Analysis Of The Article On The Letter By Charles E...

How to Be a Minimalist By Charles E Huss | Submitted On September 24, 2012 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest 1 Expert Author Charles E Huss Minimalism has been around for thousands of years but it seems it is becoming increasingly popular lately. Perhaps that is because so many people, used to living a material life, are starting to question why all these things don t make them happy, or even satisfied. Some are realizing that they can get more by living with less. What is Minimalism? Minimalism has several meanings, some are related to art and music and others refer to interior design and architecture, Still others are political in nature. The dictionaries I looked at do not even mention minimalism as a lifestyle choice so I will try to define it in my own words. Minimalism is a lifestyle that involves living with only what is necessary for happiness, health and general well-being. I tend to take a softer approach to being a minimalist. I believe it is more of a journey than a destination. Some people may want to jump in head first and get rid of every single unnecessary item in their house overnight. I think that takes much of the enjoyment out of it. For me, getting rid of

Bob Dylan And The American Civil Rights And Anti War...

Bob Dylan (/ˈdÉ ªlÉ™n/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when his songs chronicled social unrest, although Dylan repudiated suggestions from journalists that he was a spokesman for his generation. Nevertheless, early songs such as Blowin in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. After he left his initial base in the American folk music revival, his six-minute single Like a Rolling Stone altered the range of popular music in 1965. His mid-1960s recordings, backed by rock musicians, reached the top end of the United States music charts while also attracting denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement. Dylan s lyrics have incorporated various political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the performances of Little Richard, and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, Dylan has amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song—from folk, blues, and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazzShow MoreRelatedBob Dylans The Sixties Counterculture1622 Words   |  7 Pages we must understand the important role of Bob Dylan. His lyrics fueled the rebellious youth in America. Songs such as â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† and â€Å"The Times are A-Changin† made him favorable to anti-war demonstrators and supporters of the Civil Rights movement. He was commonly hailed as the spokesman for his generation. Dylan used lyrics to allow the youth to find their own form of counter-culture. The youth generation began to see the effects racism, war, etc. effect the society in America. To combatRead MoreThe Impacts Of Bob Dylan And The Civil Rights Movement939 Words   |  4 Pagesand racism. In America in 1960 the Civil Rights Movement was underway and the Vietnam War had already been going on for 5 years, where approximately 900 American troops were already serving. The 1960s produced some of the greatest musical artists seen in history, and one in particular was Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan is thought to be one of the greatest influence on popular culture in all time, and is one of the main and influential protest song artists of the 1960s. Dylan grew up in a time of great changeRead MoreBob Dylan And The Sixties1214 Words   |  5 PagesBob Dylan played a vital role in the sixties counter-culture. His lyrics fueled the rebellious youth in America. Songs such as â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† and â€Å"The Times are A-Changin† made him favorable to anti-war demonstrators and supporters of the Civil Rights movement. He was commonly referred to as the spokesman for his generation. Dylan used lyrics to empower the youth to find their own form of counter-culture. The youth generation began to see the effects racism had on society and the violenceRead MoreCivil War And The 1960s1631 Words   |  7 PagesA History of Protest Music – Revolutionary War to the 1960s Protest music in the United States dates back to the 19th century. This protest music focused around subjects that were topical for the time period. Among these topics were the Civil War. Another topic was slavery, and its abolition. A final topic was women’s suffrage. A famous group of protest singers was the Hutchinson Family Singers. Their notoriety, which spanned the mid-19th century, began in 1839. Their songs about abolition wereRead MoreThe ‘60s: Culture and Music Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesimportant role in constituting American culture, where people have expressed themselves through music during flourishing and turbulent times. In the 1930’s, Swing music created a platform for audiences to vent their emotions in the midst of Great Depression and political unrest. Such strong relationship between music and culture can be seen throughout history, especially in the sixties. The ‘60s were the age of youth, as millions of children’s from post World War II became teenagers and rebelledRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam1573 Words   |  7 PagesA. The Vietnam War occurred from 1955-1975, this included the North and South fighting over government structure of the newly independent state of Vietnam, having recently become independent from France. However, the USA was in Vietnam as a sort of protection for the South Vietnamese people, who had a weaker army force, but only a few thousand Americans were in Vietnam for that purpose at the time. On August 7, 1964, the USA entered the war for the purpose of fighting the North Vietnamese due toRead MoreThe Most Iconic Civil Rights Movement Influencers Of All Time By Billie Holiday1590 Words   |  7 PagesTo begin my essay, I would like to start off with arguably the most iconic civil rights movement influencers of all time, Billie Holiday. Eleanora Fagan was born on April 7, 1915 and is from the â⠂¬Å"Quaker City† formally known as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eleanora childhood could be best described as unsteady, at times. During these trying points in her life, Eleanora enjoyed singing along to records and escape the harsh reality of her life. When she made the move to New York with her mother aroundRead MoreBob Dylan Impact on Society2726 Words   |  11 PagesBob Dylan: An Impact on American Society in the 1960’s Amy Blanton Professor Porter History 22 April 10, 2001 1 The 1960s was a decade of liberation for music, public opinion, dance, invention, and the binds of racism. From this generation spawned some of the greatest musical artists of all time—one in particular, Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan is considered to be the greatest influence on popular culture of all time. However, Bob Dylan was not born an idol—his legacy was a result of his surroundings. ThroughoutRead MoreBob Dylan Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesThe early 1960s was a time of extreme social issues such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement; everyone was looking for their own voice in this time of adversity. A young Bob Dylan arises to the spotlight and sings songs speaking of protest and originality, expressing societal dissatisfaction felt by not only himself but by his entire generation. In the 1960s Dylan wrote many protest songs that people of his generation found themselves connecting to, leading way to a counterculture asideRead MoreThe Beatles And Bob Dy lan905 Words   |  4 Pagesand America have influenced and inspired one another for many years. Music was, and still is, a huge connecting factor between the two countries. The Beatles and Bob Dylan, two of the most famous artists of all time, demonstrate how Britain and America had a profound influence on each country’s music culture. In the beginning of American history, America was heavily influenced by Britain because it was considered the â€Å"Mother Country† for the pilgrims that settled throughout North America. Due to this

