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The Effects Of Video Game Play On The Educational Process

Video game play can be very beneficial in the educational process. It can enhance cognitive abilities and skills in children and adolescents. In fact, studies have found that improvements in cognition have been related to grey matter changes in the prefrontal cortex. Specifically, a study conducted by Simon Kuhn, in which magnetic resonance imaging scans of 152 14-year old adolescents were collected and used to estimate cortical thickness, showed an increase in cortical thickness in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and in correlation an increase in cognitive and strategic planning abilities (Simon Kuhn 5). These results come from the need to follow directions in games. In order to progress in games, one must first learn to follow the guidelines, restrictions and components of them. As the player confronts new challenges, he must use problem-solving skills to find solutions. The player must find new combinations and incorporate old skills with new skills to overcome obstacles. In relation, players must also get used to multitasking. As games become more intricate, players must juggle different objectives while keeping track of all the changing elements and connecting ideas. Games induce quick thinking as well. According to cognitive scientist Daphne Bavelier of the University of Rochester, results of a study found that people who play video games become more attuned to their environment, are able to keep visual tabs on friends in crowds, can navigate better, and areShow MoreRelatedVideo Games: More Beneficial Than We Thought Essay1693 Words   |  7 Pagesis the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences according to Gabe Zichermann an educational gaming expert. Though its been said that video games cause laziness and violence in kids, we now know that video games can be a significant learning tool in early child development. Research has shown that video games help children with multitasking skills and can also increase fluid intelligence, which is the intelligence we use to solve problems (Zichermann). Video games may beRead MoreVideo Games Help Motor Development And Brain1501 Words   |  7 PagesSince the beginning of these, the benefits of video games have been ignored by many people due to the great discussions that have generated the defects of some video games that are violent. The young people, the main users of these only think of having fun and as many of them say, it is only a game but with regard to the questioning of society, they generate a stubborn attitude, as experts say, there is no influence more marked than that which is not aware. Not all of them are dangers and threatsRead MoreThe Impact Of Video Games On Children1594 Words   |  7 PagesTylor Staffileno 12 April 2017 The Impact of Video Games on Children Introduction â€Å"Video games are bad for you, that’s what they said about rock-n-roll† (Shigeru Miyamoto). Video gaming is regarded as a ubiquitous part of children and adolescents’ life. Children who are daily involved in this activity in the US account for 97% of their total. Additionally, for those at an average of 8-13 years old, approximately, 8.5% of them are addicted to playing video games. Moreover, children at the age of 13-18Read MoreEssay on Congrats: You Gained Loot and Experience1601 Words   |  7 Pages Video games are popular electronic games that people are able to manipulate images on the screen using a computer platform and are wildly fun to play everywhere in the world. It started simply out as a black-white TV projector 2D image game for free-time to a complex high-definition colored 3D-images world-wide popular phenomenon popularity with people of all ages, especially children and adults, around the world. However, there have been research about the negative impact of playing video gamesRead MoreTechnology Is An Integral Part Of Education845 Words   |  4 Pagesuse of technology and gaming can play a significant role in this process Therefore, educational games should be included as a viable teaching strategy to motivate students, to keep students engaged, and to increase academic achievement. Computer games are frequently used in education as a way to enhance the learning process. For this reason, instructional and educational games are being used more and more by teachers. According to Mind/ Shift: Guide to Digital Games + Learning online report, thereRead MoreVideo Games and Academic Success At the Post-Secondary Level Essay1144 Words   |  5 PagesThe market for video games targets people of all ages, these games however are not just for recreation but are also making headway in the academic world gearing more towards learning through play on the educational level. With a recent spike in popularity and availability video games have become something of interest with academic scholars, teachers and concerned parents wondering how an increased exposure to video games will affect their students academic success. In theory, one would believe thatRead MoreThe Psychology of Video Games: The Pros of Video Games1017 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology of Video Games: The Pros o f Playing Video Games What is a game? Video games have been accused of being overly violent and harmful to the overall health of children. However, video games have been proven to be beneficial through researched studies. Although many adults oppose video games, they have cognitive, educational, social, and other benefits. To better understand the benefits, the background and history of video games should be understood. Therefore what is a game? A game is an interactionRead MoreRationale on Effects of Playing Computer Games on the Academic Performance of the Students1503 Words   |  7 PagesRationale and Importance Gaming in Education: What Students Can Learn From Video Games in School As new teachers enter the workforce with greater technology familiarity than their predecessors, a wider margin of accepted teaching methods has developed, changing the way in which educators are able to form successful instructional relationships with their students. Many districts, in order to help faculty keep pace with their rapidly changing and technologically capable student bodies, are attemptingRead MoreEssay on The Educational Benefits of Video Games1300 Words   |  6 PagesThe Educational Benefits of Video Games The repetition of the statement claiming that video games do not help children in their educational enterprises is unfair. There have been numerous studies conducted providing evidence that children gain structural knowledge while engaging in video game play (Pillay 2002). Certainly, different styles of video games may produce different results. It is important for us to understand the different benefits from the various styles of games. BecauseRead MoreVideo Gaming Technology Can Be Beneficial Essay1741 Words   |  7 PagesVideo Gaming Technology can be Beneficial Student’s Name Institutional affiliation Video Gaming As a concerned parent, one would easily feel coaxed to venture into analyzing every aspect of the child s welfare from a day-to-day perspective. There is a common concern over what the kids play around with as well as the impacts created upon the receiver. Similarly, the use of video gaming presents a common challenge as to whether the games are of benefit or not in the educational system

Oil And Gas Essay Example For Students

Oil And Gas Essay The economy is affected by many factors that determine if it is strong or weak. These factors have to do with buyers consuming goods and services and at whatrate they do this. Do the goods and services that are consumed by people createdwealth, jobs and a better overall economy for a country. Throughout history someeconomies have evolved faster and stronger than others. Policies that thegovernment places on industry, technology and the environment can all affect theprosperity of an economy. Of the factors that affect economic growth theindustry of Oil and gas is one that holds a stronghold in the worlds andAmericas economy today. When evaluating the economic growth factor of economyand specifically oil and gas on must consider the following questions: Whatrelationship does the factor have with the whole economy? How does thisfactor affect economic growth Is the factor a cause or effect of economicgrowth? what would the economy be like if there were significant problemswith this factor? What relation does a central bank have to this factor? Iwill answer each of t hese questions in respect to how economy is affected by oiland gas. The economy in the United States today is greatly affected by oil andgas. When there are large reserves and an increase of active drills in respectto oil, the economy seems to receive a boost. This is because prices for suchthings like gas and oil fall and people are able to consume more gas at a lowerprice. There is more supply and prices fall, therefore people save money on gasand can consume other items in the economy. People working in these industrieshave more job openings and more jobs filled, therefore creating a lowerunemployment rate and a higher national per capita income. The need forsubstitutes are not there so, consumers will consume oil and gas at a growingrate. Since, people use oil and gas for so many different things like heatingthere homes, driving their cars, and a variety of other sources, the overall GNPfor the consumer will rise. Economic growth is affected through significantfluctuations in in flation of oil and gas. If you look throughout history whenthere have been fluctuations in gas and oil prices you have vast fluctuations inthe economy of our country. The instability of this factor has cause governmentregulation to come into play in times of crisis. For example during themid-seventies we had the oil and gas shortage due to the Middle East cutting offsupply to Importers of their oil. By doing this, they caused a shortage in a lotof countries creating rising oil prices and high demand. Consumers could notrely on the oil prices to be stable, therefore they consumed less of otherproducts due to the inflation of gas prices and more of their dollar began to bespent on gas. Americans particularly started to come up with more efficientmeans of using and consuming gas over the past 25 years. Oil and gas is aresource that can be used up if not conserved properly. That is why OPEC wasformed, as well as organizations such as NAFTA to help regulate trade of thesecommodities and bring organization to a disorganized status. In addition,governments like the United States impose taxes on gas to regulated the pricesin order to ward off against supplies of oil affecting the nations economy. Thisonly works to an extent, in the early to mid-eighties one states economy livedand died by the supply of oil. That state was Texas. When Texass oil rigs beganto dry up, their economy went into a recession. Their reliance on the oil supplyas their main revenue producer caused a lot of people to lose their jobs anddemand and consumption for other products fell as well. This caused a spiralingeffect which caused people from all industries to lose their jobs. Texasseconomy suffered and so did parts of the American economy with High inflationand high debt which caused the economy to suffer. Increased regulation anddiversification of a countrys resources can stop this from being the case. .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .postImageUrl , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:hover , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:visited , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:active { border:0!important; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:active , .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1457b7f9c1d732d3792755c50202fc7e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay Countries representing OPEC all live and die by the constant production of oil. While this factor is used to stimulate their countries economic growth, itshould be used to stimulate the building of a countrys infrastructure. Oil-richcountries should use the positive affect oil has had on their countries to buildstrong governments and consumer demand for other goods. This powerfulinfrastructure that could be built will give the economy stability and allow fora countrys GNP to grow in a slow, steady, and positive way. The building of astrong middle-class will allow for countrys to prosper for many years to come. Instead what has happened is that economies of these countries are in a state offlux. What I mean by this is that their economies are very unpredictable andunstable and their reliance on oil has made the disparity between the rich andthe poor a gap that becomes too large to overcome. One prime example of this isBrazil, Brazil has large reserves of oil in a very large country. Brazil is adeveloping nation and is very unstable when it comes to central governments. Inthe 70s and 80s Brazil made large amounts of oil from its reserves. Instead ofinvesting the money made (from exporting oil) into their countries future, theleaders of that country used the money to make themselves rich and left thecountry in political and economic disarray. The middle class of Brazil becamealmost non-existent and their seem to be but two classes in that country. Thoseclasses were the extremely rich and the extremely poor. The lack ofinfrastructure and consumer confidence in the economy due to the mishandlin g ofoil profits lead to many political assassinations and increased crime ratesthroughout the country. It has taken and will continue to take Brazil years andyears to recover from these economic crisiss , which all could have beenavoided had Brazils government invested in its future. It is definitely truethat an economy of a country can be vastly affected by the demand, consumption,and supply of oil. The affect that good supplies of oil has on a countryseconomy is one that can only be measured in the sense that it is inevitable thatthey will be affected. As long as we drive cars that are fueled by gas and weuse heat in the winter time, oil will always be a strong factor in determiningthe growth of a countries economy. In the United States, we have the stronginfrastructure to adapt to problems that the instability of both the supply anddemand of oil will cause. Countries need to look within themselves for managedgrowth in order to steady their economies if oil is what sparks their ec onomy. Astrong central bank and government will allow for funds to be invested insupporting the economy, the oil business, and consumerism. Once theinfrastructure is set the shear reliance on oil will not be a factor, becausethe countrys economy will be able to handle the affect. When the day comes thatoil wells ran dry and substitutes are needed the countries that will survivewill be the ones that have braced themselves for the effect that this will haveon their economy. Then these countries will adapt and overcome. Oil and gasshould be used as helper of a countrys economy and not the passion by which itis run. The production of great income for a country and a higher GNP that oilproduction is something that should be able to benefit them for many years tocome. If you look at the United States as a model you will see a country thathandles oil with precision. When the oil industry is in a downturn, thegovernment can step in and regulate taxes and stimulate investment by having thece ntral bank pump in funds that would not otherwise be used. When the oilindustry is doing fine, the government can sit back and reap the prosperity ofincreases in employment and a rise in demand for oil. The prices will be lowerfor gas and oil, which means consumption will be up and the economy will be uptoo. Countries around the world can learn how to handle oil to the extent thatit creates an agenda that the benefits far outweigh the costs. We know that oiland gas affects the economy and that it easily regulated by strong centralgovernment and bank. The infrastructure must be built up to manage growth. Theleaders of the country should be committed to the development of the oilindustry. Finally the consumers should be aware of how their role in theconsumption of oil will affect the economy as a whole. When all parties areaware and committed to the prosperity of their country and to the industry thenthe consumption, supply, demand, profits, losses, and investment towards oilwill be a mutually beneficial one for the country and its people. .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .postImageUrl , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:hover , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:visited , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:active { border:0!important; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:active , .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub998497852ba1b928a8a88b5c7a87edb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Enlightenment EssayEconomics

