Literatur review

Correspondence to this article should be addressed to Christian Magallon, Department of Psychology, University of California, Merced, CA 95348. Email: [email  protected] edu Abstract In the contemporary world, inequality between males and females in the workplace is becoming a critical issue. This has been often considered a part of our past and yet now in modern times men and women are entering into the workplace in equal numbers but women still face gender discrimination in their occupations, especially in managerial positions.There are certain limitations and restrictions that women encounter while in workplace. There is a common idea that people firmly believe, hat women are not suitable for upper division positions because they do not have the characteristics suitable for those positions. It is very important to understand the basic biases and factors which are deterring women from reaching their goals and creating inequality in a male dominated workplace. The main factors aff ecting gender inequality in the workplace which have been studied here are leadership, power and perceptions.Keywords: gender bias, sexual discrimination, workplace segregation Fiction This research seeks to support the fictive notion that gender equality exist oday and gender biases are a thing of the past regardless of current efforts to create equality among genders in the workplace. To increase understanding of factors affecting women this study focuses on: leadership, power, and perceptions. Throughout history there has been a struggle for equality. The suffrage movement and later affirmative action were efforts to increase equality among genders.As the economy of the nation changed to a more industrialized one it demanded more workers. While Men were at war, the demand of workers needed for war production increased. Women decided to do their part to help with the war efforts: taking over the Jobs left by men. This was a huge step for women, and the realizing of women's potenti al in the workforce. Women were now becoming more and more present in the workforce, diversifying the population of employees. The introduction of women brought with it new theories through research, assessing and further supporting the existence of inequality for women in the workforce.To further assess and support the existent inequality between men and women; research was obtained through a search on the University of California, Merced's library data base. Over 278 studies preceded using key descriptive words: women, power, perceptions, and leadership. Studies found support the differences within gender and the workplace. Looking in detail at studies like Roos and Brook (1981) that assessed data from the 1974-1977 that showed that women have a large earning gap compared to men due to sex segregated characteristics at an occupational level.The research showed, women mostly work at low paying Jobs and they are less likely to exercise authority in those jobs. In a related study on economics, Mano-Negrin (2004), showed a significant ncrease in participation of women in the labor market without a parallel decrease of gender wage gaps. Adler (1994) research results showed that men hold higher position, higher supervisory, and authority compared to women. Women have less access to power and authority at work. Policymakers and supervisor make equal rules for them but women exercise less power than men.Aviolio (2009) results showed a significant difference in the effect sizes for leadership interventions conducted with all-male and majority-male participants versus all-female and majority-female participant studies. Bosak (2008) showed in their study that women perceive themselves less suitable for high positions because the perceived notion that they do not associated with masculine characteristics of men. Research has served as evidence for change. Major developments include formation of new associations and legislations.The Association for Women's Rights in Deve lopment purpose is to strengthen movements that advance women's rights and promote gender equality worldwide (AWID). The Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 (EEOC). The Equal Pay Act was a law against reduction of wages that iscriminates due to sex. President Kennedy emphasized : â€Å"Adds to our laws another enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelope. â€Å"(EEOC) However, regardless of efforts it is clear that subtle biases of gender still contribute to discriminate against women in the workplace especially in male dominated workforce.Existential biases affect the prevalence of women in leadership, Job performance, and male dominated careers. It is important to understand underlying biases and factors in the work place that may hinder woman from reaching a state of equality among men in the workforce. Factors studied across genders in the workplace: leadership, power, and perceptions. Leadership and Power Let us first observe the two omnipresent notions that are leadership and power. It has long been understood and accepted albeit bias, that leadership and power are traits commonly associated with the male sex.Also, positions of power and of authority are linked to such generalizations. For example, this can be seen in the workplace where women are often segregated into professions that ultimately reduce the possibility of exercising autonomy and supervisory authority Oaffee, 1989). We see time and time again that women, when being considered for a position are subject to a bias comparison that subjugates their attempts at equality and fair judgment. The majority of the time the employers that are doing the considering prefer masculine gender characteristics to feminine characteristics (Goktepe & Craig, 1989).In their study, Goktepe and Craig found that interpersonal attractiveness and sex role orientation are both associated with the emergent candidate for the position. In this, we can see that it is of the utmost importance to understand what influences he emergence of a leader and note any difference between genders. So persistent is this notion of a gender bias that even women themselves cannot escape acknowledging it and even falling susceptible to its ideas.We see this recurring problem in several common patterns, one being that of women feeling vulnerable and out of place because they have no female role model in a position of power to revere. This lack of stimuli results in a reduction in chances of women to take on a leadership role (Carbonell & Castro, 2008). In Carbonell and Castro's study we see when confronted with a female leader model, for more than half the time women ake the leadership position, but when faced with a male leadership model the results are underwhelming.And, the men in that study felt indifference when faced with either model, signifying a common acceptance of male superiority or dominance. Other studies have also supported this disparity of ideas concerning the similarity between women and managers. In a study conducted by Brenner , Tomkiewicz and Schein (1989), we observe that men perceive successful middle managers as having those characteristics, attitudes, and temperaments more commonly ascribed to men in general than to women in general.Although the omen in this study Judged both male and female characteristics equally viable, it was only a function of change in the perception of women in general rather than a change in the perceived requirements for managerial success or even any perceptions of men in general. In other words, what has been perceived as approved managerial characteristics in the past has not changed. What has changed is how forward in positive and equally thinking is in truth very misleading.Yes behaviors have changed but sadly male managers still hold onto their original attitudes which involve a skewed sense of what the proper qualifications may be. It seems that blind ignorance may also affect aspects of occupational labor in the workplace. In the study by Cann and Siegfried (1990), there is a strong indication that the behaviors people recognized as indicators of a successful leader included those that are viewed as feminine. Leaders must be â€Å"behaviorally androgynous,† they must have the flexibility to exhibit both male and female characteristics.Thus, effective leaders are those that can appease an assortment of demands, and yet we witness the constant reminder of a societal gender bias implicating female characteristics as weaker and even less desirable. One can only wonder why some choose to ignore a possible fine addition to a firm because of a commonly held notion of gender superiority. Presumed notions of gender superiority in leadership qualities can easily be ascertained from many studies that have been conducted in the past, involving commonly held societal beliefs.But, these same bias notions of leadership qualities can be enhanced by certain workpl ace organizational climates. The atmosphere in which business involving the hiring of future employees or any upper level position is conducted, can be greatly affected by the pressures that are applied during that time. In a study done by Katz (1987), when put into a discriminatory setting the test subjects preferred to hire males. In the same study test subjects were put into a nondiscriminatory setting and the results proved to be quite interesting, the preference levels were almost equal between male and female candidates.From this information we can gather that a significant catalyst for discriminatory thinking is in part caused by the organizational climate that someone is in. Currently, sexual discrimination and gender bias in the workplace is alive and well. It is a widespread problem that is inhibiting many women's rights and allowing or an unfair advantage for the opposite sex. Most of todays research concerning this notion is focused on investigating the debilitating effe cts that negative stereotypes have on the targets of said stereotypes (Hoyt & Blalscovich, 2007).In order to move forward and overcome this bias and discrimination we must discover new avenues in which to employ a politically correct attitude towards those individuals of the fairer sex. Perceptions Understanding perceptions of society, focusing on perceptions of women in the workplace, helps increase understanding of the existent gap between genders at work. There are many factors that may contribute to the differentiation in treatment and appointment to leadership between genders in the workplace. Trentham, and Larwood (1998), examined the effects of power and willingness to discriminate in the workplace.Results show that people have a predisposition to discriminate against women. This study found that people in top positions of organizations had higher tendencies to discriminate against women than people with lower positions of authority. Individuals in power affect the dispositio n of a person of lower status to act in a discriminating manner often times going against own personal beliefs. The importance of this study is that biases exist against women due to perceived (1993) analyzes perceptions and attitudes of past events, and future measures implemented to reduce gap between genders in the workplace.Results show that men feel that past measures affected their careers more negatively, however both genders showed equal dissatisfaction with past measures. Men agreed with eliminating systemic barriers that limit advancement for women but where against preferential treatment. This clearly states that both gendrs have self interest in mind. Women want help to go up the ladder, men see that as a threat, therefore isapprove. Self interest conflicts held by men may hinder women from reaching equality in the workplace.Another study that looked at perceptions of leadership qualities in groups of similar gender was done by Prime, Jonsen, Carter, and Maznevski (2008) . This study looked at managers perceived qualities associated with leadership and gender. The study hypothesized that the qualities associated with leaders was more prominent in men than in women. Results show that in women respondents perceived women as more effective than men in: planning and role modeling, providing intellectual stimulation, and problem solving. Men on the other hand attributed that men were better at delegating than female leaders.Both men and women perceived and stereotyped women leaders as being more competent in supporting. The study indicated that both genders were attributing more positive ratings to their gender than the opposing gender. This study indicates that self perceptions also affect beliefs of self and others in ability in the work place. Perceptions of the meaning of equality are different among individuals according to their self interest. Other studies examine perceptions of gender and leadership oncerns in the workplace over time.The study do ne by Koch, Loft, and Kruse (2005) takes a look at changes in perceptions of women in leadership. With an increase of women in leadership the study compares the amount of change in beliefs now to the beliefs held 20 years ago. Results showed a tendency for gender association that went along with social perceptions; men were associated with terms: hard, strong, and aggressive. Women were Judged as soft, sentimental, and delicate. Although data shows a shift towards associating women with leadership; it is not significant as the orrelation between men and leadership.Despite efforts to close the gap of inequality it still exists in positions of leadership, small shift seen of women in leadership, is not dismissed. Perceptions of femininity in leadership Johanson (2008) seeks to find if prior conceptions of leadership exist between genders in perceived: conception, structure, masculinity, femininity, androgyny, and overall leadership ability. Results support the hypothesis that leadersh ip ratings were associated with masculinity and structure; the positive correlation between consideration and femininity was clearly supported.Leadership positively correlated with structure and not conception. The study indicates the importance of beliefs and associations of leadership without environment influence on perceived individual leadership style. This study proves that individuals still show a predominant belief that leadership is more closely associated with masculinity and structure than femininity and conception. Individuals overall continue to think of leadership as male oriented. For women characteristics associated with femininity are still not seen as positively affiliated with leadership characteristics.A study that demonstrates the effects of on the perceived suitability of women and men in leadership of failing or succeeding organizations. This study looks at the inequalities that women encounter when trying to advance in the workforce. The study hypothesized th at women are appointed to leadership positions when risk of failure and criticism are high. Results show that in general women are preferred over male candidates. The results state that the male was selected over a female when the company performance was improving. Women where often selected as the suited individual to take a leadership position in a ompany that was declining.This study shows that there is a clear preference of men to successful companies. This may be due to perceptions and beliefs of the individuals who appoint leaders toa position. This study looked at the suitability of both men and women in a management position Ted H. Shore (1992). The study focused on the potential of performance in managerial positions by assessing cognitive ability, Job advancement, interpersonal and performance skills. Despite women rating higher than men on performance style dimensions, they received lower ratings in management potential.Management ratings of both genders were comparable. The study results serve as evidence of subtle gender bias within the workplace. Stating that despite higher performance rates in women the actual advancement in the Job is the same as men of lower performance rates. The study analyzes perceptions of woman's interpersonal skills compared to men. Assessors deemphasized the fact that women outperformed men; giving more credit in interpersonal skills. A mismatch is perceived of women and attributes associated with management due to stereotypical and perceived views of women.Finally a tudy done by Wolf, and Fligsteing (2009)looks at factors that contribute to the unequal distribution of women compared to men in positions of authority focusing on education, experience, tenure, marriage, children, that help map how and why some individuals are in positions of authority. The study looks at composition of the workplace and situational beliefs of employers and women in notions of authority. The study assesses factors that influence Job charac teristics and allocation of male/ female in authority. The study concluded that men are given more authority than women in the workplace.The importance of this study highlights factors like traditional gender roles, personal choices, and self perceptions that affect the prevalence of women in authority. Conclusion According to McTavish and Miller (2009) there are both pros and cons to the modernization agenda. Reform and structural change have led to greater opportunities for women. Reform and modernization in organizational procedures have led to somewhat gender friendlier environments. However, there are paradoxes in the modernization agenda. It seems like women have to conform to masculinist styles of management.Many of the reforms are actually leading to re-gendering of job roles and procedures. (McTavish and Miller, 2009, p. 361-362). In the article Women's Leadership Development Strategic Practices for Women and Organizations Hopkins, O'Neil, Passarelli, and Bilimoria (2008) p ropose seven areas of leadership development practice along with recommendations in each of these categories for consultants and human resources professionals working with individual women and organizations. They state that leadership development positive outcomes at both the individual and organizational levels.They assert that esponsibility for developing the human, social, and political capital of women resides at the individual and the organizational levels. They also state that leadership development of women employees is a major business advantage to organizations. Also stressed is that principal importance must be placed on women feeling connected to the goals and objectives of the greater organization and conceptualizing a comprehensive picture of themselves as vital organizational partners. They also emphasize that consulting psychologists and human resources professionals have an essential role in helping women and organizations.They conclude that the assembly of leadershi p development that appreciates and addresses women's unique contributions will result in women fulfilling their individual potential and in organizational transformation, the two principal goals of effective, sustainable leadership development.

