Character Analysis The Twyborn Affair - 1570 Words

2 The Twyborn Affair 2.1 Identity The protagonist plays three different roles in the story, which is divided into three distinct but essentially unrelated sections. In a small town in Mediterranean France, the protagonist appears as a woman named Eudoxia Vatatzes, who is the lover of an elderly Greek man, Angelos. Then in Australia, the protagonist becomes a man, Eddie Twyborn. Later in London, his identity shifts to Eaddie Trist, the doyenne of a house of prostitution. At the outset of the novel, despite the calmness of the relationship between Eudoxia and Angelos, their love is gradually fading. When Joan Golsen, the lesbian lover of Eudoxia’s mother, appears, Eudoxia escapes the town due to the fear of discovery. The†¦show more content†¦After escaping to the farm as a â€Å"he†, Eddie feels determined to conquer the farm owner’s wife in order to establish male subjectivity. However, Eddie is often defeated by her aggressive femininity. Once, while Eddie is alone, he is driven by strong desire to dress up in woman’s clothes, lying in bed and dreaming of masculinity. The two identities, Eudoxia and Eddie, start to blend with each other here. Meanwhile, the complexity of the relationship between Eddie and the farm manager furthers his struggles. When they are together, they often have intense lust toward each other, but the seemingly consensual sexual behaviors are all done under dreadful violence. Self-consciousness is a concept that the protagonist tries hard to avoid. Instead of saying that E, including all three identities, is seeking for the real self, it’s better to interpret his experience as an escape from reality. Androgyny brings confusion and pain to his entire life, and all his struggles seem meaningless within the gap of feminine and masculine worlds. In the fixed binary opposition, he is the Other who cannot fit into either category. There are certain characters that show strong sympathy and understanding toward the protagonist’s situation. The financial backer of the brothel, after Eaddie shows her tiredness and detest toward the worldly love between men and women, falls in love with her deeply. However, due to the fear that her complex identity will

The Types of Love Experiences in Homer’s The Odyssey

The Paradox Called Love Love is a supernatural force that unites two beings, whether they are the two most unlikely candidates or childhood friends, and it inspires hope in all. Homer’s The Odyssey is the tale of the epic hero Odysseus on his quest back from the Trojan War, and all the hardships he faces as a result of his decisions. Throughout the course of the book, love plays a large role, and is his fuel to return to Ithaka, his home. There are three types of love are presented in the epic; lust, which is purely sexual and lacks a deeper meaning, family love, such as that displayed between Odysseus and his men, colleagues and Telemakhos, and lastly there is true love, which is shown between Odysseus and Penelope, true love holding the most value and power over all other forms of love. The first and most evident type of love is lustful love, which is very one sided, and shown on multiple occasions during the course of the book. After Odysseus has spent seven years with Kaly pso, Hermes comes to inform Kalypso that Zeus has ordered the return of Odysseus. Kalypso is very sad at his departure, leading her to ask why he would leave her for Penelope: â€Å"Can I be less desirable than she is? / Less interesting? Less beautiful? Can mortals / compare with goddesses in grace and form?† (V. 220-222). Kalypso’s love for Odysseus is genuine, but her feelings are not returned, as Odysseus has only become her partner in bed, and he is there only because he cannot escape. ThisShow MoreRelatedThe Divine Comedy And Dantes Inferno1079 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is viewed as a brave and virtuous hero by most people, especially the Greeks. However, the poet Dante Alighieri shares a much different view within his book The Divine Comedy: Inferno. Dante was born and raised in Italy and therefore had a natural hate for everything Greek related. The Inferno was written thousands of years after the Trojan war, and yet Dante still ha d a burning grudge against the Greeks for the way in which they defeated the Romans. Dante also validatedRead MoreEssay on Gender in the Odyssey1002 Words   |  5 Pageswise, and eloquent. He gains much of his knowledge through travel, the meeting of different cultures and peoples and learns from suffering and mistakes. He is an aristocrat and a warrior of all warriors. We first learn of many of these traits in Homers Iliad. Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek army always calls on Odysseus for assignments that required someone cunning and brilliant. Agamemnon sends Odysseus to ask Achilles to return to the army and sends him with Diomedes into the Trojan campRead More The Underworld as the Key to Living the Greek Life Essay2198 Words   |  9 PagesThe Underworld as the Key to Living the Greek Life Beyond relaying a fantastic journey, featuring a glorified hero who embodies to perfection Greek ideals, Homer uses the epic books of The Odyssey to explore all the nuances of Greek culture. Each part of The Odyssey possesses a purpose beyond detailing popular mythology. Book Eleven’s Underworld becomes the culmination of all the values and ideals that Homer touches on in prior books. Homer uses the underworld as a catchall to reinforce societalRead MoreThe Muse of History by Derek Walcott1751 Words   |  7 Pageswillfully acquired offer inspiration for artists. In Derek Walcott’s essay, â€Å"The Muse of History,† he compares two different views of writers who have experienced colonialism the classical and the other radical. He says that there is the â€Å"common experience† of colonialism, but one should not remain fixated on the past (36). Derek Walcott and Jean Rhys are deemed as classical writers since such writers â€Å"have gone past the co nfrontation of history, that Medusa of the New World,† and instead of becomingRead More The Serpent-Vampire in Keats Lamia Essay3101 Words   |  13 PagesThe Serpent-Vampire in Keatss Lamia   Ã‚  Ã‚   The origin of the lamia myth lies in one of the love affairs of Zeus. The Olympian falls in love with Lamia, queen of Libya, which was, for the Greeks, the whole continent of Africa. When Hera finds out about their love, she destroys each of Lamias children at birth. In her misery, Lamia withdraws to the rocks and caves of the sea-coast, where she preys on other womens children, eating them and sucking their blood. To recompense his mistress, ZeusRead MoreGreece And Rome : Models For The U.s. Constitution1564 Words   |  7 PagesJefferson’s preferred Greek poet, and one of the chief influences on his desire to advance his education on Hellenistic culture and virtues. Inspired by his love for Homer’s works, Jefferson began to thoroughly study Greek historians of the ancient and medieval times, their views, and their philosophies. He even decided to drive others to read and experience what he had, something that is made especially apparent in a letter to hi s young nephew, Peter Carr. In the letter, dated August 19, 1785, JeffersonRead MoreWomen in Greece2882 Words   |  12 Pagesevery decision for them in the best interest of the males and the family. Knowing what we do about women during this time in Greece, I’m going to use Homer’s epic the Odyssey to evaluate whether the way women were depicted in the literature is an accurate representation of the lives of women in this time. Homer is the composer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, he was viewed as the greatest poet, and his work influenced many poets after him. It is likely that Homer learned the poems from generations beforeRead More How James Joyce Challenges His Readers in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake2592 Words   |  11 Pagesplots, always innovative and always astonishing. In Ulysses, Joyce parallels the day of his protagonist, Leopold Bloom, with the journeys of Odysseus from Homers Odyssey. Chapter by chapter, Blooms travels throughout Dublin, along with the experiences of his young friend Stephen Dedalus and his unfaithful wife Molly, parallels the Odyssey. All the chapters are there: Telemachus, Nestor, Proteus, Calypso, the Lotus-Eaters, Hades, Aeolus, Lestrygonians, Scylla and Charybdis, Sirens, CyclopsRead MoreJames Joyces Ulysses: An Analysis2500 Words   |  10 PagesAmerican journal. 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The story came out as an Epic only because of how the people revered the heroes as they started many trends, such as Odysseus’ Trojan horse. â€Å"These epics lie

