Thomas Lanier Williams III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thomas Lanier Williams III - Essay Example Thesis religions education and values of his grandfather had a great impact on themes and motifs used by Williams in his plays. The religious dimension is appeared in his early plays and portrayed as an important part of characters life. One of his best early one-act plays, Portrait of a Madonna, is at once a pathetic portrait of a deranged Southern spinster, precursor of Blanche DuBois of Streetcar, and a grotesque parody of the immaculate conception. Miss Collins both believes and denies belief. She has been brought up in the shadow of the Episcopal church but feels she has been abandoned by the church. Her walk in the scorching, merciless sunlight is a kind of passion, punctuated with cries to God, Jesus, and a "merciful Christ in Heaven" who show her no mercy. The recluse who believes herself pregnant wants to educate her imagined child privately, "to make sure that it doesn't grow up in the shadow of the cross and then have to walk along blocks that scorch you with terrible sunlight" (Bigsby 2004). The collapse of her belief turns her life into nightmare, as Williams makes amply clear through the tightl y woven pattern of Christian reference turned into parody and developed through imagery of light and shadow (Bigsby 2004). In Summer and Smoke the rectory is the home of a deranged woman and the angel in the park which dominates the set brings at the end not heavenly mercy or the "Eternity" inscribed at its base but the traveling salesman. The central irony of this struggle of body and soul is that by the time that Dr. John finally recognizes that human beings do have souls, Alma has given up hope and searches for satisfactions of the body alone. God's mercy comes not in the form of spiritual aid but in sleeping pills. As Alma tells the salesman, "Life is full of little mercies like that, not big mercies, but comfortable little mercies. And so we are able to keep on going." In The Rose Tatoo Serafina can shed her loneliness and prolonged grief and find love again only after she has blown out the candle under the Madonna's image. The priest is ineffectual and cannot solace her (Bloom 2003). Only in Mangiacavallo does she find renewed life. The Night ofthe Iguana gives us another ineffectual minister, the Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon.Locked out of his church for heresy and fornication, Shannon rages romantically against the traditional image of God as a "senile delinquent" and wants to preach "God as Lightning and Thunder," in oblivious majesty before the terrors of the human condition. His own suffering is described by Hannah as a "voluptuous crucifixion," and her final appeal to God at the end of the play is only the last link in a chain of imagery of crucifixion and unsuccessful resurrection, of Christian belief gone awry. . Dr. John in Summer and Smoke will be married on Palm Sunday. Orpheus Descending reaches its wild climax on Easter Sunday and the lynching of Val Xavier becomes as a result a brutal parody Christian imagery becomes a means of denying Christian belief. In its quieter forms the combination produces cosmic irony; in its most violent manifestations, grotesque parody (Bigsby 2004). In the Glass Menagerie , religion is used as a unique theme which helps Williams to unveil false dreams and ideals of the character. On the level of plot, this circle of reference enhances the credibility of the dramatic situation. Given Amanda's sham

Sarcodina Case Essay Example for Free

Sarcodina Case Essay Sarcodina, the largest phylum (11,500 living species and 33,000 fossil species) of protozoans). It comprises the amebas and related organisms; which are all solitary cells that move and capture food by means of pseudopods, flowing temporary extensions of the cell. Most sarcodines are free living; others are parasitic. One of these parasites is the causative organism of amebic dysentery. With the exception of chloroplasts, sarcodines are identical to the ameboid members of the phylum Chrysophyta. Sarcodines may reproduce asexually by cell division, often without breakdown of the nuclear envelope that is typical in mitosis, or sexually by meiosis and the production of haploid gametes, followed by fusion of gametes and the formation of zygotes. Sarcodina /Sar ·co ·di ·na/ (-di ´nah) a subphylum of protozoa consisting of organisms that alter their body shape and that move about and acquire food either by means of pseudopodia or by protoplasmic flow without producing discrete pseudopodia. Phylum Sarcodina The sarcodines are a much more familiar group of protists than the mastigophores. The most well-known example of a sarcodine is the famous amoeba. Lacking any rigid structure outside of their cell membrane, sarcodines can freely change their shape and form pseudopodia. Sarcodines can live in both freshwater and marine environments. They can reproduce both asexually and sexually, and they are usually free-living. Like mastigophores, sarcodines use pseudopodia to move and capture food. Although the amoeba is generally thought of as lacking any structure, some have shells, and most other types of sarcodines also have shells. One class of sarcodines, the foraminiferans, possess calcareous shells (they are made of CaCO3). Radiolarians also have shells, but theirs contain silica. While the latter two groups usually live in saltwater environments, the heliozoans live in freshwater. They too can have shells which contain silica. Sarcodines reproduce sexually by syngamy (fusion of two gametes) and asexually by division or budding. In multinucleate forms, cytoplasmic division with distribution of the nuclei occurs. Some sarcodines have flagella during certain stages of their development; in other groups flagellated and unflagellated generations alternate. Sarcodines may be either solitary or colonial. Although some are parasitic on plants or animals, most sarcodines are free-living, feeding on bacteria, algae, other protozoans, or organic debris. The genera are distinguished by the structure of their pseudopodia. See also pseudopodium. Pseudopods or pseudopodia (false feet) are a special group of amoebas able to change their form to be able to move. Pseudopods are one of the three locomotion modes of unicellular organisms (together with flagella and cilia). Pseudopods can also capture prey by phagocytosis. Phagocytosis (from Ancient Greek φÎ ±ÃŽ ³ÃŽ µÃ¡ ¿â€"ÃŽ ½ (phagein) , meaning to devour, ÃŽ ºÃ Ãâ€žÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š, (kytos), meaning cell, and -osis, meaning process) is the cellular process of engulfing solid particles by the cell membrane to form an internal phagosome by phagocytes and protists. Phagocytosis was revealed by Ilya Mechnikov in 1882. Phagocytosis is a specific form of endocytosis involving the vesicular internalization of solids such as bacteria, and is, therefore, distinct from other forms of endocytosis such as the vesicular internalization of various liquids. Phagocytosis is involved in the acquisition of nutrients for some cells, and, in the immune system, it is a major mechanism used to remove pathogens and cell debris. Bacteria, dead tissue cells, and small mineral particles are all examples of objects that may be phagocytosed. eat algae, bacteria,other protozoans,and tiny particle of dead plant. Inside of amoeba is jelly like fluid called cytoplasm.amoeba reproduce by a process called binary fission.amoeba can split in half and make two identical new amoebas.they spend most of their time attached to the plants . sometimes they float freely to the water. The word amoeba comes from a Greek word meaning to change. Other ex; arcella, difflugia, heliozoans, radiolarians, foramineferans.

Gaining a “sense of the arts” through music Essay -- Music, Language

Gaining a â€Å"sense of the arts† through music The arts are forms of personal and social expression. They stimulate imagination, thinking, thinking, and understanding. The arts are fundamental in the development of children, who can feel as well as think, and who are sensitive and creative. In early childhood education children identify and express the feelings and ideas in different forms such as music, dance, drama, and visual arts. This essay highlights the key ideas of how young children between the ages of three to five make sense through art such as music. Furthermore, this essay makes links to early childhood curriculum as a bicultural perspective. It concludes with the role of teachers and adults in providing support during music. Art as music Music is a unique way of making sense of sound. It is also a way of knowing how children see the world, express their views and how they come to know the world. Feeney et al, (2006) emphasises that arts such as music help children to develop their senses and they are essential part of children’s growing up. Listening to music is fundamental to all forms of music-making and musical experience. To hear music is relatively easy, provided no physical barriers exist. However, to listen to music with understanding and comprehension requires repeated exposure and guided learning. The ability to listen with understanding and comprehension enhances all learning activities, and should therefore become an integral part of early childhood learning centres. Developing this ability at such a young age will have long-term benefits for a life-long learning program. Many musical activities require children to wait their turn, listen to each other, hold their instrument still until they h... ...vidually and in groups, provides opportunities for purposeful contributions† (MOE, 1996, p. 96). One of the main responsibilities of teachers is to facilitate creativity and not to limit or extinguish the natural talent of children. For example, as teachers we should move with children, so that they learn to move their bodies to the rhythm of the music. As teachers we should encourage with words such as: â€Å"you are a good singer† Or â€Å"do you like this music?† (Brownlee, 1991). Conclusion It is extremely important for teachers to motivate and encourage children to be involved through the arts. Additionally, teachers should stimulate children’s reflective thinking. Moreover, professional development is extremely important for teachers. Teachers can participate in programs to learn the techniques of an arts-integrated approach to education. (1343 words)