Security and Privacy in Workplace Free Essays

string(108) " for certain then the company can be sued which can affect the companies’ reputation to a greater extent\." 1. 0 Introduction Whalen and Gates (2010), define monitoring differently in their article. They define it as a method and procedure of examining the workers in an organization and study their constant events intended to guarantee that together the protection of employees and requirements of the employer are met. We will write a custom essay sample on Security and Privacy in Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nearly all companies nowadays take videos of their employees, they read their emails and monitor their Web surfing. This can be done surreptitiously and some organizations are honest about it Chan et al. (2005). Privacy is one of the most important things that are immensely fitting to be something of the past. In general companies are permitted to observe employee activities by the courts. Private companies have been setting rules in situations when employees are taken into service for instance contracts that affirm that they will be monitoring employees’ use of the Internet or any company tools (Chieh and Kleiner, 2003). Efforts have been made in arrangement for laws that protect business and the employees, regrettably most current court cases have been deceiving evidence in the eyes of the magistrates thus confidentiality or privacy laws have been unsuccessful for employees. It has been recommended that government, big firms and industries and health care systems should have the capability to tape and study workers activities as it is a benefit to research and development for several years. Most legislation is the same opinion that laws should be set in place even though the breach of human rights forbid them from approaching the issue to a law level (Welebir and Kleiner, 2005). Sadly, comprehensible defenses of privacy opposed to security may never be evident from the view point of the law. Employers’ main apprehension is the decrease in productivity, virus attacks/ damaged equipment (i. e. computers), legal charges and loss of classifies data. Employees’ major worry is incursion of their privacy, mistreatment of control and precision in their work. A survey conducted in the year 2000, is that sixty two percent of the employees use Internet resources once a day for their private reasons and twenty percent of them use it for at least ten times. This is why employer is at unease because a large number of workers are using company property for their own use and not for the business purposes. According to Watson (2002) sopports the idea that productivity is what most companies are concerned about such that if employees use them for their own private uses it will negatively affect productivity. It is compulsory for them to put regulations and policies that will help them monitor employees and their activities during working hours. Some of the main things that companies use are telephone monitoring particularly when personal calls are made, electronic surveillance, drug testing and verification of emails sent externally for private reasons. Reasons why companies make use of policies is for the reason of a decrease in productivity , sensitive material which arise from unpleasant email usage, workplace accidents caused by prohibited drug use, employees bitterness over monitoring of computers and sexual harassment complaints prompted by dating among workmates. 2. 0 Research Objectives R01. To identify if security and privacy actions affect things like productivity in the workplace/organization R02. To state some of the security and privacy actions that some companies are implementing in the workplace R03. To analyze whether organizations nowadays are focusing more on prioritizing their security initiatives thus undermining their employees and their personal lives R04. To evaluate if companies are using the right tools, technologies and methods to maintain good quality security and privacy within their organization 3. 0 Research Questions RQ1. What do organizations hope to achieve by implementing security in their companies? RQ2. What effect does security and privacy actions have on productivity in the organization? RQ3. Do organizations of nowadays focus more on prioritizing their security initiatives hence undermining their employees and their personal lives? RQ4. Do companies use the right methods, technology and tools when they choose security and privacy as a priority? 4. 0 Hypothesis H1. Security and privacy actions increase things like productivity in the workplace. H2. Telephone and email monitoring, monitored computer web use and surveillance cameras are some of the security actions that some organizations are implementing to their workers. H3. Organizations nowadays are more focused on prioritizing their security initiatives thus undermining their employees’ personal lives. H4. For a company to maintain good quality security and privacy within their organization they have to own the right tools, technologies and methods. Theoretical Framework Workplace performance Security and Privacy in the workplace Priorities of the company such as productivity and protection The independent variable is security and privacy implementation in companies and workplace performance is the dependent variable. Priorities of companies such as productivity and protection are the controlling variables to the results. 5. 0 Achievements gained From Implementing Security and Privacy in the Workplace Organizations hope to achieve a better performance from their employees when they implement security in the workplace. Most companies today in most parts of the world do observe their workers because they have reasonable reasons for doing so. Since employers are accountable for their employees they have to provide them with a safe and a secure workplace. By monitoring or surveilling employees, employers hope to achieve several things such as employee or customer satisfaction, protection of the company’s confidential information and prevent trade secrets from leaking out, non-offensive material from emails and the internet, high performance from the network and the systems and to boost employee productivity (Vorvoreanu and Botan, 2001). 5. Non-offensive material from emails and the Internet According to Lee and Kleiner (2003), employees are responsible for all their workers during employment hours such that even any of the workers happens to send offensive information/materials and they happen to offend the receiver, the employers are the ones who will be liable to this course of action. If the material that would have been sent is found offensive for certain then the company can be sued which can affect the compani es’ reputation to a greater extent. You read "Security and Privacy in Workplace" in category "Essay examples" To prevent such cases most companies have seen it fit to take the initiative of monitoring each and every email and web use by the employees. 5. 2 Prevention of trade secrets from leaking out According to Paciniet al. (2008), there are several physical actions that employees consider when doing an internal control to safeguard trade secrets of the company. Such actions include a restriction on accessing certain premises (use of key cards), locks for all file cabinets, surveillance equipment to see all movements and passwords for accessing computers. Monitoring employees especially when it comes to trade secrets boosts productivity because employees who have intentions to harm the organization are quickly detected and those who are loyal to the company will work to their maximum potential because they know that they are safe. 5. 3 High Performance from Network and the systems of the Company Companies do not only monitor their employees just to check if they are doing work properly. They also monitor them in order to know if the network and system performance is not being taken advantage of by being used for personal use hence a decrease in productivity. If a computer network is efficient it is of a great advantage because it increases productivity in the workplace. If a computer system is poor it can be a great loss to the firm because productivity can decrease which results in loss of customers and profits. Most employers really consider the network bandwidth traffic; this is related to employees using the network for personal use . These activities include downloads which decreases network and systems performance, also sharing and use of large audio and video files, surfing the internet and personal emails which are of high volume. All these actions by employees can cause the network/system be attacked by viruses which may cause it to be disabled (Trim, 2005). Secondly, if the bandwidth is used for purposes that are not work-related somehow it would be an expense that could have been avoided and to make matters worse the expenses that are incurred do not contribute to the wellness of the firm (Strategic Direction, 2009). For example nowadays most organizations are seeking to adopt the Web 2. 0 technologies for the sake of privacy and security of their companies. This type of technology according to Almeida (2012), it enables the employers to prevent data loss which would have been caused by inappropriate use of social media applications such as YouTube, Skype during working hours will definitely increase productivity in the workplace. According to Doshi (2009), employer does believe in monitoring their employees because it is a fast and easy method of getting the job done. Productivity and profits increase because the employees will work efficiently and at ease hence a lot of work is done in a short period of time. When workers work efficiently the employees themselves is satisfied hence customers are satisfied as well (Chan et al. 2005). According to The Gazette (2008), Internet abuse is a rising problem that is costing Canadian businesses beyond sixteen billion dollars yearly in lost productivity and the amount is predicted to be eighty billion dollars in the United States. 6. 0 Security Actions That Most Organizations Are Implementing 6. 1 Drug Testing Most organizations do drug testing for security reasons. For companies that are doing drug test, they test mainly for alcohol and drugs separately and others test for both. Employees who come to do their job under the influence of drugs/alcohol may be a threat to other work-mates. Secondly, drug testing has increased because of a rise in health cost and an increase in the danger imposed by lawsuits which come from worker disease. Many companies are involved with drug testing their employees because it is one of the best ways for solving medical and economic problems (Jardine-Tweedie and Wright, 1998) . According to Lu and Kleiner (2004), if the drug testing by the employer is legal and correctly does things according to the law of that particular state then the company will have to look forward to higher profits. High profits are obtained because the employee will be more productive, higher level of morale, a low rate of absenteeism, low health care and fewer injuries are encountered during working periods. 6. 2 Electronic Surveillance Computers are changing rapidly nowadays especially in the workplaces such that monitoring employees by electric equipment is more common. Surveillance cameras/ CCTV is another means used by employers to monitor their employees, they are always aware of all the activities that take place in the organization and surrounding areas. According to Chen and Park (2005), monitoring employees regularly would reduce cases of spies in the organization getting away with their actions. Such cases are few because these â€Å"spies† are aware that they are being watched thereby lose interest to do any illegal actions that will jeopardize their identity (Lu and Kleiner, 2004). Next, management’s main objective is to increase productivity and gain more profit hence they believe monitoring employees’ will improve their productivity levels for the better and an assurance of service of high quality. Chieh and Kleiner (2003) states that employers can use information they get from the cameras to find out things that are going wrong in the workplace or find out reasons why productivity is decreasing. For example, an employer can discipline workers who may have been wasting their working hours on their own interest based from the information obtained from monitoring. From this employees are bound to focus more on their assigned duties rather than waste time during working hours. Surveilling employees also motivates them to work even harder than they have been doing (Lee and Kleiner, 2003). Managers can somehow conduct a performance evaluation of their employees whereby they will be able to give a feedback to the employees’ and explain which parts needs correction. From monitoring they are able to dictate the type of employees who are hard-working and those who need help. Employers are also able to detect mistakes the employees are making and from this it will be easy to assist them and correct them. 6. 3 Emails, Voicemails/Telephone calls, Files and Web/Internet use monitoring Many companies monitor employees’ emails, files, voicemails and internet use for various reasons. The number of companies who practice this type of monitoring has increased over the past years (Cox et al, 2005). Employers proclaim that by monitoring employees email, voicemails/telephone calls that way they can be certain that they do not contain any materials that can offend the receiver. Email monitoring is when employers monitor all emails that are going in and out for security purposes to make sure that employees are not disclosing employment or business confidential information. They may monitor as well to check if employees are not harassing other coworkers. Telephone monitoring is a system of managing calls and observing service by the employees. This type of surveillance is used to monitor employees when they make or receive calls and they can gather information on how the employees are performing. Internet use monitoring is when managers take the initiative to observe all the steps of their employee’s online tracks. Sixty percent of the firms in the United States of America gain from the complex technology and they opt to monitor the workers activities on the Internet (Ciocchetti, 2010). In cases that they are in such situations whereby a worker sends offensive material employees are able to deal with the accused accordingly based on the proof of recorded conversations/videos. For example, Xerox Company fired forty employees who were caught viewing Pornography sites on the internet during working hours (The Register, 2000). Employers have been monitoring all its employees all over the world (ninety-two thousand in total) by taking records of every web site opened. The main reasons why they were fired is because they spent most of their working hours on issues that were not related to their company and also viewing pornographic sites may have been offending material to coworkers. Companies have installed different types of technologies just to monitor their employees’ activities. Examples include software that filters specific content of information to prevent it from leaving the firm which may lead to the disposal of company secrets. Other types of software used by companies are those that can monitor log-on and off times so that employers can see if workers are wasting time on issues that are not company related. Monitoring of emails, voicemails, files and Web use is believed to be another way that makes it certain that employees will work efficiently and possess productive work habits. Productive work habits boosts efficiency which increases productivity thus perfecting customer service. According to Welebir and Kleiner (2005), the worry for organizations is to keep up with the aspect of having power over production and encouraging utilization of the Internet as a priceless resource. A survey conducted by IntelliQuest Information group revealed that there was an increase in private use of the Internet at work. The results signified that the use of had grown from 6. 9 hours to 9. 8 hours for every week prior to the last year and about fifty seven million workers access Internet from their workplace for private use. Further information provided by the study was that the number of workers seemingly receiving classified information from competitors has increased from 9. 2 percent to 24. percent within a year. Moreover workers are getting emails with attachments, roughly one fifth of the workers have reported receiving insulting email from an inner source and only a third to confess spending more time on the Internet for personal use. States do not have the same policies for monitoring and governing websites viewed by the residents. States like China, Vietnam and Singapore does not only block sites for pornography they also ban access to linguistic and political issue s (Hechanova and Alampay, 2010). 