessesExamples Remembering—Produce the right informa tion from memory Recognizing †¢ Identify frogs in a diagram of different kinds of amphibians. †¢ Find an isosceles triangle in your neighborhood. †¢ Answer any true-false or multiple-choice questions. Recalling †¢ Name three 19th-century women English authors. †¢ Write the multiplication facts. †¢ Reproduce the chemical formula for carbon tetrachloride. Understanding—Make meaning from educational materials or experiences Interpreting †¢ Translate a story problem into an algebraic equation. †¢ Draw a diagram of the digestive system. Paraphrase Jawaharlal Nehru's tryst with destiny speech. Exemplifying †¢ Draw a parallelogram. †¢ Find an example of stream-of-consciousness style of writing. †¢ Name a mammal that lives in our area. Classifying †¢ Label numbers odd or even. †¢ List the events of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. †¢ Group native animals into their proper species. Summarizing †¢ Make up a title for a short passage. †¢ List the key points related to capital punishment that the Web site promotes. Inferring †¢ Read a passage of dialogue between two characters and make conclusions about their past relationship. Figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar term from the context. †¢ Look at a series of numbers and predict what the next number will be. Comparing †¢ Explain how the heart is like a pump. †¢ Compare Mahatma Gandhi to a present day leader. †¢ Use a Venn diagram to demonstrate how two books by Charles Dickens are similar and different. Explaining †¢ Draw a diagram explaining how air pressure affects the weather. †¢ Provide details that justify why the French Revolution happened when and how it did. †¢ Describe how interest rates affect the economy. Applying—Use a procedure Executing Add a column of two-digit numbers. †¢ Orally read a passage in a foreign language. †¢ Have a student open house discussion. Implementing †¢ Design an experiment to see how plants grow in different kinds of soil. †¢ Proofread a piece of writing. †¢ Create a budget. Analyzing—Break a concept down into its parts and describe how the parts relate to the whole Differentiating †¢ List the important information in a mathematical word problem and cross out the unimportant information. †¢ Draw a diagram showing the major and minor characters in a novel. Organizing †¢ Place the books in the classroom library into categories. Make a chart of often-used figurative devices and explain their effect. †¢ Make a diagram showing the ways plants and animals in your neighborhood interact with each other. Attributing †¢ Read letters to the editor to determine the authors’ points of view about a local issue. †¢ Determine a character’s motivation in a novel or short story. †¢ Look at brochures of political candidates and hypothesize about their perspectives on issues. Evaluating—Make judgments based on criteria and syllabus guidelines Checking †¢ Participate in a writing group, giving peers feedback on organization and logic of arguments. Listen to a political speech and make a list of any contradictions within the speech. †¢ Review a project plan to see if all the necessary steps are included. Critiquing †¢ Judge how well a project meets the criteria of a rubric. †¢ Choose the best method for solving a complex mathematical problem. †¢ Judge the validity of arguments for and against astrology. Creating—Put pieces together to form something new or recognize components of a new structure. Generating †¢ Given a list of criteria, list some options for improving race relations in the school. †¢ Generate several scientific hypotheses to explain why plants need sunshine. Propose a set of alternatives for reducing dependence on fossil fuels that address both economic and environmental concerns. †¢ Com e up with alternative hypotheses based on criteria. Planning †¢ Make a storyboard for a multimedia presentation on insects. †¢ Outline a research paper on Mark Twain’s views on religion. †¢ Design a scientific study to test the effect of different kinds of music on hens’ egg production. Producing †¢ Write a journal from the point of view of mountaineer. †¢ Build a habitat for pigeons. †¢ Put on a play based on a chapter from a novel you’re reading. The Knowledge DimensionFactual Knowledge—Basic information Knowledge of terminology Vocabulary terms, mathematical symbols, musical notation, alphabet Knowledge of specific details and Components of the Food Pyramid, names of elements congressional representatives, major battles of WWII Conceptual Knowledge—The relationships among pieces of a larger structure that make them function together Knowledge of classifications and Species of animals, different kinds of arguments, c ategories geological eras Knowledge of principles and Types of conflict in literature, Newton’s Laws of Motion, generalizations principles of democracyKnowledge of theories, models, and Theory of evolution, economic theories, DNA models structures Procedural Knowledge—How to do something Knowledge of subject-specific skills Procedure for solving quadratic equations, mixing colors and algorithms for oil painting, serving a volleyball Knowledge of subject-specific Literary criticism, analysis of historical documents, techniques and methods mathematical problem-solving methods Knowledge of criteria for Methods appropriate for different kinds of experiments, determining when to use statistical analysis procedures used for different ppropriate procedures situations, syllabus guidelines for different genres of writing Metacognitive Knowledge—Knowledge of thinking in general and your thinking in particular Strategic knowledge Ways of memorizing facts, reading comprehen sion strategies, methods of planning a Web site Knowledge about cognitive tasks, Different reading demands of textbooks and novels; including appropriate contextual thinking ahead when using an electronic database; and conditional knowledge differences between writing emails and writing business letters Self-knowledge Need for a diagram or chart to understand complex rocesses, better comprehension in quiet environments, need to discuss ideas with someone before writing an essay References Anderson, L. W. & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing. New York: Longman. Bloom, B. S. , (Ed. ). 1956. Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York: Longman. Costa, A. L. (Ed. ). (2000). Developing minds: A resource book for teaching thinking. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Marzano, R. J. (2000). Designing a new taxonomy of educational objectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Life Cycle of Tulips Essay

The life cycle of tulips start when the bulbs are planted from mid-September to mid-November and ends when the leaves fade and eventually wither away. The cup-shaped flowers are beautiful to look at and have an ability to make a glum person cheerful. This article gives an insight into the life cycle of tulips. Tulips were considered to be the flowers of God due to their beauty and perfection, by the Turks. Many of us believe tulips are native of Holland. Contrary to the belief, there is not a single species of tulip native to Holland. Tulips belong to Central and Western Asia and it were the nomadic tribes who brought the tulips to Turkey. Turkey was called the Ottoman Empire in olden days. It were the Turks who popularized this beautiful spring flower, tulip. In the late 16th century, a European ambassador visited the Turkish Ottoman Empire. He was fascinated by the tulip garden of the Sultan. As a token of friendship, the Sultan presented the ambassador with bulbs and seeds. Ambassador presented part of his gift to the Roman emperor Ferdinand I and the remaining seeds and bulbs were to Carolus Clusius, a botanist, employed by the Roman Emperor. This is how tulips came to Europe. Carolus Clusius introduced tulips in Holland when he was appointed as the professor of Botany at Leiden University. Then onwards, the Holland became the country associated with the colorful tulips. A Tulip is a beautiful, bright, cup-shaped flower with a smooth green stem, belonging to the family of liliaceous plants. Tulip means turban. Before dwelling on the life cycle of tulips you should know something about the climate condition of their homeland, Central and West Asia. The countries of Central and West Asia experience hot and dry summers and very cold winters. Many plants including tulips have developed special methods to survive the extreme climatic conditions by remaining dormant during the harsh winter and bloom during the spring and summer months. The tulips have underground storage organs called bulbs to survive the long months of winter. * First Stage in the Life Cycle of Tulips The life cycle of tulips is interesting. The tulip bulbs are planted from mid-September to mid-November. During this period the soil is moist. This fosters the growth of the bulb under the ground. In the first cycle of growth, the roots start growing from the bulb to form a strong root system. If you have planted the bulbs in the month of October, you can expect a strong root system by December. * Second Stage in the Life Cycle of Tulips When the snow-covered soil begins to thaw towards the end of winter, you can see a healthy green shoot coming out from a tulip bulb. By early or mid April, the tulips would start to bloom. The flowering season of tulips continue till the mid of May. During the flowering season the leaves of the tulips develop. * Third and the Final Stage of the Life Cycle of Tulips The foliage plays an important role in the life cycle of tulips. The leaves of the tulips should never be cut. The reason, is they are responsible for the process of photosynthesis. The food derived from the solar energy is stored in the form of carbohydrate in the bulbs. This food is required for the growth and the flowering process of tulip in the following year. Gradually, the leaves turn yellow and wither away. Now the tulip bulbs enter a state of dormancy after completing the yearly cycle. Tulips have been cultivated for nearly 500 years. There are several thousand hybrid varieties available today. Tulips are classified into 15 classes on the basis of season of bloom, parentage and various floral characteristics. There is a huge demand for tulips in the flower market around the globe.

Scholastic’s Marketing Strategy

Evolving a successful marketing strategy depends on an effective situation analysis, which involves identifying the customer needs, changes in the operating environment, new opportunities, and the capability of the company to meet these changes. Scholastic corporation is one of the leading publishers catering to the children's segment. With decades of experience in children's publishing and links with most schools libraries across the nation the company has a great outreach to the student segment compared to other competing publishers. However, some changes in the external factors have clearly affected the company's business in a negative way. First and foremost of them is the government's cutting short of school budget allocation, which implied that libraries could no longer afford to spend funds for buying new books. This was a drastic blow for Scholastic as the company depended on its extensive tie-ups with school libraries for its regular business. Next, is the surge of the competitors such as Simon and Schuster and Houghton Mifflin who are capitalizing on Scholastic's inept handling of the changing market situation. These competitors, by their more effective marketing strategies have already started to increase their share in the market, which was previously largely dominated by Scholastic. Scholastic has failed to forge relationships with teachers and management in reaching out to the students. This lack of appreciation of the value of proper human relations is another big hurdle in its business interests, especially when the market seems to be lagging. To be successful under these changing circumstances Scholastic has to revamp their marketing strategy. Focus should be placed on increasing the literacy interests of the younger generation. Under the strange circumstances that the government is crying about improving the literacy skills of students while at the same time cutting the funding for the schools, Scholastic could put to good use its extensive connections with schools by actively participating and organizing book fairs and book clubs. An important fact is that book fairs promote book sales and stimulates reading in children, which in turn implies more books sales. Scholastic should sponsor more book clubs, which would help kindle the reading habits of the school going children. Thus by co-ordinating and working actively with school management Scholastic could promote the reading interests among children which seems to be threatened by the funding cuts by the government. Given that more than 100,000 school book fairs are organized every year around the country, it is plainly obvious that Scholastic should actively participate with the schools in organizing and conducting these book fairs and book club's. These programs, though, may involve expenditure on the part of the company, constitute a good strategy which promises a lot in the long-term. Thus, by organizing these book fairs and book clubs with minimum or even as a non-profit initiative, Scholastic corporation could actively contribute to promoting literacy interests of children upon which rests the success of its future business.