Gender as a Dimension of Social Stratification Essay

Everyone knows and speaks about equality between men and women, and we just conclude that men and women are not equal. Gender is considered a major dimension of social stratification since the responsibilities of both men and women are different which can be traced since old times. The society provides more power to men rather than women resulted consider gender as an important dimension of social stratification. The family is considered as the basic unit of society and that the position of the family in society class is determined by the socio-economic status of the male as the head of the family. Women are denied to highly public resources since the society point out that the role of women as mother and wife are devalued even though women’s roles are vital to the well-being of society. Women are moving from being traditional wife facing new challenges of new corporate and societal responsibilities. When roles of a woman are thought to require male direction in an organization, the unequal treatment is directly related to gender roles. The roles of men and women are settled to amounts of income, prestige and power; these inequalities contribute to the system of stratification. When we talk about stratification it refers to the different layers or strata of social groups which are thought to be arranged, one on top of the other, in various human societies (Saunders 1990 p. 1). The role of age and gender in the social stratification and organizational structures are characterized by differentiation of status, activities, strengthening of organizational hierarchy and inadequate systems. Through the process of socialization, people incorporate gender into their own personalities as well as their actions. Many believe that inequality is the interlocked practices and processes resulted in continuing inequalities in work. Criticizing inequality in the context of work organizations is vital and essential for the investigation of continues creation of complex inequalities since societal inequalities originate in organizations. Women experience new types of exploitation that continue their low status. Women’s share of the labor force is less than and their unemployment is higher than for men, women also earn lower than the male. Women pay may be less than that of men, although organizations require similar education, skills and training. Immigrant women who are well educated and affluent, still experience racial and gender inequalities as the source of oppression. Women and men come up with assumptions about whom they interact with within the organization, gender differences provide clues to appropriate assumptions followed by proper behaviors. Studies of race inequality have examined the production in different work organizations of racial disparities that contribute to wide racial discrimination. Race when paired with ethnicity, encapsulates multiple social realities is always inflected through gender and class differences. This theory concludes that researchers should pay attention to the intersections of race, gender and class. These intersectional analyses became generally acknowledged among scholars, but how to create and develop analyses into clear ideas of how dimensions of difference or immediate inequality-producing processes work has been difficult (cited in Holvino & Acker 2006). Governmental and social policies also increases and decreases inequalities based in gender and race which intersect with and constitute a class, civil rights and different movements challenge racial and gender inequalities. The law does not present view on such gender difference as discrimination. There are proposal for the segregation of women into female-dominated occupations in which many scholars believed that these might be a major cause of gap in terms of gender earnings. Many organizations like cooperatives, voluntary or professional organizations guided by democratic goals find inequality unacceptable and they will try to diminish it. They are fighting and working to close the gap between the jobs of men and women.

Compare the creation scene in Boris Karloff’s Essay

Genre benefits the film industry because it classifies/categorises the type of film which the film industry are required to make. It benefits the audience because they are usually expecting the genre of film and this will result in fewer complaints from the audiences, as they are prepared for the viewing. I have seen several films belonging to the Horror genre. E. g. The Haunting, Scream 1, 2 and 3, The Exorcist, The Poltergeist. Horror films deal with our most primal nature and its fears: Nightmares, our Vulnerability, our Alienation and our Terror of the Unknown, Death, and Para normality, Monsters, Blood and Religion are typical elements that make up a horror film. The scene selected is the creation scene. At this point in the narrative, Victor brings the monster to life. The 1931 version of the film is set in a stereotypical â€Å"Mad Scientists† laboratory with all the high-Tec equipment, potions and machinery. It looks like it is set in the cellar of a gothic mansion or castle. The laboratory appears to be tense and top secret. No music is used throughout the scene. Victor Frankenstein wears traditional doctors white robes which is also a stereotypical feature. It links with the surroundings/environment because the doctors’ robes convey a sense of technicality/experimentalism. The spectators in the scene are wearing formal clothing; they would have been â€Å"well off† in those days. The use of dialogue contrasts with most Horror films as quite a lot is said. Most of the dialogue spoken by doctor Frankenstein regards scientific explanation. Thunder, Lightning, and the electric buzzes are the only sound effects used. They can be classed as scientific sounds. The thunder and lightning are to do with nature and also the supernatural as they can be seen as horrific. Thunder and lightning are stereotypical elements of a horror film. Infrequent thunder sounds are heard, this creates tension for the viewer. The lightning usually strikes when movement or raising of voice occurs. The majority of the cuts are very fast apart from when the table with the monster on is being elevated. This shot is one of the main focusing points throughout the scene and Boris Karloff has shown this by making it the longest shot in the scene. It is also one of the few low angle shots throughout the scene making this an outstanding shot. Every shot in the scene is a straight cut. The fast cuts convey a sense of urgency and tension. No special effects are used in the scene. Very few low angle shots are used compared to the amount of high angle shots used. The low angle shots sometimes show power and authority, for example when Victor Frankenstein is talking to the other doctor. He contradicts the other doctor and proves him wrong; this shows his authority over him. This degrades the doctor in front of the on-scene audience. Igor (Frankenstein’s assistant) is a typical aspect of Horror. He is an iconography to â€Å"The Hunchback Of Notredame† which relates to horror. The camera rarely moves. It is usually still. Doctor Frankenstein is shown to look evil and greedy whereas the monster is shown to look helpless and weak as the movement of its hand is very low. The camera never zooms in throughout the scene. The 1993 version of the film by Kenneth Branagh uses lots of loud, tense music with a fast beat at the start of the scene. This creates a sense of urgency at the start of the scene. As Victor Frankenstein is running, this also adds the tension. Victor Frankenstein is wearing very scruffy clothes. The scene is set in a Gothic type castle/mansion and it looks like it is set in the medieval times by the use of props. Lots of candles also add to the medieval setting. However, lots of machinery and electrical devices are seen which contrasts with the medieval setting. In this scene, Dr Frankenstein brings the monster to life and tries helping it to stand up when he kills it unintentionally. Very few words are said throughout the scene which are the typical aspects of a Horror film but, as there is only one human viewed throughout the scene it is quite obvious that not a lot of dialogue is expected. Each shot is very short and has a straight cut. The only special effects are used at the monster’s birth where it squeezes out of its cage. There are lots of close-ups and medium shots on Victor. You are given the impression that the monster is weak and feeble. Frankenstein gives the impression of being a very unlucky and distraught person as the monster dies. Both films fit in the category of Horror, however Kenneth Branagh’s version is much more like a Horror film to me as it includes action and excitement. Kenneth Branagh’s version was a big budget film whereas the 1931 version was not. It also includes music and special effects whereas the 1931 version does not. This is why Kenneth Branagh’s version is my favourite. By Jack Sanders 10F Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Mary Shelley  section.

Free Essays on Internet Voting

It is no secret that our country’s democratic elections are plagued by various ills. Between low voter turnout, a lack of worthy candidates, and debacles like the one witnessed in the presidential election of 2000, people are searching for a cure. Online voting is definitely not the answer. The ability to vote online will only create more problems for an already faulted process. A switch to internet voting would result in a lack of security in elections, a lack of privacy and honest voting, and most importantly a lack of access to voting. Proponents argue that e-voting is a revolution that might kindle renewed interest in voting, especially among the young, and help raise the shamefully low voter turnout that plagues American elections. I, too, was initially enthusiastic about the prospects for Internet voting. But after researching the issue I have come to think that internet voting should probably be avoided at least for the near future. There are three broad categories that have to be clearly distinguished. Type I systems are county-controlled, with the computers and software used for voting under the full control of election officials. In this category would be Internet voting machines at traditional poll sites on Election Day. The Type II system is one involving computer voting kiosks, similar to ATM machines. The kiosks would be located at convenient places around the county and open to voters for days or weeks prior to election day, allowing many more locations and much more time for voting than we now have. These systems would also be monitored by election officials, but would be located in less traditional places, such as malls and airports or train stations. Type III systems are those where election officials do not control the machine used for voting. Systems that permit voting from home, school or office computers, or ... Free Essays on Internet Voting Free Essays on Internet Voting It is no secret that our country’s democratic elections are plagued by various ills. Between low voter turnout, a lack of worthy candidates, and debacles like the one witnessed in the presidential election of 2000, people are searching for a cure. Online voting is definitely not the answer. The ability to vote online will only create more problems for an already faulted process. A switch to internet voting would result in a lack of security in elections, a lack of privacy and honest voting, and most importantly a lack of access to voting. Proponents argue that e-voting is a revolution that might kindle renewed interest in voting, especially among the young, and help raise the shamefully low voter turnout that plagues American elections. I, too, was initially enthusiastic about the prospects for Internet voting. But after researching the issue I have come to think that internet voting should probably be avoided at least for the near future. There are three broad categories that have to be clearly distinguished. Type I systems are county-controlled, with the computers and software used for voting under the full control of election officials. In this category would be Internet voting machines at traditional poll sites on Election Day. The Type II system is one involving computer voting kiosks, similar to ATM machines. The kiosks would be located at convenient places around the county and open to voters for days or weeks prior to election day, allowing many more locations and much more time for voting than we now have. These systems would also be monitored by election officials, but would be located in less traditional places, such as malls and airports or train stations. Type III systems are those where election officials do not control the machine used for voting. Systems that permit voting from home, school or office computers, or ...

