Cantaloupe Description

The Cantaloupe At first glance, the cantaloupe looks round and light grayish-tan, with a hint of green. From afar it looks round and plain, about the size of a peewee soccer ball. On approach, the circular shape is less perfect with subtle dents and bumps all around. Surrounding the sphere shaped fruit are light tan lines like a dense city map with all the streets intertwining and curving around without any significant pattern, not geometric like gridlines. On the surface, there are small matchbook sized patches color the skin, some more yellow and other patches that are darker green.A particular indention looks like the fruit might have laid on a rock on the ground while it was growing. One end, where the flower might have once been, is the palest of yellow circles. On the opposite edge, the stubby vestige of a stem remains. This dried up nub is the brown and shriveled, slightly indented from the rest of the globe. Surrounding the stem is a dark circle of hunter green. Picking it up from the counter, the weight of this globular object seems significantly heavier than it looks, like a mini bowling ball.Despite the volume, it feels that the weight is not solid which is proven by the hollow sound the fruit makes when tapped, like patting a child on the head. The delineated lines feel like webbing and give the fruit a rough feel, but it’s not an uncomfortable roughness. The experience is somewhere in between a prickly cactus and a furry peach. At this point my mind starts to wander. Should I cut it open now or wait? Should I take a break? I look outside at the fat flakes of snow coming down outside and remind myself to get back to the task at hand.There is no resentment or anger. I look again at this object I have assigned myself to detail. When I am at a loss as to how to describe something in particular my mind wandering happens more frequently. I continue to focus my attention back to the cantaloupe as soon as I realize I’ve been distracted. I hol d the cantaloupe to my eye. There is a faint line of brownish green that runs through the net-like lines covering the fruit. Some of the spaces between the lines look like parks because they’re darker green, while others ook grey like the concrete of a parking lot. My mind wanders again and I start to look to see if there are any recognizable maps in squiggles. I see a roundabout that reminds me of an intersection in England and another resembles the neighborhood where I grew up. The intertwining layers of the lines remind me of overgrown vines on a wall covering another layer of skin. The underneath layer has the vague look of green splotches, almost veins, like the streaks that run through blue cheese. I thump the cantaloupe again. It substitutes as a drum to make a tune.Apparently it has different thicknesses inside because the sound it makes when you knock it on the end is a higher pitch than when you rap it in the middle. One spot must be particularly thick because the s ound is more substantial. Rubbing the skin makes the same sound as rubbing your hands together on a dry winter day. I try to make other noises using the produce, but intuition tells me that the only way to get another sound is to drop it on the floor. I’m not willing to do that. Before cutting into the orb, I notice a whiff of eau-de grocery store produce aisle a bit past its sell-by date.The smell isn’t strong and it’s only when I touch the fruit to my nose that I smell this. I then sniff each different area of the outer layer and notice that where the flower once might have been the smell is much stronger and sweeter. I scratch my finger nails on the rough skin, but it doesn’t affect the scent the way it would with an orange or lemon. It’s time to cut into the orb. Even as the knife makes the first gouge, clear pale orange juice escapes. I lick my fingers and find the sweet taste refreshing and different.Although the juice is the color of a Satsu ma mandarin or a commercial worthy carrot, it tastes nothing like either. Slicing the melon in half, the cantaloupe now resembles a geode, with a plain outside and a brightly colored exotic inside. It’s filled with seeds and goo in the center. The slimy innards resemble the finest angel hair pasta, but instead of being the color of regular noodles, they are varying shades of orange, some even translucent. I carve out this gooey inside and the sweet smell now fills the air with its cloying tropical fermented flower mell. Friends who have been watching a movie in the other room come to see if they can have some, the smell having tempted them away from what they are doing. Ironic, because I’m no longer interested in the cantaloupe and ready to toss it into the composting bin. I send everyone away so that I can continue on. The meaty flesh isn’t too tough, nor is it too soft. I take a bite and let the flavor rush across my tongue. The taste reminds me of summers on the farm eating the freshest fruits and vegetables straight out of the garden still warm from the sun.There’s a touch of salt in the taste, but the sweetness overpowers it. In spite the firm texture, the fruit feels soft and chewy and the volume of nectar is astounding. The tissue is softer and moister than the similar essence of a pumpkin and more compact than the inside of a fig. Squishing the orange flesh with my fingers, it all but dissolves into juice. What little remains is the finest of strings as soft as silk. I find a seed still attached, that I missed. The kernel is a flat oval with semi-pointed ends. Like a flat football with the air taken away, but miniscule in comparison.It’s almost as though the surrounding fibrous slime is dissolving in the air as I watch. I break open a seed using my fingernail. It’s soft and waxy, not much there. I take a wedge of the sliced cantaloupe and look at the difference between the skin and the edible meat. Like a rainb ow, the color changes from thick rind on the outside to the orange moist, fleshy core on the inside. Like the color spectrum, the differences in shades are subtle, but quick. A yellow stratum is the most predominant, but considering the layer in question is less than an eighth of an inch thick, this golden subcutaneous layer isn’t very big.I make sure there isn’t anything I’ve overlooked and to check my notes for missing descriptive words. I’m shocked to look at the clock and see that more time has passed than I would have expected. I went several hours without checking my watch; something I can only do when I’m not bored. Learning to look beyond the obvious is something I already knew how to do. I enjoy observing people and watching facial expressions for meaning. What I’m not good at it is sitting still and holding my attention for long periods of time. Exercises like this help to train my brain to â€Å"settle own, focus, and catch upâ⠂¬  as local monologuist Josh Kornbluth says. While I had to make a few self directed corrections along the way, I was fairly pleased that I was able to block out a significant amount of what was going on with family and friends in the other rooms and outdoors. Yes, there were a few times that my attention wandered, but I was back on track in seconds rather than hours or days. The reward at the end was to finish a paper I was happy with and to share the small remainder of the cantaloupe with my friends while on a weekend away. Mission accomplished!

Audrey Hepburn and Personality Theories

Audrey Hepburn and Her Personality Theories Psy/300 Audrey Hepburn and Her Personality Theories Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929 in Brussels Belgium during a time of economic hardship and personal strife. Her life took an amazing twist from her once food deprived, fatherless, war frenzied, childhood and adolescent years by becoming a 20th century icon. She withheld perseverance for life that drove her into the Land of the Free and ironically into the luxurious world of film-making by becoming one of the most wanted actresses in Hollywood.Through her trials, tribulations, heredity and the surrounding environments this paper will explain how they contributed to molding her personality and what made her such a unique individual. Audrey had very little emotional support or family influence as a child. Her father left her, bother and mother when she was six years of age. Her mother was forced to raise two children on her own in a time of war with ample ways in which to concentrate on emoti onal ties or even fundamental ways to nurture the children. Audrey once quoted that after her father left that she was â€Å"devastated and had no one left to cuddle with. (Flonder, 1998) Being that it was such a difficult time in history Audrey and the influences around her where forced to work harder than the average person does in a life time. She was raised morally by her Mother in that they worked hard for what they needed in order to survive. Once the war was over her and her family even made geographical moves in order prosper and achieve their goals. It was also documented that during the war she was a messenger for her allies against the enemies reflecting that she was culturally influenced at an early age to fight for those that she trusted and believed in.Although there was opportunity to steal and pillage her and her, family and friends went so hungry at times that â€Å"they ate tulip bulbs in order to stay alive. † (Flonder, 1998) There are several theories in the study of psychology that suggest how a personality is formed and what creates it’s unique characteristics in which drive a person to act a particular way in certain environments and while interacting with others. In Audrey Hepburn’s case the Objective Relation Theory and the infamous Sigmund Freud theory of Psycho-dynamic best fit her characteristics and actions by what is recorded of her life history and personal quotes.Objective Relation Theorist focus on the ways in which people cope with their feelings (defenses) and adapt to reality while trying to fulfill their needs (ego-centric). (Kowalski & Weston, 2011) It also suggests that people whom develop their personality in this way by environment and life events have an extreme inability to trust relationships. It is a progressive movement toward a more mature relatedness to others. (Kowalski & Weston, 2011) The personality of Audrey Hepburn is reflected in this theory in several ways.Her two divorces might have stemmed from the desertion of her father or the result the enemies and horrors that she encountered during the war. The two divorces suggest signs of maladaptive interpersonal problems by having conflicts with others. The two divorces may also be the way that she coped with not having trust for the men in her life and a short lived childhood. She once mentioned that she had â€Å"very little youth, few friends in the usual teenage way and no security. Is it no wonder I became an interior sort of person? I think I was older in those days than I am now. (Flonder, 1998) As mentioned above the Objective Relation Theory also focuses on a person’s ego or how much one thinks of oneself. Audrey was a very giving person in the literal sense. She was said to be a fantastic mother of two boys and quoted â€Å"all that I ever really wanted to be was a mother†. (Flonder, 1998) As a way to pay it forward to those that helped feed her during the war she also gave tirelessly to child ren of other countries by becoming the Ambassador to the United Nations International Children’s Fund. Therefore, she could give to others effortlessly although she suffered from signs of ego-centrism and self- preoccupation.With the events of her past she yearned to be loved and even with great success by the worlds view as an Academy Award winner she continued to search for the truth behind true internal happiness. The Psycho-dynamic Theory concludes that people are motivated by wishes and fears which Audrey had many of and displayed openly that they both drove her in many ways. She actually changed her name to Audrey as to not face the name of her past as well as by wishing for a better life with her new identity. Audrey quoted â€Å"Edna had been through enough already. † (Flonder, 1998) This theory also places emphasis on how ne’s personality takes formation during early development and is highly affected by the role of their parents. (Burton & Davey, 2006) Audrey clearly had an early physical and loving attachment to her father to state that â€Å"she had no one to cuddle with† once he was gone. (Flonder, 1998) Without this early attachment achieved her recognition of autonomy and self conscious freedom would have been meaningless. (Kowalski & Weston 2011) At this early stage of her development with her father she was able to form such strong desires to love and care for her children beyond what her Mother could honestly provide.She also showed a strong desire to have close harmonious connections by being very socially active as well as caring for those in needs. As well, in her latter stages of life she did eventually fall in love and stay in a committed relationship up until her death in 1993. (Flonder, 1998) In all, the Psycho-dynamic Theory best describes the personality of Audrey Hepburn. Although she faced many challenges during her life in the face of adversity through the progression of her life she did overcome them i n healthy ways.And although the desertion of her father left her unable to trust and searching for love she was able to form some loving bonds with people throughout her life. To support this theory as well one of her most famous quotes is â€Å"people need to be loved, restored and redeemed. Never throw out anyone. † (Erwin & Diamond, 2006 ) Audrey Hepburn had a multifaceted personality due to the relationships that she had as child and established during adolescent but she stayed true to her morals and was striven for answers that would improve her as to overcome her past.She appeared to be kind and loving towards the people that meant the most to her in her life. Those that encounter her briefly also suggest that she was a â€Å"giving and elegant spirit† (Erwin & Diamond, 2006 ) simply working towards a better life for herself and mankind. References Kowalski, R. & Weston, D. (2011). Psychology (6th ed. ) Hoboken, NJ: Whiley. 2004 Flonder, P. Biography. The Immorta l Audrey Hepburn Aug98, Vol. 2 Issue 8, p46. 8p. 19 Larsson, P. Counseling Psychology Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, March 2012 Erwin, E. , & Diamond, J. (2006). The Audrey Hepburn Treasures . New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, inc..

