Keynesian Economics For American Fiscal Policy - 2241 Words

Pragmatism reactionarily stems from the excesses of its past. The realization in United States politics that increasing government tax rates would not solve the economic malaise of high unemployment and rising inflation occurred in the late 1970s. Thus began a movement in the minority of economic thought suggesting the existence of a prudent alternative to the widely accepted theory of Keynesian economics for American fiscal policy. Though subtle at first, these ideas of supply-side economics gained traction quickly and reached the national stage with Ronald Reagan’s Inaugural address and promise to end the troubles of stagflation and begin the â€Å"[reawakening of] this industrial giant, to get government back within its means, and to†¦show more content†¦The crux of Ronald Reagan’s economic policy, the tax cuts, paved the road for success in the improvement of the economy. The promised effect of an increase in federal revenues and reduction in the cost of c apital for America’s private sector necessitated the lowering of marginal tax rates that occurred in Ronald Reagan’s first term. The embodiment of these reductions and much of the credit for the economic rebound of the mid 1980s can be assigned to the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut Act of 1981. Reagan’s trickle down economics strategy held underpinnings in his belief that the nation’s wealthiest individuals and captains of industry had been disincentivized to earn more money from the oppressive tax rates of his predecessors. Accordingly, Kemp-Roth cut the top tax rate from 70% to 50% as recognition of the disproportionate financial capability of the nation’s top earners to reintroduce prosperity. Additionally, Kemp-Roth provided benefits to the affluent by increasing the estate tax exemption from $175,000 to $600,000 and by increasing deductions therein to further circumvent the re-taxation of hereditary wealth. While Reagan entrusted the top tax bracket with t he responsibility of spending these funds as part of his plan to end the prolonged period of unemployment, Reagan also included provisions in the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut that affected all workers by removing

Compare and Contrast Functionalist and Marxist Theories of...

Compare and Contrast Functionalist and Marxist Theories of Stratification Stratification is the separation of society into layers which are distinguished by unequal rewards and life chances and many systems of stratification have been based on slavery, caste and feudalism. Slavery, being the oldest and most extreme form of stratification, involves the enslavement or ownership of others. This ownership came about as a result of conquest, trade, kidnapping, hereditary status or the repayment of a debt. The classic example of the caste system is based on the Hindu religion, where caste codes have to be obeyed before being reborn into a new, higher caste. Feudalism stems from medieval Europe where the ranking system of status groups, known†¦show more content†¦Where functionalism uses consensus, shared norms and values and concepts such as order, harmony, cohesion and integration, Marxism takes a different view. The Marxist perspective concentrates on the differences between groups and concepts such as control, conflict, power, domination and exploitation. This is the theory based on the work of Karl Marx (1818-1833) in close collaboration with Fredrick Engels (1820-1895) over a period of more than forty years. Karl Marx felt that social class was the main form of inequality and saw only two significant social classes. He maintained that it was capitalist industrialisation that led to this two class society, the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production (e.g. factories) and the proletariat who became the wage labourers (working in the factories). The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another..... (Marx and Engels. 1848) He felt that the owners exploited and oppressed the workers and used force and ideology to suppress them. He also predicted economic changes that would ultimately cause class conflict. *Monopolization of capital (i.e. fewer people own more) *Homogenisation of the working class (skill differences disappear) *Pauperisation of workers (they get poorer) *Polarization ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Stratification According to Marx and Weber1163 Words   |  5 PagesSocial stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of individuals into divisions of power and wealth within a society. Social stratification relates to the socio-economic concept of class, consisting of the upper class, middle class, and lower class. Each class may be further subdivided into smaller classes through the main indicator is occupation. This is the most practical and most effective means of encompassing the wide variety of economic and social elements that go to make up a person’sRead MoreDiscuss Marxism and Functuionalism and Compare1133 Words   |  5 PagesCompare Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives Compare and Contrast Functionalist and Marxist Perspectives Sociology is a systematic way of studying the social world. It seeks to discover the causes and affects of intercommunication and interaction that arise in social relations. The science of society was developed as a discipline in the 19th Century by Auguste Compte, a French philosopher. For him, common sense and the obvious would not suffice; he wanted to build scientific theories basedRead MoreCompare and Contrast Any Two Sociological Theories and Briefly Evaluate Them.2079 Words   |  9 PagesCompare and contrast any two sociological theories and briefly evaluate them. In the following essay I am going to compare and contrast the theories of marxism and functionalism, looking at the topics of the family and education. Functionalism has a macro-structural approach to society. It looks at society as a whole and is known as a consensus perspective i.e. everyone agrees on social norms and values and people work together to maintain society. These norms and values are learned by socialRead MoreTheories of Education2587 Words   |  11 Pages------------------------------------------------- Compare and contrast Functionalist and Marxist theories of Education in Society. The role of education in society has an important effect on society by way of transmitting cultural values and contributing to the social stratification or class system. Functionalists also referred to as consensus theorists believe education helps stability and functioning of society, whereas conflict theorists namely the Marxists see education as justifying and promotingRead MoreCompare and Contrast Marxist and Weberian Theories of Stratification1525 Words   |  7 PagesQ: Compare and Contrast Marxist and Weberian Theories of Stratification. The purpose of this essay is to compare, contrast and critically evaluate Marxist and Weberian theories of stratification. To do this effectively this essay must explain and consider the main features, claims and perspectives of both Karl Marx and Max Weber. O’Donnell (1992) defines social stratification as â€Å"the division of a society or group into hierarchically ordered layers. Members of each layer are considered broadly equalRead MoreSociology of Education1597 Words   |  6 PagesSociology of Education This assignment will compare and contrast competing theoretical perspectives on education process. Functionalism, Marxism and interactionist theories will be included. The definition of education is that it is a process or the act of gaining or teaching general knowledge; it is an act that assists in the development of reasoning as well as judgement and generally preparing oneself or others the intellectuality for mature life. Functionalism in essence deduces each part ofRead MoreKarl Marx And Max Weber On Social Class2038 Words   |  9 PagesTo start of my essay I will compare and contrast between the two theories of Karl Marx and Max Weber on the topic of social class that will be discussed widely. The inequality between people is the basis of the democratic system, which is â€Å"a political system†. It is said that â€Å"those who have the skills and abilities to perform and produce will succeed in life.† But this belief is the assumption that all people are given equal opportunities and advantages. During the 19th century Karl Marx and MaxRead MoreSociology Essay20437 Words   |  82 PagesRelationships Unit 1.7 Social Policy and the Future of Families and Households Module 2 Education Unit 2.1 Introduction to the Sociology of Education Unit 2.2 Developments in Education from the 19th Century to 1997 Unit 2.3 Sociological Theories of Education Unit 2.4 Social Class and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.5 Gender and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.6 Ethnicity and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.7 Government Policy and Education Unit 2.8 Researching Education Module 3 SociologicalRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagestransformations in where humans lived, how they earned their livings, and their unprecedented ability to move about the globe. Moya and McKeown set the patterns of migration in the twentieth century against those extending back millennia, and they compare in imaginative ways the similarities and differences among diverse flows in different geographical areas and across ethnic communities and social strata. They consider not only the nature, volume, and direction of migrant movements motivated primarily

Relationship between a model and Similitude Free Essays

Relationship between a model and Similitude For a model, similitude is achieved when testing conditions are created such that the test results are applicable to the real design. There are some criteria that are required to achieve similitude; 1 . Geometric similarity – The model is the same shape as the application (they are usually scaled). We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between a model and Similitude or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2. Kinematic similarity – Fluid flow of both the model and real application must undergo similar time rates of change motions. (Fluid streamlines are similar). 3. Dynamic similarity – Ratios of all forces acting on orresponding fluid particles and boundary surfaces in the two systems are constant.The application is analyzed in order to satisfy the conditions; 1 . All parameters required to describe the system are Identified using principles from continuum mechanics. 2. Dimensional analysis is used to express the system with as few Independent variables and as many dimensionless parameters as possible. 3. The values of the dimensionless parameters are held to be the same for both the scale model and application. This can be done because they are dimensionless and will ensure dynamic similitude between the model and the application. The resulting equations are used to derive scaling laws which dictate model testing conditions. However, it is often impossible to achieve strict similitude during a model test. The greater the departure from the application’s operating conditions, the more difficult achieving similitude is. Similitude is a term used widely in fracture mechanics relating to the strain life approach. Under given loading onditions the fatigue damage in an unnotched specimen is comparable to that of a notched specimen. Similitude suggests that the component fatigue life of the two objects will also be similar. One example that we can give here Is the. Pipe friction apparatus has been designed for students to measure pipe friction losses for laminar and turbulent flows. For laminar flow study, an elevated head tank Is used for water supply, whilst for turbulent flow; the supply is from the Hydraulics Bench using oses with rapid action hose coupling. Students may control the flow rate of water by adjusting the flow regulator valve. The test section is connected to manometers via pressure tapplngs. The purpose (objectives) doing this experiment are; Measurement of the pressure loss for laminar flow Measurement of the pressure loss for turbulent flow Determination of the critical Reynolds’ number Measurements using a tube manometer Measurements using a mercury U tube manometer Reynolds number in pipe friction Pressure drops seen for fully developed flow of fluids through pipes can be predicted 1 OF2 uslng tne Moody Olagram wnlcn plots tne Darcy-welsoacn Trlctlon Tactor T against Reynolds number Re and relative roughness. The diagram clearly shows the laminar, transition, and turbulent flow regimes as Reynolds number increases. The nature of pipe flow is strongly dependent on whether the flow is laminar or turbulent. using the Moody diagram which plots the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor f against Reynolds number Re and relative roughness . The diagram clearly shows the laminar, How to cite Relationship between a model and Similitude, Papers