English Presentation Tourism Italy Essay

Good morning to Madam Teh and fellow classmates. Today, we would like to promote an affordable rate tourism package to Italy. We have made a research on The Most Popular Countries among Malaysians and we had Italy as the rank number one. So, that is why we decided to fulfill the people’s hunger to visit Italy and offer a low rate for the tourism package. The reason for people to pick Italy as their favorite country is mostly because of the sceneries. Italy, as we know has the most beautiful historic sceneries such as the churches, museums, historic sites and operas. If you think that Paris and Italy are almost the same, well, you are wrong about that one. Italy still has its historic auras better than Paris which has modern up a little bit. Back to the main point, the package included accommodations, transports, and food. So, you don’t have to worry. We will go from places to places by our tourism bus, sleeps in a very comfortable hotel and eat lots and lots of delicious food in Italy. You will fly with Air Asia on a 12 hours 31 minutes trip and land on the Fiumicino Airport in Fiumicino which is just 35 km away from Rome. Then, we will check in to your hotel, The Potrait Suites Hotel in Rome so you can rest and unpack your belongings in your rooms. After lunch at the hotel, we will bring you to some places in Rome. The first stop is The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. It is one of the most visited churches in Rome. The uniqueness about this church is the interior and exterior designs and the tombs of the well-known French people in Italy. Then, we will go to the Coliseum. Everybody knows The Coliseum, right? It portrays the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is also known to be as the place for gladiators contest. We will be having dinner at the neighborhood of Trastevere. The neighborhood is known for its restaurants. Furthermore, the view of Trastevere at night is very pleasant. Other than that, we are also going to take you to Venice. Venice is the second attraction in Italy which is full of palaces and churches. We have the Palazzo and Musica A Palazzo. Palazzo or more specifically known as Palazzo Venezia is a very beautiful place for you to capture some photographs for memories. The palace is magnificently eye catching. After that, we stop by the Musica A Palazzo. We will let you experience watching  an original Italian soap opera in the one and only historic place, Musica A Palazzo. Then, we head to San Rocco, the historical church known to be the grave of a priest there. At night, we will bring you to the Grand Canal where you can have a water taxi experience. The views from the taxis are very breath taking at night. So, we will spend our nights in the taxis and after that have a walk in the streets near the canal where you can shop for souvenirs. The third attraction that we would love to offer you is Florence. Florence is known for the monuments, museums and religious buildings. First, we can visit the Bargello Museum which is the Florence government building. Next, we can visit other historical museums such as Museo Galileo, the science museum. Then, we can take some photographs at the Giotto Bell Tower. After that, we can stroll at the parks and street known as Piazza. The prices that we are offering are very affordable for everyone because the package includes accommodation, transport and breakfast. There are individual, family and group packages. For the individual package, we already set the nett price as low as RM2000. As for the family package which includes 2 adults and 2 children, is only for RM6000 nett price. The group package which has to be more than 8 persons will be at very low price for just RM1000 per person. Affordable, isn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? Get your passports ready and make your reservations now. We will be waiting for you to be a part of this amazing journey. Thank you.

Professional Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional Development Plan - Essay Example In general, I would characterize my performance during the first year of my studies as satisfactory, taking into consideration the complexity of business management, as a field of knowledge. The first year of my studies gave to me a valuable lesson: existing skills, no matter their extension and uniqueness, can be always developed and improved in order to secure professional development in the long term. Communication seems to be my key strength. Also, the ability to prioritize activities and develop effective schedules would be included in my strengths. During the first year I’ve realized that I also have the following strength: the ability to identify solutions even under severe pressures. To the above, I should add my ability to keep my control and to take initiatives when immediate decisions have to be taken and where there is no time for checking all existing alternatives. Despite my strengths, there are areas of improvement so that I’m able to develop my career in business management: Primarily, I should improve my cooperation skills. Even if I’m able to communicate effectively I’ve noted that when having to work along with others it is often difficult to align my schedule with that of my colleagues. This problem in cooperation is possibly related with my weakness in meeting strict deadlines, especially when I am given no room for making suggestions and for taking initiatives. Improvements would be also required in regard another area: my ability to organize tasks. During the first year I was asked to participate in class activities, usually developed by groups of 4-5 students, and in personal tasks, i.e. in projects assigned to each student personally. I’ve realized that I had difficulties in developing tasks simultaneously especially since my cooperation skills are rather low, as explained earlier. As a result, I faced

Mentorship Preparation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mentorship Preparation - Essay Example In this paper, we would be discussing on the nurse mentoring a patient in a sexual health clinic. Integration of the mentor's role into the health care system has increased access to comprehensive health care in combination with the fulfillment of the client's need for prescription medications (Bailey, 1999; Le Bar, 1986). In the UK, resourcing issues such as a reduced number of doctors and the demand for the delivery of cost effective care, have led to plans to extend the role of mentors into prescribing as a potential way of meeting these demands. Nurses may teach individual clients in one-to-one teaching episodes. For example the nurse may teach about wound care while changing a client's dressing or may teach about diet, exercise, and other lifestyle behaviors that minimize the risk of a heart attack for a client who has a cardiac problem. The nurse may also be involved in teaching family members or other support people who are caring for the client. Nurses working in obstetric and pediatric areas teach parents and sometimes grandparents how to care for children. Because of decreased length of hospital stays, time constraints on client education may occur. Nurses need to provide client education that will ensure the client's safe transition from one level of care to another and make appropriate plans for follow-up education in the client's home. Discharge plans must include both information about what the client has been taught before transfer or discharge and what remains for the client to learn to perform self-care in the home or other residence. Nurses are often involved in community health education programs. Such teaching activities may be voluntary as part of the nurse's involvement in an organization such as the Red Cross or Planned Parenthood, or they may be compensated as part of the nurse's work role. Community teaching activities may be aimed at large groups of people who have an interest in some aspect of health, such as nutrition classes, CPR or cardiac risk factor reduction classes, and bicycle or swimming safety programs. Community education programs can also be designed for small groups or individual learners such as childbirth classes or family planning classes. Nurses are also involved in the instruction of professional colleagues. Nurses in nursing practice settings are often involved in the clinical instruction of nursing students. Experienced nurses may function as preceptors for new graduate nurses or for newly employed nurses. Nurses with specialized knowledge and experience may share that knowledge and experience with nurses who are new to that practice area (Courteney & Butler, 1999). Such specialized courses include acute care nursing, perioperative nursing and quality improvement/quality assurance. Nurses may also be involved in teaching other health professionals. Nurses may participate in the education of medical students or allied health students. In this capacity, the nurse educator is often clarifying the role of the nurse for other health professionals or how the nurse can assist them in their care of the client. The nurse may also teach health care colleagues knowledge or skills that are considered the domain of nursing. For a nurse who acts as a mentor, the areas for client education (NICE, 2002) include, promotion of health, increasing a person's level of wellness, growth and development topics, fertility control, hygiene, nutrition, exercise,

