The Importance of Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Importance of Motivation - Essay Example Thus, it could be concluded that money is not always a motivator (Herzberg, 2003). In order to explain leadership, Edmondson et al. (2001) illustrated examples of two hospitals namely Chelsea and Mountain Hospitals. The leaders at both hospitals adopted different strategies for the implementation of new technologies. The leader at Chelsea, regardless of being experienced and senior, found the technology to be difficult for the team members. It was because of the poor understanding of the leader and his communication with the team. On the contrary, the leader at Mountain hospital was junior. However, he tried to utilize technologies differently. He became a part of the team and did not become a dictator unlike the one at Chelsea (Edmondson et al., 2001). Persuasion is defined as a magic by Robert B. Cialdini. Through persuasion, individuals can convince others and ask for favors. It should be noted that persuasion can be done following the six principles of persuasion. Furthermore, individuals can be easily persuaded through social proof. According to the author, researchers in 1988 were able to conduct research on persuasion in two different American cities. The results showed that people could be easily persuaded through social proof, i.e. if they see others (their neighbors, friends or family) doing the same thing then, they are most likely to get convinced. Strong organizational culture is an important aspect of organizational success. In order to develop a strong organizational culture, strong and effective leadership is required. However, it should be noted that leadership and culture are informally associated with each other. It suggests that if less formal direction provided to employees regarding strategies, then they will put greater efforts and will take the ownership. The liabilities of strong organizational culture are many, however, the notable ones are ethical liabilities, pieces of training, reward system, etc.

How imagery is used in Emily Dickinson's Because I could not stop for Essay

How imagery is used in Emily Dickinson's Because I could not stop for death - Essay Example As one makes their way through the lines their emerges an imagery reflective of Dickinson’s Christian belief in the afterlife and a poignant picture of how she views death will come, where it will take her, and a hopeful projection of eternity. Dickinson often dealt with universal themes in her poetry, exploring events at times extremely personal and specific. Death is one of them. In it Dickinson, a Christian, uses the fine art of imagery to make the feared concept of death into something to be less feared and more something inevitable to contemplate as an expected and welcomed friend—a friend that guides us to the glorious afterlife. Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me. It is the non-threatening, positive image, if you will, reflecting the fact that the individual has little control over when death will come, but death, in its inevitable way, â€Å"stops,† interrupting it’s path, and takes the chosen one along with it to a better place. In addition to the use of the word â€Å"kindly,† she adds the image of Civility, a different image in that kindness requires empathy, where Civility requires a concerted effort to assuage a difficult situation in the interests of doing just that. We slowly drove-He knew no haste. Death, recognizing her reluctance and perhaps fear to accept her fate, did it’s best to civilly sooth the journey—turning an otherwise negative event into one at least palatable. The use of poignant images from life stir the heart, as Dickinson obviously intended. Who can not relate to thoughts upon death of their childhood, their schoolyard: Recess-in the Ring-We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain-We passed the Setting Sun- [itself obvious imagery used to convey life’s cycles from beginning to end, and the setting of life ebbing]. With the next line, she hardens the image of the sun with the use of words such as Dews drew quivering and chill as the impending reality of death and its finality nears.

Global Challenges in Information Systems

Global Challenges in Information Systems Intro: In this modern times, the world operates on numerous information systems. It is evolving rapidly and the functionality of it is seemingly increasing and so information system is becoming a requirement and not a choice. Today, an electronic network which is the internet allows access to a vast amount of information sources. This indicates every single individual and organisations can obtain information with no problems if the entity has internet access. Currently, information is accessible from database, WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers), gopher, and a wide variety of sites which contains information across the web. Every large company worldwide that relies on e-commerce have been globalized through the internet and so companies such as Amazon, VF, Ebay or Walmart are very successful in terms of marketing and sales. However, opportunities in a global scale presents several challenges including culture and language, distance and time. With the creation of the internet, the augmentation of global markets is feasible. There is an abundance in terms of the number of business transactions that occurs each day through the internet globally. The use of information technology provides support to business processes that allows operations such as business-to-customer or business-to-business transaction to be easier. Cultural challenge The information system is conflicted internationally by cultural differences in various other countries and areas of the world. Every country in the world has its own traditions and culture that may differ from and not accustomed to other country.ÂÂ   These dissimilarities form a cultural barrier in which affects companies that endeavor global trade. The difficulties that businesses will encounter are managing people, tastes, issue with ethics, gestures and specific groups averse to Westernisation. An American commercial fast-food franchise company such as McDonalds may find it difficult to establish other franchisee in other continent like Asia due to preference of taste. The technologies applied to entice the customers in the United States to McDonalds taste of food could be irrelevant as it may not work in Asia. Therefore, organisations managing food products must examine and alter the taste of their food to ensure that they satisfy the local demands. Language challenge: On the internet, the most common language used is English. However, there is only a fraction of 26.3 percent that speaks English as opposed to 74.7 percent of non-English speaking countries. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/262946/share-of-the-most-common-languages-on-the-internet/). There is a seemingly an issue with the translation of information to other languages which causes a laborious process of translating the precise meaning of the info from one language to another. Google has provided a solution in translating dialogue, text, pictures, or real-time videos into 103 different languages. (http://www.bgr.in/news/google-translate-turns-10-now-supports-103-languages-translates-100-billion-words-every-day/). The challenge that large companies which retains international partners must decide on choosing a common language. Information is required to be translated due to the lack of computers capability to accurately translate words. The Challenge of distance and time: Time differences is a challenge for people to communicate with others that resides in a different part of the world. The products may have a delivery time of days, weeks or even months to be received to other countries. This creates delays and disruption with business transaction which causes employees and customers located in different countries to have difficulty with getting connected. VF, an apparel manufacturer company has formed an idea of constructing new communication tools that make it easier for everyone to work together. (reading review1) By doing this, it allowed them to combat these challenges and provided a solution they need to increase the longevity of their company. Conclusion: Looking at the global challenges in information system stated above shows us the overview of companies that uses e-commerce must deal with.ÂÂ   Modern technology and the use of internet is changing how Businesses and organisations around the globe is operating. More and more are advertising their products online to effectively make sales. Companies utitlise technology to ensure handling good teamwork is attained across geographical boundaries. However, there is a concern for challenges that come with the development of technology in information systems.

Guide Dogs Essay examples -- Blindness Dog Training Papers

Guide Dogs What Exactly is a Guide Dog? As I look around, it seems as though it is raining puppies and dogs. Can you guess where I am? No, it is not the humane society. Give up? I am at a training facility for guide dogs, where everywhere, including the office, there are dogs being played with, spoiled with love, and working hard with their trainers. Now that I have given you a mental picture of what a guide dog training facility looks like, you might like to know what they actually do there. At least that is what I wanted to know. I was amazed after seeing a student at Florida State University with his guide dog, and watching the two interact together. I stared as the dog helped his master avoid people and stopped at the bottom of each series of steps leading up to the Love Building. I had never seen anything like this before. I believed this showed people how smart dogs are and how humans and dogs can intelligently interact together. This incident is what intrigued me to want to know more about dogs as guides. I wanted to know how guide dogs are chosen and trained. Is there a particular breed that is easier to train? These are the questions we will find the answers to. I began my search on the Internet. I was very surprised to see how many guide dog training schools have their own websites. Some only talked about how to volunteer or make contributions to their program, but others were very helpful in my search for information. One of the very first sites I visited gave me a great definition of tasks a guide dog is trained to do. According to the Assistance Dogs International website, guide dogs are provided to assist blind and visually impaired people in avoiding obstacles, stopping at curbs and ste... ... well behaved guide dog you may have seen in the grocery store or somewhere else. Works Cited Assistance Dogs International. n.page. Online. Internet. 27 Sept. 1998. Available WWW: <http://www.assistance-dogs-intl.org/service.html> Green, Kathleen. "You're What? Dog Guide Instructor." Occupational Outlook Quarterly. (Winter 1996): 47-49. Guide Dog Association of N.S.Wales and A.C.T. page. Online. Internet. 28 Sept. 1998. Available WWW: <http://www.guidedogs.com.au/> Harrington, Paula. Guide Dogs for the Blind: Looking Ahead. San Rafael: Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. 1990. Southeastern Guide Dogs. Online. Internet. 27 Sept. 1998. Available WWW: <http://www.guidedogs.org/segd-home.htm> Ulrich, Katherine. E-mail interview. 22 October, 1998. Witchel, Alex. "Teaching Man's Best Eyes to See." New York Times. 6 Mar.1996: Cl, C9.

Functionalist theories Essay

The functionalist theory posits that the society is composed of interconnected parts which function like a social system. In a society, there are parts that work in a similar manner the human body works as a system made of different organs. The ‘organs’ of a society are the social institutions that are set up to work together to ensure that the society runs smoothly. Such institutions include schools and family set ups. Levin (2009, para 3) defines functionalism as â€Å"the doctrine that what makes something a thought, desire, pain (or any other type of mental state) depends not on its internal constitution, but solely on its function. † As such, functionalism theories describe the mental state as a function of behavior, stimulation of senses or other states of the mind. For instance, it is possible to say that pain results from injury in the body thus symbolizing that something is not functioning as expected and therefore the body desires to be out of the painful state. The functionalist theory is not restricted to creatures that have a mental state and can be applicable in silicon-based conditions. That is why the different states of mind can be said to be multiply realized. Physical states as well as non-physical states are viewed as able to cause a specific mental state. This is why Levin (2009) finds functionalism being similar to dualism. Under functionalism theories, there are theories that the mental states are said to give a description of what our mental state descriptions mean. Other theories under functionalism provide that mental states can be characterized according to facts proved through scientific experimentations. Different social scientists have made different contributions to the functionalist theory. Aristotle is among the earliest ancestors of functionalism. Aristotle came up with the theory of the soul where he argued that the soul of a human being cannot exist independent of the body and thus the soul forms the natural part of the entire human body. The soul is therefore a combination of powers that help the body to express itself. The human body as a system functions to enable survival (living) as well as to reason thereby acting as necessary. Aristotle therefore finds the soul as a part of the human body which cannot be separated. In addition, the soul empowers the body to live as well as perceive stimuli with subsequent action. Hobbes (1651) is also recognized as one of the important contributors to functionalism. Hobbes takes a mechanistic approach of the state of mind by arguing that human reasoning is comparable to arithmetic computation with adherence to arithmetic rules. Hobbes proceeds to argue that human reasoning as a function is not restricted to human minds only and instead physical systems also possess the capacity to carry out reasoning. As such, machines are able to carry out the functions that are similar to that of a reasoning mind. Levin (2009) cites that Hobbes arguments were accepted in the twentieth century where social scientists realized that different physical creatures can perform the thinking function since thinking per se is controlled by functions similar to computation. Jean Piaget is an influential social scientist who had a functionalist view. Piaget (1896-1980) was a developmental psychologist who looked into the thinking in children. Piaget posited that new born have reflexes that are responsible for behavior control in other species throughout life. The reflexes in infants enable adaptation thus they are replaced by complex schemes as the infant grows. Assimilation processes occur to enable the environment match with the individual’s cognitive structures. On the other hand, an accommodation process involves the cognitive structures being modified to adapt changes in the environment. Piaget therefore came up with four cognitive development stages. These include sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational phase and formal operational phase (Huitt & Hummel, 2003). It is therefore evident that complexity of behaviors is hierarchical and so are the adaptation mechanisms. Social scientists have contributed significantly to current learning theory by forming the basis for development of schooling programs that are accommodative of human beings at all stages of life. Piaget’s theory for instance is the foundational theory for pre-school programs as well as programs for primary school students. In addition, the theory also provides a basis for constructivist learning (Huitt & Hummel, 2003). Aristotle’s and Hobbes’s theories are foundational to behaviorism whether logical or machine state. All these have expanded the field of cognitive psychology. Indeed, functionalist theories will remain invaluable in psychology as evidenced by the usefulness of the functionalist theories developed by Aristotle, Hobbes and Piaget. At the same time, the theories will remain debatable as long as social scientists continue with their endeavor to understand human mind and behavior. Functionalist theories will also be at the center of understanding the psychology of learning. References Huitt, W. , and Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved 19, July 2010 from http://www. edpsycinteractive. org/topics/cogsys/piaget. html Levin, J. (2009). Functionalism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 19, July 2010 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/functionalism/