7. Prioritizing Security and Privacy Ignores Employees’ Personal Lives Opponents of implementing security and privacy in the organization state that organization nowadays are too concerned with their own company interests and its prosperity thus forgetting that their employees do have personal lives. Installing electronic cameras that will be watching their activities all day when they are at work, monitoring emails and phone calls is making companies seem as if they are forgetting that their employees have a life to live (Dubbeld, 2004). This side of the coin feels that staff is at liberty to confidentiality when they are using the Internet. Employees argue that as they are allowed to breaks, lunch hours or other selectedperiods where they are not liable to any duties but still in the building they should have the freedom to do things like checking their e-mail, do their banking or shopping and maybe just browse the Internet on free time. Everyone is entitled to some privacy no matter where they are so they argue that they should be able to do this during their free time without anyone monitoring all their movements. Secondly, employees do not consider it as monitoring productivity when companies even observe staff in the toilet or relaxing areas of the office. Some employees consider it as an intrusion and they have lawful hope that they can maintain their personal lives private. Undermining workers privileges to confidentiality by surveillance and monitoring is not the only problem that employees face. It also generates high levels of stress and nervousness which to higher chances may lead to poor health of workers and a reduction in performance. Examples of physical wellbeing problems which may be caused by monitoring are repetitive Strain Injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from performance monitoring by the company for instance keyboard strikes. To add on, employees believe thatthey are individuals who can make their own decisions hence it is their right to be treated as proficient andindependentpeople. Guaranteeing their individual development and performance that can be valued is what they believe they can achieve if they are treated as independent people thus they consider surveillance as violating their privacy (Ahmed, 2007). Workers argue that as long as individual e-mail does not hinder or conflict with business life, it should be permitted. Employees also argue that phone calls take more time than writing an e-mail and also that they should be given time to do individual matters because it can reduce the rate of absenteeism. Most employees have suggested that as long as there is a realistic limit on this practice of monitoring emails, there is no reason for fear but in situations where someone does something unusual then they will have to be dealt with (Kierkegaard, 2005). Even if employees are informed that they are being monitored and in agreement that they are using company property they still feel that their employers’ are not respecting the fact that besides working for tem they also have personal lives which still go on whether they are working or not. 8. 0 Better results can be achieved by using the right tools, technologies and methods For a company to maintain good quality security and privacy within their organization they have to own the right tools, technologies and methods. A company cannot just instill a rule/wake up one morning with intentions of monitoring all the activities of their employees and expect high productivity. Companies have to follows certain regulations to install such things as software that monitors an employees’ Internet use and all phone calls, drug testing and electronic surveillance. A cautiously worded policy that informs employees concerning the necessity of surveillance in the company will be the most probable way that it can gain acceptance or support for workplace monitoring from them (Watson, 2002). According to Mei-ShaChieh and Kleiner (2003), as regards to other forms of monitoring, it is vital that all forms of surveillance should not be unreasonably intrusive. The methods that employer’s use when they consider monitoring employees should be practical because if they are not deemed like that then the company can encounter problems such as rebellious employees; which may cause a decrease in performance. Arnesen and Weis (2007) critically supports the idea that Employers must know that it would not be irrationally intrusive to observe what an employee does in public; however it might be intrusive to observe the employee’s behavior hen they are in private places such as the toilet. For example, it may be practical to take pictures of employees when they are at work to observe productivity. However, it may unreasonable to put transparent panels in the ceiling of an employee lavatory. Moreover, if convincing conditions state the use of cameras in locker rooms or othe r private areas, they are supposed to have signs warning employees they are there. Next, Kierkegaard (2005) states the some of the international regulations and codes that organizations should take note of when they decide to prioritize security and some form of privacy in their workplace. The International Labor Office (ILO) has issued a Code of Practice on the Protection of worker’s personal data† and it is anticipated to give assistance on the safeguard of workers’ private data. The most important requirements of the Code include issues like using individual data legally and justly only for reasons that are directly applicable to the employment of the staff and for the reasons which they were gathered for in the first place. Employers should by all means necessary not keep insightful private information of employees and all employees should be well-informed before such events take place in the organization. They should be informed of any kind of monitoring that especially the ones that involve personal data collection. However, the information obtained from monitoring them should not be the only issues when doing a performance appraisal. Companies have a duty to safeguard private documents against any kind of a loss, unapproved access, usage, changes or exposure. Employees must have admission to their entire personal information and all rights to scrutinize and get a copy of all the archives. Revealing an Internet supervising policy is an essential element in an organization. Workers ought to be up to date with the type of activities that would be supervised, the regularity monitoring and how the management will be informed of the activity. If the organization verifies how the employees use their Internet then they must be informed and if the company retains deleted information for reasons like security when they should be informed about it (Welebir and Kleiner, 2005). The staff should not have beliefs that their actions on the Internet are confidential. Even though companies do not want to present the idea that they are monitoring each word they key in and mouse clicks on the Internet, it is compulsory to tell employees that they do not own any personal confidential rights when they are using the company Internet. 9. 0 Research Design and Methodology The impact of implementing security and privacy in the workplace and the effect it has on performance in the firm is an ontological study which takes a subjectivism view because security and privacy is created from the perception that workplace performance might be positively or negatively affected. The research is more of an explanatory studywhich is a deductive approach where Saunders et al. (2006), defines deductive astestinga concept in which the researcher cultivates the concept and assumption and design a research plan to test the assumption. The research strategy that is suitable for this study is survey because according to Saunders et al. (2006), it is usually related to a deductive approach and since we are using companies it is a tactic commonly used in businesses. I believe the research choice suitable for the study is a multi-method qualitative study whereby semi-structured interviews and questionnaires can be used for data collecting. Time horizon that can be used is a longitudinal study where according to Saunders (2006), the researcher embarks on a study at numerous facts in time in order to answer a research question. For reliability and validity sake to how security and privacy affect workplace performance several times of embarking on such a question will provide accurate results. Physical access is the one suitable for my study since I am an external researcher. Access would be granted from the management of all the companies that are to be used for the study and gaining an informal access from all the employees for accurate results. One of strategies that can be used to gain this access is that the project will benefit the company in one way or the other. Research ethics that should be maintained during data collection stage are confidentiality and anonymity. Furthermore, the sampling method technique I used is probability specifically cluster sampling is what I would consider because there are specific types of jobs that make use of surveillance cameras, computers (with internet) and telephones. . 1 Possible Results Based on the literature analysis, H1 can be accepted because by implementing security in the workplace it can work in two ways. Firstly, protects the business from competitors and can be used when evaluating employees. H2 can also be accepted because not only American companies use Surveillance cameras, do telephone and Interne t monitoring, companies in Europe and in countries like China, Vietnam, Philippine, Australia also do the same. H4 is acceptable because for the policy of applying security and privacy to work companies have to follow proper procedures. However H3 will remain debatable in the sense that in every topic that arises there is always going to be a group of people who will rebut the idea. It is acceptable only when the company does not communicate the use and the reasons behind the monitoring. 10. Conclusion Based on the evidence and facts from the literature review which provided various perspectives about security and privacy it can be concluded that monitoring employees can result in something noble or something unscrupulous. For example, emails and surfing the Internet can be a disruption but at the same time the feeling of being watched regularly can also be a disruption. Law of privacy has to balance employee interest against those of the employers and more prominently it must center on the important concepts of human self-esteem. Information technology has assisted firms to enlarge their productivity and efficiency but the misuse of the Internet has steered firms to monitor all communications operated electronically to guard their companies and limit legal responsibilities. Nowadays two major developments to be concerned about in regards to electronic surveillance is the great concern for employee privacy and the increased cases of employers being caught accountable for workers’ misbehaviors of electronic communication. Although the courts are in support of employers they must be alert about the workers’ rights though shielding the firms’ interests. Words 4 282 References Ahmed, S. ( 2007). Analysis of Workplace Surveillance In a Quest for an Ethical Stance. Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics, Vol 2,No. 4. Almeida, F. 2012). 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Retrieved on 19 March 2012 from: http://www. futureofprivacy. org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/07/The_Eavesdropping_Employer_%20A_Twenty-First_Century_Framework. pdf Cox, S; Goette, T. and Young, D. (2005). Workplace Surveillance and Employee Privacy: Implementing an Effective Computer Use Policy, Volume 5 Issue 2. Dubbeld, L. 2004) â€Å"Limits on surveillance: Frictions, fragilities and failures in the operation of camera surveillance†, Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society , Vol. 2 Iss: 1, pp. 9 – 19. Guha, M. (2008). â€Å"The Visible Employee: Using Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance to Protect Information Assets without Compromising Employee Privacy or Trust†, Library Review, Vol. 57 Iss: 9, pp. 746 – 747 Hechanova, R. M. and Alampay, E. A. (2010). Monitoring Employee Use of the Internet in Philippine Organizations’’, The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, Volume 40 Issue: 5, pp. -20. Kierkegaard, S. (2005). Privacy in Electronic Communication. Watch your e-mail: your boss is snooping. Computer Law Security Report,†Vol. 21 Iss: 3, pp. 226-236. Lee, S. and Kleiner, B. H. (2003). â€Å"Electronic surveillance in the workplace†, Management Research News, Vol. 26 Iss: 2/3/4, pp. 72 – 81. Mei-ShaChieh, C. and Kleiner, B. H. (2003),†How organisations manage the issue of employee privacytoday†, Management Research News, Vol. 26 Iss: 2 pp. 82 – 88. Petrovic-Lazarevic, S. and Sohal, A. S. (2004). â€Å"Nature of e-business ethical dilemmas†, Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 2 Iss: 2, pp. 167 – 177. Rustad, M. L. and Paulsson, S. R. (2005). Monitoring Employee e-mail and Internet Usage: Avoiding the Omniscient. Electronic Sweatshop: Insights from Europe. U. Pa. Journal of LaborAnd Employment Law, Vol. 7:4. Saunders, M. , Lewis, P, and Thornhill A. (2006) Research Methods for Business students. 4th edition . UK: Prentice Hall. Strategic Direction. (2009) â€Å"Social networking and the workplace: Making the most of web 2. 0 technologies†,Vol. 25 Iss: 8, pp. 20 – 23. The Gazette (2008). ‘Stealing’ time at work on Net. One of the new trends to watch in labor law is how companies and labor tribunals handle cyberslacking- a term coined to describe people who spend an excess of time on the Internet at work. [Online]. Retrieved on 31 March 2012 from: http://www. canada. com/montrealgazette/news/business/story. html? id=32125d78-a479-497a-ae19-4f461ea18060 The Register. (2000). Xerox fires 40 in porn site clampdown. Document Company staffs get caught shuffling more than just paper. Trim, P. R. J. (2005). â€Å"Managing computer security issues: preventing and limiting future threats and disasters†, Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 4 Iss: 4, pp. 493 – 505 Vorvoreanu,M. and Botan, C. H. (2001). Examining Electronic Surveillance In the Workplace: A Review of Theoretical Perspectives and Research Findings. [Online]. Retrieved on 16 March 2012 from: http://www. cerias. purdue. edu/assets/pdf/bibtex_archive/2001-32. pdf Warren, A. (2002) â€Å"Right to privacy? The protection of persona l data in UK public organisations†, New Library World, Vol. 103 Iss: 11/12, pp. 446 – 456. Warren, M. J. (2002). â€Å"Security practice: survey evidence from three countries†, Logistics Information Management, Vol. 15 Iss: 5/6, pp. 347 – 35. Watson, G. (2002). E-mail surveillance in the UK workplace-a management consulting case study†, Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 54 Iss: 1 pp. 23 – 40. Welebir, B. and Kleiner,B. H. (2005),†How to write a proper Internet usage policy†, Journal of Management ResearchNews, Vol. 28 Iss: 2 pp. 80 – 87. Whalen, T. and Gates, C. (2010),†Watching the watchers: â€Å"voluntary monitoring† of infosec employees†, Journal of Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 18 Iss: 1 pp. 14 – 25. Moghe, V. (2003) â€Å"Privacy management – a new era in the Australian business environment†, Journal of Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 1 Iss: 2, pp. 60 â₠¬â€œ 66 Ying-Tzu Lu, Brian H. Kleiner, (2004),†Drug testing in the workplace†, Journal of Management Research News, Vol. 27 Iss: 4 pp. 46 – 53 Jardine-Tweedie, L. and Phillip C. Wright, (1998) â€Å"Workplace drug testing: avoiding the testing addiction†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 13 Iss: 8, pp. 534 – 543 Chan, M; Woon, I. and Kanakanhalli, A. (2005). â€Å"Perceptions of Information Security in the workplace : Linking Information Security climate to Compliant Behavior†, Journal of Information Privacy and Security, Volume 1 Issue: 3, pp. 8-41 Chieh, C. M. and Kleiner, B. H. (2003), â€Å"How organisations manage the issue of employee privacy today†, Journal of Management Research News, Vol. 26 Iss: 2 pp. 82 – 88 Bibliography Gritzalis, S. (2004). â€Å"Enhancing Web privacy and anonymity in the digital era†, Journal of Information Management Computer Security, Vol. 12 Iss: 3, pp. 255 – 287. Griffiths, M. (2010),†Internet abuse and internet addiction in the workplace†, Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 22 Iss: 7 pp. 463 – 472 Morgan, C. (1999). Employer Monitoring Of the Employee Electronic Mail And Internet Use. McGill Law Journal, Vol. 44 pp. 850-902. Jardine-Tweedie, L. and Phillip C. Wright, (1998) â€Å"Workplace drug testing: avoiding the testing addiction†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 13 Iss: 8, pp. 534 – 543 Appendices Appendix 1: Evaluation of Sources In order to do my literature review I made use of secondary data which consisted of journals, books and web publications (which included newspapers). From these sources I could get dependable information because they are reliable sources. I did not manage to get a lot of recent journals for the current year and for the previous year but I did manage to get publications which were within the ten years. These sources really helped me understand more facts about my research topic. Most of the journals that I found were useful to explain my topic and write more facts because they had information that I wanted to use. Most of the journals that I found discussed reasons why organizations were implementing security and privacy in their organizations and the proper procedures that were supposed to be taken for such policies. However it was not easy to get journals that rebuttal those ideas and supported that somehow it affected employees. Secondly, I was able to find journals that explained security and privacy from companies in different countries. The issue of security and privacy in the workplace was more crucial beginning 1996 which shows that it’s an issue that that was brought about technology advancements. I found most of my journals on emerald insight and to top it up I found more from scholar web publications. I took my time to paraphrase all the necessary information from the journals that I found to support all my assumptions. I used twenty- three journals to support my ideas, except for one journal all of them the author name was given, dates, journal article headings and all the information needed to do the referencing. The impact of implementing security and privacy and its effect on workplace performance Appendix 2: Mind Map Week 1 Received topics to research on Week 2 Search for relevant journals mainly from Emerald Insight. com Week 2 Research Objectives Research Questions Hypothesis Week 2 Chose the research topic Week 3 Theoretical Framework Introduction Search for more Journals Week 4 Non-offensive material from emails and the Internet High performance from company networks systems Week 4 Protection of company confidential information Prevention of trade secrets from leaking out Week 4 Positive effects of security and privacy mainly on productivity, employee customer satisfaction Week 5 Security Privacy actions that companies are using Week 6 Facts raised by opponents of Security and privacy e. g. electronic surveillance Week 7 Owning the right tools, technologies and methods Week 9 Research Design and Methodology Possible Results How to cite Security and Privacy in Workplace, Essay examples