Seven Steps to Project Planning free essay sample

Seven Steps of Project Planning April Willochell Project Management Every project is an opportunity to produce something new, to make a real difference. You can introduce change, increase productivity, enhance capabilities of your company or of a client or build new relationships. Seven steps are essential to success in organizations that simultaneously manage multiple initiatives. Effectiveness begins with good pre-project planning plus an understanding of what a project is and what can be at stake. Consistently following these seven key steps can directly improve a company’s operations, profitability and sanity. The first step is a setting goals phase. â€Å"During this stage the teams responsible for the project are assigned and a brief is provided containing information on what the project hopes to achieve and what approach will be taken to complete various actions required. Additionally, this stage usually leads to the appointed of a project manager and executive in charge who with the help of the team start to plan the next step. We will write a custom essay sample on Seven Steps to Project Planning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † (7 Steps, 2013) In this stage all stakeholders should state their needs and how they would like them to be fulfilled. Ultimately, this is the goal setting phase. The next step would be initiating the process. This means that a team would be assembled and the overall project is outlined to detailed specifications. This includes strategic planning, like how long the project will take, how many steps will take place, and what tools will be needed to execute the project. Deciding how the project will be controlled is the third step. This step is also called directing the project. This means that the organization that is controlling the project is defined. Also, all organizations within the company that will be involved are determined. This part of the planning process will determine who receives reports and makes final decisions in the planning process. â€Å"This step is about developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that identifies the low-level tasks and activities required for doing project work and producing the deliverables. The WBS is a critical piece of the project planning process because it defines how tasks will be structured and what dependencies will be created. It is also used for setting up urations, task assignments, resource requirements, and cost estimates. † (The Planning Process, 2013) The control stage is the fourth stage. â€Å"You must develop a project strategy that follows the mission and outlines the high-level actions for implementing the project objectives. You must develop a project strategy that follows the mission and outlines the high-level actions for implementing the project objectives. â⠂¬  (The Planning Process, 2013) This process will let the team know who will need to sign off for what processes in the project. This stage will also let the team know where potential problems may arise and if they do how they should be dealt with. This stage is very important in the planning process. The fifth stage of project planning is setting up boundaries for each stage of the project. This is basically setting up deadlines for each stage of the project. If a stage is not met, there also needs to be backup plan on how the plan will play out in this event. This stage also determines how each stage will close and the steps following that closing. â€Å"The penultimate stage is the management of product delivery. In this step the project manager works with team managers to ensure that a set of formal requirements are created for every piece of work contained in the project. Essentially if this is done correctly all of the work should be delivered on time and to a suitable standard. † (7 Steps, 2013) This sixth stage is to make sure that all paperwork is in order, the project and its product follow all regulations, and all parts are in working order. This is basically, a quality control stage. The seventh and final stage is the closing stage. This step is the risk management assessment part of the planning process. Project managers and their teams must identify all the risks in their project and discuss the alternatives. The plan will be reviewed, discussed, and any potential changes will be made. Once all seven steps are followed accurately a project plan should be planned perfectly and executed just as well. Resources 7 Steps to Project Planning. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 from http://EzineArticles. com/4767743 The Planning Process. Retrieved on January 18, 2013 from

Essay 3 Draft 2 Essays (1500 words) - Social Media, Articles

Matthew Screws English 1101 J. Boals November 27th, 2018 Social media is a great tool that can be used to connect people and information all around the world with the click of a button. Three billion people, around 40 percent of the world's population, use online social media and we're spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting, and updating on these platforms. What makes social networking websites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks. While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends who are users of the system are also. Profiles are unique pages where one can "type oneself into being" (Sunden, p. 3). People use social media to vent about everything from customer service to politics, but the downside to this is that our feeds often resemble an endless stream of stress. With more than eighty one perc ent of the world using social media there is bound to be people who experience negative health effects from it. Of these negative health effects, I will be discussing depression, poor sleeping patterns, and addiction. What can I post to get the most likes? What can I do to gain more followers? These are the questions people ask themselves constantly when deciding what to post on social media. Social networking sites have become a very important aspect in student's life. Internet use has grown considerably in the last decade; the majority of young adults uses the internet daily if not more so (Lenhart Madden, Lenhart, Madden, Hitlin, Sun et al.). The likes, comments, and notifications we receive from these posts create positive feelings of acceptance. Whenever you are engaging in social media all of these things cause our brain to release dopamine to make us feel good about ourselves. However, whenever this is gone it causes the user to feel sad and lonely. Adolescents who are connected to social media at bedtime may struggle to settle down and relax due to feeling upset and disconnected when they cannot use social media and/or worry about missing out on new messages. Recent studies show a link be tween insufficient sleep and mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and suicidality (Seo, Kim, Yang, Hong, Woods Scott,). This leads to people being depressed because they feel as if they are lacking the number of engagements they need. Depression can also stem from seeing people on social media living a life you perceive better than your own. This creates doubts in your mind that your life is up to par with others you see. You might not have the latest most fashionable clothes, and this makes people feel lesser than their counterparts on social media. With all the famous and wealthy people on social media it is certainly easy to find someone who leads a much more interesting life. The truth is most of the things portrayed on social media are not as they seem and there are many things one can do to make it seem as if they are living a life which they are not. Other than depression another negative impact is the way social media effects sleep habits. Up to now, studies that directly examined the relationship between SM use and sleep have yielded mixed results (Garett, Liu, Young, Levenson, Shensa, Sidani, Colditz, Primack). Even if you do not engage in social media use before bed just using it during the day can have the potential to alter your sleeping patterns. The platform thrives off constant updates and it can be hard to put your phone down and go to sleep with the constant buzzing and beeping from notifications. Also, the device you view the social media on itself affects your sleeping habits. The blue light from smartphone screens tricks your mind into thinking that it is daytime which in turn keeps you awake and struggling to fall asleep. In summary, it seems that the use of computers and mobile telephones, particularly, in the bedroom is associated with poor sleep habits, as variation in

Free Essays on Analysis Of Sammy In “A&P“

The story of â€Å"A & P† takes place in the 1960’s in an average sized town in Massachusetts. It centers on a young man named Sammy who is partaking in a seemingly ordinary day of work when three young ladies walk into his store wearing only bathing suits. The girls intrigue Sammy and bring suspense and controversy to an otherwise dull scene in an A & P market. Sammy’s opinion of the girls and the A & P go hand-in-hand, off setting each other, as he paints a black and white picture of a grocery store intruded upon by three wondrous strangers of vibrant color. The contrast illustrates the generation gap very effectively. The girls give Sammy an opportunity to express his typical 19-year-old mind-set and pessimistic views of his surroundings in an almost rebellious manner, exposing his desires for a more stimulating lifestyle. Sammy illustrates these outlooks in his portrayal of the girls, the customers, and lifestyle of the townspeople. Sammy’s attitude towards the girls is that of any typical 19-year-old male. He is very critical of their bodies and takes close notice of their beauty as well as their flaws. He is especially drawn to the girl he refers to as â€Å"Queenie†. He views her as the leader of the group and describes her in an admiring and lustful way calling her â€Å"more than pretty† and making a reference to â€Å"the two smoothest scoops of vanilla†¦Ã¢â‚¬  her chest. Sammy’s depictions of the girls are chauvinistic at times, which relays back to his being a lively young man. It is this intrigue with Queenie, borderline infatuation even, which ultimately determines the outcome of the story. His portrayal of the older customers illustrates the dogmatic routine of the townspeople and his contempt for them. Sammy refers to the customers as sheep, which indicates that he thinks they are mindless and unable to think for themselves. His descriptions of them give the story a dreary feel, which in due course clashe... Free Essays on Analysis Of Sammy In â€Å"A&Pâ€Å" Free Essays on Analysis Of Sammy In â€Å"A&Pâ€Å" The story of â€Å"A & P† takes place in the 1960’s in an average sized town in Massachusetts. It centers on a young man named Sammy who is partaking in a seemingly ordinary day of work when three young ladies walk into his store wearing only bathing suits. The girls intrigue Sammy and bring suspense and controversy to an otherwise dull scene in an A & P market. Sammy’s opinion of the girls and the A & P go hand-in-hand, off setting each other, as he paints a black and white picture of a grocery store intruded upon by three wondrous strangers of vibrant color. The contrast illustrates the generation gap very effectively. The girls give Sammy an opportunity to express his typical 19-year-old mind-set and pessimistic views of his surroundings in an almost rebellious manner, exposing his desires for a more stimulating lifestyle. Sammy illustrates these outlooks in his portrayal of the girls, the customers, and lifestyle of the townspeople. Sammy’s attitude towards the girls is that of any typical 19-year-old male. He is very critical of their bodies and takes close notice of their beauty as well as their flaws. He is especially drawn to the girl he refers to as â€Å"Queenie†. He views her as the leader of the group and describes her in an admiring and lustful way calling her â€Å"more than pretty† and making a reference to â€Å"the two smoothest scoops of vanilla†¦Ã¢â‚¬  her chest. Sammy’s depictions of the girls are chauvinistic at times, which relays back to his being a lively young man. It is this intrigue with Queenie, borderline infatuation even, which ultimately determines the outcome of the story. His portrayal of the older customers illustrates the dogmatic routine of the townspeople and his contempt for them. Sammy refers to the customers as sheep, which indicates that he thinks they are mindless and unable to think for themselves. His descriptions of them give the story a dreary feel, which in due course clashe...