19th Century Women Authors Essay Example For Students

19th Century Women Authors Essay 19th Century Women Authors Some of the most influential women authors of all time lived in the 19th century. These women expressed their inner most thoughts and ideas through their writings. They helped to change society, perhaps without knowing it, through poetry, novels, and articles. Emily Dickinson, Harriet Jacobs, Kate Chopin, Louisa May Alcott, and Elizabeth Oakes Smith are the best-known controversial and expressive women authors of their time. On December 10, 1830 a poet was born. When Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, no one knew that she was to become the most well known woman poet of all time. She loved her family deeply. Her father was a man of great reverence in Amherst and her mother was an invalid all of Emilys life. Dickinson had great admiration for her brother Austin. He married a woman named Susan. Susan and Emily became very close. So close, in fact, that it was rumored that they were lovers. She wrote love letters and poems to Susan. Some scholars believe that there is an indication of homosexuality found in many of Dickinsons poems. Emily never married, which did not help diminish the rumors. Another rumor affecting Emily related to her sanity. It is said that in her later years Dickinson refused to leave her house. When company would come to the door she would run upstairs to avoid them. She only totally secluded herself from adults. She made gingerbread for the neighborhood children and played games with them occasionally. No matter what rumors circulated there is no doubt that Emily Dickinson is a wonderful poet. There is another sky,Ever serene and fair,And there is another sunshine,Though it be darkness there. She expressed her feelings for the loss of her mother, father, and close friends in her poetry. She refused to believe that Heaven was a better place than Earth a nd she showed her love of nature in some of her poems. She found nature superior to society and preferred it. None of Dickinsons poems had titles. Many thought this was because she did not want them published. Many of her poems are dark and mysterious but all are true works of art. Emily Dickinson died peacefully on May 15, 1886. Only ten of Emilys poems were published in her lifetime.After her death over 1700 of her poems were discovered. She had bound them into several booklets. In 1890 and 1891 some of her poems were published. They received a great response but no more were published until 1955. A sepal, petal, and a thornUpon a common summers mornA flask of dew A bee or twoA breeze a caper in the treesAnd I am a rose!Dickinsons poems are timeless and will always leave one bewildered and amazed. Harriet Jacobs was born in North Carolina in the early 1800s. Jacobs never realized she was a slave until her mother died when she was six. Jacobs then moved in with her grandmother and her white mistress. The mistress died when Jacobs was eleven, and she was then sent to Dr. James Norcom. Jacobs suffered physical and sexual abuse from Dr. Norcom for numerous years, and she became involved with a white neighbor, Samuel Sawyer, simply so she could stay away from Norcom. They had two children together, Joseph and Louisa. Joseph was born when Jacobs was only sixteen years old. In 1835, Jacobs escaped from Norcom and went into hiding for seven years. In an attempt to get Norcom to sell her children, Jacobs wrote numerous letters to him, mentioning that she had escaped to the North. She thought Norcom would sell her children if he thought she wasnt coming back, but that never happened. In 1842, Jacobs made her escape to the North and managed to have her daughter, Louisa, sent to Brooklyn to be with her. They then moved to Rochester to escape Norcom, who was looking for her, and joined a circle of abolitionists that worked for Fredrick Douglasss newspaper, The North Star. In 1853, her employer bought her from Norcoms family, thus releasing her from being a fugitive. In 1863, Jacobs moved to Alexandria, Virginia with her daughter. There they organized medical care for the Civil War victims and provided emergency relief supplies. In Alexandria, Jacobs made perhaps her greatest contribution by establishing The Jacobs Free School. This was an institution that provided black teachers for the refugees. In 1865, they relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where they continued their relief work. After two short stops in Cambridge and England, they made their final move to Washington, D.C., in 1877. Jacobs wrote her only book in 1861, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. She used the name Linda Brent, and the book was published under a false name. The book ended with the freedom of Jacobs and her daughter. Besides her novel, Jacobs made great strides for the black community. Jacobs helped organize the National Association of Colored Women in Washington DC, established The Jacobs Free School, and helped many black refugees. She truly inspired many slaves and gave them the faith they needed. Jacobs died on March 7, 1897 at the age of 84. Elizabeth Oakes Prince was born in North Yarmouth, Maine on August 12 1806. She was self-educated and wanted to pursue a career in teaching. But to please her mother, at the age of sixteen she married Seba Smith, an editor and writer from Portland. In the Panic of 1837, the family went bankrupt and moved to New York. Here, both spouses pursued writing careers. Elizabeth contributed regularly to Godeys Ladys Book, Grahams Magazine, and the Southern Literary Messenger. Many, including Edgar Allan Poe, praised her first book, The Sinless Child, and other Poems. She also published juvenile literature and wrote plays. The cause of womens rights also occupied much of her time. A series of her writings on this subject in the New York Tribune was published as Woman and Her Needs in 1851. 1The recent movements of Women in our Country in the shape of Conventions, the one in Ohio, and the other in Massachusetts, have called forth from the Press one grand jubilee of ridicule from Dan even unto Bathsheba, as if it were the funniest thing in the world for human beings to feel the evils oppressing themselves or others, and to look round for redress. There is a large class of our sex so well cared for, whom the winds of heaven are not allowed to visit too roughly, that they can form no estimate of the suffering of their less fortunate sisters. Perhaps I do wrong to say less fortunate, for suffering to a Woman occupies the place of labor to a man, giving a breadth, depth and fullness not otherwise attained. Therefore let her who is called to suffer beware how she despises the cross, which it implies; rather let her 1 Woman and her Needs, editorial by Elizabeth Oakes Smithglory that she is accounted worthy to receive the testimony to the capabilities of her soul. But there is, as I have said, a class unconscious of this bearing; delicate, amiable, lovely even, but limited and superficial. These follow the bent of their masculine friends and admirers, and lisp pretty ridicule about the folly of Woman Rights and Woman Movements. These see no need of reform or change of any kind; indeed they are denied that comprehensiveness of thought by which they could hold the several parts of a subject in mind and see its bearings. Socie ty is a sort of grown up mystery which they pretend not to comprehend, supposing it to have gradually grown to its present rise size and shape from Adam and Eve, by natural gradation like Church BishopsI wish to show that while she has been created as one part of human intelligence, she has not only a right to be heard and felt in human affairs, not by tolerance merely, but as a welcome and needed element of human thought; and that when she is thus recognized, the world will be the better for it, and go onward with new power in the progress of disenthrallment. There is a woman view, which women must learn to takeas yet they have made no demonstration that looks like a defined, appropriate perception. The keynote has been struck by the other sex, and women have responded; this response has been strong and significant, but it will evolve nothing because it indicates no urgent need. It has done well in one respectit has raised the cry of contempt, the scoffings of ridicule, and this an tagonism is needed to make us look deeper into the soul of things. We shall learn to search and see whether we are capable of bringing anything to the stock of human thought worthy of acceptance. If we can, bring itif not, hold our peace. Soccer Essay IntroductionDuring the time that Kate was writing she wrote only one or two days a week, reserving most of her time for raising her children. After a fifteen year literary career marked by success, failure and scorn, two novels and over one hundred short stories, Kate Chopin died on August 22, 1904 following a cerebral hemorrhage. Earlier that week Kate became fascinated by the Worlds Fair in St. Louis. Although in poor health, and warned by her doctor to avoid stressful situations, Kate spent a long, hot day at the fair. Later that evening she collapsed, and died two days later. She was only fifty-three at the time of her death. Louisa May Alcott, the second of four daughters, was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and raised in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts. Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, was a noted New England Transcendentalist philosopher and educator who worked only sporadically throughout Louisa Mays life. Her mother, Abigail May Alcott, was descended from the witch-burning Judge Samuel Sewall and the noted abolitionist Colonel Joseph May. Although severely impoverished, Alcotts childhood was apparently happy. Taught by her father, Alcott was deeply influenced by his transcendentalist thought and experimental educational philosophies. Ralph Waldo Emersons personal library of classics and philosophy was available for use to the young Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau taught her botany. Margaret Fuller, James Russell Lowell, and Julia Ward were only a few of Alcotts intellectually influential neighbors and friends. Womens rights and educational reformimportant social reform issues of nineteenth-centur y Americawere two of Alcotts pet causes that often appear as themes in her novels. Bronson Alcott founded several schools, but all of them failed, forcing Abigail and her daughters to undertake the financial support of the family. Later, Alcott often remarked that her entire career was inspired by her desire to compensate for her familys early discomfort. Alcott taught school, took in sewing, and worked briefly as a domestic servant. At age sixteen she began writing, convinced that she could eventually earn enough money to alleviate the familys poverty. In 1851, her first poem was published in Petersons Magazine under the pseudonym Flora Fairfield, bringing Alcott little money but a great deal of confidence. It was during the ensuing years that Alcott published, as A. M. Barnard, a number of sensational serial stories, which were both popular and lucrative. In 1862, Alcott went to Washington, D.C. to serve as a nurse to soldiers wounded in the American Civil War. It was a short-lived experience, however, for she contracted typhoid within a month, from which she nearly died. Her good health, undermined by the long illness and by mercury poisoning from her medication, was never fully recovered. Alcott later recounted her experiences as a nurse in her popular Hospital Sketches (1863), which was originally published in the periodical Commonwealth. Her first novel, Moods (1864), pronounced immoral by critics, sold well nonetheless, and its success encouraged Alcott to continue writing. In 1865, Alcott traveled through Europe as a companion to a wealthy invalid and wrote for periodicals. While abroad, she was offered the editorship of Merrys Museum, an American journal featuring juvenile literature. She accepted the position and became the journals chief contributor. The turning point of Alcotts career came with the publication of Little Women; also known as Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy (1868-69). An autobiographical account of nineteenth-century family life, the novel traces the development of Alcott, depicted as Jo March, and her three sisters. The work was an immediate success and established Alcott as a major author. She published four sequels to Little Women entitled Good Wives (volume two of Little Women), Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jos Boys (1871), Aunt Jos Scrap Bag (1872-82), and Jos Boys and How They Turned Out (1886). Alcott was regarded as a celebrity and was easily able to support her family with her earnings. Louisa May Alcott died on March 6, 1888, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. Alcott remains an enduring figure in American literature. Although some regard her portrayals of nineteenth-century domestic life as dated, she is remembered for her sympathetic and realistic portrayals of the maturing adolescent. Her most popular work, Little Women, was instrumental in changing the focus of juvenile literature to include sensitive works for young adults. Nineteenth century women authors were some of the mo9st influential writers in the past several hundred years. Emily Dickinson expresses her love of nature through her poetry, and Harriet Jacobs shares a piece of herself and exposes the slavery of African American women. Kate Chopin invites people into her world of valuable life lessons that she had to learn the hard way. Louisa May Alcott gave us timeless fiction that captures our imaginations and our hearts. Elizabeth Oakes Smith wrote about womens suffrage and sparked new ideas for a new, equal society. These women are just a handful of the great and controversial writers of the 19th century that have had a great impact in todays society. Without these women and their tremendous talent for writing, we would not truly know what great literature is.