Ideologies in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and Thomas Malthus' Essay Term Paper

Ideologies in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and Thomas Malthus' Essay on Population - Term Paper Example Although the ideologies presented by both the authors tend to focus on the implications of the classical theory, there are certain differences that can be observed in terms of the ideologies presented through these publications related with human nature as well as freedom and morality. Focusing on these aspects, the objective of the discussion henceforth is intended to compare and contrast the views presented by Adam Smith and by Thomas Malthus through their publications respectively. Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ and Thomas Malthus’s ‘Essay on Population’ It can be observed that the early classical economists, such as Adam Smith as well as Thomas Malthus stated the fact that business cycles function because of alterations in population in reaction to the availability of the resources, capability of the capitalists to exploit the labor, socio-psychological mass associations, unanticipated business inventories as well as public confidence (Ma lthus, 1798). Ideology for human nature Adam Smith was of the opinion that the number of the labors within an economy is directly proportional to the wealth of the nation. Moving in-depth towards human contribution for economic wealth creation, he further assumed the fact that human beings can be motivated emphasizing on their self-interest treating it to be the most powerful motive in human behavior’ (Coase, 2010). While, on the other hand, it was opined by Malthus that increase in labor would restrain the resources within an economy acclaiming a diverse relation with the aspect of economic wealth creation (Malthus, 1798). However, with regards to the explanation of Malthus, a contradictory view can be obtained with reference to the statement of Adam Smith, where he narrates that capital can be stimulated by frugality and every frugal man is a public benefactor (Smith, 1776). In his words, â€Å"This frugality and good conduct, however, is, upon most occasions, it appears f rom experience, sufficient to compensate, not only the private prodigality and misconduct of individuals but the public extravagance of government† (pp. 280). As per the views of Malthus (1798), the economic condition of the person is likely to worsen with the pace of time majorly because of innovations making difficult to maintain a pace with the needs of the human population. Furthermore, it was observed by the author that the rate of population growth generally can be observed at a geometric rate unlike the growth of food production which can be examined at an arithmetic rate. Thomas Malthus was also of the opinion that capitalism generally leads to a disparity in the distribution of income apparently contradicting that frugality can be of great significance to overall economic growth (University of California Museum of Palaeontology, 2012). However, it needs to be mentioned in this regards that Adam Smith also did not render much significance to the aspect of frugality in human nature explaining a moderate inclusion of the aspect in the economic growth process (Smith, 1776).  

True religion jeans brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

True religion jeans brand - Essay Example With the high sales volume and increased profits, this industry remains attractive in the market. The transformation of the market structure through the change of numerous denim labels into diverse lifestyle brands has facilitated increased rate of growth and survival within the market segment. The existing increased potential for sales is immensely attributed to the lifestyles brands, development of brand premiums and safeguarding product cycle downturns. These factors define the market structure as superior and stable. Does True Religion enjoy a competitive advantage in the segment? If so, is its advantage sustainable? Discuss the sources of competitive advantage and use the VRIO framework to evaluate True Religion and its major competitors Yes, True Religion enjoys a competitive advantage in the market segment it occupies. The advantage is sustainable because of the three segments operates independent of each other with different market sub-segments. For instance, the U.S wholesale Segment sells the premium products to leading countrywide retailer outlets; the international segment distributes the products across the international outlet and the consumer direct segment serves the consumers directly through branded retail stores and e-business sales. The sources of competitive advantage include use of technology in enhancing sales and marketing service. The internet and web ads are used to promote the products to the well-heeled, fashion cognisant consumers. On the same regard, the True Religion Jeans takes advantage of the opportunity to create brand value over its competitors. Consider the following VRIO

_Management_and_Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

_Management_and_Organisations - Essay Example According to Robins and Judge (2011, p. 488), organizational structure refers to a specific pattern in which job tasks are formally grouped, divided and categorized and accordingly coordinated. Division of labor, coordination, communication and workflow etc are influenced by the structure of the organization. Organizations are structured in different ways such as flexible firm, the boundary-less organization, the lean organization, the down-sized organization, empowerment, outsourcing, networking and the virtual organization (Needle, 2010, p. 188). Marks and Spencer has previously layered its organization into several groups and thus considered an elaborate structure, but has recently eliminated a number of layers through the process of de-layering and adopted ‘flat organizational structure’. A flat organization structure is a form of organization with relatively few layers of management and is less bureaucratic (DuBrin, 2011, p. 274). Flat organization structure combine s a number of elements such as low degree of job specialization, loose departmentalization, few levels of management, wider control span, decentralized decision-making and shorter chain of command (Gitman and McDaniel, 2008, p. 190). Marks and Spencer recently reduced many numbers management layers resulting that employees have more responsibility for everything they do. A significant result of flat organization is that remaining managers become highly responsible with larger span of control with more numbers of employees reporting to a particular manager. The Economic situation of Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer operates more than 700 stores across the UK and more than 400 stores in around 44 countries across the Europe, Middle East and Asia (Corporate.marksandspencer.com, 2013). Out of its stores in the UK, around 350 stores are department stores that sell mid-priced apparel, food and household items under the M&S private label brands, including Autograph, Classic and Portfoli o. About 90 percent of its total revenues and profits derive from its home country- UK. Marks and Spencer is the market leader of women-wear, lingerie and menswear. Its market is rigorously competitive as it faces extremely fierce competition from its market players such as Tesco, Next Plc and Asda Plc. Marks and Spencer is a public limited company that sells medium-prices clothes, apparel, and food and home products. Since the 2008 economic downturn, the UK market place was turbulent as UK’s Gross Domestic Product in recent years was revised down, and the government faced difficult to tackle the deficit. Consumers across the UK have relatively better understanding of how to manage their household and spending in difficult times. Marks and Spencer, considering consumers’ concern about spending, implemented certain strategic steps such as promotions, and has found significant rise in its total revenues (Annual Report, 2012). Some factors like quality, value, longevity a nd versatility impacted the general responses to products and services offered by marks and Spencer in recent years. Consumers were found to continually invest in certain staple items looking for products that have longevity and ver

Civil War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Civil War - Research Paper Example Immediately after the war, Northern Union implemented strategies meant to ensure restructuring and integration of the Southern states into the larger confederacy. Historical facts from the war documents indicate that the Reconstruction attempts met stiff resistance from the southern insurgency movements (Jerry 34). The northern confederacy wanted to restructure governance structures within the south in order to end slavery. On the other hand, Southern states wanted to continue propagating and practicing slavery. In the middle of contentions was the black American population, who were enslaved and forced to work as farm laborers by white farmers in the south. In this case, the two parties strived to address their concerns, and this lead to a 12 year of Reconstruction efforts within the south. The entire civil war took place within southern states. Upon its completion, communities within the states witnessed substantial social, political and economic damages within their settings. The war ended after the northern Union defeated the Southern insurgency alliance. After the war, southern states, especially Louisiana became dysfunctional and riddled with social predicaments including poverty. Most white settlers in the south had lost their property like farm crops and processing factories to war destructions. In addition, most families in the south had their men killed as a result of heavy casualties from the fights (Smith 45). Others were maimed and disabled by the Northern Union forces. In this context southern families would experience the toughest times in their history attributed to casualty and property destruction after the war. Apart from poverty, there was a pronounced degree of mental illnesses witnessed among war veterans in the southern region. Thousands of soldiers became addicted to morphine; hence could not be productive to the society after the war. White settlers in the south lost the slave labor force; thus they could no longer engage in extensive a gricultural services. Approximately 90% of Black Americans lived in the South during the war (Jerry 23). After the black liberation from slavery by Northern Union soldiers, Southern farmers felt the economic gap left by slave workers in their farms. At this juncture, we can acknowledge the fact that Southern states suffered substantial damages after the civil war. With respect to Reconstruction, Southern alliances saw the move as an insult from the north, given that the southern states had already suffered great loss after the war. On the other hand, Northern alliance wanted to further their ambitions aimed towards abolition of slavery in the south. In this regard, Southern states interpreted the reconstruction move as an attempt by north to further injure damages already inflicted to the south. Therefore, reconstruction efforts met stiff resistance, especially on the efforts directed towards abolition of slavery. Reconstruction started in the time when Abraham Lincoln was the US pr esident. Lincoln sought support of the congress and executive arms of the cabinet in striving to formulate policies meant to oversee Reconstruction strategies. At the inception stages, Reconstruction started gaining momentum when black Americans moved from their slavery masters, into independent settlements. In addition, African Americans started receiving political recognition, which granted them freedom to participate in elective politics. Despite Lincoln’s efforts in implementing strategies, the president met stiff resista