Marx and Weber’s Analyses of the Development of Capitalism Essay

Capitalism is defined as ‘An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.’ It is based on the division between two classes, one of which owns the labour of the other. Not only do the upper classes, or the bourgeoisie, own the means of physical production but also the means of ‘mental production’. They control and manipulate society through the rule of education, religion and the media. Althusser distinguishes between repressive state apparatuses and ideological state apparatuses and argues about how the bourgeoisie manages to maintain its rule. He argues that the repressive includes the police and the army in which use physical force to control the working class as opposed to the ideological apparatuses such as the media and religion which control the development of ideas. A key component of capitalism is that the working class are forced to sell their labour in exchange for wages i n order to survive. However, they do not receive an equal exchange for the labour they produce, but only the cost of subsistence. The difference of what the bourgeoisie receive from the labourers and the amount they pay back is called the surplus value, meaning the profit they make. Max Weber was one of the founding fathers of sociology and contributed highly to our knowledge of how society works. Weber’s work can be highlighted by referring to his study The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, first published in 1905 (22 years after the death of Karl Marx in 1883). Weber argues that the Protestant Reformation introduced a new belief system of Calvinism (a form of Protestantism founded by John Calvin during the reformation) which promoted a high work ethic and which eventually led to the rise in capitalism. Calvinists believed that God preordains the ‘elect’ meaning of who would be saved after death and go onto heaven and who would not. This could not be changed through hard work or leading a good life as the decision had already been decided. This made Calvinists strive for success, with which they would reinvest into making more money, hence the development of capitalism. Weber distinguishes the differences between the capitalism of greed and wealth in past societies to those of present. Modern day people are pursing profit for its own sake rather than for consumption, hence why the Calvinists reinvested their wealth. Weber calls this the spirit of capitalism. He further argues that this was the reason capitalism was stronger in places like Europe and America and not in other places where Protestantism wasn’t so established. Weber also distinguishes between many different existing forms of capitalism including ‘traditional capitalism’ and ‘booty capitalism’; however the crucial ideal type is the one named modern capitalism, or rational capitalism meaning the repetitive, ongoing economic activity on the basis of rational calculation. Understanding what needs to happen and what the best way of achieving it is, allows for reinvestment and the growth of economic enterprises. He argues that it is the rational side of modern capitalism that distinguishes it from other advanced economic areas such as China and India, both of which had higher and more advanced infrastructures in the 17th century compared to Europe and America. However, Weber is hugely criticised for his understanding of the rise in capitalism due to others believing that it was the peoples relationship with the material forces and there means of subsidence which drove the change. Weber takes a key focus on religion and the impact that had on the rest of society as well as capitalism, whereas Marx focuses on class conflict. Marx argues that through industrialisation capitalism had been forced to increase due to growing separation of the two contrasting classes. One class is the exploiting bourgeoisie who own the means of production and the other class being the proletariat who own nothing but their own labour. Marx predicted that the working class would eventually become conscious of their alienation and exploitation and unite to overthrow capitalism. This would slowly bring in a system of socialism which would gradually evolve into a pure classless communist society lacking in exploitation. He argued that capitalism would disintegrate due to interior tensions, just like every other social system. He believed that communism was inevitably the next stage in the line of historical changes to class systems. Just as feudalism was replaced by capitalism, so capital ism would be replaced by communism. Marx argues that religion performs a different function than that of what Weber argues. Instead it operates as an ‘ideological weapon’ used by the bourgeoisie to justify the suffering of the poor as something unchangeable and ‘god-given’. Religion persuades the working class that their suffering is honourable and moral and will be favoured in the afterlife. This is evident in the Christianity teaching of it is ‘easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’. This manipulates and oppresses the proletariat as it renders them blind to capitalistic trends; ensuing and maintaining false class consciousness. However, Marx can be criticised for ignoring the positive functions that religions perform, made apparent by the psychological adjustment to misfortune that it offers. Abercrombie and Turner (1978) argue that ‘in pre capitalist society, while Christianity was a major element of ruling-class ideology, it had only limited impact on the peasantry’ (A2 Sociology AQA Specification, 2009, pg 13) However, although Marx does argue that religion helps to control the manipulation of ideas of the working class he also believes that it is ‘the heart of the heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions’, as it can act as an distraction to dull the pain of exploitation. When comparing and contrasting two very highly influential historians such as Karl Marx and Max Weber, some would argue that it is highly important to look at their overall impact on society as well as humanity. Karl Marx focused highly on philosophy and his work is still influential in many cultures worldwide today. This contrasts to Max Weber who is considered ‘one of the fathers of modern thought’ and could be considered one of the world’s most intellectual and influential persons. Although both historians share clear similarities, for example both coming from a European Protestant background they also contrast and have distinct differences. Weber criticises Marx’s theory as he believes that his view is too one dimensional and simplistic when looking at inequality. Weber argues that this is due to Marx seeing class as the only important division. Weber argues that status and power also have high impact on the volume of inequality. He points towards the ‘power elite’ for evidence and argues that they can rule without actually owning the means of production. Currently there are many independent companies that can control and rule particular labourers without being a part of the bourgeoisie, it is not as simple as Marx likes to preach. A great amount of people are in other situations than the time when Marx was writing, for example ‘dealers in information, managers and civil servants’, meaning that the relative importance of the struggle between owners and workers has relatively declined. Although Marx and Weber have severe differences in their evaluation of modern capitalism their augments also share many similarities. They both believe that the economic system is a place where â€Å"individuals are directed by abstractions† (Marx). We must also take into account the times of which both sociologists were writing. Weber is writing nearly half a century later and focuses highly on the impact of power, wealth and prestige. He argues that these were the three main factors contributing to capitalism and the distinction of classes. This contrasts to Marx who focuses singularly on the impact of class and how the contrast of bourgeoisie and proletariat impacted on the rise of capitalism. However, both of their summaries of overthrowing capitalism share many similarities. Both sociologists argue that in order for capitalism to be overthrown the working class must unite together to overthrow the ruling class and free themselves from capitalist oppression. Bibliography Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1932). The German Ideology . Moscow: David Riazanov. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848). Manifesto of the communist party. London. Max Weber (1978). Economy and Society. California: University of California Press. Thomas Hobbes (1988). The Leviathan. London : Penguin . Phil Bartle. (2007). Marx vs Weber. Available: http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/cla-mweb.htm. Last accessed 10th October 2012. Louis Althusser. (1970). Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. Available: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm 970. Last accessed 10th October 2012 Michael Lowy. (2006). Marx, Weber and the Critique of Capitalism . Available: http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1106 . Last accessed 10th October 2012. No Author. (1999). Max Weber. Available: http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/s30f99.htm. Last accessed 10th October 2012. D. Sayer, Capitalism and Modernity: An Excurses on Marx and Weber, pg. 4, London: Routledge, 1991. Cuff, E. C., W. W. Sharrock and D. W. Francis, Perspectives in Sociology, third edition, London, Routledge, 1992.

Classical drama Essay Example

Classical drama Essay Example Classical drama Essay Classical drama Essay Andrew Davies always adapts for small screen, especially costume dramas or classical dramas. He converts a classical novel into a small screen production, and he always finds a sexual interest in things. When he is approached by a TV channel, the first thing he does is listens to the novel. Davies knows what the popular audiences are looking for. In Davies adaptation of A Room With A View, its being done in retrospect. He uses a frame where the storyline is contained. Davis completely brings the dates forward in this adaptation. Two time slots are being established. This is because Lucy finds herself in Florence, 1922, as a young war widow. As such, she is reliving (in her mind) her romance of 10 years previously (1912), when she first meets up with George Emerson. When Lucy is in Florence (1922), she visits the slopes of Fiesole, where she first met her deceased husband. The cab driver who drives her up the slopes is, coincidentally, the same cab driver who took her up the slopes 10 years previously, when she was accompanied with Charlotte, George, Mr Emerson, Mr Beebe, Mr Eager and Miss McLavish. Lucy and the cab driver get talking, which gives the viewer an idea that this is possibly the start of a new romance. The first establishing shot shows the bottom of Lucys skirt. Her skirt is much shorter, giving the impression that the date is somewhere in the 1920s. In Merchant Ivorys adaptation, the first establishing shot is accompanied with Puccinis music. In Davies adaptation, the music seems more sombre, as Lucy has just become a widow. The second establishing shot is in the Pensione Bertolini. The man, who is booking Lucy in, asked her if she has come alone. Lucy then immediately thinks back 10 years, to when Charlotte is complaining about the view. As Lucy and the man make their way upstairs, Lucy enters the room and has another flashback to when Lucy looks at the view. As it is a flashback, the lighting is much brighter, and as the characters speak, there is a small echo. Then, back in 1922, just as the hotel manager is about to throw open the shutters, Lucy stops him. This may be because she wanted to open the shutters herself, and remember what happened back in 1912. The dining room looks quite different in this adaptation, compared to the dining room in Merchant Ivorys adaptation. Here, there is only one table, whereas Merchant Ivory used several round tables. In Merchant Ivorys adaptation, it was quite easy for George and Lucy to make eye contact, as they were sitting directly opposite each other. However, Andrew Davies has made the seating position in his adaptation, so as Lucy and George cannot make eye contact without glimpsing over the top of other peoples heads. Charlotte begins complaining about the room without a view and Mr Emerson then offers to swap rooms. Charlotte refuses, which then leads Mr Emerson to get George to persuade her. This is when Lucy and George first make eye contact, and they continue to do so, throughout the meal. Whilst sitting at the dining table, Mr Beebe enters the film much earlier than in the Merchant Ivory production and in the book. This guarantees a bums on seats effect, which makes sure that the audience will not lose interest in the film. This bums on seats effect also happens in Merchant Ivorys version, except with the famous Judi Dench, who plays Miss Eleanor McLavish, author. The third establishing shot takes place after the meal in a room with several other hotel guests. Lucy makes a comment about most of the people being English. Charlotte replies by saying that they are there to look at Italy, not the Italians. This shows that Charlotte is quite insecure and she does not like moving forward; she is more a backward-looking character. George and Lucy also make eye contact several times again. In the Andrew Davies version, Charlotte tells Lucy to go and find Mr Beebe. Lucy makes her way over to find the cab driver, and yet again, she struggles with her Italian. She makes a hand gesture, which is in the shape of the cross. The second cab driver translates it as the good man, just as in the Merchant Ivory version. Lucy follows the cab driver, but she feels a bit insecure and asks him if hes going the right way. She continues to follow him, but then as he moves away the tree branch, she sees George standing there. Lucy begins to tell the cab driver that he misunderstood her, but he pushes her down the slope and she runs into Georges arms, and they kiss. The lighting effect is much brighter and the whole kiss is done in slow motion. Charlotte then appears, as she has been worried of Lucys whereabouts. She sees the two kissing, but she does not shout out Lucys name, like in the Merchant Ivory version. Both adaptations are different in the way certain scenes have been portrayed, but both show some sort of similarity to the original novel. Both Merchant Ivory and Andrew Davies portray certain things in different ways, but the main storyline has been kept the same.