The main factors which influence customer buying decisions Essay

The main factors which influence customer buying decisions - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that cares the individuals who buy goods and services for consumption purposes, the difference between a consumer and customer is that a customer is a group of businesses and organizations that purchase goods in order to use them as inputs in their production processes example the purchase of Raw materials. A fall in the price of a product will result in an increase in the quantity of a product purchased, however, these depend on the price elasticity of a product. If a product is price elastic and this means that the price elasticity of the good is more than one, then the products demand will rise at a greater proportion than the rise in price. If the price elasticity of a product is less than one then the demand for the product will not rise in a greater proportion than the price. The price of substitutes also play a major role in determining the consumers purchasing behavior, in a situation where a substitute of a product is less expensiv e, then the consumer will purchase the substitute example margarine and butter are substitutes, if the price of butter goes up then the consumer will purchase margarine. Under the price of a product we will also consider the risk associated with buying a certain product, the more expensive a product is the higher the risk and the higher the consequences of making the wrong decision, buyers will also consider the scrap value of and mostly this is associated with vehicle and machinery product, products with very high prices and low scrap value will be less preferred.

Dietary and Activity Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dietary and Activity Analysis - Assignment Example The assignment "Dietary and Activity Analysis" presents the analysis of the author's dietary and activity, his energy intake and output, carbohydrate, alcohol, fat, protein, vitamin/mineral intakes and overall dietary intake based on 3-day average data. The paper contains the analysis of the estimated 3-day average daily expenditure in comparison with the 3-day energy intake. The author talks about the gaining or losing weight recently and if it is consistent with the differences between his energy intake and estimated energy output and his 3-day average daily energy intake. The energy consumed is analyzed during the weekend or weekdays and if it expends more energy on the weekends or weekdays. It is estimated that one should have at least 125 grams of carbohydrates a day and ideally, much more. Therefore the average intake compares with this minimum. The person requires more than 125 grams of carbohydrates per day for the energy supply to the body. The negative consequences of consuming less than this amount on a regular basis because less carbohydrate leads to more weight loss. Also, the percentage of the total calories contributed by carbohydrate based on the 3-day average intake is calculated. It is analyzed if the author's intake in line with the recommendations that 45-65% of the calories in his diet should come from carbohydrate. The grams of fiber consumed based on the 3-day average are also calculated and compared with the recommendation to consume 21-38 grams of dietary fiber/day.

Social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Social policy - Essay Example Despite positive steps at expanding the welfare state to reduce inequality in British society, the Working Family Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, revised since 1999, have been seeped controversy. What intentions did the Government have when it formulated this policy? To what extent was the implementation process a success or a failure? Seeking to address these questions and many more as they relate to social assistance reform in the United Kingdom, the following will provide a thorough yet concise overview of the issues surrounding these controversial measures. With an eye to providing a thorough understanding of social assistance reform in the United Kingdom, we now turn to an overview of the impetus to implement the Working Family Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit (Redston, 2006). Unemployment is an issue which is frequently in the news and is becoming more and more a cause for concern due to the ramifications of the global credit crunch and ensuing economic crisis across the world. According to the Daily Mail, the true cost of unemployment in the United Kingdom stands at an astonishing  £61 billion per year (Daily Mail, 2007). Seeking to encourage people to work, even if their salaries were low, the British government has implemented numerous measures to encourage a productive labour force. With the aim of addressing income inequality through welfare reform, the United Kingdom undertook an overhaul of the social assistance system and the means through which low paying individuals in Britain could claim tax benefits as part of the recent reform. Under the assumption that low income workers deserved tax credits from the central government, current Prime Minister Gordon Brown undertook a thorough review of the credit tax system under the stewardship of Tony B lair and sought to establish a means test for social security benefits. Accordingly, the Working Tax Credit

Smith Radiators Organizational Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smith Radiators Organizational Strategy - Essay Example Jeff Brown’s letter to Smith informs us that other suppliers could supply radiators at a lower price than Smith Radiators. On the other hand, even though the organization had built a reputation for manufacturing reliable radiators, one cannot categorically state that Smith Radiators pursued a differentiation strategy. We cannot detect a deliberate management drive towards product improvement or innovation over the 30 or so years that it has been in existence. Secondly, it is noted that Smith Radiators has to be prompted to make an adjustment to its organizational strategy due to the external pressure from Automobiles of America, Inc. (AAI) – the company’s largest customer. Smith Radiator’s implied management failure to articulate a viable organizational strategy and its implied adherence to the particular strategy-structure relationship even though it was no longer relevant to the change in environmental conditions over the 30 years that it has had a relat ionship with AAI are consistent with factors that cause firms to resort to reactor strategies (Miles and Snow 82). That which we can detect though is that Smith Radiators’ HR practices are geared towards direct, process-based control in which the focus is on efficiency and cost containment. This strategy would have been a perfect fit if the organization pursued a low cost strategy. However, since we cannot categorically state that the organization pursues such a strategy, we cannot conclude that its HR strategy is a fit. Smith Radiators worker’s skills are not particularly unique to the firm and thus cannot serve as a differentiating source of uniqueness. The organization therefore exploited the fact that it has generic key employees to negotiate the â€Å"no layoff, no strike† policy in exchange for job security but with low wages with the union. Smith Radiators’ HR strategy and practices have so far enabled it to survive in the competitive market as i t has been able to keep its costs low. The challenge now though is that to meet the new AAI’s supplier requirements, Smith Radiators has to re-think and reformulate its HR strategy to fit the new Just-in-Time (JIT) requirements.

Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategic Management - Case Study Example Inaugurated in 1999, the company’s 16 years of existence has proved remarkably beneficial in the global energy mix, crafting ultra-modern ideas that have contributed to resolving present day energy needs such as supply reliability, fuel cost volatility and overall conserving the earths scarce natural resources and fossil fuels with its exclusive cadmium telluride (CdTe) film technology, successfully achieving the undermost leveled cost of electricity (LCOE) in the entire industry. They also extraordinarily lowered manufacturing costs to the bare minimum i.e. less than a dollar per watt, another record breaker, and a new goal limit set for capital efficiency. (Citation, year) This success, although seen to only further excel, faced new rivalries in 2011, hence leading to the gradual decline of their electric empire in the solar module industry. Specializing in the production of crystal silicon (c-Si), these emergent companies such as Trina, Yingli and Suntech raced to not only reach but overcome these newly set standards, rapidly reducing overall manufacturing costs and increasing output. In 2013, Suntech replaced First Solar acclaiming the number one position of modules worldwide. Several strategic issues had surfaced due to which First Solar led to its downfall. Of the two major reasons, the first is that these new entrants began selling crystalline-silicon solar panels for less than a dollar, creating a price clash. Secondly, the silicon solar panels proved more efficient than the thin-filmed cadmium-telluride solar panels hence consumers preferred the newer products over theirs as they were getting better quality and reliability for the same price. Although a major part of their profits were accumulated from their solar power plants and installation, these low budgeted and better quality Chinese panels forced

SWOT Analysis for My Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT Analysis for My Writing - Essay Example In the essay I have used simple sentences that are easy to understand. The sentences are short and precise. This makes them easy to comprehend and understand. The paragraphs are also short and the sentences link making them to be characterised by coherence unity and adequate development of the ideas. The points are valid and supported by strong ideas and arguments. I have used good vocabulary that is easy to understand. The paper also have some elements of creativity as it carries my personality opinions and individuality. The weaknesses in my writing is some spelling errors that is evident in parts of the essay. Some words are not spelt correctly hence lowering the quality of the essay. The paper has also elements of poor grammar that makes some sentences cumbersome to read. In some paragraphs the sentences are not well organised. The ideas are distorted making the essay difficult to understand. Some sentences are not logical and clear inhibiting the coherence of some paragraphs. Some sentences lack appropriate punctuation marks. I failed to put comas and full stops this makes some sentences to be unnecessarily long and difficult to understand. English being my second language the grammar used was in some cases poor. My paper also lacks a clear conclusion. The opportunities I had in my writing was the availability of the writing centre. I was able to acquire information and ideas from the writing centres. There was also the online dictionary which helped in confirming the meaning of some words. I also got appropriate vocabulary in relation to my subject and topic from the online dictionary. The library also came in handy in acquiring information and ideas which support my writings. In the library there were books and journals which provided supportive information and guides for the writing. The writing instructor from Saint John College also played a big deal in ensuring the quality of the