Response to Toward a New World Order Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Response to Toward a New World Order - Essay Example According to George H. W. Bush, Iraq, under the leadership of the dictator Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait by sending about 120,000 troops to effect the course. And as if that was not enough, they were also advancing towards Saudi Arabia to cause more havoc. At that point, it called for an immediate response by the American Armed forces troops and others from over twenty nations under the United nations Security Council to ensure that Iraq withdrew from Kuwait without setting any conditions...and peace will be then restored to the Gulf. By dubbing the action a "New World Order", the former president meant that it was time for all the nations in the globe to unit against common evils that threatened to shake to the very foundation the peace that is enjoyed by all. He hoped for a world where the Rule of Law would be respected, a world where collective responsibility would be embraced by all nations; unless such a state is achieved then prosperity and harmony would still remain a drea m. The intention of Saddam Hussein to send troops to invade Kuwait was not in any way acceptable, it was out of financial greed for oil deposits and political need to widen his boarders. Since by the time, of the inversion, Kuwait was already a sovereign state, their boarders was supposed to be respected by any country;Iraq inclusive. If Saddam wanted a business partner, there were several civilized options by which he could get that...but that seemed not to be his idea. His refusal to honor dialog and make a peacefully exit showed that he was out to destabilize the peace in the Gulf and control the world oil market. But one thing though is apparent, just as the United States wanted be the super power, so was Iraq, what made the difference was however the approach that Saddam used, that of intimidation. It was all out of conflict of interest and a shared objective. Controlling of oil prices and creating cartels was a perfect idea and a good recipe to create political instability in the entire globe. The level by which the United States government agreed to put the life of their men and women on the line just to restore peace for the whole world shows that the country really has the world at heart and its objectives are genuine. Having a fully united world has got its bad and good sides. One major advantage would be having a united front in the fight against global evils such as terrorism, corruption and addressing issues of environmental concern. But on the other hand, it is feared the politicians may take advantage of such a situation and push for the establishment of policies which may prove intimidating to the developing world. This is evident in the recent negative effects brought about by globalization and the free market policy where the developing countries are finding it hard to match the stiff competition that the developed countries are posing. But all said and done, it is an open secret that by having an umbrella body that controls management of governments, it would promote accountability and democratic governance. Having an organization that

A lost property Essay Example for Free

A lost property Essay A lost property is one which is found in a locality where it is likely that its true owner had no intent of placing it and the owner is not likely to find it. On the other hand, misplaced property is one which the true owner placed it somewhere and forgot to pick it up. Conversely, abandoned property is one which the true owner intended to leave somewhere due to the state it was in (Litka Inman, 1983). This plane could have been termed as lost or abandoned. The collector of the airplane Doug Chaplin, thus lost in the court ruling since the plane was a lost and found property (Stewart, Warner Portman, 2008). The plane could have remained to be the property of Chaplin but since The Navy found it and because they are the true owners; they have a right to repossess it. Chaplin should have turned the plane over to the proper authorities. Moreover, if the owner does not go to claim it for a certain time period, then the plane could be reverted back to Chaplin (Warda, 2005). The plane was ruled to be belonging to The Navy even though Chaplin could have been rewarded for his effort to recover the plane. The court could also have ruled that the plane constituted an abandoned property and thus was supposed to be a property of the government of which The Navy was also part of the government. Chaplin could never win the case because the plane’s true owners were claiming it, in addition, the law holds that lost property should be returned to the owner. Even if Chaplin collected the plane as a relic, the plane still belonged to The Navy since under the common law of America, relics are entitled to their collector unless the true owner reclaims them. References Litka, M. P. ; Inman, J. E. (1983). The legal environment of business: Public and private laws. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Stewart, M. ; Warner, R. ; Portman, J. (2008). Every landlords legal guide. Berkeley, California: Nolo. Warda, M. (2005). Landlords rights and duties in Florida. Chicago, IL: Sourcebooks, Incorporated.

Comparison of different modulation technique

Comparison of different modulation technique 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Modulation is the process of varying one waveform in relation to another waveform. In telecommunications, modulation is used to convey a message, or a musician may modulate the tone from a musical instrument by varying its volume, timing and pitch. Often a high-frequency sinusoid waveform is used as carrier signal to convey a lower frequency signal. The three key parameters of a sine wave are its amplitude (volume), its phase (timing) and its frequency (pitch), all of which can be modified in accordance with a low frequency information signal to obtain the modulated signal. A device that performs modulation is known as a modulator and a device that performs the inverse operation of modulation is known as a demodulator (sometimes detector or demod). 1.2 TWO TYPES OF MODULATION A) Analog modulation B) Digital modulation Here we discuss analog modulation techniques. 2. AMPLITUDE MODULATION Amplitude modulation (AM) is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent. For example, changes in the signal strength can be used to reflect the sounds to be reproduced by a speaker, or to specify the light intensity of television pixels. (Contrast this with frequency modulation, also commonly used for sound transmissions, in which the frequency is varied; and phase modulation, often used in remote controls, in which the phase is varied). 2.1 TYPES OF AMPLITUDE MODULATION As originally developed for the electric telephone, amplitude modulation was used to add audio information to the low-powered direct current flowing from a telephone transmitter to a receiver. As a simplified explanation, at the transmitting end, a telephone microphone was used to vary the strength of the transmitted current, according to the frequency and loudness of the sounds received. Then, at the receiving end of the telephone line, the transmitted electrical current affected an electromagnet, which strengthened and weakened in response to the strength of the current. In turn, the electromagnet produced vibrations in the receiver diaphragm, thus closely reproducing the frequency and loudness of the sounds originally heard at the transmitter. In contrast to the telephone, in radio communication what is modulated is a continuous wave radio signal (carrier wave) produced by a radio transmitter. In its basic form, amplitude modulation produces a signal with power concentrated at the carrier frequency and in two adjacent sidebands. This process is known as heterodyning. Each sideband is equal in bandwidth to that of the modulating signal and is a mirror image of the other. Amplitude modulation that results in two sidebands and a carrier is often called double sideband amplitude modulation (DSB-AM). Amplitude modulation is inefficient in terms of power usage and much of it is wasted. At least two-thirds of the power is concentrated in the carrier signal, which carries no useful information (beyond the fact that a signal is present); the remaining power is split between two identical sidebands, though only one of these is needed since they contain identical information. To increase transmitter efficiency, the carrier can be removed (suppressed) from the AM signal. This produces a reduced-carrier transmission or double-sideband suppressed-carrier (DSBSC) signal. A suppressed-carrier amplitude modulation scheme is three times more power-efficient than traditional DSB-AM. If the carrier is only partially suppressed, a double-sideband reduced-carrier (DSBRC) signal results. DSBSC and DSBRC signals need their carrier to be regenerated (by a beat frequency oscillator, for instance) to be demodulated using conventional techniques. Even greater efficiency is achieved—at the expense of increased transmitter and receiver complexity—by completely suppressing both the carrier and one of the sidebands. This is single-sideband modulation, widely used in amateur radio due to its efficient use of both power and bandwidth. A) DSB-FC In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal except the carrier. All forms of modulation produce sidebands. Amplitude modulation of a carrier wave normally results in two mirror-image sidebands. The signal components above the carrier frequency constitute the upper sideband (USB) and those below the carrier frequency constitute the lower sideband (LSB). In conventional AM transmission, the carrier and both sidebands are present, sometimes called double sideband amplitude modulation (DSB-AM). In some forms of AM the carrier may be removed, producing double sideband with suppressed carrier (DSB-SC). An example is the stereophonic difference (L-R) information transmitted in FM stereo broadcasting on a 38kHz subcarrier. The receiver locally regenerates the subcarrier by doubling a special 19kHz pilot tone, but in other DSB-SC systems the carrier may be regenerated directly from the sidebands by a Costas loop or squaring loop. This is common in digital transmission systems such as BPSK where the signal is continually present. B) SSB-SC Single-sideband modulation (SSB) is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently uses electrical power and bandwidth. Amplitude modulation produces a modulated output signal that has twice the bandwidth of the original baseband signal. Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of somewhat increased device complexity. C) SUPPERESED CARRIER Reduced-carrier transmission is an amplitude modulation (AM) transmission in which the carrier wave level is reduced to reduce wasted electrical power. Suppressed-carrier transmission is a special case in which the carrier level is reduced below that required for demodulation by a normal receiver. Reduction of the carrier level permits higher power levels in the sidebands than would be possible with conventional AM transmission. Carrier power must be restored by the receiving station to permit demodulation, usually by means of a beat frequency oscillator (BFO). Failure of the BFO to match the original carrier frequency when receiving such a signal will cause a heterodyne. Suppressed carriers are often used for single sideband (SSB) transmissions, such as for amateur radio on shortwave. That system is referred to in full as SSB suppressed carrier (SSBSC) or (SSB-SC). International broadcasters agreed in 1985 to also use SSBSC entirely by 2015, though IBOC and IBAC digital radio (namely Digital Radio Mondiale) seems likely to make this irrelevant. D) VSB A vestigial sideband (in radio communication) is a sideband that has been only partly cut off or suppressed. Television broadcasts (in analog video formats) use this method if the video is transmitted in AM, due to the large bandwidth used. It may also be used in digital transmission, such as the ATSC standardized 8-VSB. The Milgo 4400/48 modem (circa 1967) used vestigial sideband and phase-shift keying to provide 4800-bit/s transmission over a 1600 Hz channel. E) QAM Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is both an analog and a digital modulation scheme. It conveys two analog message signals, or two digital bit streams, by changing (modulating) the amplitudes of two carrier waves, using the amplitude-shift keying (ASK) digital modulation scheme or amplitude modulation (AM) analog modulation scheme. These two waves, usually sinusoids, are out of phase with each other by 90Â ° and are thus called quadrature carriers or quadrature components — hence the name of the scheme. The modulated waves are summed, and the resulting waveform is a combination of both phase-shift keying (PSK) and amplitude-shift keying, or in the analog case of phase modulation (PM) and amplitude modulation. In the digital QAM case, a finite number of at least two phases, and at least two amplitudes are used. PSK modulators are often designed using the QAM principle, but are not considered as QAM since the amplitude of the modulated carrier signal is constant. 3) FREQUENCY MODULATION frequency modulation (FM) conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its frequency (contrast this with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant). In analog applications, the instantaneous frequency of the carrier is directly proportional to the instantaneous value of the input signal. Digital data can be sent by shifting the carriers frequency among a set of discrete values, a technique known as frequency-shift keying. CARSONS RULE A rule of thumb, Carsons rule states that nearly all (~98%) of the power of a frequency-modulated signal lies within a bandwidth of where , as defined above, is the peak deviation of the instantaneous frequency from the center carrier frequency . Normal signal Modulated signal 4) PHASE MODULATION Phase modulation (PM) is a form of modulation that represents information as variations in the instantaneous phase of a carrier wave. Unlike its more popular counterpart, frequency modulation (FM), PM is not very widely used. This is because it tends to require more complex receiving hardware and there can be ambiguity problems in determining whether, for example, the signal has changed phase by +180Â ° or -180Â °. CARSONS RULE Suppose that the signal to be sent (called the modulating or message signal) is m(t) and the carrier onto which the signal is to be modulated is Annotated: carrier(time) = (carrier amplitude)sin(carrier frequencytime + phase shift) This make the modulated signal This shows how m(t) modulates the phase the greater m(t) is at a point in time, the greater the phase shift of the modulated signal at that point. It can also be viewed as a change of the frequency of the carrier signal, and phase modulation can thus be considered a special case of FM in which the carrier frequency modulation is given by the time derivative of the phase modulation. The spectral behaviour of phase modulation is difficult to derive, but the mathematics reveals that there are two regions of particular interest: For small amplitude signals, PM is similar to amplitude modulation (AM) and exhibits its unfortunate doubling of baseband bandwidth and poor efficiency. For a single large sinusoidal signal, PM is similar to FM, and its bandwidth is approximately, where fM = ωm / 2Ï€ and h is the modulation index defined below. This is also known as Carsons Rule for PM 5) SPACE MODULATION Space modulation is a radio Amplitude Modulation technique used in Instrument Landing Systems that incorporates the use of multiple antennas fed with various radio frequency powers and phases to create different depths of modulation within various volumes of three-dimensional airspace. This modulation method differs from internal modulation methods inside most other radio transmitters in that the phases and powers of the two individual signals mix within airspace, rather than in a modulator.