Free Essays on Return to Paradise

Return to Paradise is a movie that has a great morality play. It uses the characters to force us to ask ourselves one question Is the life of a friend worth three years of your life? As Return to Paradise opens, we learn of three friends Sheriff (Vince Vaughn), Tony (David Conrad), and Lou (Joaquin Phoenix). They are spending their vacation together in Malaysia - smoking hash, having sex with exotic women, and enjoying the quiet life. Sheriff is a limo driver, Tony an architect, and Lou a self proclaimed tree hugger. As their vacation ends the three decide what to do. Sheriff and Tony decide to fly back to New York, but Lou wants to stay and help free orangutans. Two years later Sheriff and Tony are approached by a lawyer, Beth (Anne Heche), who tells them what happened to Lou right after they left. It turns out that Lou was caught with the hash and has been imprisoned for the last two years. Compounding this news is the fact that Lou has only seven days to live. The Malaysian government takes drugs seriously and they have sentenced Lou to death. The only thing that can save Lou is if both Sheriff and Tony go back to Malaysia and accept their responsibility with the drugs. In that case, Lou's life will be spared. If Sheriff and Tony return, they will have to spend three years in prison to complete this deal to save Lou. Writers Wesley Strick and Bruce Robinson have put together a tight and engrossing script. The script never strays into melodrama and focuses solely on the question of if these two friends will go back to save Lou. Kudos to cinematographer Reynaldo Villalobos, who shoots this film wonderfully. The film is shot with mostly grays, blacks, and whites. But, Villalobos skillfully slips in some bright colors to match the emotions of the characters onscreen. The cast is superb. Vaughn, who I last saw in the Lost World, is the staple for this film. His performance stands out. Vaughn plays Sheriff right on the money - a guy ... Free Essays on Return to Paradise Free Essays on Return to Paradise Return to Paradise is a movie that has a great morality play. It uses the characters to force us to ask ourselves one question Is the life of a friend worth three years of your life? As Return to Paradise opens, we learn of three friends Sheriff (Vince Vaughn), Tony (David Conrad), and Lou (Joaquin Phoenix). They are spending their vacation together in Malaysia - smoking hash, having sex with exotic women, and enjoying the quiet life. Sheriff is a limo driver, Tony an architect, and Lou a self proclaimed tree hugger. As their vacation ends the three decide what to do. Sheriff and Tony decide to fly back to New York, but Lou wants to stay and help free orangutans. Two years later Sheriff and Tony are approached by a lawyer, Beth (Anne Heche), who tells them what happened to Lou right after they left. It turns out that Lou was caught with the hash and has been imprisoned for the last two years. Compounding this news is the fact that Lou has only seven days to live. The Malaysian government takes drugs seriously and they have sentenced Lou to death. The only thing that can save Lou is if both Sheriff and Tony go back to Malaysia and accept their responsibility with the drugs. In that case, Lou's life will be spared. If Sheriff and Tony return, they will have to spend three years in prison to complete this deal to save Lou. Writers Wesley Strick and Bruce Robinson have put together a tight and engrossing script. The script never strays into melodrama and focuses solely on the question of if these two friends will go back to save Lou. Kudos to cinematographer Reynaldo Villalobos, who shoots this film wonderfully. The film is shot with mostly grays, blacks, and whites. But, Villalobos skillfully slips in some bright colors to match the emotions of the characters onscreen. The cast is superb. Vaughn, who I last saw in the Lost World, is the staple for this film. His performance stands out. Vaughn plays Sheriff right on the money - a guy ...

Auspices and Guises

Auspices and Guises Auspices and Guises Auspices and Guises By Maeve Maddox In an interview with Palestinian film-maker Hany Abu-Assad about his film Omar, NPR’s Rachel Martin made the following statement: He [Omar] goes there [to the other side of a wall that separates him from his sweetheart] under the auspices of planning some kind of attack with Nadia’s brother† The context implies that planning the attack is a subterfuge for Omar, an excuse to be with Nadia. Martin’s use of the expression â€Å"under the auspices of† is inappropriate in this context. Auspices is one of those words we inherited from ancient Roman religion. In ancient Rome, the auspex observed the flight of birds for the purpose of obtaining an omen from the gods. The work of the auspex was known as â€Å"taking the auspices.† When the auspices were favorable, people proceeded with whatever enterprise they were planning, confident of success. In modern usage, auspices has come to mean â€Å"patronage.† It refers to influence exerted by a person or organization on behalf of an undertaking. This patronage usually spells the difference between success and failure. Here are some examples of the usage: Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he [Christopher Columbus] completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Extended Participation in General Multilateral Treaties concluded under the auspices of the League of Nations (title of a monograph) For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Commonwealth’s scientists are coming together under the auspices of the Royal Society for a groundbreaking conference â€Å"In the guise of† is probably the expression the NPR interviewer was reaching for. Worded both as â€Å"in the guise of† and â€Å"under the guise of,† the expression means â€Å"an assumed appearance or pretense.† The expression can be used to mean simply â€Å"dressed as† or â€Å"disguised as†; for example, one might go to a costume party â€Å"in the guise of Cinderella.† More often, the pretense is intended to deceive: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. –James Madison Mr. Fox befriended Jemima Puddle Duck in the guise of a friendly neighbor. Urban Shield exists under the guise of fighting terrorism and â€Å"disaster preparedness† in heavily-populated areas. Protestors stormed a McDonald’s franchise demanding justice for an employee they say was fired under the guise of feeding the homeless, but was really let go for political reasons. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsBest Websites to Learn EnglishA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

Descriptive Writting about the Beach in summertime Essay

Descriptive Writting about the Beach in summertime - Essay Example We smiled a grateful smile and raced towards its beginning but the waave had no beginning and no ending we just jumped in with a joy that could not be out into words but could be seen written on our faces as we marched onto the reason for our supreme ectasy we were proud to be finally at our destination- heaven a place where we belonged. We could not wait to make a dash for the welcoming waters. Our intense focus on the dazzling spectacle before us was interrupted when someone shouted, â€Å"Surf’s up, its summertime!† Everyone melted into spontaneous laughter. We could not contain our bliss and so it spilled over into utter desperation to taste the freedom and the energy that was summoning us to enter. This highly charged atmosphere was filled with the joie de vivre that exudes from a bridegroom as he is finally allowed to privately touch his virgin bride. Captivating silence was interjected with a sudden, loud splash and a bang. That was the announcement of the breakers as they crashed against the beckoning shore. The sea was like a roaring lion waiting to engulf us in its powerful jaw whilst the sheer brilliance of the sun painted the waters with shiny, shimmery, golden flecks. We could wait no longer and so triumphantly began our journey to reach the epitome of ecstasy. We were ready to fly. As the waves deafeningly appeared to draw closer and closer, beckoning us to its enthralling embrace, we succumbed to its bewitching effect and dashed off to grasp a drop of majestic splendor. We smiled a lovesick smile and raced towards its beginning but the breakers had no beginning and no ending. We were engulfed into its enormous hug and as a baby to its mother’s breast we breathed a breath of pure joy that could not be put into words but could be seen written on our faces as we longingly embraced the reason for our supreme ecstasy. We were

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example ufacturing businesses and other productive industries in turn offer fringe benefits to their employees to boost their confidence, morale, dedication and commitment (‘affective and normative’) (Aldag and Reschke, 1997). As a result, workers are keen to work better for their employers to ensure accomplishment of goals and targets. (Daft, 2009) and (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2007) The Industry that has been chosen by the researcher for this analysis is US Airline Industry. Indeed, US airline travel industry is one of the largest industries (comprising low cost barriers, regional, national and international airlines) within United States that has been offering its services daily to millions of travellers, visitors, students, business personnel and government officials. This industry provides direct and indirect employment to millions of personnel thereby contributing in USA’s economic well-being, growth and sustainability. US Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest and other airlines are among the major players. Foreign airlines also offer their travel services in USA. (ZACKS Report, 2010) The benefits offered by employers are divided into two main types namely Monetary Payments (in exchange for services offered) and Discretionary Benefits (they are optional or not mandatory for the producer) to their employees. This paper will throw light over the discretionary or optional benefits offered to workers in the manufacturing industry. There are three major types of discretionary benefits namely Workers’ â€Å"Protection Programs, Paid time-offs, Accommodation and Employee Skills development programs† (Martocchio). This paper will discuss in detail each of the above mentioned benefits to employees, will demonstrate any factors that may influence these benefits within the chosen manufacturing industry and will end up on recommendations that could be used to improve current practices and benefits. (Daft, 2009) The very first discretionary

Taiwan or hong kong (asian) rituals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taiwan or hong kong (asian) rituals - Essay Example It has to be believed that the concrete religious practices, such as community festivals, calendrical festivals, rites of cosmic renewals, and family oriented and individual religious rituals of Taiwan are culminated from the fusion of local and national traditions. Thus, it is an attempt at unraveling intricacies of rituals in the sphere of: (1) how does the ritual reflect the values of a community; (2) what are the underlying consequences of the ritual; (3) what is the stated purpose of the ritual; and (4) what behavior does this ritual make it seem natural or normal, in the socio-cultural Taiwanese perspective. Anthropologists and sociologists are interested in ritual studies, because discussions about rituals have key cultural importance and social concern. They take ritual events as â€Å"a mirror to reflect the larger problems of particular interests in an ethnographic case that become amenable to analysts† (Husken). Rituals are viewed to act as powerful mechanisms for constructions of the self and the other, of personal and collective identities, and are generally held to have benign effects. They bring core cultural values, ideology, knowledge and dramatic style to bear on real social relationships, problems and difficulties, often at key moments of transition or intensification. Social scientists view that ritual action is a conscious social mechanism of symbolic actions that reinforces the status quo by overwhelming the practitioner with a feeling of moral obligation to adhere to societal sentiments, which stress the importance of maintaining social structure.In short, ritual s are often at the centre of the play of social and cultural forces operating in a society. The cultural attributes of marriage, death, as well as religious practices are considered fundamental to the cultural make-up and identity of a country. Taiwan is a country where past, present and future

Sustainable Drainage Systems and Piles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Drainage Systems and Piles - Essay Example Firstly it would be Infiltration trenches and the second will be Detention Basins. Infiltration trenches This is a system in which a trench is made and filled with artificial layers of granular material/aggregates which are clean and dry and then this is used in combination with geotextile. These granular materials have voids which are used to trap water and retain it for some time. Where as geotextile material prevents from clogging and durability. The Granular material should be 50 mm clear stones. Then the materials are layered in the manner shown below. There are some conditions for its construction. Almost of the trench is underground and hence its maintenance will be expensive. The trenches are constructed at least 1.5m above the maximum groundwater level and it should be at least 5 m away from the foundations or buildings lines. It is used in areas where the silt/clay content is not more than 40 %.It is made in areas with type A and Type B soils. It should not be constructed n ear septic tanks or water supply line and the areas near it should have good house keeping, if it is not done it will result into choking of the voids that retains waters. Then to improve the life and decrease the maintenance of the trenches it should be provided with Leaf screens, Vegetated filter strips or grass swales and similar devices such as grit separators, goss separator etc. Then these trenches are designed with an impervious drainage area to treatment facility area ratio of between 5:1 and 20:1. Therefore its is clear that the land take is very less and this option will be suitable where areas is less such as commercial areas. Where as the maintenance of the trenches are done by cleaning out leaves, debris and accumulated sediment caught in pretreatment devices, inlets and outlets annually or as needed. If this is not done on regular basis then the trenches will choke and then a complete overhaul needs to be done which is costly. Normally the trenches’ material is replaced in 5 years. Although the cost of construction is low but the maintenance cost is high and needs to be repeated. Then in this type of system when the water passes through the layers of the trenches the solid particles are filtered and the geotextile improves the process. Eventually the quality of the water is improved but the water does not provide microbiological purification. Concluding the merit of the system are that they require less space, the improve water quality, have less construction cost, reduce the runoff during rainy season and reduce the erosion that might occur by heavy rainfall and its runoff. Where as the demerits are that the maintenance of the system is high and repetitive, the system doesnot purify biologically. It cannot be made in areas where underground services are present. These systems are not used in high slope areas. It is ineffective in areas where soil is contaminated and polluted. It looks the worst when the system is choked as the water stays and do not drain. Detention Basins As the name indicates this system impound water in an excavated area or basin. Primarily this is used in areas where there is heavy rainfall and frequent flooding. These basins are used in reducing peak storm water discharges, controlling floods and preventing downstream channel scouring. There are two type of detention basins dry detention basin (storage is for specified short time) and the other is extended detention basin (used for retention for

English assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assigment - Assignment Example Throughout the essay, Fish (2004) makes use of various logical appeals (Logos). After introducing the audience to the bill under debate, he highlights its positive aspects, the points he agrees with. After this, he makes his position clear by enumerating and discussing the points of disagreement one by one and some very strong logical appeals have been made while doing so. Fish (2004) states logical arguments against the implementations of the bill one by one. First he highlights the dual meaning of ‘seeking the truth’, followed by the notion that seeking the truth is not even remotely related to modeling students into members of a pluralistic society or any other society for that matter. Fish (2004) further points out, that although intellectual diversity may help in pursuit of truth, it is not an end in itself and should not be considered as a goal. Drawing on ethical appeal (ethos), towards the middle of the article, Fish states: ‘Teaching†¦yes, it is my job†¦but it is definitely not my job to produce citizens for a pluralistic society or for any other’. This statement brings the audiences’ attention to the ethical duties of a teacher clearly drawing a line between political and academic duties of an academia; which is ethically appealing. Fish (2004) also points out a discrepancy among the words and actions taken by Horowitz. The article concludes with two examples of instances where the actions taken by Horowitz clearly oppose his words. Though the essay is mostly logical; however, in addition to logical appeals and a few ethical appeals; it also has emotional appeal. The very title of the article makes use of metaphoric language, intended to appeal to emotions. Usage of pathos is also apparent in the paragraph where the author is comparing the left and right end of the political spectrum in a satirical manner using pejorative language: ‘the right wins hands down†¦our colleges and universities are hotbeds

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 201

Summary - Essay Example The Bedouin people are described as nomadic and the government effort to offer them alternative settlement has led to resistance and subsequent failure. This is because their ways of life are not similar as that adopted by the nation states. Following the advice of Dawn Chatty an anthropologist, the society is slowly embracing change. The society has begun to change in some aspects such as adoption of trucks instead of a camel. The author begins with a description of how potatoes are grown in the Andean highlands of South America. Potatoes are mostly grown in the highlands and not on lower lands in the region. The assumption is that because corns are grown in the lower lands, there is less space available to grow potatoes. Therefore, potatoes are likely to be grown in highlands where conditions are poor for corns. In addition, anthropologists are hired to advice on how potatoes production can be increased in a sustainable manner in Peru. The anthropologists conducted an investigation in different parts of the world. The results were worrying as they showed that the growth of potatoes in highlands had severe consequences. This is because it damaged the environment as most of the land was left free for erosion to take place at high rainfall. Hence, the advice of anthropologists showed that the production of potatoes in highland is not

English assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assigment - Assignment Example Throughout the essay, Fish (2004) makes use of various logical appeals (Logos). After introducing the audience to the bill under debate, he highlights its positive aspects, the points he agrees with. After this, he makes his position clear by enumerating and discussing the points of disagreement one by one and some very strong logical appeals have been made while doing so. Fish (2004) states logical arguments against the implementations of the bill one by one. First he highlights the dual meaning of ‘seeking the truth’, followed by the notion that seeking the truth is not even remotely related to modeling students into members of a pluralistic society or any other society for that matter. Fish (2004) further points out, that although intellectual diversity may help in pursuit of truth, it is not an end in itself and should not be considered as a goal. Drawing on ethical appeal (ethos), towards the middle of the article, Fish states: ‘Teaching†¦yes, it is my job†¦but it is definitely not my job to produce citizens for a pluralistic society or for any other’. This statement brings the audiences’ attention to the ethical duties of a teacher clearly drawing a line between political and academic duties of an academia; which is ethically appealing. Fish (2004) also points out a discrepancy among the words and actions taken by Horowitz. The article concludes with two examples of instances where the actions taken by Horowitz clearly oppose his words. Though the essay is mostly logical; however, in addition to logical appeals and a few ethical appeals; it also has emotional appeal. The very title of the article makes use of metaphoric language, intended to appeal to emotions. Usage of pathos is also apparent in the paragraph where the author is comparing the left and right end of the political spectrum in a satirical manner using pejorative language: ‘the right wins hands down†¦our colleges and universities are hotbeds

Media plan for Nescafe in the United Kingdom Essay

Media plan for Nescafe in the United Kingdom - Essay Example First, the company’s promotional message will be explored to establish the quality of content in Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s advertising campaign. Second, each identified advertising medium will specify how the advertisements will be implemented. Lastly, the cost of implementation and challenges to the campaign will be discussed as an overview of the plan. As currently stated on their website, Nescafà © UK is launching a worldwide campaign to promote responsible farming, production, and consumption. In this effect, Nescafà © wants to push the message of not only providing the best coffee in a cup, but also to â€Å"go beyond the cup†. With this, it is important that the message for the campaign will focus on this particularly tagline to show the uniformity in concept of the entire campaign message. As such, the theme, â€Å"go beyond the cup†, should represent these three areas which Nescafà © currently puts its focus on. Mixed media advertising means equally utilizing both the traditional and modern media for product promotion. With today’s technology-driven society, Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s mixed media plan will include the use of internet in targeting young consumers (aged 18 - 45 years old) who mostly subscribe to modern forms of communication. On the other hand, Nescafà © will also continue placing advertisements to radio, print, and television because it recognizes the fact that these traditional forms of media, given their significance in advertising, will become more effective if it is integrated by the new media. Advertisements in print, radio, and television remain a competitive form of product promotion because it gives lasting impression to consumers and establishes a stronger brand identity. Because of this, Nescafà © will showcase in TV, print, and radio advertisements in major broadcast networks in the UK. First, Nescafà © will tap two television companies, ITV2 and SKY1, to showcase the advertisements of the company. These TV networks contain

Two or More Theories of the Formation of Romantic Relationships Essay Example for Free

Two or More Theories of the Formation of Romantic Relationships Essay One theory of the formation of a romantic relationship is one put forward by Byrne and Clore called the reward/need satisfaction model. They suggested that we have relationships long term because we find them rewarding, or we don’t like the prospect of being alone. The rewards from a partner can include friendship, love and sex, or the particular person is associated with pleasant situations so then we want to spend time with them and form a romantic relationship. This can also include the satisfaction from a relationship with a person of high social status, as it would make you look good to other people. These needs can differ from person to person as to what is important. Rusbolt and Van Lange argue that rewards are important as when you do not know someone well communication can start on a ‘tit-for-tat’ basis with favours that can lead to more conversation and rewards. This was called by Clark and Mills and ‘exchange relationship’ as a relationship like this goes on it can turn to a ‘Communal relationship’ where rewards are given as a result of concern for a partner which can be an important aspect of forming a close relationship. May and Hamilton tested the good association part of the theory by getting groups of female students to look at pictures of male students and say if they like the look of them or not. One group looked at the pictures while pleasant music was being played, another group looked while unpleasant music was being played and a control group looked with no music. As predicted the group with pleasant music rated the male students the highest. This model may be very culturally bound as all the studies done were in the western world’s individualistic cultures. In other cultures one partner may not expect rewards and may be entirely giving, or arranges marriages will also go against this theory as the long term is made to happen. It suggests that these relationships are likely to be formed where partners meet each other’s needs even though they have different views about when this becomes important. It is argued that long-term happy relationships have needs met while unhappy ones have unmet needs, this was said by Smith and Mackie Another theory is the Filter Model proposed by Kerchoff and Davis; they say that relationships develop through three ‘filters’. It starts with the ‘field of availables’ which are people available for a relationship where we then filter out different partners for different reasons, so it narrows down to a ‘field of desirables’ who are the people we consider as a potential partner. The first filter involves the social model where we choose people without being aware by where they live, work, have been educated or their social class. With individual characteristics not being important at this point. Then there is similarity of attitudes and values, where a partner’s beliefs and ideas come into effect. This is where communication is easier and the relationship can progress, however if beliefs and views are very different then the relationship may not move from its current position. The final filter is the emotional needs, which is whether the people fit as a couple and can meet each other’s needs. Kerchoff and Davis used their model to do a study on students who had been together for more than or less than 18 months. They were asked to complete questionnaires over 7 months on attitudes and personality of their partners compared to theirs; it was found that this was important in relationships up to around 18 months, whereas after this psychological compatibility and ability to meet each other’s needs becomes more important supporting the filter model. However questionnaires can have bias as participants may want to shows themselves in the best light thus skewing the results, also all the participants were students so age difference in relationships was not accounted for. The filter model emphasizes the importance of demographic factors and attitudes as ‘filters’ in the development of relationships. Sprecher found that couples matched in physical attractiveness, interests and social background were more likely to develop a relationship that is long-term. Found due to his longitudinal study of couples over 21 years and found similar education and age at the start of the relationship at the start were more likely to stay together. They also gained more similar attitudes as time went on. The filter theory is also very culturally biased as other cultures ways of choosing a mate may not have anything to do with the mentioned factors due to a collectivist nature of the culture or any other differences. There is also the problem that this model generalises to every couple where there will instead be many individual differences between choices of partners.