Statestic Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statestic - Statistics Project Example Further, it has been observed that on average life expectancy at birth for female is greater as compared to male. This paper will analyze whether there is a difference in the life expectancy at birth for male and female population. The data for life expectancy at birth was taken from US Census Bureau. The main benefit that data shows is that from period 1970 to 2005 female life expectancy at birth is greater as compared to male life expectancy at birth. In addition, the data is chosen so that it can be seen actually that living and health conditions are improving day by day and so life expectancy at birth is improving every year.   Figure 1 shows the comparison of US male and female life expectancy at birth for the period 1970 to 2005. It can be seen from figure 1 that for the whole period of 1970 to 2005, female life expectancy at birth was greater than male life expectancy at birth by nearly 7 years. Therefore, it appears that there is a difference in male and female life expectancy at birth. The average male and female life expectancy at birth for the period 1970 to 2005 was about 71.41 years (SD = 2.33), and 78.2 years (SD = 1.53), respectively. Since, the value of test statistic 14.52 falls in right-tail rejection region (greater than critical value of 1.96), thus decision is to reject H0. Therefore, there is a difference in life expectancy at birth for male and female populations. This is also confirmed by the p-value (

Nutrition and Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nutrition and Stress - Essay Example According to the report findings the majority of foods consumed in such situations are but ‘convenience foods’ considered a quick fix to nullify the condition, at least in part. The ‘quick fix’ theory is, however, false, as the resultant flaw that result in the eating habits in times of stress inflict even more stress on the body, compounding other problems that combine to pose a further threat to the physical and mental health. To be more certain, most of the unhealthy food intake consumed in times of stress consist of consists of fast foods that more often than not replaces healthy meals.As the discussion stresses  poor eating habits has its consequences,   for   they encourages growth hormones that result in weight increases; a problematic condition that inhibits the body system from working effectively to control sugar levels in the blood, thus, creating a harmful imbalance. Accordingly, it is recommended that foods containing B vitamins, proteins and minerals be taken in a well-balanced diet to help the body to cope with stress. Proteins are, in fact, a necessary part in any food diet, for it assists in the growth and repairs of worn out tissues in the body. Foods rich in vitamin A and C, on other hand, help in rectifying poor vision and strengthening the immune system respectively. Minerals such as magnesium are necessary ingredients for muscle relaxations, which also combats stress; such foods include fish, eggs, meat, seeds, cheese, oil, milk, fruits, apple, green leaved vegetables among other cereals.

Bill Clinton and leadership Essay Example for Free

Bill Clinton and leadership Essay For the purpose of this paper, I have chosen the political leader and the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton as the subject of my essay. This paper is based on two of his autobiographical books which were based on his early childhood as well as his life before, during and after his presidency. The book My Life is an autobiographical account by Bill Clinton himself. He is the sole author of the book which was published in the year 2004. The book clearly outlines the various events of his life. These events pertained to the inauguration of Clinton as the 42nd president of the United States of America. This second volume, the first being a biography by Adam by the name of Bill Clinton, puts Clintons term in the office as the epic fall and the term of redemption. This was mostly indicated like such I the book due to the disastrous failure which came bout due to the actions of Mack McLarty, the white house chief of staff, as well as the promiscuous behavior of Clinton and the relationship with Hilary Clinton which was more emphatically and influential than his specific term. The years of 1993-1994 are depicted as the time where things were falling apart for both America as well as the Clintons. However the period following that pertaining to 1995-1996 the book depicts Clinton as In terms of the leadership and presidency Bill Clinton was much favored as being the revolutionary and sensible politician who with the support of his first lady was able to make America as the greatest nation of power in the world. The book also made use of many military metaphors to describe the situation the context of the book. It was highly apparent by reading the book that it was mostly about the evolution and change in the personality of Bill Clinton following his inauguration as the President of the United States. The change in him depicted him as being an arch baby boomer to the undisputed leader of his country. The accounts covered by Clinton were very much expected as he takes into account the bogus scandal of Whitewater, the unethical dalliance with Monica Lewinsky as well as his attempts at managing and balancing the budget for the United Stated of America. Other topics covered in the book also pertain to the Middle Eastern crisis and the peace plan proposed by him. However the more illuminating topics those were discusses in the book related to his personality and his life on a much personal note. This depicted the strength he showed as a person and how ,much the person as developed, and matured over the years in terms of his decision making him an ideal president for the United States during his time at the white house. The book itself however is ill organized and quite chaotic. The reason for this which can be ascertained for the events following and surrounding the launch of the book as well as the statement given by Bill Clinton himself was that the book is basically the picture into his life and the various significant events that took place in it. It is very much like the efforts of a small school boy however the content varies in terms of several topics and themes. The period of the presidency is treated like a rush period where the events merge into each other and the timeline is haphazard skipping large time variables in some instances. However despite the lack of maturity in the book, and the ill organization of the content the book did become a best seller, its sales even surpassing the sales of the memoirs of Hilary Clinton. The book My Life by Bill Clinton suffered criticism for the former advisor of Clinton’s Dick Morris who wrote a rebuttal by the name of Because HE Could. Through this book, Dick Morris set right and pointed pout the various inaccuracies which were present in the autobiographical account by Bill Clinton. The authors view on leadership however pertains to a more peaceful and negotiation based method of employing power and making use of it. Bill Clinton is of the opinion that in order to be able to run the country, a dictatorship is not the answer, instead innovative and democratic methods pertaining to dissemination of ideas across the board is a much better way of conducting managerial tasks. The author has stated through his autobiographies as well that the bet for of leadership is when the leader takes into account the point of view of those around him, gathering the specialized intellect available and then unanimously voting on the most beneficial and cost effective solution/ decision for the specific issue or case. This is a very democratic approach to decision making. However in the form of leadership described by Bill Clinton, it is essential to have a formal figurehead as this has the effect of providing the followers and the general population with one pint of view as well as a unified direction. The decision itself may be a democratic one however the proceedings to be carried out have to be collaborative in nature dictates from one source. The aspect of democratic leadership can be applied to the leadership for schools. The reason for this is that the political landscape pertaining to the role of leadership is much institutionalized. This is the same case with schools and colleges which are institutionalized as well with a formal set of rules and ethical code of conduct. However the differences settle in relative to the size of the operation. The operations conducted by Clinton were extensive, even global in nature. The scope for the school is restricted somewhat limited inn terms of the resources available, the staff participation and the relevance and long term effect of the decision making. However the same principle of school leadership as a form of democratic leadership can be employed. School leadership can be employed using democratic leadership styles characteristic of Bill Clinton by giving autonomy as well as decision making power to the lower staff and managers for their operations as well. This is an important component of the democratic leadership as the management and staff is usually the closest entity to the students and can understand their issues and problems much better. Moreover by being close to the students in terms of proximity the staff is also able to observe them and make them provide inputs for the prospective solution to the problem and the long term strategic goals of the institution. This information can be gathered form the expert and specialized managers and staff in the school and then relayed on to the appointed leader. The chairman for the board of directors of the school can then take this information in to account as well as any other information that would be reported by the management and the staff. After performing a cost benefit analysis and the long term strategy and profitability analysis the board of directors would be able to ascertain upon the main strategy for the school and how the issues need to be addressed. The above mentioned format for leadership enables almost all the members of the organization to participle and conduct a two way communication with the leader or the leaders of the organization. The solutions and strategies formed through this method are more accepted by all those concerned an in the long run are mostly effective as well. In terms of applying the leadership techniques and theories mentioned in the book and practiced by Bill Clinton clearly depict that the leader has to be an enigmatic person who has charisma and charm to carry out the role of being a figurehead and a liaison to the elements in the external environment. These views would enable me to hold a position of leadership in the school by making the fellow students aware of the characteristics that I have for being a potential leader as well as the communication and negotiation skills that would enable me to conduct discussions with them pertaining to the solution of the issues and the problems that hand. Aside from this the enigmatic personality is good for public relations as well as gaining the confidence and support of those around me. References 1. Clinton, B. , (2004), My Life, Publisher: Knopf, ISBN-10: 0375414576