Tourism in Boracay, Philippines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism in Boracay, Philippines - Essay Example The economic progress is one vital element of ecotourism. By means of nature as well as classification, ecotourism is a big business, moreover a fast-growing one. It orders approximately about two to four percent of every international tour, formulating it as one of the mainly worthwhile position markets within the tourism business. In sequence to be victorious, similar to any other venture, it should be administered by using sound dealing sense along with carefully planned marketing preparation. Numerous efforts of well connotation Non Government Organizations as well as local districts towards mounting ecotourism intentions have not been successful precisely due to lack of procedural skill along with financial visualization.Boracay beaches, has been one of the generally well-liked holiday destinations within the Philippines, is situated on the North-Western head of Panay Island inside Western Central of Visayas. It is made up of three communities; identified as, Yapak, Manoc-Manoc, and Balabag. Even if the island is barely approximately 9 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, it fascinates up to 5,300 tourists during max out season. The central tourist magnetism is a broaden beaches of white sand, expectedly identified as White Beach, to be found on the island's east coast. Vacationers take part in sunbathing, diving, swimming, beach volleyball, snorkeling, parasailing, boating, as well as other water activities. Extra natural fascinations on the island comprise the bat and crystal caves, puka shell beach, plus a mountain together with a surveillance deck on the pinnacle, along with a lifeless mangrove forest. On Boracay, Philippines ecotourism emerges to be connected with leisure interests like spelunking, horse back riding, climbing mountains, diving, etc.Situated as a tourist target, an overseas film squad was alleged to have initially revealed it during 1968. Further expansion took place through a blend of local ideas and foreign venture. This hurried and unexpected progress resulted in an environmental deprivation. The central difficulties were water value, fresh water source and solid waste managing.During 1997, the Canadian Urban Institute in partnership with the Department of Tourism organized a carrying aptitude examination for Boracay. There were about 40% of the 16 chief indicators were identified to have surpassed their carrying aptitude edges. The ground water value had been infected by fecal contagion, waste water releases, pesticides, detergents, fertilizers, herbicides, plus salt water disturbance. The towering coliform levels inside the marine atmosphere were put to documentation by DENR in 1996 as a result of too much nutrient filling produced by sewage along with waste water release. A prominent element of the documentation is the mentioning of the lack of efficient authority, vested benefit plus preconception in the performance and implementation of regulations as mistakes of the scheme. In reply, the DENR, DOT, as well as local administration units executed an environment organization and solid waste performance program to deal with the immediate difficulties of water value and waste release. A squad was produced from local administration units along with the private segment to strictly execute decrees on tourism together with environmental security. The community contribution in the decision-making was persuaded through seminars, workshops as well as civic clusters. Primary of this assemblage has been the Boracay Foundation, Inc., a type of industry association consisting of about 70 members whose proposal is to deal with the island's cost-effective, environmental as well as social concerns. In cooperation with the Boracay Dive Association, it accomplished solid waste also underwater administration. It convenes on the Boracay Solid Waste Action Team, the Boracay Special Task Force as well as the Malay Tourism Council. The local administrat

Risk Assessment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Assessment Paper - Essay Example The risk assessment plays an important role both in helping the judge in a case of juvenile crime determine the level and type of punishment or correctional service necessary. This paper assesses the cases of a fifteen year old girl Coleen M. and a 17 year old boy Xander L. It analyses the effectiveness and shortcomings of the two methods in the analysis of the two cases. On the Missouri assessment scale, the high score is 15. This portrays the candidate with the highest risk level (Missouri Juvenile Risk Assessment Scale). On the Washington risk assessment scales the highest mark is 31 which shows the highest level of involvement in delinquency. (Washington State Juvenile Pre-Screen Assessment Scale). So the lower the score of the candidate, the better in terms of behavior and self-control. Coleen is 15 year old girl who is charged with the involuntary manslaughter of her neighbor by pouring a liquid pesticide on her. In addition, she was prior to that involved in the death of the neighbor’s sister by driving a mobile home into the victim’s car, though this was ruled an accident. She has been adjudicated as a delinquent and an assessment is necessary to determine her level of delinquency. On the Missouri scale Coleen’s assessment is as follows. Coleen has had no prior referrals. She scores 0 since her first referral is at age 15. She has not been formerly charged on any counts s misdemeanor or serious crime. So her score on that is 0. On placement, she has been placed out of her home permanently following the departure of father from homes and her mother’s joining of a drug rehabilitation center, so her score on that is 1. It is unclear from the information given whether there has been any serious negative peer influence on her, but since it is mentioned that she was in the company of three homeless men in a poppy field, her score on peer influence is 1. Though she has run away from home on two occasions, there is no

From Evaluating a Skilled Care Initiative in Rural Burkina Faso to Article

From Evaluating a Skilled Care Initiative in Rural Burkina Faso to Policy Implications for Safe Motherhood in Africa - Article Example The study also reveals humans as prejudicial, for failing to put in place universal policies that would incorporate poor people as well. (Meda, et.al., 2008). The research questions of this study include: what practices lead to the rise in maternal mortality? What is the role of safe motherhood policy in alleviating fatalities of motherhood? How can these alarming rates of mortalities be reduced? The purpose of the research is to study the current situation of motherhood safety, identify contributing factors and recommend possible solutions to the problem, through the generation of evidence-based policies that would be useful in promoting safe motherhood programs in Burkina Faso (72-74). The type of research design used in this study is a descriptive, evidence-based design, carrying out studies in different settings and providing the factual representation of results from the field. It involves naturalist studies, drawing citations from case studies, intent observation of human behavior within the study settings of Burkina Faso, and use of surveys. It also involves the review of the literature, this has elements of Review design. The findings of this study reveal that for safe motherhood to prevail, three main issues have to be addressed: user fees, human health professionals and geographical access to health facilities by the mothers. Additionally, owing to the importance of skilled attendance at delivery, effective health policies should be established to achieve its successful implementation. Other policies that have emerged to be important in such implementation include fostering maternal referral service, to take care of emergency procedures; promoting community mobilization to encourage women to use maternal health services; and abolishment of user fees to cater for poor women as well (73-76).

GBN Scenarios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GBN Scenarios - Essay Example Following a five-year intensive research at Sample Laboratories, scientists have come up with a polymer that could act as a replacement for newsprint paper as the new medium for printing. It is fully recyclable, eliminating the need for the education sector to adopt the use of costly information technology as a medium for printing, teaching and learning. The polymer has been tried in several schools and printing presses and has been found to have similar qualities with paper for the retention of ink. However, this is not what makes the new polymer unique; it is its ability to be reused once the user has had enough of the printed material. According to Sample Laboratories, the ink printed on the polymer can be extracted after a period of up to 30 years, diluted in specified ratios, and reused. Therefore, unlike information technology that requires the education sector to readjust to a new form of teaching and learning, researchers have come up with a new material for doing things the old way, but now more sustainably than ever. Several stakeholders in the education sector have already recommended the discovery; however, they have warned institutions against using the polymer in its exclusivity. Since it is in the early stages of adoption, they recommend its simultaneous use with paper and digital based materials. It is likely that institutions may adopt the new technology even before the governments authorize its use in the education sector, especially since regulators have declared it safe for use. Sample Laboratories have encouraged the use of the paper substitute by giving enticing offers to their customers; including discounts for institutions that buy the new paper in bulk. In addition, the firm is giving ink freely to anyone who purchases their invention, which is accompanied by a 10-year warranty. Sample Laboratories are also offering the polymer cleaning solvent for