Organisational Behaviour Ch7 Free Essays

CHAPTER 7 DECISION MAKING AND CREATIVITY Describe the six stages in the rational choice decision process Decision making: the conscious process of making choices among alternatives with the intention of moving toward some desired state of affairs. Rational choice paradigm of decision making: the view in decision making that people should and typically do, use logic and all available information to choose the alternative with the highest value. Decision making involves identifying, selecting and applying the best possible alternative. We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Behaviour Ch7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The best decision use pure logic and all available information to choose the alternative with the highest value Such as highest expected profit, customer satisfaction, employee wellbeing or some combination of these outcomes. Subjective expected utility: the probability (expectation) of satisfaction (utility) resulting from choosing a specific alternative in a decision. Decision making process: systematic application of stages of decision making. 1. Identify problem or opportunity 2. Choose the best decision process 3. Develop alternative solutions 4. Choose the best alternative . Implement the selected option 6. Evaluate decision outcomes Problem with Rational choice paradigm: 1. Impossible to apply in reality 2. Difficulty recognising problems 3. Process the huge volume of information 4. Difficulty recognising when choices have failed 5. Focusing on logical thinking, ignores emotion influence making decision IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES Explain why people have difficulty with it Problem identification is not just the first step in decision making: it is the most important There are five most widely recognised concerns. Stakeholder framing: attention-based theory of the firm: states that, organisational decisions and actions are influenced mainly by what attracts management’s attention, rather than by objective reality. Mental mode: if an idea does not fit the existing mental mode of how things should work, the idea is dismissed as unworkable or undesirable. Decisive leadership: being decisive includes quickly forming an opinion of whether an event signals problem or opportunity. Many decisions happens too quickly before having a chance to logically assess the situation, more often it is a poorer decision than would result if more time had been devoted to identify the problem and evaluating the alternatives. Solution-focused problems: decision makers engage in solution-focused problem identification because it provides comforting closure to the otherwise ambiguous and uncertain nature of problems. Perceptual defence: people sometimes block out bad news as a coping mechanism. Some people inherently avoid negative information. People are more likely to disregard danger signals when they have limited control over the situation. Identifying problems and opportunities more effectively * Be aware of the 5 problem identification biases * Increase awareness of problem identification, need willpower to resist the temptation of looking decisive * Create a norm of â€Å"divine discontent† * Discussing the situation with others to ease difficulty EVALUATING AND CHOOSING ALTERNATIVES Explain why people do not follow the rational choice model when evaluating alternative choices Bounded rationality: the view that people are process limited and imperfect information and rarely select the best choice. Problem with goals: assumes that organisational goals are clear and agreed on. Goals are often ambiguous or in conflict with each other. Problem with information processing: assumes that decision makers can process info about all alternatives and in their consequences, but it is not possible in reality. Implicit favourite: preferred alternative that the decision maker uses repeatedly as a comparison with other choices. iased decision heuristics: key element of rational choice paradigm, as people can estimate the probabilities of outcomes. 1. Anchoring and adjustment heuristic: people to be influenced by an initial anchor point such that they do not sufficiently move away from that point as new info is provided. Initial info influences evaluation of subsequent info 2. Availability heuristic: we estimate probabilities by how easily we can recall the event, even tho ugh other factors influence it. 3. Representativeness heuristic: we estimate probabilities by how much they are similar to something else, even when better information available. Problem with maximisation: people engage in satisficing, selecting an alternative that is good enough rather than the alternative with the highest value. To choose the best alternative is also demand more info processing capacity than what they willing to apply. Making the best choice among many, can be cognitively and emotionally draining. Evaluating opportunities: opportunity is different from the process of problem solving. Decision makers not evaluate alternatives, after all, the opportunity is the solution, so why look further, they tend to have an emotional attachment to the opportunity. EMOTIONS AND MAKING CHOICES: Describe 3 ways in which emotions influences the selection of alternatives 1. Emotions from early preferences: emotions form preferences before we consciously evaluate those choices 2. Emotions change the decision evaluation process: moods and emotions influence how well we follow the decision process. . Emotions serve as info when we evaluate alternatives: we â€Å"listen in† on our emotions and use that info to make choices Intuitive decision making: ability to know when a problem or opportunity exist and select the best action without conscious reasoning. * Gut feelings we experience are emotional signals that have enough intensity to make us aware * Not all emotional signals are intuitions * Intuitions are involves rapidly comparing nonconscious analysis Making choices more eff ective: Systematically evaluate alternatives against relevant factors * Be aware of effects of emotions on decision preferences and evaluating process * Scenario planning: imagining possible future, choosing the best possible solution long before they occur Evaluating decision outcomes: confirmation bias known as â€Å"post-decisional justification† * Forget or downplay the negative features of selected alternative and highlight the positive features * Typically nonconscious and driven by emotions * Gives people an excessively optimistic evaluation of their decision Escalation of Commitment: the tendency to repeat an apparently bad decision or allocate more resources to a falling course of action 4 main causes of escalation: 1. Self-justification: individuals motivated maintain course of action when need to justify their action 2. Prospect theory effect: a natural tendency to feel more dissatisfaction from losing a particular amount than satisfaction from gaining an equal amount 3. Perceptual blinders: occurs because decision makers do not see the problems soon enough, they screen out or explain away negative information, serious problems looks like random errors 4. Closing costs: decision makers will because the cost of ending the project are high or unknown Evaluating decision outcomes more effectively: * Separate decision makers from evaluators to minimise self-justification * Establish a preset level to abandon or re-evaluate the project * Find a source of systematic and clear feedback * Involve several people in the evaluation EMPLOYEE INVOLVMENT IN DECISION MAKING Describe benefits of employee involvement in decision making Employee involvement: when employees influence how their work is organised and carried out Benefits: improves quality and commitment – recognising problem more quicker – defining problem more accurately – improve solutions generated – specific conditions improves the evaluation of alternatives Contingencies of employee involvement Identify four option thet affect the optimal level of employee involvement 1. Decision structure: decision can be programmed and non-programmed, programmed decision need less involvement, because solution is already worked out from past incidents 2. Source of decision knowledge: employee have relevant knowledge than leaders, it is improves decision quality 3. Decision commitment: participation is improving employee commitment 4. Risk of conflict: employee goals and norms conflict with the organisation’s goals, whether employees will reach agreement on the preferred solution CREATIVITY Outline the four steps in creative process Creativity: the development of original ideas that make a socially recognised contribution Rely on to find problems, alternatives and implement solutions Creative process: 1. Preparation: person or team effort to gain knowledge and skills regarding the problem or opportunity, clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve 2. Incubation: the period of reflective thoughts, put the problem aside, however our mind is still working on it, maintain a low level of awareness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ divergent thinking† reframing the problem and generating different approaches to the issue â€Å"convergent thinking†: calculating the accepted â€Å"right answer† to logical problem 3. Insight: refers to experience of suddenly becoming aware of a unique idea CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE Describe the characteristics of creative employee and workplaces that support creativity 1. Cognitive and practical intelligence: creative people recognise the significance of small bits of information and are able to connect them in ways like no one else could imagine, they also have practical intelligence, the capacity to evaluate the potential usefulness of their ideas 2. Persistence: higher need for achievement, a strong motivation from the task itself and a moderate or high degree of self-esteem, persistence is vital because creative ideas meet with plenty of resistance from others as well as failures along the way to success 3. Subject knowledge and experience: creative people have sufficient knowledge and experience on subject 4. Independent imagination: -high openness to experience, moderately low need for affiliation, high self-direction stimulation values Creative work environment * Learning orientation: leaders recognise that employees make reasonable mistakes as part of the creative process, and need to tolerate â€Å"creativity comes from failure† * Work motivation: employees can be more creative if they believe their work. Benefit the organisation * Open communication and sufficient resources Activities that encourage creativity How to cite Organisational Behaviour Ch7, Papers