Traits Theory Of Leadership Management Essay

Traits Theory Of Leadership Management Essay Early research by Burns (1978) concluded that leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth (Burns, 1978). To enhance our understanding of leadership this chapter will critically review the early theories of leadership to current leadership research on transformational and transactional leadership style. It will also discuss how the current findings on leadership are likely to impact the commitment of members in National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). 2.0 Leadership Leadership has become a hot topic with a burgeoning but fragmented literature in the past few years that draws on both the arts and the sciences. So far there is no agreed paradigm for the study and practice of leadership. The concept of leadership has seized the attention and concern of many researchers in the field of management, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and others in the last century. Such a concern is due to the important roles leaders play in facilitating organizational effectiveness and performance through their behaviors or styles they exhibit and competencies they posses. Indeed, in this context, one measure organizational effectiveness is members commitment (Meyer et al., 2002). It is the contention that the present study is conducted to determine how leadership style affects commitment amongst employees at work. So, what is leadership? The concept of leadership has been defined differently by scholars in terms of the emphasis on leaders traits, influence, competencies, individual vs., and group orientation and cognitive vs. emotional orientations. Burns (1978) defines leadership as a mobilization process by individuals with certain motives, values and access to resources in a context of competition and conflict in the pursuit of goals. More recently, Nigel Nicholson speaks of leadership as either a position or a process (Bradshaw, 2002). If a process, he says, it is about influencing other people, and this requires knowing oneself, knowing those other people, and knowing how to influence them. In order to understand how leadership is conceptualized, it is necessary to look at the leadership styles and variety of leadership theories developed, as follows. Traits Theory of Leadership Trait theories on leadership started in the twentieth century and formal theories on leadership were given by sociologists, experts in human behavior and psychologists. The researchers from 1920s to 1960s focused on the personality of leader and tried to find some traits as the basic of successful leadership (Adair, 1984). Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) cultivated the theory of leadership for the first time for leading in the formal organizations. His basic idea was to increase output by using scientific parameter. According to Bass (1990), successful leadership is determined by factors classified into six groups: achievement, responsibility, capacity, participation and situation. He also claimed that leaders are born but no made. The main assumptions of trait theory are the (a) the common features that characterize are considered as the criteria to define the suitability and successfulness of leadership; (b) an effective leader inherits and learns his/her traits, and (c) leaders are born and not made. To test the traits theory, Gordon (1987) carried out a study to define the relationship between characteristics of personality and leadership. He found a significant relationship between the ability of taking responsibility and leadership. He further found a weak but positive relationship between intelligence, authority and intelligence, and leadership. In a different study to illustrate the differences between leaders and non-leaders in terms of their personalities and traits, Beer et al. (1990) found that leaders were identified as being serious, self-dependent, confident of their competencies, best decision makers, and reasonable in expressing thoughts. They also revealed that leaders are characterized by being able to take responsibility, are self motivated, more persuasive, more capable in influencing others, more energetic, and more diplomatic. Stogdill (1974) carried out a survey of the factorial studies between 1945 and 1970 to define the main features of a leader. He found that leadership traits are defined into six main types: corporal traits, social background, intelligence, capability, personality traits, relevant to task, and social features. The results also showed that an effective leader has skills such as social and personality skills, technical skills, managerial skills, intellectual skills, friendship-achievements skills, being supportive for team work, and being defensive towards work. Situational Theories of Leadership Situational theories appeared as a reaction to the trait theory of leadership. Situational Leadership Theory Ability level of the officer High 5 4 3 2 1 Delegating Supporting Coaching Directing Willingness level of the officer Low High Low 1 2 3 4 5 The Situational Leadership Theory suggests that effective leadership requires both acts of leadership and management. Depending on the level of each of these acts necessary, four different styles of leadership can be utilized. These are delegating, coaching, directing, and supporting. For a leader to be purposeful in their direction, they must use the correct style by being able to evaluate a followers readiness level. In other words, they must meet a follower where they are. Fiedler Contingency Model Functional theory 2.3 Early Description of Relation- Oriented and Task-Oriented Leadership Behavior The study of leadership has an important place in the study of management and organization behavior for several decades. There is no other role in organization has been focused more interest than the leader (SchwandtMarquardt, 2000). The early study of leadership behavior separate those behaviors into relation-oriented and task oriented leadership. Relations-oriented leadership focuses on the quality of the relationship with followers, whereas task oriented leadership focus on the task to be accomplished by followers (Bass, 1990). Researchers have used various terms to describe relations-oriented and task oriented leadership behaviors. Bass (1990) provides an overview of terms used by several researchers. For example, descriptions of relations-oriented leadership behaviors have included participatory decision making (Ouchi, 1981), supportive (Bowers Seashore,1966), concern for people (Blake Mouton,1964), emphasizing employee needs(Fleishman,1957), people centered (Anderson,1974) and leadership (Zaleznik,1977). For both types of leadership behaviors, the most recent descriptions came from Bass Avolio (1995, 1997). They describe relations-oriented behaviors as Idealized Influence (attributed), Idealized Influence (behavior), Individualized Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation and Inspirational Motivation. Their task-oriented description include contingent reward, management-by-exception (active) and management-by-exception (passive) Burns (1978) comprehensive theory formed the foundation for Basss (1985) transformational-transactional differentiation which has become considerable importance in the study of leadership in organization. 2.4 Transactional and Transformational Leadership Leadership style is defined as a pattern of emphases, indexed by the frequency or intensity of specific leadership behaviors or attitudes, which a leader places on the different leadership functions (Casimir, 2001). Theorists have come up with various leadership styles, namely autocratic leadership, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and servant leadership. Some have been widely studied of by researchers and their effects on organizations have been established. Transformational leadership is one of the leadership styles that have been studied and its relationships with various elements in management have been established. Transformational leadership is a style of leadership whereby a leader can motivate a subordinate to perform above and beyond what he or she had previously believed possible (Bass, 1985). A study performed by Parry (2003) in public sector organizations found that transformational leadership style has a positive effect on the innovation and effectiveness of these organizations. According to Bass Avolio(1995), transactional leadership refers to an influence process to exchange valued rewards for performance. Thus, transactional leadership embraces based exchange relationship. The leader promotes uniformity by providing extrinsic (positive or negative) reward to the collaborators (Cardona, 2000). Transactional leadership encompasses fairly traditional managerial styles where managers or leaders gain compliance and performance by either offering rewards or punishing deviations from standards. This is the pattern of leadership prevalent in most organizations and organizational situations because it contains a basic mechanism of exchange relations which becomes possible when there is no outstanding sense of impeding threat or anxiety. Bass (1985) conceptualized transformational leaders as unique motivators who encourage follower to go beyond their believed capabilities in pursuit of a shared, common goal. Transformational leaders are concerned about efficiency and the achievement of organization goal. They do so with a focus in supporting staff emotionally and intellectually. Basss initial views, characterized transformational leadership as the ability to elicit support and participation from followers through personal qualities. The significance of transactional and transformational leadership has been elaborated in the Full Range of Leadership Model (Avolio and Bass,1991) 2.5 The Full Range Leadership Model The full range leadership model is probably the most validated leadership model in use world-wide today. The originality of the full range leadership (FRL) model lies in the concept of a range of leadership behaviors which all leaders demonstrate. This model required a change for a balanced leadership behavior whereby moves away from the more transactional leadership towards the transformational leadership style. Bass (1999) was the one of the researcher to argue for a transformational style of leadership to transactional forms. Scholars have studied the full range leadership model (FRL) as a predictor of a variety of outcomes in organizations such as employees commitment, employee satisfaction, motivation, organizational effectiveness and performance. (Base and Stogdill, 1990; Barbuto et al., 2007) The Full Range Model describes three main types of leadership behavior to transformational behavior ranging from completely inactive (laissez-faire) to transactional behaviors to transformational behaviors. Thus, transactional and transformational leadership are seen to be in a continuum rather than being mutually exclusive (Yammarino, 1993; Bass and Avolio, 1994). According to Base and Avolio(1995) Laissez-faire is non leadership behaviors that imply the leaders indifference towards both followers actions and organizational outcomes, as well as demonstrating an attitude of abdicating responsibility (to make decisions, or address important issues). The laissez-faire leader, who is also referred to as non transactional is characterized by a relative lack of concern for his subordinates (Bass and Riggio, 2006). The Full Range Leadership (FRL) Model consists of three transactional leader characteristics. Contingent Reward Contingent reward is the classical transactional leadership style. Here the leader sets very clear goals, objectives and targets and clarifies, either openly or by inference, what rewards can be expected for successful completion. Contingent reward leaders are found to be reasonably effective, although not as much as the five Is in transformational leadership for motivating others to achieve higher levels of performance. These leaders assign agreements on what needs to be done and promise rewards or actually reward followers for satisfactory carrying out the assignment. Management by Exception (passive) Management by exception (passive) refers to the process of paying attention to the exceptional rather than the normal. Thus management by exception leaders tend to be relatively laissez-faire under normal circumstances but take action when problem occur, mistakes are made or deviation from standards are apparent. Leaders wait passively for deviances and errors to occur and then take corrective action (Avolio and Bass,1991) Management by Exception (active) Management by exception (active) leaders is found to be less effective than contingent reward leaders but is still required in certain situations. They arrange to actively to actively monitor deviances from standards, mistakes and errors in the followers assignments and to take corrective action as necessary. The leader pays very close attention to any problem or deviations and has extensive and accurate monitoring and control system to provide early warnings of such problems. In the Full Range Leadership (FRL) Model, Bass (1998) divided transformational leadership into four scales. Idealized Influence Idealized Influence is often associated with charismatic leadership (e.g Shamir et.al., 1993; Yulk,1999). Leaders portraying idealized influence attributes have the socialized charisma (Avolio and Bass, 2002). They are perceived as being confident and powerful, and viewed as focusing on higher-order ideals and ethics. Such leaders are often seen as being high on morality, trust, integrity, honesty and purpose. House and Shamir (1993) have said that charismatic leaders demonstrate determination, optimism, and confidence in them to accomplish the mission and realize the vision. For example, Dr Martin Luther King inspired people through his oratorical skills in the face of unpromising resistance. Leaders who exert idealized influence behave in ways that demonstrate high standards of ethical and moral conduct (Bass, 1998). Idealized influence is behavior that encourages followers to use their leaders role model. Inspirational Motivation Inspirational Motivation involves communicating the vision to followers, fostering follower identification with the vision, focusing follower efforts, arousing their self awareness of higher goals and motivations and sustaining positive emotional arousal and identification with these goals (Bans, 1990).Inspirational motivation leaders motivate and inspire followers by providing meaning and challenge to work. These leaders engage followers in envisioning attractive future states and created communicated expectations that followers want to meet. Intellectual Stimulation Intellectual stimulation essentially involves the leader stimulating the follower to think through issues and problems for themselves and thus to develop their own abilities. This leadership approach reflects in large measure the coaching, morale building strengths of individualized consideration. Leaders stimulate followers effort to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems and approaching old situations in new ways. New ideas and creativity problem solutions are solicited from followers who are included in the process of addressing problems and finding solutions. Individualized Consideration Individualized consideration includes mentoring, coaching, continuous feedback, and linking the individuals current needs to the organizations mission (Bass, 1990).leaders pay special attention to the needs of each individual follower for achievement and growth. Leaders who use this style of leadership show consideration for their workers need and are prepared to encourage and coach the development of appropriate workplace behavior. Individualized consideration leaders pay special attention to the needs of each individual follower for achievement and growth. Followers are developed to successively higher level of potential (Fukushige and Spicer, 2007) In the Full Range Leadership (FRL) Model, the transformational leader follower relationship is viewed as one of mutual stimulation (Barbuto, 1997). The influence of transformational leaders was distinguished on the hierarchical scale of moral development measured by Kohlbergs conceptualization (Popper et, al., 2002). This in more study also reports transformational leaders are classified as more morally advanced than transactional leaders. Figure 1: Full Range Leadership Model 1 PASSIVE ACTIVE Effective Transactional Laissez-faire Laissez-faire Transformational Leadership Management Figure 2: Full Range Leadership Model 2 Increase impact on commitment Laissez-faire Management-by-exception Contingent Reward Intellectual Stimulation Inspirational Motivation Idealized Influence Individualized consideration McGuire and Kennerly (2006) identifies the relationship between organizational leadership and members commitment in the literature since 1950s. McGuire and Kennerly states that transactional and transformational leadership style provides a framework for interaction that might affect the employees relationship, commitment, and work environment. The leadership style adopted by the leaders of National Union of Bank Employees(NUBE) will influence all the activities of union.