King Henry I :: essays papers

King Henry I The death of King Henry I in 1135 put Henry II on the path to the throne of England. Henry II lavish youth kept him sheltered from society only allowing him to have a couple friends. One of his life long friends soon became a burden because of differences in opinions about religion. Henry's intelligence and persistency from birth led him to be crowned King of England. The appointment of Thomas Becket to Archbishop by Henry II started the trend of conflict between the two over the separation of church and state. Henry II, the first of the Plantagents was the son of Geoffrey Plantagent and Matilda, daughter of Henry I. In 1152 Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine, the ex-wife of Louis VII of France. With this marriage, Henry gained considerable amounts of land in France. In 1153 Henry returned to England after his stay in France and forced Stephens to name him the heir of the throne. Henry immediately appointed his long-term friend Thomas Becket, English Chancellor, to be Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket accepted the job of Archbishop in 1162 but he did it with some reluctance. Becket's unkind heart soon became a thorn in Henry's side.(Hay 107) By 1163, Becket had already defied Henry in one of his decisions. He challenged his former friend in his vehement to dismantle the ecclesiastical courts. Becket became an ardent defender of the interests of the church. Becket's hard-nosed attitude towards defending the Church of England showed just how important the church was to England. "The affairs between Henry and Becket became a highly colored by their personal relationships."("Henry II") Their life long friendship was the only thing that kept the two on the same side. Another strong disagreement came between the two on the status of "criminous clerics." These were members of the clergy who had committed civil crimes. The crimes ranged from theft to assault and even murder. This became a total embarrassment to the church. Henry sought to have the members tried in the royal court, as would others who committed such crimes. Becket insisted that they only be tried in the clerical courts. The disagreement became a heated battle between the two. Becket stood firm on his belief that the matter should not be brought to a higher court.

Cross cultural differences in personality

Cross cultural differences in personality The aim of the work is to critically evaluate the evidence of cross cultural differences in personality and to come to the relevant conclusion, whether such differences exist and what impact they create on various sides of the personality life activity.IntroductionNumerous studies have been conducted to research the cross cultural differences of various aspects in personality behavior – starting from psychological side, and ending with the difference in business leadership and online and computer attitudes; however there is still a question – whether these the results of these studies are relevant and is it possible to assume that cross cultural differences exist – or based on the older economic theories, all personalities have similar behavioral patterns which are not different across cultures? Cross cultural personality studiesThe experimental researches conducted in the area of cross cultural differences in personality have found that people behave in different and various ways, in distinction from the basic economic theory that the phenomenon of personality is traditionally common across different ethnic groups. When one endeavors to discover the reasons and cores of this controversy, it appears that the great extent of impact is created by the social environment people live in. this is why cultural element in defining the reasons of cross cultural differences is essential in this study and in personality differences as such.If one takes two different regions of the globe and considers the differences between these two regions as well as the changes in the personality which occur under these two different environments, as well as the differences between the personalities traditionally found in both societies, they will not only be geographically distant, but also culturally which will ultimately define these or those behavioral patterns accepted in this or that society under research. (Brandts, Saijo & Schram, 2004) Researches show that there are significant differences in traits between different ethnic groups and between the countries.It will be interesting to take New Zealand and international sample as an example and critically evaluate the methods and evidences of the cross cultural differences found in this study; it is also essential to critically evaluate the evidence acquired in laboratory tests of cross cultural differences. In order to make the New Zealand study relevant, the three different groups of respondents were taken – New Zealand respondents were divided into Europeans, Maori and Pacific Islanders, with the addition of the absolutely different ethnic groups from South Africa and Australia.It is stated that there have been revealed significant differences in the personality traits both on the New Zealand and on the international level. The largest differences at the international level were notices in the aspects of agreeableness, neuroticism and e xtraversion. In terms of the inner New Zealand groups the principal cross cultural personality differences were discovered in those traits which are usually determining for job performance – conscientiousness and neuroticism. (Allen, 2001) Evaluation of the theoriesIn the cultural dimension several theories have been created to explain the differences between the personalities in the cross cultural aspect. Considering these theories critically, it should be assumed that they have not been created without any reason, and there have existed solid grounds to assume that depending on what culture of origin is the source of social patterns for the personality, it is possible to define the basic criteria of personality characteristics. For example, the theory created by Markus & Kitayama (1991) states that ‘the cultures endow individuals with different principles that influence behavior.