Taxation of Individual

Questions: Part One: Income tax ratesMartha is a resident who is 40 years old and has $170,000 of taxable income for the current income year. Calculate her basic income tax liability.Part Two: Ordinary incomeIn 1979, a doctor who lived and worked in Sydney purchased a 20 acre parcel of rural land on the outskirts of the city for $100,000. Over the years, he used the property as a hobby farm for growing fruit trees and as a weekend retreat for relaxation. Recently, the surrounding area has become more developed and the property has increased in value substantially. The doctor has also recently run into financial difficulties as a result of a malpractice suit and he is considering selling the property. Advise him as to whether he would be required to include any amount in his assessable income as a result of the sale.Part Three: General deductionsCompare the decision in FC of T v Anstis (2009) with the decisions in Lunney and Hayley v FC of T (1958) and FC of T v Maddalena. Is it possible to reco ncile the outcomes in these cases?Requiremens talk about genereal deductions what are the similarities between these cases what are the differences between these cases how is it different/outcomes? Provide summary of each case first and discuss similarities differences?Part Four: Provisions that deny or limit deductionsDiscuss some of the circumstances in which entertainment expenditure is deductible?Requirements cover all sections? Talk about cases or give example different areas allowed Answers: Part One: Income Tax Rate As per the rules of the Australian taxation law the resident is being taxed on the tax slabs set for the under the ITAA. The taxation structure of the resident of Australia Mr. Maratha would be as under. Name of the Resident: Martha, Age: 40 Years Taxable Income of Current Year = $170,000 Income Tax liability = $17,547 + 37c per $1 above $80,000 = $17,527 + 37C* (170,000 80,000) = $17,527 + $33,300 = $50,827 Add: 1.5% Medical Levy = 1.5% * 50,827 = 762.40 Total Liability = $50,827 + $762.4 = $ 51,589.4The total tax that has to be paid by Mr. Martha would be 51589 that would be as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act after the medical levy of 1.5% on the total tax payable as per the ITAA. Part Two: Ordinary Income As per GST Act of Australia sale of farmland is free from GST if following two condition is satisfied: a) The Land is being used by the assesses for farming business for at least five years before the date of sale. The five years would be calculated prior to the date of sale which means the resident has to hold the land at least for five years before he can sell the land to the buyer to avoid the value of GST on thus sale of land.b) The buyer is intended to use it for farming business. The buyer should intend that he should carry on farming business on the land sold to the farmer. Then only the benefit is available. It needs to be further seen that only intention is needed and not actual practice of farming so if by any reasons no farming was done exemption would still be there.However, as per Income Tax Act of Australia any gain arising from sale of farm land will be considered as Capital gain and should be included in the Assessable Income. So no benefit is given on capital gains earned from the sale of land. The same capital gain will be charged at standard rate. However, if the as set has been held for more than one year then we can avail the Indexation benefit under the indexation method of calculating capital gains. Indexation benefit: If the Asset has been acquired before 21 September 1991, the cost base Indexed as per the movement in the consumer price Index and the same is frozen as at 30th September 1999. So, in the given case Capital gain will be charged to the doctor who lived and worked in Sydney. Further, the profit arising from the sale of farm land, need to be included in his assessable income. However, the doctor will be eligible for indexation benefit as discussed above. Part Three: General Deduction Case of FC of T v Anstis (2009) In this case the Federal court allowed the self education deduction claimed by the Assesses which was incurred by him in the course of earring the Youth Allowance. The Expenses was incurred by the assesses on Administrative fees of student, textbooks, depreciation of computer, travelling expenses other than to university. The Court found that the Expenses was incurred in deriving the Youth income and also satisfied the criteria as specified in Section 8-1 of the Act. So the expenses would be allowed as per the income tax act. Lunney and Hayley v FC of T (1958) In this case the court states the fares paid by the Assesses on travelling from home to the place of employment and also from place of employment to home will not be allowed as deduction. The Court ruled that the travelling expenses are incurred in the way of going to the employment and not in the course of employment as specified in section 8-1 of the Act. So, no deduction will be allowed for the expenses on fares incurred. FC of T v Maddalena In this case High Court held the expenses incurred by the Assesses in the self - education of will not be allowed as deduction, if such study is designed to get the employment or new employment. The Expenses is considered as incurred in gaining or producing the assessable income. Any expense incurred in for the purpose will be allowed as a deduction under the Income Tax Act of Australia. Part Four: Provision that deny or Limit Deduction As per the Income Tax Act of Australia, generally the Entertainment expenses are not allowed even if the expenses are incurred specifically for the business purpose such as expenses incurred in entertaining the client or business lunch. However, there is certain situation in which such entertainment expenses is allowed which is as follows: 1) Expenses which has been incurred in the ordinary course of business where the entertainment is provided to the paying client. Such as in hotel, theatres, restaurant e.t.c.2) Entertainment allowance given to the employees provided the same is included in his assessable income. 3) Expenses incurred in the recreation facility that is situated in the office premises and used by the employee on working days. Such as pool, gym etc.4) Expenses which have been incurred in providing the Fringe benefit to the employee.5) Expenses incurred in providing overtime meal to the employee under an industrial award.6) The Expenses on food and drink which has been incurred in seminar of at least four hours.7) Expenses incurred on gratuitous entertainment provided to the sick, poor and disabled public. Example. Organizing Christmas party in child hospital.8) Expenses incurred in the advertising the goods and service of the company. References Calculator, T. (2014-2015). Australian Income Tax calculator. Capital Gain. (2014, june 11). Retrieved 2014, from https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/. Government. (2014). Austrailian taxation office. Retrieved from ato.gov.au: https://www.ato.gov.au/uploadedFiles/Content/MEI/downloads/ind39784n17290614.pdf Office, A. T. (n.d.). ATO, Deductions for Business. Retrieved from ato.gov.au: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Deductions-for-business/What-you-can-claim-and-when/What-is-an-allowable-deduction-/ Property. (2014, june 12). Retrieved 2014, from https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/Your-home-and-other-real-estate/Selling-your-rental-property/.