(Naude and McCabe,2005). According to Bass (1990), transformational leaders demonstrated the four characteristics of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. Transformational leaders inspired others to improve performance, satisfied and achieved outcomes beyond expectations. McGuire and Kennerly (2006) reported increased loyalty, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and morale with transformational leaders compared with limited levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of organizational commitment with transactional leadership. Many studies involving the broad categories of transformational and transactional leadership behaviors, as well as specific behaviors within those categories have demonstrated that these behavior impact both individual and organizational effectiveness. Organizational commitment is a construct that explores effectiveness outcomes in similar areas. 2.6 Organizational Commitment Organizational commitment plays an important role in the study leadership. This is in part due to the number of works that have found relationships between organizational commitment and attitudes and behaviors in the workplace (Porter et al, 1974, Angle and Perry, 1981). Organizational commitment has linked to leadership behaviors that are relations-oriented and task-oriented. DeCotiisSummers(1987) found that when employees were treated with consideration they show greater level of commitment. Jermier Berkes (1979) discovered that employees who participate in decision making had higher levels of commitment to the organization. Organizational commitment provides a broad measure of the effectiveness of leadership behaviors. This relationship offers a way to further explore the subject of leadership. Bycio, Hackett, Allen (1995) reported positive correlations between the leadership behaviors of charisma, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and contingent reward and affective, continuance and normative commitment. Studies suggest that committed workers contribute to the organization in more positive ways (Meyer and Allen,1997). 2.6.1 Definition of Commitment Organizational commitment has been defined differently by different scholars depending on their background. Multiple definitions of organizational commitment are found in the literature. However, Mowday et al (1979) defines organizational commitment as the relative strength of the identification of the individual and his involvement in his particular organization. According to this definition, organizational commitment has three basic components: A strong belief in and acceptance of the organizational goals and values(identification) A willingness to exert a considerable effort on behalf of the organization(involvement) A strong desire to remain with the organization. Sheldon (1971) defined commitment as being a positive evaluation of the organization and the organizational goals. According to Buchanan (1974) most scholars define commitment as being a bond between an individual (the employee) and the organization (the employer). In explaining the significance of organizational commitment, Bateman and Strasser(1984) state that the purpose of studying organizational commitment are related to (a) employees behavior and performance effectiveness, (b) attitudinal, affective and cognitive constructs such as job satisfaction, (c) characteristics of the employees job task, such as responsibility and (d) personal characteristics of the employee such as level of education. Commitment involves a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization and acceptance of the values and goals of the organization (Ingersoll et al., 2000). Organizational commitment is influenced by such factors as individuals and organizational characteristics (Angle and Perry, 1983). For example organizational members continued commitment towards an organization could be influenced by such factors as benefits, status, monetary and interpersonal rewards. 2.6.2 Three Types of Organizational Commitment Meyer and Allen (1991) and Dunham et al (1994) identified three types of commitment; affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. The differences between these three types of commitment reflect the psychological state that binds the individual to the organization. They argued that the affective component is determined by work experiences relating to the job of the person and structural characteristics. Continuance is determined by the magnitude and number of investments that have been made in the current organization and the number of perceived alternatives. Lastly, the normative component is determined by an individuals experiences prior to entry and during employment in the organization in terms of familial, cultural and organizational socialization. Affective commitment is defined as the emotional attachment, identification, and involvement that an employee has with its organization and goals (Mowday et al., 1997, Meyer Allen, 1993). They further state that affective communication is when the employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals in order to maintain membership to facilitate the goal. Meyer and Allen (1997) continue to say that employees retain membership out of choice and this is their commitment to the organization. Continuance commitment is the willingness to remain in an organization because of the investment that the employee has with nontransferable investments. Nontransferable include things such as retirement, relationship with other employees, or things that are special to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Continuance commitment t also includes factors such as years of employment or benefits that the employee may receive that are unique to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Meyer and Allen (1997) further explain that employees who share continuance commitment with their employer often make it very difficult for an employee to leave the organization. Normative Commitment (Bolon, 1993) is the commitment that a person believes that they have to the organization or their feeling of obligation to their workplace. In 1982, Weiner discusses normative commitment as being a generalized value of loyalty and duty. Meyer and Allen (1991) supported this type of commitment prior to Bolons definition, with their definition of normative commitment being a feeling of obligation. Normative commitment can be explained by other commitments such as marriage, family, religion, and etc. Therefore when it comes to ones commitment to their place of employment they often feel like they have a moral obligation to the organization (Wiener, 1982). In arguing for their framework, Meyer Allen (1991) contended that affective, continuance, and normative commitment were components rather than types because employees could have varying degree of all three. For example, one employee might feel both a strong attachment to an organization and a sense of obligation to remain. A second employee might enjoy working for the organization but also recognize that leaving would be very difficult from an economic standpoint. Finally, a third employee might experience a considerable degree of desire, need and obligation to remain with the current employer (Meyer Allen, 1997). Even though the authors present this argument, they do not imply that there is a rationale for summing all the scales to obtain an overall score for organizational commitment. 2.6 Previous Studies Ooi Chai Liang(2002) has conducted a research to identify whether there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership style and commitment in the organization. Research sample consist of 35 employees under the supervision of supervisors in Hotel Mercure Ace,Johor Bharu. Results from this research have proven that when situational factor is taken into consideration, motivation does not show significant effect on the relationship between transformational leadership and commitment in the organization. Whereas, situational motivation factor act as a predictor to the commitment in the organization. Research result also shows that there is no significant relationship between transformational leadership and commitment in the organization. Tan Bee Hong (2000) has conduct a research to identify the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership style with job performance. Research sample consist of 282 employees of blue collar in Technocom System Sdn Bhd(TSSB), Johor Bahru. Statistical technique such as Pearson Correlation Analysis used to determine the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership style with job performance. Research result shows that there is a significant relationship between dimensions of transformational and transactional leadership style with job performance. Wee Kok Cheng (2000) carried out research to identify the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership with job satisfaction. The researcher has concluded that transformational leadership style show a greater relationship with job satisfaction compared to transactional leadership. The study has been conducted on 45 respondents who are nurses and assistant nurses. The purpose of the study is to identify the leadership styles and job satisfaction of nurses in the department of Hospital Daerah Mersing, Johor Bahru. Research result shows that there is a positive relationship between transformational and transactional leadership style with job satisfaction. There were two dimensions of transformational leadership (Idealized Influence and Intellectual Stimulation) which shows the highest significant relationship with job satisfaction. Othaman Mohd Yunus(1994) has conduct a research to study the effect of transformational and transactional leadership between organizational culture and inspiration of a police and job performance and work stress among Polis Diraja Malaysia. Findings of the study shows, in certain situation dimensions of transformational and transactional leadership style plays a moderate role especially in the relationship of PDRM cultures with performance and work stress. Liong (1990) has carried out research to identify the validity of the transformational leadership in a sample of principles and teachers who were selected from 90 secondary schools in Singapore. According to the researcher, principals and teachers who adopt the characteristics of transformational leadership shows high level of job satisfaction and commitment towards schools. Effectiveness of leadership is manifested indirectly through measuring the effectiveness of schools such as higher academic achievement in public examination and success in the field of curriculum. Wiener Vardi(1980) states the impact that organizational commitment had on commitment to the job and career commitment. Their respondents were 56 insurance agents and 85 professional staffs. The researcher reported positive relationship between organizational commitment and the other two types of commitment. In nine studies involving 2734 people, Dunham, Grube Castaneda (1994) examined how participatory management and supervisory feedback influenced employee level of commitment. The researcher founds found that when supervisors provided feedback about performance and allowed employees to participate in decision making, employee levels of affective commitment was stronger than both continuance and normative commitment. It indicated employees staying with the organization were more related to wanting to, rather than needing to or feeling they ought to. In the study of 238 nurses, Cohen (1996) investigated the relationship between affective, continuance and normative commitment and the following other types of commitment: work involvement, job involvement, and career commitment. Findings revealed that affective commitment was more highly correlated with all the other types of commitment. In other words, exhibit higher levels of commitment to their work, their job and their career. Irving, Coleman,Cooper(1997) investigated the relationship between affective, continuance, and normative commitment and the outcome measures of job satisfaction and turnover intervention. Total participants for the study included 232 employees. Results revealed that job satisfaction was positively related to both affective and normative commitment. However, job satisfaction was negatively related to continuance commitment. All three types of commitment were negatively related to turnover intentions, with continuance commitment having the strongest negative relationship. . 2.2 Leadership Styles(Intro)chap 1 Grint (2000) has underscored that a clear understanding of leadership requires an historical approach. He stresses that a particular leadership style during a process of change is time based and that every period has room for a limited palette of leadership qualities (Velde, 2002). A style organizes the pragmatic activity of a leader, indicates how his actions are coordinated and how things and people that matter are determined and changed (Spinosa et al., 2001). It has been argued that organizations beliefs, values and assumptions are of critical importance to the overall style of leadership that they adopt (Bunmi, 2007). Leadership style is the behavior pattern used by leader to resolve the organizational issues. There are several different leadership styles that can be identified in various leaders.