Product Innovation on Firm Performance Research Paper

Product Innovation on Firm Performance - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is product innovation as the introduction of a new product in the market that uses different technology and has a higher utility for the consumer than the existing products. In the contemporary competitive environment, a business requires to maintain leverage in relation to its competitors through ensuring that consumer loyalty is maintained and hence a greater market share. Precautions should be observed during product innovations since the process may have a positive or negative impact on the existing product categories. They may result in a greater market share, cannibalism and destabilization of products. Nevertheless, the significance of product innovation can not be ignored. This study explores the positive relationship between product innovation and firm performance. Aboulnasr et al. established that innovation originates from the application of creative ideas to develop marketable products from the existing ones. This process begins through inventi on whereby the new ideas are generated in relation to the performance targets of business. Products usually have a life cycle that decreases over time and requires enhancement through constant innovations to maintain competitiveness in the market. Kim & Huang noted that innovations can be accomplished through development of fresh knowledge or new products in the market that increases a firm’s leverage through increased profits and consumer satisfaction. Customer preferences change with time and therefore continuous assessment of the market is needed. Innovations targeted at consumer satisfaction depend on research that helps managers to determine market dynamics in terms of consumer preferences. Studies indicate that innovativeness leads to improved quality of products and services (Lee 2010). Any invention in business is focused on the improvement of the current product in the market. Innovations emerge from understanding of the need to change the prevailing product quality to match market demand. Radical changes need to enhance product quality and to strengthen its competitiveness in the market. Firms engage in research and development to identify the gaps that hamper profitability. It also assists them to identify the strategic responses to competition. Strategic response is a continuous process that involves decision making and analyzing a firm’s strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In many situations, a firm capitalizes on its strengths and takes opportunity of the competitor’s weaknesses. With this regard, innovation is necessary to keep an organization abreast with the prevailing market circumstances hence a greater capacity to cope with competition (Kim & Huang 2011). Innovations allow product differentiation giving consumers an array of products to choose from. An organization is able to serve a

Key Concepts within poststructuralist feminist analyses Essay

Key Concepts within poststructuralist feminist analyses - Essay Example Feminist activists are constantly looking for way of articulating power inequalities in society especially for those who have been undermined in the past. (Lather, 1991) Post structuralism comes in different forms; consequently, the manner in which the different forms are practiced also varies. However, these forms have three major concepts in common and they include; meaning, subjectivity and language. Besides the latter three elements, post structuralism forms are also related in the manner in which they attempt to deconstruct. There is always an examination into the way society perceives certain realities and then a disruption of these perceptions. In other words, there is always a tendency to disrupt these socially constructed systems. Different forms of post structuralism have challenged social constructs and they have an attribute of controversy about them. One of the forms of post structuralism is feminism post structuralism. This form can be analysed through the following three concepts and then applied in education Through language, feminism post structuralism analyses can be applied in education. This is because one can be able to under social power, social meaning, social organisation and individual consciousness. Language is therefore a site for constructing social meaning. Language is a medium that facilitates the way individuals can live through the way it gives meaning to individual’s social discourses. Language gives meaning to the world and also allows individuals certain forms of subjectivity. In the field of education; especially higher education, one can understand how women use language as method of showing their discontent with society. Subjectivity may be regarded as a site for conflict and disunity as perceived by feminism post structuralists. Humanist subjects differ and are unique in their own identities. Consequently, the notion that human subjects are static, stable or rational is in strong opposition to this feminism

Relationship between Women and Early Cinema Essay

Relationship between Women and Early Cinema - Essay Example It was said that films embody a complex historical, cultural, and aesthetic relationship which the effect of each result in the other's development (Knopt 2005, p. 37). The cinema is hence not just a social tool that provides entertainment, but also one in which the cultural and social aspects of society are reflected. It promotes intents and clamors for what must be geared for by people in general. It may be inferred that the cinema has a model of attraction in which the audience is significantly drawn into. This attraction provides a relationship between the viewer and the film, in which a relationship between the cinema and its connection to the era's entertainments and expositions of technologies are highlighted (Strauven 1999, p. 121). What this concept implies is that there was indeed a cinema which offered viewers a specific pleasure, a pleasure characterized by different degrees - from the plot itself to the dresses and clothing of the cast. A cinema of attractions, like the early cinema, addresses the viewers directly and become the privileged recipients of the pleasures. By its very nature, narrative cinema relegates the viewer to the safe position of observer-voyeur (Strauven 1999, p. 121), in which the viewers are given the privilege to peek closely at the physical characteristics of characters, their motives, behavior, facial expressions, and even the manner of dres sing. The film spectacle is thus an act of showing which presents sudden bursts of presentations created for pleasure of immediate vision-apparition (Strauven 1999, p. 122). This conception is grounded on the fact that the camera is able to see and conceive things and the world differently. It was posited that the machinery of cinema involves powers and qualities that allow it to become an attraction machine, in which attraction itself is a corroborative idea that is enduringly present in its heart. Historians agree that during the first few decades of the cinema, a spectacular, direct, and exhibitionist model was created making it a vision machine that offer marvelous visions. It is clear that women and fashion were two dominant elements in early cinema, existing hand in hand with each other as they inflict new values among the viewers. There was no lead actress that dressed poorly unless her role asked for it, which eventually transforms her to a beautiful girl in high fashion. The women depicted were young ones, attributing to the important connection between youth and eroticism and the corresponding cut of clothing necessary to reveal this eroticism. Looking good is essential in this pursuit in which it is necessary to cast beautiful women with beautiful bodies characterised with slim waists and large breasts which early cinema was accounted for. As we have posited that the cinema in general provides observation and voyeurism, a beautiful face and body are hence important ingredients of these aspects, in which fashion and good dressing are likewise contributory factors. The cinema affects the viewed in a sense that it tends to promote all these aforemen tioned which the viewers easily adopt and create as a form of fashion style. Certain approaches to courtship, dating and sex are also promoted by the cinema as a form of mass media affecting the habits and values of people in its usage of beautiful erotic bodies and equally good dressing of women characters. Eroticism is the