‘ The author of this theory argued that one of the cultural dimensions is always mea sured through the line of individualism versus collectivism, and these traits should be included into the set of basic characteristics peculiar of the personality in the cross cultural perspective. one dimension of national culture is measured along a continuum from ‘collectivism' to ‘individualism,' defining societies in which the interest of the group prevails over the interest of the individual as ‘collectivistic', and those in which the interest of the individual prevails over the interest of the group as individualistic†. (Allen, 2001)While the traditions and the history of this or that country or ethnic group may be characterized by being either individualistic or collectivist, it is possible to reasonably assume that cross cultural personality differences exist (if one takes an example of the US being an individualistic country and promoting individual values versus collectivist ones, while the countries of Eastern Asia for example, promote opposite va lues, it becomes clear that even it were the only feature of differences between personalities, it would prove the assumption that these differences exist and would also lead to the discovery of the new ones).Critical evaluation of the methodologies There is a five factor model which is used for the evaluation of the cross cultural personality differences, and it has also been objectively created on the basis of the knowledge about the basic personal characteristics which define personal behavior and reaction. the five-factor model comprised of five global personality traits, commonly referred to as the Big Five, now enjoys wide acceptance as the most comprehensive and parsimonious model of the structure of personality.The Big Five traits are most commonly referred to as: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Evaluating the evidence of cross cultural personality differences, one may find in literary sources that just described Big F ive Model has also been based on the reasonable assumptions as for the existence of these differences. It was based on the English lexicon and Western culture, and this was the first theory to raise the concern as for the cross cultural generalisability.It was noted that if the environment is capable of impacting personality, these five model structures would not be found in all cultures. The presence of different aspects of the Big Five model would depend on the culture under research. Personality assessments are culturally generalisable to enable cross-cultural comparisons, and also to ensure their fairness in the multicultural societies. (Barrick & Mount, 1991)However many questions in relation to these study and the relevance and reliability of these results arise – for example, whether the group respondents were of the same social group (age, profession, interests, career, family status etc), and were the researches conducted in the similar surroundings and situations. O n the other hand, if we assume that in order to create such perfect ideal surrounding laboratory tests would be the most appropriate ones, there are stil doubts whether these tests are reliable and can roduce rleevant results.(Ones & Andersen, 2002) For example, if we take the case with the research of the cross cultural personality differences in New Zealand, Research into the cross-cultural generalisability of personality structure has been conducted through factor analytic studies of personality descriptors in foreign languages. It has also been studied through the translation of personality assessments and comparison of the resulting factor structure with the United States normative structure.Analyses of personality descriptors in foreign languages have typically identified five factors. However, the five personality factors rarely correspond with the original five factors based on United States samples. This lack of correspondence is likely to arise because personality trait de scriptors rarely translate directly between languages. However, the finding that lexical studies typically identify five, or close to five, personality factors is considered as evidence for the cross-cultural generalisability of personality structure.(Barrick & Mount, 1991) The translation of questionnaire items can, however, present problems as some trait adjectives do not have direct translations. Despite this limitation, research has attempted to gauge the cross-cultural replicability of personality structure through the translation of personality assessments. Sometimes the cross cultural variability was viewed thrugh the six different assessments, but the five assessment model was still found the most appropriate as letting to find the bigger number of similarities in languages.Despite the already described limitations, it has still be found that Big Five model of personality structure was replicated through the diverse cultures through both lexical and questionnaire methods. Th e existence of such model is not necessarily translated into the endorsement or rejection of various traits and behavioral patterns, and is equivalent across the cultures. This critical evaluation of the methods gives certain doubts as for the reliability of the existing evidence of cross cultural diversity across various ethnic groups.Yet these methods are widely used for the research of these differences. The disadvantages of the international research in cross cultural personality difference are numerous, and this is why they should be always looked at critically. For example, with the facet personality trait level, it is difficult to generalise the findings across previous studies, because ‘different personality assessments vary according to the number of and names given to the lower level traits'.