Woolworth Company analysis-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Key Strategic decisions taken by Woolworth Plc for enhancing and growing Business in Domestic and International Market. Answer: Introduction This report reflects the key strategic decisions taken by Woolworth Plc for enhancing and growing business in domestic and international market. In addition to this, investment in installation of major application information system has been discussed. Big decisions Woolworth in context with IT/IS strategy It is observed that Brad Banducci has come up with business plan to introduce a restructured operating model which will be adopted with a view to increase the efficiency and productivity of organization. It is evaluated that if he will introduce a restructured operating model then it will result to split the online business and more than 1000 workers will be indulged in operating functioning of organization. However, if organization introduces a restructured operating model then it will also increase the client satisfaction establish automation in Woolworths value chain activities and strengthen the online business of company (Fernie, and Sparks, 2014). Major challenges Woolworths has been facing The main challenge of Woolworth is related to redundancies of employee and organizations which result to approximately cost of $35 million. In addition to this, with the increasing ramification of economic changes and clients inclination towards innovative and creative technologies, company may face destruction in its existing business functioning. Moreover, company might need to make restructuring of business which may cost around $766 million after tax in the group's FY2016 results. Additional problem of Woolworth is related to uncertainty of business and an associated factor which may put negative impact on introduces a restructured operating model (Fernie, and Sparks, 2014). Factors that led Woolworth to take such decisions With the ramified economic changes and stakeholders increasing need from the business functioning of organization, Brad Banducci evaluated that company has been struggling with the supplier relationship due to the issues of replenishment of performance and non-effective inventory system. In addition to this, company is also facing problem in implementation of new software and claimed to have problem in improvement in performance (Norton, 2015) Use of Five porter forces model analysis Buyers power- It is evaluated that Woolworth has been selling its goods and services in market and created international brand image around the globe. However, This may result to buyers inclination towards other organizations such as Wesfarmers, Tesco and Morrison plc (Nkirote, 2014). Suppliers strength- Company has planned to install restructured operating model in its value chain activities which may integrate the business with the suppliers while determining the strategic alliance with them. Therefore, after introducing restructured operating model suppliers and vendors would be more inclined toward the business setting with this company. Rivalry with other organizations- There are several other organizations such as Wesfarmers, Tesco and Morrison plc who will be less inclined towards adopting this operating model due to its high level of cost. Threat of new entrants- Woolworth has faced restricting cost around $766 million after tax in the group's FY2016 results while introducing new operating model in its value chain activities. Therefore, it is very hard for other companies to bear the same level of cost for installing new operating model in their value chain activities. Substitution of product- There will be no substitute product and process which other companies could adopt to make the business rivalry with Woolworth. Balance of power Company has been struggling with the supplier relationship due to the issues of replenishment of performance and non-effective inventory system which may result to less effective products and services to clients. However, at the same time, buyers are more inclined towards buying products offered by Woolworth. It has resulted to high level of balance of power between purchase and supply of goods and services of Woolworth. Impact on IT strategy This will allow Woolworth to introduce new strategy in innovative way and systematic manner and by using new operating system IT process; employees could make effective use of financial and non-financial resources in effective manner Pros and cons of strategic decision Short term Pros- Woolworth could trim its balance sheet by showing this amount as assets and. Employees could also learn new process and adopted model through training process. Cons- It will increase the overall cost of production and employees may showcase redundancies towards adoption of operating system. Long term Pros- It would result to increased level of brand image and result to easy handling of value chain activities of organization. Cons- It may result to destruction of set objectives and goals due to ramified economic growth and creative and innovative business functioning of rivals in market. Role of IT in Woolworth The main role of IT in Woolworth is related to establish proper level of communication method. It would also reduce the complexity of business and lower down the overall cost of organization. Decisions of new management to write down the millions of investment in IT investment It is highly appreciable that Brad Banducci has written down investment to adopt new IT operating model. It will reduce the complexity of business and lower down the overall cost of organization. There are several organizations such as GE capital, Wesfarmers and Coals who have done the same to increase the overall productions and efficiency of company (Barrons, 2017). What I would do if I had been CIO of company I would have done the same which Brad Banducci has done in Woolworth with some changes like reducing the cost of capital for installing the operating model. GE capital from multi diversified business has adopted cyber computing operating system to reduce the complexity of its business (Barrons, 2017). However, in order to convince the top management regarding with the same, I would have prepared proper level of power point presentation with all the pros and cons. It will help them to gauge all the negative and positive points while installing new operating model. In case, my idea would be rejected then, I will show them the practice example which other companies are using to create core competency in their filed. Major information system Woolworth needs to adopt customized cyber computing system as its major information system. This customized cyber computing system will help company to store, supply and establish automation in data process system. It will also result to effective level of data mining process (Wang and Tan, 2015). Impact of slashed down project The major impact of slashed down project of IT in Woolworth would be that in short term it will increase the overall cost of process functioning. In addition to this, company needs to write off this amount from capital account to reduce the loss of its business. Woolworth has strong financial condition and with the help of its reserve and collected profit, company could bear the cost of newly IT operating system (Dos Santos Svensson, and Padin, 2013.). Enlist of stakeholder with new IT system With the help of new operating system IT process, employees could communicate with other employees and management department. Team could also use IT operating system accompanied by cyber computing system to make effective strategic business decision. In addition to this, top management and other shareholders could use IT operating system accompanied by cyber computing system to assess the business functioning of company (Fernie, and Sparks, 2014). Functional requirement for use IT operating system accompanied by cyber computing system Hiring of employees who will be accustomed to act as per the directions of IT line manager. Setting of standard value chain activities. Adaption of existing value chain activities as per the newly introduce IT operating system accompanied by cyber computing system. Conclusion In this report, decisions taken by top management and factors affecting strategic decisions have been taken into consideration. If Woolworth installs this new IT operating system then it will surely increase the overall efficiency and productivity of business in long run. References Barrons, K.P. and McGinnis, T.C., 2017. Building Capability.Effective Talent Management Strategies for Organizational Success, p.160. Barrons, K.P., Expanding Training Possibilities: Flipping the Zone of Proximal Development For Talent Management. InCONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS BY TRACK(p. 296). Dos Santos, M.A., Svensson, G. and Padin, C., 2013. Indicators of sustainable business practices: Woolworths in South Africa.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,18(1), pp.104-108. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan page publishers. Nkirote, M., 2014. Marketing Strategies Adopted to Gain a Competitive Advantage by Supermarkets in Kakamega Town, Kenya.International Journal of Business and Social Research,3(4), pp.78-85. Norton, A.L., 2015. Enterprise resource planning II-A review of critical success factors.International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security,13(11), p.5. Wang, W. and Tan, F.T.C., 2015. A Benefit Expectation Management Framework for Supply Chain Management Systems. InEnterprise Systems. Strategic, Organizational, and Technological Dimensions(pp. 247-270). Springer, Cham