The Challenges of Being a Black Man in America Essay -- Racism, Prejud

"Black Lung" is a chronic disease of the lungs mostly associated with coal miners; "Black Magic" is the practice of witchcraft; illegal transactions take place in a a "Black Market"; a "Black Sheep" is a person who does not have the same values or behavior as their family. How does all this pertain to being a black man in America today? These examples indicate that the English language is prejudiced, and the process of learning the language teaches prejudice and passes on racist ideas to children as they learn to communicate. This results is the racist American society which we see today. However, before dealing with the burden of blackness, let us dive into what race really is. Some believe that race is a biological term, understandably so. People with similar physical appearance, such as eye shape or color, could be assumed to be of the same heritage, but this is not always true. According to the authors of Intercultural Competence, "Contrary to popular notions . . . race is not primarily a biological term; it is a political and societal one that was invented to justify economic and social distinctions. . . . One's 'race' is best understood as a social and legal construction" (32). Since race is not inherent or "naturally ordained" but a social and legal construction, the use of this term is subjective. One's "blackness" or "whiteness" is dependent on how society defines it. What are white and black anyway? As people of different origins and of different heritages, the average American is a "mutt" (of mixed ancestry). What defines what "race" the average American is or what race you are? The color you turn out to be? Is Stacy, a person who is ninety-five percent "white" and five percent "black," considered black because th... ...g the meaning to a human being. As the unknown poet said, illustrating how so many others feel: "But in his mind it wasn't lost, the one undeniable fact/That in a land of justice for all, he always would be BLACK." Works Cited Bradshaw, York W., Joseph F. Healey, and Rebecca Smith. Sociology for a New Century. Boston: Pine Forge Press, 2001. DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. 1903. New York: Bantam, 1989. Gazzaniga, Michael, and Todd F. Heatherton. Psychological Science. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton: Tyndale, 1996. Lustig, Myron W., and Jolene Koester. Intercultural Competence. 4th ed. San Francisco: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary Online http//www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/thesaurus. Rottenberg, Annette T. Elements of Argument. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

Catch 22 :: essays research papers

America has been involved in the cold war for years. The fear of communism is ruining lives. The country moves closer and closer to the Korean war. Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 is published. 1963- College students are seen wearing army fatigues with "Yossarian" name tags. Reports are being made about a "Heller Cult". Bumper stickers are manufactured which read, "Better Yossarian then Rotarian". The phrase "Catch 22" has surfaced meaning a "no win situation" it is now an excepted word in the English dictionary. Such a dramatic change in opinion from the earlier, Pro-war society, it is obvious that Catch 22 had some impact on the anti-war movement of the 1960’s-1970’s. Not to say the book was the one reason the movement started, It was certainly a catalyst. A protest novel, Heller’s story portrays the absurdity of bureaucracy, the stupidity of war, and the power they both have to crush the human spirit. Heller us es a war zone setting, to satirise society at large. He compares the commanding officers to Incompetent businessmen. "Don’t mumble, and mumble "sir" when you do, and don’t interrupt, and say "sir" when you do." Desiring promotion over every thing else, Colonel Cathcart keeps raising the number of missions the men of his squadron must fly. Even though the army says they need fly only forty, a bureaucratic trap called "Catch 22" says they can’t go home at forty because they must obey their commanding officers. Much like the work place, the men are forced to go through endless amounts of red tape, which hardly gets them anywhere. Yossarian tries to pretend he is crazy to get out of fighting. He signs "Washington Irving" on letters he censors, and walks around naked for a couple of days. If someone is crazy he needs only ask and he can be dismissed from duty. Yet, one would be crazy to fly, and only a sane person wou ld ask to stop, Yossarian is therefore not crazy and is ordered to continue flying his missions. Heller also demonstrates the effect war has on one’s mind. All of the pilot’s are coping (except Yossarian) with the war in different ways†¦The daredevil pilot, McWatt, loves to buzz his friend Yossarian’s tent. Mess officer Milo Minderbender turns his job into an international black-market food syndicate. Lead Bombardier Havermeyer Zeros in on target’s, no matter how much anti-aircraft peppers his plane.

Fear of the Water Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

It was three weeks before my third birthday. The razor sharp air seemed to laugh at my winter coat, gloves, and hat. My Mother was pushing me along in a stroller at Carson Park. Walking briskly along the pond trail to keep warm, hiding that she did not want to be there. She knew that I loved to come look at the pond in the winter, and she braved the weather because of my birthday. I looked up with my curious eyes, trying to figure out why it was that the ducks left in the winter, why the water looked hard, and how people walked on the water like in the Bible. My Mother and I braved the weather for a whole day on the pond, and as the evening came, we decided to make our way home. She thought it would be nice if we took the long way out of the park and cross the bridge, and I couldn’t be more grateful, water mesmerized me. As we crossed the bridge, my world came to a halt. A group of crows feeding on a dead carcass scattered over my head. A man was standing on the oth er side of the bridge, with a shiny piece of metal in his hand. I didn’t understand, but my Mom knew that we were in danger, she knew what he held was a knife. â€Å"LubDUB.† My heart screamed out. I knew something was wrong now. The man yelled and screamed word that I had never heard. My Mother secured herself as a barrier between the man and me. His black eyes met my confused scared eyes. â€Å"Don’t hurt my mommy!† I screamed. There was no reaction, no movement. The only sound was the crows cawing below. Then the man said, â€Å"How would you like to take a swim,† in a quaint, barely audible voice. For a split second there was no movement, and then the man lunged at my Mother, and with the knife at her neck tipped me into the pond. I felt as if ... ...need air quite yet. There would be plenty of breathing after this Slam! My competitor and I seemed to slam our hands into the wall simultaneously. I didn’t know who won. I looked at the score board. Looked at the scoreboard and it read, â€Å"Lane:3 Swimmer:Meier,usa TIME:44.9 Place:1.† Victory. That was the first race of the rest of my life. In my junior year, my third year of high school, I was defeated by the member of the Greenwich Black Crows, but I still received third place in the state. Exactly three years after my second place performance earned me a spot on a collegiate swim team, it was me on the podium at trials. My victory wasn’t over my competitors, but the water, the water that beat me so many times before, it came down to a 43 second race in the Olympic trials and the three elements, one hydrogen, two oxygen, that I battled for so long.