The Strengths and Weakness of Affirmative Action

The Strengths and Weakness of Affirmative Action Affirmative action was formed more than fifty years ago during the Civil Rights movement with the goal of everyone having the same chances in life. A lot has changed since then. So why are we still trying to make up for past sins? Are the people who are benefiting from affirmative action today the ones who were harmed and discriminated against in the past? No. The race card should not be used in an academic environment and diversity should not put a more qualified applicant on the side lines. Academics should be the determining factor for college admissions not race. According to Kristina Crawley and Tony Magart, Affirmative action is a program built on racial discrimination, all the while claiming to fight it. In order for a student to achieve advancement other students are unjustly discriminated against or punished. Colleges should be looking at the accomplishments of the students, not what ethnicity they were born. Colleges even post the percentages of each minority attending their schools on their websites. Is this supposed to sway students to attend specific colleges based on who their fellow classmates are to be? Does this guarantee diversity? Shouldnt students be looking at what the college can offer them to help them succeed in life? They have their whole lives ahead of them. The primary problem with affirmative action in colleges is it has failed to bring about a major goal to ease racial tension and lessen the color consciousness of college students. The actual results have had the opposite effect. According to Mr. Roberts, Affirmative action poses a conflict between two cherished American principles: the belief that all Americans deserve equal opportunities and the idea that hard work and merit, not race or religion or gender or birthright, should determine who prospers and who does not. How are students suppose to see each other as equals if they are not considered equals when applying to college? The message minorities are receiving according to Mr. Steele, Society now tells them that if they will only designate themselves as black on their college applications, they will probably do better in the college lottery than if they conceal this fact. The tensions continue to exist because the white student sees the minority student as undeserving and the m inority student sees the white student as racist and part of a group that works against furthering the minoritys ability to obtain a college education. Affirmative action creates reverse discrimination which is defined as Discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, especially when resulting from policies established to correct discrimination against members of a minority or disadvantaged group. This is the case when colleges are allowed to consider race when accepting college applications. Arent colleges actually practicing what the country is trying to eliminate; discrimination? Colleges dont see themselves discriminating against other students. They call it diversification. There are many ways colleges can diversify without using race to achieve those goals. There are minorities who have qualifications to attend college without affirmative action. Not all minorities are in low income areas which have less than desired school systems. What about those students who break free from the Ghetto? There are many success stories from minorities who have risen above poverty and became very successful. We want students who will succeed in college and have something to contribute to our education, not a free pass. Advocates of affirmative action believe that for better learning classes must have a diverse student environment. This logic is flawed. According to Mr. McElroy, Racial diversity does not necessarily lead to diversity of opinion. Students with different interests and talents make a campus life vibrant and ensure that a variety of activities are pursued. Race is a purely external characteristic and has no effect on what a person brings to a community. To suggest that skin color determines ones attitude or what they might bring to the table is racism in itself. Why does skin color dictate ideas or activities a person may pursue? Diversity is not determined by skin color. Society has been unfair to minorities in the past. Yes, our ancestors did profit from using slave labor. Affirmative action does not make up for wrong doings. According to Mr. Steele, It is impossible to repay blacks living today for the historic suffering of the race, demonstrating the absurdity of trying to make up for what our ancestors did. Society is discriminating against a new group now in order to compensate for the discrimination of one group in the past. What has been accomplished when discrimination has yet to be conquered? Why does the need for diversity have to keep discrimination alive? At Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, despite the ban on affirmative action, the new admissions policy still has the ability to see color. Instead of checking a race box officials look at the students address. They are able to see if the student lives on an Indian reservation or in the heart of Detroit where the population is concentrated mainly with African Americans. What has changed? They still see color knowing who resides in these populace areas. It does not matter that the people voted for a ban on using race in the admission process. The colleges are finding new ways to continue to act in the old ways of admitting college students for the sake of diversity. According to Mr. Connerly, If black and Hispanic students are rare at selective universities, the solution is better academic preparation, not special treatment in admissions. Every individual should have the same opportunity to compete. The problem is not about the minority students who are excelling but about the minority students who are statistically failing in the public school system. Statistics show that blacks who were given preferential treatment failed at elite colleges at a much higher rate than other races and affirmative action gave those unprepared students admission to those colleges. When a college uses race in the admissions process and then the students later fail is a real disservice to those students. The color of a students skin should not be the deciding factor. Society is creating new problems for minority students all the while trying to bring diversity to their colleges. A popular belief about why minority applicants are less qualified to attend college is they have not been provided the same opportunities generally provided to white students. This is true. The system in this country does not give minority groups equal access to economic and educational resources. This does not mean that minorities should slide into college without the foundation to succeed. If they are unprepared they are more likely to fail. It would be more sensible to find the source of the problem. School funding should be changed. There should be a system where low income schools get the funding they need to rise above the issues they face every day. Better teachers need to be attracted to these areas to try and make a difference. Yes this is a large order and will take time. No one said solving discrimination would be an overnight process. Armstrong Williams, a black syndicated columnist stated, There is a very real danger that we are merely reinforcing the idea that minorities are first and foremost victims. Because of this victim status, the logic goes, they are owed special treatment. But that isnt progress, its inertia. By putting minorities into the role of victims, we are not helping them to advance, we are holding them in place. Affirmative action places students in situations where their efforts are not measured but the color of their skin is. What does this teach them? How does this give students confidence and control of their actions? Is it more important to bring minority students in the classroom no matter how prepared they are for the sake of diversity? If you believe in affirmative action you believe some people didnt get a fair shake in life and need help. Whats wrong with helping the little guy, the one who hasnt gotten a break in life? Many students live in poor segregated communities and the only hope they have to leave is to better themselves at colleges or universities outside their neighborhoods. These students are able to get to the front of the admissions list just by their heritage. This doesnt mean they arent hardworking students and are just as capable as their white counterpart. Affirmative action levels the playing field for them, but is this really fair? According to Peter Schmidt, Proponents of race-conscious admissions policies have yet to produce a study of their educational benefits without some limitation or flaw. Many focus only on benefits to minority students. Others define benefits in nakedly ideological terms, declaring the policies successful if they seem correlated with the adoption of liberal views. A large share relies on survey data that substitute subjective opinions for an objective measurement of learning. Advocates of affirmative action argue that it is unfair to demand more of the research. They feel no education policy has irrefutable proof of its effectiveness. There are other alternatives to achieve diversity without using affirmative action. In Florida, the public university system uses the method which admits the top twenty percent of each graduating class. Texas uses a similar program and admits the top ten percentage of each of their graduation classes. Colleges and universities must look further at both students and teachers if they want diversity. Checking off a race box on an application does not necessarily bring more diversity to the classroom. Using college entrance essays will tell the admissions official more than looking at his or her race. A student who has had extensive travels because one of his or her parents is in the military will bring more diversity to a classroom than the black student who has grown up in the suburbs. Teachers also can bring a wide range of diversity with more than their race. Even white teachers can have fascinating backgrounds that can contribute to their teaching styles. Maybe the teacher was in the Peace Corp for a period of time or was raised in another country. How do we know what a teacher can bring to the college by looking at race? There are many good and bad teachers in the educational system. The most important factor would be to find more qualified teachers to give the students a good e ducation and not put the emphasis on diversity. Affirmative action has made the admission system look too closely at race. Instead they should be looking at all the other characteristics about a person and their achievements. The color of ones skin should not define a student. If two students are raised in the same neighborhood and one is black and one is white how much diversity will the black student bring to campus? Both students grew up in the same environment but the only difference is the black student can check the race box. Race is an external characteristic and should not be used to push one student above the other in the admissions process. Affirmative action does not guarantee diversity. Nor does racial diversity automatically lead to diversity of opinion. Campus life is made up of students with different interests, talents and goals. Affirmative action does not bring diversity to colleges it brings discrimination. Students should be judged on grades, test scores, entrance essays and other achievements. Race should not become a factor because it is outside a students control. Works Consulted Marie, Gryphon. The Affirmative Action Myth. Fox News. July 14, 2004. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,125729,00.html. Alexandra, Aggor. Affirmative Action Does More Harm Than Good. Daily Skiff. October 8, 2009. http://media.www.tcudailyskiff.com/media/storage/paper792/news/2009/10/08/Opinion/Affirmative.Action.Does.More.Harm.Than.Good-3796293.shtml. Lynne, Varner. This Affirmative-Action baby. The Seattle Times. January 21, 2009. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21slug=lynne21. Independent student. Editorial: Debating Affirmative Action. The Daily Free Press. April 5, 2007. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21slug=lynne21. Kristina Crawley and Tony Magart. Bulletin Debates Affirmative Action Cons. February 7, 2003. http://media.www.gonzagabulletin.com/media/storage/paper375/news/2003/02/07/Opinion/Bulletin.Debates.Affirmative.Action.Cons.part.2.Of.4-363725.shtml. Marie, Gryphon. The Affirmative Action Myth. Policy Analysis no. 540. April 13, 2005. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3722. Hugh, Price. Fortifying the Case of Diversity and Affirmative Action. https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/hschein/www/readings/Pascarella-myths.html. Peter, Schmidt. Americas Universities Are Living a Diversity Lie. The Wall Street Journal. June 28, 2008. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121460672212612067.html. Ilan, Wurman. Social Science and The Failure of Affirmative Action. December 13, 2006. http://media.www.claremontindependent.com/media/storage/paper1031/news/2006/12/13/Opinion/Social.Science.And.The.Failure.Of.Affirmative.Action-2598560.shtml.

Courtly Love Essay -- History, Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, Courtly love was a code which prescribed the conduct between a lady and her lover (Britannica). The relationship of courtly love was very much like the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege. The lover serves his beloved, in the manner a servant would. He owes his devotion and allegiance to her, and she inspires him to perform noble acts of valor (Schwartz). Capellanus writes, in The Art of Courtly Love, â€Å"A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved†. The stories of Marie de France and Chrà ©tien de Troyes illustrate the conventions of courtly love. According to Capellanus, â€Å"Good character alone makes any man worthy of love†. In Lanval, the fairy lover chooses Lanval because he is â€Å"worthy and courtly† (Lawall 1319). Lanval gladly accepts the fairy’s love. He promises to â€Å"abandon all others for [her]† (Lawall 1319). Capellanus also says that â€Å"a true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved†. Therefore, Lanval loves his fairy lover solely. When the Queen offers her love to Lanval, he rejects her because his heart is devoted to his fairy lover. His beloved is one whom he â€Å"prized above all others† (Lawall 1320). Lanval desires no one more than his fairy lover. She provides him with â€Å"great joy and pleasure† that he can forego the other pleasures of the world (Lawall 1320). The claim she has on him is like that of a king’s. A good, chivalric knight should hold ladies in esteem. He should do all in his power to serve and protect ladies. Perceval’s mother instructs him to never â€Å"withhold [his] aid† from a lady or a â€Å"maiden in distress† (Lawall 1333). She says that â€Å"he who does not yield honor to ladies, loses his honor† (Lawall 1333).... ...hat is secret. Lanval, likewise, enjoys a secret love. In fact, if he ever reveals his love, he would â€Å"lose [her] forever† (Lawall 1319). Indeed, when Lanval tells the Queen that he is loved by a lady more worthy than the Queen, Lanval loses his beloved. He calls â€Å"his beloved repeatedly, but to no avail† (Lawall 1321). She leaves him once their love is made public. Courtly love defined the romance between a knight and his lady love. A knight must be worthy of love. A knight must be sworn to complete devotion to his beloved. He must hold her in high esteem and do all he can to protect her. A knight must desire no one above his beloved and the thought of her must continually be in his mind. Furthermore, courtly love must be a secret love; it does not exist within marriage. The conventions of medieval courtly love directed a knight towards servitude to his beloved.