Kevin Mitnick :: Hacker Hackers Hacking Computers Essays

Kevin Mitnick Hacking has been around since the birth of computers. When the term hacking was first used, its meaning was not that of how we think of it today. At the origins of computing, a hacker was considered to be just a "creative programmer (Baase, 2003)." Early forms of computer games as well as the beginnings of operating systems were discovered and created by these original hackers. These hackers plunged into systems as a way of an intellectual challenge and to aspire to gain knowledge (Baase, 2003). Kevin Mitnick believes he falls into this realm of hackers. Hackers in today's era are now looked upon as criminals who invade the privacy rights of individuals and have the ability to deliver worms/viruses. The differences are that hackers today have full intentions of delivering terrible viruses and worms. Mitnick was one of the most infamous hackers during the 1980's. He molded his hacking style around the stupidity of humans and his quest for intellectual knowledge. The ways in which he w iggled his way into computer systems extenuates many of the issues surrounding computer security and privacy. Kevin Mitnick, "the worlds most notorious hacker" hacked into his first computer at the age of 16 when he hacked into Digital Equipment Corp. ( DEC) by phoning the company and claiming to be the lead developer of a new product (Weintraub, 2003). DEC then proceed to give him the passwords needed to hack into their system. Many of the jobs that Mitnick pulled exploited the ignorance of humans rather than the security software of the companies. Based on what he accomplished, he showed that a path can be made into a system without a computer or modem. This "social engineering", was Mitnick's forte. Mitnick tries to warn corporations now that "There is no patch for stupidity." (Mitnick, 2003) We are getting to an era in life were humans are not smart enough to run the machines they created. Someday computers may be run and created by other computers completely making humans obsolete in the realm of computer operation. This is a very scary thing to think about. When computers start having the ability to run themselves without human interference who knows what will happen. This is a fear that is embedded into the minds of many luddites. Where will this new technology end up? How far will it go before it destroys the integrity of life as it is now?

Discuss Media Influences On Prosocial Behaviour Essay

Pro-social behaviours are actions which aim to help others. For example, helping, sharing and caring for others. It seems as though the media can have a positive effect on individuals. It can have an influence on pro-social behaviour, and there are different explanations which help us to understand how the media does it. Being exposed to pro-social behaviour is one way in which the media can have a positive effect on people. Essentially, this explanation argues that when people are exposed to pro-social behaviour on TV and other sources of the media, they then become influenced by it. For example, if a character in a TV programme does something helpful, this explanation would argue that the person, who is exposed to this pro-social behaviour, would be affected by what they are seeing and this would then mean that they will copy that pro-social behaviour and also become helpful in real life. Greenberg carried out an analysis of popular children’s programmes in the US and found that there were an equivalent number of pro-social and antisocial acts. This shows us that the media does provide us with pro-social acts and it also shows us that we are exposed to these pro-social behaviours even though at times we may not be aware of it. Woodard carried out a research which showed that 77% of children’s programmes in the US contained pro-social messages. So, according to this explanation, anyone, who watches these children’s programmes, would be exposed to the pro-social acts and then they would copy the pro social acts and display them in real life situations. However, having said that, this research is ethnocentric as it was carried out in the US. This means that we cannot generalise the results to the rest of the population as it is culturally biased. For example, in other parts of the world, children may only be exposed to antisocial behaviour in TV programmes and yet they still behave in a pro-social way. This, therefore, raises the question as to whether or not the media can actually have a positive effect on individuals who are being exposed to pro-social behaviour-it might just be the person’s personality that is causing them to show pro-social behaviours rather than the media influencing that person. One strength of this explanation is the fact it is realistic to an extent. For example, it seems realistic that if a child is exposed to pro-social acts on TV, they would then get influenced by what they are seeing, and this would then lead them into copying that pro social behaviour. There has been a lot cases where children, who have watched programmes such as Bob the builder, have copied what they have seen in these programmes and then used what they have witnessed to help their friends and families to solve a problem. Another strength of this explanation is the fact that it can have a positive effect on parenting as this explanation can help parents to understand that what their children are watching can influence the way in which they behave. For example, parents may become cautious about what their children are watching on TV- they may encourage their children to watch TV programmes which contain more pro-social acts and less antisocial behaviours and this could potentially mean that their children may display more pro-social behaviours later on life.

Which Is More Important in Shaping Individual Identity: Social Structure or Social Interaction?