Hypatia and the Role of Women in Hellenistic Society Essay

From Ancient Greece to the traditions of Hellenistic society, gender stereotypes have been considered as one of the main characteristics present within these civilizations. Most significantly for Hellenistic society, it was the rule of patriarchs that best described the gender orientation of their society. In fact, the role of patriarchs or males were very much emphasized in philosophical arguments, such as Sirach’s Jewish apocryphal literature stating, â€Å"There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace when a wife supports her husband† (Sirach 21-23; cited in Sawyer 40). As far as Hellenistic society was concerned, the roles of women were limited to being wives who provide services to men, home manager, and the weak gender. The perspectives of Hellenism considered females as subordinates to men, which somehow raised men’s role in the society in the pedestal considering that females were deprived with the opportunity to learn and to gain knowledge from subjects like science and philosophy. However, this societal stereotype was thwarted by Hypatia (370 – 415 C. E.) who initiated her efforts to learn the subjects that were previously exclusive to men alone. She became one of the most regarded female scholars in the history of Greece, specifically in Alexandria. Hypatia was one of the earliest gender rights petitioners who focused mainly on education and learning. Within the study, the discussion provides significant emphasis on the life of Hypatia and the various encounters she had during her struggle for her education. With this, the study covers the role of women within the Hellenistic society and the means these women thrive with men. Furthermore, a critical argument between gender roles of the earlier periods of Hellenistic era is incorporated within the study in order to provide substantial evidence on women’s societal significance back in the Hellenistic society. The study also considers the implications and contributions made by Hypatia towards the feminine roles in the society. Discussion Overview on Hypatia Hypatia was born in Alexandria where she spent most of her childhood and adolescence that influenced her identity. According to scholars, the early education of Hypatia came from her experience within the Museums of Alexandria. She was able to convince her father to let her obtain her primary education in Athens where she obtained an award of laurel wreath for her outstanding scholastic performances. According to O’Grady (2005), Hypatia was noted to possess a dynamic personality that was legendary and a riveting, ultimately tragic, biography (235). Hypatia of Alexandria was considered the first woman mathematician who obtained positive inclinations in the subjects of philosophy and mathematics. Considering Hypatia’s father, Theon, was also a well-respected mathematician and astronomer of their time, Hypatia must have acquired her significant skills in numbers through her patriarchal lineage. However, Hypatia was not only limited in these subjects, but she also expanded her reach within the context of philosophy and astronomical studies. The fundamental idealisms that greatly influenced her perspectives were the ideas from Hellenism and Neo-Platonism. From the book of Anderson, Katz and Wilson (2004), they pointed Suidas and Socrates description towards Hypatia’s physical features. According to them, Hypatia possessed a body of rare beauty and grace (47). Ogilvie (1986) mentioned in her book that according to Socrates Scholasticus, Hypatia was not only famed because of her intellect and skill, but also with her beauty, which captivated Synesius, later bishop of Prolemais (104). However, there is a clear agreement between historians that Hypatia never married during her lifetime. Aside from her physique, her intellectual capacity obtained recognition from various fields of sciences. At about 400 A. D, Hypatia became the head of the Platonist school of Alexandria where she taught her expertise, mathematics and philosophy (O’Grady 235). Her Neo-Platonist philosophy was influenced by classical Greek logic and idealism from Plato that was merged with the concepts of Oriental mysticism, which she obtained after she studied at Egypt. Hence, the philosophical teachings of Hypatia revolved in an intensive reasoning through Neo-Platonist perspective. With the vast diversity of culture and religious backgrounds present in Alexandria, the complexities of the political and economic climate did not stop the philosophical ideations of Hypatia. On the other hand, one of the most controversial points in Hypatia’s legacy was her death, which became the point of arguments on whether it contributed to the end of Hellenistic society or triggered the disruption of patriarchal domination (Anderson, Katz and Wilson 48). There had been different theories that explain the death of Hypatia, such as her conflict with Cyril, Alexandrian’s stampede, etc. However, Hypatia’s death can be considered worthwhile due to her contribution to the feminine society. Role of Women in Hellenistic Society Within the patriarchal context of Greece’s city-states and colonies during the Hellenistic era, women had indeed experienced diversity in their roles and views towards their society. Significantly, the women of their time considered being more sheltered and subordinate in their existence before men. Added by Witherington (1990), by Hellenistic and Roman times these views were still in existence, though less strongly held because of the liberalizing influence of Macedonian and Roman occupations (11). Despite of their weak presence within the Hellenistic society, women were still treated with respect and regards from the male society. Although, their fate as wives or married Hellenistic women was not viewed entirely appropriate. The primary roles of women during this era were either for being the males’ wives or concubines. Athenian-citizen women were married usually at fifteen or sixteen years of age, and from this time, their understanding and coherence of the world and their surroundings was not yet established. After the marriage, these women were separated through a guarded chamber, but their freedom was always retained. During this era, concubines were the least feminine class looked upon between legal wives and prostitutes. The role of concubines was even recognized by Athenian law, which comprised the legitimacy and freedom of lineage produced through her. However, with a clear picture, the Athenian law towards these concubines was much more inclined to the benefits of patriarchal society by having their sexual needs filled (Witherington 11). Despite of these limited atmosphere and role diversion provided by the male society to the females, these women were still able to foster their interest in expanding their capacity and placement within the society. In the Hellenistic sense, one of the most historically significant events brought by the feminine gender was their interest for liberation. As supported by Swidler (1979), the conditions of women greatly improved to the point where a woman could in general marry and divorce on her own initiative and even choose her own name (18). From this point, the placement of women exceeded their previous condition of their societal function. They even attained significant minor roles within the realm of education and political affairs. Hellenistic period marked the era of feminine role expansion wherein various opportunities within the society became available for them. With the opportunity to study and educate themselves, the profession that became the greatest threat to male poetic body was women poets. During the Hellenistic period, women, such as Hypatia, obtained honorary recognition for their skills in expressing their thoughts and opinions through poetry. Most of the time, the contents of their literature were related to their desire to possess equal outlook on both genders. The presence of Hellenistic monarchies provided the new outlook played by monarchical wives – the Hellenistic queens. The upper-class women society enjoyed the vast newly opened opportunities since they were the ones who can avail the new places in society, such as education, political career, etc. Spielgovel (2005) mentioned that there had been documents indicating the increased numbers of women involved in managing slaves, selling property, and making loans (93). The immense expansion of women’s role did not only consider careers and personal developments, but rather, they were also given the chance to acquire ownership of their own lands, wealth and significant placement within the quarters of men. However, the expansion did not consider full equality for both genders but only the increase of feminine roles. Hypatia and her Contribution the Hellenistic Regime Hypatia of Alexandria was an example of a pre-historic figure that fought the society’s stereotype for gender discrimination. From her biography, she was able to surpass even the best scholars of her time, a woman of legendary Athene-like beauty and virtue, and a woman who possessed distinct features of martyrdom. Hypatia can be considered as one of the famed personalities in Alexandria during the Hellenistic era. Her contribution to the society paved an example of feminine capacity to acquire development in the fields of education. She was considered as one of the famed Alexandrian poets that contributed to the modern sense of literature. Despite of her womanhood and society’s stereotypes against feminine gender, she was still able to make substantial contributions in the fields of philosophy, mathematics and astronomy. In the fields of science, she was able to discover the early forms of astrolabe and hydrometer; although, this was not taken in regards by the male scientific society and regarded it as lacking of scientific studies (Anderson, Katz and Wilson 387). He provided her commentaries with Diophantus’s Arithmetica, on Apollonius’s Conics, and on Ptolemy’s works but all of her works was lost in time. IN the fields of philosophy, she was able to merge the concept of oriental perspectives to Platonistic views. One of her commendable disciples to this teaching was Synesius who moved within the context of religious philosophy (Kahlos 40). She was able to prove to the patriarchal society that females can also stand their ground and contribute to the society’s welfare if only they can obtain the sense of rightful placement. Her philosophical views under the teachings of Neo-Platonist were considered by the Christian orthodox as an opposition to their beliefs. The Christian society branded her teachings as Paganistic and even considered her as the Pagan martyr. According to Forrest (2001), the Christian orthodox had seen the influence of her philosophical views and, since this threatens the Christianity of Alexandrian society, Hypatia was murdered by an angry Christian mob, which ended the teachings of her neo-platonic views (127). The roles of women within the Hellenistic society expanded giving them various opportunities to acquire proper placement in the society; however, this did not eliminate the gender discrimination and inferior sense towards feminine society. The trademark of Hellenistic era did open the new quarters for female society, but still, the last opinion came from the patriarchal society; hence, limiting the expansion of feminine career and roles in the society. Conclusion In the conclusion of the study, the life of Hypatia was used in order to analyze the systems and the social conditions of feminine roles during the Hellenistic era. Indeed, the functionalities and placement of women expanded during this era, although it did not consider full equality between the two genders. Females were given the chance of education, political participation, material and wealth possession, and significant position in the fields of philosophy and sciences. Hypatia portrayed the Hellenistic woman of their time wherein she established a remarkable educational background and contribution to the fields of sciences and philosophy. However, most of these were either hindered or rejected by the male society. Hypatia was a victim of society’s stigma against Christian Orthodox in which she somehow contradicted with he Neo-Platonic teachings; hence, she was murdered in order to end her influence. Still, with Hypatia’s life portrayal, the Hellenistic women did achieve role expansion but still under societal limitations brought by male society.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 34