Computron Inc. Case

Q1: How far does Zimmermann have to cut the price to have a chance? The cost of a 1000X computer for the European market usually consists of the cost to manufacture ($768’000), the overheads, a markup of 33 1/3% ($256’000) that includes the profit, research and development and selling expenses; in addition to these components, there are transportation and installation costs ($67’200) and finally the import duty ($153’600). Computron Inc. has previously assembled and manufactured its products in the US and shipped ready goods to Europe, thus having to raise the original US price in order to cover the expenses of the last component of the price, the import duty. Given that the company has made a strategic decision to build a factory in Frankfurt that would cover the assembling and manufacturing services for the European market, that consists of 15 countries, and given that the opening of this newly constructed facility is the 15th of September 2006; it is valid to assume that the manufacturing and assembly of the 1000X computer for Koning & Cie, AG, if the order is made, would take place at the local facility in Germany, rather than in the US. This factor eliminates the expenses related to import duty ($ 153’600) as well as significantly reduces the transportation costs. Moreover, knowing that the company’s policy has never permitted reducing the markup percentage in the European market and that Koning’s vice president in charge of purchasing is not in favor of purchasing any equipment that has a price of more than 20% higher than the lowest bid; subtracting the import duty from the original price of ($1’244’800) would b the first step in reducing the initial price to $1’091’200. The value is 4. 1% higher then $1’046’400, what would be the exact ‘maximum price’ mentioned by Koning’s official. If we do not take into consideration the potential for cost reduction from reduced transportation costs in order to make up for the loss in ‘before tax profit’ from 17% to 6% in the last year compared with the one before, the price should stay at $1’091’200. However, if the financial situation permits a further reduction in price, the price should be lowered to $1’046’400, which is exactly 20% higher then the lowest bid of competition ($872’000). This value should be final, because if Zimmermann will be tempted to further reduce the price in order to get the order, there is a very high risk of loosing on the image of ‘superior product’. Koning has made orders from Computron before and therefore they are well aware of the flexibility, accuracy and overall high quality of its products. Submitting the bid of $1’046’400, exactly 20% more then the lowest bid, would show compliance with the customer’s budget and thus will give a certain favorability to Computron, strengthening the already existing customer relationship with Koning and ensuring future contracts for products and services. Q2: What is gained by bidding low? According to a reliable trade source, Koning has a total of four different offers other than Computron. These are the four main competitors, three of which together with Computron itself, own 80% of the sales in the German Market. Since the original price, which Compuron is willing to offer, is 43% higher than the lowest bid, there’s a big chance Computron loses the sale. The fact that Koning is an already acquired customer of Computron is a major strength in terms of winning the sale. If Computron offers the lowest bid, Koning will definitely consider their bid. It is simpler for Konig’s to deal with a company they had purchased from already. Koning have experienced that Computron’s products are ‘flexible, accurate and of a high quality’ from their previous purchases. Bidding lower then the benchmark of a lowest bidder plus 20%, could possibly ensure getting the order, as well potentially maximizing the market share of Computron in the long-run. Furthermore, reasonable price is an important factor for Koning in acquiring this particular product and thus bidding low could be a favorable factor in this particular situation if we do not take into account the fact that Computron is already a market leader, so aiming to maximize their market share should not be of particular focus. The focus should be mainly on maximizing the levels of trust and loyalty with the customers. Q3: What is lost by bidding low? Zimmermann has calculated a price of $ 1,244,800 with respect to: markup costs, factory cost, 17. 5% of import duty and transportation & installation costs. The markup cost in European market was fixed for Computron at 33 1/3%. Considering the fact that sale in 2005-06 was 6% comparing to the 17% the year before, the company aims to increase the sales and profit for their current year. Meaning, Computron would preferably ncrease markup cost in order to increase profitability & sales. Although to have a higher possibility of making the sale to Koning, they have to reduce the price and recalculate their costs by much less than 43% of the lowest bid. This leads to Computron having to decrease markup cost, or eliminate other cost from the final offer to Konig’s. The reduction of markup cost will leave the company facing cash loss comparing to the amount the y’re paying for selling & administrative expenses, and the price their offering. Computron are investing 8% of the total markup cost in R&D. Research & Development has an effect on Computrons position in the German Market, whereas they have highest percentage of digital process control computer sales. Although, the company will have to invest less in R&D in order to prevent profit loss for reducing their price bid to Koning. Computron will go behind again in sales by offering low price, as it would be one of the biggest sales of the year, Computron would definitely increase their profit if they succeed making the sale with their desired price. Having to reduce the price will put Computron behind in their aim of increasing profitability. Furthermore, the lowest bid is 872,000, it’s too low for Computron regarding their transportation cost, and markup costs. It’s not an option for them to lower their price to that price. Even if they manage to reduce their costs enough to reach a similar price, it will affect Computrons quality image. As mentioned, they have a good reputation of quality and flexibility. Finally, if Computron reduce their price, it’ll be harder for them to have higher bids later in Germany, and especially with Koning, which have good experience with Computron. Q4: What is gained by bidding high? Computron’s position in the market and relationship with Koning seems strong. The price Computron ‘s offering represents the cost being implemented to provide high quality product that exceeds the customer needs. By insisting on bidding at the â€Å"normal† price, the company is actually setting a standard on their product price and the input on its enactment. As mentioned, Computron is aiming to increase their profit on sales for the current year. Bidding high in the Koning’s sale will prove the company stabilizes quality and performance. Koning will have no doubts of the price reduction, where elimination of cost could be related to the performance of the machine, especially if the price is drastically reduced. Computron is affirming their quality by sticking to their highest bid, although competitors are offering 43% lower prices. ’ Furthermore, by insuring the image of their superior product quality, supported by Koning’s opinion on their past machines, will add up to Computron reputation, and stronger market position. If the idea of quality and performance was introduced to Koning’s properly, and the fact that they provide them with after sale service, could convince the Koning’s to choose Computron over the competitors. If Computron wins the sale, they’d reach their goal of increasing profit on sales. Selling to Koning with a high bid and their quality will only provide the company with a stronger brand image and customer loyalty and respect. Considering their past experience and the prove of new good investment by purchasing Computron’s 1000X. Q5: That is happening in the market? It is predicted that the market will grow by 25% in the next several years. The market is valued at 16,000,000 dollars per year, of which Koning is a major part of, which leads to the conclusion that whoever seals deal, is likely to continue selling to Koning in the future. There worth of new business to come about in the period 2005-2006 is estimated to be worth 5,200,000 dollars, which includes; Koenig & Cie AG Frankfurt Plant$ 1,200,000 Dusseldorf Plant$ 1,000,000 Mannheim Plant$ 600,000 Central German power commission$ 1,760,000. Deutsche Autowerke $ 640,000 $ 5,200,000 The European market is in fact not so active, as Koenig happens to be the only major purchaser in the continent. Furthermore Computron hasn’t been receiving any major orders from big companies for their products; so far it has only been small businesses demanding Computron’s computers. It seems all the big purchasers already have what they need, and are only interested in post-sales servicing/maintenance/updates. The submission deadline for Koenig is 1st, August, 2006. Q6: What is the competition doing? Ruhr Machinenfabrik AG are developing a computer specifically for Koning’s bid, and their pricing is substantially lower than that of Computron’s 1000X. This is partly because they have an import duty advantage; as they are based in Germany, they need not to have this additional cost. This consequently allows for a 17?% price differential. This reiterates the aggressive nature of the firm. Up until now, they only engaged in the sale of general-purpose computers. However, their drive to increasing their market share is the likely explanation for such an aggressive reaction. Elektronische Datenverarbeitungsanlagen AG is seen as a long-range threat to Computron. They produce their product of a similar quality to that of Computron 1000X. In order to secure their position they sold their first computer at a break-even cost, and ever since then they have been selling below Computron’s price (by a differential of Computron’s import duty subject). Digitex produce a product of only a fair quality compared to Computron’s 1000X however uses a price cutting tactics/ sells at low cost (sometimes 50% below Computron’s). All the production is done in Germany. Their inferior quality has hindered their competitive capabilities. The rest of the competition is unlikely to cause any threat according to Zimmermann’s point of view. Q7: What is Koning’s thinking about the situation? Koning’s invitation for bids was basically for the reason of wanting to pay a reasonable price along with high dependability of the machine. Since the machines are going to be used for five years training, these requirements would best suit what its being used for. Koning wants to probably reduce the cost of machines used in training. It would be a good investment for the company to have five years training computers and still use it after for other duties, although the low price could be aimed to abandon the machine after. Requiring a machine specified for training wouldn’t’ have the same specifications in the computers needed for the on-line process control. Clearly the case showed the differentiation between having a flexible accurate machine, or a machine that is highly dependent for training purposes. Koning looking at the situation from a perspective which he wants o gain the best opportunity on having the lowest price for a training machine, even if the quality wasn’t as good as accurate machines needed. Koning already bought three machines from Computron, and are satisfied with the results of the machines performance and quality, and seems to match the requirements needed for their plants. The company is most probably now aiming to invest less in the machines they want to purchase, whi ch means having less concerns with the machine quality performance, as its not being used directly on their process. Q8: What is Zimmermann’s position as manager of the European sales? Zimmermann is in a rather sticky situation because it is imperative that he seals the sale with Koenig who is their most important customer and satisfies the buyer’s demands. However at the same time he must comply with Computron’s pricing guidelines. The pricing guidelines reinforce the customer perception of a high quality, superior and reliable product (diligence element). Furthermore a reduction in price in this case, will lead all future purchasers to believe that from now on, Computron’s products are cheaper and will automatically (wrongfully) anticipate lower prices from Computron in the future. There is no turning back. This situation is further accentuated with the factory construction in Germany. If the deal is not sealed, it is likely that that factory will remain idle for several months due to lack of business. This will have a devastating impact on their brand image. Lastly, and most importantly, they biggest strain placed on Zimmermann is from the competition. There are several competitors who have different advantages ranging from technological factors to pricing advantages. All want to make a sale just as bad. Zimmermann is going to have to address all of these, if he’s to seal the deal. Q9: What should Zimermann do? * Price reduction $1’046’400 (85. 4% of the original price) * Offer the price reduction + inform Koning & Cie, AG of the local manufacturing and assembly facility local support (opening 16. 09. 06) * Focus on absolute necessity of getting the order long-term business relationship & added credibility * Should NOT reduce the mark-up for European market (other customers will expect similar conditions with future orders) * Emphasize on Koning’s familiarity with the standards of Computron’s products affirm the quality