Story of Travis Essay Example

Story of Travis Essay In the first part of the story, we can see that Travis, a fourteen-year old boy, wanted to take big responsibilities like those of his father, Papa. The opportunity came when Papa and the other men left the settlement to go and sell cattle in a market in Abilene, Kansas. They had to do this because they were very low on money after the Civil War. Travis was left with many big responsibilities that Papa did. Travis was going to try as hard as possible to do well with his new big responsibilities to prove his parents that he was a man now or was beginning to be. During the first part of the story, Travis realized that his responsibilities required a lot more effort than what he thought. Travis wouldn’t have been able to do all his responsibilities without the big help of Old Yeller. Old Yeller was a big aid to Travis and his family. At first, Travis disagreed in adopting Old Yeller but soon that will all change. During the challenges that Travis faced, we could see that he acted maturely. For example, when Little Arliss was going to be attacked by a mad mother bear, Travis acted quickly and ran to try to save Little Arliss instead of ignoring his screams. Also, Travis didn’t give up on the chore, no matter how hard the responsibility was. Plus, he had the help of Old Yeller which he started to love. In the other hand, there were other moments that he didn’t act mature instead he acted childlike. How could he not act childlike? He was still a boy and had a dog which he could have some fun sometimes. We will write a custom essay sample on Story of Travis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Story of Travis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Story of Travis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Old Yeller helped Travis act mature and childlike. Old Yeller helped Travis in doing task like marking the pigs, keeping away wild creatures from eating the winter corn, and hunt or fish animals for food. Also, he helped Travis protect his family. At the end of the story, Travis had to shoot Old Yeller because it was bitten by a wolf with hydrophobia,a very contagious and dangerous disease. It was a very hard decision for Travis to whether to shoot Old Yeller or not. It would have been a very hard decision ,as well, to anyone who loved its own dog. It showed that Travis was mature enough to take big decisions that involved his family safety and well being. A change that can be noticed in Travis. When Papa came back from his long journey,he sees that Travis had learned a lot and matured from the experiences he had been through. He gives Travis an advice of not worrying about bad moments during good moments because it will make it all bad. Another change of him was to love Old Yeller instead of hating him like in the beginning.