I don't think about those things, Elena answered in the same way Damon had spoken and for the same reason. I don't think because if I do I'll go insane. But if I go insane, what good will I be to Stefan? I couldn't help him. Instead I block it all out with walls of iron and I keep it away at any cost. â€Å"And you can manage that?† Damon asked, his voice shaking slightly. â€Å"I can – because I have to. Remember in the beginning when we were arguing about the ropes around our wrists? Meredith and Bonnie had doubts. But they knew that I would wear handcuffs and crawl after you if that was what it took.† Elena turned to look at Damon in the crimson darkness and added, â€Å"And you've given yourself away, time after time, you know.† She slipped arms around him to touch his healed back, so that he would have no doubt about what she meant. â€Å"That was for you,† Damon said harshly. â€Å"Not really,† Elena replied. â€Å"Think about it. If you hadn't agreed to the Discipline, we might have run out of town, but we could never have helped Stefan after that. When you get down to it, everything, all you've done, you've done for Stefan.† â€Å"When you get down to it, I was the one who put Stefan here in the first place,† Damon said tiredly. â€Å"I figure we're just about even now.† â€Å"How many times, Damon? You were possessed when you let Shinichi talk you into it,† Elena said, feeling exhausted herself. â€Å"Maybe you need to be possessed again – just a little – so you remember how it feels.† Every cell in Damon's body seemed to flinch away from this idea. But aloud he just said, â€Å"There's something that everyone has missed, you know. About the archetypal story of how two brothers killed each other simultaneously, and became vampires because they'd dallied with the same girl.† â€Å"What?† Elena said sharply, shocked out of her tiredness. â€Å"Damon, what do you mean?† â€Å"What I said. There's something you've all missed. Ha. Maybe even Stefan has missed it. The story gets told and retold, but nobody catches it.† Damon had turned his face away. Elena moved closer to him, just a bit, so he could smell her perfume, which was attar of roses that night. â€Å"Damon, tell me. Tell me, please!† Damon started to turn toward her – And it was at that moment that the liftmen stopped. Elena had only a second to wipe her face, and the curtains were being drawn. Meredith had told them all the myth about Bloddeuwedd, which she'd got from a story-telling globe. All about how Bloddeuwedd had been made out of flowers and brought to life by the gods, and how she had betrayed her husband to his death, and how, in punishment, she had been doomed to spend each night from midnight to dawn as an owl. And, apparently, there was something the myths didn't mention. The fact that she had been doomed to live here, banished from the Celestial Court into the deep red twilight of the Dark Dimension. All things considered, it was logical that her parties started at six in the evening. Elena found that her mind was jumping from subject to subject. She accepted a goblet of Black Magic from a slave as her eyes wandered. Every woman and most of the men at the party were wearing clever attire that changed color in the sun. Elena felt quite modest – after all, everything out of doors seemed to be pink or scarlet or wine-colored. Downing her goblet of Magic, Elena was slightly surprised to find herself going into automatic party-mode behavior, greeting people she'd met earlier in the week with cheek kisses and hugs as if she'd known them for years. Meanwhile she and Damon worked their way toward the mansion, sometimes with, sometimes against the tide of constantly moving people. They made it up one steep set of white (pink) marble stairs, which sported on either side banks of glorious blue (violet) delphiniums and pink (scarlet) wild roses. Elena stopped here, for two reasons. One was to get a new goblet of Black Magic. The first had already given her a pleasant glow – although of course everything was constantly glowing here. She was hoping that the second cup would help her forget everything that Damon had brought up in the litter except the key – and help her remember what she'd been fretting over originally, before her thoughts had been hijacked by Bonnie and Meredith's talk. â€Å"I expect the best way is just to ask someone,† she told Damon, who was suddenly and silently at her elbow. â€Å"Ask what?† Elena leaned a little toward the slave who'd just supplied her with a fresh goblet. â€Å"May I ask – where is Lady Bloddeuwedd's main ballroom?† The liveried slave looked surprised. Then, with his head, he made a gesture all around. â€Å"This plaza – below the canopy – has gained the name the Great Ballroom,† he said, bowing over his tray. Elena stared at him. Then she stared around her. Under a giant canopy – it looked semipermanent to her and was hung all around with pretty lanterns in shades that were enhanced by the sun – the smooth grass lawn stretched away for hundreds of yards on all sides. It is bigger than a football field. â€Å"What I'd like to know,† Bonnie was asking a fellow guest, a woman who had clearly been to many of Bloddeuwedd's affairs and knew her way around the mansion, â€Å"is this: which room is the main ballroom?† â€Å"Oh, my deah, it depends on what you mean,† the guest replied cheerfully. â€Å"Theah's the Great Ballroom out of doors – you must have seen it while climbing – the big pavilion? And then theah's the White Ballroom inside. That's lit with candelabras and has the curtains drawn all round. Sometimes it's called the Waltz Room, since all that is played in there is waltzes.† But Bonnie was still caught in horror a few sentences back. â€Å"There's a ballroom outside?† she said shakily, hoping that somehow she hadn't heard right. â€Å"That's it, deah, you can see through that wall theah.† The woman was telling the truth. You could see through the wall, because the walls were all of glass, one beyond another, allowing Bonnie to see what seemed to be an illusion done with mirrors: lighted room after lighted room, all filled with people. Only the last room on the bottom floor seemed to be made out of something solid. That must be the White Ballroom. But through the opposite wall, where the guest was pointing – oh, yes. There was a canopy top. She remembered vaguely passing it. The other thing she remembered was†¦ â€Å"They dance on the grass? That – enormous field of grass?† â€Å"Of course. It's all especially cut and rolled smooth. You won't trip over a weed or hummock of ground. Are you sure you're feeling quite well? You look rathah pale. Well† – the guest laughed – â€Å"as pale as anyone can look in this light.† â€Å"I'm fine,† Bonnie said dazedly. â€Å"I'm just†¦fine.† The two parties met later and told each other of the horrors that they had unearthed. Damon and Elena had discovered that the ground of the outdoor ballroom was almost as hard as rock – anything that had been buried there before the ground was rolled smooth by heavy rollers would now be packed down in something like cement. The only place that anyone could dig there was around the perimeter. â€Å"We should have brought a diviner,† Damon said. â€Å"You know, someone who uses a forked stick or a pendulum or a bit of a missing person's clothing to home in on the correct area.† â€Å"You're right,† Meredith said, her tone clearly adding for once. â€Å"Why didn't we bring a diviner?† â€Å"Because I don't know of any,† Damon said, with his sweetest, most ferocious barracuda smile. Bonnie and Meredith had found that the inside ballroom's flooring was rock – very beautiful white marble. There were dozens of floral arrangements in the room, but all that Bonnie had stuck her small hand into (as unobtrusively as possible) were simply cut flowers in a vase of water. No soil, nothing that could justify using the term â€Å"buried in.† â€Å"And besides, why would Shinichi and Misao put the key in water they knew would be thrown out in a few days?† Bonnie asked, frowning, while Meredith added, â€Å"And how do you find a loose floorboard in marble? So we can't see how it could be buried there. By the way, I checked – and the White Ballroom has been here for years, so there's no chance that they dumped it under the building stones, either.† Elena, by now drinking her third goblet of Black Magic, said, â€Å"All right. The way we look at this is: one room scratched off the list. Now, we've already got half of the key – look how easy that was – â€Å" â€Å"Maybe that was just to tease us,† Damon said, raising an eyebrow. â€Å"To get our hopes up, before dashing them completely†¦here.† â€Å"That can't be,† Elena said desperately, glaring at him. â€Å"We've come so far – farther than Misao ever imagined we would. We can find it. We will find it.† â€Å"All right,† Damon said, suddenly deadly serious. â€Å"If we have to pretend to be staff and use pickaxes on that soil outdoors, we'll do it. But first, let's go through the entire house inside. That seemed to work well last time.† â€Å"All right,† Meredith said, for once looking straight at him and without disapproval. â€Å"Bonnie and I will take the upstairs floors and you can take the downstairs ones – maybe you can make something of that White Waltz Ballroom.† â€Å"All right.† They set to work. Elena wished that she could calm down. Despite most of three goblets of Black Magic oscillating inside her – or perhaps because of them – she was seeing certain things in new lights. But she must keep her mind on the quest – and only on the quest. She would do anything – anything – she told herself, to get the key. Anything for Stefan. The White Ballroom smelled of flowers and was garlanded with large, opulent blooms in the midst of abundant greenery. Standing arrangements were placed to shield an area around a fountain into an intimate nook where couples could sit. And, although there was no visible orchestra, music poured into the ballroom, demanding a response from Elena's susceptible body. â€Å"I don't suppose you know how to waltz,† Damon said suddenly, and Elena realized that she had been swaying in time to the beat, eyes closed. â€Å"Of course I do,† Elena answered, a little offended. â€Å"We all of us went to Ms. Hopewell's classes. That was the equivalent of charm school in Fell's Church,† she added, seeing the funny side of it and laughing at herself. â€Å"But Ms. Hopewell did love to dance, and she taught us every dance and movement she thought was graceful. That was when I was about eleven.† â€Å"I suppose it would be absurd for me to ask you to dance with me,† Damon said. Elena looked at him with what she knew were large and puzzled eyes. Despite the low-cut scarlet dress, she didn't feel like an irresistible siren tonight. She was too wrought up to feel the magic woven in the cloth, magic which she now realized was telling her she was a dancing flame, a fire elemental. She supposed that Meredith must feel like a quiet stream, flowing swiftly and steadily to her destination, but sparkling and glinting all the way. And Bonnie – Bonnie, of course was a sprite of the air, meant to dance as lightly as a feather in that opalescent dress, barely subject to gravity. But abruptly Elena remembered certain glances of admiration she had seen directed toward herself. And now suddenly Damon was vulnerable? Yet he didn't imagine she would dance with him? â€Å"Of course I would love to dance,† she said, realizing with a slight shock that she hadn't noticed before, that Damon was in flawless white tie. Of course, it was on the one night when it might hinder them, but it made him look like a prince of the blood. Her lips quirked slightly at the title. Of the blood†¦oh, yes. â€Å"Are you sure you know how to waltz?† she asked him. â€Å"A good question. I took it up in 1885 because it was known to be riotous and indecent. But it depends on whether you are speaking of the peasant waltz, the Viennese Waltz, the Hesitation Waltz, or – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, come on, or we'll miss another dance.† Elena grabbed his hand, feeling tiny sparks as if she'd stroked a cat's fur the wrong way, and pulled him into the swaying crowd. Another waltz began. Music flooded into the room and lifted Elena almost off her feet as the small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her body tingled all over as if she had drunk some sort of celestial elixir. It was her favorite waltz since childhood: the one she'd been brought up on. Tchaichovsky's Sleeping Beauty waltz. But some child part of her mind could never help but pairing the sweet sweeping notes that came after the thundering, electrifying beginning together with the words from the Disney movie version: I know you; I danced with you once upon a dream†¦. As always, they brought tears to her eyes; they made her heart sing and her feet want to fly rather than dance. Her dress was backless. Damon's warm hand was on her bare skin there. I know, something whispered to her, why they called this dance riotous and indecent. And now, certainly, Elena felt like a flame. We were meant to be this way. She couldn't remember if it was an old quote of Damon's or something new he was just barely whispering to her mind now. Like two flames that join and merge into one. You're good, Damon told her, and this time she knew that it was him speaking and that it was in the present. You don't need to patronize me. I'm too happy already! Elena laughed back. Damon was an expert, and not just at the precision of the steps. He danced the waltz as if it were still riotous and indecent. He had a firm lead, which of course Elena's human strength could not break. But he could interpret little signals of her own, about what she wanted and he obliged her, as if they were ice dancing, as if at any moment they might twirl and leap. Elena's stomach was slowly melting and taking her other internal organs with it. And it never once occurred to her to think what her high school friends and rivals and enemies would have thought of her melting over classical music. She was free of petty spite, petty shame over differences. She was through with labeling. She wished that she could go back to show everyone that she'd never meant it in the first place. The waltz was over all too soon and Elena wanted to push the Replay button and do it from the beginning again. There was a moment just when the music stopped where she and Damon were looking at each other, with equal exaltation and yearning and – And then Damon bowed over her hand. â€Å"There is more to the waltz than just moving your feet,† he said, not looking up at her. â€Å"There is a swaying grace that can be put into the movements, a leaping flame of joy and oneness – with the music, with a partner. Those are not matters of expertise. Thank you very much for giving me the pleasure.† Elena laughed because she wanted to cry. She never wanted to stop dancing. She wanted to tango with Damon – a real tango, the kind you were supposed to have to get married after. But there was another mission†¦a necessary mission that had to be completed. And, as she turned, there were a whole crowd of other things in front of her. Men, demons, vampires, beastlike creatures. All of them wanted a dance. Damon's tuxedoed back was walking away from her. Damon! He paused but did not turn back. Yes? Help me! We need to find the other half of the key! It seemed to take him a moment to assess the situation, but then he understood. He came back to her, and taking her by the hand said in a clear, ringing voice, â€Å"This girl is my†¦personal assistant. I do not desire that she dance with anyone other than myself.† There was a restless murmuring at this. The kind of slaves that got taken to balls of this sort were not usually the kind that were forbidden to interact with strangers. But just then there was a sort of flurry at the side of the room, eventually pressing toward the opposite side where Damon and Elena were. â€Å"What is it?† Elena asked, the dance and the key both forgotten. â€Å"Who is it, I'd ask, rather,† Damon replied. â€Å"And I'd answer: our hostess, Lady Bloddeuwedd herself.† Elena found herself crowding behind other people to get a glimpse of this most extraordinary creature. But when she actually saw the girl standing alone in the doorway to the ballroom, she gasped. She was made out of flowers†¦ Elena remembered. What would a girl made out of flowers look like? She would have skin like the faintest blush of pink on an apple blossom, Elena thought, staring unashamedly. Her cheeks would be slightly deeper pink, like a dawn-colored rose. Her eyes, enormous in her delicate, perfect face, would be the color of larkspur, with heavy feathery black lashes that would make them droop half-shut, as if she walked always half in a dream. And she would have yellow hair as pale as primroses, falling down almost to the floor, wound in braids that were themselves incorporated into thicker braids until the whole mass was brought together just above her delicate ankles. Her lips would be as red as poppies, half-open and inviting. And she would give off a scent that was like a bouquet of all the first blossoms of spring. She would walk as if swaying in the breeze. Elena could only remember standing, gazing after this vision like the dozens of other guests around her. Just one more second to drink in such loveliness, her mind begged. â€Å"But what was she wearing?† Elena heard herself say aloud. She could not remember either a stunning dress or a glimpse of lustrous apple-blossom skin through the many braids. â€Å"Some sort of gown. It was made out of what else? Flowers,† Damon put in wryly. â€Å"She was wearing a dress made of every kind of flower I've ever seen. I don't understand how they stayed put – maybe they were silk and sewn together.† He was the only one who didn't seem dazzled by this vision. â€Å"I wonder if she would talk to us – just a few words,† Elena said. She was longing to hear the delicate, magical girl's voice. â€Å"I doubt it,† a man in the crowd answered her. â€Å"She doesn't talk much – at least until midnight. Say! It's you! How're you feeling?† â€Å"Very well, thank you,† Elena replied politely, and then quickly stepped back. She recognized the speaker as one of the young men who had forced their cards on Damon at the end of the Godfather's ceremony, the night of her Discipline. Now she just wanted to get away unobtrusively. But there were too many of the men, and it was clear that they were not about to let her and Damon go. â€Å"This is the girl I told you about. She goes into a trance and no matter how she's marked; she doesn't feel a thing – â€Å" † – blood running down her sides like water and she never flinched – â€Å" â€Å"They're a professional act. They go on the road†¦.† Elena was just about to say, coolly, that Bloddeuwedd had strictly forbidden this kind of barbarism at her party, when she heard one of the young vampires saying, â€Å"Don't you know, I was the one who persuaded Lady Bloddeuwedd to ask you to this get-together. I told her about your act and she was most interested to see it.† Well, scratch one excuse, Elena thought. But at least be nice to these young men. They might be helpful somehow later. â€Å"I'm afraid I can't do it tonight,† she said, quietly, so that they would be quiet themselves. â€Å"I'll apologize to Lady Bloddeuwedd directly, of course. But it just isn't possible.† â€Å"Yes, it is.† Damon's voice, just behind her, astounded her. â€Å"It's quite possible – given that someone finds my amulet.† Damon! What are you saying? Hush! What I have to. â€Å"Unfortunately, about three and a half weeks ago I lost a very important amulet. It looks like this.† He brought out the half of the fox key and let them all take a good look at it. â€Å"Is that what you used to do the trick?† someone asked, but Damon was far too clever for that. â€Å"No, many people saw me do the act just a week or so ago without it. This is a personal amulet, but with part of it missing, I simply don't feel like doing magic.† â€Å"It looks like a little fox. You're not a kitsune?† someone – too clever for their own good, Elena thought – asked next. â€Å"It may look like that to you. It's actually an arrow. An arrow with two green stones at the arrowhead. It's a – masculine charm.† A female voice somewhere in the crowd said: â€Å"I shouldn't think you need any more masculine charm than you have right now!† and there was laughter.