Education On Job Satisfaction

Assoc. prof. Dr. Ãâ€"nder BARLI, Research assist. Seref KURT, Yildiz ÇABUK, Koray MOLLAOGLU Department of Forest Industry Engineering, Subdivision of Industrial Administration, Black Sea Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. Keyword: Job satisfaction, Education level, Working in area of self-interest/education. Abstract The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of education level and working in area of self-interest /education on job satisfaction. The relationships between the variables were examined by two hypotheses; 1. Education can negatively related to job satisfaction if there are unsuitable some work context, 2. Area of self-interest / education is positively related to job satisfaction. To measure job satisfaction, a questionnaire comprising a slightly modified form of a popular job satisfaction questionnaire was used. The study was realized on 614 workers that work in four forest industries in Turkey and 258 usable respond were returned. Consequently, negative and significant linkage were found between job satisfaction and education level. According to the second hypothesis result, there is a positive relationships between job satisfaction and working in area of self-interest /education. Therefore, we suggest that managers should employ workers educated/interested with occ! upation of the organization. Introduction For the past several decades, job satisfaction research has been an important topic in human resource management and organizational behavior. Job satisfaction is one of the most popular outcomes examined in organizational research because it is related to an organization’s bottom line in a competitive market. Employees’ job satisfaction or dissatisfaction considerably affects firms’ overall performance. Job satisfaction relates to positive attitudes and beliefs towards several aspects of job or profession, too. (Organ, 1990) Until now made many definition job satisfactio... Education On Job Satisfaction Free Essays on The Influence Of Education Level And Working In Area Of Self-interest/Education On Job Satisfaction Assoc. prof. Dr. Ãâ€"nder BARLI, Research assist. Seref KURT, Yildiz ÇABUK, Koray MOLLAOGLU Department of Forest Industry Engineering, Subdivision of Industrial Administration, Black Sea Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. Keyword: Job satisfaction, Education level, Working in area of self-interest/education. Abstract The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of education level and working in area of self-interest /education on job satisfaction. The relationships between the variables were examined by two hypotheses; 1. Education can negatively related to job satisfaction if there are unsuitable some work context, 2. Area of self-interest / education is positively related to job satisfaction. To measure job satisfaction, a questionnaire comprising a slightly modified form of a popular job satisfaction questionnaire was used. The study was realized on 614 workers that work in four forest industries in Turkey and 258 usable respond were returned. Consequently, negative and significant linkage were found between job satisfaction and education level. According to the second hypothesis result, there is a positive relationships between job satisfaction and working in area of self-interest /education. Therefore, we suggest that managers should employ workers educated/interested with occ! upation of the organization. Introduction For the past several decades, job satisfaction research has been an important topic in human resource management and organizational behavior. Job satisfaction is one of the most popular outcomes examined in organizational research because it is related to an organization’s bottom line in a competitive market. Employees’ job satisfaction or dissatisfaction considerably affects firms’ overall performance. Job satisfaction relates to positive attitudes and beliefs towards several aspects of job or profession, too. (Organ, 1990) Until now made many definition job satisfactio...

National Park Service essays

National Park Service essays Topic: The National Park Service will continue to play an important role in twenty- first century society. Abstract: Those with a sense of destiny cried not exploitation, but preservation of Americas land. This belief created the first National Park and later the National Park Service to protect it and the lands that were to be added. The National Park Service will continue to protect the land and provide for the common good so visitors can enjoy the freedom of nature and see the unspoiled earth, as man first knew it. One country, one land bursting with life beholds the unspoiled beauty in Americas National Parks. Those citizens with a sense of destiny cried not exploitation, but preservation of the land. In 1872, Congress set aside two million acres of land to established the first national park, Yellowstone (Questar). Congress had vision to preserve the natural wonder of the land for the enjoyment of all Americans. It was called the best idea America ever had. Believing in this vision, Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to form the National Park Service in 1916 to protect the lands set aside by Congress. As the National Park System began to grow from 7.5 million acres of land to 80.1 million acres, measures had to be taken in order to establish rules and limitations within the parks. The National Park System contains some of the most important and largest natural preservations in the country: millions of acres of old untouched forests, wildlife reservations, lakes, and other natural beaut ies are preserved and protected as national treasures (Lovett 10). Allowing people access to the parks could harm the land in which Congress strives to protect. The question is how can the spirit of the land be preserved without taming it and is it possible to for the parks to be enjoyed and protected at the same time? The National Park Service serves the common good of the parks by ensuring that the c ...

Political ideologies in Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political ideologies in Brazil - Essay Example Brazil has become an important country not only in the Latin America but also in the world. In the Latin America, Brazil’s economy is the largest, and it is placed eighth worldwide by the nominal GDP. Additionally, it is currently positioned seventh in the world as per purchasing power parity. As of 2012, the country’s economy growth rate was 5%, and it surpassed United Kingdom’s though there has been a deceleration since (Kiernan, p.5). In light of these, the country’s politics tend to focus mainly on the management and improvement of the economy. To do so, two factions hold different views on the precise methods to improve the country’s economy. While one political group argues that only internationalism would remedy the country’s economic crisis, another vehemently opposes the notion. A statist nationalist is a political group whose ideology is that the government ought to control some areas that crucial to the economy (Almond, p. 45). Using the term, ‘interventionism’, and this political ideology holds the view that only an inward-oriented economy would improve the country’s economic and overall state. Some of the steps proposed by the group is that foreign policies ought to focus what will benefit the country first. The importance of interventionism, it is argued, is that the state corrects market failures while promoting general welfare.

Japanese Artists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese Artists - Essay Example Japanese – American artists have created their distinct identity in this regard. In the present essay, we will focus on two such renowned Japanese – American artists: Sueo Serisawa and Chiura Obata. Sueo Serisawa Short biography: Born in Yokohama (Japan) in the year 1910, Serisawa’s father was an artist. The family migrated to USA and settled in Los Angeles during 1918. Serisawa was inspired by his father as an artist. As he grew up, he got involved in California Art and adopted American Impressionism as his working style. Serisawa excelled in creating portraits, still lifes, and landscape scenes. Unfortunately, the date of his first art exhibition coincided with the date of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the incident of Pearl Harbor, Serisawa was fearful of forced internment by the US Government since he was a Japanese emigrant. From 1941 to 1947, his life was uncertain since he moved to New York to avoid internment while political tensions loomed all ar ound. However, after the War, Serisawa established himself as a painting instructor. He successfully worked at Laguna Beach School of Art, Scripps College, and Kahn Art Institute. He continued painting and teaching till his death in 2004. Critique and research: The art critics have highly appreciated Serisawa’s works and he has always been regarded as a talented artist in the sphere of impressionism and modernism. According to Susan Landauer, Donald D. Keyes, and Jean Stern, Serisawa was a significant figure among the California Impressionists and he considerably contributed in American arts along with other prominent artists like Mabel Alvarez, Boris Deutsch, etc. Serisawa’s modernist approach was well matured as early as the 1940s. However, both political and personal histories interfered with his artistic career and thought. In the later years of his life, according to Alissa J. Anderson, Serisawa’s works were deeply influenced by oriental culture, Zen philos ophy, and Japanese calligraphy. Moreover, considerable political influence too can be noted on some of his important works. For example, Serisawa’s Nine O’clock News is a masterpiece that shows a political statement about war using certain symbols and impressionist expressions (Landauer, Susan, William H. Gredts, and Patricia Trenton, 76). Serisawa and the California school influenced each other for a considerable period of time. Serisawa’s father himself was a Japanese artist, so he exhibited an oriental touch in his artworks. The difficult time of internment of the Japanese Americans by the US Government compelled Serisawa to leave Los Angeles, where he had grown up and learned the vital early lessons of art. However, later Serisawa admitted that those difficult days had rather helped him to mature as an artist. Analyzing Serisawa’s artworks, it ca be finally said that he has been a versatile artist, who excelled in making portraits, landscape scenes, a nd still lifes, along with complicated impressionist and modernist abstracts. Chiura Obata Short biography: Chiura Obata was born in 1885 in Japan. He migrated to USA in 1903. Initially, he worked as a commercial director and illustrator. He worked for the San Francisco based Japanese newspapers the Japanese American and The New World. He also worked as a commercial designer with Iwata Dry Goods Co. and Toyo Kisen Kaisha Steamship Co. In 1921, he became the