Hanging Words

Hanging Words Hanging Words Hanging Words By Maeve Maddox The Latin verb pendere, â€Å"to hang,† has fostered numerous words that have something to do with the act of hanging. In English, many â€Å"hanging† words have come and gone, but plenty remain in contemporary usage. The most immediately recognizable are pendant, pendent, pendulous, pendulum, pend, and pending. pendant The noun pendant refers to a loosely hanging piece of jewelry worn on a chain around the neck. A pendant can also be the hanging part of an earring. â€Å"Pendant lamps† are designed to hang from the ceiling. An obsolete meaning of pendantin the plural-is testicles: They gird themselves with a piece of raw leather, and fasten a square piece like the back of a glove, to it, which almost hangs so low as their pendants. (1634 example from the OED, spelling modernized) pendent The adjective pendent means hanging or suspended. Something that is hanging is said to be pendent. For example, on old documents like the Magna Carta, a seal is pendent from the parchment. In grammar, an incomplete grammatical structure, such as a dangling participle, is said to be pendent. pendulous Like pendent, the adjective pendulous means â€Å"hanging,† but with the added connotation of drooping or sagging. The word is often applied to jowls; for example, bloodhounds and basset hounds have pendulous jowls. pendulum The pendulum of a clock is a rod with a weight at one end, used to regulate and control the movements of the clock mechanism. It hangs and swings back and forth. pend/pending The verb pend is probably not used as often as its present participle form pending. â€Å"To pend† means â€Å"to await conclusion or resolution.† That’s to say that a matter is hanging in uncertainty. As an adjective, pending is used to mean â€Å"awaiting decision.† As a preposition, pending means â€Å"while awaiting, during, or until,† as in, â€Å"Court of Appeal stays appeal proceedings pending outcome of central amendment applications to the EPO.† In the Roman economy, money was weighed in a scale that had hanging parts. I suppose that explains the fact that the Latin verb pendere, â€Å"to hang,† had the related meaning â€Å"to weigh.† For this reason, some English â€Å"hanging words† have a figurative sense of weighing something, for example, the English word compendium. A compendium is â€Å"an abridgement or condensation of a larger work or treatise, giving the sense and substance, within smaller compass.† Compendium is from the Latin verb compendere, â€Å"to weigh together.† A compendium, in both Latin and in English, is the abridgement of a longer work in which the â€Å"heavier† part has been kept and the â€Å"lighter† part dispensed with. Dispense is another hanging word, from Latin pensare, â€Å"to weigh out.†) The association of weighing with money transactions can also be seen in some of these words. Without further comment, I’ll leave you with a few more words and let you discern the â€Å"hanging† connection in them. append appendage appendix depend dependent dependable dependence expend expenditure impend independent perpendicular suspend suspense suspender 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:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesHow to Punctuate with â€Å"However†Show, Don't Tell

Analysis Of Ron Clark’s Life

Analysis Of Ron Clarks Life Ron Clark, an American teacher, has a different and unique way of teaching kids and making a difference in their lives. He is spreading the message to other educators by turning the classroom around for students in the United States. Clark is changing the lives of children through his motivation and determination and discovering â€Å"untapped† potential in students in order for them to become the best that they can be. Clark’s childhood and young adult experiences are what makes him passionate about life, which in turn allows him inspire and educate his students. Throughout college, he found that his one true love in life was adventure (â€Å"Essential 55† 159). Because of his love for adventure, Clark had some wild moments. For example he ran across a football field that was being broadcasted nationally while being chased by the police (â€Å"Essential 55† 43). He never thought that he would become a teacher. Clark once said, â€Å"The time I have spen t teaching children lessons has been wonderful, and I can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching. That is ironic, however, because when I was growing up, being a teacher was the last thing I wanted to do† (â€Å"Essential 55† xii). His experiences from his youth are his foundation of balancing fun and learning in his classroom. He puts himself in the mind-set of the children in order to let the students understand the information. For example, he remembers â€Å"sitting in classes, while reading as a group. Sometimesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I would stare at the page and daydream about anything† (â€Å"Excellent 11† 46). In order for his student’s not to feel the same way in class, â€Å"I read with force, energy, and expression. Sometimes while reading I’ll jump on a student’s desk, scream at the top of my lungs, or fall to the floor† (â€Å"Excellent 11† 49). Through these actions of making the classroom more entertai ning, it illustrates that he is willing to think outside the box until he finds the best way to help kids learn. Since the students can genuinely see the efforts he puts into each day, they will be more willing to put effort towards achieving their goals in the classroom. By holding on to his childhood memories, he is able to become a deeper person and to become a role model to his students. Since his mother wanted him to stay put, Clark became a fifth grade teacher at Snowden Elementary School, where many of the students had behavior problems and learning disabilities (â€Å"Essential 55† xi) Even though he had just begun teaching, Clark was slowly changing the world of education. Over the next few years in the classroom, his experiences were filled with ups and downs, with invitations to the White House, trips around the world and projects that captured world wide attention. These events show how much effort he puts into molding his students into responsible adults (â€Å" Essential 55† 3) Through his out of the box teaching style, he is not only teaching the curriculum, but also pushing them slowly into the modern world. By creating an adventure for kids, he is allowing his students to learn from experience by letting them to learn from their mistakes, to build trust and to encourage them to become better students. Clark started his own adventure when he left rural North Carolina to go teach at Harlem in New York City (Miners). He states that â€Å"Moving there opened my eyes, my heart, and my mind to experiences I never would have had otherwise† (Clark). Even though it was hard to move to a new city, he was glad that he just went for it (â€Å"Excellent 11† 37). By putting that same courage and determination into student’s lives, it can teach them to face their fears, and give them the urge to follow their dreams. Clark sets an example by following his heart, thus building a vision of how students should live their lives.

Easy Jet Airline Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Easy Jet Airline Company - Term Paper Example Easy Jet Airline Company Since its establishment in 1994, the company has undergone a lot of improvements including base openings and acquisitions. For a company to survive in the market, it should employ marketing strategies that are compatible with the market and profitability of the company (Koenigsber, Muller & Vilcassim 279). Easy Jet has applied a unique marketing strategy that has enabled it to survive in the competitive market (Koenigsber, Muller & Vilcassim 281). The mission of the company is to provide customers with exceptional value and point-to-point airline services. The company also aims at offering and effecting reliable and consistent fares and products that appeal to business markets and leisure on various European routes. By 2009, the company had employed more than 6107 employees. Easy Jet has been one of the most successful and competitive low-cost and short-haul airline with a clear pricing structure (Mayer 16). All prices for a given flight are quoted one way; this means that a single p rice prevails in any point of the flight. The prices of the airline are low early on, but increase as the date of departure nears. Easy Jet applies various and distinct strategies in its operations. First, the company does not offer a last minute deal. One cannot get a flight ticket at the last minute of the flight. Secondly, the company offers a single class of travelers unlike other airline companies where there are different travelling classes. Price is the only variant that controls the demand for flight tickets at Easy Jet Company (Mayer 17). The third strategy applies to the duration of sale of tickets. The company varies the time in which its tickets are offered on the market. The first two strategies can be contrasted to the traditional airline pricing strategy. Most of the competitors of Easy Jet Company offer the last minute deals through resellers or directly to customers (Koenigsber, Muller & Vilcassim 282). The prevailing pricing strategy at Easy Jet also aims to contro l the demand through seat allocation to certain classes of people. This is done by making price the only variable that controls demand for travelling tickets, and offering equal services to all customers. Ryanair is one of the airlines, which compete with Easy Jet. The two companies use the same pricing strategy that insists on providing air services that are cheaper than other competitors. The low prices set by the two companies are feasible through reducing all possible costs, and having no frills. They use indicative ways to reduce their costs such as little product differentiation, reducing the costs of research and development and reducing the advertising and selling costs (Jones 28). The two companies also use efficient scale facilities; any innovations can only be adopted when the other competitors have tried and implemented them successfully. This helps in reducing the risks that may arise after implementing these innovations. A competitive advantage of the two companies lie s in the fact that they have a combination of high frequency services and low cost fares (Mayer 17). They also have an excellent network of routes where they increase the number of flights. Having reduced prices, Easy Jet and Ryanair do not offer drinks, food, or other services offered by other competitors. This way, the company lowers the expenses thus reducing the prices. Easy Jet has succeeded in reducing the costs

Understanding Sense of Belongingness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Understanding Sense of Belongingness - Essay Example Using this article, I will be discussing the author’s structure of the source and his project as well as the contents of the article regarding belongingness. Firstly, the author tries to make a relationship with his readers through his writing approach. Strayhorn sounds professional which he maintains throughout the article but he also made his tone very personal so as to communicate well with his readers. This is reflected not only with the choice of the words used but also in the manner the statements are crafted. For instance, the writer refers to studies of various researchers such as Baumeister and Leary. This shows how objective the writer is regarding his topic. However, there are also times when the author refers to his own research that he uses the personal pronoun â€Å"I† as he tries to relate with his audience but he still maintains a serious tone. To make his discussion more interesting, Strayhorn presents his argument in an organized manner, letting the readers well-guided as they continue with their reading. Strayhorn’s project aims at using the present literature to explain â€Å"sense of belonging†. This means that the author uses earlier published studies as references in attempting to explain what the topic really means. From this foundation, the writer wants to show the importance of the topic, approaching it with the use of examples and referencing other studies. Lastly, he intends to go over the implication of the study, especially in education. Therefore, this study is focused more on the students and how they are able to relate to their environment. As promised, the author first defines the term â€Å"sense of belongingness†. For example, he quotes Anant’s definition saying, â€Å"Sense of belonging characterizes a person’s perceived belief of indispensability within a system†.