My Beautiful Girlfriend Essays - Auctions, Estate Sale,

Before i begin discussing my relationship with my amazing and beautiful girlfriend, and the vigorous 2 year journey of a relationship we have been through as a couple. I would like to explain that everything i am speaking of in this paper is 100% true. Weather it is communication competence, nonverbal cues, dialectical tension, abstract language, and nonverbal communication. They have all seemed to squeeze their way into my relationship in multiple cases. Where do i begin. Lover, sexual partner, girlfriend, moral supporter, and best friend. These are all things i get to call my beautiful partner. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't easy for her nor myself to be able to be at the place we're at today. Love life is a very peculiar thing, but to me the stranger thing has to be the emotions as well as interpersonal communicational tracks explored while going through love. I mean think about it this person makes my heart hurt when im away from here yet when im with here i wanna rip her head off. This is what i like to call the wonderful world of love. When influencing me as a person as much as she has, and i don't say this lightly. There were many communicational barriers we had to get through. One of the toughest to me was by far dialectical tensions. The one that affected us the most has to be expression-privacy tension. When we went through our first year of college. We started to see this barrier pop up a lot with her not telling me certain things that i would like to know and me telling her too much that she would have like to hear otherwise. We eventually found a way to express our lives in a almost half and half way. With her telling me stuff she knew i would want to know as well as me telling her the same. This was a huge battle for us, but ended up being the glue to our ever growing relationship. With relationships comes sex, desire of lust, as well as just loving each other. A huge portion of our amazing relationship relies on this wonderful thing called nonverbal communication. First let me explain nonverbal communication so you can better understand the impact it has had on my relationship. Nonverbal comm. Is communication without the use of spoken word. This can be anything from facial expressions to the gesture of your hands. The fascinating thing to me is how much you come to know these nonverbal actions and can pinpoint exact emotions and phrases as well as desires associated with them Nonverbal cues as we call them in the study of communications. My favorite example of this was actually something that happened this october break. We were in the car talking as usual. I started to talk about something that made her unhappy, i know i'm a terrible boyfriend; Besides that the cue happened to be her making the slightest change in tone as well as an almost overwhelming sense of uncomfort. We continued the drive and i know by now to not ignore these cues but talk around them. when i say this i simply mean to speak in a way that comforts her as well as assuring her i'm aware of this cue and i'm working on fixing it. My Communication competence cannot be completely blamed on my relationship with my girlfriend. I have moved a lot of my life and making friends and being good at it wasn't always easy. This has surly fueled the flame. Where i can give credit to the relationship for this has to be teaching me what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. As well as decoding abstract language. Communication competence truly has to be the reason we've made it as far as we have in this relationship. The understanding of different messages as well as how they are sent and received between one another has made our relationship stronger than bruce banner himself. (The Incredible Hulk). Where do i begin. Lover, sexual partner, girlfriend, moral supporter, and best friend. These are all things i get to call my beautiful partner. As you can see Interpersonal