Scottish Independence free essay sample

Scotland is at a turning point. On 18th September 2014 a referendum will be held asking voters a simple yes/no question: â€Å"Should Scotland be an independent country? † It has become more apparent that Scotland does not benefit from being part of the union with England, Wales and Northern Ireland and as a consequence of this many people agree that Scotland would be better off as an independent country. Some say the union is no longer fit for purpose and it is holding Scotland back. But many people oppose these views saying Scotland needs the rest of the UK and the economic and social factors of independence would be too great to deal with. Independence for Scotland means that we will have the right to make our own decisions about the future of our own country rather than those decisions being made by politicians in London. In this essay, I will present a fair conclusion by weighing up the arguments for and against Scottish Independence. We will write a custom essay sample on Scottish Independence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The relationship between Scotland and its larger neighbour have always been difficult, especially during the â€Å"wars of independence† led my William Wallace and then by Robert the Bruce. After many cross-border disputes, including when Scotland was defeated by the English in 1513 at Flodden, the Scottish and English crowns we united in 1603 when King James IV of Scotland became monarch of the British Isles. The 1800s saw Scotland’s economy booming but proposals to give Scotland some form of â€Å"home-rule† was continually unsuccessful until 1999 when a Scottish parliament was re-established. The First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, and the SNP unexpectedly won an historic grand slam forming the first majority government in the Scottish parliament despite the Scottish system being set up to prevent a party gaining a majority and the only majority government in the whole UK enabling Mr Salmond to demand an independence referendum. Moreover independence would enable Scotland to become more successful. One of the main reasons more and more people are supporting Scottish Independence is the great economic benefits it would have. The similarities between Scotland and Norway for example; both having relatively similar populations and large oil, gas and renewable energy resources; show how different Scotland would be if it had control over its own economy. Both countries discovered oil in the North Sea at the same time but couldn’t have spent the money they made in more contrast. The British government under Margret Thatcher used the money they made from oil and gas to close down the coal and shipbuilding industries in the 1970s and 1980s which caused widespread poverty and unemployment in Scotland and Northern England while the Norwegian government used the profits they made from the North Sea more wisely to fund a pension fun with ? 300 billion. While independent countries were able to spend their profits from oil and gas on beneficial strategies such as creating one of the best pension schemes in the world, the British government spent Scotland’s profits on funding unemployment. With this worrying knowledge it’s difficult to see why anyone would want to support the union. I would like to take a different angle from it now. In addition, I strongly believe that Britain is arguably structured on extremely undemocratic principles. Why hasn’t the union worked? How is it at all democratic for the UK to have an unequal proportional electoral system in place where nearly 400 seats in parliament are taken up by England and Scotland with 59? Doesn’t seem fair. A good illustration of this is in the House of Lords where there are 26 seats taken up by bishops just because they are members of the church of England nevertheless the Scottish parliament uses a much more democratic system which doesn’t reserve places for members and appoints members using a proportional electoral system. Becoming independent would therefore arguably be a step for democracy and for the health and recovery of its economy. The majority of laws which are put in place in Scotland are decided and passed in Westminster by English politicians who will not be affected by these laws and are intended primarily for England without much consideration for Scotland. At present Scotland has a government that runs lots of Scottish affairs but has one hand tied behind its back with ones not in their control – such as taxation and fiscal policies. Although Scotland already has control over its own parliament and legal system, it still has no control over its own defence and security. My favourite news recently is that nuclear warheads were transported through Glasgow even though MSPs condemned strongly against this and without informing the local authorities. The MoD recently carried out a mock-emergency exercise which took them five hours to complete the task and if something bad had happened with just one of those warheads Glasgow would be uninhabitable for years and years. All of the UK’s nuclear weapons are kept in Scotland even though most people in Scotland are against them; polls show 70% of Scots want it gone yet the UK government force it on Scotland and it is not up for debate. Independence would see the nuclear weapons gone and therefore the country as a whole would be safer. On the topic of safety, the Scottish government intends to keep Sterling as Scotland’s currency – although the SNP were originally in favour of the Euro but with the Eurozone problems it now proposes safer implications to keep the pound. It is becoming increasingly A lot of these â€Å"questions sceptics† are asking of the yes campaign ahead of their vote but why aren’t they asking the same questions of the government in power just now? I suggest that this is because people are selfish, they don’t want changes to happen when they don’t know exactly what it will be like. Tell that to the children living in poverty in your own country. If things stay as they are just now, by 2020 100,000 children will be living in poverty in Scotland – 4 times the population of the Western Isles. Contrary to this and despite the evidence in to show that independence would be beneficial to Scotland there are those who are still unconvinced. Many people consider unity as strength; together with the UK, Scotland is part of a rich, powerful and influential state and therefore believe that becoming independent would arguably significantly decrease Scotland’s influence and global presence. Equally a large number of people regard independence as a huge economic gamble. There has been speculation over how Scotland will survive if we no longer have access to the British â€Å"money pot† especially during the tough times of recession and rising unemployment.