(McAdams, 1992) As far as the United States is the leader of conducting these researches, the bigger part of them is devoted to the personality differences within the ethnic grou ps living in the US, but does it give solid grounds to assume that this cultural difference is similar in other ethnic groups all over the world? :Probably in order to receive reliable results in cross cultural studies it is essential to determine whether ethnic groups (even in the present study of New Zealand) are differentiated through commonly used personality asessments.It is also interesting to note, that in order to eliminate these language problems and to check the reliability of the tests and methods, it is appropriate to conduct a research across English-speaking countries, which will give the basis for assuming, whether these test methodologies are workable within the frames of the similar language between the ethnic groups under research. Speaking about laboratory tests, there is a number of certain limitations which can prevent the reader and the researcher from normal judging and evaluation of the results.While the results of any recent studies in cross cultural persona lity differences are held as being sensational and are represented without any account of the limitations, thus making the public consider cross cultural identity differences be crucial in the determining of the behavioral patterns, and letting other importantr factors remain unnoticed, there are the measurements which should be performed or taken into account while reading any such evidence and study, which will ultimately lead to the conclusion of the importance of the given results and their reliability.These are the partner and the stranger condition, and the number of games played through the study in the laboratory conditions. In some studies, authors found that under partner condition, the contribution rate was lower, whereas others found the opposite results. These conditions had an effect on the contribution rate based on their research, this is why it is often necessary not to differentiate these two conditions and to evaluate the evidence of any cross cultural research wi thout this differentiation.(Goldberg, Sweeney & Hughes, 1998) In some studies, participants only played the game once, and in other studies they played the game following an infinitely repeated fashion, typically with 10 rounds. Theoretically speaking, the contribution rate of the last round of the infinitely repeated games is equivalent to the one in the one-shot game, given the same strategy the participants could apply. Thus, these data from respective condition is comparable.Reading the study conducted in New Zealand, the first question arises in connection with the choice of participants; it was the correct step to define the gender, age and country of residence for each respondent; however, in this case the identification of the ethnic group is only available for the New Zealand inner groups, and is not specified for the international groups participated in the study.On the one hand, it may decrease the reliability of the acquired results; on the other hand, at the internation al level the results of the research do not need to be specified in terms of the specific ethnic group and give only general definitions as for the cross cultural personality difference; but again – without this specification is there any guarantee that the international group has been chosen correctly and carried the general characteristics of the wide ethnic group and is not narrowed by some small ethnic grouping, thus making the cultural difference too significant?The five traits model is also used in other cross cultural studies, and it is stated that ‘The Five Factor Model of personality is a universally valid taxonomy of traits. ‘ (McAdams, 1992) The analysis of the 33 countries and the studies of the cross cultural personality difference among these countries have allowed the researchers to come to the conclusion that this model is the most appropriate through the similar studies, and even with the account of the criticism given earlier in this work, it app ears that many studies use it as the basic method for research.This also gives the basis for doubts and critical evaluation of the reliability of the results provided by these studies; if the method used in most of them is the same and it presupposes certain limitations and even bias, thus the question is also whether these studies can be considered to be reliable. (Ones & Andersen, 2002 The beneficial side of the New Zealand approach is in the fact that it actually uses two different methods of evaluation which may potentially increase the reliability of the acquired results.Personality traits were measured using the 15 Factor Questionnaire Plus (15FQ+), a self-report personality assessment. This assessment is widely used within New Zealand, as well as internationally, and was designed specifically for personnel assessment and selection purposes. The 15FQ+ was completed by the respondents in either a pencil-and-paper format or in a computerised format. Qualified test administrators conducted the assessments following a standardised procedure and testing conditions.The assessment had no time limit, but respondents were provided with a guide of how long the assessment should take. In distinction from other studies, which mostly use one method, and which is mostly the Big Five Model (Triandis, 2002; Markus & Kitayama, 1991), the use of the two different methods certainly increases reliability and relevance of the research results. Another study (Allen, 2001) suggested that the use of the 15FQ+ tests was within the range of the reasonable validity and thus had good internal consistency.The reliability coefficients of this method were ranging from . 77 to . 