Research Essay- Living Life to the Fullest Essay

For one to live their life to the fullest, a person must have a purpose to live. One must have a reason to wake up every day and feel the sun shine or the rain fall, as cold as ice, on your skin. A law of life is necessary for one to have this sense of a calling as to why they walk the earth every solitary twenty-four hour day. A law of life is to surround yourself with people who make you a better person, inside and out. This holds accurate because the people your surround yourself with can either make you or break you, being social with others can either aid or inhibit in self-esteem, and surrounding yourself with better people can help you achieve goals through others’ positivity. Initially, there is a quote saying, â€Å"Surround yourself with only people that will lift you higher, because friends are the family you choose yourself. –Anonymous† The people who you are surrounded by can either make you a better person as a whole, or break you down until you are as low to the ground as a tiny bug, small and easily squashed. If you surround yourself with the people who will make you a better person, then you will become a better person just by association with positive, balanced people. On the contrary, if you surround yourself with people who are adverse and irrational, then you will become adverse and irrational, also just by association. For example, â€Å"Let’s say you have plans to see a friend who is lighthearted, enthusiastic and embraces life with eagerness and zest. Thinking about this friend brings a smile to your face because you know you’ll be having fun and enjoying each other’s company. After your time together, you’re excited about the rest of your day. You want to capture every moment and see all the beauty that’s about you. Your friend may not have intentionally tried to alter your thinking, but her positive approach and attitude was infectious (Par.2-The Importance of Surrounding Yourself w/ Good People).† The people who you let be in your company ultimately affect you as a person, and this can either make you a better person or a worse person. Another example of this would be if you’re in a group of people with a less than stellar attitude, eventually, you will become a less than stellar person. In order to become a better person, inside and out, then you must surround yourself with those people who possess the qualities to make you a better person. Clearly, being a social individual aids in your self-esteem, it can either make your self-esteem skyrocket or it can make it plummet. Self-esteem is no doubt a massive part of you becoming the person that you wish to be. For instance, when you are speaking to your social group of friends, and they have a positive self-image, then you too should have a somewhat positive self-image. Another example of this would be inferiority. â€Å"People who feel inferior to others always keep comparing themselves to them and they always try to find problems with themselves. So how can such friends affect your self-esteem? Simply because they got used to scanning for any possible flaws they will try to find as many flaws in you as they can (Par. 6- How Friends Affect Your Self-Esteem).† Your friends can also limit your potential as to what you can and cannot achieve. Case in point, â€Å"If you were an ambitious person who was surrounded by non-ambitious friends then most likely they will try to put you down whenever you attempt to do something that they never managed to do (Par. 7 How Friends Affect Your Self-Esteem).† Self-esteem has the ability to support or hinder your self-esteem, and self-esteem in a colossal part of the way you, and your peers see yourself. Your vision of yourself can either make you better or bitter, and through a law of life, your self-esteem should make yourself better. Subsequently, picture yourself in a race on the track outside of your school. The blistering heat is beating down on your back as you’re running through the last lap of the race and you’re in the lead. You have your group of great friends on the sidelines cheering your name as you pass the finish line! Surrounding yourself with virtuous people will help you achieve your goals through their positivity. When you surround yourself with those people who cheer you on instead of bring you down, those people will help you reach your goals, not break you down to the point where you don’t want to reach them. There are two types of people, optimists and pessimists, these types of people are on opposite sides of the spectrum. For example, â€Å"It’s just that the optimist chooses to expect happiness, success, and pleasure and as a result, that’s what they find. The pessimist chooses to replay negative thoughts which lead to negative results. (Par. 5- The Importance Of Surrounding Yourself w/ Positive People).† Adjoining yourself with optimistic people will help you reach the success, not make you feel that you can’t, that’s what a pessimist would do. For instance, if you’re around people with an attitude of being too good to reach a goal, you will not reach the goal, but if you’re around people who will be your personal cheerleaders, than you’ll most likely get the desired result. Surrounding yourself with the people who are virtuous and optimistic, then they will aid you in reaching your goals, long or short-term. Conclusively, to live a life worth living, you must have a law of life to follow. In this case, a law of life is to surround yourself with the people who bring out the best in you, and these people will make you the best you, you can be. To surround yourself with the kinds of people that will make you better, not bitter these people must possess the qualities of the people your surround yourself with can either make you or break you, being social with others can either aid or inhibit in self-esteem, and surrounding yourself with better people can help you achieve goals through others’ positivity. Works Cited 1. Radwan, M. Farouk. â€Å"How friends affect your self esteem | 2KnowMySelf.† 2KnowMySelf | The Ultimate Source for Understanding Yourself and others. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. . 2. Silber, Debi. â€Å"The Importance of Surrounding Yourself w/ Positive People.† All About Nurses, Nurse Communication, Nurse Community | NurseTogether. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. .