Live Interpretation of Heritage

Live Interpretation of Heritage Historic Sites, Museums and Galleries Live interpretation of Heritage Introduction Over the past few decades heritage and culture has become an important part of people’s life, especially in respect of their leisure and tourist activities (Boyd 2003, p.1). This is particularly true in the case of tourism, where the historical demand for tourist and leisure activities have waned in favour of those filled with more cultural elements. There is an increasing desire to visit historic sites, museums and galleries in an attempt by the individual to learn more about their heritage and those of other cultures and social groups. At the same time, today’s heritage visitor has become more discerning about the manner that these venues present heritage experience to them (Boyd 2003, p.2). In essence therefore, heritage can be seen to relate to historical events and settings and the visitor wants to experience those historical experiences as an almost physical event. However, despite the numerous researches and survey results that supports this change in the visitor demand, there is still evidence that a number of heritage sites, museums and galleries are failing to react positively to these findings (Black 2005, p.10), which in many cases has resulted in a drop in visitor numbers at these venues. This situation can have serious consequences, especially for those heritage sites that rely upon entrance fees to bridge the gap between state funding and the running costs of the venue. Even where this not the case, for example where government funding is used to provide free admission, such venues are still accountable to the state and need to prove that their establishment is delivering to the needs of the public, which a reduction in visitor numbers will not achieve. In an effort to address this problem the last two decades have seen an increase in literature related specifically to the manner in which heritage is displayed and portrayed to the visi tor, creating a new discipline under the general title of heritage interpretation. Heritage interpretation relates equally to the understanding of the site or objects displayed for the visitor and the motivation determinant and needs of that visitor (Blockley and Hems 2006, p.1). Until recently, most academics agree that heritage interpretation has been the least developed aspect of the venue’s promotion to the visitor (Boyd 2003 and Blockley and Hems 2006). Interpretation forms and integral part of the visitor experience and will influence the experience that they take away from the visit (Boyd 2003, p.193). Therefore, it follows that understanding what motivates a visitor or group of visitors will enable the museum, gallery or heritage site to be better able to display and promote their product (ibid 2003, p.64). For most visitors that motivation will be to gain pleasure and learning from the object or activity being displayed. In most cases, as Blockley and Hems (2006, p.10) suggest in their research the motivation for the visit is to fulfil the individual’s need for pleasure and leaning and if the heritage venue or object does not achieve this the visitor will leave dissatisfied. In fact, the visitor has come to expect to be greeted with visual views, and animated displays when visiting heritage sites (Dicks 2003, p.17). Thus it is essential for the venue managers to ensure their destination and its contents meet these requirements. One aspect of interpretation that has come to the fore in the minds of the visitor during recent years, and an area that academics agree is an essential part of interpretation, is the level of interaction that exists between the visitor and the heritage venue or object. A recent development in this respect is the increasing use of various forms of live interpretation within the heritage display and other venue activities, and it this area of interpretation that will form the focal point for this study. Live Interpretation Live interpretation of heritage is the most direct form of interaction between the visitor and the artefacts and events that are being exhibited at heritage sites and venues. Visitors and tourists today expect to see live heritage and cultural displays rather than inanimate objects displayed in empty or one dimensional building and display boxes. For example, visitors to industrial museums have come to expect to be treated to visual and moving displays of historical machinery and even to feel the experience through a living example of the society of the time (Dicks 2003, p.29). The process of live interpretation can be delivered in a number of formats. One early example of live interpretation was achieved by allowing the visitor to interact with working models, which enabled them to better interpret the processes that were involved with that models operational purpose. As the process of interpretation continued to evolve, these working models were enhanced by the inclusion of audio and visual interpretation methods, which research indicated were perceived to be more rewarding for the visitor than written text material, such as leaflets and books (Boyd 2003, p.231). The use of information and communication technology is another area of live interpretation that can prove effective, through a process of interactive involvement or displaying films and holographic images (Atkinson 2007). As Atkinson (2007) report further explains, by using ICT it is possible for the heritage site management to be able to â€Å"personalise and tailor exhibits and experiences to the individual or specific group’s needs.† However, today the most direct form of live interpretation is deemed to be that which involves physical face to face interaction between the visitor and a representative or group of representatives directly involved with the heritage site, either on a voluntary or employed basis (Blockley and Hems 2006, p.184), which most researchers identify as an interpreter. As these author’s point out â€Å"face to face interpretation is seen as the best form of enlivening the visitor experience† and certainly make them consider that it is time well spent. One important aspect needs to be mentioned in respect of the actions of the interpreter. This relates to their level of competence and degree of competence. As Boyd (2003, p.195) explains, â€Å"Whilst live interpretation is deemed the most effective form of interaction between visitor and the heritage object, poor quality in live interpretation is worse than nothing.† However, the degree to which the â€Å"interpreter† brings the heritage experience to life will depend upon the venue and its content. For example, they can range from the inclusion of a tour guide to costumed characters who re-enact the history and culture that the heritage site is promoting. This degree of variation and the appropriateness for the heritage venue will be further addressed in the following sections of this study. Museums and Galleries A number of researches have been conducted with the intention of discovering how much time visitors spent in museums and to what extent the format and display of the exhibits influenced the length of visit. One such survey, conducted for the research carried out by Boyd (2003, pp.77-78) found that there was a point of time at which visitors interest in the exhibits began to wane and the inclination to â€Å"head for the exit† began to dominate their thought processes. This was especially found to be true where the interpretation of the exhibits relied solely upon the basic strategy of display. For example, unless the visitor has a specific historical or academic interest in the specific artefacts being displayed within the venue, which only relates to a small segment of the population, after a while one exhibit, be that a painting, vase or another kind of inanimate object, all began to look alike to the visitor. At that stage the pleasure and learning gained from the experienc e began to deteriorate. There still exists the purist view that will argue against the introduction of live interpretation has no place within museums and galleries. Their reasoning is that the visitor should be allowed to interpret the exhibit free from the influence of what those who hold this opinion perceive to be external interference. However, although as stated previous this might be relevant for those who have a dedicated reason for visiting the museum or galleries it was becoming apparent to the mangers of these venues that this was not concurred with by the majority of visitors upon whom these museums and galleries depended. Therefore, remedial and innovative action was seen to be required if the decline in visitor numbers was to be reversed. It became apparent that some of the key qualities that visitors expected to experience from viewing a particular exhibit were clarity, poignancy, attractiveness together with a dynamic presentation (Boyd 2003, p.224). However, in the case of many visitors it proved difficult achieve the satisfaction of many of these qualities unless the object or exhibit was appropriately interpreted in the first place. This did not mean that the museums and galleries had to introduce moving or highly interactive interpretation process for all of their exhibits. In many instances it was simply a question of introducing a tour guide (Dicks 2003, p.171). This would involve employing a person who had sufficient knowledge and experience about the exhibit to be able to provide an appropriate interpretation, which the visitor could consider and come to their own informed opinion. An example of where such a tour guide is frequently used is in the Royal heritage. Often professional interpreters are used to b ring the heritage to life, as is the case with the royal palaces (Blockley and Hems 2006, p.45). To maintain the dignity of these historical sites it would be inappropriate to introduce some of the more technological based live interpretation methods, such as videos, films and other gadgetry. In such cases therefore, the tour guide will be employed to act as the face-to-face interactive interpreter. The heritage visitor or tourist would not expect any greater level of interpretation in such delicate and reverent historical surroundings, and the same reasoning would be applied to heritage sites of religious significance, such as historical churches and cathedrals. Nevertheless, there are other museums and galleries where the more proactive and interactive live interpretation methods are useful in improving the visitor experience. Providing visitors with a method that allows personal live interpretation, for instance by using computer generated informational processes that explain the origins of the object or gives more information relating to its original use and purpose, can enhance the benefits that the visitor receives from viewing the object. Another method that is being used more frequently within the museum and gallery environment is to make the object or artefact live by introducing information and communication technology process that allow it to move and react (Atkinson 2007, p.7). Black 2005, p.264) promotes