Do countries really benefit from international trade

Do countries really benefit from international trade Countries do benefit from international trade in a broad way. There might be flaws as far as benefiting from international trade is concerned but there is evidence to show that many countries have benefited from this. Every country has its own expectations and targets as far as benefiting from international trade is concerned and this is something that has always differed. It is quite evident that every country goes into international trade with an aim of benefiting and this has been fulfilled in various occasions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Do countries really benefit from international trade? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are good signs and indications to show that international trade has benefited many countries and this should be capitalized on for long term sustainability (Glyn 23). Therefore, it is undeniable that countries have benefited a lot from international trade. We live in a unique society where we can not say that we have everything thereby justifying international trade. The world has become an open economy where people can move from one place to the other without many restrictions thereby advancing trade. There is no country that has ever shied away from international trade and this is a fact. In this case, we can not say that there is any given country that lives in abundance meaning that there is everything to gain through strategic partnerships and cooperation. All the countries whether developed, developing or underdeveloped can benefit from international trade in various ways. International trade can only thrive in an environment that does not have any barriers (Watson 34). Such barriers can be looked at from an economic point of view through quotas, tariffs and other government subsidies. In cases and occasions where such aspects have been well effected and implemented, countries have benefited a lot from international trade. Such practices enable different countries to get goods and services that they are not able to produce on their own. Countries benefit from international trade because it has become the backbone of our modernity and commercial world. This can be looked at from different perspectives because there are positivity’s and negativity’s that can be realized from international trade. It is quite practical that producers from different countries can benefit and profit from a wide and open global market through international trade. There is a large population that has been lifted out of poverty through international trade. International trade enables companies to access new markets thereby employing more people from their communities and environments (Glyn 51).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the long run, a lot of people are lifted out of poverty because they can create wealth and invest. Economists argue that people will only invest if they have a good disposable income through savings. In this case, an expanded market means that different companies will be profitable thereby giving employees’ a good package. As time goes by, people and employees invest in their societies thereby creating wealth. The general theory of comparative advantage has been put into practice through international trade thereby benefiting various countries and companies. In this case, the more it’s put into practice by people, the more it benefits countries. There are occasions where international trade has led to socio-economic inequalities but this can not override the benefits that come with it. This has only been practical where good policies and frameworks have not been put into place. As far as Adam Smith is concerned, individuals, companies and nations can be better off if they specialize in the production of a given good instead of striving to be economically self- suffi cient. This therefore justifies international trade which seeks to give people different goods and services that they can not produce in their own countries (Glyn 21). This principle of specializing in the production of a given good or service can be applied in international trade for long term sustainability. All this should be done for mutual benefits meaning that there is no country that can participate in international trade if it is not benefiting in any way. There has been an argument that countries can benefit from international trade even if a given nation is producing two different goods cheaply than the other. International trade occurs across borders and this has given different countries a big boost on their GDP as time goes by. In this case, countries that have wanted to grow their economies quickly have occasionally relied on international trade to achieve this. International trade is very lucrative than it used to be in previous years and this is because of the intere st and attention that it has been given. In this case, industrialization and globalization have changed the approach to international trade thereby giving it a new face and dimension (Watson 56). Nations have benefited from international trade through the value of peoples lives. In this case, their choice is not limited in any way which opens up borders. This means that people are not confined to what they have been given which is the nature of human beings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Do countries really benefit from international trade? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Countries can not say that they have not benefited from international trade because it saves on costs. In this case, a nation can produce its goods in a different country that has low costs of production. Income opportunities have been created through international trade thereby benefiting locals and the country at large. Every country has its o wn laws and policies that govern international trade and this means that they should always favor them. This means that mutual understanding and corporation should work in favor of both countries. As a matter of fact, the world trade organization has been monitoring trade activities to ensure fair play. This has enabled countries to enhance their relationships thereby benefiting everybody. Problems have been identified in advance to ensure that good solutions are arrived at for long term sustainability. Through international trade, countries have been able to increase their stock of resources (Watson 71). Most notably, the supply of labor and capital has been enhanced as time goes by. Foreign investors have been instrumental in the transfer of capital through numerous business opportunities that exist in different countries. Free trade has been identified as the key concept under which international trade operates. As a matter of fact, free trade has not been practical throughout th e world. This is based on interests that different nations and individuals have as far as restricting others from their territories is concerned. The benefits of specialization and free trade can not be disputed because this is something that can be seen in the world today. There is an argument that free trade has failed to deliver what it was intended to achieve but this is based on different expectations (Glyn 29). For instance, poor countries are still poor but we can not expect international trade to solve all the problems yet other countries do not have the capacity. The ultimate aim of trade is to benefit both parties and this should be achieved through good interaction and mutual understanding. Thorough international trade, various countries have established agreements and treaties that have ensured that they benefit well. There are countries that have good economies of scale meaning that it will be much easier for other countries to shift production which is good. Internatio nal trade is very complex meaning that countries can never be equal.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this case, it is quite obvious that a different nation will have more economic power over another but this should not be used against trade because there is something that they can benefit together (Watson 36). Consistency in trade has given countries an opportunity to reevaluate their approach to international trade thereby correcting their initial mistakes. Countries have always wanted to finance their budgets and take care of their infrastructural projects which can be enhanced through international trade. In this case, countries have ended up earning foreign money which enhances growth. As a matter of fact, this money stimulates economic growth and developmental activities that can not be achieved single handedly. Standards of living in different countries have been enhanced through international trade as people travel to different destinations to grow their business. As a producer, it is quite obvious that markets need to be expanded to enhance growth (Glyn 33). This means t hat there is nobody who can say that international trade is disastrous because everything has been going on well. Countries will continue benefiting from international trade because there is an urge and effort towards self sufficiency. This means that there should be less reliance on foreign aid to correct inequalities. Glyn, Davies. Ideas: A history of money from ancient times to the present day. Wales: University of Wales Press, 2002. Print. Watson, Peter. Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention from Fire to Freud. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Print.

The Concepts of Culture, Minority Groups, Stereotypes and Essay

The Concepts of Culture, Minority Groups, Stereotypes and Discrimination - Essay Example Rapid changes characterize the modern world. With these changes taking place, the business world has been one area where these changes have necessitated new approaches to management. In this case, the business world has witnessed workers from differing backgrounds in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and philosophical beliefs come together in the workplace. In some cases, managers are not aware of the inherent differences among their employees. On the other hand, some managers are aware of these differences and try to make use of these differences to the benefit of the organization. This approach is managing diversity in an organization, and it is important for management to find the best approaches to deal with the issues of culture, minority groups, stereotypes, and discrimination in the workplace in order to make sure that the organization benefited from all workers. In this case, an organization should find the best approaches to integrate these concepts in the workplace in order to manage diversity in the workplace. The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights defined cultures as constituting â€Å"differences in academic qualifications, religion, and expressive features of a social group’s traditions and beliefs†. In line with this, it is evident that the contemporary society’s workplace is representative of these people who demonstrate these differences. In an organizational perspective, these different groups enhance the organization’s objectives with their own flavor of cultural background, lifestyle, vision, and fulfillment of challenges†. In effect, it is crucial for an organization to ensure that employees enhanced the organization’s objectives while following a similar approach in order to ensure that the organizational goals were achieved using a common approach. Minority groups are the groups that traditionally lack power in an organization, which include women and members of other ethnic and racial groups that were not dominant in an organization. In line with this, it is crucial to point out that these groups face challenges when integrating themselves in the workplace, which affects their productivity due to the factors that prevent their participation in an organization. Hence, managers should define approaches that ensured their integration in a manner that was efficient and effective. On the other hand, these groups might face challenges to participate in the workplace due to the different stereotypes. In effect, the stereotypes contribute to discrimination in the workplace. In line with this, cultural stereotypes also affect the integration of people from disparate cultures in the workplace. Fiske and Lee identified stereotypes as the â€Å"categorical associations-including traits, behaviors and roles-perceivers make to group members based on their membership†. In effect, these perceptions affect the interaction of workers in the workplace, whi ch effectively affects productivity and profitability in an organization. Hence, effective approaches to managing diversity are essential in ensuring that workers did not allow their perceptions about other workers influence their interaction in the workplace. For example, today’s workplace witnesses more women, who have long been considered a minority group, taking leadership roles in various organizations. In effect, men identified women with stereotypes related to women being sex objects, which limits the ascendancy of women to positions of leadership in organizations and their interaction as equal workers in the same organizations with men. On the other hand, discrimination refers to â€Å"perceiver advantages that advantage one group over another† in the workplace.

Proofread the text and onctrol for fluency...style and grammar Essay

Proofread the text and onctrol for fluency...style and grammar - Essay Example Subsequently, realism emerged with its more pessimistic accounts with states functioning in self-centred way by seeking power and security. As the heated debate between the two camps evolved, a critical discipline called ‘behaviouralism’ emerged. Its critics assumed that the political inquiry into social phenomenon was solely conducted on the qualitative and normative grounds. Subsequently, it was indispensable to introduce scientific methods to legitimate politics as a science. From this rehabilitative position, behavioralists realized that to codify their study as scientifically valid, they will have to follow a stringent method and to conduct empirical research. Interdisciplinary contacts and remarks between the competing theories resulted in a revision of liberal accounts. This Neoliberalism accepted the neorealist notion that states are important actors in IR, but still acknowledged the relevance of international organizations. As international cooperation from the bipolar point of view accelerated, the emphasis on the international institutions asserted substantial influence on the IR-agenda of many national states. This made institutionalization a more prominent discipline (extracted from Neoliberalism). 2. Intellectual magnates like Hobbes (Leviathan) and Machiavelli (The Prince), who form the realist backbone of the discipline, wrote influential work about ideal relationships within and between states. The liberal touchstones of IR as a discipline, could be attributed to the work of Kant (Perpetual Peace: 1795) and Rousseau, which offered insight on the way liberalism should be practiced. The intellectual history of IR herein actually started with the seventeenth century treaty of Peace of

Design and creative enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Design and creative enterprise - Essay Example Graphic designers have to know all these things about the art of graphic design in order to operate competitively in the current industry (Heller and Fernandes, 2010). The graphic design industry is a fun and creative one. Being a graphic designer enables one to spend the whole day doing what he laves to do. The industry is also quite a lucrative one as it is possible to earn a lot of money from the designs. It is possible for graphic designers to work in a variety of environments. Many graphic design graduates normally find work in companies that deal specifically with the field of graphic design. These companies include design consultancy firms and branding agencies, publishing, marketing and communications companies (Gold, 1995). However, with the introduction of PCs into the industry, the shift is quickly changing and more graphic designers are opting to work independently. The innovation of new graphic design software that is easily available has also contributed a great deal to the increasing number of independent graphic design enterprises and free lance jobs. The graphic design business is easy to scale and one can work with as much flexibility as he wishes (Foote, 2004). Graphic Design Business Graphic design, regardless of whether it is practiced as a large enterprise or as a freelance job, has an important place in the social scene. It can be used to communicate a particular social ideal. It is also used by many business people to attract clients or consumers. It is used as a motivational tool for political campaigns. Graphic arts is also used in travelling guides to help people find their way in places that they do not know (Landa, 2001). In other words, graphic design does much more than just make things look pretty. It is an audience centered approach of visual communication and it is always geared towards meeting all of the clients needs. This is the ideal design practice that helps in the protection of creative values and enables a creative prof essional set up his design business (Goldfarb, 2006). In order to meet all of the clients’ needs, the professional designer has to know the intended audience very well. The ideal design practice requires graphic designers to fully understand the audience so as to be as effective as possible when they are communicating their clients’ ideas (Heller and Fernandes, 2010). This means that he must analyze all relevant data about the audience, including their class, education level, gender, buying habits, favorite television shows, personal traits and many more. The designers then use this psychographic and demographic information to determine what exactly it is that the audience perceives (Foote, 2004). A successful graphic design enterprise does not only rely on the understanding of the audience, but also on the grounding of fine art and creativity which is combined with ample technical knowledge. This technical knowledge encompasses special processes, digital file presenta tion, paper stocks, quality control printing inks and troubleshooting. The ideal design process is a combination of these technical skills as well as creative and research skills. A graphic designer wanting to start his own business must therefore ensure that he has all the technical and non-technical materials he needs to ensure that his business starts off on the right note (Gold, 1995). How to start the graphic Design Business Like any other business, a person

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu A Modern Martial Art Form History Essay

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu A Modern Martial Art Form History Essay Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the Gentle Art, is a relatively modern martial art. Its roots however stretch all the way back to the days of the samurai. How, you ask, did this system of fighting make its way to the other side of the world? It all began with the founding of Judo, the precursor to Jiu Jitsu, in the 1880s. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, had studied many ancient Japanese forms and techniques. In his new style he used only the most effective techniques from the indigenous Japanese arts; he called his creation Kodokan Judo. The difference between Kanos new style and the ancient styles was that it could also be used as self defense, because non-cooperative free training was highly emphasized. This new form of training not only prepared the body, but also the mind and it changed the martial arts world as a whole. It was Judo that began the wave on other styles relying more on effectiveness and free-sparring, than on flashy techniques that do not actually work. In the late 1800s, Kanos Judo was put to the test at the Tokyo Police Tournament. There he fought many opponents and won all but two matches, which were declared a draw. His style was indeed the most effective of the time considering Jigoro Kano was smaller and weaker than the other practitioners. Judo remained undefeated for many years, until a master from a Japanese school teaching ancient fighting styles finally won. The loss came due to Kanos lack of experience at fighting on the ground, which was the opponents focus in training. After this loss, the weakness of Judo was exposed, as new schools began challenging the Kodokan Judo and winning on the ground. From this moment on, ground fighting was trained extensively at the Kodokan. A few years after ground fighting was implemented at the Kodokan, Esai Maeda began training at the school. He excelled far past his fellow students and went down in history as one of the greatest practitioners of Judo, or Judoka, in the world. He remained undefeated in his fighting career in Japan. In 1904 Professor Kano sent Maeda to the United States to help spread Judo. Throughout his travels, Maeda fought countless opponents; some say he even had over a thousand matches. He is credited as having a spotless record, with zero losses. All over the world, this new Judo was catching on, as the style proved more effective than others. At his retirement, Maeda was literally a human encyclopedia of Judo, and he wanted to share his knowledge. In the early 1900s Maeda decided to move to Brazil with the wave of Japanese immigrants going there. He settled in Rio de Janeiro and established a Judo school there. One of his first students was the now famous, Carlos Gracie. Gracie excelled just as Maeda had years ago and eventually became the best student. Carlos eventually went on to open his own school. Throughout the years, Gracie and his brothers continued to teach and perfect their Judo. The youngest of the brothers, Helio, was not allowed to train because he was very weak and constantly ill. He took notes and gave tips on how to make moves more effective and helped his brothers develop their own style. In 1928 Carlos Gracie and his brothers cannot teach a lesson at their school, so youngest brother Helio fills in for them. Even with his weak and frail body, he was able to maneuver and control his students. He had finally perfected the art of Judo; this new form of Judo became known as Gracie Jiu Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The brothers were amazed at young Helios incredible technique. What made him so good was that he used his opponents weight and force against them. He was a smart man and used his knowledge in physics to help him by incorporating levers and momentum into his newly developed style. In 1931 the professional boxer, Antonio Portugal, was defeated by Helio, proving that with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a smaller and less athletic person could beat a larger and more athletic one. His goal was to provide anyone of any size the techniques in which you could defend yourself against any one of any size. This was only the first of countless victories that the Gracie family would see. In the 1940s Helio challenged Joe Louis, the professional heavyweight champion of boxing, to prove the superiority of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The boxer, who looked like a giant next to Gracie, declined and the two never fought. The two actually became friends and taught one another their techniques. Years later, at the peak of Helios fighting days, he fought Masahiko Kimura who was considered to be the best Japanese fighter at the time. Kimura outweighed Gracie by over eighty pounds, and was much stronger. Helio fought for over thirteen minutes before he was caught in a shoulder lock that broke his shoulder. Still, he did not give up and continued to fight, until his brother threw in the towel to prevent any serious injury. Kimura was so impressed with the performance of Helio and his modified style that he invited him to teach it at schools in Japan. The last of his memorable fights was the one against Waldemar Santana. Santana was 20 years younger and heavier than Gracie, he also studied at the Gracie Academy. The fight went on and on for about five hours, with Santana as the victor. Even though Helio lost, his style proved supreme. He was able to defend himself against a much younger and stronger assailant for hours at a time. It also proved to be effective in self defense, because the young challenger also knew the secrets of Jiu Jitsu, where an attacker on the street would probably not. In the early 1980s Rorion Gracie, Helios eldest son, moved to California to spread the familys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He was not welcomed at martial arts schools with his unorthodox methods and unusual fighting style. This eventually led to him inviting martial artists of all styles from around the world for a match against him. The event came to be known as the Gracie Challenge. Gracies Jiu Jitsu proved more effective than every challengers martial art, including Kung Fu, wrestling, boxing, and karate. The challenge was made to prove that simple yet effective movements are crucial to self defense, rather than flashy and eye-catching techniques. The Gracie family finally got their big break in 1994 when Rorion Gracie began the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or the UFC. In this competition martial styles were put up against one another without any restrictions or weight classes. Royce Gracie, the youngest of Rorions brothers, was the first to compete. He ended up winning the entire competition, making opponents much larger than him submit. Once again, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu proved to be the most effective and realistic martial art. After the first few Ultimate Fighting Championships the popularity of Jiu Jitsu skyrocketed in the U.S.; everyone wanted to learn the art. Around this time many of the other Gracie family members began to move to the United States and Japan. Rickson Gracie, considered by many to have been the greatest fighter in the world, revolutionized the sport. He combined all of the techniques his elders taught him, with those from practitioners around the world. He became a complete athlete when he began developing his strength and agility, which, when added to Jiu Jitsu, only made it easier for him to win. He went on to defeat many of the greatest fighters in the world. He eventually retired when his son died, with a record of only wins. Rickson Gracie founded the Rickson Gracie International Jiu-Jitsu Association in 1996 in order to provide a thorough and complete system in which Jiu-Jitsu students, for the first time, are presented with clearly defined standards of progression relating to proper Belt Ranking and Testing. Through the Association, the traditional, technical and philosophical aspects of Jiu-Jitsu can be shared wit h students around the world. (rickson.com) Nowadays, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is everywhere, from various academies around the world, to police academies, and even the army. Throughout the years it has proved to be the most effective martial art as a whole. The ever-growing popularity of the UFC, and mixed martial arts in general, is associated with the boom in popularity of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The championship has now reached its one hundred and fourteenth event. Every fighter currently fighting in the UFC, and any mixed martial arts tournament, has some knowledge of Jiu Jitsu, whether for defense or offense. So even though Brazilian Jiu Jitsu originated from Judo, it has many differences, such as those of body mechanics.

Enemy of the People :: Essays Papers

Enemy of the People The book I read was written by Ibsen and called Enemy of the People. There were nine characters in this book but only five main characters. Dr. Stockmann, Hovstad, Aslaksen, Peter, and Billing. The protagonist was Doctor Stockmann. He has just discovered that a bathing complex that is crucial to the town’s economy is seriously contaminated. He alerts several members of the community and receives generous support and thanks for making this discovery in time to save the town. The next day his brother, the town mayor and the antagonist, tells him he has to retract his statement to the town because to repair the bath it would cost to much money for the town; the mayor is not convinced by the doctors findings. They have a huge argument, but the Doctor hopes that the newspaper will support him. But the mayor convinces the newspaper to oppose him. Soon after the doctor holds a town meeting to tell everyone about the baths. The mayor and Aslaksen, the newspaper printer, try to keep him from speaking. The doctor begins a long lecture in which he condemns the foundations of the town and the tyranny of the majority. The people find his speech offensive and revolt against the doctor. The next morning the doctor’s house is vandalized and all the people who supported him earlier now oppose him. Instead of leaving the town the doctor stays in the town to defy authority. His family is supportive and he says, â€Å"that the strongest man is the man who stands alone.† Psychology plays a main part in the conclusion of the story. Its mob psychology, in the story the newspaper editors did support him and so did most of the town up until the mayor got to them and told them that he was bad. The people knew that the baths were no good and contaminated but they were to afraid to voice there opinion in fear that they might be different and consider bad to the town authorities. So mob psychology deals with people who don’t want to stand out in a crowd no matter what is going to happen to them or the town.

Wonders of Science

Science has done great service to mankind. Science has ensured life to be safer, surer and much more comfortable than ever before. Science has helped man to make computers, artificial satellites and robots. Science has given the Americans a defense umbrella in space and it has given the Russians a permanent space station. Russia, it is believed, will have an industrial city in space before 2050 A. D. This would be the height of achievement in the field of science and technology. Science has also helped the common man in many ways. It has given him the modern machinery which has helped to increase the production of food grains.The famines which took the lives of millions of people in the past have now become a distant thing, except in some African countries. Man who was travelling in bullock carts until two hundred years ago is now able to travel in supersonic jets which would take him around the world in twenty four hours. Science has also made communication easier with the invention of telegraphy and the telephone. The invention of the printing press has brought education in the form of books and newspapers to the doorsteps of every common man. Science has given man several means of recreation to spend his leisure time.The greatest wonder of modern science is that we can watch several events as they are happening on the other side of the world by sitting comfortably in our drawing rooms in front of the televisions. Satellite links of televisions have made this possible. Science has also given us the computer which can store a million times more of information in its memory than a human brain and bring them out the flicker of a second. The computer can also work out statistical data of all inhabitants of a city and can give details of any singular feature for several years. These wonders of science have certainly made our living easier and lively.

Dont Use Je Suis Fini

Dont Use Je Suis Fini To say Je suis fini in French is a serious mistake and one to be avoided.   This mistake is caused in part by the fact that in the English translation finished is an adjective, while in French its the past participle of a verb. So when you want to say I am finished, it seems logical to translate that as Je suis fini. Unfortunately, this is quite a dramatic thing to say in French and it means I am dead, Im finished! Im done for! Im ruined! or Im all washed up! Imagine the look on your French girlfriends face if you say, Je suis fini! Shell think youre about to expire! Or shell burst out laughing at your mistake. Either way, not so good. Never use  Ãƒ ªtre fini  and  ne pas à ªtre fini  when referring to people, unless you have something pretty earth-shattering to announce or youre maliciously insulting someone. To avoid this scenario, think of the English as I have finished instead, and this will remind you that you need to use the passà © composà © in French  and that the auxiliary verb for finir is avoir, not à ªtre.  Thus, avoir fini is the correct choice. Even better, use the colloquial avoir  terminà ©, especially when referring to the completion of a task or activity. For instance, if a waiter asks  if he or she can take your plate, the correct (and polite) expression is: â€Å"Oui, merci, j’ai terminà ©.†Ã‚   The Wrong Way and the Right Ways In brief, these are your options: Avoid using finir with à ªtre:   Être fini   to be done for, washed up, finished with, ruined, kaput, dead, or dying.   Choose verbs with avoir: Avoir fini   to be done, to be finishedAvoir  terminà ©   to be finished, to be done Examples of Je Suis Fini Si je dois les rembourser,  je suis fini.  Ã‚  If I have to refund their money,  Im done.Si à §a ne marche pas,  je suis fini.  Ã‚  If it doesnt work out,  Im through.Mà ªme si on sen sort,  je suis fini.   Even if we get out of here,  Im finished.Si je la perds,  je suis fini.  Ã‚  If I lose her,  Im finished.Je suis fini.   My career is over. / I have no future.Il nest pas fini.  (informal)   Hes retarded / a moron. Examples of Jai Fini   Jai donnà © mon à ©valuation, et  jai fini.  Ã‚  I gave my assessment, and  Im done.Je  lai fini  hier soir.  Ã‚  I finished  it last night.Je  lai fini pour ton bien.  Ã‚  I finished  it for your own good.Grà ¢ce toi,  je  lai fini.  Ã‚  Thanks to you,  I finished  it. Examples of Jai Terminà © Je vous appelle quand  jai terminà ©.  Ill  call you when  Im done.Donc  je  lai terminà ©Ã‚  au bout de quelques jours. So  I finished  it in a couple days.Jai presque terminà ©.  Ã‚  Im nearly finished.Ça suffit,  jai terminà ©.  Ã‚  Thats all;  Im done.Jai adorà © ce livre. Je  lai terminà ©e  hier soir. I loved this book.  I finished  it last night.  Je suis bien soulagà © den avoir terminà © avec cette affaire. Im so relieved to have seen the end of this business.

The Fly Essay

The Fly Essay The Fly Essay What if your son died? In the story ‘The Fly’ by Katherine Mansfield, loss is presented in different ways. The story explores how people can show different emotions when they lose someone they lose someone they love and care, and how hey deal with it. When you have many other losses, maybe you will not even remember that your son is dead. Or it can be so difficult to you that remembering will break your heart and your mind. And maybe all you want is to forget that had happened. Beginning in the first paragraph its possible to understand how much Mr. Woodifield had lost, actually he doesn’t even say about his son. He lost his freedom, his capacity of work, he lost his dignity and I believe, part of his memories. His son died just like many others, but for him is just another lost. He regrets much more having only one day to enjoy alone and outside home than having more time with his son. Even when he remember to tell the boss about the grave of theirs sons, he cares more about the price of the jam his wife and daughter paid at the hotel, then the pain they felt visiting the grave. I imagine that some parents if they had the opportunity to choose, they would choose just don’t remember how strong is the pain of loose your own son, someone you love this much, just like it happened with Mr. Woodifield. For the boss is completely different. He had great expectation for his son, he probably dreamed about it many times. He feels so much his lost, that he tries to don’t put attention to a photo, just to don’t talk about it. It’s hard to believe that so many years had past, and thinking in everything that he expected broke his heart and his mind. He can’t visit his son’s grave, just think that he is just there forever, with nothing he can do about it, this will never change, his boy will be there, using the uniform and never coming back. When you read the part that says â€Å"In the past, in the first few months and even years after the boy's death, he had only to say those words to be overcome by such grief that nothing short of a violent fit of weeping could relieve him.† It’s possible to understand how this broke him, how it will always be a part of his life, because he knows he will never forget that pain. Right after the boss remember all his pain, how he suffered, how all that memories are so hard to him, the fly shows in his desk, and he start to push it. He try to do with the fly what he would like to do with his son, show that life is not easy, but you can always get out alive of it. He

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 31

Business - Essay Example It is evident that a lot of companies are planning to or offering telecommuting services to their employees. Drastic weather conditions are among factors that are pushing companies to offer telecommuting. Employees in Washington saved the government a large sum of money by working from home during official snow days. This is according to research done by Global Workplace Analytics. According to Lister, â€Å"Telecommuting is the only way companies will know how to build work places and design work practices and decide what technology is needed for support† (Tugend). Today, telecommuting is not limited to one sector of the population but men, women, young, old, parents, and non parents all participate. The article states that individuals who work from home tend to be more productive and put in more working hours. It is however important for an employee to combine both working at home and from the office, since working from home alone my affect promotion chances. Telecommuting has grown drastically and a lot of individual are full time employees working from home. On average, the article states that the number of Americans working outside the office is as high as thirty percent of the population (Tugend). Telecommuting is helping companies reduce office spaces but still a large number of individuals would prefer to combine both working at home and from the office. The second article â€Å"Working Productively as a Telecommuter† outlines tips on how to become a successful telecommuter. For a lot of people, the idea of telecommuting is working from the comfort of your home in pajamas without the rush of the office. The article however states that this is not a healthy notion and is destined to failure for any individual telecommuting. Even if working from home an individual needs to take is serious. One should be focused and work hard just as if he was his own boss (Garone). The article gives tips on how to be successful in telecommuting. For first time

The Sociological Imagination Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Sociological Imagination - Coursework Example The wealthy can afford any service a feature that makes them feel invincible. They overburden the health care system thereby denying the poor the vital services. A functionalist would define the obesity as a major social problem that arises from failures in various social institutions. Obesity is a lifestyle disease that with the rising number of obese people in the United States showing the intensity of the failure of various systems that would otherwise safeguard the health and physical fitness of people (Pollock, 2013). A symbolic interaction theorist, on the other hand, would define obesity as a social problem that arises from the interaction among people in the society and their ability to share values. To these theorists, obesity arises from changing lifestyles and the spread of obesity represents the efficiency and intensity with which people share the changing values. Functional theorists provide a realistic approach to the problem since they investigate social features and institutions that have failed thereby leading to the problem. The theory addresses obesity as a social problem that has effective solutions by addressing the changing lifestyles and nutrition two of the most significant factors that contribute to the spread of the problem (Bartos & Wehr,

The global cold war in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The global cold war in Latin America - Essay Example Another important factor that helped to protect Latin America was the defeat engineered by Fidel Castro in Cuba. It was of great importance since it helped in determining how the united states would come up with policies and how they would be implemented. The policies were concerned with mainly the social and economic welfare of the people. Furthermore, the Defeat by Fidel Castro saw the alienation of American companies in the whole Latin America. This was a drawback to the United States and as he signed pacts and treaties that benefited the economy and military of his country.Cold war in Latin ends with the end in Fidel Castro’s revolution. At the moment, the Latin America had little or no support from the neighboring nations that is Moscow and United States. Since it became an isolated place, it sized to be the strategic point after the cold war. In the end, it becomes of no value to the two countries, which implied that they attained little help in building their political and economic pillars.Rwanda, Somalia, and Yugoslavia are among the many countries that have experienced instances and situations of mass violence. Many other countries were being affected by mass violence at an alarming rate and this resulted in the emergence of support organizations such as United Nations Conventions for the prevention and punishment of the crime of Genocide.The United Nations had to take action especially after the mass violence genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic killings in Yugoslavia.

ABC, Inc. Case Study Essay Example for Free

ABC, Inc. Case Study Essay Introduction Hiring 15 new employees in early April as part of his first recruitment effort, Carl Robins is the new campus recruiter for ABC, Inc. Hired to work for Monica Carrolls, Operations Supervisor, these new potential employees require training on company policy, being oriented to the organization, and screened for drugs. Carl himself is behind on their training, has not completed all the required processing, in addition to the fact that some of the employees haven’t even completed applications, nor have submitted transcripts. Orientation needs to be arranged somewhere other than the original location, due to double booking conflicts. The training material also needs to be reviewed and confirmed for the employees prior to the seminar. Mr. Robins is quickly falling behind, so he needs to formulate a plan of action, and implement it concisely. See more: Satirical essay about drugs Background Having successful hired 15 new people in early April, Carl had plenty of time to prior to June 15th in which to organize everything, but procrastinated until it became a scramble to handle everything at once. While he is in fact fairly new to his own job, having only been with ABC for six months now, he should still be able to handle this workload, and produce the desired results. This inexperience can explain some of the improper planning, and his lack of knowledge about how long it actually takes to complete his task, but does not excuse it. However, after evaluating his choices and finding a solution, I believe Carl will find the July deadline attainable, albeit with a bit more of an effort put in. Key Problems There are a few basic, key problems, the root of them all being improper planning and lack of experience. The problem of improper planning itself is easily solved, while the lack of experience is simply something that comes with time and practice. Building up from the lack of proper planning, we can  see what issues stemmed from this, such as: Needing a location for orientation Drug screening completion Unfiled or incomplete paperwork Lack of required training materials Attempting to handle every task alone Taking an in depth look at the various issues can help us find solutions, so I’ll go over each problem individually. Needing a Location for Orientation: After reviewing, an immediate scheduling conflict between the orientation for the new trainees and technology services arises. The scheduling log shows the training room booked for the whole month of June for computer training seminars. June is the month in which the orientation is scheduled to occur, and so the training room is unavailable. Drug Screening Completion: A drug screening is required for all the new hires, and thus they need to be sent to the clinic for such a drug screen test. As of Memorial Day, such has not happened for any of the 15 trainees, less than 20 days prior to the scheduled orientation date. This is something Carl is required to do, having been in contact with Monica to confirm such things would get done as part of his work, so he should not have been surprised that it was not yet completed. Unfiled o r Incomplete Paperwork: Also while reviewing his trainee file, it is found that not all the trainees have not completed their applications, nor have all the trainees gotten transcripts on file, another task Carl could and should have handled promptly. While it may seem obvious that these things are required, a lack of communication could have caused such a simple issue. Lack of Required Training Materials: Once reviewed, the training material is obviously lacking and in need of replacement in some form. Another task where it was procrastinated until becoming a larger-than-necessary issue. This is a separate issue from the others because it is something that doesn’t require another party to be handled (i.e. confirming appointments with the clinic requires contacting the clinic, a second party that could have separate issues). Attempting to Handle Every Task Alone: This doesn’t become an issue until the issues stated above have come about. Given the timeline, all the tasks could have been handled by a single person and more man power would have been  unnecessary. However, even something as simple as checking the orientation manuals becomes a stressful task when suddenly heaped with work that appeared to be put off. Alternatives Having reviewed these key areas and confirming them as coalescing from one core problem, the lack of proper planning, it is possible to come up with solutions to each problem as it stands currently. A quick solution to all these problems is to call Monica and inform her that the trainees won’t be ready by July 15th, and attempt to push the deadline back in order to complete all the required tasks without rushing. I find this one inadvisable, however, because it causes a setback for Monica herself, and it proceeds to cause further setbacks down the line, causing a ripple effect of delayed projects. These are called concurrent delays, or delays that cause further delays (Singh Associates, 2014). In order to find a solution that doesn’t cause concurrent delays, Carl should make and maintain a priority list, in which he lists all the above problems and completes them in an order of greatest importance to least importance. Below are individual solutions to each problem, which can be used to complete tasks on the priority list. New Location for Orientation: One of the easier tasks to handle, it has a few possible solutions. Carl could contact a nearby hotel and see about possibly using a conference room or use a nearby office (Allfreepaper.com, 2011). Looking for another available space in the building is by far the best solution here, but not necessarily possible if the training room is the only room meant to accommodate 15 or more people. A second step to that solution is to split trainee orientation up into two or more days, allowing them to rotate in for orientation. Schedule Drug Screenings: Handling this is one of the slightly more complicated aspects, because it includes not one, but two other parties, for each trainee individually. The first thing Carl can do is contact a local clinic, either one approved by ABC, Inc., or the National Drug Screening Administration to get a recommended company to come in and take over the process, if ABC, Inc. doesn’t have a drug program he can draw from. Set up a block of dates, three or four days in which to schedule his trainees, and then contact each trainee and schedule a day for them to go in within that block of days. File and Complete Paperwork: This is a task able to be completed in a single day,  and can in fact be handled on the same day he calls to schedule the appointments for drug screening. After contacting the trainee individually, Carl can set up their appoint as stated above, and then discuss their paperwork status with them, either the application completion, whether or not it is in fact completed, and get transcripts on file as needed. While not everything may be completed immediately, the process can be started (i.e. ordering transcripts can be completed, but may take additional days to be received and put on file). Obtain Orientation Manuals: This is quickly solved one of two ways. The first thing Carl needs to do is look up the manual in his SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and determine if the manuals themselves can be reprinted or if they need to be ordered. Then his solution is simple from there; he either orders new manuals if they need to be ordered, or prints off new copies. Either way, Carl should go a step beyond and order or print at least twenty manuals instead of 15, to prepare for accidents and get a step ahead for his next round of trainees. Request Help: One of the absolute best things Carl can do in this situation is admit that he messed up and now needs help. As a new employee himself, it isn’t unusual to need help, and it will help take some burden off his own shoulders, freeing his mind to tackle the tasks at hand. Getting help will insure he gets the job done. Proposed Solutions I advise assigning Carl a temporary partner, one senior to him in the company, who can offer advice and guidance, as well as help with tasks, without taking over the job completely. This will insure that the job gets done, and will also allow Carl to gain the experience needed to complete future jobs without help. As a team, they should then split the orientation into two days and use one of the smaller rooms in the building. Carl should be the one to make most of the phone calls, including getting in touch with each individual trainee to complete paperwork and schedule days for the drug screening. Obtaining new training manuals should be done by whichever means is available, either printing new ones or ordering them. As I advised above, order more than needed to compensate for accidents and the next round of trainees. Recommendations Most of these problems stem from a lack of knowledge and experience, for  which Carl is hardly to blame, and which he will gain with time and practice. He should, however, have planned ahead appropriately, and not put off the work until it became a rush to complete everything. If the solutions I stated above are implemented, Carl should be able to complete his tasks on time, and concurrent delays will be avoided. References Case Study Analysis of ABC, Inc. COMM 215 Essentials of College English. (2005, February 12). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 16:07, September 25, 2014, from http://www.writework.com/essay/case-study-analysis-abc-inc-comm-215-essentials-college AN unorganized Campus Recruiter (2011, January 18) In AllFreePapers.com. Retrieved 15:37, September 26, 2014, from http://www.allfreepapers.com/print/Unorganized-Campus-Recruiter/753.html Singh Associates. (2014). Lexology. Retrieved from http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fcea453a-de87-4aa9-9f4c-b140695c597d