Validity and Reliability on Emergency Preparation and Response in the Essay

Validity and Reliability on Emergency Preparation and Response in the World of Corporate Security - Essay Example In the context of my research, this means that I have to ask a content expert if my instrument in gathering data looks valid. Similarly, this may be undertaken by asking potential respondents about the face validity of my instrument through a pilot run of the survey. Yet still another measure of validity is content validity. In this type of validity, I am bound to do a content validity check and ask experts in the field of corporate security on their opinion about the instrument – that is, if they think that the instrument will be able to measure what I set it out to measure. Content validity has two subtypes, predictive validity and concurrent validity. One way of checking the predictive validity of my research tool is to see if it can predict other variables that are â€Å"logically related† to those which are measured by the instrument. If it does, that means that the instrument I constructed is content valid. On the other hand, concurrent validity works the same way as predictive validity; however, the measure of this is logical correlations with other variables that are assumed to be associated with those measured in the tool. Finally, I can also do a construct validity check. For example, if I am measuring the variables emergency preparation and response, they should correlate with other related constructs in an anticipated manner if my instrument does have construct validity.

How far does the form and structure of the city together with its Essay

How far does the form and structure of the city together with its transport network influence individual travel patterns - Essay Example Perth, Western Australia is one of the most densely populated regions of the continent. Perth is the capital of Western Australian province. Perth is located by the side of River Swan. The total population of Perth is more than 1,700,000. Like most of the densely populated cities in the developed world, Perth has a very well developed and well planned public transport system. Majority of the people in Perth use ferries, buses and trains as their chosen mode of transport. Transperth is the organization which supervises this public transport and the routes, while Transwa provides routes to the rural and sub urban area around Perth. Public transport Authority operates Transperth. The mode of transit only includes ferries, busses and trains, as mentioned earlier. This brand, Transperth, was launched in 1986. Although the control was initially under Metropolitan transport trust, and Western Australian government railways, it was later transferred to Department of transport, in 1993. Perth is divided into 9 fare zones. These zones are created keeping the distance of a place from the city centre in mind. All three transit services offered by Transperth cover Perth city up to Wundowie in the East of the city, to Fremantle in the west, up to Mandurah in the south and up to Two Rocks in the north of Perth City. The central business district of Perth has 15 bus stations and 70 railway stations. The time tables are color coded and thus the routes are easier to understand once a person understands the color codes. City centre is a Free Transit zone, where one does not need to pay a fare to travel. Overall, the transport infra structure in Pert is well developed. Keeping the growth of population in mind, the government has planned forward to accommodate the future requirements. Modes of transit most frequently used in Perth: It is a fact that the form and structure of the city together with its transport network influence individual travel patterns. Travel to work (includes multi-mode journeys) Perth 2006 2001 Enumerated data number % Perth Statistical Division % number % Perth Statistical Division % Change 2001 to 2006 Train 79 3.2 4.3 47 2.8 3.8 32 Bus 142 5.8 4.2 80 4.8 3.7 61 Tram or Ferry 6 0.2 0 3 0.2 0 3 Taxi 101 4.2 0.2 93 5.6 0.2 8 Car - as driver 616 25.4 63.0 447 26.7 63.2 169 Car - as passenger 130 5.3 5.8 107 6.4 5.7 23 Truck 6 0.2 1.0 3 0.2 1.2 3 Motorbike 5 0.2 0.6 0 0 0.5 5 Bicycle 20 0.8 1.0 11 0.6 0.9 9 Walked only 676 27.9 2.1 318 19.0 1.8 358 Other 172 7.1 1.1 116 6.9 1.4 57 Worked at home 67 2.8 3.6 72 4.3 4.1 -5 Did not go to work 371 15.3 11.5 357 21.3 12.1 14 Not stated 36 1.5 1.7 20 1.2 1.5 16 Total 2,426 100.0 100.0 1,673 100.0 100.0 753 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2006, 2001, 1996, and 1991. NOTE: Table totals may not equate with other similar tables due to  randomisation  of small numbers. Please refer to the  specific data notes  for more information. Looking at the abo ve table, few very important findings can be noted. First of all, it is important to note that the 2006 figures show that around 27.9% of the people taking part in this survey walked to work. This means that the structure and form of city definitely has its impact over the way people choose their modes of transit. People living near the central business district or metropolitan Perth prefer to walk to work if their offices are located at a notable distance. The high percentage of people walking to work also shows a trend that people either try to find work at some place close to their residence, or they shift to reside at some place close to their work place. Another important aspect clearly visible from this table is that the trend of using own cars for going to work is on the rise. This is because of the fact that people are generally busier now, and also,

Literature of the African Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature of the African Diaspora - Essay Example Of great interest when studying Callaloo is the establishment of exactly how the persons of African heritage are able to claim their multiple identities and especially so in light of despite persons of a diaspora essentially inhabiting a number of different these persons are nevertheless unable to call these different places home. Black persons of the African diaspora tend to adapt or create a number of new identities as they continuously move from place to place. In his book, Reversing sail, Gomez points out that the relatively small trickle of African slaves that had been captured as slaves during the fifteenth century eventually evolved into becoming a veritable flood by the end of the seventeenth century. Within a time period of ten years after Columbus’ maiden voyage in 1492, numerous enslaved Africans were enslaved in the New World along with a number of other slaves drawn from Portugal and the Canaries and sources as experienced sugarcane planters. Of particular note is the fact that by 1560, the total number of African slaves was seen to greatly outnumber Europeans in Hispaniola and Cuba, this impressive growth in number eventually saw the number of African outnumber that of Europeans in Vera Cruz and Mexico City by 1570 (62-63). Numerous countries across Europe were seen to join in the slave trade in a move that saw an approximated 6.5 million Africans get shipped out of the African continent between 1700 and 1810. During this period, more European nations were seen to get involved in the slave trade. Some of these nations included Denmark, Britain, France, Portugal, Holland, Sweden and Spain. A number of other non-European countries such as Brazil and the United States also joined the slave trade (Gomez 64). By participating in the slave trade these countries were seen to essentially promote the spread of the Black African diaspora as a review of the regions from which they were drawn from can be seen to essentially reveal a considerable degree of complexity not only in respect to culture and language, but also as pertaining to the different forms of government, technology, regional and trans-regional commerce and agriculture. The Africans transported into the various different regions across the world were to eventually face systems that were essentially quite diverse resulting in increased diversity and multiplicity on the part of these Africans. The Development of the African Class of Mixed Heritage (Mulatto) and their Attempts at Acceptance by Whites Although the questions pertaining to race were seen to be a complex matter in most of the regions that the Africans had been enslaved, it was generally found to be quite complex in some regions such as in Saint Domingue where there arose a class of free blacks or affranchis. This class of free blacks was seen to primarily comprise of persons of mixed ancestry who were mostly women and numbered an estimated 27,000 in 1789. This new class of citizenry owned about 25 percent of the African slave population and accounted for 11 percent of Saint Domingue’s urban population. About two thirds of these citizens were the product of white slave holders and enslaved females and children born out of such unions were born as free men. The affranchis population quickly expanded and by the middle of the eighteenth century, they were able to be widely

Practise report PARAPHRASING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Practise report PARAPHRASING - Assignment Example Whether a subject in the material is a fact or a personal opinion is also important. Facts supported by other evidences are given more weight compared to personal opinions. The blog Anthropologists in Cross Cultural Management does not comply with some of the criteria provided in the CRAP method. This method requires that a source be current and reliable and that its authority be well defined. Even though the material is current having been written in February 2009, it is the opinion of and individual and has not been supported by any form of reference. The material is also quite short and does not cover the entire topic managing multicultural environment. In the CRAP criteria, it is preferred that the publisher of a material have a knowledge of the subject to be addressed and if possible give a comprehensive introduction to the contents of the work. Emerald publishers draw journals from several university libraries all over the world and such introduction is not possible. Moreover, the journal may be lacking citations. Managing and harnessing the powers of Cross-Cultural differences has much of what is required. A list of materials read given at the end of the work indicates that it is not purely an individual’s opinion and that similar observation and argument can be obtained from other materials as well. It is also current having been modified on August 03, 2009 at 7:02:55 PM. This source also has links to other and referring to these sources is quite convenient. The several advertisements on the page all relate to the same topic and therefore cannot bore the reader. The sources of materials from Wikipedia are not known. Worse still, anonymous writers can join the team and make changes to an existing document. Therefore, the information from such sources can only be used to obtain a general overview of a topic. This can then be used to obtain references from the valid

Literature of the African Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature of the African Diaspora - Essay Example Of great interest when studying Callaloo is the establishment of exactly how the persons of African heritage are able to claim their multiple identities and especially so in light of despite persons of a diaspora essentially inhabiting a number of different these persons are nevertheless unable to call these different places home. Black persons of the African diaspora tend to adapt or create a number of new identities as they continuously move from place to place. In his book, Reversing sail, Gomez points out that the relatively small trickle of African slaves that had been captured as slaves during the fifteenth century eventually evolved into becoming a veritable flood by the end of the seventeenth century. Within a time period of ten years after Columbus’ maiden voyage in 1492, numerous enslaved Africans were enslaved in the New World along with a number of other slaves drawn from Portugal and the Canaries and sources as experienced sugarcane planters. Of particular note is the fact that by 1560, the total number of African slaves was seen to greatly outnumber Europeans in Hispaniola and Cuba, this impressive growth in number eventually saw the number of African outnumber that of Europeans in Vera Cruz and Mexico City by 1570 (62-63). Numerous countries across Europe were seen to join in the slave trade in a move that saw an approximated 6.5 million Africans get shipped out of the African continent between 1700 and 1810. During this period, more European nations were seen to get involved in the slave trade. Some of these nations included Denmark, Britain, France, Portugal, Holland, Sweden and Spain. A number of other non-European countries such as Brazil and the United States also joined the slave trade (Gomez 64). By participating in the slave trade these countries were seen to essentially promote the spread of the Black African diaspora as a review of the regions from which they were drawn from can be seen to essentially reveal a considerable degree of complexity not only in respect to culture and language, but also as pertaining to the different forms of government, technology, regional and trans-regional commerce and agriculture. The Africans transported into the various different regions across the world were to eventually face systems that were essentially quite diverse resulting in increased diversity and multiplicity on the part of these Africans. The Development of the African Class of Mixed Heritage (Mulatto) and their Attempts at Acceptance by Whites Although the questions pertaining to race were seen to be a complex matter in most of the regions that the Africans had been enslaved, it was generally found to be quite complex in some regions such as in Saint Domingue where there arose a class of free blacks or affranchis. This class of free blacks was seen to primarily comprise of persons of mixed ancestry who were mostly women and numbered an estimated 27,000 in 1789. This new class of citizenry owned about 25 percent of the African slave population and accounted for 11 percent of Saint Domingue’s urban population. About two thirds of these citizens were the product of white slave holders and enslaved females and children born out of such unions were born as free men. The affranchis population quickly expanded and by the middle of the eighteenth century, they were able to be widely