Week 12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 12 - Essay Example Associating nicely with my colleagues enabled me to get the positive remarks from them during instances when the organization was conducting some performance appraisals in order to measure the efficiency of their work force. My trick in winning over my fellow workers was to initiate positive communication with them, always on the lookout for their interests, ensuring that I did not breach them, as long as their interests was not against the operations of the organization. This made me popular with my colleagues, and because of this, they helped me in instances when my work load was heavy. The only thing that I could change about my internship experience is the discriminative tendencies in which the organization uses in selecting the employees to train. The organization uses the results it obtains from its performance appraisal measures to select the employees in question. In my own opinion, the organization needs to train all of its employees on the new technological skills they should have for purposes of efficiently conducting their duties Berger, 15). The organization should have a timeline that identifies who should be trained at a certain period, and how it the organization should conduct the train. By doing this, all employees would benefit, and this would result to efficiency in their work performance (Berger, 27). Finally, in my work experience, the issue that I could change is manner in which I controlled my time. Though I used to complete my work at the right time, the problem emanated at the time in which I was supposed to carry out my work. The problem is that I used to take almost an hour, before I began working on my work, and this made me constrain a lot, with the purpose of accomplishing the work before the deadline. The reason to this one hour delay was the time I was taking to collect the materials, and solve certain issues with my colleagues. The thing that I would like to do differently is

Israli culture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Israli culture - Term Paper Example his, the ticket officer says to the customer, â€Å"I suggest you to purchase a ticket for yourself and watch a movie while putting your children on a plane.† This is an example of a negotiation between an Israeli and an American. Israelis are creative and helpful in their negotiation, but they are often misunderstood and misinterpreted by the Americans. â€Å"The Israeli, who is often perceived as being arrogant, aggressive and pushy, is actually being direct and honest. And the American, European and Asian, who are seen by the Israeli as being artificial, phony and weak - are actually displaying politeness and respect† (â€Å"Tips for Doing†). Lack of understanding of the business culture of Israel can make the process of negotiation difficult and challenging between them and the Americans. While Israelis may be perceived as aggressive and straight-forward, Israelis think of such negotiation partners that think Israelis are being aggressive as impatient and ins incere (Salacuse). At the face, Israel has a low-context culture. Israelis cultivate unique ways of carrying out tasks. For example, they have distinct style of negotiation, their style of presentation is unique, they usually have very different expectations for meetings compared to others, and they develop relationships with their clients differently than people from other countries. â€Å"The unique cultural qualities found among Israelis can give a leading competitive edge if leveraged effectively, but if not understood, they can sabotage successful business results† (â€Å"Innovation & Investment†). The first and the foremost difference one should understand is between the negotiation style of the Israeli Arabs and the Jews. While the focus of the Jewish Israelis is short-term benefits, the Israeli Arabs have an emphasis on the long-term benefits (Winter). However, both Israeli Arabs and Jewish Israelis place value in long-term relationships and try to be in a win-win situation with their negotiation

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

1 - Assignment Example It is the very essence and nature of human geography that informs us that the greater the distance a product or service must travel, the less likely the trip will be made. Demand must be sufficient enough to justify the time, effort, and expense. If demand for a product or service is relatively low, and there is not access to those products or services nearby, then it is likely that demand will not be met. If, however, there is a surplus of goods or materials in area that causes demand to easily be met, suppliers will look for viable transport routes to make their goods available to other markets where demand exists (Hesse 75). Finally, before we get this particular case study, it is important to understand that, no matter what the demand for a good or service may be, adequate transferability must exist. If a product is in high demand in a rural area of the world, for example, suppliers must still consider the feasibility and logistics of transporting goods there. There is the human safety to consider, plus the expense to do. If the expense involve in getting a good or service to such an area causes the demand to then weaken, it will likely be determined that the effort is simply not worth it (Zolnik 338). The issue here is whether or not sand and gravel operators in Sault Ste. Marie should begin to use their trucks to deliver their products to Southern Ontario, where prices might be higher. On the surface, businesses would always seem to desire to sell their product for the highest price possible. Spatial interaction, however, teaches us differently. Large trucks, for example, are expensive to maintain. The fuel alone makes traveling long distances cost prohibitive in many circumstances. In order for the gravel operators in Sault Ste. Marie to justify the trip down south, they must be able to account for these extra

TeAchnology, Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TeAchnology, Inc - Assignment Example The author of the paper tells that to comply with the requirements of the Web Resource and Web 2.0 Learning Tool assessment, the site of TeAchnology is WebQuest hosting eg Zunal located at http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/web_quest/. The site provides various opportunities for both teaching and learning through accessing websites designed for diverse learning objectives. As indicated, there is a two-fold goal of the site: â€Å"to provide a reservoir of online resources for educators to access at any time and to provide effective tools for designing instruction that is time and energy saving†. There are several printable materials on the site (9,000 completely free printables). The general headings ready for access include worksheets, lesson plans, rubrics, teacher resources, printables, subjects, tools, tips, and membership. The site likewise offers email newsletters and favorite teacher resources that have options to access graphic organizers, English and math worksheet s, study skills, teacher forum, and timesaver. Diverse membership offers to include gold, platinum, silver, and supreme where access to diverse learning modules differs depending on preference and requirements. This learning resource is applicable for Kindergarten through High School teachers. According to the site, apart from teaching and learning skills for kindergarten to high school levels, the following services are likewise offered, to wit: â€Å"professional development consultations designed to support K-12 schools efforts to implement programs integrating technology in teaching; original content and software products designed to provide teachers with tools for creating instructional materials; original publications created by experienced educators for other educators; and reasonably priced membership programs†.

The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay Example for Free

The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay The focal point of this essay is to present a clear and original argument in relation to the two burials that begin and end Beowulf. Scyld ScÄ“fing’s burial at sea in lines 24-46, and Beowulf`s burial in lines 2755-2796. It would be evaluated and analyzed the difference of these two funerals and probable reasons behind the difference and the details of two methods of burial that depict about the two men and about their cultures. However, it would also be ascertained whether these differences are just aspects of two different cultures of the basically same landscape but modified over a huge period of time frame. The journey undertaken by Beowulf is not only personal journey of self-discovery, but journey that establishes the values of the culture. While the personal adventure and situations are unique, the travels of Beowulf are representative of each human’s quest to find meaning and purpose in life. As epics of the oral tradition, Beowulf did not appear in writing until many years after the stories originated. Through the many retellings of the tale, probably changed significantly over time; however, the essences of the society and the culture have survived. In many ways, Beowulf is not only epic and myth from their time period, but also serves as historiographies of the society and culture of the time and the funeral ceremonies depicted in the epic, first the incident of Scyld ScÄ“fing`s burial at sea and then the narrative of Beowulf`s burial, are enlightening enough for understanding the nature of customs and funeral rituals. (Lamb, 378, 2-4) At the time of the earliest telling of Beowulf, the people were pagans. With the acceptance of Christianity, â€Å"God† provided the people of Beowulf’s time with an explanation for good and evil and an afterlife for the souls of those who followed God. As Breizmann points out that later generations attempted to incorporate their Christian beliefs, the text â€Å"abounds with inserted narratives† (Breizmann 1030). When Grendel terrorizes the mead hall, the explanation is that, â€Å"He was spawned in that slime, /Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain† (104-106). This Christian theme reappears several times in the epic, and when Beowulf is dying, he says, â€Å"I can die, here,/ Knowing the Lord of all life has never/Watched me wash my sword in blood/Born of my own family† (274-43). . Because he has been good and has served his god and his people, when Beowulf dies, â€Å"Almighty God Himself, was moved, / To let him enter† (3056-7). This influence alone drifted initial purity of the epic from its initial cultural originality. The funeral of Scyld ScÄ“fing appears to be more concerning the original ritualistic rites of the actual time when the epic was composed. In Scyld ScÄ“fing’s case it was found that the rituals includes placing various arms and armors with other valuables with the dead and drifting the body in the sea on a boat or burn it. In this case, the boat was drifted away. This is specifically a Scandinavian ritual and was well in practice when the epic was conceptualized. We can find this funeral rite in lines 24-46 of the epic. The text reads. â€Å"His people carried him to the sea, / which was his last request. / In the harbor stood / a well-built ship, / icy but ready for the sea./ They laid Shield there, / propped him against the mast / surrounded by gold / and treasure from distant lands./ Ive never heard / of a more beautiful ship, /filled with shields, swords, /and coats of mail, gifts / to him for his long trip.† (Naik, ed. 182-183) this is in stark contrast with the funeral rites of Beowulf. Here we find that â€Å"Wiglaf ordered / the brave warriors / to carry wood / from far and wide / to the funeral pyre / for the great leader†¦. There they laid / the famous prince / and lamented / that beloved lord. / Warriors then built / the greatest of fires. / Wood-smoke ascended, / dark black over the flames.† (Naik, ed. 294) This form of funeral is basically aligned with the Roman concept of ritual ceremony that the Christian community initially took and implemented in this epic. Thus it is obvious that this part was changed and incorporated in a much latter stage. (Lamb, 379, 5) While the rituals and adventures of Beowulf are pleasant tales of quests, the real value of the epic is the glimpse they provide of ancient cultures and peoples. In addition, Beowulf is links between the past and the present and between the values all cultures seem to share. Although the cultural and historical contexts change, certain human truths do not, and in the end, like Beowulf, all men leave their earthly existences, perhaps with the hopes that the myths they leave behind will provide lessons for those who come after them. This is more aligned to the Christian learning than ancient pagan thought process. These incorporations result in the intermingled format of affairs in terms of cultural identifications. (Lamb, 380, 1-3) Thus in the ultimate conclusion it can be well ascertained that the influence of different culture and religion affected the original epic with various additions making it juxtaposed within the different cultural aspects spread over a huge time period. The funerals depicted in the epic are just result of these changes and thus it is unable to tell us anything specific on the topic of funeral rituals during the era when this epic was composed initially. References: Breizmann, Natalia. â€Å"Beowulf as Romance: Literary Interpretations as Quest.† MLN 113.5; (1998): 1022-1035; JSTOR; Retrieved on 23 February 2007 http://www.jstor.org Naik, S; The legends of the North: A compilation of ancient epics; National Book Trust; 2006 Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. 2004