25 French Food-related Terms in English

25 French Food-related Terms in English 25 French Food-related Terms in English 25 French Food-related Terms in English By Maeve Maddox Note: The pronunciation of these terms varies according to how familiar the speaker is with French. Usually, getting close is good enough. I’ve included pronunciation for six terms that may be especially tricky for some English speakers. 1. la carte Food items that can be ordered individually and not as part of a set meal are ordered la carte. The French word carte means card or menu. For example, a true la carte menu would list each item separately, with individual prices: chicken legs, $4; broccoli, $2; rice, $1.50, and so on. 2. la mode This French expression means â€Å"according to the fashion† and can be applied to clothing, furniture, dances, or anything that goes in and out of style. In US usage, the term is applied as a post-modifier to desserts. It usually means â€Å"with ice cream,† as in â€Å"pie la mode.† 3. apà ©ritif An apà ©ritif is an alcoholic drink, taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite. 4. au jus    Chiefly US, au jus is used as a post-modifier to indicate that a dish, usually meat, has been prepared or served in a gravy containing its own juices. 5. au gratin A dish prepared au gratin has been sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese browned in the oven or under the grill. The French verb gratiner means â€Å"to brown.† 6. baguette A long, thin loaf of French bread. 7. bon appà ©tit A salutation before eating. 8. cafà © au lait [ka-fay oh lay] Coffee taken with milk. 9. cordon bleu    Literally, â€Å"blue ribbon,† the expression reflects the sense of â€Å"first class.† In culinary usage, â€Å"a cordon blue† is â€Å"a first-class cook.† 10. crà ¨me brà »là ©e A cream topped with caramelized sugar, served as dessert. 11. cuisine The ordinary word for kitchen in French, cuisine is also used to describe a manner or style of food preparation. 12. en brochette A brochette is a skewer. En brochette  refers to food cooked, and sometimes served, on  brochettes, or skewers, like shish kebab. Food served  en brochette  is generally grilled.   13. maà ®tre dhà ´tel  Ã‚   Maà ®tre is French for master. The maà ®tre d’hà ´tel is the host or manager of the â€Å"front† of a formal restaurant, the part that serves the customers. British speakers shorten the phrase to maà ®tre, but American speakers refer to this person as the maà ®tre d. The responsibilities of a maà ®tre dhà ´tel  generally include supervising the wait staff,  taking reservations, and welcoming guests. 14. omelette  (US omelet) A dish traditionally made of beaten eggs fried in a pan and folded over. Sometimes other ingredients are added to the egg mixture. 15. petit four A small fancy cake, biscuit, or sweet, usually served with coffee after a meal. The literal meaning is â€Å"little oven.† 16. plat du jour Literally, â€Å"plate of the day, the plat du jour is a dish prepared in addition to the usual menu, available only on that day. 17. pot-au-feu The literal meaning is â€Å"pot on the fire.† It can refer to a large traditional French cooking pot or to something cooked in one, usually a thick soup of meat and vegetables. 18. prix fixe [pree-feex] A prix fixe meal typically includes several courses, but, unlike la carte pricing, prix fixe indicates that all the courses are included under one â€Å"fixed price 19. roux   [roo] A mixture of fat and flour heated together and used in making sauces and soups. In the United States, a spicy roux is a staple of Cajun cooking in New Orleans. 20. sautà ©    The French verb sauter means â€Å"to jump.† Vegetables that are sautà ©ed are fried in a pan with a little butter over a high heat, while being tossed from time to time. 21. sommelier [so-mel-yay] A sommelier is a wine waiter or wine steward. 22. soupà §on   [soup-sohn] Soupà §on is French for suspicion. In cooking, a soupà §on is a very small quantity or slight trace of something, â€Å"a pinch.† 23. soupe du jour Like the plat du jour, the soupe du jour (â€Å"soup of the day†) is the advertised specialty on a given day. 24. vinaigrette A vinaigrette is a dressing of oil and wine vinegar, sometimes with herbs used with salads and cold vegetables 25. pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance [pee-es duh ray-seez-tahnce] In general usage, the phrase may refer to the prize item in a collection. For example, â€Å"The museum’s pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance is an exact reproduction of an American eighteenth century carpenter’s tiger maple chest.† In reference to food, the pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance is the main or most difficult-to-resist part of a meal. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcRound vs. AroundHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

Compare and contrast obama and mc cain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and contrast obama and mc cain - Essay Example President Obama went to high school in Hawaii, and attended college at Columbia University in New York. At Columbia, Barack attained his B.A. in political science with a specialization in International Relations. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) Later on, after being a community organizer for awhile on the South Side of Chicago—helping Blacks, Latinos, and whites in the midst of an economic crisis due to steel mill closures—Barack decided to attend law school. Barack matriculated to Harvard Law School in 1988. He was selected as the first Black student to become the head of the Harvard Law Review. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) For twelve years, Barack was a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago; for seven years, he was appointed state legislator in the Illinois Senate; and finally, for four years, Barack was a U.S. Senator for Illinois. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is a memoir that the President wrote telling about the time from the beginning of his life in Hawaii up until his entry into Harvard Law School. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) This book told about the challenges he had growing up in a household, where his father was a Kenyan and his white mother from Kansas raised him. In his next book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Obama based his work on a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and also was inspired by a sermon of his then-pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) It was at the Convention that Obama first rose to national prominence, where there was talk of him becoming a Presidential contender. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) John McCain, like Obama, had a very solid educational background. McCain, like his father and grandfather, followed his male antecedents into the service of the Navy, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958. (Wikipedia 2009, 1) McCain, also a strong writer, having written five books. His book titles are as

Utilization of Information from Job Analysis Assignment

Utilization of Information from Job Analysis - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that Role Definition – Several of the tools of job analysis, such as a survey, log book, or interview, would help to define the roles of employees.   Since these tools would describe the parts of the job that are done, it would allow management to define the role of a particular job as well. Recruitment – By analyzing job duties for a variety of the jobs at a corporation, you would be better able to recruit potential employees.   This is because you would be able to give them a detailed listing of the sorts of things your company does, making it easier to attract employees with the right skills and experience. Selection - Worker Analysis would help with this duty, as you would be able to determine what kind of work is needed for a particular job, and would then know what kinds of workers you need to hire to fill a particular job. Placement – As with Recruitment, by learning what sorts of employees are required for p articular jobs, you would be better able to match up new hires with jobs that suit their skill set and their experiences. Training and Personnel development – Both Job and Worker Analysis would be useful for this task, as you would be able to determine both the skills needed for the job and the processes it involves.   Then you would be able to better train personnel based on these understandings. Performance Appraisal – By determining the duties of a particular job, you would be able to see how employees actually perform.  

Virtue in Machiavelli's Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virtue in Machiavelli's Philosophy - Essay Example "It is necessary for a prince, wanting to maintain himself, to learn how to be able to be not good and to use this and not use it according to necessity"(Machiavelli 57). He believes that one good man is surely going to suffer among those who are not good. Thus, the virtue of goodness is meaningless for Machiavelli. If a price is imagined to be just as what Machiavelli conceptualizes, he would not be less than a criminally wicked tyrant. On contrast, the Discourses is a good usable book, though being long, nostalgic, and difficult as well. Here, Machiavelli's advices go to not just the rulers but the citizens, social reformers, political leaders, and the founders of republics. The purpose served is to establish and sustain their liberty as well as the avoidance of corruption "unless indeed the goodness of one individual, together with virtue, keeps it free"(Machiavelli xxiv). Improving from the downgraded non-virtuous theme of The Prince, In Discourses, Machiavelli explain that as a new price tends to preserve his principality with glory for a long time-beyond his death-the foundation of a republic is the best approach. "A corrupt city that lives under a prince, can never be turned into a free one, even if that prince is eliminated along with all his line"(Machiavelli xxiv). However, one thing is clear that he devaluates the republics and principalities as imagined by the writers with virtue. And, the reason is that they emphasized on the moral virtue which, according to him, invites ruin; plus they also rejected violence, cruelty, and loss of faith, which are unavoidable and acceptable for the preservation of the principality according to him. And, this is what is objectionable in The Prince where he goes against the morality set by the classical and biblical values with an intention of framing a novel and modern "political" conception of virtue. The new definition of virtue means something that does not prevent the human from first gaining and then maintaining whatever has been gained, especially the authority. However, morality is one of his targeted themes that also include politics at the first place, necessity, fortune, religion, etc. As far as moral values are concerned, he shows his dislikes for the people of his time because, in his views, they were not actually following the "ancient virtue" but instead were content with keeping ancient statues in their homes, and thus honoring and imitating them in that way. The deeds rendered by the ancient rulers and republics were not at all imitated, neither their examples were meaningful to the then political scenario, according to him. In the first preface to the Discourses he talks about correct history knowledge lacked by his time. This suggests that Machiavelli was not against the ancient value; rather, he praises it with an aim of improving it. He was not much concerned about the would-be negative results of his writings and was eager to bring about a "Machiavellian" interpretation of the ancient virtue-along with a new look of the Renaissance in terms of modernity rather than a copy of the past. Machiavelli's virtue is questioned mainly because some of the advices in The Prince-such as cruelty for the sake of the subject-go against the virtue as perceived by the human masses. Also, his