Central Banks and Monetary Policy Essay Example for Free

Central Banks and Monetary Policy Essay In order to fully understand the nature of monetary policy, there is a need to define the function of money. According to economists, the general functions of money are as follows: 1) measure of goods and services, 2) standard of value, 3) medium of exchange, 4) storage of wealth, and 5) speculative function (related to contingency). In a very simple economy, efficiency can be achieved through general exchanges of goods and services. Every family unit or community specializes in the production of one commodity. Goods are exchanged through what economists call ‘barter system. ’ As the community grows, transactions within the simple economy become more and more complicated. There is a need to utilize a new medium of exchange. Money, whatever its earliest forms were, serves as the new medium of exchange, reducing bulkiness and inefficiency in the economy. At some point in time, the quantity of money circulating in this economy increases. This leads to rising price levels of goods and services. As the quantity of money circulating in an economy increases, price levels of goods and services also increase (inflation). The institution tasked to maintain the monetary health of an economy is the central bank. The main functions of central banks are as follows: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To regulate price levels in an economy by increasing or decreasing the supply of money circulating in an economy; 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To provide a manageable amount of credit in an economy (serves as a stimulus to increased investments); 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To regulate or control exchange rates (in countries where currencies are on a non-floating status); 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To determine equilibrium interest rates (here monetary policy is directly related to fiscal policy, or more accurately interest rates nominally determine consumption levels, supply of money, and investment levels); 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To provide financial/monetary information to businesses and households (central banks report on the general status/health of an economy). The main function of central bank can be summed up as follows: if the general price levels in an economy increases, central banks decreases money supply; if the price levels decreases, central banks increases the supply of money (secondary money markets). Interest rates are also adjusted based on investment, consumption, and government expenditure patterns. When central banks sells bonds and securities, the monetary base of an economy contracts. When central banks buy bonds and securities (in capital markets), the monetary base of an economy expands. Through this process of adjustment/readjustment, central banks are able to regulate financial transactions in an economy. In recent years, the US economy experiences relative decrease in overall national output. Fiscal policies are directed to decrease equilibrium interest rate to encourage increased consumption, investment, and government expenditure (increasing output in the long-run). As of the present, the Federal Reserve monetary policy is directed to: 1) increasing the supply of money in the US economy (Federal Funds Rate), and 2) increasing the flow of credit (provide households and businesses with increased volatile funds). According to the recent Federal Reserve Report, there are indications that the US economy continues to contract. Household spending has shown signs of stabilization but gravely constrained by job losses, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Overall sales and demand for manufactures continue to decline. There are also signs that inflation could persist for a time. To counter these economic difficulties, the Committee of the Federal Reserve will maintain the target range for the fed funds rate at 0 to 25%. To increase the money supply in the US economy (to prevent contraction), the Federal Reserve will buy a total of $1.25 trillion of agency-backed securities. At autumn, the Federal Reserve will purchase about $300 billion of treasury securities as a form of credit collateral. Note that the Federal Reserve is increasing the monetary base of the US economy by purchasing securities and treasuries. What are the general effects of monetary policy on production and employment? Suppose that the economy is in the process of contraction (not to be confused with the monetary base). The central bank has two complimentary options: decreasing the nominal interest rate and increasing the money supply. An increase in both the interest rate and the money supply would increase aggregate demand. This will shift the aggregate demand to the right, indicating a higher national output. On the supply side, this will induce firms to decrease their supply of goods to the market; indicating a leftward shift of the aggregate supply. Depending on the strength of income and substitution effect, the increase in national output via the aggregate demand may be higher or lower than the decrease in output via the supply side. In short, a monetary policy only serves to maintain the stability of an economy.

Message Meanings And Definitions Vary In Abstraction

Message Meanings And Definitions Vary In Abstraction Non-verbal Communication is just as important as verbal communication. Discuss why the knowledge of non-verbal communication is important in our daily lives. The essay should be error free, double spaced, font Times New Roman, Size 12. All references in APA Format. Executive Summary The definition and difference of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication is stated. In addition to that, the importance of non-verbal communication in our daily life is discussed also and the reasons why it is just as important as Verbal Communication. What is Communication? Communication is the form of interaction, socializing, getting and giving information for the purpose of jobs, education as well as socializing. Merriam-Webster Dictionary online has a few definitions for this word, namely An act or instance of transmitting information verbal A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior There are two forms of communication, namely Verbal Communication and Non-Verbal Communication. Verbal Communication Verbal communication is the usage of sounds and language oral and written to convey a message or to give information emotions, thoughts, feelings, opinions, ideas and it is also an important tool for teaching and learning. There are two basic types or verbal communication interpersonal communication and public speaking. Professor Robert M Krauss, of Columbia University states that signs and symbols make up the major signals of a verbal communication. The functions and purpose of verbal communication to convey a message to others, it is vital in teaching and learning and also it helps in forming bonds and relationships with others. Verbal communication has six principles as listed in the next page: Definitions and meanings of messages are in people Different individuals have different and unique perspective as well as thinking therefore they will interpret a certain message differently. Message meanings and definitions are denotative and connotative For example, the word Love. Everyone has their personal definition and opinion on what it is (connotative), however, the dictionary would have its definition on the word (denotative). Message meanings and definitions vary in abstraction The word abstract is defined as something that is unreal, for example: feelings and hobbies. When a group of people is asked about what their hobbies are, many would have similar and/or different answers. Definitions and meanings of messages can be deceiving People communicate and interact with each other for various reasons and the messages that they convey have different motives and reasons, therefore it can be deceiving to achieve some good, to make oneself (usually the speaker himself of herself) look good, to protect self from danger and harm and/or to harm and insult others Message meanings and definitions vary in assertiveness In any conversation, there are bound to be some disagreements and arguments, therefore some harsh words might be said, however, respectfulness is still maintained by both parties in a conversation. Message meanings and definitions vary in politeness There are different kinds of politeness level directness, online (netiquette) and gender. When we tend to be direct and straight in a conversation, the language, rate, tone and volume of voice plays an important role in maintaining the politeness within the conversation. Netiquette is observed in emails, instant messaging rooms as well as online discussion forums. Even when a conversation is being carried on between a man and a woman, there will also be a certain level of politeness (usually on the mans side) so that no feelings will be hurt and the friendship and/or relationship will still be maintained. Nonverbal Communication This form of communication is easily understood as the process of communication through the sending, receiving and conveying of wordless cues and signs gestures, touch, body language, posture, In other words, nonverbal communication is communication without words and it actually conveys more meanings than verbal communication. In addition to this, many nonverbal communication signs- facial expressions, body language, eye contact are universal and easily detectable by everyone, no matter what culture they are from or which country they are from. Signals blushing, dropping jaw, trembling during a nonverbal communication are sometimes sent and received simultaneously and spontaneously. During an ongoing verbal communication for example, one may drop their jaw to say express an emotion of surprise or blush when embarrassed. The Functions of Nonverbal Communication There are six main functions of nonverbal communication which are listed below: They integrate, complement, accompany and support speech and verbal communication both the speakers and listeners would engage and be involved in a complex sequence of body gestures, body language and signs which are closely synchronized with verbal communication and they play an important part in it. Form self-impression towards others self presentation is usually achieved by appearance and to a lesser extent, by voice. Expressing of emotions nonverbal communication is conveyed through facial expression, touch, eye contact, body language so all of this takes us to understanding the human heart and feelings Defining relationships this form of communication helps to define a relationship between two individuals, for example, the holding of hands between two young individuals might indicate that they are involved in an intimate relationship and the nod of heads might indicate respect for the other individual due to the fact that one is an employee while the other is the employer. To enhance interpersonal communication friendships and relationships are maintained and established through nonverbal signals such as tone of voice, proximity , touch, gaze as well as facial expressions Rituals for example, shaking hands during an introduction The Channels of Nonverbal Communication There are 10 channels of nonverbal communication which are easily identified and decoded. Channels Details Body Movements Emblems body language that directly translates into words or phrases such as: okay sign V which means peace or victory Illustrators usually culture specific and it complements verbal messages so that memory will be increased Affect Displays which shows and portrays emotions and feelings Regulators which are used to keep the conversation ongoing and interesting Adaptors self, object and alter which are mainly used to benefit self during an ongoing conversation Body Physical Appearance Usually the physic of an individual do play a vital role in communication general attractiveness, race and ethnic and also usually the tall individual is favoured more compared to a shorter individual in the working world especially Facial Messages Helps in expressing emotions and feelings facial management Facial feedback produces and heightens feelings and it also influences physiological arousal Culture and facial expression Eye Messages Eye Contact Eye Avoidance which helps in maintaining privacy during a conversation Spatial Messages Edward T. Hall starts that these messages are also known as proxemics which are categorized into social, public, intimate and personal. These can also be territorial according to the public, primary or secondary Artificial Messages These are messages conveyed through objects and man-made arrangements and can be subdivided into: Space decoration the class and status of an individual can be seen through the way they decorate a space. This also shows the individuals interest and personality. Clothing and body adornment tattoos and body piercing Colour communication which usually influences perception and behaviour Touch Messages / Tactile Communication Most primitive and old fashioned method of non-verbal communication Portrays usually most positive feelings and playfulness Its task related as well as ritual related bowing, shaking of hands Controllable Paralanguage This consists of ones rate and tone of voice and it usually conveys judgements about peoples communication effectiveness Silence Messages Can act as a weapon It helps to stop or prevent unwanted communication A form of response to anxiety, shyness and threats It portrays and conveys important meanings and also serves important functions It gives one ample time to think, formulate and organize his or her conversation Time Messages / Temporal Communication / Chromemis This consists of the conversation that displays the past, present or future. Smell Messages / Olfactory Communication People are somehow attracted to a certain smell and ordour. In addition to this, smell helps in identification of a certain food, taste as well as it enhances memory. Decoding and encoding nonverbal communication Below are the ways to decode (no. 1-6) and encode (no. 7-10) nonverbal messages: Pay attention, be attentive and do not jump to conclusions Consider alternative judgements Awareness that messages comes from different and several channels Consider the possibility of any inaccuracy Interpret judgements Consider all factors Consistency must be observed Monitor the way the conversation is being conveyed Avoid any extremes and monotony Take the current situation into consideration Types of Nonverbal Communication There are 6 main types of nonverbal communication which will be discussed below. Physical Characteristic We as human beings are highly visual characters and therefore visual data is the most immediate information which we will receive about someone we have the ability to recognize someone out from a crowd, those who are tall are mostly wanted by employers and clean and neat people have a better chance of being liked and/or employed. Clothing Between two individuals (one wearing dirty and torn clothes and the other wearing new and clean clothes), the cleaner one will somehow make us more comfortable and also we are willing to be around him or her. The way of dressing up could in fact affect evaluations as well as potential promotions that might be given especially when one is applying for a job or going for a business meeting. Territoriality This is where proximity comes to play and it also displays the relationship that the speaker and listener have between each other and the four levels are as stated in the table below: Intimate Distance Usually for embracing, touching or whispering 0 inches to 18 inches Personal Distance Interactions between good friends or family members 1.5 ft to 4 ft Social Distance Interactions among acquaintances 4ft to 12 ft Public Distance Public speaking 12 ft to 25 ft Posture Unknown to us, posture can in fact be used to send messages or to read another persons intent and this nonverbal communication type includes arm position, leg position, general sitting posture and body orientation. For example, during a meeting or a discussion with a manager or someone of higher position than we are, face to face communication is preferred, for to do otherwise would be a defiance or anger act. Another example would be, when one is caught in a situation where another individual is having their arms crossed in front of them, it means that that particular individual is showing a defensive posture. Facial Expressions Little did we know, the face is the most expressive area of communication for nonverbal communication and in fact, we spend a great amount of time looking at a persons facial expression during a discussion. One very obvious facial expression eye contact. During an ongoing conversation, the speaker and the listener would look at each other in the eye hard stare indicates aggressiveness, anger and / or defensiveness. When a listener is looking down at the floor while he or she is being accused of something, it usually indicates that he or she is guilty of the crime. We tend to look away from the speaker when there is an issue of shame and embarrassment in the picture. However, we must be aware that different cultures has different perspectives and interpretations Spanish: looking down is a sign of respect. In addition to this, eye contact (especially if its prolonged) indicates disagreement and challenging the speakers authority. Gestures Gestures made by other parts of our body, for example hands can actually be as expressive as the expressions made by our face. An angry feeling can be enhanced and indicated with a fist or even a stab of the middle finger into someones chest. When one throws his or her hands and arms into the air, this indicates exasperation, hands placed on hips means confidence and the wringing of hands shows nervousness. The Importance of Nonverbal Communication Based on the statement made by most social psychologists, nonverbal communication actually makes up 66% (two-thirds) of all communication between two or more people. A message can too be conveyed verbally and with the proper body language and body signals which is inclusive of both fixed and unfixed physical features, the gestures and signals which are sent unconsciously or consciously and also the proximity of the conversation. A first impression can be enhanced and strengthen through nonverbal communication, especially in situations or attracting a partner or in an interview. This is where the saying you have less than 10 seconds and realistically close to 4 seconds to make a good impression on those with whom you come in contact comes to play. First encounters and meetings will usually affect an individuals lifestyle for people are more likely to believe that the first things they learn and know are the truth. Usually, all our 5 senses are used in a nonverbal communication Sight (83%), Taste (1%), Hearing (11%), Smell (3%) and Touch (2%). Nonverbal communication is one of communications key aspects and it is extremely and specifically important and vital in a high-context culture. This form of communication is used to repeat a verbal message (for example pointing at a certain direction while stating the certain direction) and also it is able to replace and substitute verbal messages (for example nodding indicates a yes and a finger to lips indicates a keep quiet gesture. Action speaks louder than words a perfect proverb to describe or to state why nonverbal communication is as important, or at times, more important than verbal communication. A person can say anything through his or her mouth but it is useless and worthless if whatever is said is not done or acted upon. Conclusion Communication and interaction is vital for all living things. Even though verbal communication is the easiest to use and interpret, we should be aware that nonverbal communication does have its important role to play too and we should try to understand this form of communication as it is interpreted differently by people from different cultural background and also for those who have different beliefs. Referencing Remland, M.S. (2009). Nonverbal communication in everyday life. USA: Pearson Education Inc DeVito, J.A. (2011). Interpersonal messages communication and relationship skills. USA: Pearson Education Inc Importance of Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved on 20th October 2012 from http://www.cod.edu/Course/Mgt100/mgtcomm.htm#NC-Importance Proxemics. Retrieved on 20th October 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxemics Non-verbal Communication. Retrieved on 15th October 2012 from http://www2.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/NonVerbal.html Verbal Communication. Retrieved 10th October 2012 from http://www.livestrong.com/article/150573-what-is-verbal-communication/ Communication. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. Retrieved 9th October 2012 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved 15th October 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonverbal_communication