Discussing The Process Of Operations Management Information Technology Essay

Discussing The Process Of Operations Management Information Technology Essay Operations management is a process of managing resources required for production and deliverance of the products and services. Its basic objective is to improve the amount of value-added activities in each of the processes. The part of the company that is entrusted with this process is the operations function. As each and every organization produces products they all are bound to have operations function. The people responsible for managing the operation functions resources are known as operations managers. In different type of organizations they may be called by different names like in supermarket they are store manager, etc. This report demonstrates the three operations management techniques which helped the companies improve their business activities and performance. They were Supply Chain Management (SCM) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Total Quality Management(TQM) In this report the case studies involving the implementation of the above three techniques are explained. The benefits experienced by the companies and any changes they could have made to maximize them are also mentioned. Supply Chain Management (SCM): Supply chain management consists of coordinating the material and information flow, and the finances between the supplier, manufacturer and the consumer. Its main objective is inventory reduction assuming that when products are needed they are available. The supply networks are made up of Supplier-buyer relationship. The flow of Supply chain management flows can be divided into three parts: The product The informational flow The financial flow The behavior of the supply chain is dynamic and is known as bullwhip effect. This means that if there are small changes happening at the end of the supply chain they start causing changes at the start of the supply chain. The reduction of the bullwhip effect can be achieved by: Efficiently distributing the information by connecting all the operations to the demand source. Establishing a similar decision making process along the entire supply chain. Increasing the efficiency of the operations by eliminating sources of waste. Supplier quality management The basic need of any company from their suppliers is the deliverance of good quality products on right time. The best practice of improving the quality of product is by improving the quality of raw materials supplied by suppliers. SQM can be implemented by following the practices mentioned below: Estimating and finding the cost incurred due to poor supplier quality: This is also known as COPQ (Cost of poor quality). The COPQ can be calculated from the following: The costs incurred due to scrapping and reworking. The shutdown of our assembly line due to defective products. The costs of shipping back the defective products to suppliers and the warranty costs. Developing a system for recovering our costs: In this, the suppliers are charged back for supplying poor quality products. Here, we must include not only the material costs but also the non-material costs like packaging defective products, their transportation costs, etc. Auditing and rating of suppliers: This is the most effective way of checking whether our suppliers are conforming to our mentioned processes, quality systems, transporting, etc. It can be done once every year for all of our suppliers. The advantages gained by companies by having effective supply chain are: They have low maintenance and real costs. They can make delivery of better value and have repeat of business with the customers. They can easily remove waste from the process. They get more turnover profits and can make long term plans for the future. Summary of Case study for Supplying fast fashion: This case study best demonstrates how the garment retailing business is carried out in this dane age.It shows how the different fashion ideas which would not have been even considered by a retail store can become must-have in a short period. The working of top retail brands like HM, Zara and Benetton is been explained. It explains the quicker-picker-upper fashion concept which has made Zara, HM todays leading retailers. Reasons: To achieve this science of fast fashion product development cycles need to compress, which can be done through effective supply chain management. The retail brands believed that the only way they can keep stocks to a minimum while meeting the customers demand quickly and flexibly was through the integration of processes along the supply chain All the top 3 brands have their supply chain divided in four stages Designing of garments Manufacturing Distribution to retail outlets Retail operations Designing: Designing is of extreme importance in retailing market. The stores are supposed to deliver high and fast fashion at an inexpensive cost not cheap cost. H M designing -It is carried out by team of 100 designers in Stockholm who operate with group of 50 pattern designers, about 100 buyers and many budget controllers. Zara designing: Here, the design idea is derived from three different sources-the designers, market analysts and the buyers who order consignments to suppliers. The design stage for Zara is divided in three sections: Women, men and children chlothes.The prototype designs are created and tried out by placing all the three sources (designers, market analysts and buyers) in small workshops. The market analysts capture the new happenings in the fashion market as they are always in contact with the retail stores. This way Zaras retail stores are at the start of the supply chain and not at the end. Distribution: The investment costs incurred by Zara and Benetton in automating their warehouses is very high as they want them to be near production centres which could store, pack and develop independent orders for the network of retail stores around the globe. Currently, Zara only uses half of its warehousing capacity while Benetton is still exploring the possibility of using RFID tags for tracking garments. The distribution process at HM is still routine. The stock management is carried out internally and physical distribution is sub-contracted. In HM, goods are routed to retail site from production site through a transit terminal in Hamburg owned by the HM itself. These goods are then inspected and stored in a centralized stock room known as call-off warehouse where stores are replenished on each item level depending on what is sold. Manufacturing: Manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced if there are reduced labor costs. Therefore, most of the Benettons manufacturing operations are carried out in Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe. The expensive technological operations are carried out in privately owned Benettons sites whereas all the labor intensive operations would be carried out by smaller contractors. The central Benetton facility decides upon how much and what is to be produced by non-Italian networks. Similar is the case with HM, whose 50% production is carried out in Asia. They have 21 offices all over the world which co-ordinate the supplier activities. The healthy relation maintained between suppliers and production offices allows them to buy fabric early. The actual cutting and dyeing of the garments carried out at later stage. This helps in delaying placement of an order, thereby reducing risk of purchasing wrong items. Zara owns much of its manufacturing capabilities which it can manipulate to meet the customer demands at short response. Almost 50% of Zaras productions, most of which are expensive operations (cutting, dyeing) are carried out in plants owned by Zara in Spain and similar to Benetton the labor intensive operations are sub-letted to contractors. Volume flexibility is maintained by Zara and their sub-contractors using a single shift system. Retail: This working is almost similar between all stores.HM stores have average size of 1300 sq.m and are owned and managed by themselves. Zara stores are smaller compared to HM with 800 sq.m size. The Benetton shops on the other hand are 1300-1500 sq.m.Previously the stores used to be run by third parties as small shops. Though there is difference in size they all have similar aim of providing the customer with comfortable atmosphere to make them feel at home and allow them to buy what they want. Benefits: The retail brands were able to achieve a high level of integration using supply chain management. This allows them to quickly react to customers demand and be flexible with minimum stocks posssible.They were able to find the correct balance between fashion, price and quality(Each brand has their own sense of fashion, price and quality).The average supply lead time achieved was about3 weeks 6 months. Of these 3 brands, Zara has achieved shortest lead times called as catwalk to rack time which is as small as 15 days. This means that not a single garment in Zara store is older than two weeks. The designs are also not repeated and are produced in small batches. This ultimately forces customers to avoid delaying their purchase and visit the store frequently lead to increased profits. Effective Supply Chain Management has helped each of the company to become a global brand image in their own way while keeping their production costs low. Suggestions: In the manufacturing stage where the raw materials are supplied by different suppliers a star rating system can be used. In this procedure a 3 star is given to that supplier which has previous record of success on supply factors set by company itself. On contrary, no stars are given to them with whom company has had certain problems before. We can do this as shown in supplier calculation table below: Value can be added to the retail industry by personalizing the needs of customer and improving customer service by using RFID technology. To automate the supply chain RFID can be used. This will help in labor reduction which accounts for about 50-80% of distribution costs. The benefits gained by implementation of RFID through supply chain can be clearly explained by figure given below: (Tajima M 2007) RFID can prove extremely useful in retail industry to control inventory efficiency and also as a theft protection service. (Michael K, McCathie L) ERP The most common and important problem involved in operations management is managing the vast amounts of data while performing it. It is extremely important that the information of each and every function done spread among the entire organization. This is what will enable them to make crucial decisions like when the activity to be done, by whom is and what is the capacity required. ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning is used to perform all the above said activities and overcome the problems arriving from them. ERP is an intelligent IT system which integrates all parts and functions of an organization to plan and control activities required for operations management. This integration also allows for transparency among all parts of organization. ERP is a complex and difficult system to implement as it is basically designed to solve problems involving fragmentation of information. An ERP system almost forces everyone to forces everyone involved in an organization to change the way they used to do their job. ERP automates the processes involved in all business operations right from taking of an order from the customer, delivering it and the billing process. In ERP, when an order is been taken by the company representative, he has full information of the customer like his credit rating and also the companys. As ERP has a single database system the new order can be accessed by all the departments and when one department is finished with the order it is automatically transferred to the next department by ERP.The location of the order can also be easily tracked using a ERP system. The ERP system make the order processing faster and the customer receive them quickly with fewer errors. The key success factors required for successful ERP implementation are: Top level management support and commitment Clear vision and proper planning Having a Project champion A set time frame to deliver the implementation strategy Project and change management Proper IT infrastructure and selecting the right ERP package Maintaining healthy relationship with the Consultant Risk management The investment required for buying and implementing the software is very high. This can be proved by the survey conducted by the META group on the Total cost of ownership of ERP involving all costs like software, hardware and all staff cost. The highest Total Cost of Ownership was of about $300 million and lowest was $400,000.the average price for user of ERP for period of two years was a massive $53,320.which proves ERP is expensive. Some of the risks involved with ERP implementation are: The chances of under estimating the overall cost are high The training and the expertise level required from the consultants will be more than expected. Under estimation of effort and time required. The project