Free Essays on Winter Dreams

The Dream and the Reality Lavish parties, twirling dresses, dapper men, and illegal alcohol fill the roaring times of the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story â€Å"Winter Dreams† reflects on this overzealous period. The tale tells how sometimes even with great motivation dreams cannot turn into reality. Fitzgerald does this by showcasing the life of Dexter Green. The story begins with fourteen-year-old Dexter caddying at the Sherry Island Golf Club, where he meets Judy Jones, the owner of the club’s daughter. Judy makes such an impact on Dexter that he quits his job that day. She continues to influence him for the rest of his life. He has many dreams that keep him from doing some things and force him to do others, even if they are irrational. Within a few years, Dexter acquires great wealth and gets involved as one of Judy Jones’ many affairs. Years later Dexter calls off his engagement to a woman named Irene Scheerer because of his obsession of Judy Jones. In the end, Dex ter, alone, finds out that Judy, married with children, has moved on with her life. In addition, a man tells him her beauty has faded. This news crushes Dexter’s dream, and he does not know how to get back what he had had. In â€Å"Winter Dreams† Fitzgerald creates a complicated character, uses paradoxes to describe the relationships present in the story, and produces a person who molds his life around his dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a complicated and manipulative character named Judy Jones, the daughter of Mortimer Jones, the wealthy owner of Sherry Island Golf Club, who always gets her way. Even as a ten-year-old little girl she has superiority over the staff. One day at the golf course she has a tantrum. Fitzgerald describes the scene by writing, â€Å"Miss Jones and her retinue†¦became involved in a heated conversation, which was concluded by Miss Jones taking one of the clubs and hitting it on the ground with violence† (Fitzgerald,... Free Essays on Winter Dreams Free Essays on Winter Dreams Lavish parties, twirling dresses, dapper men, and illegal alcohol fill the roaring times of the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story â€Å"Winter Dreams† reflects on this overzealous period. The tale tells how sometimes even with great motivation dreams cannot turn into reality. Fitzgerald does this by showcasing the life of Dexter Green. The story begins with fourteen-year-old Dexter caddying at the Sherry Island Golf Club, where he meets Judy Jones, the owner of the club’s daughter. Judy makes such an impact on Dexter that he quits his job that day. She continues to influence him for the rest of his life. He has many dreams that keep him from doing some things and force him to do others, even if they are irrational. Within a few years, Dexter acquires great wealth and gets involved as one of Judy Jones’ many affairs. Years later Dexter calls off his engagement to a woman named Irene Scheerer because of his obsession of Judy Jones. In the end, Dex ter, alone, finds out that Judy, married with children, has moved on with her life. In addition, a man tells him her beauty has faded. This news crushes Dexter’s dream, and he does not know how to get back what he had had. In â€Å"Winter Dreams† Fitzgerald creates a complicated character, uses paradoxes to describe the relationships present in the story, and produces a person who molds his life around his dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a complicated and manipulative character named Judy Jones, the daughter of Mortimer Jones, the wealthy owner of Sherry Island Golf Club, who always gets her way. Even as a ten-year-old little girl she has superiority over the staff. One day at the golf course she has a tantrum. Fitzgerald describes the scene by writing, â€Å"Miss Jones and her retinue†¦became involved in a heated conversation, which was concluded by Miss Jones taking one of the clubs and hitting it on the ground with violence† (Fitzgerald, F. Scott, â€Å"Winter Dreams,ï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Winter Dreams â€Å"Winter Dreams† – Dexter Green and the American Dream Dexter Green, the main character of the short story â€Å"Winter Dreams†, is striving for the American Dream. His goal to achieve this dream affects the way he lives his life, and the consequences that come with the choices his makes. Dexter’s desire for the American Dream- which includes status, wealth, and ability- is what ultimately leads to the demise of his winter dreams. One’s status is almost essential to make one feel important and loved. Those are exactly the feelings that Dexter is searching for in trying to gain a healthy status. He feels that if he stepped â€Å"from a Pierce-Arrow automobile, like Mr. Mortimer Jones, he [would be able to] stroll frigidly into the lounge† (p. 1026) of a popular club. One of the ways Dexter tries to strive for an admired status is through Judy Jones. Judy is the epitome of the success that Dexter is trying to gain, and status comes along with success. The fling he had with Judy, at the moment, made him feel like he was living in a dream, but without Judy, he was greatly unhappy. â€Å"Succeeding Dexter’s first exhilaration came restlessness and dissatisfaction.