89 which is essential for the tests of such kind. No information has been found as for the Five Model tests, and it should be suggested that the wide use of this method does not give any reliable basis to assume that this methodology is the best for the evaluation of these cross cultural personality differences .The results which were acquired through the research, tell the reader that out of the five basic traits, suspiciousness was the one which displayed the highest difference across the three international group of respondents, with South Africa showing the highest scores; however with the accounting of the previous criticism of the Big Five Model it is possible to assume that these results should be re-checked with the use of other methodologies, as well as with the specification of the exact ethnic group at the international level.(Barrick & Mount, 1991) Conclusion Based on the previous assumptions the following conclusions may be derived out of the information available: 1. The Laboratory tests of the cross cultural personality differences are deprived of real life connection and the participants of these studies are already assimilated thus the results of these studies cannot be supposed to be reliable. 2. The use of the Big Five model should be combined with the use of other metho dologies to produce relevant results.It is suggested, that further research is conducted within the framework of several different methodologies, and it is assumed that the results acquired through the similar studies but with the use of different methods will produce the results which are different from those in previous researches. It is suggested that the most important studies are carried out again but with different respondents and different surroundings with the account of the criticism in the present paper.The studies which exist at present, especially those using only one Big Five model of research, should be re-visited and re-considered in the light of the modern realia and the requirements towards such experiments. It is suggested that laboratory studies are excluded from the sphere of cross cultural personality studies. Works cited Allen, J. Review of Measurement of Ethnicity – Classification and Issues. Classifications and Standards Section, New Zealand, 2001. Bar rick, M. R. & Mount, M. K.‘The Big Five Personality Dimensions: A Meta-Analysis'. Personnel Psychology, 44 (1991): 1-26 Brandts, J. , Saijo, T. & Schram, A. ‘How Universal is Behavior? A Four Country Comparison. ‘ Public Choice 119 (2004): 381-424 Goldberg, L. R. , Sweeney, D. & Hughes, J. E. ‘Demographic Variables and Personality: The Effects of Gender, Age, Education, and Ethnic/ Racial Status on Self-Descriptions of Personality Attributes'. Personality and Individual Difference 24 (1998): 393-403 Markus. H. R. & Kitayama, S. ‘Culture and the Self: Implications for Cognition, Emotion and Motivation'.Psychological Review 98 (1991): 224-253 McAdams, D. P. ‘The Five-Factor Model in Personality: A Critical Appraisal'. Journal of Personality 60 (1992): 329-361 Ones, D. S. & Andersen, N. ‘Gender and Ethnic Group Differences in Personality Scales in Selection: Some British Data. ‘ Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 75 (20 02): 255-276 Triandis, H. C. ‘The Self and Social Behavior in Differing Cultural Contexts'. Psychological Review 96 (1989): 506-520

Formal Characteristics

SOC/120: Evolution of Formal Organizations Due: 12/11/2011 Nancy Keta The way that I will conduct my research is to first explain how formal organizations have evolved over the past century. Second, what differences were there in organizations a century ago, and compare to today’s organizations. And lastly I will also tell of the trends in today’s formal organizations in modern society. I will describe how each of the characteristics for formal organizations will need to evolve or change in Micah’s organization to be more open and flexible. And I will give an overall prediction based on my research on how organizations like Micah’s may evolve in the future. The evolution of formal organizations over the past century has changed due to the advances in technology and politics. There will always be changes in organizations as time passes and goes on; it can be influences from the outside world like consumers, or inside forces such as productivity. The outside influences are always changing due to the consumer and ever changing market is demanding a service or product every time they feel there is a need for something new, or something that they may desire. Making the companies aware of these desires and demands is a key factor in determining what needs to take place within the organization and turn them into being productive. Organizations that were here years ago did have all the advancements and technology as they do now. If you think about it most upper management handled just about everything in writing and managed tasks according to manual and procedures. Technology today has increased the speed of processing information and completed various other tasks that management had to do manually or by hand. Computers and the internet were here about 10 years ago, but not 100 years ago, but even 10 years ago many things had to be done by hand. The speed of technology has increased quickly and we are no longer waiting for the internet to connect thru dial up services; we have advancements in technology that connect us to the internet in a matter of a second. Medical equipment in today’s world uses software that will calculate birthdates and sex of fetuses, and can show us what an unborn child may look like at the time of being in the womb. There was not even a thought of this technology a century ago; people went ff old wise tales to find out what the sex of the child was. Looking at the medical coding field that has erupted in education institutions, technology is taking over the personal side of things, pretty soon there will be only machines working rather than humans. In many