scope can be difficult to control and the need for change management may not be recognized on time 3. A case study conducted at Rolls-Royce investigating the implementation of ERP (SAP): In this case study, the Introduction and background of company along with the changes observed by them after the implementation of ERP is discussed. The risks involved with implementation of SAP are also presented. Reasons For implementation: Rolls-Royce returned back to private sector in 1987 and started acquisition of companies which enabled them to consolidate their position in industrial power .The basic reason for implementing ERP was to sort out centralized database from old legacy MRP2 systems. Before ERP, Rolls-Royce had as many as 1500 systems which were developed internally. The operation of these legacy systems was expensive maintenance was equally difficult. They did not assist for accurate and good decision making as they were unable to provide accurate accessible data. The systems implemented were unable to communicate between individual sites. The tracking of the work in progress between sites was inaccurate and causing inventory problems. The legacy systems were unable to communicate direct with suppliers and customers. (Yahaya Y, Gunasekaran A, Abthorpe M S 2004). Rolls-Royce then decided to outsource its IT department to EDS.This allowed Rolls-Royce to concentrate on its main area of expertise which was developing and manufacturing aero-engines. A team of specialists from EDS-the outsourcing firm was assigned the task of implementing ERP project which also had SAP consultants in their team. The team was well equipped with managers and staff that had crucial knowledge of old legacy systems understanding of cross functional business relationships. Yahaya Y, Gunasekaran A, Abthorpe M S 2004). Although the new systems implemented were better than most of the legacy systems they were not fully appreciated as the older ones. The team decided to overcome this problem by conducting seminars for the staff and explaining them the improvements the new systems have made to company. Training was given to about 10000 people through demonstrations, meetings and presentations. Strategy and direction: For the project, Rolls-Royce required over 100 personal computers and the total cost incurred was two million pounds. The scope and the outline plan for the project were made. A team was allocated to look over actual implementation process. After this a prototype was created and installed. This prototype model was based on Rolls-Royce Allison model. In this stage following activities were carried out: Reviewing preliminary design: Here, strategy for designing and implementation was developed along with BPM (Business process model) Development and customization of the vanilla prototype. Reviewing of implementation and the technical operations. Development of the systems and their conversions before they Go-live. The main implementation stage was divided into two waves. The first wave got delayed by 6 months because They wanted to provide more time for line organizations to prepare and clean up data. To allocate time for pilot testing and system development. To overcome difficulties faced with SAP usage. Wave one-The main objective here was to replace all the old systems. In wave one new manufacturing system like SFDMs were introduced. The pilot project of SAP suggested the end of wave one. Wave second: In this wave the engine assembly was implemented. This wave lasted for one year in duration. The second wave was ended when new systems began showing positive results. Enterprise Resource pilot: This pilot system was a small scale system run for 3 months and number 4 shops was chosen as facility where transmissions and structure operations were centre of attention for company. The reason for this facility selection was its low production capacity of only 280 parts. The pilot system was used to demonstrate processes and procedures for businesses .They were also responsible for defining role for each member and demonstrate how to manage data transfers. Go-live The problems encountered on going live were: They had user authorization issues like passwords, etc The route cards were not there due to which work on shop floor was temporarily halted. Transaction problems were observed and they were corrected by comparing old and new systems. The actual main pat of go-live system was difficult as the shear amount of data to be transferred from legacy systems was huge. To achieve this data was required to be kept in a state of stability for up to 10 weeks. The initial data like the list of suppliers was to be transferred and if any error occurred on old system they were recorded and passed on to the new system.MRP system was used to complete the go-love process which took 2 weeks time. After the go-live stage the old system were kept in view only mode which allowed comparisons to be done between new and old systems. Project risks: This project was involved with all the departments and ha its associated risks. These risks were tried to be overcomed by the ERP implementation team by maintaining a risk register. Some of the risks mentioned on the internet page of Rolls-Royce are: If due to some reason there was no delivery or unavailability of the IT hardware. Possibility of failure while loading the data or setting priorities on ERP. The project would have significant impact on the accounts of the company at the year end. Benefits: The effectiveness of such a large scale IT project is often difficult to understand .The benefits achieved from such a huge project requires at least a year to become visisble.The most immediate and important benefits that was achieved was to make a promise to customer and deliver it on time. This led to improved customer satisfaction and boosts their confidence which would result in increased orders for the future. The ERP system improved the relationship within the supply chain where Electronic communications were used to make transactions easier. The ERP system made communications between all the parts of the business absolutely clear. The Rolls-Royce management gained a better sense of control over number of operations which resulted in continuous improvements. It made possible to have accurate and timely information about their customers, business partners and suppliers. Suggestions: The company for the future can create a large data warehouse. In this the data can be stored centrally and extracted from all different places like historical and external databases. The data can be stored in user friendly format which can be accessible by non-external users. This data warehouse will help in collecting all the new data and merge it with the old data.. The management of EIS (Enterprise Information system) to check its sustainability can be done to maximize the benefits gained from an ERP system. TQM: Quality is the only one of the five operations performance criteria to have its own dedicated chapter in this book. There are two reasons for this. First, in some organizations a separate function is devoted exclusively to the management of quality. Second, quality is a key concern of almost all organizations. High-quality goods and services can give an organization a considerable competitive edge. Good quality reduces the costs of rework, waste, complaints and returns and, most importantly, generates satisfied customers. Some operations managers believe that, in the long run, quality is the most important single factor affecting an organizations performance relative to its competitors. Case Study TQM Summary: Rendall owned Preston graphics plant is located in Vancouver. Before, in March 2000 the plant was bought from Georgetown co-operation. This is a small-scale production plant of precision coated paper required in ink-jet printers. The precise coating was applied by coating machines after which they were cut into coated rods in conversion departments. They were then packed and shipped in small containers. Scenario before Implementation: The main customer of the plant was HP(Hewlett-Packard) and they were the one who pointed out the problems they were facing from the paper supplied to them. They were unable to curl the coated paper at low humidity conditions. This problem was noticed by HP personnel as there was no formal complaint made by Hps customers. The plant then hired a team which resolved the problem in the next 7-8 months. The process started producing in acceptable limits but this was due to the fact that they were only concerned about shipping the product within the specification limits. They had a culture which did not care about how close they were to the specification limits and eventually not be able to meet them. This resulted in the plant making loss of $2 million in a year even though they had buoyant sales. This was mainly due to lower productivity and high scrap and rework. To overcome them the management team hastily made a number of changes like increasing the speed of operation line to improve productivity. But still the process charts given by HP showed that the plant was not capable enough to satisfy their need for the next 3 generations. The plant was then bought by Rendall which was not happy with the plants continuing losses and the important customers dissatisfaction (HP).The plant continued to have productivity and quality problems. The full extent of the problem was made visible to the Preston quality manager by the HP engineer in a meeting at Chicago. They clearly explained him the process control charts they had which were given to them by Preston themselves. They convinced the Preston manager that people at Preston were not giving importance to the data showed by process control charts otherwise they would have realized their quality problems. The quality manager then decided to bring the plant under control. He along with his team then reviewed the decisions they made right from the start when the curl problem appeared and they adjusted the process. The team used a set of shut-down rules which enabled the operations to halt a line if they thought the product they were making was of inferior quality. This resulted in throwing away almost 64 large size rolls and about $10000 worth of scrapped product. The guidelines for shut down procedure were that they had to get rid of the defect and when that is done they are allowed to operate. This might cause the managers to tell the workers to improve their productivity but they would harshly criticize the workers if they were violating the quality process procedures. The two more change they implemented were: Daily reviewing of the control chart data The control chart data was then debated by the staff that was kept away from production while doing this. There was uncertainty among quite a few due to no production but it was vital as it got all the 3 shift operators talking about quality issues and control chart data. This caused a positive atmosphere among the workers and boosted the morale of the shop floor team. It led to remarkable improvements on quality front and improved efficiency of plant. The further progressive action taken in quality management by the plant was the implementation of Statistical process control. Then they did zero-based assessment to bring the costs down by reducing labor costs. They began downsizing process. The less number in workforce means that they should produce good quality paper in the first place to avoid inspection process. The plant workforce then decided to develop a portfolio for the ideas of new product which would boost their confidence. The most significant idea was of protowrap in which the new print wrap was able to be repulped. Benefits: Preston Company made profits after Christmas of 2000 after a period of 2 years. Moreover, they had made such a progress that they were beginning to get noticed at corporate level. This caused HP (Hewlett-Packard) to ask them to bid for their new product. It had continuous three months of profits and they also received the new contract from HP. The plants new quality procedures and principles allowed them to produce products more economically. The most significant benefit Preston received by implementing TQM was that they were able to reverse the decision made by Rendall-their owners to shut them down. The plant not only survived but flourished due to implementation of Quality based principles. Suggestions: Implementing QMS(Quality Management System) having corrective actions: This will be required when we encounter problems relating non-conformance of our supplier products. After faced with the problem, we must be able to locate the problem and find its root cause with immediate effect. This is done by (CAPA) corrective action items. The system implemented should be such that it should itself assess the cost of quality and try to initiate the recovery cost process with the supplier. Involving suppliers in quality systems: Suppliers should be encouraged to implement quality systems within their company so that they can easily reach the quality of products required and also save paying the recovering costs. (Metric Stream, 2010)