† (p. 1035) Dexter’s relationship with Judy made him feel like he was just one of her many flings- and indeed he was! Realizing this, he decides to join the army, and â€Å"he†¦ [became]†¦ one of those young thousands who greeted the war with a certain amount of relief, welcoming the liberation from webs of tangled emotion.† (p. 1040) An American Dream without wealth is just not an American Dream. Dexter’s dream of wealth comes from his observations of the rich at the golf club of which he worked. Dexter’s quest for wealth serves for the purpose of showing it, which makes him feel like he is superior. â€Å"He wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people- he wanted the glittering things themselves.† (p. 1029) He took the ... Free Essays on Winter Dreams The Dream and the Reality Lavish parties, twirling dresses, dapper men, and illegal alcohol fill the roaring times of the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story â€Å"Winter Dreams† reflects on this overzealous period. The tale tells how sometimes even with great motivation dreams cannot turn into reality. Fitzgerald does this by showcasing the life of Dexter Green. The story begins with fourteen-year-old Dexter caddying at the Sherry Island Golf Club, where he meets Judy Jones, the owner of the club’s daughter. Judy makes such an impact on Dexter that he quits his job that day. She continues to influence him for the rest of his life. He has many dreams that keep him from doing some things and force him to do others, even if they are irrational. Within a few years, Dexter acquires great wealth and gets involved as one of Judy Jones’ many affairs. Years later Dexter calls off his engagement to a woman named Irene Scheerer because of his obsession of Judy Jones. In the end, Dex ter, alone, finds out that Judy, married with children, has moved on with her life. In addition, a man tells him her beauty has faded. This news crushes Dexter’s dream, and he does not know how to get back what he had had. In â€Å"Winter Dreams† Fitzgerald creates a complicated character, uses paradoxes to describe the relationships present in the story, and produces a person who molds his life around his dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a complicated and manipulative character named Judy Jones, the daughter of Mortimer Jones, the wealthy owner of Sherry Island Golf Club, who always gets her way. Even as a ten-year-old little girl she has superiority over the staff. One day at the golf course she has a tantrum. Fitzgerald describes the scene by writing, â€Å"Miss Jones and her retinue†¦became involved in a heated conversation, which was concluded by Miss Jones taking one of the clubs and hitting it on the ground with violence† (Fitzgerald,... Free Essays on Winter Dreams Winter Dreams The story Winter Dreams is the epitome of the saying â€Å"opposites attract†. Just take a look at two of the main characters of the story; Dexter Green and Judy Jones. Judy who was born into wealth has had everything hand fed to her, for her entire life. And on the other hand you have Dexter, a boy from black bear, Minnesota with a dad that owns the second most successful grocery store in area. Dexter is a boy that comes from an upper class family, yet still knows the importance of working for riches and is fully prepared to do so. Two different people that are still drawn together by two things, Judy’s loveliness and Dexter’s gullable personality. First, let’s look at Judy’s personality. She is snobby yet refined, with an innocent demeanor that can be down right evil. She is also with out a care in the world. This personality of hers is best potrayed at the golf course when the gentlemen are playing a round of golf and all of th e sudden here â€Å"fore†. Mr. Hedrick is struck in the stomach with a golf ball that was hit by Judy. As she approaches the men Mr. Hedrick blurts out that her wild shot had hit him in the stomach, and Judy merely replies â€Å"Did I?† â€Å"I’m sorry. I yelled ‘fore!’ â€Å" (p 673) as nothing that had just occurred was out of the ordinary. Then she continued to look for her ball as she carelessly walks by the gentlemen, and after all that had just occurred she asked if they had seen where it went after striking Hedrick. Dexter on the other hand is completely different than Judy. He is a hard working boy, that is known and respected as one of the top caddies of the golf course in Black Bear. Dexter is a confident yet modest boy that has been schooled by the finest schools of the east. Meaning an ivy league school. He is smart and savvy yet extremely gullible to beauty, thus the reason for his obsession with Judy. His personality is best portraye d when he does not like the idea of the s...