Civilization vs. Savagery in Lord of the Flies Essay -- Literary Analy

The Lord of the Flies is a story about a stranded group of boys on a deserted island after their plane crashes. It is about an adventure at the start of a new World War. The boys try to create a society by selecting a leader and doing everything they can to survive. It is all a game without adult supervision until the island becomes a nightmare and their imaginations come to life. Everything becomes more realistic when the twins, Sam and Eric, find the body of the dead parachutist hanging from a tree on the island. Then the boys declare that there is some type of beast on the island and they must kill it to stay alive. Soon the boys turn on each other and kill Simon because he is mistaken for the beast. Jack then, takes over the group of boys and hunts down Piggy and Ralph. Then Roger pushes a boulder off the cliff and kills Piggy. The boys follow Ralph, which is the main character and the boys began to set the jungle on fire in attempt to smoke Ralph out. Ralph then discovers that h e is back on the beach after collapsing from exhaustion. After looking up, he then finds a Naval officer standing over him. The officer saw the raging fire in the jungle from his ship at sea. Overwhelmingly Ralph explains what happened to the officer. He and the boys begin to cry because they realize that they are finally being rescued and are going home. Symbolism is shown throughout the story, by the little things like the conch shell and Piggy’s glasses. The pig’s head is a huge symbol, showing that the boys believe in a power of evil. In this book the main theme is civilization vs. savagery. The boys lose their civilized being and innocence ways as they become savages and kill Simon and Piggy. In The Lord of The Flies, Golding analyzes characters, ... ...Cathy Falk. Vol. 58. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. Slayton, Paul. "Teaching Rationale for William Golding's Lord of the Flies." Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints. Ed. Nicholas J. Karolides, Lee Burress, and John M. Kean. The Scarecrow Press, Inc, 1993. 351-357. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. SparkNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2012. 98. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. Townsend, R. C. "Lord of the Flies': Fool's Gold." The Journal of General Education. Vol. 16. University Park, Pa.: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1964. 153-160. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Vol. 58. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Religious Themes of the Sixteenth Century: The Seven Deadly Sins, Death

Religious Themes of the Sixteenth Century: The Seven Deadly Sins, Death, and Damnation Religion in the Sixteenth Century was a major point of contention, especially for Elizabethans. In the midst of the Reformation, England was home to supporters of two major religious doctrines, including the Catholics and the Puritans. Three dominant themes that came out of this debate were sin, death and damnation. Important elements of Christian religions, these themes were often explored in the form of the seven deadly sins and the consequential damnation. The elements of sin pervasive in Thomas Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller, Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, William Shakespeare’s Othello, and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen allow for an investigation into the relationship of death and damnation in the sixteenth century. To begin our investigation, we must consider the definition of ‘sin’ in a sixteenth century context, which would be in the form of the seven deadly sins. These seven sins were called the ‘deadly’ or ‘capital’ sins because they ‘merited damnation and had a fatal effect on an individual’s spiritual health.’[1] Listed, the seven deadly sins are pride, covetousness, wrath, envy, gluttony, sloth (idleness), and lechery (lust), and they were described and personified in masque scenes in both The Faerie Queene and Doctor Faustus, as well as being embraced by various characters in The Unfortunate Traveller, Othello, and Doctor Faustus. Following the order described in The Faerie Queene, the first sin is idleness, or sloth. Idleness is described as ‘the nourse of sin,’ the founder and beginning of all sin.[2] Personified as individuals in a procession, Spenser also says ‘May seeme the wayne was very evill l... ...ts Jones, Ann Rosalind. ‘Inside the Outsider: Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller and Bakhtin’s Polyphonic Novel’, English Literary History (ELH), 50.1 (1983), 61-68. Web. 1 June 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2872768?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Marlowe, Christopher. The Complete Plays. Romany, Frank and Lindsey, Robert. London. 2003. Penguin Books. Oxford English Dictionary Online. Web. 8 June 2015. http://oed.com/ Relihan, Constance C., ‘Rhetoric, Gender and Audience Construction in Thomas Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller,’ in Relihan (ed.), Framing Elizabethan Fictions (1996). Shakespeare, William. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd Edition. Boston. 1997. Houghton Mifflin Company. University of Wisconsin-Madison: The Writing Center-Chicago Turbian Documentation. Web. 8 June 2015. https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocChicago.html

Reaction to Nonfiction Essay

Salvation by Langston Hughes and Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? Are two stories from the text that capture the attention and imagination of the reader. These two are nonfiction short stories that easily relate to the reader as well. Both stories caused a personal reaction as the writer used certain strategies to detail the idea, theme, and purpose behind each of the writings. It is also important to know the difference between a fiction and nonfiction story. The author has to intrigue the reader’s imagination to make the story interesting. Reactions and Strategies Salvation Salvation was written by Langston Hughes in 1940. This is a nonfictional story based on a childhood experience of the authors. Religion was apparently prominent in Hughes childhood and his family seemed to live by God’s word. Religion was so important to his family that he had to make a hard decision on either lying to his family or letting down his Lord. The writer described the day he was to find Jesus as a time to â€Å"bring the young lambs to the fold† (Hughes, 1940. P. 351). The story was moving, intriguing, and heartfelt. The writer made the story believable by giving a detailed setting and theme. The writer also used personal feelings and emotions of others to make this story believable. Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? This short story was written by Andrew Lam in 2003. I was also a nonfictional story based on an experience in Lam’s adult years. Lam’s family were immigrates from Vietnam and the setting is at his mother’s 70th birthday. Lam overheard his mother asking her sister who would continue the tradition of lighting the incense and praying to the ancestors for protection. She seemed to be very concerned as was her sister that this tradition would cease when they passed away. This story was an eye-opener to what one may feel when tradition has been left to the elders and now needs to be passed down to the younger generations. It shows that when one is moved out of their culture they may try to hold on and teach their young, but there is no guarantee that the young will appreciate the values. One line expressed how the writer new his mothers pain, â€Å"mortality never less weighs heavy on her soul† (Lam, 20003. P. 1077). The writer used personal feelings and an insi ght into past and future to guide the reader into a better understanding of the situation. Personal Relation and Intended Purposes Salvation brings back childhood memories of personal experiences with church and family. Memories of summer at vocation bible school camp with friends and the lessons taught by the pastors. Also, movies about African Americans and church in the early and mid 1900’s were thought of during this reading. The purpose of this short story was geared toward understanding the importance of God in the writer’s life and family. The writer also displays the emotional reaction to his decision to lie about finding Jesus. Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone?, was a reminder of a military background involved with exposure to many cultures and religious diversities. Every cultures has it’s values and norms. When several generations of a particular culture migrate to America, some of those values will be lost. Individual ambitions will take place of the family traditions and values (Lam, 2003). The mother was upset with the son many times as he grew into an American cowboy, which the Vietnamese identified as being selfish and a rebel (Lam, 2003). The writer’s intent was to inform the reader of a lost tradition with in his family’s culture. Also, to make aware the struggle within to please his mother while upholding his personal ambitions. Nonfiction and Imagination It was apparent that these two stories were nonfiction because both were based on a personal experience that had and emotional impact on their life. The stories related to struggles and decisions that weighed on the consensus. It can be assumed that writing about these events may have taken pressure off the writer. Even with nonfiction the imagination needs to be provoked. The writer must set the theme and give a detailed setting so that the reader can place themselves in the situation. Including emotions of other characters also impact the imagination. If the author is trying to get a certain point across to his readers then they must bring the reader into the scene. Conclusion Both stories were easy to identify with because they were detailed with personal emotions and experiences. The author was aiming for a reaction from the reader that was personal and that was reached. The writer’s intention was clear and understood in both stories and was easy to connect personal experiences with. The two stories were nonfiction and dealt with personal struggles. Being that the two stories were personal it was intriguing to the imagination and simple to relate to. References Barnet, S., Burto, W., & Cain, W. (2011). Literature for Composition (9th ed.). : Pearson.