Capabilities and competencies.The scope of capabilities is not only Essay

Capabilities and competencies.The scope of capabilities is not only specific but its horizon is also quite vast - Essay Example SWOT Analysis 12 5.1 Strengths 13 5.2 Weaknesses 13 5.3 Opportunities 13 5.4 Threats 13 6. The Balanced Scorecard 14 6.1 Balanced Scorecard as a Measure of Strategic Capabilities 14 6.1.1 Translating the Vision 15 6.1.2 Communicating and Linking   15 6.1.3 Business Planning 15 6.1.4 Feedback and Learning 15 7. Resource Based View (RBV) 15 Appendices 17 Appendix-I: Tour Operator Market Share in Europe 17 Appendix-II: Four Perspectives of Balanced Scorecard 18 Bibliography 19 1. Capabilities and its Importance Generally capabilities and competencies are used interchangeably in literature, however in terms of business and organizational culture, the scope of capabilities is not only specific but its horizon is also quite vast. A capability is a fairly large scale unit of analysis which makes the organization and individual to recognize its purpose with respect to substantial outcomes (Dosi et al, 2000). According to Leonard (1992), â€Å"capability is the knowledge set that distingui shes and provides competitive advantage†. ... Therefore, organizational capabilities play a key role between human resource and the business strategy, thus making it a proactive source of competitive advantage (Ulrick and Lake 1991). (b) Organizational capabilities raise the competency level of individuals and reinforce positive values in the organization. (c) Organizational capabilities help the managing staff to formulate the business strategies basing on the strengths and weaknesses of the available manpower (Barney 1991). (d) These capabilities derive the required consequences like satisfaction of both the stakeholders and customers (Ulrich and Lake 1991; Yeung and Berman 1997). 2. Resources and Capabilities of TUI 2.1 Background TUI, abbreviated for Touristik Union International, was established in 1968 with headquarters located at Berlin, Germany. TUI is the largest integrated tourism group in Europe, lagging far behind its competitors with a turnover of about â‚ ¬ 21,866 million in 2008. Initially, it worked as Preussa g AG and gained a renowned fame in the field of transportation and industrial sector till 2001. This year, it became a 100% subsidiary of Preussag AG. In next year, Preussag AG was transformed into TUI AG (http://www.tui.com). During next few years, TUI developed and changed its production from industrial segment to a modern tourism and shipping company. The general credibility of the TUI is quite excellent and strategically today TUI is the largest and leading tourism and shipping organization of the world, operationally active mainly in Central, Northern and Western Europe while it has the networks across the Europe as well. The inventory of TUI

Effects of Mass Media Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mass Media Essay Media has slowly taken over each America’s life and has an incredible amount of power in the decision process of each American. On a daily basis each American listens to the radio, surfs the internet and watches television. For these same reasons, media possess a large amount influence on a decision made by an American. With all the tools and gadgets today, it is very easy to become influenced by the media. Over the past century there have been many new media developments that have impacted our society; although there have been many, the ones we will focus on are radio, television, and the internet. Radio began in the early nineteen hundreds and soon became very popular between every American. The radio was a mean of learning of news quickly and served the great purpose of entertainment. Also, in the early nineteen hundreds the word television was introduced and the first moving film was televised. This quickly grew and it began to broadcast in black and white. In the middle of the nineteen hundreds, the internet was first introduced to the American government and soon was used to provide efficient communication between government agencies. The radio, television and the internet were all created in the nineteen hundreds and as soon as they were available to the American public, they grew and developed into a large form of communication. In 1912 the radio became a common product found in each American home. Every year after, the radio grew in popularity. One of the biggest impacts to America was the use of the radio during the World War I. In the late nineteen-twenties the first easy to use kinescope tube was created but the image was very poor. In the early nineteen-thirties the first television studios and broadcasting begin to happen and it sky rocketed after that. It has grown so much into American lives that now every household has more than one television. Americans see television for entertainment, education and news purposes on a dai ly basis. In the early nineteen-ninety the first internet browser was created. The internet has impacted Americans in so many ways, to the point that it is now used more than once by every American and it is carried by most in their pockets. Without question, the media has grown tremendously and impacts each America’s life on a daily basis. Media convergences have been a huge facilitator. Media convergence is the way that one devise or tool combines different media types. One of the most common is the cell phones. In almost every phone you can take photos, videos, send text messages, view the internet, play music, check email and use it for its original designed function-to make a phone call. The next commonly used media convergence is the computer. The computer allows you to create different types of documents, presentations, monetary forms and it also allows you to browse the World Wide Web while listening to music and receiving emails. The newest media convergence is tablets. Tablets have the same function of a cell phone and a computer in a compact, lightweight, and portable device. For all the above reasons and with all of the named tools, it is very important to be properly educated about media. Learning how to access, analyze, and evaluate the media is very important when making an everyday decision because we either read something on the internet, watch the television show or hear a commercial on the radio. Not everything that we read, see or hear is accurate. In most cases, we are tricked into believing things by the bias show or commercial that we are watching or hearing. Due to false or head fakes found in the media all schools and educational institutes should provide some form of media literacy education just like math, reading and writing. This may seem a basic or common sense information, but many believe without questions what they see or hear. As the great nation that the United States is, it should properly educate its citizens about media literacy. The internet, television and radio have definitely impacted every American’s life. With the tools like a computer, cell phone or tablet it is very easy to be influenced by the media. Some of the influence coincides with each individuals beliefs and other will clash but this is something that has to be learned how to balance. In addition to personal emotion believes on a subject, a lot of the media will try to trick into believing false statements. It is every America’s duty to make sure that he or she has the proper media knowledge to be able to access it, analyze it and evaluate it before making a decision. References Lule, J. (2012). Exploring Media and Culture (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. Besley, John C. (Summer 2008). Media Use and Human Values: Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly; ProQuest Zil, Karen. (Mar/Apr 2002). Media Literacy: Television meets the Internet; MultiMedia Schools