companies, this has already taken place; many positions that were previously filled by humans have beco me computer automated. In today’s world the advancement of technology is leading the way, getting jobs done faster and more efficient than the way they have been done when our predecessors were in the work force. From the stand point of a formal organization it is important to understand that most factors of the organization are built on traditions; some methods of doing business have been the same way for many years. Work methods are not as modern because everything stays the same and not much improvement has been made with this type of organization. Many believe that a formal organization is an old way of thinking, and these organizations are opposed to the new way of thinking which is more modern and technologically driven. Formal organizations often have a set standard or rule book in which their business is conducted and ran. Organization is key and highly important within a formal organization. When assessing the ladder of leaders within a bureaucratic organization, it is important to picture or a pyramid type order. Within the pyramid format, everyone has a supervisor that they report to and have to answer to. This pyramid is constructed with supervisors being at the top of the pyramid and employees are at the bottom. Within this pyramid each person has designated tasks, and job expectations. Generally a person can see how relationships between co-workers are minimal to maximize work ethic and cut down on fraternization of employees. Within a bureaucratic organization communication is left on an impersonal note consisting of email, telephone, or letters. It seems that â€Å"succession planning† is becoming a major trend among major corporations. Many companies are strategically planning processes and corporate policies. This is not just for the upper ranks; this is becoming a proactive management of the corporation’s entire talent pool. Leadership development, integrating with talent management, and career development programs, succession planning is going beyond the reactionary replacement of employees. Effective succession planning is making it possible for the success of a organizations talent, on demand, and as needed, right now and in the future. The biggest hindrances to organizations are time and resources. It seems that the day to day challenges of running these companies over power the organization’s ability to effectively engage in succession planning. Many other obstacles occur when management feels threatened because they are asked to train their successors; this is also in addition to being able to predict the needs of the company in the company in the future. Many places do not have the internal career development programs to help employees take over available positions in the future or have clear career pathways defined. Being able to identify internal candidates with the right skills, experience, and abilities to handle various needs is a big challenge for many organizations. Connecting the collection and retrieval of such data enabled the implementation of succession planning activities. Identifying these skills and abilities needed for various positions, and relaying this information to the workforce, organizations have the ability to proactively recruit internal talent, and employees are enabled to manage their own careers within the company. In the execution of these actions employee retention and morale seem to be higher and the company is better off and more profitable in the long hall. More organizations are beginning to realize that there is a need for the developing some type of succession planning. With the upcoming need to have new managers ready to assume positions because of massive numbers of baby boomers retiring, companies need to move and act fast. Citations: * GROOMING SUCCESSORS. Full Text Available By: Heffes, Ellen M. Financial Executive, Sep2002, Vol. 18 Issue 6, p21-24, 4p, 4 Color Photographs * MANAGEMENT BY WONDERING ALOUD. Full Text Available By: Galagan, Patricia. Training & Development Journal, Jun86, Vol. 0 Issue 6, p4, 1p * Organizing for Decision Support System Support: The End-User Services Alternative. Full Text Available By: Watson, Hugh J. ; Carr, Houston H. Journal of Management Information Systems, Summer87, Vol. 4 Issue 1, p83-95, 13p * Renewal Through Reorganization: The Value of Inconsistencies Between Formal and Informal Organization. Full Text Available By: Gulati, Ranjay; Puranam, Phanish. Organization Science, Mar/Apr2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p422-440, 19p, 3 Diagrams, 2 Charts, 5 Graphs

Free Essays on Buddha

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal western sense. The basic Buddhist teachings are straightforward: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. This enables people to realize and utilize the teachings in order to transform their experience and be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of wisdom and compassion. There are different forms of Buddhism throughout different cultures, but all traditions are usually characterized by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and by the practice of meditation. The word â€Å"Buddha† is a title, not a name. It means â€Å"one who is awake†. It was first given to a man who was born as Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal 2,500 years ago. Siddharta was born into the royal family of a small kingdom on the Indian-Nepalese border. According to the traditional story he had an understanding that life includes the harsh facts of old age, sickness, and death. After consistent meditation he sat down beneath a pipal tree and vowed that â€Å"flesh may wither, blood may dry up, but I shall not rise from this spot until Enlightenment has been won†. After forty days, the Buddha finally attained enlightenment. During the remaining 45 years of his life he traveled through much of