Malaysia-Singapore Relations

MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE RELATIONS UNDER MOHD. NAJIB TUN RAZAK 1: By Rusdi Omar Mas Juliana Mukhtaruddin Senior Lecturer, Department of International Studies, College of Law, Government and International Studies (COLGIS), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok, Malaysia ABSTRACT Malaysia and Singapore enjoy and share a special relationship due to their geographical, historical, familial, cultural, political, economic and strategic features. Their relationship is characterized by interdependence.The competitive world has brought about a close neighborly cooperation between the two nations to build resilience and strength. This article will examine the state of bilateral relations between these two countries under Malaysia's Prime Minister Mohd. Najib, and will analyze the future prospect of Malaysia and Singapore under his era. Under his era, Malaysia has been embarking on a series of initiatives in improving her relationship with Singapore, leaving tensions that took place during Mahathir era.Looking at the history of relations between the two countries, the role of leadership has played important role in the up and down of relationship. Under new generation of leaders in these two countries, we expect that they have new visions and put more efforts to nurture good relations. Personal contacts involving leaders and government officials of both countries still become the bases of relations between these two closed neighbors. The understanding reached by the leaders of the two countries has been and remain the fundamental to preserving long term mutual benefits.Leaders of both countries can play significant roles in overcoming conflicts and finding solutions to the problems that besieged the relations between the two countries. If both countries could maintain the momentum and capitalize the benefits of these initiatives, we foresee 1 This paper will be presenting to the 1st International Conference on International Relations and Development at Thammasat University, B angkok, Thailand, 19-20 May 2011. that both countries will not enter into troubled relationships like the revious periods, but it augurs well for strengthened relationships in the future. INTRODUCTION The aim of this study is to examine the state of bilateral relations between two sovereign countries under Najib. Both countries have experienced a common colonial experience but have failed to achieve a successful unification on gaining independence. Malaysia and Singapore relations are unique and special due to factors such as geography, history, politics, ideology, economy, culture and ethnicity. These factors sometimes have created tensions between both countries.The uniqueness of the relationship is perhaps reflected by the various terms used to describe the state of rivalry between the two countries such as â€Å"Siamese twins†, â€Å"sibling rivalry† or â€Å"family quarrel†, suggesting a complex love-hate relationship that has grown out of a shared common h istory and cultural background, coloured by political differences and, ironically, by economic competition and interdependency. 2 Both countries have emphasized from time to time their economic interdependence and defence indivisibility.Even though they have been characterized by competition in economic and social matters, because of a very high level of economic interdependence as major trading partners, the geographical proximity of the two causeway neighbours have made their economic, security, and prosperity indivisible. 3 Since Singapore’s independence from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965, the bilateral relationship between Singapore and Malaysia has been described as symbiotic and interdependent. However, this mutually beneficial relationship has been marred by a number of problems that threaten this cooperation.In explaining this relationship, the Rusdi Omar, et. al. (2005). Hubungan Malaysia-Singapura Era Mahathir. Sintok: Penerbit Universiti Utara Malaysia. p. 2. 3 K. S. Nathan. (2002). Malaysia-Singapore Relations: Retrospect and Prospect. Contemporary Southeast Asia. 24(2), p. 388. 2 then Singapore First Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says: `its relationship with Malaysia was one of its most important and complex foreign relations’. 4 Whereas, the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir remarked that: `It’s impossible to be friendly with Singapore because of the neighbouring city states unfriendliness towards Malaysia.Singapore gets into that kind of mood that they reject anything that comes from Malaysia. We try to be as friendly as possible but it’s impossible’. 5 Despite the inherent tensions between Singapore and Malaysia, their inter-connected histories resemble the complex relationship of `inseparable twins’. 6 There are various underlying reasons for this alternating relationship of cordiality and tension between both countries. It proceeds from the assumption that many factors com bine to make the Malaysia-Singapore relationship a special as well as â€Å"a complicated and delicate one†.The period stretching from 1997 to 2002 under Mahathir administration was by far the most stressful in the short history of relations between Singapore and Malaysia, with a number of issues reaching confrontational level and thus rendering them more difficult to resolve. The impasse came to an end when Abdullah Badawi becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 30 October 2003. Since Abdullah Badawi became Prime Minister, there have been enhanced contacts and cooperation between the governments and peoples of the two countries.He is to revive and inject the G-to-G relations between both countries with a heavy dose of sensitivities and sensibilities, which, in turn, has had an immediate spill over effect in the enhancement of the P-to-P relations, which were bereft of the kind of sensitivities and sensibilities that formed the P-to-P relations during the Mahathir era. Dur ing Najib’s era, he does the same things like Abdullah did. He emphasize of G-to-G relations and P-to-P relations for strengthening the bilateral New Straits Times. (2003). May 5. p. 22. Asian Economic News. (2002). 14 October 14. p. 19. 6 Ghazali Shafie. 1990). â€Å"Singapore and Malaysia: Inseparable Twins†, in Trends, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Straits Times, December 21. 4 5 relations between two countries. Joint venture companies also played a major role in building good relationships between Malaysia and Singapore. 7 The rapprochement between the two countries should also be viewed against the background of changing local and international developments. These include the rise of religious extremism, the spread of international terrorism and the threat of epidemics such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the avian influenza.These common cross-border problems brought home to the leadership of both countries the necessity and wisdom of maint aining good relations. The move towards greater contacts and cooperation was also dictated by globalization and the rise of China and India as well as the slowdown in the flows of foreign investment to both countries. THE ROLE OF THE LEADERS Leaders as social actors play an important part in determining the direction of conflict. They must play an effective role in overcoming conflict and finding solutions to the problems.If they know their function, they can play their role correctly and contribute to the preservation and stability of peace. 8 The role of the leaders of Malaysia and Singapore are crucial in determining the future relations between the two countries. The failure of diplomacy suggests the failure of the instruments of foreign policy. Patterns, channel and devices of communication must be made readily available to encourage close rapport between leaders of the two countries. The traditional wisdom occurred when once leadership change. It can augur general changes will happen, either for the better or for worse.Although the foreign policy does not change in total, but some how rather there is little substantive change. It could be seen when the transition of leaders taken place in both countries. 7 8 New Straits Times. (2010). May 25. Chandran Jeshurun, et. al. , Op. cit. , p. 11. Singaporean leaders like Mr. Goh Chok Tong and Mr. Lee Hsien Loong are widely perceived as merely continuing Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s policy and as such there will not be major changes in the direction of Singapore’s foreign policy towards Malaysia. Meanwhile Malaysia’s foreign policy has been redirected to suit the priorities of the current leaders.Tunku Abdul Rahman was understanding and sympathetic towards Singapore. Tun Abdul Razak was more aggressive with Singapore, while, Tun Hussein Onn was just continuing the prevailing policies at the time. The biggest paradigm shift in Malaysia-Singapore relations could be seen during the tenure of Dr. Mahathir. His vision 2020 policy was more challenging to Singapore than other neighbouring countries. The leadership styles of Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew have been a strong influence in the manner bilateral issues between the two countries.Both leaders were aggressive in dealing with the issues. Both were also influenced by their past experience and the pre and post separation political baggage. Mahathir’s view towards Singapore may have been coloured by his experience as a medical student in Singapore whilst Lee Kuan Yew’s views towards Malaysia were mainly coloured by his involvement in Malaysian politics during the short period Singapore was in the Malaysian Federation and relations with Malaysia during the period immediately after the separation. Nevertheless, after the retirement of Dr.Mahathir in 2003 and under Abdullah Badawi and Najib as Malaysia’s Prime Ministers, it may show a better result of the bilateral relations in future. Malaysia, with Abdullah at the hel m, has set a very different tone at the personal level, which carry over into institutional level. In January 2004, during his first visit to Singapore as Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah spoke of working through all of the outstanding bilateral problems. Under his era, he tries to move forward to improve the relations with Singapore, and then Malaysia has been embarking on a series of initiatives to improve her relationship with Singapore.Similar with Najib’s era, he has been working with his counterpart of Singapore in resolving all the outstanding issues with a win-win situation approach. There were several visits and meetings have been done by both leaders in tackling these issue. As a result, they have finally agreed to settle the KTM land issue in Singapore during their recently meeting in Singapore. 9 So under his leadership, he tries to move forward in improving her relations with Singapore and then Malaysia has made several efforts to improve her relationship wit h Singapore in future.Despite the outstanding issues, the tone of relations has changed for the better in recent time with the rise of new leaders on both sides- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Malaysia and Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore. There is strong political will to improve bilateral relations, especially in bilateral economic relations. INITIATIVES/EFFORTS IN IMPROVING THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP Singapore-Malaysia relations are marked by close inter-dependence. Singapore and Malaysia have always shared strong economic and people-to-people linkages.From Singapore's standpoint, the relationship should be based on mutual respect, mutual benefit, and adherence to international law and agreements. Singapore will continue to seek new areas of cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations with Malaysia even further. From Malaysia’s side, the relationship must be on â€Å"win-win† situation approach, which means both countries will get benefit from that relationship. Fr om my point of view, both Malaysia and Singapore know the importance of their relationship towards the development of their respective countries.We can not deny that we are interdependent in terms of economic, security and social aspects. For example, in term of economic aspect, most Malaysians know Singapore is one of the biggest investors in Malaysia and vice versa. There are several initiatives/efforts that will improve the relationship between both countries, such as intensifying official visits (government-to-government relations); developing people-to-people (P-P) contacts; deepening public sector economic links; expanding private sector economic links ; and renewing educational and sporting events. 