Portrait of an Artist MichelAngelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portrait of an Artist MichelAngelo - Essay Example Yet, the spiritual beauty of his art defied his personality as it elevated man to a position closer to his God. Commissioned by Popes and the richest patrons of the time, for 89 years Michelangelo defied his contradictory nature as he channeled his pessimistic sadness and transformed his art into a symbol of hope and eternal optimism. The works of Michelangelo have been seen by millions of people as a work of transcendental spiritual beauty, but for Michelangelo it was simply the product of his dedication and hard work. Michelangelo had carefully laid the groundwork for his art as a studious young man and a serious artist. He studied painting as a craft, philosophy, and anatomy, which would give him a deeper understanding of the form of man and his role in the creation of the universe. However, at the age of 17 he was faced with being in the commission of Piero dei Medici, a powerful leader that the people of Florence despised. Within two years Michelangelo's dark and individualistic nature caused him to reject the Medici commission and flee to Bologna, which drove the artist further into depression. According to Ruvoldt, "Since antiquity, melancholy's link to exceptional achievement had been seen as small consolation for its considerable drawbacks, including crippling depression" (88-89). These early hardships a nd setbacks would drive Michelangelo away from social contact and propel him closer to the spiritual nature of Christianity. Michelangelo would distance himself from the craft and technicalities that his training had given him in favor of searching for the spiritual component of art. He did not wish to be seen as a craftsperson or merely a technician. These were the qualities of man and art was the providence of God. This tension would further drive Michelangelo into the isolation of depression and sadness. A statue carved when Michelangelo was 19 years old, the Bologna Angel, illustrates his frustration with the limitations of man. According to Luchs, "The hands holding the candelabrum curve smoothly around it, waxy and boneless, in a thorough renunciation of the anatomical knowledge Michelangelo had recently and arduously acquired from his dissections at Santo Spirito" (222). At this young age Michelangelo was already tormented by his search for spirituality in a world that was caged with the mortality of man. One of Michelangelo's greatest works, the Sistine Chapel, embodies the tension between sadness and elation as well as the contrast between isolation and universal unity. Michelangelo did not employ a large staff of apprentices as was often the custom of his time, and chose to complete the task by himself. Michelangelo completed the design, the drawing, and the painting in isolation at the top of the chapel. Yet, the work that Michelangelo did on the Sistine chapel is today viewed by 3 million people that make a pilgrimage to Rome to gain a greater understanding of man as a product of their God (Romaine 23). Yet, this great work of art required the torment of loneliness and the deafening silence that his isolation provided. A committee could not have created it. Michelangelo's melancholy and optimism would be played out through his pen and brush, as the work is a study in the contrast between the mortal failings of man and the perfection of spirituality. The centerpiece of the Sistine Chapel is the

Canadian Real Estate Vertical Go to Market Plans and Strategy Term Paper - 1

Canadian Real Estate Vertical Go to Market Plans and Strategy - Term Paper Example The paper utilizes suitable illustrations to support the relevant details. The paper terminates in suitable conclusion that emanates from prior discussions of the paper and illustration provided. CREV endeavours to succeed in the Canadian real estate market. However, realization of the above requires the firm to enact an ambitious advertisement plan that will expand the firm’s clientele base. Such an undertaking will require an appositely coined strategy. The strategy should adequately appraise the nature of the market. This write-up will seek to institute an opposite promotional approach that will culminate in the success of the above real estate entity. Evidently, the above strategy will be critical since the real estate sector has encountered key upheaval due to the economic crisis. The market base is dwindling. Consequently, CREV requires to repositioning itself ensuring it maintains and boosts its clientele base. This strategy will enlist certain data and relevant illustration to support it assertions. The assertion will relate to strategy that the entity should adopt. This strategy has identified communication as an integral element in this industry. Therefore, advertising has sizeable implications on the fortune of real estate firms (Vertical news). Rogers is promotional firm enlisted to undertake the above task. The marketing strategy aims at enacting appropriate measures that will ensure that it has sizeable share of the market. This plan will enlist of information from credible informer that have undertaken through research. Evidently, the Canadian real estate sector is overly competitive (Canadian real estate association). Consequently, marketing will serve as an integral tool of boosting the clientele base. However, the realization of the benefits of marketing will demand utilization of shrewd advertising campaign. Therefore, CREV will require enlisting