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay Internet is fast growing communication tool these day with numerous social networking sites operating and eminent personalities posting their thoughts on them and communicating with people. It is becoming the medium of election communication as political parties across the world are logging on to the Internet and it is impacting the political system and voting behaviours. An interesting phenomenon in political communication is the use of social networking sites like Facebook, You Tube and Friendster, that are being used as a means of election campaigning. The study focuses on use of social media in political campaigning and communication in past at different countries and how these can be implemented in Indian scenario and what would be its types and benefits. Table Of Contents Introduction 2 Past Cases ( Use of SNS in EC ) 6 Benefits 9 Presence in India 10 Conclusion 12 Introduction: Social networking sites are online services or platforms that focus on building and reflection social relations among people. They proved to be a fundamental communication tool in every aspect and a limitless source of information campaign strategy. Their effectiveness to gather and communicate a targeted political message, raising the stakes in strategy and aggressive social media participation helps in election campaigning. The use of social networking sites in political parties spans across increased media exposure, funding, participation and has increased mobilisation and enthusiasm in numerous recent political campaigns. Social networking sites has become fast and low cost communication tool and enables quick and easy access to political information among potential users. Campaigning managers use these sites as an effective way for recruiting new employees and other campaigning strategies. From past two decades social networking sites and systems is been used in political campaigning and dialogues. In year 1996 email and social networks was widely used as source of communication among political parties and groups of people. During year 2006 at Belgian elections catchphrase Think was circulated among people through Myspace so as to stimulate people in discussions and thought around voting preference and encouraging people to reconsider voting for right party. In the same year a survey was conducted on Myspace users over 18 years of age and it was found that they were three times more likely to take part in an online political discourse than traditional way. In year 2007 it was found out that 40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.  It has been  suggested  that Myspace is so effective that it should be a key part to any campaign strategy. Barack Obama has successfully used Twitter, Myspace, Youtube and Facebook as an effective tool in communicating and mobilising people. He spends around $2 million in election campaigning and building a social networking site known as MyBarackobama.com. Republican Party also used social networking sites in 2008 elections to promote John McCain. There is great potential for political parties to raise large sums of money in short periods of time using social networking sites through micro-fund-raising. The use of micro-donations not only enable candidates to raise funds rapidly it gives a sense of involvement and participation to those who have donated, no matter how small the amount. In the year 2008 US presidential election $55 million was raised in one month and 80% of which were online donations. With social networking sites political campaigning add to a visibility to politicians personal and professional life. It leads to accountability and risk. As they can filmed anywhere and these could be uploaded anytime which goes around like a disease among people and can be used for political gains. These political strategies were used in American politics. Another fact related to same is that some parties even hire people who not only keep track of their accounts but also of competitors account and keeps on uploading and distributing such video content through Youtube. . An example of this  high-level of exposure can be seen in the 2006 US election cycle  as  one senator was filmed making a racial slur, which was uploaded to YouTube and it became the most viewed video. This increased exposure of political candidates adds another dimension to political campaigning of smear campaigning of opposition candidates with ease. While political parties may not have the level of control over the content that is distributed but these social networking  sites have facilitated an  increase  in  the rate of political participation.  As these networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb. Evidence from a number of studies supports the theory that the Internet has beneficial effects on online political involvement. Internet use encourages higher levels of political participation: for example, forwarding e-mails with political content, online voting, and so forth. And online communications through social networking sites can aid in political engagement. YouTube and other social media sites allow campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power. According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information and 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube. In 2008 presidential elections in US new technologies combined with these social networking sites have been used as to advertise to potential voters and their mobilisation. The demographic for the internet has widened and social networking is no longer just for young people. In year 2006 over 50% of American YouTube and Myspace users were 35 years or older, and the proportion of 12 to 17 year olds were declining. Social networking sites  do not just represent a young demographic.  Politically engaged people  and political participation is increasing throughout the community through the use of social networking sites. Thus, social networking is playing a substantial role in political process in recent years. Not only it has been effectively utilised by political parties of western countries in the campaign cycles, political issues groups and otherwise unrepresented minorities, but also as a means of open and uncensored communication for citizens in countries with oppressive government control over other media conduits. The use of these online tools has seen a shift in the funding models of political parties through the highly effective use of micro-donations. These sites have expanded the reach and accuracy of strategically targeted communications by political parties to potential voters.  There is an increase in  political participation  and people garner a greater sense of contribution through the use of social networking sites and social media, influencing involvement with political parties in the greater community.   Social networking sites have proven to be a powerful political tool and we can only expect that it will grow limitlessly alongside the political machine. Past Cases of Social Networking Sites as a tool in Election Campaigning: Kenya Elections: In Kenya elections in year 2006 these social media such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Flickr etc. is been used in mobilising and sharing and gathering of information and raising the money in restricted time. It was also seen social media as a way to get involved in political parties response to mainstream media. During the Kenya post-election crisis people mobilised a website called Ushahidi for people to collaboratively report where violent clashes has taken place. Perspectives and commentary on the post-2006 election crisis in Kenya were seen in online networking sites as a way to criticise the media and government and it was found that views and discussion topics seen in social networking sites were much more diverse that seen in mainstream media. Internet and Social Networking Sites in Election Campaigns: Gabriela Womens Party in Philippines wins the 2007 Elections Philippines also embarked on using Internet, social networking sites and the mobile phones for their 2007 elections. Gabriela Womens Party (GWP), among others, was one of them. Given the limited funds for mass forms of communication, the party made use of new communication technologies, in particular, the Internet and social networking sites like YouTube and Friendster along with its website, to augment traditional campaign techniques. The (GWP) won two seats, making it the first and only womens group in the country to attain such a feat in the party list group contest (Alojamiento, 2007). Maximizing YouTube YouTube and Friendster are very popular among young female Internet users in the country. It was only logical for the GWP to turn to these sites to expand their networks and establish their presence among Filipino voters. Political advertising is an obsession among politicians in the country especially when it comes to TV advertising. All parties make efforts to be on television and spend the maximum amounts on advertising. Television advertising being expensive, the GWP after a few commercials on television, extended this kind of advertising to YouTube by uploading a video endorsement of Angel Locsin, a young local celebrity. Use of Social Media in US : Over the past two decades  online  social networking  sites and  systems  have  been  effectively  used  to increase political  dialogue. In 1996 email was widely used across social networks as a means of facilitating  people and groups for political purposes .  In 2007 it was estimated that  40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.   Barack Obama successful used Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook among others to communicate and mobilise people. He also had a $2 million dollar custom campaigning and social networking site built called MyBarackobama.com (Walmsley 2008; Crow 2008; Talbot 2008).  The Republican party used social networking sites during the 2008 to promote candidate John McCain, even at 71 years of age, which demonstrated their understanding of the importance of its use. Political parties are now actively engaging with social networking sites as part of their campaign strategies. Political campaign strategies have successfully used social networking sites to increase campaign funding. Howard Dean, in 2004, was the first US politician to explore the financial value in using the Internet as part of his campaign strategy. He successfully used the Internet to facilitate small donations online instead of the traditional big fund-raising events. During this same year Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry raised $80 million in online donations. Within two months of creating a MySpace page during the US 2006 election cycle one Republican candidate raised donations by 20%  The Barack Obama campaign during the 2008 US presidential election raised $55 million in one month 80% were online donations and 90% of those were under $200 each. This was before he had run a single fund-raising event . Social networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb political information. YouTube and other social media sites allows campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power .According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube .This ease of access combined with new technologies enables campaigners to strategically target and customise their marketing approach. Social networking sites enable a more targeted approach to election campaigning. The US Republican 2008 presidential campaign used an internal database, called the Voter Volt, matched with internet searches to advertise to potential voters using social networking sites .These new technologies combined with the use of social networking sites not only increases the accuracy of the campaign message through targeted advertising, it has also helped to increase the size of the audience.  During the 2008 US Election new technologies allowed The Republican National Committee to increase the number of potential voters on their database by 6-fold compared to their 2004 campaign .The use of these new tools have the added potential to increase mobilisation. Benefits of Social Networking Sites usage in Political Campaigning: Mass Coverage: The biggest advantage that social networking sites provide in an election campaign is of mass coverage with sites such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook , Youtube, Linkdein , orkut etc. Data table from i strategy labs generating no of users of facebook between age of 18 and 24 are as follows: It can be seen youth between age 18 and 24 using facebook accounts for 40.8% and in middle age group constitute of 16.6%. So political parties targeting youth and middle age group can be benefited if campaigning through these sites. Cost Effective : Political campaigning through these sites is very cost effective methods as the cost involved is very low. And in past micro donations can be arranged easily through these sites only. This has been seen in presidential elections in year 2008 taken place ay US. Emergence of new political parties: With social networking sites as a tool used for election campaign emergence of new political parties can be seen. More of individual politicians are encouraged and are emerging out in elections. They are reaching to public with their ideas being communicated well using the videos on Youtube or post on twitter or on Facebook account or through blogs with many followers acting as agents and their promoters. Environmental and Societal benefits: The other benefits associated with campaigning through networking sites are of environmental and societal benefits to general public in all. While campaigning through these sites the major tool of campaigning traditionally that is pamphlets is through emails, posts and blogs. Thus reducing the usage of paper and saving trees. Also society is saved from traffic jams, noise pollutions when campaigning is done on these sites. Moreover while campaigning on these sites an add on feature of more visibility leading to accountability is been ensured, giving a right to voters to have all information and then deciding upon the right candidate to vote for. Presence in India: Political parties in this day and age are now trying to use web as a medium to gain attention of the masses. Employing internet as a strategy to make an appeal to the masses is also being used a host of NGOs and non-profit organizations, such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and Public Interest Foundation. These organisations are using internet, alongwith traditional media like radio and television, to launch initiatives geared toward raising awareness among the electorate. There are nationwide campaign ensuring to increase transparency in Indian elections by combining information about constituencies and candidates. The purpose of these campaigns are: Provide information regarding the representatives based on the information they have provided through affidavits to the Election Commission   Provide information about a constituency Give a chance to the public to give feedback on work done by their elected representatives The media excitement around the election is being generated by the middle-class urban youth, who   believe in bringing about a change. Of late, many Indian politicians have begun considering internet as a viable medium for interactive communication and are, consequently, making their presence felt in the World Wide Web.  For instance BJP has launched a website for its prime ministerial candidate and for its chief ministerial candidate as well. Similarly, even the congress party is making use of social networking sites like youtube, facebook, twitter etc. to run social marketing campaigns. Thus, the presence of social networking sites in the indian electoral scenario is spellbound as the political parties now are resorting to online campaigning and voting systems. CONCLUSION : The present study and other studies cited in this paper mostly point out to both the importance of new media technologies and the trend towards their exploitation in current political settings. Their maximization for political campaigning should be viewed, however, in the context of where these new technologies operate Though studies have demonstrated that new technologies have been playing significant roles in campaigns in the US, the diffusion of online campaigning in parts of Asia, particularly in the Philippines, is unfolding but at a slower pace. These do not discount the promises of the Internet for political campaigning. If offline conditions change, it is likely that online uses will follow. In the meantime, it is important to look at the Internet as an integral part of a holistic political campaigning strategy, which can complement the use of traditional media and grassroots campaigning by reaching the growing segment of the population using the Internet. Future studies in this field of political communication would help in understanding how far the applications of the Internet and its contemporaries would go in bringing political actors closer to the public and how politics itself would change in the years to come as these new technologies become more sophisticated at the same time societies around the world evolve and change