0 If both countries could maintain the momentum and capitalize the benefits of 9 10 The Malaysian Insider. (2010). September 20. Saw Swee-Hock & K. Kesavapany. Op. cit. 2006. these initiatives, I see that both countries will not enter into troubled relationships like the previous p eriods, but it augurs well for strengthened relationships in the future. The first initiative that will improve the relationship between two countries is to intensify official visits of both countries.Official visits by heads of government, ministers, senior officials and etcetera must be intensified from time to time. Under the current leadership of both countries, many efforts have been taken to overcome these problems, for example, regular meetings that incorporate informal social activities such as annual golf and sports meetings between cabinet members of both countries, and the holding of joint cultural and religious festivals that involve the leaders from both sides of the causeway (e. g. Hari Raya and Chinese New Year celebrations held in Johor).Also, the number increase of visits between two countries at ministerial, senior officials and technical levels. All these efforts are designed to enhance peoples’ relationships so they can withstand the possible turbulence cr eated by political and other friction that might surface from time to time. Thus, it creates the necessary goodwill and positive atmosphere conducive to resolving issues and problems. The visit of Singaporean political leaders to Malaysia to meet their counterparts of Malaysia is a right time and very important event for both countries.May be from this visit, both countries can achieve some approaches in handling and resolving the unsettled issues, although I know it is impossible to settle all their problems which have long roots in history. The current infomal meetings and talks of the leadership of both countries for example is one approach for both countries to design a pathway to resume talks on bilateral issues. Although, I am sceptical that the recent informal meetings would achieve some tangible solutions on outstanding bilateral issues between the two neighbours, the existing meetings show us that both countries are now more open towards each other.Both leaders currently ex press their desire to improve bilateral relations of both countries and seem to have adopted a positive attitude towards each other. If both countries practice the principles of â€Å"win-win† situation, both will achieve outcomes which are mutually beneficial, whether politically, in security matters or in the economic sphere, we think both sides can resolve the outstanding bilateral issues in future. Secondly, both countries must develop people-to people contacts.We should encourage more visits, more tourist arrival from Singapore and Malaysia and vice versa and also explore ways to develop these contacts. Thereby, they will create the necessary goodwill and tolerance among their peoples. In promoting greater P-P contacts, both countries introduced the student exchange programs and the joint overseas youth exchange program and etcetera. These programs were for important for the new generations to know each others and they help to enhance understanding among the younger gene ration in the two countries. Mass media is an important instrument to flow information to the peoples.Mass media from both countries must be professional in flowing information about their people life and no to be emotional in flowing information of their sensitive issues. The information will help people on both sides to keep up with developments in the two countries and foster better understanding and bilateral ties. Thirdly, both countries must expand the public sector economic links. The current leadership in both countries made it a point to send the right signals to the business communities in sector both the private sector and the public sector with governmentlinked companies.Encouraged by the new political and business atmosphere, both of government and private sector have moved quickly in areas such strategic investments, corporate purchases and joint business ventures. From 2004, there was a surge in investment activities led by government-linked companies of both countrie s. The emergence of Temasek Holdings, the embodiment of Singapore Inc. , as a strategic stakeholder in Malaysia's largest listed company could mark a watershed in often-strained relations between the neighbours. It acquired 5 percent of Telekom Malaysia for RM2. billion, its first major direct investment in Malaysia. 11 This was followed by other government-link companies such as GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd bought 100 percent stake in Johore Bahru City Square Mall, it made investments in Sunway Pyramid Mall, Sunway City Berhad, Menara Standard Chartered, RB Land Sdn Bhd and bought 5 percent stake in Gamuda Bhd and Malaysia’s Shell Refining Co. Mapletree Capital Management, 11 â€Å"AMMB in Talks to Buy Out of Fraser Securities†, New Straits Times. (2005). February 2. Aranda Investments and Keppel Energy companies invested in Malaysia.One of the more significant investment flows from Malaysia was the purchase of a stake in Singapore’s Mobile One Ltd in August 2005 by Sun Share Investments Ltd, a joint venture between Khazanah Nasional and Telekom Malaysia. Fourthly, both countries must develop the private sector economic links. The private sector from both countries took advantage made investments in both sides under the current leadership. A lot of Malaysian private companies invest in Singapore and vice versa, such as Sime Darby, MISC, Berjaya Group, CIMB, AMMB Holdings, OSK Holdings, MCL Land, Parkway, United Oversea Land and etcetera.The close ties between the private sectors of both countries are important in globalizing world. The companies from both countries could collaborate and cooperate to tap opportunities arising from deeper economic integration. The leader’s positive stance towards better economic cooperation between the two countries was another reflection of the improving relations between the two neighbours since Abdullah Badawi and Najib took over the leadership of Malaysia government.Fifthly, both countries must take i nitiative in renewing educational and sporting events. First initiative was undertaken by the University of Malaya (UM) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) in introducing the exchange program of students and staffs between them. These joint programs will create a healthy environment in forging close ties among students and staffs of both countries. We must create linking among industry sectors and the institutions such as a unique cooperation between the NUS and KUB Malaysia Berhad.The establishment of joint programs for student exchange program for secondary school of both countries and etcetera. Yet, the traditional sporting activities between officials of the two countries, such as golf, football, tennis, badminton and etcetera need to continue. Under current leadership, the sport activities have play pivotal role inculcate the people’s goodwill. These series of sport activities will renew friendly and build a good relationship among the peoples of both countrie s.The intensity of cooperations in various areas has been made possible by the warming of the relationship between the two countries in recent years. Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (Malaysian Head of State) during the officials visit to Singapore in 23 January 2006 has said that; â€Å" No doubt, the positive political environment, growing trade figures and investment flows, increasing exchange of visits and strengtherning cooperation in various areas, augur well for the future outlook in our bilateral relations†. 12PROSPECT OF MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE UNDER NAJIB Currently, it appears that both leaders in Malaysia and Singapore have shown some lights of cooperation and mutual understanding between them in accordance to the principle of prosper thy neighbour or to prosper its neighbours through economic aspects in order to realization their potential. Although having the outstanding issues, both countries will be able to remain friendly and cordial. According to Democratic P eace Theory, this states that democratic countries do not go to war with other democratic countries.According to this theory, democratic countries would refrain from using force against each other, because they are accountable to their citizens. In the context of Malaysia-Singapore relations, both countries do not go to war because they are democratic countries and prefers to resolve the outstanding issues either through diplomacy talks or the third parties involvement. In case of bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore, although these two states do not implement complete aspects of liberal democracy such as full freedom of speech and freedom to form organizations, they also do not use military force to settle their problems.They use dialogs and other peaceful measures to negotiate their bilateral 12 Ibid. , p. 20. issues. Therefore, despite the many bilateral issues that have surfaced in the course of Malaysia and Singapore relations, armed conflict is very unlikely to b e a possibility, and certainly not when both countries are practising democratic forms of governance. Given this situation, we need to search for additional factors to explain the no war situation between Malaysia and Singapore. As in many newly independent countries, the role of leadership is one factor that can bring a country to be a war-prone or peace-prone state.The new regimes of leadership will play important roles in fostering the relationship of both countries in relation to democratic peacekeeping. If Malaysia and Singapore did become engaged in a full scale war, we would have to discount the popular argument that democracies are not likely to go into war against each other, given the fact that both Malaysia and Singapore are governed on democratic principles. It may be argued that the apparent flaws in their brands of democratic system of government would be given as the reasons.However, both governments are led by rational and pragmatic leaders who understand the extent of the negative consequences of war to both countries, and therefore this worst-case situation is not possible. In connection with improving Malaysia-Singapore relationship, economic interdependence is very significant for both countries in terms of their development process. With the importance of Singapore as a centre of commerce for most of Southeast Asia region, and in particular Malaysia, has much to gain in terms of trade and commerce.Similarly, Singapore, because of its own lack economic resources, will look towards Malaysia for its economic needs, such as investment in Malaysia, water and labour supplies etcetera. Such economic interdependence has long been recognized as important by both states as being important, and is arguably a reason that trade and investment between them remained substantial for several decades. The volume of bilateral trade between them has increased remarkably over the years. As it stands today, Singapore and Malaysia have somewhat established thems elves as largest trading partners in ASEAN.In future, we foresee that bilateral relations between two sovereign countries will augur well and confident it will be built a better future for the two neighbours in resolving other issues for the sake of their people based on the above-mentioned facts. CONCLUSION The intensity of cooperation in various areas has been made possible by the warming of the relationship between the two countries in recent year. There is some concern about the enormous scope and advantage of working together for mutual benefits even as they compete where they must and collaborate where they can.Nevertheless, as with any two neighbours, the prospect of downturns in bilateral relations, arising often unforeseen circumstances, cannot and should not precluded. It is in the interest of both nations and their peoples to guard against such downturns by careful management of the relationship, and this has certainly been made easier by the goodwill and cooperative spir it engendered under Najib. In fact, one of Najib’s achievements in the area of international relations is the much-improved bilateral ties between the two close neighbours.In conclusion, Malaysia and Singapore enjoy and share a special relationship, due to their historical and cultural linkages, and their geographical proximity. The current challenging world has brought about a close neighbourly co-operation between the two nations to build resilience and strength. Both Malaysia and Singapore, are acutely aware of the mutual importance of each other, and continually look for ways and means to improve relations between the two countries. It should however be implemented based on the principles that would lead to a â€Å"win-win† situation, and adhering to the rules of International Law.Singapore’s well being is important to Malaysia as Singapore is one of its largest trading partners. The establishment of good relations with Singapore is therefore economically vi tal to Malaysia. The win-win situation can only be achieved if both parties are willing to accept the fact that the key to solving the outstanding bilteral issues is their willingness to compromise. Malaysia would argue that this is something that has been commonly practiced by Malaysia and therefore an act that is not difficult to get into. Singapore on the other hand is beginning to realize its economic and social vulnerability.It is aware of the importance of regional goodwill and cooperation in combatting issues such as the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the avian influenza, terrorism and religious extremism issues etcetera. The realisation by both nations that compromise is the key to better relations could eventually lead to its adoption and therefore better relations. Despite the differences in the approaches taken by both countries in resolving their bilateral issues, it is obvious that Malaysia and Singapore are mutually dependant on each other.Loo king at the history of relations between the two countries, the role of leadership has played important role in the up and down of relationship. Under new generation of leaders in these two countries, we expect that they have new visions and put more efforts to nurture good relations. Personal contacts involving leaders and government officials of both countries still become the bases of relations between these two closed neighbours. The understanding reached by the leaders of the two countries has been and remain the fundamental to preserving long term mutual benefits.Leaders of both countries can play significant roles in overcoming conflicts and finding solutions to the problems that besieged the relations between the two countries. Future direction in the relations should be focused on developing more cordial and tactful relations. Instead of competing, there is always the possibility of entering a smart partnership venture in a fast developing regional economy. This would defin itely create a win-win situation for both countries instead of perpetual conflict. Under Najib Tun Razak the current Malaysian Prime Minister, there are signs of better bilateral relation in the future.With several good initiatives has been done by both countries leaders in resolving some legacy issues between them, such as Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990 (POA), over the issue of the future of railway land owned by the Malaysian government through Malayan Railways (Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM) in Singapore. I foresee that bilateral relations between two sovereign countries will augur well in the future and confident it will be built a better future for the two neighbours in resolving other issues for the sake of their people. REFERENCES Chandran Jeshurun, et. l. (January-March 2003). Malaysia-Singapore Relations: A Case Study of Conflict-prone Bilateral Ties. The Southeast Asia Conflict Studies Network Bulletin. p. 8. Chang Li Lin. (2003). Singapore’s Troubled Relations with Malaysia: A Singapore Perspective. Southeast Asian Affairs. p. 259-274. 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