Social structure and social interaction are the building blocks of present life. The need for people to interact with each other is crucial and has always been the key action to survive and sustain existence. Sociologists now refer to this as socialisation, to establish the important components of living and a person’s social identity.Social structure is more important than social interaction in shaping individual social identity, the reason for this to have more importance in shaping someone’s social identity, is because without social structure there would be no social interaction both are important in discussing macrosociology (social structure) and microsociology (social interaction). Within social structure is class, status and institutions they will be expanded upon later in detail on the way they influence one social identity more then social interaction.Social identity is defined as a person’s acknowledgement of belonging to a certain social category or g roup where its members possess the same social identification and observe the surroundings with an individual perspective (Hogg & Abrams 1988, p. 7). To better understand social identity, Social structure needs to be explained, it is defined as the framework of society that was already laid out before we were born. Social structure refers to the typical patterns of a group, such as its usual relationships between men and women or students and teachers.The sociological significance of social structure is that it gives us direction to and sets limits on behaviour (Henslin, J. 2010, pp. 76 – 77). Social interaction is a significant part of life in society also a part of an individual’s social identity, it is the different ways that people interact with one another. Culture lays the broadest framework, while social class divides people according to income, education and occupational prestige. Each of us receives ascribed statuses at birth, that are involuntary that are inh erited and later achieved statuses are added.Our behaviours and orientations are further influenced by the roles we play, the groups to which we belong and our experiences with social institutions. These components of society work together to help maintain social order (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 76). To achieve social order all members of a society accept its moral values and their roles within it, complying to these norms is a way to maintain social order. Emile Durkhiem’s views were that rather than individual activities such as crime and religion causing certain behaviours, it was society as a whole Bessant & Watts, 2007 pp. 72 – 73). Showing that structure has more influence on a persons identity rather than their interactions within their class and statuses. Social Class is based on income, education and occupational prestige. Large numbers of people who have similar amounts of income and education and who work at jobs that are roughly comparable in prestige make up a social class. It is hard to overemphasise this aspect of social structure, for our social class influences not only our behaviours but even our ideas and attitudes (Henslin, J. 010, p. 78). There is four different structures that we can inherit at birth; wealthy upper class, middle class, working class and under class (Macionis & Plummer 1997). Karl Marx was the first to study class and it’s relationship to the functions of society and identity. Marx focused on how one class controlled and directed production, while the other classes were service providers or producers, whose efforts benefited the ruling or dominating class.Marx saw that human relationships and identity were a product of labour, and therefore shaped by it (Cox, 1998). An example of this is Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson being the controlling class and all his employees below him represent the other classes which all in turn benefits him. Social Status in sociology has been given two meanings. One refers to t he position that a person occupies in the social structure, such as teacher or priest.The other more specific meaning refers to the form of social stratification in which social positions are ranked and organised by legal, political and cultural criteria into status groups. These social positions may carry a great deal of prestige, as in the case of a judge or an astronaut, or it may bring little prestige as in the case as a grocery store worker or a waitress at the local pub. The status can also be looked down on as in the case of a homeless person, an ex-convict or a thief.Social status is a major shaping component of social identity status set all the statuses or positions that an individual occupies are generally all ascribed statuses that are inherited such as your race/ethnicity, sex and the social class of your parents as well yours statuses as female or male, daughter or son, niece or nephew. Our identity as ‘male’ or ‘female’ is one of the most bas ic aspects of our being. As Sigmund Freud observed a century ago, when you meet a person for the first time, the very first thing you notice about them is whether they are a man or woman (Bessant & Watts, 2007 p. 09). Social Institutions are the organised, usual or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs. Social institutions are the family, religion, education, economic, medicine, politics, law, science, the military and the mass media (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 81). They establish the context in which we live, shaping our behaviour and colouring our thoughts. Social institutions are so significant in shaping individual identity that is they were to change we would be different people, as they influence our orientations to the social world and the wider world itself.Much of the influence lies beyond our ordinary awareness. For example, because of our economic institution, it is common to work eight hours a day for five days every week. There is nothing normal or natural abou t this pattern, however. This rhythm is only an arbitrary arrangement for dividing work and leisure. Yet this one aspect of a single social institution has far-reaching effects. Not only does it also lays out a structure for their interaction with family and friends and for how they meet their personal needs (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 1). From this you can see that social identity is formed primarily by structure rather than interaction with individuals fitting into their institutions through their class and status showing the greater importance of social structure on shaping the social identity. Social identity is shaped through an individual’s journey in life within their social structure and social interaction, but this is not solely through inherited ascribed statuses, class and institutions also by the way a person socialises within the given environment.The inequalities of the worlds classes is shapes a person’s identity by the way they have had to behave due to their social structure limitations and well as the interactions with others of the same class and status, without this structure there would be no social interaction. This is why social structure is of a higher importance when it comes to shaping the identity of an individual. REFERENCE LIST Back, L. , Bennett, A. , Edles, L. ,Gibson, M. , Inglis, D. ,Jacobs, R. , Woodward, I 2012, Cultural Sociology: An Introduction, Wiley, ebook Bessant, J. amp; Watts, R. 2007, Sociology Australia, 3rd ed. , Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest Henslin, JM, Possamai, A, and Possamai-Indesedy, A 2011, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest Hogg, M. A. & Abrams, D. 1988, Social Identifications A Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations and Group, Routledge, London Macionis, J. J. & Plummer, K. 2012, Sociology: A Global Introduction, 5th ed. , Pearson, Prentice Hall, New York Plummer, K 2010, Sociology: The Basics, Taylor and Francis, ebook

Literary Analysis on Death of a Salesman Essay

In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the conflict between a father and son shapes the overall meaning of the work and explains all of the adverse events that occur throughout. The sources of Willy and Biff’s conflicts, which include Biff’s delusional perception of the world as a result of ideas planted in him by his father, Biff’s discovery of his father’s affair, and Biff’s lack of business success all accumulate and result in the ultimate rivalry between the father and son. Altogether, these contribute greatly to the formation of the concept that personal dreams and desire to achieve success can often negatively interfere with personal relationships, and causing people to loose sight of what is important in our lives, as Willy and Biff exemplify. Throughout the play, there are flashbacks to Biff’s childhood as a successful athlete and motivated individual. Willy’s pride in his son’s accomplishments is apparent, as he constantly praises him saying, â€Å"Good work Biff!† (1561), yet Willy’s lack of acceptance of reality are as well. Frequently Bernard, a studious young boy, appears and reminds Willy of Biff’s unsatisfactory grades, yet Willy refuses to admit these downfalls and does not accept the reality of his son’s situation. Willy merely tells Bernard, â€Å"Don’t be a pest, Bernard! What an anemic!† (1560), and dismisses the negative statements made about Biff. Bernard constantly reappears almost as a symbol of Biff’s conscience, telling him to study or else he will not graduate. Willy does not help the situation and completely combats Bernard’s efforts by filling Biff’s head with lies and selling him on the idea of the American Dream as s omething that is easily achieved, by giving simple advice such as, â€Å"Be liked and you will never want† (1561). It is apparent that Willy weighs the importance of being well-liked and socially accepted more heavily than actual hard work and success, a negative reflection of his character. Willy preaches his philosophy that, â€Å"the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead† (1561). This is purely ironic due to the fact that Willy is the man who creates a personal interest in the business world with men of high status, but when all of his friends pass away he is left with nothing but a glorified past to remember. This false reality that Willy paints for Biff fosters the conflict between father and  son due to the fact that Biff fails as a result of the way he was raised. Biff follows his fathers ways and words, and by the time he takes his first job he has been raised to think that success and happiness will just come to him without excessive effort on his part. As any son would look up to and admire his father, Biff took his father’s advice and therefore makes no excessive efforts and put forth minimal work expecting to become successful merely because of his personality. This sense of entitlement is clearly diminished when Biff fails to keep a job and ends up at home. Willy never takes the time to teach Biff a good work ethic, good values, and strong morals, because Willy himself has not even established these within his own character. Therefore Biff steals, does not work hard, and finds it hard to make it in the real world. Willy himself does not know what is important in life, does not have morals, and does not value his family relationships, therefore he has no way of teaching Biff these vital tools for success and happiness. The resentment Willy feels because of Biff’s lack of success becomes the main conflict throughout the play ultimately reflects negatively upon Willy’s lack of ability to achieve the American dr eam himself, displaying Willy’s overall weak character. Biff’s discovery of his father’s affair serves as a main turning point for him as a character, a turning point that sends him downward into a life of struggle and lack of achievement. It is at this point that Biff loses respect for his father and begins to recognize the lie that he is living, thus making it a main source of conflict. Willy is in denial about his involvement with Biff’s failure in life, and when indirectly confronted by Bernard about the incident in Boston asking â€Å"What happened in Boston, Willy?† (1600), Willy becomes defensive, saying, â€Å"What are you trying to do, blame it on me? Don’t talk to me that way!† (1600). After being told about Biff’s reaction upon his return from Boston and the burning of his favorite University of Virginia shoes that symbolize Biff’s dreams and hopes for the future, Willy realizes the extent of impact that Biff’s discovery of the affair had. Willy’s lack of acc eptance of reality adversely affects his relationship with Biff because he never takes responsibility for his affair or even has the courage to admit it to Biff. As a result, when Biff discovers a woman in his father’s hotel room, he confronts his father, â€Å"You  fake! You phony little fake! You fake!† (1618) and all Willy can do is attempt to exercise his authority as a father which ultimately fails. Frequently throughout the play, Happy makes references to the man Biff used to be, asking him, â€Å"What happened, Biff? Where’s the old humor, the old confidence?† (1552). Learning about his father’s affair and seeing it firsthand that day in Boston was the turning point for Biff, the point where he grew up and realized that his father was a broken and defeated man, not the successful business man he portrayed himself as and used to be. As a result of this, Biff loses all respect for his father, and alternatively Willy begins to loathe Biff as well. Due to his discovery of the affair, Biff not only sees his father as a failed businessman, but a failed man. A man without money does not make him a bad man, but an adulterer who betrayed a woman who gave him everything cannot be forgiven in the eyes of a son. Throughout Willy’s continuous failures and defeats, his wife still remains supportive of him and loving, constantly reminding him of her affection for him. Despite this, Willy still yearns to have what he does not and thus pursues an extramarital relationship with â€Å"the other woman.† It is clear that Willy finds some kind of comfort and validation in this affair with a woman who makes him feel wanted, yet his wife does the same therefore it is clearly a matter of greed. â€Å"Willy’s sense of failure, his belief that he has no right to his wife, despite Linda’s love for him, is what motivates Willy’s deceptions, and those of his sons after him† (Bloom, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Death of a Salesman). This event contributes to the overall meaning of the work as a symbol of the failure of the American Dream by Willy, not only in terms of personal success but also in terms of family relationship and his family’s success. Not only does Willy cheat on his wife, loathe his son, and struggle to keep a job, but he has let his values go and seems to have no moral compass of right and wrong. It shows that he has failed in the business aspect of his life, and also in his morals. Finally, Biff’s lack of success in the real world contributes largely to the conflict between him and his father. After having countless jobs over a period of several years, Biff returns home with loss of all hope of finding a steady job to support himself. Willy is disappointed by Biff’s lack of  ability to succeed, and, â€Å"It is to Biff, the returning son, to whom Willy relates most affectively.† (Hadomi, Rhythm Between Father and Son.) It is because Willy can see so much of himself in Biff and relates so heavily to him that these resentful feelings arise. Biff reflects his father’s failed ideals and expectations for himself, which are represented in Willy’s fantasies and flashbacks regarding Biff’s successful and glorious childhood, as well as expectations that Willy originally had for himself. Willy sees his failed life and career as a middle-aged man, and recognizes similar traits and qualities in Biff. Although he never expresses these, it is apparent that Willy largely sees himself in his son and thus takes out his anger for himself on Biff, resulting in constant fighting and conflict. The conflicted relationship between Willy and Biff exemplifies the theme of the work that in one’s pursuit of professional and material success, it is easy to become preoccupied with superficial aspects of life while simultaneously losing sight of what matters most. Willy’s preoccupation with his quest for material fulfillment ultimately results in a flawed relationship with his family, and ultimately with his son Biff when Willy sees him following in his footsteps. This conflict between father and son is what shapes the theme of the work and serves to highlight Miller’s purpose and the greater meaning of the play; that nothing is more important than family. (Word Count: 1517)