the increased use of files within the museum, arguing that this manner of interpretation is more likely to enable the visitor to experience the object as a living thing, thus creating a psychological connection. One area of museu ms where these methods have proven to be particularly successful is in the field of natural science. For example, presenting the dinosaur animal generation in an interactive and live interpretation method provides the visitor with a better idea of the size, power and a concept of the physical damage that such creatures could cause. Another recent development within the museum sector of heritage is the evolution of the open-air museum (Boyd 2003, p.224). Because of the difference of the environment for the exhibit, these venues have developed an interpretation process that is far more focused on its live element. In effect the visitor can almost touch a living exhibit and, through the detailed live interpretation process, is transported back to the historical times during which the object was created. In fact, by the use of costumes and special effects often in these cases the visitor will feel as if they have had a personal connection with these events. Research has shown that, where museums and galleries have adopted some of these live interpretation measures within their venues, and to provide a better understanding of the exhibit, this has resulted in a positive effect on the length of a visitor’s stay (Black 2005, p.257). Furthermore, it has also had a positive impact in that visitor numbers have seen improvement in many instances. Historic sites As Jane Malcolm-Davies (2003, p.1) mentions in the introduction to the process of using costumed robes for live heritage interpretation, historic sites are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in the competitive environment of the leisure and tourism industry, not least because of the reduction in government funding, but also because of the impact of competing sites. As a result they have to resort to new and innovative measures for interpreting theirs sites in a manner that will increase visitor numbers. To stand out from the crowd and gain a competitive advantage that will lead to an increase in visitor numbers, live interpretation of the heritage value of these sites often has to resort to making the historical event come alive, a process that is most commonly referred to as re-enactment. These live interpretation events can take a number of forms. Some of the best known would be the re-enactment of historical civil wars, with authenticity attempted in every aspect of the actor’s costumes and equipment, accompanied by the realistic noise of battle. In other cases, the event might involve a live reconstruction of a home or village as the actors perceived it to be in historical times. Alternative versions of these occur where industrial processes, plants, and retail business environments are re-created to resemble how it might have looked in yesteryear. In a number of cases there is an invitation for the visitor to join in with the experience, creating for them a unique memory of the occasion. However, as with the use of live interpretation developments in museums and galleries, there has been some intense disagreement inn the past between academics and members of the historical heritage groups regarding the use of re-enactment and the use of costumes, with the opponents considering it to be fake (Sansom 1996, p.134). Indeed, many of those who hold this opinion consider this approach little more than theatrical nonsense. It is probably partly because of this reaction that it took until the latter part of the 1980’s before heritage sites began to employ â€Å"paid, permanent, costumed staff as an integral part of their daily interpretation† activities (Hicks 1994, p.9). The difficulty was that, before the employment of professional interpreters or â€Å"actor† there could be said to be some truth in the opposing argument. However, to the extent that these objectors delayed the introduction of a more professional approach to the live interpretation, it could be said that they contributed to the poor standard of interpretation that previously existed. In his dissertation thesis in 1990, Robershaw (1990, p.31) found from his research into the situation with regard to costumed interpreters that whilst it had the cosmetic effect of creating a more realistic atmosphere, this was not at that time communicated to the visitor. The same author quoted other literature that, like his own, concluded that visitors were demanding that the historical site managers should deliver a more â€Å"interactive experience†, which was clearing not happening at that time. It was also argued that because of the educational leanings, the resultant experience lack ed any element of fun and entertainment. The remarkable thing is that, since the introduction of live costumed and professional methods of interpretation (Sansom 1996, p.122 and Malcolm-Davies 200, p.9), this element of interaction and increased in the value of entertainment and fun has become more evident. The improvement has led to a situation where it has been found to the level of recall and understanding that is experienced by the visitor. Most academics, including Black (2005, p.117) and Dicks (2003, p.49) are now firmly of the opinion that historic and cultural sites that adopt the live approach to interpretation and encourages interaction with the visitor, even to the extent of re-enacting historic events, do find that it leads to an increase in visitor numbers. Furthermore, it leads to a greater degree of satisfaction of their need for enjoyment and learning. The proponents of live interpretation for historical sites argue that these re-enactments, especially now that they are more professional in nature, can be considered to be displaying an improved and closer depiction of the actual event, and therefore should be viewed as being more authentic. Furthermore, they will also argue that these events are serving to deliver to the main demands of the visitor, in that they provide a much greater depth of learning, whilst at the same time satisfying the visitor demand for them to include an element of fun and entertainment. The managers of these historical sites will also argue that, the inclusion of live interpretation and re-enactment within the promotional element of the destination, such moves are also serving the objectives of the destination, which are a) to remain self-sufficient in terms of funding and b) to assist the destination in achieving a competitive advantage over other similar destinations. They would further argue that the reported visitor number increases for the industry sector as a whole, and many of the destinations individually, support their choice of interpretation methods. Conclusion As has been mentioned in the introduction section of this research, over the past few years there has been increasing pressure exerted upon the managers of historic sites, museums and galleries to become self sufficient and accountable for the value achieved as a result of the limited resources provided to them from the public purse. It is natural that, in order to meet these conditions, the managers of these sites have been forced to consider a more innovative solution to promoting their destinations (Dicks 2003, p.122). An increasing number have turned to the use of live interpretation as a means of providing a resolution to the problems they have been facing. In the past there may have been some merit to the argument raised by opponents to live interpretation. These might have been justified especially where those elements of this process went as far as the inclusion of costumes and re-enactment. This justification can be linked with the lack of professionalism that existed at that time. However, in most cases that position has changed and the introduction of professional actors, directors and costume designers have dramatically improved this element of live interpretation. However, in the final analysis of the appropriateness of these methods of live interpretation it is the results produced that determine their success or failure. When one poses the question whether the adoption of these new approaches to interpretation have had the desired effect in terms of increasing the numbers of visitors being seen at historic sites, museums and galleries, the external researches studied by the author all support a positive response. Similarly, looking at it from the viewpoint of the other main stakeholder, the heritage visitor, the question to be asked is whether â€Å"live† interpretation promotional methods have improved their enjoyment of the experience and is more completely meeting their demands and needs. Here, again, current research and survey results confirm that this is the case. In fact, as Hunt (2004, p.387) states in his detailed research on heritage and interpretation., â€Å"acting the part has now become almost essential, as most visitor s have come to expect it!† In conclusion therefore, it is found that live interpretation is more effective as a method of education and learning, and as a means of visitor entertainment, than has been the case with most of the other methods of destination promotion adopted by historic sites, museums and galleries in the past. It is therefore recommended that those destinations that have yet to adopt these methods, and are experiencing difficulty in meeting financial or public accountability standards, should seriously considered following the example of the many institutions that have benefitted from live interpretation. Bibliography Atkinson, S (2007) The value of information and communications technology in natural heritage interpretation Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 8 August 2008 from: http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/ReportNo218.pdf Black, G (2005). The Engaging Museum: Developing Museums for Visitor Involvement. Routledge, Abingdon, UK Blockley, M and Hems, A (eds) (2006). Heritage Interpretation: Theory and Practice. Routledge, Abingdon, UK Boyd, S and Timothy, D (2003). Heritage Tourism. Pearson Education, Harlow, UK Dicks, B (2003). Culture on Display. Open University Press. Maidenhead, UK. Dray, C (1999). History as Re-enactment: R.G. Collingwoods â€Å"Idea of History†. Oxford University Press. Oxford, UK Hicks, D. (1994). The use of living history events at historic sites and buildings, master’s thesis, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. Hunt, S.J (2004). Acting the part: ‘living history’ as a serious leisure pursuit. Leisure Studies, Vol.23, No.4, pp.387-403 Malcolm-Davies (2003). Borrowed Robes: The educational value of costumed interpretation at historic sites. Retrieved 8 August 2008 from http://www.esade.es/cedit2003/pdfs/malcomdaviesjm.pdf Robertshaw, A. (1990). Acts of imagination. Museums journal, Vol. 3, pp.30-31. Ransom, E. (1996). Peopling the past: current practices in archaeological site interpretation. In Archaeological displays and the public: methodology and interpretation (McManus, P. Ed.), pp.118-137, Institute of Archaeology, London’