northern India, spreading his teaching of the way to enlightenment. The teaching is known in the East as the Buddha-dharma: the teaching of the enlightened one. The Buddha was not a God and he made no claim to divinity, and Buddhists see him as a guide who can lead one to enlightenment. Buddhism sees life as a process of constant change, and its ... Free Essays on Buddha Free Essays on Buddha Charles Hallmark "Buddhism V. Newdism" Buddhism is unlike most other religions. The founder of it is not a god, a savior, but simply a man who walked among men and freed himself from attachment and suffering. "Buddha's" name was Guatama Sakyamuni and he is the founder of what its followers call the Dharma. The origins of Buddhism lye in Indian religion. The religion is supposed to embody the personal transcendence of a person's inner world. Guatama left behind his wife, son, and finely furbished home in Kapilavashtu to seek enlightenment. It was the sight of suffering that encouraged him and at the onset of his journey his day's sages that discouraged him. He became despaired by the sages and their doctrines. Then one night Guatama Sakyamuni (or Siddartha Gautama) put him under a trance at which point he discovered enlightenment and became Buddha. Presently, this faith continues to inspire, redirect, and focus members of society. Buddhism improves the livelihood of most people although "new Buddhists" values are disconcord with those of their faith. My purpose of writing this paper is two fold: to make a reasonable argument of the contribution Buddhism has made and the beliefs a person who truly follows the doctrine should have. Buddhists believe that Nirvana is the Supreme Reality or truth that liberates us from suffering. God is considered to me an ephemeral, limited concept that fades and coincides with the cycle of life and death. Nirvana is an end to the cycle of life and death and its very meaning cannot be put into words. The mundane earth, the world that we see, is entirely an illusion of suffering. The path of disillusionment is compassion for everything. The doctrine carries a set of four (4) noble truths and seven (7) steps on the path. The four noble truths consist of truth of suffering, origin of suffering, extinction of suffering, and the path that leads to the extinction of suffering. There... Free Essays on buddha Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal western sense. The basic Buddhist teachings are straightforward: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. This enables people to realize and utilize the teachings in order to transform their experience and be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of wisdom and compassion. There are different forms of Buddhism throughout different cultures, but all traditions are usually characterized by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and by the practice of meditation. The word â€Å"Buddha† is a title, not a name. It means â€Å"one who is awake†. It was first given to a man who was born as Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal 2,500 years ago. Siddharta was born into the royal family of a small kingdom on the Indian-Nepalese border. According to the traditional story he had an understanding that life includes the harsh facts of old age, sickness, and death. After consistent meditation he sat down beneath a pipal tree and vowed that â€Å"flesh may wither, blood may dry up, but I shall not rise from this spot until Enlightenment has been won†. After forty days, the Buddha finally attained enlightenment. During the remaining 45 years of his life he traveled through much of northern India, spreading his teaching of the way to enlightenment. The teaching is known in the East as the Buddha-dharma: the teaching of the enlightened one. The Buddha was not a God and he made no claim to divinity, and Buddhists see him as a guide who can lead one to enlightenment. Buddhism sees life as a process of constant change, and its ... Free Essays on Buddha BIRTH In times long past, fully twenty-five hundred years ago, where are now the border-lands between Nepal and the northern parts of the provinces of Oudh and North Bihar, there were a number of little kingdoms inhabited by different races of people, each ruled over by its own Raja or King. One of these little kingdoms which lay some distance north of the present-day town of Gorakhpore, on the north side of the river Rapti, was the land of a race called the Sakyas, the king who ruled over them at that time being called Suddhodana. The family to which King Suddhodana of the Sakyas belonged was called the Gotama family, so that his full name was King Suddhodana Gotama; and the name of the chief city in his kingdom where he had his chief palace, was Kapilavatthu. This King Suddhodana had a chief queen whose name was Mahamaya. And after they had lived together for some time in married happiness, the Queen became aware that the day was drawing near when she should bring forth a child. So, before time came upon her, she asked her husband to give her leave to go and pay a visit to her own people who belonged to a city not very far away called Devadaha. King Suddhodana very willingly granted his chief Queen her wish, and sent out his men with orders to prepare the way for her, and do everything needed to make the journey to her father's house a pleasant and comfortable one for her. Now half way between Kapilavatthu and the town of Devadaha there was a very fine forest garden called Lumbini where the people of both places used to go in the hot weather to enjoy the cool shade of the great Sal trees of which there were many in the grove. Here in the month of May, these great trees were covered from top to bottom with lovely blossoms. In among their long branches flew many kinds of birds singing their sweetest songs so that the whole air was full of the sound of their warbling. And over and through the myriads of flowers, swarms of bee...