Communications Theory Essays -- essays papers

Communications Theory Communications is that what binds the world. Even though it is easy to give a simple answer when asked what communications exactly is, it is difficult to explain it so that it is understood clearly. There is a lot you need to consider with it. There are different areas concerning communications and very diverse functions in this area. Through this research report we will have a glimpse in the world of communications and with it more knowledge and understanding about it. Corporate Communication Corporate communication exists of different fields, which together have the purpose to make an image and identity of a company and its product. Corporate communication is a management instrument that combines all forms of direct communication and gears them for one another. Reputation is very important. The first goal of corporate communication is to improve the reputation of a company. A corporate reputation is a cognitive representation of a company’s ability to meet the expectations of its stakeholders. A company benefits from a favourable reputation by becoming the first choice of customers, investors, suppliers and employees. A corporate reputation creates shareholder value, because it contributes in and of itself to the company’s competitive position. A company benefits from its reputation, because:  · It improves cash flows and profitability;  · It acts like a barrier that impedes rivalry;  · It provides a company an enhanced license to operate; and  · It raises a protective shield against downturns and crisis. A company which is specialised in corporate communication is for example: The Corporate Communication Centre. C.C.C. is a joint initiative of the Erasmus University (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and the business community. The centre tries to co-ordinate all the communication activities within a company and gives advice on communication policies and the organisation of communication methods. C.C.C. also offers training in corporate communication, executive courses and in-company courses. Companies as Shell, Unilever, Compaq Computers and Ernst & Young have a good reputation. They are multinational enterprises. They need a good reputation to be the number one in their field. Especially Shell, because its product (fuel, gasoline) is bad for the environment. But by introducing Shell â€Å"Pura†... ...alled Visual Communications Quarterly.It is co-sponsored by the Viscom division (also a visual communication organisation) and the National Press Photographers. Bibliography: Resource list: The Media Institute www.media.org/ The Communication Research Center www.jou.ufl.edu/commres/crc.htm Association for education in journalism and Mass Communications www.facsnet.org.cgi-bin/New/facs/4149 Media History Monographs: quarterly online journal www.scripps.ohiou.edu/mediahistory CED: the Premier Magazine of Broadband Communication www.cedmagazine.com www.ivca.org www.viscom.apanet.org www.artic.edu www.herron.iupui.edu The Blake Agency http://www.blakeagency.com/ Anderson & associates http://www.prexperts.com/public_relations_dir45.htm The McRae Agency http://www.mcraeagency.com/ Who is in charge? Corporate communications or corporate marketing? A European survey amongst the top reputation leading companies Centre for corporate communications, mem institute at the university of St. Gallen, Switzerland working paper, 1999 Markus Will, Malte Probst and Thomas Schmidt The reputational Landscape 1997 vol 1 C. van Riel and C. Fombrun

Hatchet :: essays research papers

Hatchet Author: Gary Paulson Main Theme: The story Hatchet’s theme is determination, perseverance and survival. Brian Robeson, whose parents are divorced, flies to visit his father in Canadian wilderness. His pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian managed to land the plane in a lake, and escape unharmed. Now comes the hard part, surviving in the wilderness until rescued. He does have one tool to help him, a hatchet that his mother had given him as a gift. He will have to use it, his own determination, imagination, perseverance and common sense to survive. Plot Summary: This flight to see his father in the Canadian wilderness is Brains first time in an airplane. He explains this to the pilot and tells him that he is scared. The pilot feels sorry for Brian and decides to show him that flying is not very difficult. He lets Brian take the steering control and direct the line of flight for a while. Just when Brian thinks that everything is going well, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian knows he must land the plane himself or die. He tries to use the radio without success. He knows that if he hits the trees, he can die, so he decides to land in the water of a lake. When the plane is in the water, he gets out through a window. He lay on the bank of the lake for a while to rest. Brian knew he needed food and shelter to survive so he set out to find both. He was very careful not to get lost or go too far from the lake where his water was. He found a cherry tree and because he was very hungry, he ate his fill. He filled his windbreake r with cherries to eat later and then managed to find a cave for shelter. He slept very well, but in the morning when he awoke, he saw a bear in the cave. He was terrified, because the bear was only about 20 feet away eating his cherries out of his windbreaker. The bear only looked at Brian and then left. The cherries must have been enough to curb his appetite! The discovery of how to make a fire was very important to Brains survival. He needed to have one at the mouth of the cave to protect him from wild animals, and to signal for help.

Homers Iliad :: essays research papers

General Plot Summary of Homer\'s Iliad The Iliad is a lengthy poem of some 15,693 lines, divided into 24 books (cantos) and has as its theme the anger (menis) of the Greek hero Achilles, the greatest of the heroes to sail to Troy. In the tenth year of the war, Achilles quarrels with the leader of the expedition, Agamemnon, over a slight to Achilles\' honor. In his anger, Achilles withdraws from the fighting and wins the aid of Zeus, the king of the gods, to see to it that the war turns against the Greeks. Eventually (Book 9) things begin to go so badly that Agamemnon sends a delegation to Achilles to offer him compensation and ask him to rejoin the fighting. In an effort to make good the slight to Achilles\' honor, Agamemnon promises an immense amount of treasure, but Achilles still refuses to help the Greeks. In the anger of the moment, he declares that he will only fight once the Trojans attack his own ships: at that point, he feels, he will be able to rejoin the battle as a point of personal honor rather than as Agamem non\'s hired lackey. In the course of Book 12 (the center of the poem) the Trojans bring the war right up to the fortifications surrounding the Greek ships. Under the leadership of the heroic Hector, they manage to breach the Greek defenses and are soon in a position to destroy the Greek fleet. At this point, Achilles sees the weakness of his plan: should the Trojans destroy the fleet, the Greek forces would be placed in a vulnerable position and could potentially be wiped out. Unable to rejoin the battle himself without losing face, he is persuaded to allow his loyal friend Patroclus to join the battle, disguised in Achilles\' armor, in order to win the Greeks some breathing room. Unfortunately, Patroclus gets caught up in the fighting and, contrary to Achilles\' instructions, attempts to take the city of Troy himself, only to be killed by Hector with the aid of the pro-Trojan god Apollo (Book 16). At this point, Achilles falls into an inhuman rage: his former anger at Agamemnon an d the Greeks is forgotten in his grief at the death of his friend and his desire to take revenge on Hector. In his anger, Achilles slaughters Trojans by the dozens and in a heartless manner that