Examining Perfectly Competitive And Monopoly And Oligopoly

Examining Perfectly Competitive And Monopoly And Oligopoly For the cause of enlarging our knowledge of Economics, we did this assignment. There are three main parts in it. They are Perfectly competitive, Monopoly and Oligopoly, which are really important in Economics. But not simple to learn in Economics study. The questions need us to draw graphs and use calculations for them. These questions would help us have a better understanding of them. Finding: 1.A number of markets are developing on the Internet. One of those market is eBay. Check out eBay at www.eBay.com and explain whether you believe that the eBay Internet auction market is perfectly competitive. Be sure to explain which of the six conditions of a perfectly competitive market are met and how. A: eBay is an online auction Website. Consumers use the Internet to research the goods they desire, then they look for bargains of the same products on eBay. If the products are available, a bid is entered and the winner of the auction eventually pays with her credit card. In addition to regular mail, vendors also use express-mail service to send the purchases to buyers if they choose that option. eBay is different from Amazon.com, another popular e-commerce Website, in that prices on eBay are set by the negotiation between bidders and sellers, whereas Amazon.coms prices are mostly determined by sellers. It is likely to Taobao, which is a well-known shopping website in China. ( http://baike.baidu.com/view/7777.html?wtp=tt, 2010) I believe that the eBay Internet auction market is perfectly competitive. Because it possess these four characteristics: There must be many and sellers in the market, none of whom is large enough to influence price. eBay have kinds of sellers to satisfied distinct demands in goods of consumers. No big firms control small firms. There is freedom of entry to and exit from the industry. Firms must be able to establish themselves in the industry easily and quickly. eBay sellers can entry and exit the business depend on their wishes. Buyers and sellers posses perfect knowledge of prices. They know the market and price well. They gain lots of information about that. All firms produce a homogeneous product. For example, there are many sellers in eBay have the same product, you can choose one base on service or else.  ¼Ã‹â€ Marcouse, 2008) Perfect competition requires that the following six conditions be fulfilled. In such a market, prices would normally move instantaneously to economic equilibrium. Atomicity An atomistic market have small producers and consumers on a given market, so that its actions have no important impact on others. Firms are price takers, which means that the market decide the price that they must choose. Homogeneity Goods and services can substitute perfectly, so all firms sell the same product. There is no difference. Perfect and complete information All firms and consumers understand the prices decide by the whole firms. Equal access All firms have entryed to production technology. If they wanted, they could free to entry or leave. Individual buyers and sellers act independently The market cannot have scope for buyers or sellers get together to have a overall view about the market price. (http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Perfect-competition#Requirements, 2010) Draw marginal revenue ¼Ã…’marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical perfectly competitive firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Is the firm in long-run equilibrium? Why or why not? Figure1 This is a typical perfectly competitive firm firm graph. It is loss. Figure 2 Yes. It is long-run equilibrium. Because there is a point that LRAC line, ATC line, MC line and MR line intersect. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate and international communications, including merger activity within industry. Go to the FCC website at www.fcc.gov and search communication companies and answer the following questions: What reasons do consumers and producers have for opposing the merger? What reasons do consumers and producers have for supporting the merger? Does the theory of a monopolist discussed in class and the textbook support the reasons stated in your answers to a and b? A: a). 1.A monopolist charges a higher price and produces less output than a perfectly competitive firm. 2.Consumers have less choice, because one product only be produced bu one firm. 3.High barriers to entry means other firms cannot enter the market. 4.Governments can earn heavily tax through monopolies. 5.Governments can nationalise the monopoly (make it public) and therefore can keep prices too high. 6.Government can decline entry barriers (which is not good for the monopolistic firm). 7.The economy may suffer as less consumer spending may happen because of high prices charged by monopolistic firms. 8.Exploitation of consumer price discrimination 9.Potential for inefficiency complacency over controls on production 10.costs because there is no competition 11.May lack motivation and innovation because there is no competition To sum up, these 11 disadvantages of monopoly. Consumers and producers have for opposing the merger for their own profit. (Marcouse, 2008) b). 1.A monopoly may produce at a lower cost than a competitive industry. This is due to economies of scale, which a monopoly is able to exploit more than a competitive firm, as the monopoly is the sole provider of that good. The ability to set prices at a higher level in order to gain an abnormal profit. However, monopolistic firms are not simply able to charge a price they deem fit for the product, since it is constrained by its demand curve. A higher price will result in a fall in demand, and that may subsequently lead to a fall in revenue (depending on elasticity). The majority of monopolies are belonging to government, so tax will be higher. It can give more money to perfect public goods. Consumers may like price discrimination as it could be in their favour. There can be more control and stability in an industry if a monopoly is present. If it is a natural monopoly, it would be suitable an necessary. Encourages spending on RD which may create better products. Some products and services are not likely to be produced without some guarantee of monopoly protection. Economies of scale can be gained consumer may benefit from a lower cost In conclusion, consumers and producers supporting it, because of these several advantages. c). In general, I think monopolist discussed in class and textbook support the reasons stated in my answers to a. Because from a and b we can know disadvantages of monopoly are greater than advantages. It harms consumers through charging a higher price and producing a lower quantity than would be the case in a perfectly competitive situation.And a monopolist is inefficient because resources are under distributed to the production of its product. ( Smith, 2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Draw demand, marginal revenue, marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical monopolistic firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Is the firm in long-run equilibrium? Why or why not? How does the profit-maximising position differ from that of a perfectly competitive firm? A: This is a typical monolistic graph. It is a loss. Monopolist can make a profit in the long-run. If the position of a monopolists demand and cost curves give it a profit and nothing disturbs these curves, it can make a profit in long-run. But there is no need to distinguish between the short run and long run for a monopolist. - a monopolist can make a profit in the short run and long run. - it can make a loss in the short run and long run.  ¼Ã‹â€ Smith, 2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° From these two graphs we can see, the Demand and Marginal cost curves of the monopolist are downward sloping. In perfect competition they are horizontal. But the maximizes profits point are the same, when MC=MR.(graphs from Smiths PPT, 2010) Oligopoly The organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an international cartel. Go to its home page at www.opec.org to answer the following questions: What are OPECs objectives of OPFC? How does it meet those objectives? What countries are members of OPEC? What percentage of world oil production comes from these nations? In what way is OPEC a cartel? What significant oil-exporting countries are not members? What has OPEC done to limit the effect of nonmember production on its own pricing decisions? A:a)1.In accordance with its Statute, the mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.OPECs objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. In a word, OPEC organization is assorting with members oil policy, and unify them. Then decide to use the most suitable way to protect their own or personally benefit. (http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/23.htm, http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/24.htm, http://baike.baidu.com/view/24477.htm?fr=ala0_1, 2010) (1)The member countries delegates of OPEC in the OPEC meeting seek unity of oil policy. And contribute to prosper the oil market. These countries aim at the international situation and marketing trends of oil. They have a discussion and analysis to decide the increasing rate of economics. And also control the demand and supply of oil. (http://baike.baidu.com/view/24477.htm?fr=ala0_1, 2010) b) 1. Angola, Algeria, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates. OPEC nations still have 2/3 of the worlds oil reserves. In April 2009, 33.3% of the worlds oil production, affording them lots of controlling in the global market. The next largest group of producers, members of the OECD and the Post-Soviet states produced only 23.8% and 14.8%, respectively, of the worlds total oil production.Since 2009, OPEC has ordered a production ceiling of 24.84 million barrels per day. At the end of 2008, OPEC had twice reduced the output quota by a total of 4.2 million barrels to 24.8 million barrels per day. In 1996, the members countries have 76.6% of oil, 69.7% in 2007. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC, http://www.hxen.com/englishnews/world/2010-03-18/103865.html, http://www.qqkqw.com/html/cyclopedia/ziyuanzhanlve/ziyuanxingshi/2010/02/23/152105199.html, 2010) Definition:1Cartel is a group of firms formally agreeing to control the price and output of a product.(Smith ,2010) In some markets, producing firms or producing countries band together, usually to restrict supply; this allows them to raise prices and increase their profits or revenues; the best known cartel is OPEC which restricts the supply of oil onto world world markets. OPEC countries, with less than half of current world output but with most of the worlds oil reserves, manipulate the price of oil by restricting supply. Overall, these evidence proves that OPEC did act as a cartel.(Marcouse, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC#Economics,2010) c). 1. The oil-exporting countries which are not memebers also produced great amount. For example, Russia have the second oil produced in barrels per day, just less than Saudi Arabia, 9,810,000 bbl a day in 2009. United States are the third, 8,514,00 bbl a day in 2008. China is the fourth, which is 3,795,000 per day in 2008. ( https://www.cia.gov/liabrary/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2173rank.html, 2008) 2.OPEC cannot control the international oil market. Draw demand,marginal revenue, marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical oligopolistic firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Explain why prices are stable or sticky in this model. What are the characteristics of oligopoly? This is a typical oligopolistic firm. The graph shows total profit. A: 1.No incentive for price increases; Total Revenue will fall No incentive for price decreases; Total Revenue will fall 2.Mutual interdependence is a main characteristic of oligopoly and it may cause prices to be sticky. The market price incline to remain stable, or rigid, at the kink in the demand curve. 3.To maximize profits, oligopolistic firms operate where MR = MC. Because of the kinked demand curve, there is a range of MC curves which equal MR at the same price: price rigidity.( Smith, 2010) 1.Industry dominated by small number of large firms, but many firms may make up the industry; mutual interdependence among the large firms High barriers to entry Products could be highly differentiated each large firm producing a branded product Non-price competition(e.g 4 Ps) Price stability within the market-kinked demand curve Knowledge of market is not perfect,but there is potential for collusion among firms ( Smith, 2010)

Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the

Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the New World The European conquest of the new world was most commonly attributed to the superiority of the Europeans in all the facets of their confrontation. They had the superior weaponry, and were thought to have a superior intellect. After all, they were just bringing "civilization" to the new world, right? It sounds nice when you are learning about Columbus in grade school, but the traditional story is pretty far from the truth. The truth is that the Europeans, when they discovered this was a brand new world and not the spice islands, sought to rape the land for its gold and natural resources and enslave the Amerindians (native Americans), who were regarded to be less than human. One has to wonder why it was so easy for the Europeans to impose their will on the Amerindians. Was it solely because the Europeans were superior technologically and intellectually? Unfortunately the answer is not that simple. The Europeans were superior in those areas, but the bulk of the disaster they imposed was not what they knew, but what they brought with them, disease. Disease, on the epidemic level, is thought to be the major factor in the decline of the Amerindians during the age of discovery. Before I go any further, I feel that I should clarify the difference between the terms epidemic and endemic disease. An epidemic disease is a disease that enters into a population and completely ravages it. Epidemics are particularly destructive because they are usually diseases that have never been introduced into that specific population. A good example of an epidemic is the bubonic plague, or smallpox. Smallpox uncontrollably ravaged Europe for more than two hundred years.... ... the disease that accompanied an average race of people that made the difference in the conquest of the Americas Bibliography Crosby, Alfred W. Ecological Imperialism The Biological Expansion of Europe 900-1900. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ---. The Columbian Exchange. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Company, 1972. McNeil, William H. Plagues and People. Garden City: Anchor Press, 1976. Verano, John, and Douglas Ubelaker. Disease and Demography in the Americas. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. Cowley, Geoffery. "The Great Disease Migration." Newsweek Fall/Winter 1991: 54-56. Snow, Dean, and Kim Lanphear. "European Contact and Depopulation in the Northeast: The Timing of the First Epidemics." Ethnohistory Winter 1988: 15-33. Diamond, Jared. "The Arrow of Disease." Discover October 1992: 64-73.