More Than and Less Than in Spanish

More Than and Less Than in Spanish Spanish has two common ways of saying more than and two corresponding ways of saying less than - but they dont mean the same thing to a native Spanish speaker and arent interchangeable. Tip for Remembering the Rule on More Than and Less Than Both ms que and ms de are usually translated as more than, while menos que and menos de typically are translated as less than. Menos de is also frequently translated as fewer than. Fortunately, the basic rule for remembering which to use is simple: Ms de and menos de normally are used before numbers. (If you like mnemonic devices, think D for digit.) Ms que and menos que are used in making comparisons. (Think K for comparison.) Some examples of ms de and menos de: Pronto vamos a ver el aceite a ms de cinco euros por litro. (Soon were going to see oilat more than 5 euros per liter.)El estudio dice que las mujeres necesitan ms de un hombre para ser felices. (The study says women need more than one man in order to be happy.) ¿Es posible sentir amor por ms de una persona? (Is it possible to feel love toward more than one person? Note that while una can mean a, it also is the feminine form of the number one.)Las temperaturas mà ­nimas descendieron a menos de cero grados. (The low temperatures fell to less than zero degrees.)Hay muchos alimentos con menos de 100 calorà ­as. (There are many foods with fewer than 100 calories.)Adquirir una vivienda de menos de un millà ³n de pesos en la Ciudad de Mà ©xico es complicado, pero no imposible. (Purchasing a home for less on than a million pesos in Mexico City is complicated but not impossible.) Here are some examples of comparisons using que: Nadie te ama ms que yo. (Nobody loves you more than I do.)Eres mucho ms que tus sentimientos. (You are much more than your feelings.)Gano menos que ella. (I earn less than she does.)Yo estaba ms feliz que un nià ±o con juguete nuevo. (I was happier than a boy with a new toy.)Me duele ms que antes. (This hurts me more than before.)Soy blogger y sà ©Ã‚  mucho ms que si fuera polà ­tica. (Im a blogger and I know much more  than if I were a politician.)Se necesitan ms manos que trabajen y menos gente que critique. (Needed are more hands that work and fewer people who criticize.) Note that a comparison takes the following form: Subject verb more/less than subject verbSujeto verbo ms/menos que sujeto verbo More Examples of More Than and Less Than However, in both Spanish and English, the noun and/or verb in the second part of the sentence can be implied rather than stated explicitly. In the final sentences given, for example, both the noun and verb are omitted in the second half. This hurts me more than before (Me duele ms que antes) has the same meaning as This hurts me more than it hurt me before (Me duele ms que me dolà ­a antes). If you cant readily expand a sentence to such a form, then there is no comparison being made. Here are some more examples using ms de and menos de. Note how these sentences cant be restructured the same way a comparison can: La Wikipedia tiene ms de 100.000 artà ­culos. (The Wikipedia has more than 100,000 articles.)El estudiante promedio necesita ms de cuatro aà ±os para obtener su tà ­tulo. (The average student needs more than four years to earn his or her degree.)Son menos de las cinco de la tarde. (It is not yet 5 p.m.)Menos de uno de cada tres espaà ±oles con derecho a voto apoya el tratado. (Fewer than one out of three Spaniards with the right to vote support the treaty.) In those rare cases where ms de or menos de isnt followed by a number, de usually can be translated as of or about, never than. Le deseo muchos aà ±os ms de felicidad. (I wish you many more years of happiness.)Quiero saber ms de los dinosaurios. (I want to know more about dinosaurs.)Nike Air: un poco menos de dolor. (eslogan publicitario) (Nike Air: A little less hurt. (advertising slogan) An Exception to the Number Rule Where a comparison is being made, ms que can be followed by a number. Example: Tiene ms dinero que diez reyes, he has more money than 10 kings. To use de in the just-given example would be nonsensical (unless rey were a unit of money). There are a very few cases, however, where the distinction between ms de and ms que can eliminate an ambiguity thats present in the English more than. Take, for example, a sentence such as he can eat more than a horse. The sentence could be translated to Spanish in two ways, depending on what is meant in English: Puede comer ms que un caballo. (He can eat more than a horse can eat.)Puede comer ms de un caballo. (He can eat a greater amount of food than eating a horse.) The first example above is a comparison, while the second is not.