Transport across a membrane

Transport across a membrane Transport across a membrane occurs by one of two opposite means, actively or passively. Active transport requires the cell to utilise cellular energy in the form of ATP, in order to employ protein pumps or engage in the activity of endo / exocytosis. Passive transport therefore occurs with no energy expenditure by the cell, where molecules exit or enter the cell using kinetic energy, or protein channels. To this effect passive transport encompasses, osmosis, diffusion of a solute across a membrane, facilitated diffusion and transport of an ion down an electrochemical gradient. The reasoning for this is outlined below. Intrinsic homeostasis at a cellular and molecular level is achieved when the cell is in an isotonic environment where the internal solute concentration of a cell is in equilibrium with the external, extra cellular environment, solute concentration and there is no net movement of water in any direction. A change in concentration of solute, initiates transport across the membrane in order to achieve equilibrium once again. The cell membrane is a structure designed in such a way to allow passage of molecules and ions in and out of the cell, to and from the extracellular fluid, whilst keeping essential components such as organelles and ribosomes within its boundary. It is comprised of a phospho lipid bi-layer, in which are embedded a variety of carrier and channel proteins. The lipid bi-layer acts as a barrier to molecules in both directions and the proteins allow entrance and exit of select molecules. (www.faculty.weber.edu/jclark1/mem%20 Permeability. PDF 25.11.09) Some chemicals will traverse the membrane, such as water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, small polar molecules and lipids and others such as ions, amino acids, large polar and macromolecules will not and the membrane is effectively selectively permeable. (www.staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/cells/transport.html 25.11.09) The most basic category of passive transport is that of diffusion of a solute across a membrane. Molecules that move across the membrane in this manner are more soluble in oil than in water and hence effortlessly ‘dissolve in and spontaneously cross the non polar lipid core of the membrane bi layer Examples of these molecules are steroid hormones, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide (www. Biologyreference.com/Ma-MO/membrane-Transport.html 26.11.09) during the process of diffusion, ‘molecules move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration down the concentration gradient in order to achieve equilibrium. This is achieved by kinetic energy of the molecules whi ch are in Brownian motion. An increase in temperature causes the rate of diffusion to increase causing equilibrium to be achieved more quickly as kinetic energy increases. Size and type of molecule also has a bearing on the rate as the smaller the molecule the faster it will diffuse. Osmosis is purely ‘the diffusion of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential'(www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09) In an isotonic surrounding there is no net movement of water molecules in either direction as there is no concentration gradient, however in a hypertonic solution where the concentration of solutes is higher and hence the water potential is more negative than the cell, water molecules from within the cell will move down the ‘water potential gradient to the extracellular fluid in order to achieve equilibrium. This can be shown in laboratory conditions by placing red blood cells in a hypertonic solution and observing them. Over time the cells will crenate as the water molecules exit the cell. Similarly if cells are in a hypotonic solution where the concentration of solutes is lower, the water potential is higher and hence the cells now have a more negative water potential and water will be taken into the cell by osmosis down the water potential gradient. Red blood cells left in a hypotonic solution and observed will show nothing under the microscope over time, as the cells eventually undergo cytolysis. (www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09). Unfortunately most molecules cannot cross the membrane by straightforward diffusion alone as they are either too large, insoluble in lipid or they carry a charge which is repelled by the surface of the membrane. They therefore undergo facilitated diffusion, a mechanism by which passive transport still occurs without energy expenditure of the cell, but where the molecules are assisted across by groups of proteins inherent to the membrane. Facilitated diffusion still occurs down the concentration gradient but is specific to the molecule being facilitated. A carrier protein is specific to a particular molecule or class of molecules,(www.users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ulyranet/biologypages/d/diffusion.html#facilitated 26.11.09) where the molecule binds to the protein which in turn changes shape to enable the molecule to cross the membrane. An example of this being the transport of glucose into the cell. Once inside the cell glucose phosphate is manufactured for which there is no carrier prote in and hence glucose cannot pass back out of the cell. In this case equilibrium will never be reached. . (www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09). In the case of transport of an ion down the electrochemical gradient, Ions transit from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration again through facilitated diffusion with the aid of intrinsic proteins called ion channels. Without these channels charged molecules such as K+ Na+ would be repelled by the charge on the membrane. Transmembrane channels that allow facilitated diffusion, can be permanently open, or can be closed and opened as in neurones, and as such are known as ‘gated, they open or close in reaction to a ligand, a signalling molecule which can be either extracellular or intracellular. It is the gated mechanism that allows a nerve impulse to pass along a neurone. Sometimes however it is necessary for cells to transport molecules against the gradient by the use of carrier proteins, known as protein pumps. They are akin to those of facilitated diffusion, except they are working against the gradient and therefore energy in the form of ATP is expended by the cell in the doing so. This process is known as Active Transport. In all the cases outlined above the objective of passive transport has been to transport molecules across the semi permeable membrane down a concentration gradient, without expenditure of energy to the cell, and, passive transport can be demonstrated by diffusion of a solute, osmosis, facilitated diffusion and transport of an ion down an electrochemical gradient.

Saint Sernin Of Toulouse And Notre Dame Of Paris Essay -- Architecture

Saint Sernin of Toulouse and Notre Dame of Paris   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of St. Sernin and Notre Dame, one tends to think of two beautiful cathedrals, not to churches that portray two totally different styles of architecture. Those two styles are, of course, Romanesque in St. Sernin and the Gothic style of Notre Dame. Some characteristics that these two buildings share include quest for height, basic floor plan, and artistic flair. The period of Romanesque architecture, which lasted roughly from 1050 A.D. to 1150 A.D., concentrated mainly on achieving massive proportions, rounded vaulted bays, the round arch, the wall buttress, cylindrical apse and chapels, and towers. Early Gothic architecture, which began in 1144 with the dedication of Saint Denis, concentrated more on mastering the idea of an obscenely high ceiling, as well as ribbed and pointed vaults, the relationship between the structure and its appearance, and perhaps, most importantly the use of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most enjoyable things about comparing the two structures of St. Sernin and Notre Dame is that there are so many differences as far as the particulars go, but in general the two cathedrals are very, very much alike. Through the years, enough architectural and engineering advances had been made to raise the ceiling to staggering new heights of over one hundred feet. The materials remained the same as they had for years before, stone and mortar. The basic floor plan remained the same,... Saint Sernin Of Toulouse And Notre Dame Of Paris Essay -- Architecture Saint Sernin of Toulouse and Notre Dame of Paris   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of St. Sernin and Notre Dame, one tends to think of two beautiful cathedrals, not to churches that portray two totally different styles of architecture. Those two styles are, of course, Romanesque in St. Sernin and the Gothic style of Notre Dame. Some characteristics that these two buildings share include quest for height, basic floor plan, and artistic flair. The period of Romanesque architecture, which lasted roughly from 1050 A.D. to 1150 A.D., concentrated mainly on achieving massive proportions, rounded vaulted bays, the round arch, the wall buttress, cylindrical apse and chapels, and towers. Early Gothic architecture, which began in 1144 with the dedication of Saint Denis, concentrated more on mastering the idea of an obscenely high ceiling, as well as ribbed and pointed vaults, the relationship between the structure and its appearance, and perhaps, most importantly the use of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most enjoyable things about comparing the two structures of St. Sernin and Notre Dame is that there are so many differences as far as the particulars go, but in general the two cathedrals are very, very much alike. Through the years, enough architectural and engineering advances had been made to raise the ceiling to staggering new heights of over one hundred feet. The materials remained the same as they had for years before, stone and mortar. The basic floor plan remained the same,...

Evolution of Musical Theatre

Lillian Davila   12858751064260 Evolution of Musical Theatre Lillian Davila Mr.ThoenPeriod two3 March 2018Evolution of Musical TheatreIn the musical Pippin, the main character, Pippin sang in Corner of the Sky, â€Å"Everything has its seasons, everything has its time.† This line explains that things are constantly changing. Musical theatre has evolved over the years musically, in the plot, and the setting of the plays. Over time, the music in musical theatre has shifted from a narrow to a broader focus. During the 5th century B.C. in Ancient Greece, early musical theatre first started with an all men cast and chorus. They would sing more focused songs to the gods and perform to express their ideas (University Press Inc.). But over the years different genres of music have been introduced into musical theatre, such as jazz and rock and roll (BeHappy/ Magioery). This brought a younger audience that could enjoy the music that would convey a broader message, making musical theatre more popular. Throughout the years the plot in musical theatre developed from a weak to a stronger storyline. The early stages of musical theatre would play music that would be irrelevant to the plot of the musical, and the storyline would not have a strong structure of the rising action, climax, and falling action. For example, comedy was opinionated humor that would have random funny actions with negative music (Magiorey/UPI). Eventually, the stories started addressing the social issues of the time period with a stronger story plot. For example in the musical, Hair the main idea of the show was to express how the hippies felt about the Vietnam War and how they wanted peace (FoxFace20/Magiorey). The stories include a more vivid plot that is interesting with more opinions and responses of social issues such as gender, race equality, and peace. Over the years, the setting in musical theatre has changed from outdoor to indoor performances. At first, the setting of the shows took place in open outdoor courtyards in Athens, Greece. Later, theatre was taken to Rome where the performances took place in the church. Shortly after, it became separate from the church, because the performers would mock the church (UPI/FoxFace20/Magiorey). After the 18th century, opera houses and theatres were built allowing for indoors stages with lighting effects and props (FoxFace20). Thus, there is a separate place dedicated for people to come and enjoy theatrical performances. To summarize, the music, the plot, and the setting of musical theatre has evolved allowing people to experience more vivid stories and hear a clearer point of view on issues of the time. It has transformed from a narrow focused weak plot, and outdoor setting, to a broader focus strong plot, and indoor setting. This change has been rapidly growing year after year and will continue into the future. As in the Broadway musical, Waitress, â€Å"Everything changes†.