Assessing The Background Of Saddam Hussein Politics Essay

Assessing The Background Of Saddam Hussein Politics Essay The history of Saddam Hussein and his leadership capabilities started up in small village on the outskirts of the city of Tikrit (G.Butt [7]) where he was born in 1937 and grew up facing the atmosphere of anti-British attitude represented by people at that time. He had a very hard childhood, however he managed to get his basic education at school. When he was 20 years old, a young king Faisal II was killed by general Kasim and a group of army officers who overthrew a weak monarchy that had been introduced by the British three decades earlier. Saddam Hussein was introduced to politics by his uncle Chajrullach and became an active member of Bath party. After an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate general Kasim, he had to escape from the country. In 1963, general Kassim was overthrown by Bath party which enabled Saddam to return from emigration and take over the duties of a person responsible for Bath party internal security. After 8 months of general instability and political murders, the government of Bath party fell down which forced Saddam Hussein to get into underground. Five years later, Bath party returned. This time, it was much better prepared for taking over the power. The new president Al Bakr wanted to introduce a democratic system in Iraq and appointed Saddam to become the head of secret police as nobody else wanted to take over this particular position considered to be a dirty job (S.K. Aburish, [5]) . Saddam Hussein worked hard on reinforcing the security forces which eliminated political elites of all political options using the most cruel methods such as tortures and murders. A year later, in 1969, he was appointed the countrys vice-president. He was still responsible for security and special forces in which he used to employ people from Al Bu Nasir tribe, i.e the tribe to which he belonged. By providing the poor and uneducated men with the well paid job of security agents he was able to establish a group of fully trusted supporters who helped him to clean up the environment from opponents and enemies (Gazeta PL [9]). After ten years, this, in fact, enabled Saddam Hussein the to take over the total power and govern Iraq. In 1979, he arrested Hasan al Bakr and became the president of Iraq. Under the pretext of fighting with traitors who wanted to give up Iraq to Syria, he arrested, tortured and killed hundreds of Revolutionary Council and Bath party members. The climate of political crime and murders did not disturb him in the development of his international career (T.Kjeilen [8]). Even though Iraq was in alliance with Soviet Union, Saddam Hussein still maintained the relations with the Western countries. Owing to rapidly growing income from oil sale in 1970s (Britannica Online Encyclopedia [15]), Iraq under the leadership of Bath party controlled by Saddam Hussein introduced an ambitious plan of developing a modern industry and agriculture to reduce the volume of imported products, and improving the infrastructure (transpor tation, water and electric energy supply, health services). Iraq started to be regarded as a growing economy and one of the economic powers in the region. All these caused that Saddam Hussein, instead of using the revolutionary ideology to get support for his actions, could use the arguments of economic development. He started to consider himself as a leader of all the Arab countries (Wikipedia [10]). However, even though many modern industrial facilities were established, e.g. modern cement plants were built up, production efficiency could only be achieved with the assistance of international experts since the local labour was highly inefficient (authors own observations). This led to situation that Iraqi products could hardly compete on foreign markets. Also due to the fact that there were huge needs for infrastructure, the government could hardly reach the planned goals even though the funds were available. Saddam Hussein needed something else to reinforce his position. The Islam ic revolution in Iran caused that Saddam Hussein was provided with the international support, especially the USA, who wanted to stop the development of Islamic fanaticism. This led to the outbreak of the Iraqi-Iranian war during which Saddam Hussein built up the arsenal of all the different weapons that made Iraq become the Middle East military power. This was followed by invasion on Kuwait in 1990 which ended up with the Gulf War. It was noticed by J.Hickman [11] that regimes could rarely survive losing one war, and in case of Saddams government there were two wars one after another, therefore he posed a question of what were the leadership secrets of Saddam Hussein that allowed him to stay in power. In the following chapter I will try to answer this question by analysing the leadership features of the Iraqi dictator. 3. Key leadership capabilities of the Iraqi leader In order to define the key leadership capabilities, it would be necessary to find an answer to the question: what features were represented by Saddam Hussein that made him an effective leader in the Middle East and Iraq during the 3 decades of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s? According to Stoner and Wankel [1], the effective leaders possess certain features or properties such as charisma, the ability to anticipate the events and the ability to convince people in order to get their support. A.Sharplin [2] discusses the trait approach to leadership based on a believe that the leaders who are effective possess some particular features that other people do not have such as physical strength, stamina, size, intelligence, integrity, wisdom, etc. Kouzes and Posner [12] analyse how the leaders mobilize other people to do extraordinary things, what practices they use to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity, and risks into rewar ds. All of the above mentioned features base on the behaviour of the leaders. J.B.Avolio at al [4] made an attempt to group all the different leadership features in order to define 3 groups of leadership styles including transformational leadership, transactional leadership and corrective avoidant leadership. Following Freuds theory of personality types, M.Maccoby [16] focused on description of narcissistic leaders, features of which can also be attributed to the former Iraqi leader. Therefore, what features or leadership styles can we allocate to Saddam Hussein. In the following subsections I will try to analyse Saddams leadership strengths and weaknesses: 3.1. Leadership strengths of Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein definitely represented an autocratic leadership style which, in fact, was the only possible way to govern the country consisting of Kurds and Arabs who additionally subscribed to two opposing branches of Islamic religion, i.e. Sunni and Shia Muslims (G.Butt, [7]). This is particularly visible nowadays taking into consideration the difficulties faced by the USA and other Western countries who try to implement the democratic rules into this very conservative and politically shattered country. Said K.Aburish [6] identified a number of strong leadership features represented by Saddam Hussein including: extraordinary ability to see the overall picture of future achievements that allowed him to get to the desired vision, good organizers skills which was something special in the Arab mentality functioning in the environment of the Middle East this caused that he had a broad potential and was much better visible when compared to other Arab leaders, ability to get the control over planned activities by surrounding himself with relatives and basing on family and tribal connections as those that could be trusted, ability to work long hours, enormous popularity even though he was a dictator he was able to provide the Iraqis, especially in 1970s and mid 1980s, with what they expected and needed, i.e. wealth, infrastructure and prospects. good learners skills as he read a lot and listened to a variety of people. J.Hickman [11] identified some other features of Saddam Husseins leadership strength such as: understanding of the value of state terror, development of a cult around his person, appreciation of the political value of relatives and close friends, ability to get the peoples acceptance for extremely risky decisions such as declaring war against the neighbouring countries or fighting the minorities, ability to exploit the international public opinion by getting support of the Muslims from all over the world and attracting the attention of others to unfair punishment of the Iraqi nation by the economic sanctions. It seems that narcissism was the leadership strength of Saddam Hussein. According to M.Maccoby [16] the narcissistic leaders become great charismatic leaders due to the fact that they have fascinating visions which get them supporters. Maccoby classifies narcissistic leaders among the people who have widespread imagination and try to create the future instead of trying to understand the future. However, he noticed that having the vision is not enough as the psychiatric patients also have visions. In case of Saddam Hussein the ability of using rhetoric and ability to arouse enthusiasm among the followers seems to be this additional feature. 3.2. Leadership weaknesses of Saddam Hussein There have been several important leadership weaknesses that brought Saddam Hussein and Iraq to the disaster. One of the most evident weak points has been the susceptibility to intimidate the people when governing the country. On one side, he had a strong security apparatus which was indicated as strength but on the other hand, by using terror he did not get the acceptance of, at least, a part of the Iraqi society. Ability to take risky decisions could have been classified as one of the strengths but, if related to the ability to make mistakes, both constitute the leadership weakness. This was the case with the involvement into the Iran/Iraq war which produced a debt of 65-100 billion USD (S.K. Aburish [6]). Even though Saddam declared the victory, he was unable to provide the Iraqi people with the fruits of this victory which led him to another mistake of invading Kuwait. Therefore, one of the serious weaknesses was Saddams ability of leading people in the wrong direction. Narcissism was mentioned in the previous subsection to constitute one of Saddams leadership strengths. However, it can also be one of the weaknesses which was the case of the former Iraqi leader. According to Maccoby [16], narcissistic leaders only accept the desired information. They love giving the speeches and are dominant during the meetings with subordinates. They are very sensitive to any criticism and react violently. In case of Saddam Hussein, any criticism was punished with the death sentence which led to situation of being completely isolated from reality. This also caused that the number of people he could trust was getting smaller and smaller (S.K. Aburish [6]). 3.3. Analysis of Saddams leadership capabilities and styles Looking at different leadership features of Saddam Hussein, following Bass and Steidlmeier [14], it can be stated that the Iraqi leader represented a mixture of transformational and transactional leadership style as most of the leaders do. Such features as charisma and vision could place the former Iraqi leader among those who represent the transformational leadership style as he tried and managed to get his supporters involved and committed to his visions. On the other hand, if we were to attribute the leadership style to Saddam Hussein, transactional style seems to be more appropriate as he used to motivate his followers by reward (offering well paid jobs and other benefits to his supporters) and punishment (putting people to prison, torturing and murdering). This style of leadership requires from the people that are managed or ruled to do exactly what the leader wants them to do. The Iraqi leader established clear structures that gave him full authority and power over the Iraqi su bordinates whose performance was monitored. According to Bass et alia [17], the leader representing the transactional style outlines the compliance norms as well as evaluates the performance that does not meet the standards and can punish all those who do not keep the set up standards. According to D.Goleman [18] particular capabilities such as intellectual properties, cognitive abilities and possession of long term vision that contribute to certain leadership styles are extremely important but he discovered that emotional intelligence is much more important for effective leadership of large organizations. He also discovered that the larger the organization was, the more important was emotional intelligence. Lets try to analyse Saddam Hussein regarding the elements of emotional intelligence including self-awareness, self-control, motivation, empathy and social awareness. The self awareness is the ability to realistically evaluate own personality D.Goleman [18]. It seems that Saddam Hussein was unaware of his shortcomings and was totally unable to listen to the constructive criticism. According to Goleman, people having low level of self-awareness are threatened by any suggestion of introducing improvements. This was definitely featured by the former Iraqi leader who used to punish anyone who criticized his activities. The self-control seemed to be another weak point of the Iraqi leader as he was unable to create the atmosphere of trust and very often used to lose his temper when talking to subordinates. It seems that motivation was the only element out of five emotional intelligence factors that Saddam Hussein possessed. He had a very strong desire to achieve success. Empathy and social awareness, both associated with social relations were also weak points of Saddam Hussein as, being a dictator, he did not try to understand the feelings of his subord inates. He used to govern his subordinates by fear. 4. Conclusions There is a long list of particular leadership features that could be attributed to Saddam Hussein showing his skills and capabilities that differentiated him from other people. However, even though there is no question about specific leadership capabilities of the former Iraqi leader, we must not forget that they were supported with very brutal and criminal activities such as tortures and murders. A.Safty [3] raised the issue of the moral dimension of leadership related to the political context. He is of the opinion that dictators often characterized as people who had visions, were able to mobilize the supporters, were self-confident and had the ability to persuade the audience should not be called effective or great leaders. Instead, he proposed to use the term of a ruler in regard to the brutal dictators such as Saddam Hussein as this word is more in line with leading by tyranny, force, fear and intimidation. The issue of ethics and morality has also been discussed by Bass and Stei dlmeier [14] who noticed that somebody who represents the transformational style of leadership could be manipulative in relation to the followers, and as they stated such a person might have the public image of a saint but privately be a deceptive devil This statement ideally suits Saddam Hussein who represented certain features of transformational leadership which were not authentic but pseudo-transformational as named by Burns [13]. Due to these reasons, even though Saddam Husseins leadership reflected both transformational and transactional features which is normally treated as the best combination of styles, it is so difficult to talk about leadership capabilities as the ethics and morality have been disregarded. In this particular case we should, in fact, talk about the dictatorship capabilities instead of leadership capabilities even if some leadership features discussed above in this paper can be attributed to this Middle East dictator. The analysis of the emotional intellige nce of Saddam Hussein has shown that he was missing the most important features such as self-awareness, self-control, empathy and social awareness which are a crucial thing for effective leadership.

Natural Necessity, Objective Chances and Causal Powers :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Natural Necessity, Objective Chances and Causal Powers ABSTRACT: Are the relations between the property of a thing and its related disposition to react in certain ways, and between the triggering of that disposition and the consequent effect, necessary? Harrà © and Madden, in their analysis of causal powers, said they are, but their arguments are not persuasive. Humeans like Simon Blackburn deny it. I criticize the Humean position, and argue afresh for their necessity. I note that David Lewis' analysis of causation requires their necessity, though as a confessed Humean he has not admitted this. There is an interesting convergence among several recent theories of causation. They describe causes as events of a kind which increase the objective chance of events of other kinds, which are their effects. The theories I have in mind are those of David Lewis (1986, 1994), D.H. Mellor (1995), and Peter Menzies (1996). They attribute various other properties to causes, but all agree that this is an important and necessary fact about them. Thus, dropping a crystal wine glass onto a hard floor can be said to have caused it to shatter because it increased the probability of its shattering at that time, since whenever a piece of crystal glass is struck by a hard object, it will very probably shatter. Such generalizations relating cause and effect can be understood as being true of something because of one of its properties. For instance one can say: if something has the molecular structure of crystal glass, then if it is hit by a hard object it will very probably shatter. The generalization relating cause and effect can then be seen as a disposition of the thing whose property makes it true. In this case it amounts to saying that things which have the molecular structure of crystal glass are fragile. More generally, the generalizations involved in causation are of the following form: if something has a certain property, then if it comes into a certain relation with something else, it will result in another event, with a certain objective probability. Call this generalization [G]. This generalization looks very much like the analysis of causal powers offered by R.Harrà © and E.H. Madden (1975). They defined the causal power of a thing in terms of its disposition to behave in certain ways in certain circumstances because of its nature. They wrote: "'X has the power to A' means 'X will or can do A, in the appropriate conditions, in virtue of its intrinsic nature' (p.