Strength of Hitler

This question concerns the extent and strength of Hitler’s power and refers to the controversy concerning the efficiency of the Nazi regime; the debate between intentionalist and structuralist viewpoints. S stracturalist: To further these opinions stracturalist historians would refer to Hitler’s reliance on the power of the Gauleiter, as shown when he could not support Frick in trying to subordinate them. In 1934 the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich meant Frick tried to put the newly created Reich Governors under his control as head of the Ministry of the Interior; thereby centralising control.It did not work because most of the governors were also Gauleiter with large local power bases. In the end Hitler agreed to place them nominally under Frick’s control but in reality they could appeal directly to the Fuhrer. On top of that, The setting up of rival agencies to that of the traditional state which created political chaos and the use of Fuhrer orders whic h were often contradictory. The latter was notably the case when in 1935 both Hess and an official from the Ministry of the Interior were given contradictory orders with regards to whether it would be best for the Jews to be allowed to stay in Germany.HOWEVER To accept the evidence of Stewart-stracturalist -in supporting the viewpoint of a lack of power would be to show a misunderstanding of Hitler’s role and significance. His absorption of the powers of Chancellor and President combined with the army’s oath, both in 1934, gave unassailable power. This then allowed Hitler to be presented as a demigod who was worshipped by the German people, most notably in the Triumph of the Will which portrayed the Nuremburg Rally.In short Hitler’s dictatorship was so powerful that he could distance himself from the detail of government and furthermore this helped maintain power as blame for any unpopular measures would be directed to subordinates and not as an attack against t he Fuhrer himself. Thus the bohemian lifestyle and competing agencies that were left behind do not show weakness in power but completely the opposite. Fuhrer’s will’ Hitler’s power as head of party, state and military was unassailable.The ‘Triumph of the Will’ showed him as a demigod worshipped by the German people and it was this propaganda that distanced him from the need to be involved in day to day decisions. The crucial peacetime decisions were made by Hitler; most notably the Night of the Long Knives. However this chaos does not show a lack of comprehensive power as within this vacuum the agencies were competing to ‘interpret the Fuhrer’s will’. In fact a situation where all were trying to find the right method to achieve an element of the world view at the right time shows a much higher level of power.This viewpoint can clearly be supported by analysing how the policy towards the Jews was formulated. Frick’s ‘ Aryan Clause’, Wagner’s speech leading to the Nuremburg laws, the street violence following Anschluss, the 1938 legislation to isolate the Jews and Goebbels’ green light for Kristallnacht were all methods and legislation formed by those ‘working towards the Fuhrer’; trying to come up with the right method at the right time. Instead it was Hitler’s hand off approach that allowed a much higher level of power to develop.By distancing himself from government Hitler left a vacuum that was filled by competing agencies and ministries all trying to form a method that fully interpreted his world view. Kershaw is correct to adopt this viewpoint as this style of government did create chaos but it was this competing chaos to please and gain influence from Hitler, supported by the representation of Hitler as a mystical religion in propaganda, that show the true totality and comprehensiveness of the Fuhrer’s power. Revision:Hitler – Weak Dict ator or Master of the Third Reich TSR Wiki  >  Study Help  >  Subjects and Revision  >  Revision Notes  >  History  >  Hitler – Weak Dictator or Master of the Third Reich Two main historical interpretations of the relationship between Hitler and the Nazis. Contents  [hide] * 1  Weak Dictator * 2  Master of the Third Reich * 3  The Middle Way * 4  Notes on ‘Hitler and Nazism’ by Jane Jenkins * 5  Comments| ————————————————- Weak Dictator * Structuralists; emphasis ‘intuitional anarchy’ of Nazi regime and ‘leadership chaos' * Argue Hitler was merely a puppet, a figurehead Polycratic chaotic government consequence of Hitler’s inability to effectively direct government * Social Darwinist ‘divide and rule’ (a term coined by ‘intentionalists') strategy resulted in time-wasting and bu reaucracy * Argue that whilst Hitler’s ideas were central to Nazism, they were empowered and enforced by others * Argue that under Hitler, Germany suffered * Blame Hitler’s inaccessibility, reluctance to give policy directives or even to document his ideas * Structural limitations to Hitler’s power, as argued by Bracher. Many measures can be seen as responsive to pressure of events, and not the result of long-term planning; Hitler reacted to events, rather then creating them * Night of the Long Knives was a response to pressure from business and the army, not a predetermined strategy. * Idea that Hitler was an ‘all-powerful dictator’ is straight out of Nazi propaganda * Hans Mommsen: â€Å"Hitler was just one extreme element of the extensive malevolence that was the Nazi system† * â€Å"Several powerful empires ran underneath Hitler† * Preoccupied with self-image â€Å"Hitler Myth†, Kershaw – was the great vision of Hitle r reality or simply myth * Built on fear * Ultimately weak in that he relied on, albeit a very powerful, propaganda machine, run by Goebbels, to provide a facade, a myth† * Rosenthal: â€Å"Without Goebbels, there was no Hitler† ————————————————- Master of the Third Reich * Intentionalists; stress centrality of Nazi regime; importance of Hitler’s personality, ideas and strength * Alan Bullock â€Å"National Socialism can be called Hitlerism† * Argue that Nazi policies predetermined by Hitler Key to power was access to Hitler; which explains the influence and control of the three ‘lieutenants’; Goring, Goebbels and Himmler * Party organisation based on the ‘Fuhrerprinzip’ – the principle of leadership – whereby authority remained with Hitler, at all levels. The same term is used by ‘structuralists' to mean a different thing. * Hitler removed himself from daily life to retain his prestigious image, not out of weakness * Truly charismatic speaker, could hold people’s attention for up to 6 hours Alan Bullock: â€Å"It’s not what Hitler said, it’s the way he said it† * Corkery: â€Å"Hitler had the unique ability to persuade people† * â€Å"Hitler uber Deutschland† 1931 * Norman Rich: â€Å"Hitler had a fixed plan from the Beer Hall Putsch to death in his bunker in 1945† * Jackel: â€Å"the essential political decisions were taken by a single individual, by Hitler† * Williams: â€Å"There was no effective institution which could depose him† ————————————————- The Middle Way Kershaw: â€Å"Hitler’s force in Nazi politics was as such that calling him â€Å"weak† is difficult to accept†; there a re no examples of major policy decisions by Hitler being successfully opposed by subordinates or the Party * Kershaw: â€Å"Nevertheless, his distant style of leadership and hesitancy regarding critical decisions make it equally difficult to see him as a â€Å"master† of Nazi Germany† * To some extent, Hitler was a prisoner within the Nazi hierarchy, with more active Nazi players interpreting Hitler’s will and anticipating his desires.Kershaw calls this relationship â€Å"working towards the Fuhrer†. ————————————————- Notes on ‘Hitler and Nazism’ by Jane Jenkins Foreign cartoonists ridiculed Hitler as an absurd little man * Yet many accepted his ‘dictatorship’ and remained loyal to the end * Germany appeared to be, on the surface, a one-party state under Hitler’s sole rule * His dictatorship was underpinned by an effective political apparatus * Goebbels’ propaganda aimed at creating a Hitler myth, emphasising his political genius, generating great support and fortifying Hitler’s position as all-powerful Fuhrer * Hitler has been portrayed as a leader who dictated events and who established ascendancy over all who came into contact with him. He was egarded as the master of the Third Reich * However, some historians disagree with this image, emphasising a man who was remote from public affairs * Hans Mommsen, 1971: â€Å"Hitler was unwilling to take decisions, frequently uncertain, exclusively concerned with upholding his prestige and personal authority, influenced in the strongest fashion by his current entourage, in some respects a weak dictator† * Hitler did not actively intervene in government and his withdrawal made the machinery of government slower and more chaotic, as the important decisions were not taken * Government disintegrated into competing personal empires; Goring, Himmler and Goebbels * Hitler became dispensable in this personal system; he rarely issued written orders; fuelling the view that he was an inactive leader There are two approaches to viewing Hitler’s role in Nazi Germany; the Intentionalist and the Structuralist * Intentionalists stress that the essential political decisions were taken by Hitler. He was the prime force in domestic and foreign policy. So important was the leadership principle that they equate Nazism with Hitlerism. * Intentionalist historians: Hugh Trevor-Roper, Alan Bullock, Jane Jenkins, Bracher, Hildebrand, Jackel * They stress the centrality of Hitler’s personality, ideas and strengths. * Regard Hitler as having predetermined goals, especially in foreign policy * Saw hostility between rival groups as being resolved solely by the Fuhrer * Hitler as central to foreign and racial policy Structuralists stress the limitations on Hitler’s freedom of action as a result of forces operating within the State. They argue that, under Hitler, Nazi Germany suffered a leadership crisis. From the mid 1930s Hitler abandoned the normal business of government. He resorted to extreme working methods and lifestyles, a development which was commented upon by contemporaries. * Structuralist historians: Hans Mommsen, Martin Brozat * Saw Hitler as ‘weak’, failing to give clear planning and consistent direction, leading to the collapse of ordered government and self-destruction * Emphasise ‘institutional’ anarchy and leadership chaos. Power was distributed among many. Hitler’s own authority was only one important element Hitler ruled through his trusted henchman but could not ignore his dependence on the traditional elites * A radical purge of the civil service would jeopardise this relationship * The government cabinet did not operate, so the Reich Chancellery co-ordinated events, although Hitler only made decisions when absolutely necessary * Hitlerâ €™s government can be described as ‘polycratic’, where his authority was only one element * However, Hitler still expected total loyalty and that all power rested with him * There are no examples of major policy decisions by Hitler being successfully opposed by subordinates or the Party * It would be misleading to view Hitler as a weak dictator * Only about 12 people had easy access to Hitler at all times * This ‘kitchen cabinet’ changed over the years but always included; Goring, Himmler, Goebbels, Hess and Bormann. Hitler organised the Party, created its main ideology and masterminded its campaign for power * He was the dominant focal point and others accepted his dictatorship; he demanded absolute obedience * He also ensured his supremacy and unchallenged leadership by fostering an anarchy of rivalries amongst leading Nazis * Such rivalries enhanced Hitler’s own position as supreme arbiter * Intentionalists argue that the government’s c haotic structure was merely a result of Hitler’s ‘divide and rule’ strategy * Even the top Nazis of the ‘inner guard’ were not immune; Goring was denied access to Hitler and ignored in policy discussions after 1941 and Heydrich was sent to Prague when they became too powerful * Hess was assigned ‘deputy to the Fuhrer’ because he represented no danger to Hitler * Hitler’s purge of Rohm, leader of the SA, is the best example of how top Nazi leaders, even ‘friends’, could be removed from power if posing a threat * Between 1933 and 1941 Hitler was central to the regime and certain developments would not have happened without his authority; the SS would not have developed on the large scale that it did and Germany would not have one to war, as war was unpopular with the Army and top Nazis such as Goring * Ian Kershaw argues that Hitler had three main functions: â€Å"to integrate the many different and antagonistic groups , to mobilise the actions of his subordinates and to legalise many of the barbaric actions taken by subordinates† * Hitler seized the opportunity in the 1930s as European diplomacy collapsed. Hitler exploited the weakness of Europe and was central to the collapse of international order * Hitler’s non-interventionist style of leadership, born out of Social Darwinist theories, has been misinterpreted as weak leadership * The Nazi state would have collapsed if Hitler had died or been removed, as he integrated the divergent Nazi groups * The succession would ultimately have passed to the Army elites, who, more Conservative in their ways, would have most likely began de-Nazifying Germany