Everything You Need to Know About The Great Gatsby Setting

Everything You Need to Know About The Great Gatsby Setting SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One reason that The Great Gatsby has now become a byword for the East Coast of the Roaring 20s - the decadently extravagant post-WWI era - is that Fitzgerald was amazing at creating memorable settings. Whether it's the sprawling luxury of Gatsby's mansion, the drunken chaos of Myrtle's apartment, or the suffocating airlessness of a suite at the Plaza Hotel, The Great Gatsbyfeatures settings that perfectly encapsulate character, mood, atmosphere, and emotions. In this article, I'll go through all of the Great Gatsby settings, explain what role settings play in a novel, show how these settings compare with one another, and explore what symbolic meaning they have. Article Roadmap Why Is Setting Important All the Settings in The Great Gatsby Great Gatsby Time Period Setting 1922 Summertime Comparing and Contrasting PairedGreat GatsbyLocations Midwest versus East Coast Manhattan versus Long Island East Egg versus West Egg Gatsby's mansion versus Daisy and Tom's mansion The Valley of Ashes: Setting and Symbol How to Write About Setting Why Is Setting Important? The literary term "setting" means the time and place of anovel's events. If the characters are the "who," then the setting is the "where" and "when." This "where and when" can be very general - for example, "20th century Earth." Alternately, the setting can beeach of the manydifferent places where any of the novel’s actions occur, no matter how small. For instance, you could a imagine a domestic drama where different rooms in the same house work as different settings. Usually, novels feature several different settings, and authors use descriptive language to explain what these times and places look, smell, sound, and maybe even feel like. Using these descriptions, we can learn a lot! Settings help readers fully understand characters. Character backgrounds, motivations, and the pressures they feel from their environment and surrounding society, are often coded into the places where they are.For example, a 20-year-old woman in a novel set in Victorian England would be under enormous pressure to get married and have kids (this desperation isthe plot of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth). Meanwhile, the same woman in a novel set in today’s NYC is going to be more worried about getting a job (the main drama in The Devil Wears Prada). Settings develop or affect plot. Actions that are commonplacein one setting would be impossible in another. Often this has to do with what is and isn't considered acceptable behavior. Other times, it has to do with the technology, transportation, or means of communication that are available in a particular time. Many bad decisions in G. R. R. Martin'sSong of Ice and Fire happen because it takes weeks or monthsto get a piece of information from one castle to another - the quasi-medieval setting dictates this part of the plot. Settings contribute to mood,tone, and atmosphere. Many novels use setting as a way of developing a particular mood. For instance, the magical yet desolate and creepy setting of the moors inWuthering Heights creates the prevailing air of menace, imprisonment, and terror that infects that novel. Contrast this with the cozy setting ofLittle Women, where the March house represents the loving, close-knit, family atmosphere of the novel as a whole. Settings are used for symbolic or thematic purposes. Sometimes a particular setting is linked to one of the novel's themes, functions as a symbol, or if used to make moral, ethical, or aesthetic judgments. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the Valley of Ashes – an industrial neighborhood in Queens – symbolizes the desperate circumstances of those who are victims of the capitalist system the novel describes. There's a reason horror movies aren't typically set in sunny green meadows. All the Settings In The Great Gatsby Before analyzing theGreat Gatsby settings, I'm going to briefly explain and describe all the different settings that the novel uses. Time Setting The Great Gatsby takes place during the summer of 1922. The 1920s are a period that is sometimes called the Roaring 20s or the Jazz Age. Location Settings The Great Gatsby takes place in the United States. Most of the characters come from the Midwest to the East Coast. In the novel, the East Coast setting is divided into three distinct places: Manhattan, Long Island, and an industrial part of Queens that the novel calls either the Valley of Ashes or just the ashheaps. In Manhattan, we see two main settings: Tom and Myrtle's apartment uptown in Harlem, and asuite in the very posh Plaza Hotel next to Central Park. Gatsby's Long Island is broken down into two incredibly wealthy towns that face each other across a bay: West Egg, less fashionable and home to new money people,and East Egg, where older and more established families live. We see two WestEgg settings: Jay Gatsby's sprawling, extravagant mansion, and Nick Carraway's small rented house next door. In East Egg lies Tom and Daisy Buchanan's red and white Georgian mansion. In the novel's version of Queens, the main setting is George Wilson's garage and the road that runs next to it, connecting Long Island and Manhattan. Oheka Castle, one of the real life mansions that aresaid to have inspired Fitzgerald. Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. Great Gatsby Time Period Setting What makes the Roaring 20’s different from other periods in history, and why does all the action take place in the summer time? 1922 The novel takes place during a period of enormous change and transition for the U.S. 1919 brought the end of World War I, a war marked byits massive death toll and the horrors of trench warfare which countered the image of soldiering as glorious and heroic. The young men who fought inthe war were dubbed The Lost Generation: the devastated and aimless survivors and the needlessly slaughtered dead. The post-war period in Americawas later dubbed theRoaring 20s because ofthecountry's rapidly growing economy and the greater influence abroad that came as a result of American involvement in the war. Many of the things this time period is famous forconnect with eventsin the novel. Prohibition went into effect in 1920, making almost all recreation alcohol illegal. This means thatany time you see people drinking alcohol in the novel, they are breaking the law. Moreover,Gatsby’s enormous wealth comes from him being a bootlegger - someone who illegally sells alcohol Women got the right to vote in 1919, and the Equal Rights Amendment wasfirst introduced in Congress in 1923. InThe Great Gatsby, the power and agency of women come up often. The three women in the novel make choices about their independence; Daisy and Myrtle find it hard to escape dysfunctional marriages, though they try through affairs; Jordan is able to lead a more independent life. The production and ownership of cars skyrocketedafter Ford popularized the efficient mass production of cars by assembly line. In the 1920, 1 out of 4 Americans owned a car. In the novel, cars are associated with danger and recklessness, as people are constantly either talking about car accidents or getting into them.And of course, the climax of the novel is when Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle. Summer The Great Gatsby pointedly takes place during the summer,as opposed to any other season. I say pointedly because the novel goes out of its way to assign meaning to summertime and to contrast it with the rest of the year - and often even with itself. For example, summer is somehow both healthfully airy and horribly suffocating. Nick initially relishes the Long Island summer, shirking his work because there is "so much fine health to be pulled down out of the young breath-giving air" (1.12). But in the tense confrontation in the Plaza Hotel, where Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy have a life-changing fight, the oppressive and unbearable summer heat means the room has basically no breathable air at all: The room was large and stifling, and, though it was already four o'clock, opening the windows admitted only a gust of hot shrubbery from the Park... "Open another window," commanded Daisy, without turning around. "There aren't any more." "Well, we'd better telephone for an axe- - " "The thing to do is to forget about the heat," said Tom impatiently. "You make it ten times worse by crabbing about it." ...the compressed heat exploded into sound and we were listening to the portentous chords of Mendelssohn's Wedding March from the ballroom below. "Imagine marrying anybody in this heat!" cried Jordan dismally. (7.174-190) Similarly, it's up for debate whether the summer brings with it life - the way we typically associate new foliage with a sense of rebirth - or not. On the one hand, Nick starts out with a traditional view of the summertime: And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees-just as things grow in fast movies-I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer. (1.) But soon, Jordan compares summer unfavorably to the potentially positive change that fall brings when she says. Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. (7.75) This desire to have life start over again is crucial, since this novel is so interested in how the wish for forward momentum fights against the way the past anchors us and pulls us back. Despite his initial positive feelings about the summer on the East Coast, Nick eventually reverts to his roots in the Midwest. He contrasts the disappointing summer he spends on Long Island withthe season he associates with Midwestern wholesomeness and goodness - winter: That's my middle west- not the wheat or the prairies or the lost Swede towns but the thrilling, returning trains of my youth and the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark and the shadows of holly wreaths thrown by lighted windows on the snow. I am part of that, a little solemn with the feel of those long winters, a little complacent from growing up in the Carraway house in a city where dwellings are still called through decades by a family's name. I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all- Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life. (9.125) I don't know about you, but I'll take this version of summer any day. Comparing and Contrasting PairedGreat GatsbyLocations Now let'stackle theGreat Gatsby settingsthatfunction as foils to one another. We can analyze them by comparing and contrasting them to each other. Midwest vs. East Coast Considering Nick eventually decides that whathe has written is really the story of Midwesterners failing to make it on the East Coast, these might be the two most significant settings in the novel. Still, before we dive in, it's important to remember that this Midwest is Nick's version of the Midwest, which is often undercut (for instance,a lot of Gatsby's criminal business comesas phone calls frombig Midwestern cities like Detroit). Nick describesthe Midwest as the center of all things moral and wholesome.It's a place where everyone is friendly, happy, innocent, and so much "in it together," that when he is describing his memories of the Midwest, Nick doesn't use the pronoun "I," but instead starts writing in the first floors person plural "we": One of my most vivid memories is of coming back west from prep school and later from college at Christmas time...I remember the fur coats of the girls returning from Miss This or That's and the chatter of frozen breath and the hands waving overhead as we caught sight of old acquaintances and the matchings of invitations: "Are you going to the Ordways'? the Herseys'? the Schultzes'?" and the long green tickets clasped tight in our gloved hands. And last the murky yellow cars of the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad looking cheerful as Christmas itself on the tracks beside the gate. When we pulled out into the winter night and the real snow, our snow, began to stretch out beside us and twinkle against the windows, and the dim lights of small Wisconsin stations moved by, a sharp wild brace came suddenly into the air. We drew in deep breaths of it as we walked back from dinner through the cold vestibules, unutterably aware of our identity with this country for one strange hour before we melted indistinguishably into it again. (9.123-124) In contrast, the East Coast is a place where everyone is so out for themselves, that after Gatsby dies none of the people whom he spent an entire summer entertaining can even be bothered enough to come to his funeral. In the beginning, this Midwestern quality of goodness strikes Nickas boring, which is why he decides to go East to New York: Instead of being the warm center of the world the middle-west now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe- so I decided to go east and learn the bond business. (1.6) But after his experiences during the summer, Nick comes to see the East as a kind of nightmare of debauchery, violence, and a disregard for human life: Even when the East excited me most, even when I was most keenly aware of its superiority to the bored, sprawling, swollen towns beyond the Ohio, with their interminable inquisitions which spared only the children and the very old- even then it had always for me a quality of distortion. West Egg especially still figures in my more fantastic dreams. I see it as a night scene by El Greco: a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen, overhanging sky and a lustreless moon. In the foreground four solemn men in dress suits are walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman in a white evening dress. Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. Gravely the men turn in at a house- the wrong house. But no one knows the woman's name, and no one cares. After Gatsby's death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes' power of correction. (9.126-127) Manhattan vs. Long Island The action in The Great Gatsby is about evenly split between Manhattan and Long Island. Overall, Manhattan is the place where characters go to show off their disregard for society’s rules and lawful behavior. It's the easiest place to accommodate sexual indiscretions and shady business dealings: In Chapter 2, Tom takes Nick there to meet his mistress, Myrtle, and go to a party at their apartment, where Tom has sex with her while Nick waits, and where Tom ends the evening by punching Myrtle in the face. Gatsby takes Nick to Manhattan in Chapter 4 to have lunch with Meyer Wolfshiem, the gangster who fixed the World Series and who is Gatsby’s business partner. Finally,Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, Jordan, and Tom to go Manhattan in the explosive Chapter 7 showdown where Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby. Partly this is because Manhattan is portrayed as a melting pot where a diversity of social classes, races, and backgrounds is par for the course, and where unusual people don't really stand out. For example, check out this passage where Nick and Gatsby are driving into the city: The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world. A dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms, followed by two carriages with drawn blinds and by more cheerful carriages for friends. The friends looked out at us with the tragic eyes and short upper lips of south-eastern Europe, and I was glad that the sight of Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday. As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry. "Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge," I thought; "anything at all. . . ." Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder. (4.55-58) There are wealthy African-Americans, European immigrants, the living and the dead, all mixed together without a problem. The city is awash in possibility, the "wild promise" that anything could happen there - "even Gatsby." Also, misdeeds are easy to get away with in Manhattan because its size affords everyone enormous anonymity, which Nick loves: I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye. I liked to walk up Fifth Avenue and pick out romantic women from the crowd and imagine that in a few minutes I was going to enter into their lives, and no one would ever know or disapprove. (3.157) On the other hand,Long Island is a much smaller, more insular community. Instead of shrugging off anonymous misbehavior, the people on Long Island care deeply about who their neighbors are and what theyare doing. It's harder to conduct affairs, shady business, or whatever else there without incurring the moral opprobrium of everyone else. While Gatsby is unremarkable in Manhattan, in West Egg he becomes the focal point of unending rumors. People say he is related to Kaiser Willhelm (the ruler of Germany during WWI, and thus America's main enemy), that he is a German spy, and any number of other things: Gatsby's notoriety, spread about by the hundreds who had accepted his hospitality and so become authorities on his past, had increased all summer until he fell just short of being news. Contemporary legends such as the "underground pipe-line to Canada" attached themselves to him, and there was one persistent story that he didn't live in a house at all, but in a boat that looked like a house and was moved secretly up and down the Long Island shore. (6.5) Similarly, Tom's affair with Myrtle benefits from its city setting, asTomfeels free to cheat on his wife in public: "he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew" (2.4). Meanwhile, when Daisy and Gatsby start their affair, Gatsby has to fire his entire household staff because he is worried that his servants will tell everyone what they've seen: Gatsby had dismissed every servant in his house a week ago and replaced them with half a dozen others, who never went into West Egg Village to be bribed by the tradesmen... The grocery boy reported that the kitchen looked like a pigsty, and the general opinion in the village was that the new people weren't servants at all. Next day Gatsby called me on the phone. "Going away?" I inquired. "No, old sport." "I hear you fired all your servants." "I wanted somebody who wouldn't gossip. (7. 9-14) You can see how rumor immediately spreads and is uncontainable in the close circles of Long Island. Even despite all of Gatsby's precautions, Nick has already "heard" from someone else that Gatsby has fired all his servants. This minute observation of one's neighbors really differentiates the towns in Long Island from the big city of Manhattan. The rumor mill even brings a reporter out to interview Gatsby in Chapter 6. West Egg vs. East Egg While very rich people live in both East Egg and West Egg, the difference is the kind of rich people live in each town. East Egg is for the old money crowd - people whose wealth is inherited, and who have been the upper crust of society for generations. In contrast,West Egg is for the nouveau riche - self-made people who have become rich recently and who were originally born into working or middle-class families. This means that in generaleveryone from East Egg looks down on everyone from West Egg in order to demonstrate their superiority.(Nick is one of the exceptions: he lives in West Egg despite having the family background necessary to fit in in East Egg).At one of Gatsby’s parties, Nick hangs out with an East Egg group who don’t socialize with anyone else and who are clearly there to mock and be appalled by the other party guests: Jordan invited me to join her own party who were spread around a table on the other side of the garden...Instead of rambling this party had preserved a dignified homogeneity, and assumed to itself the function of representing the staid nobility of the countryside- East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gayety. (3.37) This also means that since they can’t distinguish themselves through their wealth, East Egg residents rely on their better understanding of the nuances and minutiae of manners and behavior to signal that they are so very far above their West Egg neighbors. We get the sense that every East Egg person is forever sending knowing looks at every other East Egg person every time they encounter someone from West Egg. For example, check out Gatsby’s encounter with Tom’s horseback riding friend Sloane and his woman friend, when Gatsby repeatedly puts his foot in his mouth: Mr. Sloane didn't enter into the conversation but lounged back haughtily in his chair; the woman said nothing either-until unexpectedly, after two highballs, she became cordial. "We'll all come over to your next party, Mr. Gatsby," she suggested. "What do you say?" "Certainly. I'd be delighted to have you."... "You come to supper with me," said the lady enthusiastically. "Both of you."... Gatsby looked at me questioningly. He wanted to go and he didn't see that Mr. Sloane had determined he shouldn't... "My God, I believe the man's coming," said Tom. "Doesn't he know she doesn't want him?" "She says she does want him."... Suddenly Mr. Sloane and the lady walked down the steps and mounted their horses. "Come on," said Mr. Sloane to Tom, "we're late. We've got to go." And then to me: "Tell him we couldn't wait, will you?" Tom and I shook hands, the rest of us exchanged a cool nod and they trotted quickly down the drive, disappearing under the August foliage just as Gatsby with hat and light overcoat in hand came out the front door. (6.38-59) Gatsby, the quintessential West Egg-er, can’t tell that the woman doesn’t want him to come to her party. He is even less able to see that Sloane really doesn’t want him to come. And he doesn’t seem to sense how rude they are being to him - something which Tom and Nick pickup on immediately. This social cluelessness and lack of social adroitness translate into the style with which Gatsby lives his life. He spends enormous sums of money, but with every purchase, he is always showing that he is new to the moneyed scene. Let’s see how this plays out in his house. Gatsby’s Mansion vs. Daisy and Tom’s Mansion The differences between old money and new money are reflected primarily bydifferences in style, aesthetics, and taste. Gatsby typifies the ostentatious, over-the-top conspicuous consumption of those whose wealth is new and so must be always on display: I lived at West Egg, the- well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard- it was a factual imitation of some Hà ´tel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby's mansion. (1.14) His house is a reproduction of French chateau. This is ridiculous both because this French design is out of place in America, and also because it is a visibly brand new building trying to replicate something that would be centuries old. It’s completely ludicrous, and it is telling that the only person who has the desiredresponse to this mansion is Gatsby’s father: It was a photograph of the house, cracked in the corners and dirty with many hands. He pointed out every detail to me eagerly. "Look there!" and then sought admiration from my eyes. (9.102) Gatsby’s father has the same taste as Gatsby - the appreciation of a poor person for the trappings of wealth. Meanwhile, Daisy and Tom live in a house that is also extravagant, but one that has its luxury somewhat concealed: Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens- finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold, and wide open to the warm windy afternoon (1.18) The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house. A breeze blew through the room, blew curtains in at one end and out the other like pale flags, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding cake of the ceiling- and then rippled over the wine-colored rug (1.26) The house is much more fit for its location - Georgian Colonial is an architectural style that is appropriate toAmerica (as its name suggests, it came from England during the colonial period). The description also confirms the permanenceof the Buchanans' mansion. Gatsby’s house is fighting with its surroundings (it’s off both in time period, and it seems to be having a problem with the â€Å"raw† ivy). In contrast, Daisy and Tom’s house is so much a part of the environment that the grass â€Å"seemed to grow a little way into the house,† blurring outside and inside just like the open windows that let the breeze blow through. It may not be too much to read some foreshadowing into these contrasting descriptions: Gatsby’s house is too new and not rooted enough. Meanwhile, the place where Daisy and Tom live is deeply embedded and seems unbreakable. No one's pulling this thing out of the ground anytime soon. The Valley of Ashes: Setting and Symbol The Valley of Ashesin The Great Gatsby functions both as a literal place where the climactic event of the novel happens, and is also a powerful symbol – in other words, a concrete object that stands for an abstract idea connected to the novel's themes. The Valley of Ashes is the name that Nick gives to an industrial neighborhood in Queens that the rich have to drive through on their way from the Eggs to Manhattan. This is where George Wilson has his gas station, and where Myrtle Wilson is run over and killed by Daisy. Suitably, it is a horribly bleak and drab place: About half way between West Egg and New York the motor-road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashes- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight. (2.1) This is the place where those who cannot make it in the cutthroat world of East Coast capitalism end up. It is also the place propping up much of that wealth through the production coming from the factories that are polluting the spot. But the description that transforms the ash that covers everything from simply being dust to a scary substance capable of creating otherworldly plans and people signals that this Valley of Ashes has rich symbolic meaning. For a detailed analysis of how this symbol functions within the great Gatsby, check out our articles on how to approach symbols in general and on the Valley of Ashes as a symbol in particular. How to Write About The Great GatsbySetting So how do you use setting to create a compelling essay? Pick a Topic There are severalways to go about findingyour topic when tackling this kind of assignment. Here are some possibilities: Close reading. You can focus on settings themselves, digging really deeply into the description of one, two, or more places or times in the novel to explore how word choice, similes, metaphors, and any other literary devices help the reader visualize location. For example, you could trace the way the word "ash" appears in the novel, at first defining The Valley of Ashes itself is a kind of fantastical alternate reality, and then spreading outtoward the places of the privileged. You could focus on a literary device called metonymy, using a part to stand in for the whole, and explore why the novel chooses to focus on Dustin Ash as the representative aspect of this neighborhood. Connection to character. Often, setting is away to define character. If you write about this, your essay will tease out the common qualities of a character and of the place most closely associated with that character. These will either be synergistic, with one amplifying the other, or else theywill play as a contrast, undercutting the character. In our case, for instance, Gatsby's mansion speaks volumes about how he sees himself andhis money, and also about the vast gulf that separates him from the upper elite that he really wants to be part of. Conversely, Nick's pokey little house seems humble and unassuming, much like Nick wants to project himself to be. But in reality, by being located next to obscenely luxurious mansions, the house is only falsely modest, and shows off some of Nick's poorly disguised snobbery. (Read more about all the novel's characters in our overview article.) Connection to theme. Similarly, setting can help clarify a novel's theme by providing a concrete example of an abstract idea. In the great Gatsby, you could focus on the way one or more of the settings play into the failure of the American Dream, one of this novel's most salient themes. One way to do this would be to focus on the Valley of Ashes, the place where dreams come to die, both literally and figuratively. If the idea of the American dream is that through hard work anyone can become successful, then George Wilson's tragic fate, as exemplified through his garage and circumstances, serves to completely debunk this myth. Create an Argument It’s not enough to just describe one of the novel'ssettingsand explain its possible connections to either character or theme - or to compare and contrast it to another setting. Instead, you have to make sure that you’re making some kind of point about why/how the settingfunctions in the novel as a whole. How do you know if you’re making an argument and not just saying the obvious? If you can imagine someone arguing the opposite of what you’re saying, then you’ve got an argument on your hands. Once you've figured out what you want to argue, startsmall by analyzing chunks of the text where the symbol pops up, and then broadening your points out to the rest of the book. This way, your argument will be strengthened by textual evidence. What’s Next? Learn how to write about the themesthat settingsare usually linked to. Get help on other assignments by reading our guide on analyzingor comparing and contrasting characters. Brush up on the context of these settingsin our summary of The Great Gatsby. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: