TheParableoftheSadhu- assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TheParableoftheSadhu- assignment - Coursework Example But this is just one side of the interpretation, for the various other key factors also have to be considered. (1) All the members of the group were fully exhausted and still had to cover a fair amount of distance, at such a high altitude. Had they decided in favor of taking the sadhu along with them, their progress on that treacherous snowy path would have been hindered. Their very lives would have then been endangered. Perhaps, the most vital factor, based on which, the group’s decision cannot be totally termed as being an unethical one is attributable to a key fact. Both McCoy and Stephen were vulnerable to altitude sickness, and in fact, the former already started to feel some of the symptoms, by the time the sadhu came into the picture. Overall, it (the decision) can be rated to be an intense dilemma related to ethical choice. (1) Owing to the decision of deserting the sadhu, the group went on to promptly finish their trek with minimal hassles. But that is just one side o f the coin, and there indeed was something that can be described as a kind of loss, for the group. All of them would have surely been bogged down by guilty feeling. As a matter of fact, McCoy himself admitted that the approach adopted towards the sadhu went on to prick his conscience, for a very long time.

Write a proposal up to 4,000 words in length to start a business of Assignment

Write a proposal up to 4,000 words in length to start a business of your choice - Assignment Example The business will be located along the busy Oxford Street on the western end of London city. The location has been found to be favorable for the business because it is very busy and is frequented by visitors including tourists drawn from all over the world. London city has also been found to be the best for this type of business because it is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.K., and presently has a population of over 8 million people according to the latest population census. The number is also projected to grow in the near future thereby favoring a coffee industry. The premises where the business is to be located has been acquired by owners through a ten-year lease but with the possibility of extension. The analysis of the location established that the business major competitor is found half a mile way. However, the owners intend to provide quality prepared products, services, and fair prices in order to build customer loyalty and compete favorably in the industry. London Coffee will strive to establish a peculiar and comfortable place where its customers can freely meet and socialize as they enjoy the best-prepared coffee in London. The environment will be established in a manner that promotes relaxation by ensuring that the rooms are well equipped with soft music plays at the background, as well as rooms fitted with television where customers can watch their preferred programs as they socialize. In addition, the restaurant through its teams of experts will ensure that customers receive the best customer experience and products of high quality. The owners also understand that the key to better performance lies on satisfaction level of its employees and other stakeholders. In this regard, London Coffee intends to invest significant part of its profits in areas that improves satisfaction of its workers. London Coffee also intends to ensure that the environment is adequately protected and concerned through its

Aristotles How To Live Your Life Philosophy Essay

Aristotles How To Live Your Life Philosophy Essay Aristotle, was born in Macedonia in 384 BC. Aristotles father, whose name is Nicomachus, was a court physician. When Nicomachus died, Aristotle had a heritage from his father and according to ancient sources, he spent it in a very short time. Thereafter, he attended the Platos Academy in Athens when he was 17. At the beginning, Aristotle agreed with Platos doctrine. In the process of time when he found a contradiction in Platos doctrine, he had argued with Plato. In other words, Aristotle had opposed to Platos doctrine. On the other hand, Aristotle was the first person who had his own special library. Aristotles book which is Nicomachean Ethics, touch on two basic points. What is the best life for a man to lead? What is the standard of moral virtue? Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim. These words of Aristotles from the Nicomachean Ethics, clearly explain that, as a human being, we can not live without any goals. All human activities have some purposes which aim to get something good for human being. Good is the aim of all inquiry and actions. Furthermore, every action has a purpose which are the meaning of the real and complete life and this purpose is the goodness. So the biggest goodness and our lifes last aim is to reach at point eudomania which means happiness in a very wide meaning in all parts of life. To reach the highest point of eudomania we have to be virtuous and always aim goodness in our complete life. I believe that as Aristotle has mentioned: Since happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue, we must consider the nature of virtue; for perhaps we shall thus see better the nature of happiness. Human good is the soul s action with virtue and I think that Aristotle has added purposely the word complete life because there are people who live their life without thinking and only pass the days to expand their life. But in a complete life, human being is in acknowledgement of his or her life and he or she does not focus only on one perspective of his or her life. Life has different kinds of parts to live and to reach the highest end of that parts. After living the life properly, the person will be satisfied and can reach to goodness on every single part. But it is obvious that person will not reach goodness with same level on each part. Some will be stronger than the other, but the essential point is human being must be satisfied and reach to goodness not only on one point but also in each point of life. Because human being s last and the most important aim is to reach to eudomania. Eudomania has a wider meaning then the happiness. That is the reason that the human must be reach ed to goodness on every part. For instance, he must have enough money, success, love, respect, health, etc.. All of them and more. Being reached to eudomania points means human must be satisfied physically, psychologically and mentally all in one time. For instance, a person is healthy and rich but he hasnt got any respect from other people. Is it possible to say that he has reached to eudomania or even to happiness? Its not. Or is it possible to think a person is happy who has got a lot of money, respect, and love without health? Obviously not. The reason is that as Aristotle has mentioned, the person must be satisfied totally. That is the reason of why Aristotle has added the term complete life. Additionally, related to this, other comment of this term can be explained by the reality that people must aim goodness and act virtuously not only in one area but also in all parts of thier lives. On the other hand, there are some people who live their life spending the days without planning with any kind of aim. What will be the meaning of life? Why we were born ? Why are we living or dying? The answer would be for nothing. This is a starting point of chaos. At this point, a person cannot find the reality of life and if the life has no meaning and no aim, a person can not live a complete life virtuously. Besides, the goodness is not the basis of each action, so why people should not harm to each other or not commit a murder. To aiming the goodness is the biggest educator of the community life. As I mentioned above, getting the highest ending is the terminal stage of the real life which should be lived virtuously for understanding the meaning of it or there are people who believes that money and respect can worth everything. Without health, how can people be happy? As a result, there are the reasons why I agree with Aristotle that human being must be aimed at goodness by being virtuous and the essential point is to having goal goodness in all parts of life. Its very important to think about a complete life because if only one part could be excellent while others couldnt it has no meaning. Human being have to be satisfied with himself or herself in all parts of his or her life.

Five Different Types of Knowledge That I Nurse Can Use to Care for Pati

The nurse, Allison, in the case study used a wide variety of knowledge in order to best care for her patients in a holistic approach. In this section, five different types of knowledge will be discussed and explained how Allison used each type to nurse her patients. Carper, Van der Zalm, Bergum and Wolfer described empirical knowledge as â€Å"the knowledge we consider to be â€Å"fact,† such as what we read in textbooks, or what has been demonstrated through research† (as cited in Bungay, 2005). Allison consistently applied empirical knowledge throughout the beginning of her shift. A few examples of when empirical knowledge was applied in her nursing included listening to report and gathering all the information on the patients in order to determine her priorities of care. Explaining the benefits of a nicotine patch to Mr. Nelson as well as when she determined Mr. Nelsons oxygen supply and demand was adequate due to her assessment of the cardiac monitors, his work of breath and by observing the colour of his skin. Another type of knowledge that Allison used in her patient care was ethical knowledge. Van der Zalm and Bergum determined that â€Å"ethical knowledge represents knowledge that supports us to choose and be responsible for the right action in a situation† (as cited in Bungay, 2005). An examples of when Allison used ethical knowledge in her care was when she made the ethical decision on which patient she should visit first, that being Mrs. Johnson. This is an example of ethical knowledge because since Mrs. Johnson was the newest admit, and had had a cardioversion forty-five minutes prior, she was the most unstable patient of Allison’s. Had Allison made the choice to assess her other patient’s first it would have not been the re... ...to her about how they were feeling regarding their hospitalization. Finally, the effects of the immediate environment play a role in the interactions between a nurse and then patient. Being in the hospital, there are many foreign sounds such as call bell and codes going on all the time. Although Allison may have use to the loud noises on the ward, for the patients, this is new to them. This could have played a factor in Mr. Nelson’s inability to sleep, which altered his mood. Being in a new environment, especially a hospital can be unnerving for patients taking them out of their comfort zones. References Bungay, V. (2005). Module 1 High Acuity Nursing Practice [PDF document]. J.L. Dehaan, 2012, (Ed.). British Columbia Institute of Technology, School of Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://learn.bcit.ca/d2l/le/content/188743/viewContent/1059245/View

Marginalized Indian women in Inner Courtyard Essay

Inner Courtyard is a large compilation of short stories which is basically based upon the female issues in particular subjugation under the patriarchal order. The stories are written by women about women hailing from all corners of India and Pakistan – Assam to Kerala and Pakistan to Bengal. With the title of the collection, it gives readers an apparent impression about women’s freedom radius is only the inner courtyard of house. So is in the Vedas, the Gita and other Hindu religious scriptures, women are posed as the beings of house, crossing the threshold of house is rigorously outlawed. Equality between sexes is beyond imagination. Education remained a dream for the women and the conception of human beings as morally and intellectually capable of being educated and civilized is refused, and the conviction of the moral and intellectual advancement of humankind would result in greater happiness for everybody is deliberately sidetracked. This and many more lifeblood threads are far stretched and inconsiderate with regard to women and their rights. The book introduces with the first story highlighting this very theme. The editor of the book Laxmi Holmstrom brings out a fabulous collection of short stories from very diverse walks of life dealing each of the stories with single theme of women being marginalized, harassed, humiliated – female discrimination. In this line, many stories are powerful on their own; most have some element that reflects on the position of the society. Male ascendancy is always at honour while female’s is at stake. There is a vast disparity between an Indian woman and that of the developed nations across the world. The female honour and rights rest upon the basics of respective nations’ culture, in this respect India as a nation of strong and prehistoric culture bound by the religious scriptures cited above abandon women lamenting every moment. Their identity is always subject to the male mercy than that of the natural human rights. They are left pondering over the negligible status in the Indian set up as in Revenge Herself; the Tatri; a Brahmin woman of lowest strata in Brahmin community in Kerala, mothers in Girls, Summer Vacation, My Beloved Charioteer and Her Mother or even Sakina of The Meeting. The First Party is also an analogous illustration which encounters the husband’s vanity being modern and wise person while his wife an odd one out in the party. The first story Revenge Herself by Lalitambika Antarjanam in the collection is a powerful tale of a fallen Nambudiri woman of the 19th century. Her name itself has become a synonym for shameful among the patriarchal Nambudiri. According to the Tatri traditional, such woman’s life is giving away herself to husband in everything without any self for herself. So does she, she marries a man whom she offers herself in order â€Å"to please him in his taste of sex with the same attention I have for his taste for food†. But one point of time, he disregards her for other women and leaves her. Further he even brings a prostitute into the house and asks to become like her, â€Å"If you could be like her, I might like you better†. This results in her rebellion to revenge against her husband. She leaves his house, sets out to become a whore, working hard to learn how to please a man and eventually becomes an admired courtesan and one day her husband visits her then she reveals herself as the same Tatri; his wife who he has expected to become like a whore. In this case who would Tatri have teamed up for executing her rebellion? Society has so trained its peers that it would be impossible for anyone to entertain even remotely the ideas that she puts into execution. Summer Vacation by Kamala Das is a sweet childhood story narrated by Muthassi (grandmother) whom she visits alone. Her father drops her off at the station of Muthassi’s place. Vaidehi Akku is a story of Akku; a husbandless daughter of the patriarchal family. She exposes herself wherever her beauty can be exhibited by wearing new saris and jewelry at weddings or whatever which seems like a social objection in terms of the cultural and conservative norms. The other major story of the book is Girls by Mrinal Pande it is about three sisters and their mother who is pregnant for the fourth time for a son. They go to her Nani’s (maternal grandmother) for having the baby while their father stays back. At the outset itself, the mother refrains with, â€Å"I hope it is a boy this time. It will relieve me of the nuisance of going through another pregnancy†. Even the Nani prays god for protecting her honour so that at the fourth time she would take a son back from her parents’ home. Taking the thread of Nani, neighbour comments that the last time her skin had a pinkish tinge, now it is yellow; it is sure to be a son. Another feature of the story shares the issue with marginalization in the family, this relates to the masi of the sisters. She complains about her endurance in the house and put to work as a dog so is duly responded by all women. In continuance of the first issue of gender discrimination, the following statement carries serious social consideration when their father assures that there is a bright star in the sky and they work hard they can become anything they want to just as Dhruva star, the author in the girl’s character asks, â€Å"But I can’t become a boy, can I? † This marks grave place in girls’/women’s hearts and pains for longer or perhaps lifelong. In case of the girl in the story, the girl rebels at the occasion of Ashtami (kanyakumari) puja calling the society if they do not love girls they should not pretend to worship them either. This story illustrates the scenario of a male dominating world and how female gender is subjugated. The opening introduces characters of the story. Despite the fact that how the story is set in a male dominating there is very little to mention of the male gender. The first sentence is bold and exasperated, desensitized mother who thinks that girls have no visage and always looks forward to the boys. Yellow Fish by Ambai – a simple two page story compares the torture a fish feeling on being tossed out of the sea to the anxiety of a woman’s feelings. The story shares any Indian woman’s feelings and her freedom of choice and life is at the patriarchal order. The next finest story of the collection is Ismat Chughtai’s Chauthi ka Jaura. The greatest mission of the Siddiqui in life is to provide a husband for the elder daughter Naseema who is not gifted in matters of health or features. She is frail and un-voluptuous and has a thin hair. When the daughter’s cousin comes to stay with them for some time as part of his professional training, it proves to be a godsend to them. They begin plotting to arrange the cousin’s interest in the elder daughter but instead, the younger and more daring daughter is sent as the messenger with the proposition. Due to this circumstantial misunderstanding, the cousin agrees to marry, but with the younger sister, without knowledge of the fact, the ladies of the house rejoice. The cousin can no longer control himself and grabs the younger girl. The elder daughter commits suicide at that. After some time, the ladies continue to stitch the Chautha ka Jaura while the younger daughter sits and looks at them without response and careless. Another beautiful story is the First Party by Attia Hossain which depicts in marvelous manner the conventional or orthodox women being put to stake at the cost of sophistication and modern life traits. The woman in the story is just married and taken to a modern party to be introduced wherein all sophisticated people gather and enjoy, drink, eat and dance with their or different partners. The woman is not used to it though she hails from an equally affluent family. She feels embarrassed among the people involved in partying. Being pressed by her husband and others, she refuses to involve but keep sitting aside with a glass in hand. At such demeanor, he feels being humiliated and dishonoured having such unrefined and orthodox wife as the partying people laugh at his wife. Should education, if imparted to women, not play major and vital contribution in women’s life in totality as in the case of this woman of the First Party? Or who should be responsible for her being orthodox and traditional, respecting the culture which in many terms is treasured the patriarchal order or the women or even the culture itself? The Meeting by Shama Fatehally also comes out with similar male mindset in the Indian social set up. The protagonist of the story; a Muslim unmarried girl is given a marriage proposal which incredibly unexpected for Sakina who is so fat like ‘elephantine’ and nothing in looks to mention. She is nostalgic by the thought of the proposal. She is apprehensive about the person to be ‘a real man’. It gives way out to dreaming about the boy to be a handsome person like a dream hero etc. Her father criticises her for daydreaming. True to it, it proves to be a foil to her dream as her partner is not a boy but a middle aged man. Father forgets that a human being dreams and marriage of either female or male is dreamt about the partner. A general question can be posed to the society, should the women looking ugly or whatever not have right to dreaming like the counterparts in boys and men who may be equally looking ugly or so. If men hold the right, women should also possess. Shashi Deshpande’s My Beloved Charioteer and Mahasweta Devi’s Dopdi picturise the similar stories of women being victimised at every stage of life whether as a girl, married woman, mother or even old woman. Grandmother in the former story is a sheer victim of the patriarchal order even before her marriage till her husband’s death. She feels envious at her daughter’s happy married life and when her affliction for her dead husband for whom she gives up her own and her daughter’s life. It is a shock to the readers. The latter story deals with the extreme brutality of human beings towards the woman. It relates to Mahabharata’s Draupadi on how she was humiliated publicly which added to the pride of the then men folk. All this went for no fault of Draupadi. This cruelty ever since continues witnessing and spreading the message. Dopdi of this story is a tribal woman revolts against the society at large but beaten by the treachery of the militancy and raped inhumanly. L. Vishwapriya’s the Library Girl is an impressive story and only optimistic story of the book where woman is honoured and let free to read and roam around the town though a Muslim girl. But it does keep the thrust of dishonoring the girl as she comes of age. She is put into golden cage; a Persian robe (burqa). She thinks the robe adding beauty to her personality but hidden it in the guise of the robe. Her budding beauty is hidden from the malicious eyes about which she is unaware. The book offers both detailed argumentation and passionate eloquence in opposition to the social inequalities commonly imposed upon women by a patriarchal culture. Just as in revolutionary Lalitambika Antarjanam defends the emancipation of women on utilitarian grounds. The legal subordination of one sex to another is immoral in itself and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a system of perfect equality, admitting no power and privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other. Women are brought up to act as if they were weak, emotional, docile – a traditional prejudice. If tried equality, the results can be seen benefitting to individual women. They would be free of the unhappiness of being told what to do by men. And there are benefits for society at large doubling the mass of mental faculties available for the higher service of humanity. The ideas and potential of half the population would be liberated, producing a great effect on human development. These marginalised women have today set their feet on all fields and corners of life with regard to education and professional assignments. A long way witnesses many such destinations, if she is equal and free.

Anthropology in relation to Disney’s “A Bug’s Life” Essay

When viewing Disney’s A Bug’s Life with the critical eye of an anthropologist, it is hard to truly believe that it is a children’s movie. This movie is an introduction to the complex world of anthropology and it’s concepts. One finds elements of culture in many different lights throughout this film. A Disney masterpiece shall be proven in this paper to not only intrigue the younger audience, but it shall verify the fact that the way humans function is so easily portrayed, even in the simplest behavioral patterns. As the film opens, the ants are preparing for the coming of the ravenous grasshoppers by filling a leaf with food products. For this food collection the ants stack the food following a straight line one after the other until an autumn leaf descends to the ground separating one ant from the line. This causes mass confusion and disorder. The ants learned behavior caused them to lose their self-control and allowed them to break the division of labor. Had the ants not been so set in their â€Å"assembly line† ways, they might not have had the problem they did. Flik (the main character of the movie) holds intelligence like none of the other ants in the production. He uses his brain as opposed to learned behavior in order to try and assist the colony. His numerous inventions are advanced, yet still unrefined enough to go wrong. The other ants frown upon his differences showing ethnocentrism at it’s finest. Within their own culture, Flik is looked down upon. One could view Flik’s intelligence as a mutation of the ant colony, but an even better example is that of the grasshopper’s psychotic mutation known as Thumper. Thumper is used to frighten the ants even more. His intimidation factor is used against the ants so they will work harder and faster to appease the tribal grasshopper’s needs. Flik, being beyond that of his fellow ants, confronts the hierarchy of his people to make a request that he traverse to the city in search of â€Å"warrior bugs† to save the colony once and for all from the big, bad, grasshoppers. After receiving approval, he sets off for the city not knowing what to  expect or who to encounter. By being able to leave the colony on his own free will, Flik proves he is adaptive and able to think freely for himself. His fellow ants look on in amazement as Flik begins his journey. The other ants’ cultural restraints did not allow them to even truly process what he was doing. The ants could not see passed the taboo of leaving the island, and therefore, were stuck to the island and unable to mentally push themselves away. Upon entering the city, it is made immediately obvious the vast amount of sub-cultures that flourish throughout. Flik is taken aback and is not very aware of what exactly is occurring. He is different from the others because he is a country bumpkin. He is from the country and does not know any better than his country boy ways. Cultural relativism is shown here, as he is not accepted for his beliefs and actions in the city. Many things separate him from the city culture in yet another example of ethnocentrism against Flik. Even language makes Flik distinctive from the other bugs and he is somewhat wary of what he is doing. Unfortunately his judgment is not all there and he chooses circus bugs over warrior bugs to come back and save his people. This confusion shows Flik’s urban inexperience and how easily it can be for one sub-culture to be mistaken with another. Luckily enough for Flik, he was a more advanced ant and not the type of â€Å"noble savage† the rest of his colony might be confused for. He is willing to take the initiative and get to the place he wants to go. When Flik returns the unknowing â€Å"warrior bugs† to the colony, he is met with praise and admiration (as are the â€Å"warrior bugs†). The â€Å"warrior bugs† begin to realize what they are getting involved in and they grow frightened. Soon, they begin to come along and appreciate the colony and their worth to the ants of the colony. This integration of culture is the main reason that the revolution the ants would soon develop worked. Another example of sub-culture in this movie is that of the queen’s youngest daughter and her friends. They form a club that is based upon childhood innocence but is able to do well for the whole colony. Without the work they  did, the anthill might not have been saved. After gaining the trust and earning the help of the â€Å"warrior bugs†, the ants are able to begin their revolution. This revolution contains much evolution in it. The ants are able to drop their learned behavior in order to come together and build the giant bird that will scare off the grasshoppers and save the day. Working together and breaking tradition, everything does end up working until the rest of the colony discovers the true identity of the warrior bugs. This leads to trouble again for Flik, but all ends up working out. Cultural relativism is seen again at the end of play when the humorous grasshopper Moulder leaves his tribe in order to stay with the â€Å"stronger and smarter† group of circus bugs. He also follows Darwin’s survival of the fittest concept in desiring to go with the better plan. There are examples of individual variation as well throughout the entire movie. Flik is the best example in that he is the main â€Å"individual† of the colony. His views are separate from anyone else and he strives to make things better for his people. Each one of the circus bugs has a strong sense of individuality. It is their differences to their own kind that brings them together to form their posse. And no matter what situation they are brought into, they are very individual from the larger group they are around. The grasshopper’s were a group who practiced and accepted a strong generalized reciprocity from the ants. The ants toiled all day trying to appease the evil one’s appetites, and got nothing in return. Hopper (evil leader of the grasshoppers) made empty promises about the ants losing their colony if they weren’t â€Å"protected† by the grasshoppers. But this would all be proven otherwise, when the ants realized their potential and saw that they did outnumber the grasshoppers 10 to 1. Coming to this conclusion is what truly allowed the ants the break their learned behavior and defend themselves. The difference in the cultures of the ants and the grasshoppers is something else of interest for this movie. The grasshoppers are a lazy culture that relies upon anyone but themselves to do work. The ants on the other hand, are hard workers. They not only perform the food gathering each year for them, but they also do enough for the grasshoppers as well. They work hard and long not realizing that they do not have to work for the grasshoppers too. The grasshoppers depend upon the fact that the ants do not know any better and hope it remains that way. Luckily for the ants, Flik’s intelligence is beyond that of the grasshoppers and it leads to revolution. In comparison to that of humans, Flik is a key human rights activist. He is strong about the will of the people and the freedom of his fellow ant. His spiritual strength is beyond that of anyone (even the queen of the colony) and he does end up making up for all of the mistakes he makes along the way. A Bug’s Life not only lives up to anthropological expectations, it lives up to childhood entertainment purposes. Its uncanny and smooth combination is of award merit. Taking the best examples of culture and its components, Disney is able to put that into a simple context that anyone can understand and relate to. Under the critical eye of an anthropologist, this movie not only meets standards, it creates it’s own. Children will be learning anthropology thanks to movies like this even before they can pronounce the word.

Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy

Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy Introduction: The Mystery of Zhong Kui Mystery is what the entire Japanese culture is veiled with for a European or American gaze. Intertwining with the peculiar philosophy, the local mythology can make one’s head spin – this is true even for connoisseurs of Japanese mythology and culture.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home: Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the religion reigning in the Land of the Rising Sun, namely, Buddhism, the local beliefs and superstitions take the most curious shapes, giving birth to the most mysterious and unusual creatures. Zhong Kui, the Demon Queller, or Shoki, as foreigners call this creature, is the keeper of the hearth and home in Japan and one of the most picturesque characters of Japanese legends. Casting a glance at the work by Gong Kai, Zhong Kui Traveling, one can see the peculiar way the ancient legend is intertwined with just as old philosophy and religion of Japan, Buddhism. Due to the specific Buddhist settings in the background, the picture looks ever more expressive and filled with the spirit of mystery and magic. However, these two elements are not as incompatible as it might seem. The character taken from the ancient Japanese legends, Zhong Kui can be labeled as a mythological creature, yet he is an element of the Japanese beliefs as well. What is the most incredible is that the fairy-tale character does not come into conflict with the Buddhist ideas – it turns out that the two elements of the Japanese culture can peacefully coexist. Gong Kai’s Demon Queller: Getting Acquainted with Zhong Kui One of the most intriguing and mysterious in its Japanese way artwork depicting the Demon Queller, Zhong Kui Traveling by Gong Kai creates one of the most peculiar visions of the mythological character, intertwining Zhong Kui with Buddhist religion . Though these two elements might seem somewhat incompatible, it turns out that the philosophy underlying the both creates completely incredible mixture, all shot through with the Japanese folklore vision of the world: ShÃ… ki typically appears as a portly bewhiskered man. He wears scholars robes, a hat, and heavy knee-high boots and carries a large sword. His large eyes, bulbous nose, and fierce expression are also characteristic features. In this print ShÃ… ki rounds a corner in hot pursuit of a demon. His eyes bulge out as he spies his prey.[1] Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 1. Kochoro Kunisada, n.d. Shoki, the Demon Queller, available from: onmarkproductions.com/html/shoki.shtml Zhong Kui seems to be quite popular among other scholars – there have been a number of studies devoted to this specimen of Japanese mythology. Treated rather like a spirit with a character of its own, Shoki, or Zhong Kui, has gained great popularity with those admiring Chinese culture. As Richard Von Glahn explained, â€Å"Zhong Kui was a popular motif in literati painting during the Song and subsequent dynasties†[2]. However, Von Glahn also mentions that the common idea of Zhong Kui’s image is quite different from the one depicted in the numerous paintings. Thus, h warns, it would be a mistake to consider Zhong Kui as â€Å"an alter ego of the neglected and despised scholar†[3]. On the contrary, Con Glahn claims that the image of Zhong Kui must have been more imposing, and even threatening, since he was the hunter for evil spirits. However, the spirit was not considered to be a boo for the Japanese, since the latter used to honor this creature as the protector of their home. Defending the place from all kinds of evil spirits and guarding the peace in Japanese houses, this was rather a talisman for the local people: The use of ima ges of Zhong Kui as protective talismans to guard the home against demonic invasion recalls the legend that Huangdi had portraits made of his fearsome lieutenant Chiyou in order to intimidate criminals and instill a proper fear of the law.[4] It is also worth noticing that the image of Shoki is closely connected to the ideas of Buddhism, which a number of scholars have already proved. Zhong Kui Framed by Buddhist Setting: Mystique and Care Because of the interconnection between the Japanese mythology and belief system, their art is filled with spirituality and all kinds of religious allusions. Gong Kai’s piece of art is no exception – Zhong Kui’s image and the ideas of Buddhism merge in the picture; in fact, Zhong Kui becomes Buddhism itself, embodying the spiritual values of the Japanese people and filling the picture with the sacred sense.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home: Japanese Myth wit h Buddhist Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Buddhism as a belief takes its roots so deep that even the wisest cannot trace its origins. However, the core idea of Buddhist religion is as mystic as its origins. Embodying the very essence of Buddhist, Zhong Kui can be the path to cognizing the complicated yet filled with wisdom Japanese religion. It is peculiar that even the way he sits is close to Buddha’s pose taken to reach the state of nirvana: Fig. 2. Gong Kai, Zhong Kui Traveling. https://www.wikipedia.org/ Taking a closer look at what the philosophy of Buddhism is for the Japanese people, one realizes that the picture of Gong Kai is breathing with the ideas of Buddhism and that Zhong Kui impersonates the essence of Buddhism – in fact, in the given picture he can be even compared to Buddha himself. Thus, Eliot claims that the shapes that the religion took in Japan could be called rather patriarchal. With help of religion, the Japanese managed to maintain the existing structure of society for an endless number of decades! According to Eliot, this was rather natural process in Japan: In Japan, there has survived the old pagan spirit (pagan for want of a better word and in no sense a reproach) which identifies religion with Government, with law, with family duties and festivities. They are identified in the strictest sense: religion does not regulate them: they are religion.[5] Taking a closer look at the picture, one can see the typically patriarchal features in it, with the caste system which has obviously come from India into the Japanese culture. Thus, it can be concluded that the picture also provides another missing link between the Indian and Japanese cultures. Indeed, the crowd that surrounds Zhong Kui and carries him towards the light of cognition reminds of the Indian processions led by the rajah.Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another trait that connects the image of Zhong Kui to Buddhism and the Buddhist theories is the calm and peaceful atmosphere that surrounds the procession. Despite the agitation caused by the presence of the Demon Queller, there is certain air of Buddhist meditations. According to Alldritt, â€Å"he performs a Taoist dance to chase off ghosts who are hesitant to go back to the world of darkness†[6]. What also must be noted is the specific way in which Shoki and the demons around him are depicted. In spite if the fact that one might be surprised with the lack of palette tints, the cast of colors which the painter used can be explained rather easily. Because of the fact that the Japanese art was subject to the influence from the other countries, the Japanese artists were trying to preserve their national identity as far as they could, which resulted in the typical Japanese palette, the tints of yellowish with the strokes of black on the sandy surface. Famous for their minimalis m in art, namely in painting, the Japanese artists could maintain the balance between the valuable ideas which the West brought to them and the national identity which they were so eager to preserve. This predetermined the use of such palette which could reprint the Buddhist idea of the world, with the careful observation of the world and thoughtful and fruitful meditations. With help of the peculiar philosophy of theirs, the Japanese people managed to keep the most peculiar features of their philosophy intact and safe from the influence of Europe. Shoki as a Part of Philosophy: The Lucky Charm of Japan All shot through with the idea of caste differentiation, the picture of Shoki speaks of the Japanese society with its huge number of social ranks and layers. Explaining the core idea of the Japanese caste differentiation, Gillman helps to clarify the details of the picture by Gong Kai: â€Å"Nonetheless, as in China, Japan wasn’t immune from attacks by the native on the forei gnâ€Å"[7]. It is worth noticing that the paintings depicting the Demon Queller and his miraculous work gained most popularity during the reign of the Yuan Dynasty, as Little claims: The Yuan dynasty (I279-I368) has been described as the greatest epoch of Zhong Kui representation,147 and while this might be disputed were there more surviving examples of Zhong Kui paintings from the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods, it is true that some of the finest known depictions of the Demon Queller are from the Yuan period.[8] It is quite peculiar to see the way culture changes under the influence of the adopted religious beliefs. Being Chinese religion, Buddhism, intertwining with the Japanese vision of the world, gained the traditional Japanese minimalism shade. As Jordan emphasizes, it was namely the Chinese influence that affected the Japanese manner of depicting religious issues: Throughout Japan’s medieval era, many family-centered schools, such as the Takuma, altered their styles under the influence of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Began to paint in the fashionable monochrome ink style.[9] Another aspect which is worth paying attention to is the opposition â€Å"man vs. nature† which the Japanese philosophy has always been engaged with. Considered as â€Å"a magical control of and defense against evil†[10], this spirit is the child of the Japanese Buddhism. It is worth noticing that Zhong Kui is positioned neither by the painter, nor by the mythology as the creature attacking the evil spirits – on the contrary, the Devil Queller remains calm until demons start playing their tricks. What Zhong Kui does is protecting, not attack, which is truly Buddhist concept. In the picture, the Demon Queller bends the demons to his will, yet he does not harm them. Conclusion Filled with the air of Japanese refinement and the ancient myths, the picture makes one plunge into the depth of the mythology and philosophy of Japan, the country of mys tery and legends. With help of the peculiar Buddhism setting the picture becomes even more expressive and at the same time mysterious. Creating the cultural and mythological background for the character, the Buddhist ideas add specific flair of safety, grandeur and solemnity to the picture. There is no doubt that Gong Kai created a piece which reprints the peculiarities of Japanese culture like no picture ever did. Bibliography Aldritt, Leslie D. 2005. Buddhism. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing Eliot, Sir Charles. 1935. Japanese Buddhism. New York, NY: Routledge. Guilliman, Derek. 2010. The Idea of Cultural Heritage. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Jordan, Brenda and Victoria Louise Weston. 2003. Copying the Master and Stealing  His Secrets: Talent and Training in Japanese Painting. Honolulu, HI: The University of Hawaii Press. Lee, Sherman. 1993. â€Å"Yan Hui, Zhong Kui, Demons and the New Year.† Artibus  Asiae 53, No  ½: 211-227 Little, Stephen. 1985. The Demon Queller and the Art of Qui Ying (Ch’iu Ying).  Artibus Asuiae 46, No  ½: 5-128  Shoki é  ¾Ã© ¦â€"  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the Demon Queller. 2010 A to Z Photo Dictionary,  onmarkproductions.com/html/shoki.shtml . Von Glahn, Richard, 2004. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Footnotes . Shoki é  ¾Ã© ¦â€"   – the Demon Queller. A to Z Photo Dictionary, 2010 . . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Sir Charles Eliot. 1935. Japanese Buddhism (New York, NY: Routle dge), 189 . Leslie D. Aldritt. 2005. Buddhism. (New York, NY: Infobase Publishing), 136 . Derek Guilliman. The Idea of Cultural Heritage (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 137 . Stephen Little. The Demon Queller and the Art of Qui Ying (Ch’iu Ying) (Artibus Asuiae 46, No  ½: 5-128, 1985), 33 . Brenda Jordan and Victoria Louise Weston. Copying the Master and Stealing His Secrets: Talent and Training in Japanese Painting (Honolulu, HI: The University of Hawaii Press, 2003), 10 . Sherman Lee. 1993. Yan Hui, Zhong Kui, Demons and the New Year. (Artibus Asiae 53, No  ½), 213

Ryanair vs. Easyjet Corporate and Competitive Strategy Analysis

Ryanair vs. Easyjet Corporate and Competitive Strategy Analysis Introduction There are many low-cost airlines in the world. In Europe, major airline companies, such as Flybe, Wizz Air and Aer Lingus, dominate this space (Dobruszkes 2006). Jet2, Ryanair, and Easyjet are other dominant airline companies in this category.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ryanair vs. Easyjet: Corporate and Competitive Strategy Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Within this space, Ryanair and Easyjet are the two biggest low-cost airlines in the region (Elderman 2014; Dowling 2010). The two airlines are also the most popular low-cost airlines in Europe. Ryanair is an older airline company than Easyjet because its operations started in 1985, while Easyjet’s operations started in 1995 (Freire 2014). Ryanair has evolved from a family owned business into one of the most successful regional brands in the market. The company brands itself as â€Å"Europe’s only ultra low-cost airlinerâ⠂¬  because it is the region’s largest low-cost airline company (Mayer 2008). From 67 operational bases, Ryanair makes more than 1,600 flights daily. It also flies to more than 180 destinations in Europe (Mayer 2008). These destinations spread across 29 different countries in the region. Easyjet is Ryanair’s main rival. Based at London’s Luton Airport, the company travels to more than 700 destinations and has a market presence in more than 30 countries (Mayer 2008). Compared to other leading airlines in the short-haul market segment, the two airlines are among the top ten aviation companies with the highest passenger numbers in Europe. The following table shows this fact. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Figure One: Position of Easyjet and Ryanair in the global low-cost airline market (Source: Elderman 2014) This paper analyses the corporate a nd competitive strategies of Ryanair and Easyjet. However, to get a correct understanding of this assessment, this paper demonstrates how both companies create value for their shareholders and reveals the strategic choices pursued by both organisations. In later sections of the study, this paper shows the operational areas where the organisational strategies of both organisations converge and diverge. What are the Competitive Positions of both Organisations? Ryanair enjoys a dominant market share in the European low-cost airline market because it was among the first companies to adopt this strategy in the region (Malighetti et al. 2006). However, because it could not protect this strategic approach from duplication by other airline companies, it lost a significant market share to other companies, such as Easyjet. Relative to this development, Ryanair has also adopted a â€Å"red ocean† strategy where it â€Å"steals† customers from other market segments (predominantly the customers of major airlines) (Thomson Baden-Fuller 2010). For example, it has â€Å"stolen† customers in the business class segment (Malighetti et al. 2006). Since the company has succeeded by adopting this strategy, it has proved that a differentiated market strategy is still vulnerable to competition. Researchers such as Kim and Mauborgne (cited in Thomson Baden-Fuller 2010) have always supported a differentiated strategy, but these developments have proved them wrong.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ryanair vs. Easyjet: Corporate and Competitive Strategy Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, a differentiated strategy is not exclusive. Nonetheless, Ryanair commands a stronger market share than Easyjet does. Concisely, Easyjet trails Ryanair air by commanding 31% of the market in the low-cost Airline sector (Air France 2011). Comparatively, Ryanair commands 40% of the market (Air France 2011). This is the biggest market share in the European low-cost airline sector. The diagram below shows the current market shares of Ryanair and Easyjet in the European low-cost market. Figure Two: Ryanair and Easyjet market share (Source: Air France 2011) According to the diagram above, other low-cost airlines command only 29% of the market, while Ryanair and Easyjet dominate the rest of the market. The dominant market share enjoyed by Ryanair also mirrors its high customer traffic because, compared to Easyjet, the company carries 4.5 million passengers, annually, while its rival carries 3,000,000 passengers annually (Dowling 2010). Based on the strategies adopted by Ryanair and Easyjet, it is important to point out that competition determines the success or failure of the strategic approaches adopted by low-cost airlines.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How do the Two Organisations Create Value for their Shareholders Mennen (2005) says it is important for low-cost airlines to adopt a low-cost structure if they want to create value for their shareholders. This affirmation aligns with the goal of Ryanair, which is â€Å"to firmly set up itself as Europe’s leading low-fare scheduled passenger airline through continuous improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service† (Freire 2014, p. 4). Easyjet also strives to become a market leader in the low-cost market segment. Both airlines create value for the shareholders in the following ways. Reinvestment Ryanair and Easyjet have always strived to support their market dominance by increasing passenger traffic through cost containment (Mayer 2008). The companies have also strived to support their leadership positions and create value for their shareholders by maintaining operation efficiencies. Profit reinvestment is a common way that the airlines create value for th eir shareholders (Mennen 2005). For example, Easyjet has managed to do so by using the company’s profits to increase its fleet size and expand into new routes (Mennen 2005). The company has also adopted the same strategy to improve passenger comfort and expand its operational network. Ryanair has also used the same strategy to meet the same goals (Mayer 2008). In this regard, both airlines have reported increased asset values and increased growth figures. Managing Competition According to Dobruszkes (2006), the relative success, or failure, of low-cost airlines lies in two factors – cost leadership and differentiation. Ryanair’s market strategy has focused on cost leadership because it strives to become the best company in the low-cost market segment (Mayer 2008; Thomson Baden-Fuller 2010). Even with these adjustments, the company has still increased its passenger numbers and remained profitable for a long time. The success of this strategy has always depended on the control and management of the four facets of cost management in the aviation sector – â€Å"employee management, equipment and maintenance, customer service costs, and airport handling costs† (Thomson Baden-Fuller 2010, p. 26). By managing and controlling competition in the sector, both Ryanair and Easyjet have generated superior values for their investors. This view affirms the opinions of researchers who say price leadership is pivotal to creating market dominance, compared to cost leadership advantages (Mayer 2008). Market Strength Alignment Focusing on market strength is also another tenet of the airlines’ competitive strategies. For example, Easyjet has maximised its productivity by operating in airports where it enjoys market leadership (CAPA 2014). Half of its seating capacity is in such facilities. Since it trails Ryanair in market strength, in some airports, the company has allocated 29% of its seats to such facilities (CAPA 2014). Ryanair has a lso focused on creating value for its shareholders by focusing its strengths on markets that it enjoys dominance. For example, it has focused on improving its performance in many routes where Easyjet does not service (Easyjet operates in 702 routes, while Ryanair operates in 1,600 routes) (CAPA 2014). This way, shareholders in both airlines get value for their investments through structured competition and increased productivity. What are the Strategic Choices for both Organisations? Ryanair The Low Cost Strategy Experts say Southwest Airlines was among the first aviation companies to exploit the opportunities that existed in the low-cost airline market segment (Dobruszkes 2006; Kew Stredwick 2005). Other airline companies, such as Ryanair, also discovered similar opportunities by leveraging their competitive advantage through the adoption of a low-cost strategy. Through its no-frills strategy, Ryanair discovered that it could be profitable by working 24 hours a day and keeping its aeroplanes in the air often (Dobruszkes 2006). Researchers say when the airline adopted this strategy, it succeeded because it was a â€Å"blue ocean† strategy – no other airline had adopted this strategy before (Ryans 2009). It created a huge demand for the airline’s services because it attracted price-conscious customers who would have chosen alternative modes of travel, or failed to travel at all, because of the high costs of air tickets. Through this strategy, Ryanair became less concerned about existing competition because it was operating in a unique market segment that other airlines had not used before (Ryans 2009). This way, it became profitable in an overcrowded industry. Today, the airline still reaps the benefit of being among the first airline companies, in Europe, to adopt the low-cost airline strategy. Partly, this is why the company commands the highest market share in the European low-cost airline market segment. Since its low-cost strategy sta rted increasing sales, Ryanair has always branded itself as a low-cost airline. Its strategy was to steal customers from dominant players in the airline industry by offering lower ticket prices compared to its rivals. To expand its customer base, the company tried to please all their customers by trying to meet the customer needs of every type of market in the industry (Malighetti et al. 2006). However, the company changed this strategy after realising it needed a differentiation strategy that would set it apart from its competitors. It also realised that its low-cost pricing strategy could not sustain its business because the margins made from such a strategy were low (Malighetti et al. 2006). Of importance, the company lacked a service advantage that would back up its cost advantage (Thompson 2005). After realising these strategic weaknesses, the company decided to introduce an outside perspective on its business model by creating superior value for its customers. In line with thi s strategy, the company also introduced value-added services to its core strategy. In this regard, it transformed its value chain for the better. This restructuring affirmed the views of Mennen (2005) who said a corporate strategy should have more value as a holistic entity as opposed to the sum of its parts. Punctuality and Efficiency Ryanair has always branded itself as an airline company that regards punctuality and efficiency as key segments of its service model (OConnell Williams 2012). The company conveys these advantages to its customers by operating in secondary airports where long queues and complicated security rules rarely inconvenience customers (OConnell Williams 2012). Furthermore, since the airline uses paperless booking, customers can easily buy their tickets and walk to the security gate without enduring any other sign-in rules. Comparatively, customers who fly with major airlines have to contend with these inconveniences, thereby making them less efficient and pu nctual compared to short-haul flight carriers. Based on these competencies, Ryanair has always argued that its success does not only depend on its low-cost strategy because its innovative on-time record and its value-added services also support its growth (OConnell Williams 2012). Observers have also said that its fleet of new aircrafts is another strategic competency that boosts the airline’s efficiency in the airline industry (Dobruszkes 2006; Kew Stredwick 2005). Flying to Secondary Airports Ryanair prefers to fly to secondary cities and pursue an outsourcing strategy to undertake its core production services, such as catering and aircraft maintenance (Mayer 2008). This strategy emerged after learning that many flag carriers use large airports, such as Heathrow, thereby limiting its competitiveness on this platform. Indeed, it would not be able to match the same level of customer service that most customers of long-haul carriers would enjoy if they used the larger airpor ts. Therefore, the company decided to use secondary airports, where their customers would get efficient services. To do so, the company uses a simplified airline network. The low fare strategy intertwines with the low-cost strategy because through lower costs, the company is able to offer low fares to its customers. In line with this low-cost strategy is a simplified pricing structure. EasyJet Similar to Ryanair, Easyjet’s strategic direction came from years of studying the success Southwest Airline (Sull 1999). Borrowing from the Southwest low-cost model, EasyJet operated using one type of aircraft and a point-to-point short-haul travel (Kew Stredwick 2005). Similar to other low-cost carriers, the airline also had no in-flight meals and a rapid turnaround. Another key aspect of its strategic competence was high aircraft use (Thompson 2005). These strategic factors made the airline more profitable than other flag carriers did. Other segments of its working model appear below Direct Sales Although Easyjet borrowed its strategic focus from Southwest Airline, its market strategy differed from Southwest because instead of relying on sales agents to make sales, the Airline relies on a direct sales strategy (Sull 1999). The logic behind this strategic approach is to eliminate commissions by not using travel agents. This approach was a cost-saving strategy. Similarly, the company would have to pay commissions to reservation agents and pay associated operation costs to reservation computers if it used sales agents to make sales. It chose to lower its costs by eliminating these expenses. Complementing its direct sales strategy is the paperless booking model. Low Cost Strategy Easyjet relies on the low-cost strategy because it believes that it cannot successfully compete with large aircraft carriers because they would use their economies of scale to â€Å"crash† the competition. In line with its low-cost strategy, the company also adopted a â€Å"no-fril l† strategy, like Ryanair, by eliminating in-flight meals and reducing the number of aircraft attendants. The company chose this strategy because it did not believe that these services contributed to customer satisfaction (Kew Stredwick 2005). Flying to Primary Airports For a long time, Easyjet has branded itself as a committed airline that strives to optimise customer experience, always. In this regard, it strives to offer convenience to its customers by operating in major airports around Europe. By doing so, it believes that its customers can get around to where they are going in good time. Customers have appreciated this strategy by increasing ticket sales (Kew Stredwick 2005). Discussion The low-cost airline sector has been a ruthless industry for aviation players. More than 20 airlines have collapsed after adopting the low-cost strategy (Air France 2011). Of importance, experts say the European low-cost airline sector is more brutal for low-cost airline companies than t he American market because both markets have different structures (CAPA 2014). The market differences are profound because profitable routes in Europe already have large airline companies that serve them. The European airline industry is also distinct because charter planes play a greater role in the industry, compared to other markets (Air France 2011). Short distance routes are also limited to low-cost airlines because European Union (EU) policies favour train services as opposed to airline services (Air France 2011). Lastly, in Europe, too much competition in the low-cost airline sector offers minimal profit margins for existing players in the industry. Therefore, the risk of overcapacity in the industry is real. This fact shows that this market has limitations that would ordinarily curtail the growth of companies that do not adopt an elaborate strategy. Ryanair and Easyjet understand these limitations and adopted elaborate strategies to navigate the economic challenges of opera ting in the low-cost airline sector (Mayer 2008). To cope with these challenges, both airlines have one dominant strategy that hinges on three factors – low costs of operations, low fares, and low frills. This understanding shows where the corporate strategies of both companies converge Where both Corporate Strategies Converge Cost Leadership and Differentiation According to Malighetti et al. (2006), the relative success, or failure, of low-cost airlines lies in two factors – cost leadership and differentiation. Ryanair and EasyJet have concentrated their corporate strategies on the cost leadership model because they both strive to become the best companies in the low-cost market segment. In this regard, both companies have gained the reputation of being the biggest low-cost airlines in Europe (Wallach 2015). Their â€Å"no frills† strategy has been a core tenet of their low-cost strategy because both airlines do not accommodate passenger meals, pre-arranged sit ting arrangements, or paper-based ticketing services (Malighetti et al. 2006). Therefore, both airlines strive to minimise their operating costs by cutting expenses such as salaries and fuel costs. To do so, both airlines use the single fleet type of operation and optimize flight crew productivity (Air France 2011). Furthermore, the â€Å"no-frill† strategy works by eliminating in-flight services to lower operating costs. However, the airlines employ the smallest number of people to meet the least regulatory requirement stipulated in the aviation sector (Malighetti et al. 2006). Therefore, a key part of their strategy is meeting the minimum contractual obligations required by airlines to their customers. Where both Corporate Strategies Diverge This paper has already demonstrated that Ryanair and Easyjet use the same business model – low-cost strategy. Both airlines also have similar performance indicators in the aviation sector. For example, in 2014, both organisations reported increased passenger numbers (Wallach 2015). However, both companies have unique internal strategies that differentiate their services beyond the low-cost model. For example, both airlines fly to different types of airports. Ryanair mainly flies to secondary airports, while Easyjet flies to primary airports. By flying to primary airports, the latter has had an edge above its competition because its customers can get to their destinations faster than Ryanair’s customers who have to board a taxi, or train, to get to major cities. Evidence of this fact emerges in Paris as a common destination for both airlines. Easyjet flies to Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport (two main airports in the city) (Thompson 2005). Comparatively, Ryanair flies to Beauvais-Tillà © Airport, which is almost one hour away from the city (Ryans 2009). The same example emerges in Rome as a popular destination for both airlines. While Easyjet flies to Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airp ort, which is close to the city, Ryanair flies to Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport, which is far away from the main business district. Summary and Conclusion Easyjet and Ryanair have similar strategies to the extent that they both share the low-cost business model. Furthermore, like Ryanair, Easyjet also bases its corporate strategy on Southwest’s business model. Both airlines have perfected this strategy by introducing new price reduction measures, such as paperless booking. These operational strategies have created immense benefits for the two airlines, including optimizing airline use and increasing airline turnaround frequencies. Both airlines also have similar marketing strategies because besides marketing themselves as low-cost airlines, both companies do not use agents to reach their customers. Stated differently, both airlines use the direct sales strategy to market their services. Comprehensively, the two organisations share almost similar strategi es. Albeit these factors show areas of strategic convergence, both airlines are rivals in the low-cost airline market. Their performance will mainly depend on their ability to sustain their operational models. References Airfrance 2011, Low-cost carriers, http://corporate.airfrance.com/en/strategy/competition/low-cost-carriers/. CAPA 2014, EasyJet: more aircraft come in as more cash to shareholders goes out. Stelios baby is in good hands, http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/easyjet-more-aircraft-come-in-as-more-cash-to-shareholders-goes-out-stelios-baby-is-in-good-hands-187950. Dobruszkes, F 2006, ‘An analysis of European low-cost airlines and their networks’, Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 249–264. Dowling, T 2010, Ryanair v easyJet, theguardian.com/business/2010/mar/03/easyjet-ryanair-compare. Elderman, H 2014, EasyJet Vs. Ryanair: The Curious Case Of 2 Budget Airlines, http://seekingalpha.com/article/2529155-easyjet-vs-ryanair-the-curiou s-case-of-2-budget-airlines. Freire, A 2014, Ryanair: Strategy Report, slideshare.net/FionaODriscoll/group-3-strategy-and-value-creation-ryanair. Kew, J Stredwick, J 2005, Business Environment: Managing in a Strategic Context Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD Publishing, New York. Malighetti, P, Paleari, S Redondi, R 2006, ‘Pricing strategies of low-cost airlines: The Ryanair case study’, Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 249–264. Mayer, S 2008, Ryanair and Its Low Cost Flights in Europe, Books on Demand, New York. Mennen, M 2005, An Analysis of Ryanair Corporate Strategy, grin.com/en/e-book/145623/an-analysis-of-ryanair-s-corporate-strategy. OConnell, J Williams, G 2012, Air Transport in the 21st Century: Key Strategic Developments, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., New York. Ryans, A 2009, Beating Low Cost Competition: How Premium Brands can respond to Cut-Price Rivals, John Wiley Sons, London. Sull, D 1999, ‘Case Study: easyJet’s $500 Million Gamble’, European Management Journal, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 20–38. Thompson, J 2005, Strategic Management: Awareness and Change, Cengage Learning EMEA, London. Thomson, N Baden-Fuller, C 2010, Basic Strategy in Context: European text and cases, John Wiley Sons, London. Wallach, B 2015, A World Made for Money: Economy, Geography, and the Way We Live Today, U of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.

Using Maps with American Literature as Informational Texts

Using Maps with American Literature as Informational Texts Teachers of American literature in middle or high school classrooms have the opportunity to select from a little over  400 years of writing by American authors. Because each author offers a different perspective on the American experience, teachers may also choose to provide the geographic context that influenced each of the authors taught in a curriculum. In American literature, geography is often central to an authors narrative.   Representing the geography of where an author was born, raised, educated, or wrote can be done on a map, and the creation of such a map involves the discipline of cartography. Cartography or Map Making The International Cartographic Association (ICA)  defines cartography: Cartography is the discipline dealing with the conception, production, dissemination and study of maps. Cartography is also about representation – the map. This means that cartography is the whole process of mapping. The  structural models  of cartography  can be used to  describe the process of mapping for an  academic discipline. Supporting the use of maps in the study of literature to better understand how geography has informed or influenced an author is made in an  argument made by  Sà ©bastien Caquard and William Cartwright in their 2014  article  Narrative Cartography: From Mapping Stories to the Narrative of Maps and Mapping  Ã‚  published in  The Cartographic Journal. The article explains how  the potential of maps to both decipher and tell stories is virtually unlimited. Teachers may use maps that help students better comprehend how the geography of America may influence authors and their literature. Their description of narrative cartography is an aim,  to shed light on some of the facets of the rich and complex relationships between maps and narratives. Influence of Geography on American Authors Studying the  geography that influenced the authors of American literature can mean using some of the lenses of social sciences such as  economics,  political science,  human  geography,  demography,   psychology  or  sociology. Teachers may spend time in class and provide the cultural geography background of the authors who penned the most traditional selections of literature in high school  such as Nathanial Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men.   In each of  these selections, as in most American literature,  the  context of an authors  community,  culture, and relationships is  tied to specific time and location. For example, the geography of colonial settlements is seen in the  first pieces of American literature, beginning with a  1608 memoir by Captain John Smith, English explorer and  leader of Jamestown (Virginia). The explorers accounts are combined in a piece  titled  Ã‚  A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Noate as Hath Happened in Virginia.   In this recounting, consider by many to be wildly exaggerated, Smith describes  the story of  Pocahontas saving his life from the hand of Powhatan.   More recently, the 2016 winner of the Pulitzer Prize  Ã‚  for fiction  was written by  Viet Thanh Nguyen  who  was born in Vietnam and raised in America. His story  The Sympathizer  is described as, A layered immigrant tale told in the wry, confessional voice of a man of two minds- and two countries, Vietnam and the United States. In this award-winning narrative, the contrast of these two cultural geographies is central to the story. The American Writers Museum: Digital Literary Maps There are a number of different digital  map resources available to teachers with Internet access  to use in providing students background information. Should teachers want to give  students an opportunity to research American authors, a good starting place might be the American Writers Museum,  A National Museum Celebrating American Writers. The museum already has a digital presence, with their physical offices scheduled to open in Chicago in 2017. The mission of the  American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives. One featured page on the museums  website is a Literary America  map  that features  American writers from all over the country.  Visitors can  click on a states icon to see what literary landmarks are located there   such as author homes and museums, book festivals, literary archives,  or even an authors final resting places.   This Literary America  map will help students meet several of the goals of the new American Writers Museum which are to: Educate the public about American writers – past and present;Engage visitors to the Museum in exploring the many exciting worlds created by the spoken and written word;Enrich and deepen appreciation for good writing in all its forms;Inspire visitors  to discover, or rediscover, a love of reading and writing. Teachers should know that the digital Literary America map on the museums website is interactive, and there are links to multiple other websites. For example, by clicking on New York State icon, students could choose to be connected to an obituary on the New York Public Librarys website for  J.D. Salinger,  author of Catcher in the Rye. Another click on the New York State icon could  take students to  a news story about the 343 boxes  containing the  personal papers and documents of the poet  Maya Angelou  that were acquired  by the  Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This acquisition was featured in an article in the NY Times, Schomburg Center in Harlem Acquires Maya Angelou Archive  and there are links to many of these documents. There are links on the Pennsylvania state icon to museums dedicated to authors born in the state. For example, students can choose between Edgar Allan Poe National Historical SitePearl S. Buck HouseZane Grey Museum Similarly, a click on the Texas state icon offers students an opportunity to digitally visit three museums dedicated to the American short story author, William S. Porter, who wrote under the pen name O.Henry: O. Henry HouseO. Henry MuseumWilliam Sidney Porter, O. Henry Museum The State of  California offers multiple sites for students to explore on American authors who had a presence in the state: Eugene O’Neill National Historic SiteJack London State Historic ParkJohn Muir National Historic SiteNational Steinbeck CenterRobinson Jeffers Tor House FoundationThe Beat MuseumWill Rogers Ranch Additional Literary Author Map Collections 1. At the Clark Library (University of Michigan Library) there are a number of literary maps  for students to view.  One such  literary map was drawn by  Charles Hook Heffelfinger (1956).  This map lists the last names of many American writers along with their principal works within the state in which the book takes place. The description of the map states: As with many literary maps, while many of the works included may have been commercial successes at the time of the map’s publication in 1956, not all of them are still acclaimed today. Some classics are included, however, such as  Gone With the Wind  by Margaret Mitchell and  The Last of the Mohicans  by James Fenimore Cooper. These maps can be shared as a projection in class, or students can follow the link themselves. 2. The Library of Congress  offers an online collection  of maps titled, Language of the Land: Journeys Into Literary America. According to the website:   The inspiration for this exhibition was the Library of Congresss collection of literary mapsmaps that acknowledge the contributions of authors to a specific state or region as well as those that depict the geographical locations in works of fiction or fantasy.   This exhibition includes the  1949  Booklovers Map  published by R.R. Bowker of New York which  features important points of interest across America’s historical, cultural, and literary landscape at the time. There are many different maps in this online  collection, and the promotional description for the exhibition reads: From Robert Frosts New England farms to John Steinbecks California valleys to Eudora Weltys Mississippi Delta, American authors have shaped our view of Americas regional landscapes in all their astonishing variety. They have created unforgettable characters, inseparably identified with the territory they inhabit. Author Maps AreInformational Texts Maps can be used as informational texts in the English Language Arts classroom as part of the key shifts educators can use in order to  integrate the Common Core State Standards.  These key shifts of the  Common Core  state that: Students must be immersed in information about the world around them if they are to develop the strong general knowledge and vocabulary they need to become successful readers and be prepared for college, career, and life. Informational texts play an important part in building students’ content knowledge. English teachers can use  maps as informational texts to build student background knowledge and improve comprehension. The use of maps as informational texts  could be covered under the following standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.7  Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7  Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a persons life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7  Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. Conclusion Letting students explore American authors in their geographic and historic context through cartography, or mapmaking, can help their comprehension of American literature. The visual representation of the geography that contributed to a work of literature is best represented by a map. The use of maps   in the English classroom  can also help students develop an appreciation of Americas literary geography while increasing their familiarity with the  visual language of maps for other content areas.

Social Networking and its impact on individuals professional life Literature review

Social Networking and its impact on individuals professional life - Literature review Example In today’s technological era, the term social networking has commonly been associated with online networking. Keeping this fact into consideration, only online social networking has been evaluated regardless of the impact of offline social networking and its impact on individual’s professional life. With exponential growth of social networking, it has been observed that several organizations have been presented with an opportunity to enhance the job satisfaction level of its employees. For instance, Google provided its employees with an opportunity to work from home, rather than waking up early in the morning and coming to office. This significantly impacted the overall professional life of an individual. (Garibian, 2012) By digging a bit deeper, it was assessed that professionals tend to invest their time in online social networking primarily to improve them, while maintaining their professional identity in today’s competitive landscape. To maintain their profes sional identity, professional tends to prefer networks that can help them in career enhancement followed by updates on brand and current affairs. ... According to statistics, LinkedIn is most popular among individuals between the age group of 25-34 (i.e. 33 percent). Within this age group, the reason for visiting LinkedIn has always been job search. Although, an individual within this age bracket may have a respectable job, but the possibility of finding another respectable job leads to frequent visits to LinkedIn. (Bullas, 2013) Professionals tend to frequently switch their jobs to enhance their career progression (Silu, 2013). According to a research, employees tend to switch their jobs primarily due to job insecurity or to move up the career ladder (Sverke, Hellgren, & Naswall, 2006). On the other hand, researches revealed that professionals tend to switch their job due to bad management (Branham, 2012; Job Interview, n.d.). Furthermore, employees tend to switch to find better fit with his/her skills and strengths (Rouen, 2011). This can be done easily through LinkedIn. With significant information regarding the job on LinkedIn , professionals tend to apply for new jobs to take next step in their career development. This can be clearly witnessed through the story of David T. Stevens who was nearly about to face the reduction in salary and other associated benefits with the job due to the decline in economy. By sourcing professionals throughout the world through LinkedIn, Steven got a job at Emeryville, Calif. This reflects that LinkedIn is used by every professional to search for better jobs (Adams, 2012). With the rise of social networking sites, organizations have been provided with an ability to create self-service model to attract the most feasible candidate. According to a research firm, LinkedIn has changed the process of recruitment in today’s

Should nuclear power be revived in California and the United States Research Paper

Should nuclear power be revived in California and the United States - Research Paper Example The aftermath of using fossil fuel as a source of energy has recently revived the interest of incorporating nuclear power as a major source of energy. The need of reviving the use of nuclear power has further being aggravated by the ever-increasing population, thus increasing the demand of energy. Reliable operations and safety are the main requirements that lead to the approval of nuclear energy as a source of power generation (Rosen and Glasser, 1992, p. 308). Importance of nuclear power †¢ Development imperative On attaining a wealth of information from the US senate, senator Domenici indicated that human development is the creation of a surrounding where individuals can establish their maximum potential, as humans are considered the real wealth of the world; indeed, human development supersedes economic growth. The fact remains that we need energy to not only drive our industries, but also support our current trends of living. Lack of electricity has been identified as one of the perpetrators of poverty. In 1999, the United States was noted to consume approximately 25 percent of the world’s energy. Nevertheless, high consumption of electricity indicates the ever-changing lifestyle in United States’ growing population. Nuclear power generation as a way of diversifying the sources of electricity generation can not only free up fossil fuel, but also ensure the uses have no other substitutes. The result of use of nuclear power is a cleaner environment, creation of more job opportu nities and maximum use of available raw material. . According to Sir Ingham, based on rational discourse, nuclear power should be viewed based as the foundation of man’s sustainable power that has no offence to the surrounding. environment (Domenici, Lyons and Steyn, 2004, p. 182, 183 & 184). Substitute for natural gas and oil imports. Increase in population brings about high demand of energy. This high demand of energy hence forces the country to import energy, which could lead to political instability and lack of cost control. According to Domenici, Lyons and Steyn (2004), reliance of imported energy has been predicted to rise from 50 percent to 70 percent in the decades to come within the European countries. Heavy reliance of imported energy may have negative global impact and hence United States should have an equilibrium energy policy that incorporates healthy reliance on nuclear power in order to suppress the ever-increasing competition of fossil fuel supply in the deca des to come. America will encounter stiff competition from fast developing countries and the European Union countries for supply of imported energy and hence the best option will be for the country to incorporate the nuclear energy option and attain the diversification of electricity. The heavy reliance of natural gas and oil imports will not only lead the United States to a dangerous path but also return the nation to the situation it was fifty years ago regarding foreign oil imports. According to the research undertaken by EIA, 39 percent of US’ energy is bound to be imported as indicated statistically in 2002 when 29 percent of the country’

What does subjectivity means in terms of documentary filmmaking and Research Paper

What does subjectivity means in terms of documentary filmmaking and what it has to do with digital technology - Research Paper Example The term â€Å"subjective† used to mean â€Å"as things are in themselves† whereas the term â€Å"objective† used to denote â€Å"as things are presented to consciousness†. In other words, the word â€Å"subjective† referred to the actual fact while â€Å"objective† used to refer to the way a situation or scenario were perceived. However, with the progression of time, the definitions for each term also changed as â€Å"objective† was then used to mean â€Å"fair-minded, factual, fair-minded and reliable† whereas â€Å"subjective† was then considered as something perceived and therefore unreliable as being an impression instead of facts. According to Dictionary.com, subjectivity refers to â€Å"the state or quality of being subjective; subjectiveness, a subjective thought or idea, intentness on internal thoughts and internal reality†. This paper attempts to explore subjectivity in terms of documentary filmmaking and the way subjectivity changed with the emergence of new digital technologies. Since documentary filmmaking employees the way a director wants to capture the event or story, this medium is more inclined towards subjectivity instead of objectivity. Digitalization, with the rapid increase in globalization, has become an important phenomenon in the modern world. New technologies have altered the potential of production of documentaries as well as the way artists are presented thus increasing subjectivity in the matter presented to the audience. These new technologies have impacted powerfully on the artistic process in the filmmaking and possibly more than on most other innovative attempts. For instance, as a newest tool provided by the digital technologies, the digital color is making cinematographers and directors into keen painters that are eager to explicate their individual doctrines about color. Moreover, the digital still cameras provide the power to camera operator to capture ima ges and then instantly view them similar to Polaroid cameras. But the most significant role is of the digital technology is in the make-up and wardrobe departments, which are able to make various images through different angles to ascertain which will be the most suitable, and this particular ease was not provided by the Polaroid cameras. While digital cameras are maybe competing with their celluloid equivalents, digital non-linear editing extended an entirely new construct to the manner images could be edited together, similar to a great extent in the way text in a document can be cut and pasted within the word processors available. It can be accounted for the post-production department to embrace digital technologies in computerized non-linear form of editing (Elsaesser, 1998). In the documentary filmmaking world, capturing truth has always been a complex task. According to tradition, appreciated in non-fiction erudition for its unbiased and impersonal capacity to reflect the pro- filmic without any fictitious ruse, the documentary film has been experiencing substantial formal alterations since its early primitive days of omniscient narration and observation, by and by deserting its efforts to stress objectivity in a picture. With the modernistic form of the self-referent essayistic cast to its recent performing construction, the documentary has been incessantly revitalizing concern in the rhetorical images of fiction and subjectivity, thinking about arguments on the basis of incompleteness and uncertainties instead of prioritizing discorporate facts and knowledge (Nichols, 2001). Often perceived as complex evidential assertions regarding the theatrical of the world, digital technology has been playing a substantial role recently in developing new aesthetic bases for establishing a

Virtue In Ancient Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtue In Ancient Philosophy - Essay Example For example, human beings acquire virtue obeying the law and living to the expectation of societal norms and values. Human beings admire acquired virtues over natural virtues depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. For example, some people practices sobriety to live well with others, with the same objective, they teach their children good principles. 2. What, for Plato, are the virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice? Do you agree with Plato that those people with wisdom (derived from knowledge of the idea of good) should rule society? If so, then must we give up democracy? If not, then how can democracy possibly work well? Plato depicted wisdom as understanding, justice brought harmony, and courage is nonphysical, temperance as moderation. These three virtues according to Plato aim at bringing happiness to individuals and societies. Therefore, he advocated for use of persuasion rather than coercion. Only leaders with wisdom should rule society because the y are in a better position to know their subjects and understand their tribulations. Democracy may perpetuate corruption, which may lead to unhappiness because the chosen leaders may not have better knowledge of our problems and us. 3. How does Aristotle distinguish between moral and intellectual virtues? What are the two kinds of intellectual virtue? How does the mean play a role in making choices that help the cultivation of moral virtues? According to Aristotle, there are two kinds of virtue: moral and intellectual virtue. Moral virtues are not innate according to Aristotle but they are acquired. For instance, an individual becomes trustworthy by acting truthfully. Examples of moral virtues are humility, truthfulness, moderation, and generosity. On the other hand, intellectual virtues are those personality traits that are required for correct thinking and desired action. He classified intellectual virtues as productive such as craft knowledge, theoretical such as wisdom and mind and lastly practical such as practical prudence. Happiness is the central core of living, which depends entirely on cultivation of virtues. According to Aristotle, playing the mean is the way of cultivating virtues that includes moral virtues for the attainment of individual happiness. Playing the mean is the virtue between two extreme excesses and deficiency. For instance, exercising the act of justice in getting too little or getting too much. Therefore, human beings make choices depending on the circumstances that surround them by choosing on one option and neglecting the other. 4. What is Aristotle’s practical syllogism? Do you ever make moral decisions in a way that would seem to conform to the practical syllogism? If so, what would be some examples? If not, how do you arrive at moral decisions? Practical syllogism is a way of reasoning in syllogistic manner, the summary of which is a certain action. Sometimes I make moral decisions that conformed practical syllogism in that I choose to care for my friends and I do not remain indifferent towards their mistakes. Part B 1. Explain the author's (Holmes) conception of the natural law tradition. (p.84-85) According to Holmes, natural law has external existence and objectives. It follows the nature of world and man in that as human beings we have the right to defend what we

Youth work as a profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Youth work as a profession - Essay Example According to MacDonald (2011, p. 427), a large section of the youths are not engaged in gainful employment or in mainstream income-generating activities. This situation has largely been attributed to lack or inappropriate youth policies in many countries, as well as poor implementation of youth policies. It is against this background that it is critical to have a closer look at the existing and past youth policies. More importantly, it is crucial to explore topics that relate to youth and policy and ultimately come up with sound and practical solutions to the challenges bedeviling youths of particular countries and the world at large (Chambers and Lake, 2002, p. 5). In order to create a better understanding of the youth and policy, this paper will discuss the topic of youth employment. Particularly, it will explore employment of youth and the policies surrounding employment, as well as entrepreneurship as a form of youth employment. A number of studies have shown that one of the main challenges facing the world is youth unemployment. That is why reducing youth unemployment is one of the primary concerns of most governments in the world (Chigunta, 2002, p. 18). The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that about 90 million young people across the world are unemployed; this accounts for about 50 percent of 186 million unemployed people in the world (Oliver and Pitt, 2011). A recent study conducted by the ILO found out that youth are three and half times more likely to be unemployed than adults. The study also approximated that about 660 million young people will be looking for work or working in 2015, this is a 7.5 percent increase over the 2003 figure (ILO, 2005). Undoubtedly, these figures demonstrate the need for employment creation that focuses on youth. Chambers and Lake (2002, p. 7) note that participation of young people in the labor market is widely considered as a means of improving their social and economic transition

Wisdom Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wisdom Paper - Essay Example I consider my grandmother wise because she conforms to the definition of wisdom that I believe in and have discussed above. She has spent a whole lifetime during which she has seen a lot of highs and lows. She has been through a lot of enlightening and tough experiences and challenges, all of which have added to her knowledge of the best ways to deal with them, and so she has become more learned and wiser as she has aged. Perhaps it can be said for all elderly people, but some people do not learn from their mistakes, so they cannot be considered wise even if they are old. I am sure my grandmother is not included in that category. While I have had a lot of opportunities to learn from my grandmother, I have not been quite as lucky to learn from Martin Luther King Jr. as he had died several years before I had born. However, having read his biographies, and the books and articles written about him, I have learnt a lot of qualities and philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. that were described in them. Obviously, learning from a living person is a much different and better experience than learning from the second-hand accounts about a person who has passed away. Since my childhood, spending at least half an hour a day solely with my grandmother whenever she is at my home has been my habit. Whenever we are together, I ask her questions about her life, and her experiences, and tend to understand her thoughts, philosophies, and opinions about all kinds of issues. These experiences have been extremely informative, spiritually rejuvenating, and enlightening for me. I think that wisdom and learning are interrelated terms in that wisdom is enhanced by learning, but the two terms cannot be used interchangeably since they differ in their meanings. Wisdom is in-born. It is the sense to distinguish between the right and the wrong. Learning, on the other hand, is knowledge that is

Youth work as a profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Youth work as a profession - Essay Example According to MacDonald (2011, p. 427), a large section of the youths are not engaged in gainful employment or in mainstream income-generating activities. This situation has largely been attributed to lack or inappropriate youth policies in many countries, as well as poor implementation of youth policies. It is against this background that it is critical to have a closer look at the existing and past youth policies. More importantly, it is crucial to explore topics that relate to youth and policy and ultimately come up with sound and practical solutions to the challenges bedeviling youths of particular countries and the world at large (Chambers and Lake, 2002, p. 5). In order to create a better understanding of the youth and policy, this paper will discuss the topic of youth employment. Particularly, it will explore employment of youth and the policies surrounding employment, as well as entrepreneurship as a form of youth employment. A number of studies have shown that one of the main challenges facing the world is youth unemployment. That is why reducing youth unemployment is one of the primary concerns of most governments in the world (Chigunta, 2002, p. 18). The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that about 90 million young people across the world are unemployed; this accounts for about 50 percent of 186 million unemployed people in the world (Oliver and Pitt, 2011). A recent study conducted by the ILO found out that youth are three and half times more likely to be unemployed than adults. The study also approximated that about 660 million young people will be looking for work or working in 2015, this is a 7.5 percent increase over the 2003 figure (ILO, 2005). Undoubtedly, these figures demonstrate the need for employment creation that focuses on youth. Chambers and Lake (2002, p. 7) note that participation of young people in the labor market is widely considered as a means of improving their social and economic transition

Critical Thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking Essay Critical thinking, according to Micheal Scriven Richard Paul are defined as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skilfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation experience reflection, reasoning or communication as a guide to belief and action. Critical thinking is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive and intellectual skills needed to effectively identify, analyze and evaluate arguments. Among them are also in making reasonable, intelligent decision about what to believe and what to do. One of the people that I look up to which possesses these qualities of a critical thinker is Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. I have chosen to write this essay on Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as a critical thinker because he has the important characteristics and the skills needed in a critical thinker. One of the characteristics of a critical thinker that he possesses are that he thinks independently and is not afraid to disagree with group opinion. People look at him as an intellectual and a visionary, as something more than just an ordinary politician, therefore he is always invited to give his views on things. While in the political wilderness, Mahathir wrote his first book,  The Malay Dilemma, in which he set out his vision for the Malay community. The book argued that a balance had to be achieved between enough government support for Malays so that their economic interests would not be dominated by the Chinese, and exposing Malays to sufficient competition to ensure that over time, Malays would lose what Mahathir saw as the characteristics of avoiding hard work and failing to appreciate the real value of money and property. The book continued Mahathirs criticism of Abdul Rahmans government, and it was promptly banned. The ban was only lifted after Mahathir became prime minister in 1981.