What Could Have Been... :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I started down the long, narrow, hallway I felt my heart beating faster and my stomach rising into my throat. With much difficulty I kept my head up and my eyes forward, trying desperately to not view inside any of the rooms to the left or right. The hospital smell was stronger then ever and every little noise seemed as loud as thunder...almost like I had two water glasses up to my ears that just echoed every sound. Suddenly I’m stopped dead in my tracks by an orderly who senses that I’m lost or at least having trouble finding whatever it is that I was looking for. She was very sweet, and we probably conversed for a good 3 minutes, but no matter how hard I try I cannot remember one word that we exchanged. It’s almost like I had a conversation with her in my sleep and the second I walked past her it was like a dream, which I was barely able to remember. Well I guess I should explain where I am and why I’m here before I continue with m y story...we’ll go back to 3 hours ago, that should catch you up to speed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shit Sean your such a dumb ass, how could you forget the tap? How the hell are we supposed to get into a keg without a fucking tap? So now what do you suppose we do...get a nail gun and poke holes through it and get the whole 30 people at our party straws? I can’t rely on you to do anything right!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jesus Kim, I’m sorry, I just forgot, kill me why don’t you...I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry, what else can I say? Instead of sitting here and lecturing me about it why don’t you just get off your ass and come with me to find one?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No Sean, your on your own here, that was your only job, and I think you can handle it yourself, I have a ton of stuff to get ready here at the house.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fine!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fine!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the door slammed I ran into the kitchen to start getting things ready for our little get together that my brother and I had been planning since our parents told us about their little trip to NYC for the weekend. The worst part about all of this is that I could have really cared less about the party, I have been in college for 2 years now, and sitting around and getting drunk really wasn’t unexplored territory.

Mastery and Mystery in Kafka and Borges

Kafka’s The Great Wall of China and Borges’ The Library of Babel define infinity through the imagery of an infinite and absolute universe. Both works investigate into the polar relationship between the eternal and omnipotent cosmos (i.e. the Library in Borges and the Great Wall in Kafka) and the finite and imperfect individual (that is, the librarian in Borges and the wall builder in Kafka). Both authors see the universe as an â€Å"infinitely expanding turbulent stream† (Emrich, 38); a domain which is anything but calculable, let alone intelligible.The infinite universe is a glaring paradox as well. It creates and destroys, liberate and restraint. In the words of David Krenz, infinity as manifested in the eternal cosmos â€Å"acts as both a fault which ‘confounds’ all metaphors which seek mastery—one source of those indeterminacies which prove so problematic—as well as a force which is potentially salvific.† Indeed, the universe ’s duplicitous orientation is both boon and bane. It houses all-meanings and no-meanings; all-truths and no-truths. It functions as an all-god and no-god. It is totalitarian (considering the extinction of the individual); and yet in that it seeks to provide a room and definition for all codes, it is a democratic entity.The labyrinthine universe (or the universal labyrinth) is aptly illustrated in Borges essay, The Total Library. Using principles akin to that in the Library of Babel, he writes of how the universe signifies the totality of beings— the absolute and consummate, one can even say the logos which fortunately or unfortunately, is entirely inaccessible: â€Å"†¦ but for every sensible line and or accurate fact there would be millions of meaningless cacophonies, verbal farragoes and babblings. † (216). The elusiveness of the Word manifests â€Å"the semiotic slippage which occurs between the sign and that which it represents† (Krenz). The resu lt is a fluidity of values and the dissolution of linguistic and ontological boundaries and binaries.Hence, Borges Library of Babel is never a mechanism of institutionalization and codification. Being otherwise would weaken the universe/ library—that is, it would become finite, exhaustible, subject to the librarian’s comprehension and control. As the librarian-narrator puts it, he who has come across â€Å"the formula and perfect compendium† of the Library is a â€Å"Man of the Book†, â€Å"analogous to a god†.   The Library is an impregnable mystery which thrives (or prey?) on the librarian’s perplexity: â€Å"For four centuries now men have exhausted the hexagons†¦.Obviously no one expects to discover anything.† Borges reiterates the point when he writes of the librarians’ futile search for the â€Å"Vindication†, a source of â€Å"apology and prophecy†, in other words, justification, what could have been an antidote to their disembodiment: â€Å"†¦ the searchers did not remember that the possibility of a man’s finding his Vindication, or some treacherous variation thereof, can be computed as zero.† â€Å"The absence of a â€Å"catalogue of catalogues†, a â€Å"general theory of the Library† makes the Library a virtual Babel, the site of linguistic and intellectual contestation and creation, of pandemonium.Codes are never deciphered for to begin with, they do not exist. Seeming unique configurations of meanings are nothing but imitations, while imitations turn out to be diverse and entirely different versions of the originals (or more appropriately, pseudo and quasi-originals, that is,   if such exist). â€Å"The thinker observed that all the books, no matter how diverse they might be, are made up of the same elements: the space, the period, the comma, and the twenty-two letters of the alphabet† and yet, Borges is quick to remind, â€Å"th ere are no two identical books†.But Babel equals power, immensity and inexhaustibility. It is a â€Å"delirious god† with a schizophrenic nature: it â€Å"not only denounces the disorder but exemplify it as well.† Babel allows for the free play of codes or â€Å"catalogues†. It spells the perpetual arrangement, re-arrangement, disarrangement; interpretation, re-interpretation, misinterpretation; delineation and obliteration of meanings—what to the tragically curious and insatiable librarian is no less than a vicious cycle of symbols’ birth, death, resurrection and reincarnation: â€Å"thousands and thousands of false catalogues, the demonstration of the fallacy of those catalogues, the demonstration of the fallacy of the true catalogues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Ad infinitum.The effect is a prevailing atmosphere of incompleteness: â€Å"The light (the lamps) emit is insufficient, incessant† another manifestation of the Library’s inaccessi bility and inconceivability. Thus, the individual, perpetually searching but never finding, is a premature organism. The yawning gap between the â€Å"delirious divinity† and the mortal pawn (who is delirious just the same) is highlighted: â€Å"Man, the imperfect librarian, may be the product of chance and malevolent demiurgi; the universe, with its elegant endowment of shelves, of enigmatical volumes, of inexhaustible stairways for the traveler and the latrine for the seated librarian can only be the work of a god.† Borges could have said â€Å"gods†.Critic Wilhelm Emrich writes: â€Å"†¦when life opens up all of its sluices†¦ and the whole of existence comes into view undisguised, no protective order whatever, no determining ‘law’ can be recognized any longer. Hence man can no longer ‘live’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (38). The librarian’s inability to exist consummately in the face of infinity reduces him to a fluid, nearly imag inary entity. His individuality, his last resort for a unique and concrete configuration of meanings (that is, the meaning of his existence) is gobbled up by the universal black hole of memory, mind and being.Apparently the death (physical and intellectual) of a librarian hardly makes a dent in the invincible mystery, which remains and will remain, unknown and unknowable, everything and nothing: â€Å"The certitude that everything has been written negates us or turns us into phantoms†¦.   but the Library will endure: illuminated, solitary, infinite, perfectly motionless, equipped with precious volumes, useless, incorruptible, secret.†The immortality of the Library and the mortality of the librarian coincides with immensity of the collective (and manifestations of collective effort) and the infinitesimal nature of the individual in Kafka’s Great Wall. Here the collective refers not so much to the mob per se, the individual in no better disguise, the empirical qua lity of which makes it subject to the natural cycle of demise and change. The collective in Kafka is the summation of essences permanent, the universe, particularly the Chinese cosmos. As with the infinite Library of Borges, the cosmos/ collective in Kafka defies and dictates physical and metaphysical time and space.The collective/ cosmos is empirically and metaphysically manifested by the empire (â€Å"immortal while the individual emperor falls and collapses†) and the Great Wall the immensity of which is a badge of power tantamount to infinity. Observes the narrator-builder: â€Å"The land is so huge, it would not permit (the nomads) to reach us. They would lose themselves in empty air.† The protection provided by the Great Wall is also metaphorical. Its function as political and moral center; what even at the beginning is seen as an assured confirmation of the endurance of the race, makes it a stable and unifying code for all-people (that is, the Chinese from time i mmemorial to the unimaginable and impossible end).This protective barrier is no different to what Emrich sees as the â€Å"customary existence†, the figurative footing outside which lies the â€Å"the conflicting powers that are open to countless interpretations†¦ that continuously ‘correct’ each other† (38). Outside the Great Wall lurks the Enemy— chaos and barbarity which in Kafkaesque terms translate to â€Å"the lawlessness of the human world†¦ the deterioration of values† (39).The assertion, though, is not without trapdoors. In qualifying the Great Wall as a symbol of the Chinese master code, a â€Å"dis-order† (Emrich, 39), (illusory but a code nonetheless) defeats its immunity, not to mention its infinity. A political and cultural parameter responsible for the delineation of spatial and metaphysical boundaries, to the Chinese, the Great Wall is imperial omnipotence in brick and mortar. Its construction is the beginning of â€Å"true† history, the birth of a â€Å"real† people. The Wall provides the palette for the re-creation and correcting of past values: â€Å"†¦and everything else was recognized only to the extent that it had some relationship (to masonry).† The narrator-builder adds how knowledge attained before the construction of the wall suddenly becomes anachronistic and useless.In this sense, what redeems the Wall from deteriorating into a false god is that it paves the way for the creation of a permanent collective, a people whose unity spans time and the absolute. What is infinite in the Wall is perhaps not so much the structure (which will inevitably succumb to decay) but the spirit, the inexhaustible faith infused in it. The builders â€Å"had a sense of themselves as part of the wall.† The impatience and hopelessness brought about by the Herculean task is more than enough to dampen the builder’s drive, making lose â€Å"faith in themselves, i n the building and in the world.†In all respects the Great Wall looks forward to the future. Its consummation is meant to be witnessed by those to come. Yet as the narrator-builder emphasizes, the continuum of brotherhood is eternal: â€Å"Unity! †¦blood no longer confined in the limited circulation of the body but rolling sweetly and yet still returning through the infinite extent of China.†The values enclosed within the (Chinese) universe represented by the Wall is far from stagnant and clear-cut, though. Kafka uses the imagery of the â€Å"leadership† to portray the perpetual motion of signs and values. In this reservoir of meanings, the individual as signified by the singular identity of the leaders is obliterated (hence, the pluralistic connotation of the word leadership). Says the narrator-builder:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦where it was or who sat there no one I asked knows or knew— in this office I imagine that all human thoughts and wishes revolve in a cir cle, and all human aims and fulfillments in a circle going in opposite direction.† Quite understandably, the leadership defies history and time: it â€Å"existed even earlier.†Divine, the leadership is inaccessible to the finite mind. As the narrator puts it, â€Å"Try with all your powers to understand the orders of the leadership, but only up to a certain limit—then stop thinking about them.† So powerful is the â€Å"leadership† that even the Emperor is stripped of his regality and reduced to his frail and transient self when compared with it. The builders are masters of their own â€Å"truth†: â€Å"†¦the admirable innocent emperor believed he had given orders for (the Wall). We who are builders of the Wall knew otherwise and are silent.†Works CitedBorges, Jorge Luis. â€Å"The Total Library.† Selected non-fiction. Ed. Eliot Weinberger.Trans. Esther Allen et al. New York: Penguin Books, 1999. 214-216.The Library of Babel . 8 December 2007..Emrich, William. Franz Kafka: a critical study of his writings. New York: Frederick UngarPublishing, 1968.Kafka, Franz. The Great Wall of China. Trans. Ian Johnston. 23 March 2006. Johnstonia. 8December 2007. .Krenz, David Christoph. Metaphors for/in infinity: The parables of Kafka, Borges and Calvino.  (Abstract). Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992.