Getting Well at Get Well Essay example -- Medicine Physical Therapy Pa

Getting Well at Get Well In this ethnography I will take a look at the differences brought into my place of employment, a physical therapy clinic, which we will call Get Well. I explored the viewpoints of patients, therapists, and the physical therapy aides like myself on the issues of either the job or therapy. I wanted to get a look at the different ideas of patients and my co-workers because our age rages are so distinct. We treat elderly patients and students in junior high school. The different ages bring on different opinions of what therapy really is to some people. This is yet another example of how everyone has their own opinions and views on things. In the essay written by Kenneth L. Pike entitled, A Stereoscopic Window On The World, he explains the differences of etic and emic perspectives when conducting an ethnography. He states, â€Å"Different people may see the same event in different ways.† He explains this throughout his essay. As is my study my view as an outsider would be considered the etic view and the patients would be considered the emic perspective. Pike begins with an example of his own experience of interpreting situations with others. He and another woman had two opposite takes on the same situation. The essay then goes on to explain the difference in situations with reference to the etic and emic perspectives. Get Well is a fairly large facility located in a middle-class society mostly made up of Caucasians. This middle-class society is the small town of Romeo, Michigan. This clinic is located on Van Dyke Road between Thirty-one and Thirty-two mile roads. It is directly across the street from another physical therapy clinic whose patients always believe they are in ... ...hotherapy clinic rather than a physical therapy clinic. You have the young and old and all have similar problems, but yet they are so different. I sometimes get the impression that patients do no want to listen to me because I am so young. The young patients tend to take my instructions more seriously than the elderly do. They would rather hear it from the therapist himself. The major differences in patients’ attitudes all depend on their age. I enjoy working at the clinic because it is such a diverse place and not one day is ever the same. As I learned from my co-worker’s interviews just take everything with a grain of salt. Living with people’s opinions and attitudes is just part of our everyday life. Works Cited Pike, Kenneth. â€Å"A Stereoscopic Window on the World.† 23 February 1998. 9 December 2001 http://www.sil.org/klp/eticemic.htm.

Ellis Island Essay -- American History, Immigration

On December 31, 1890 a transition in history occured. New York City would start a new era in the history of the United States starting with the opening of Ellis Island as an immigration depo. This attracted many immigrants to the United Stated because of more job opportunities and as means to start a new life. As more immigrants came to America, it began to be known as the "land of opportunities". Immigrants coming in filled work spaces in industries with the hopes of someday becoming successful. These immigrants helped prove to other future immigrants that if you moved to America then you could start a better life for yourself and your families. On the other hand with positives come negatives and there were many involving immigration. Immigration defined means the act of coming to a foreign country to live(Lowell, 2006). Ellis Island was responsible for millions of people entering the U.S. and during this time the immigration station was carrying the load being accountable for approxametly 90% of immigrants entering the United States(Fairchild, 1996). Before Ellis Island became an immigration depot, then an immigration station the individual states of America handled immigration. On the first day of Ellis Island becoming an immigration station 700 individuals, mostly from northwest Europe, passed through. The first official immigrant being Annie Moore, a young 14 year old girl traveling with her two younger brothers from County Cork, Ireland(Chabotte,2009). For being the first immigrant to pass through the gates she was given a ten dollar gold piece which would help her journey into a foreign country. Along with Annie Moore the lack of money would be a major problem for future immigrants taking the same jou rney. ... ...ns until 1954. Today Ellis Island is a part of the statue of liberty monument, this occured in 1965. In 1990 an immigration museum was created. Today any person can travel to Ellis Island and take a look at many of the original immigrants belongings. Some people may even be able to connect their herritage together. At the museum images and signatures of original travelers can be seen. This country was created to escape persecution and allow a place to be formed where everyone is equal and free. Many immigrants may have come to escape, become rich, look for a job, be free to practice their own religion or just for a fresh start. This began when the first immigrants escaped Great Britain and continues even in the United States today. The United States was built by immigrants for immigrants and will continue to be the "land of opportunity"(Ellis,2003).

The Rise and “Fall” of Xerox Organization

In 1960 the Xerox Corporation was in a position where it could corner the copy machine industry for the next 15 years. Xerox had practically invented the copy machine, and had secured its dominate stake in the copy machine industry with patents. However, this security backfired on Xerox because it didn't allow them to focus on new product development. During this period, their research and development goals diminished, and the quality of their products remained the same if not worsened. The strategy Xerox had remained stagnant. Xerox found itself in the mid 1970's with a loss in profit, market share, and competitive stance. By effective supply chain management, Xerox would be able to revamp its structure. In order to confront new competitors such as Ricoh and Canon, Xerox was going to have to make major changes within its organization. First, Xerox management sought to simplify the purchasing process. By consolidating its supply base, it was able to reduce overhead, pass lower costs onto customers, improve quality of its products, and work better with suppliers. Next, the â€Å"commodity teams† were designated to reduce defect parts per million through a five step program it developed. Thirdly, internal restructuring brought about the â€Å"circle groups† which resulted in a new system of competitive benchmarking and customized products. Finally, with a new research and development approach Xerox was able to delve into new product development, bringing them brand recognition. And, with a new â€Å"central logistics and asset management† program the company was able to reduce excessive inventory and related costs.  · Determine how Xerox's strategies transformed from the late 1970's to the 1980's.  · Determine how the change in strategies and organization allowed Xerox to be competitive.  · Identify the source of guidance it received for its restructuring , and what this revealed about the advantages of a multinational firm.  · Determine how taking a global perspective make it more competitive in the global marketplace.  · Evaluate the role of global manufacturing, materials management, and R & D in better performance in the 1980's. Once Xerox found themselves in a poor competitive position in the mid to late 1970s, they were forced to make general changes in strategy and structure or organization. In the late 70s, the copier environment consisted of just a couple of competitors with a rapidly declining market share. Xerox's new strategy was segmentation-to keep their three main legs (Fuji, Rank, and Xerox) as separate entities. Therefore, structural and organizational areas were decentralized. In the 1980s, the copier environment consisted of even more competitors who had superior products at lower prices. The market was more hostile, and if Xerox didn't make a significant change in its strategies, they would lose the battle. At this stage, Xerox's strategy was aimed at streamlining supply ties and reduce production costs by improving the supply chain. Bringing together the three entities was the new centralized approach for structure and organization. Moreover, by using Fuji-Xerox as a guide to restructure, Xerox benefited by having various cultural organizations to choose from and achieving global learning. In addition, by taking on a singular identity rather than a three leg multinational, Xerox was able to capitalize on location economies in relation to the product life cycle. Therefore, both Xerox and the local suppliers were able to achieve economies of scale. Also, a global perspective resulted in more uniform products. In regards to performance, restructuring global manufacturing allowed them to deal with suppliers more effectively and to get one or a few suppliers for one global product. Effective materials management helped Xerox gain closer supplier and customer ties, which in turn reduced inventory costs. By staying in sync with customer demands and needs, Xerox's R & D division was able to come out with customized product lines, which in turn gave Xerox a first mover advantage and resulted in a stronger competitive position. Finally, the internal restructuring regarding the â€Å"quality circles† involved all areas of the company. With an encompassing implementation of the Leadership Through Quality groups, Business Area Work Group, and â€Å"Quality of WorkLife† Circles, Xerox increased in performance. By allowing workers to find quality shortfalls and generate ideas about problems, these programs allowed them to find better solutions to those problems, for example, via the process of competitive benchmarking. Our team consensus is that Xerox shouldn't have relied solely on their patents and previous technological know-how to maintain their large market share. Because of this reliance, Xerox paid less attention to quality and new product development. If they would have focused on developing newer, higher quality products, their market share would have remained the same or better once the patents expired. They should have foreseen the expiration of the patents, and been better prepared with a stronger product line and global strategy to confront the competitive market in which they were going to enter in the 1970s. The competitive benchmarking allowed them to integrate the most efficient practices of other global companies. This integration, as well as the efficient supply chain management and emphasis on quality, was a smart move which enabled Xerox an efficient structure for years to come.