Affirmative Action Essays - Social Inequality, Free Essays

Affirmative Action The state shall not discriminate, or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. The previous statement is the unedited text of the operative part of Proposition 209, the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), that passed November fifth by a percentage of 54 to 46. Though the initiative does not actually mention affirmative action, Californians feel affirmative action may be coming to an end. Will the decision of Proposition 209 have a great impact on colleges and universities? We will soon find out. We do know that affirmative action in colleges and universities has a long history of controversy sparked by the 1978 Bakke case and seems to be far from over with the recent vote on proposition 209. The Supreme Courts 1978 decision in the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke has been the basis for most college affirmative action programs. The case involved a white man, Allen Bakke, who applied for admission to, and was rejected by California University at Davis Medical School in 1973 and 1974. The university had an affirmative action program to accept sixteen Black, Hispanic, and Asian students for every 100 entering. Allen Bakke objected when he found out that he had been turned down while minorities students with lower college grades and MCAT scores had been admitted under the universitys affirmative action program. The court then had been divided between four justices in favor of admitting Bakke on the basis that the quota affirmative Maloney 2 action plan had violated Title Four of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, four Justices against admitting Bakke, and Justice Powell, the swing vote. Justice Powell declared that Allen Bakke would be admitted to the medical school because the University of Californias affirmative action plan had violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In Justice Powells opinion, the Fourteenth Amendment must be interpreted to protect everyone (McWhirter). The Bakke decision has sparked many anti-affirmative action movements, the latest being Proposition 209. Backing the California Civil Rights Initiative, proponents feel it is time to end race and sex-based quotas, preferences and set-asides now governing state employment, contracts and education. Launching a two million dollar television campaign to support the ballot measure, Robert Dole and the Republican Party made proposition 209 the centerpiece in their push for Californias 54 electoral votes (Lesher). Bob Dole states, If affirmative action means quotas, set- asides and other preferences that favor individuals simply because they happen to belong to certain groups, thats were I draw the line (qtd. in What Theyre Saying About Quotas and the California Civil Rights Initiative). Agreeing with Dole, Governor Pete Wilson states that Mandating and practicing inequality cannot bring equality (qtd. in What Theyre Saying About Quotas and the California Civil Rights ! Initiative). Another defender of proposition 209 and affirmative action is House Speaker Newt Gingrich. In a interview with Gingrich, he boldly states that people who want some kind of quota based on racial background should be forced to debate in public their version of America. I would make clear that I oppose Maloney 3 quotas explicitly because I favor an integrated America (qtd. in What Theyre Saying About Quotas and the California Civil Rights Initiative). United States Senator, Phil Gramm, also opposes affirmative action resolutely declaring that if I become President, quotas and set-asides are finished in America (qtd. in What Theyre Saying About Quotas and the California Civil Rights Initiative). Opposing the measure, California college students and other affirmative action supporters protest to sustain variety and diversity. The first incident occurred when 500 students from University of California Berkeley met on Sprous Hall steps, the evening after the election and seized the Campanile clock tower. Some students chained themselves inside. The same day as the as the Berkeley incident, 300 students from the University of California Santa Cruz surrounded and picketed the Student Service Building, effectively closing the financial aid and registrars office. Police made no arrests. On November seventh, 100 students from San Francisco State caused a commotion by blocking 19th Avenue, a main thoroughfare (WALLACE and MARCUM ).

Learning Team Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan and Essay

Learning Team Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan and Presentation - Essay Example Hastings, an industry expert noted that â€Å"we are becoming like them in doing some originals and they are becoming more like us in creating an on-demand interface like HBO Go," which allows viewers to watch channels on the Web and on mobile and tabulate devices† (Coyle, 2012). This comment however is not without merit because close analysis in the industry shows that online video is going that way. Already, Netflix, the dominant player in the online video industry premiered its first scripted show Lilyhammer and House of Cards which was originally aired on Fox (Coyle, 2012). Hulu also premiered its own documentary show Battleground in February followed by Up to Speed which is a documentary about the ignored monuments of American cities (Coyle, 2012). Even Yahoo which was originally known as a search engine and email provider launched Electric City an animation series produced and voiced by Tom Hanks. Netflix, the industry leader is already operating under the assumption tha t TV and internet is converging with TV networks already experimenting on of going online for its shows to be seen in the internet and handheld mobile devices (Coyle, 2012). ... Branding As a brand, Hulu was previously known to be a free internet movie provider whose content were supported solely by advertisement. Its transition from free internet movie provider to paid subscription albeit first was met with resistance (Sandoval, 2009) was however overcome where Hulu is now known as one of the leading provider of internet videos. While Hulu have made decent strides in the internet video industry, its brand is not yet that established compared to its competitor Yahoo who is capitalizing on its existing audience base. Thus, it is highly recommended that Hulu should diversify and create more original content that is patently produced and owned by the company for the brand to be known among consumers. It is also recommended that the company should advertise itself more to increase the presence of the brand. Hulu’s brand presence should also not be limited in North America but extend it abroad including the rising market in Asia if it intends to go global. Positioning The online video market uses the internet as its platform which is global in reach and cost efficient. Having this reach to anywhere in the world for as long as there is an internet connection spells a different economics for industry players because of the sheer volume of its potential market. Unlike in traditional broadcast TV whose immediate reach is limited to one geographical location such as the United States, internet video can reach other countries simultaneously without having its shows or content syndicated to a third party just for the content to be shown outside the territory of its original location. At present, Hulu is limited to US customers and is not able to other regions particularly in emerging market such as Asia. This limitation is