Acct 559 Quiz 1 Solution

Quiz I (Chapters 1and 2) Date Name ID Answer the pastime Questions1. Tower Inc. owns 30% of Yale Co. and applies the lawfulness order. During the menstruum year, Tower bought inventory appealing $66,000 and wherefore sold it to Yale for $120,000. At year-end, only $24,000 of mathematical product was still cosmos held by Yale. What sum total of inter- smart set inventory profit must be deferred by Tower? A. $6,480 B. $3,240 C. $10,800 D. $16,200 E. $6,6102. All of the pursuit statements regarding the enthronization written report apply the truth method atomic number 18 square(a) draw off A. The enthronisation is put down at salute B.Dividends authorized argon reported as tax revenue C. Net income of investee increases the investment study D. Dividends accepted disgrace the investment bank note E. amortization of sensible value all everyplace appeal reduces the investment account3. After allocating cost in sense slight of concord value, which addition or li powerfulness would not be amortized all everyplace a useful manners? A. live of goods sold B. Property, plant, & equipment C. Patents D. good will E. Bonds payable4. A gild should always use the integrity method to account for an investment if A. it has the ability to knead significant influence over the operational policies of the investee.B. it owns 30% of another(prenominal) companions railway line. C. it has a controlling interest (more than 50%) of another companys job. D. the investment was made primarily to wee-wee a return on overmuch bullion. E. it does not arrive the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating policies of the investee.5. An upstream sale of inventory is a sale A. between subsidiaries owned by a mutual p bent. B. with the transfer of goods plan by contract to chance on a specified futurity date. C. in which the goods be physically transported by sauceboat from a infantryman to its equatinggonnt. D. ade by the invest or to the investee. E. made by the investee to the investor.6. In a situation where the investor exercises significant influence over the investee, which of the followers entries is not actually stick on to the reserves of the investor?1) debit to the Investment account and a deferred payment to the Equity in Investee Income account.2) Debit to Cash (for dividends received from the investee) and a Credit to Dividend Revenue.3) Debit to Cash (for dividends received from the investee) and a Credit to the Investment account. A. Entries 1 and 2 B. Entries 2 and 3 C. origination 1 only D. immersion 2 only E. main course 3 only7. All of the avocation statements regarding the investment account development the equity method are true except A. The investment is save at cost B. Dividends received are reported as revenue C. Net income of investee increases the investment account D. Dividends received reduce the investment account E. Amortization of fair value over cost reduces the i nvestment account8. A company has been using the fair-value method to account for its investment. The company this instant has the ability to significantly control the investee and the equity method has been deemed appropriate.Which of the following statements is true? A. A cumulative effect change in accounting principle must glide by B. A prospective change in accounting principle must drop dead C. A retrospective change in accounting principle must extend D. The investor will not receive prospective dividends from the investee E. Future dividends will come on to be enter as revenue9. A company has been using the equity method to account for its investment. The company sells plowshares and does not continue to have significant control. Which of the following statements is true? A. A cumulative effect change in accounting principle must conk B. A prospective change in accounting principle must turn over C. A retrospective change in accounting principle must occur D. The i nvestor will not receive future dividends from the investee E. Future dividends will continue to reduce the investment account10. After allocating cost in excess of book value, which asset or liability would not be amortized over a useful life? A. Cost of goods sold B. Property, plant, & equipment C. Patents D. Goodwill E. Bonds payable11. How are sprout issuance cost and direct conclave cost treated in a business compounding which is accounted for as an accomplishment when the ancillary will retain its internalisation? A. Stock issuance costs are a part of the acquisition costs and the direct combination costs are expensed B. Direct combination costs are a part of the acquisition costs and the linage issuance costs are a reduction to additional paid-in working smashing C. Direct combination costs are expensed and stock issuance costs are a reduction to additional paid-in capital D. some(prenominal) are treated as part of the acquisition price E. Both are treated as a redu ction to additional paid-in capital12. Lisa Co. paid cash for all of the voting parkland stock of Victoria Corp. Victoria will continue to exist as a screen corporation. Entries for the integrating of Lisa and Victoria would be recorded in A. A worksheet B. Lisas general journal C. Victorias general journal D. Victorias secret desegregation journal E. The general journals of both companies13. At the date of an acquisition which is not a bargain purchase, the acquisition method A. Consolidates the subsidiarys assets at fair value and the liabilities at book value B.Consolidates all subsidiary assets and liabilities at book value C. Consolidates all subsidiary assets and liabilities at fair value D. Consolidates on-line(prenominal) assets and liabilities at book value, long-term assets and liabilities at fair value E. Consolidates the subsidiarys assets at book value and the liabilities at fair value14. Which of the following statements is true regarding a statutory integration? A . The original companies dissolve while remain as separate divisions of a fresh created company B. Both companies remain in existence as profound corporations with i corporation now a subsidiary of the acquiring company C.The acquired company dissolves as a separate corporation and becomes a division of the acquiring company D. The acquiring company acquires the stock of the acquired company as an investment E. A statutory consolidation is no longer a legal option15. In a transaction accounted for using the purchase method where cost is less than fair value which statement is true? A. Negative goodwill is recorded B. A deferred credit is recorded C. long-term assets of the acquired company are reduced in counterbalance to their fair determine. Any excess is recorded as a deferred credit D.Long-term assets of the acquired company are reduced in isotropy to their fair values. Any excess is recorded as an extraordinary gain E. Long-term assets and liabilities of the acquired co mpany are reduced in proportion to their fair values. Any excess is recorded as an extraordinary gain16. In a purchase or acquisition where control is achieved, how would the vote out accounts of the parent and the land accounts of the subsidiary be combined? A. admission A B. Entry B C. Entry C D. Entry D E. Entry E17. In a pooling of interests, A.Revenues and expenses are fused for the entire fiscal year, even if the combination occurred late in the year B. Goodwill may be recognized C. integrating is accomplished using the fair values of both companies D. The transactions may touch on the exchange of preferred stock or debt securities as well as common stock E. The transaction is properly regarded as an acquisition of one company by another Prior to being unite in a business combination, Botkins Inc. and Volkerson Corp. had the following stockholders equity figures Botkins issued 56,000 new shares of its common stock valued at $3. 5 per share for all of the outstanding stoc k of Volkerson.18. fag that Botkins acquired Volkerson as a purchase combination. like a shot afterwards, what are consolidated Additional Paid-In capital letter and Retained Earnings, respectively? A. $133,000 and $360,000 B. $236,000 and $360,000 C. $130,000 and $360,000 D. $236,000 and $490,000 E. $133,000 and $490,00019. Assume that Botkins and Volkerson were being joined in a pooling of interests and this occurred on January 1, 2000, using the same values given. flat afterwards, what is consolidated Additional Paid-In Capital? A. 138,000 B. $266,000 C. $130,000 D. $236,000 E. $135,00020. chapel hammock Company had common stock of $350,000 and retained shekels of $490,000. Blue townspeople Inc. had common stock of $700,000 and retained earnings of $980,000. On January 1, 2009, Blue Town issued 34,000 shares of common stock with a $12 par value and a $35 fair value for all of Chapel Hill Companys outstanding common stock. This combination was accounted for as an acquisitio n. Immediately after the combination, what was the consolidated earn assets? A. $2,520,000 B. $1,190,000 C. $1,680,000 D. $2,870,000 E. $2,030,000