Conflict Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Conflict Process - Essay Example Such groups at a basic level may comprise of relationships between family members, friends and acquaintances, or colleagues at work places (interpersonal, inter-organizational or intergroup). Within the framework of such socially constructed groups, there may be disagreements between members with varying needs, objectives or beliefs, which may lead to conflicts. Within a larger framework, groups relate to regional, national or even international levels, where such conflicts if not managed well, may even lead to a full-scale war. Conflicts are confrontations between two or more people having opposing requirements, ideals, notions, faiths, or objectives. Conflict between human beings is unavoidable and pervasive. However, the outcome not being predetermined, it can be altered to arrive at a peaceful resolution. If a conflict is kept unchecked, it can escalate to produce results that may be destructive or even non-productive. Conflict analysis and management is thus an integral part in maintaining strong and productive interpersonal relationships amongst family members, within colleagues in an organization, and even between nations. While it is difficult to exactly delineate conflict, most of existing definitions include two factors: for a conflict to occur there must be at least two groups working/interacting with each other. , and there must be some perceived sense of an incompatibility between the groups (Kuhn & Poole, 2000). A.W. Green defined conflict as â€Å"the deliberate attempt to oppose, resist or coerce the will of another or others† (cited in, Bhattacharya, 2008, 64). Two other definitions of conflict frame it as the â€Å"the interactive process manifested in incompatibility, disagreement, or dissonance within or between social entities† (Rahim, 1992, 16), or as the â€Å"process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party" (Wall & Callister, 1995, 517). In the context, that â€Å"a conflict is life as usual† (Abigail and Cahn, 2010, 3) and hence inevitable between human relationships the process must be studied in order to control and effectively manage it and produce beneficial outcome (especially for those looking to work within organizations where working would involve teamwork) this paper will analyze the process of conflict analysis. It will examine a recent interpersonal crisis that occurred in the researcher’s life (pertaining to the divorce case between my ex-wife and me) and is especially important, as it allows me and the reader both, to comprehend whether during the entire process our confrontation went out of control, and whether in future I should seek a better route while dealing with interpersonal conflicts, in personal life or at workplace. This paper will analyze a conflict situation using various conflict theories and conflict management processes (from a Christian perspective), to derive that negotiation through effectiveness communication and mediation, anger control and forgiveness helps to achieve beneficial results for the disputants, without the members having to resort to physical violence. Discussion 1. Description of the situation Who was involved?- In any relationship when there are two or more interdependent people conflicts tend to occur when relatio nship rules are not adhered to and there is lack of sincere explanation to explain the rule break (Webster, MLOS561- conflict and negotiations in organizations, Slide 14). Due to the break in relationship rules, there arises incompatibility, which may lead to adverse effects on the relationship, and if the problematic situation is not handled appropriately, the entire

Israeli-Palestinian conflict communication

Israeli-Palestinian conflict communication CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Definition of Communication Although communication is omnipresent, it appears nonetheless difficult to define. Different individuals define communication in different ways depending upon their interests. Ruben (1984) says that communication is any â€Å"information related behaviour† while Dale (1969) says it is the â€Å"sharing of ideas and feelings in a mood of mutuality.† Other definitions emphasise the significance of symbols, as in Berelson and Steiner (1964): â€Å"The transmission of information, ideas, emotions and skill by the use of symbols,† and Theodorson (1969): â€Å"the transmission of information, ideas, attitudes, or emotion from one person or group to another, primarily through symbols.† The Universal Law of Communication states that all living entities communicate. Through movement, sounds, reactions, gestures, language and among others (S. F, Scudder, 1900. In his research, Prof. Albert Mehrabian (UCLA, 1967) identified three major parts that convey meaning in human face to face communication: body language, voice tonality, and words. He determined how people make meaning when a speaker says one thing but means another. If the speaker is sending a mixed message the listener will rely on the following cues to determine true meaning. He found that 55% of impact is determined by body language-postures, gestures, and eye contact, 38% by the tone of voice, and 7% by the content or the words spoken. Although the exact percentage of influence may differ due to variables such as the perceptions or biases of the listener and the speaker, communication as a whole is meant to convey meaning and thus, in some cases, can be universal. Hence, communication can be classified into three types: Non-Verbal Communication which includes sending and receiving messages through gestures, body language, facial expression and eye contacts. Visual Communication is through using visual aids that can be read and look upon such as signs, typography, drawing, graphic design and illustration. Verbal or Oral Communication is anyinformation that is transferred from a sender to receiver usually by a verbal means but visual aid can support the process and it includes speeches, presentations and discussions. 2.1 Effective Communication Effective communication is very important for working successfully with other people, groups or countries. It enables us to maintain relationships and accomplish tasks with them. The effectiveness of any communication is judged by how closely the receivers understanding matches the senders intent. In the final analysis, the only message that matters is the one the other person receives (Dave Sharpe, 1991, Circular 1291). The two ways flow of communication is commonly addressed in interpersonal communication with two elaborations of Shannons model which is often labelled as the action model of communication; the interactive model and the trans-active model. (Weiner, 1948, 1986). This can be illustrated in the following diagram: The key concept associated with this elaboration is that destinations provide feedback on the messages they receive such that the information sources can adapt their messages, in real time. This is an important elaboration, and as generally depicted, a radically oversimplified one. Feedback is a message (or a set of messages). The source of feedback is an information source. The consumer of feedback is a destination. Feedback is transmitted, received, and potentially disrupted via noise sources. None of this is visible in the typical depiction of the interactive model. This doesnt diminish the importance of feedback or the usefulness of elaborating Shannons model to include it. People really do adapt their messages based on the feedback they receive. It is useful, however, to notice that the interactive model depicts feedback at a much higher level of abstraction than it does messages (Davis Foulger, 2004). This difference in the level of abstraction is addressed in the transactional model of communication. This can be shown in table 2 which depicts the Transactional Model of Communication: This model acknowledges neither creators nor consumers of messages, preferring to label the people associated with the model as communicators who both create and consume messages. The model presumes additional symmetries as well, with each participant creating messages that are received by the other communicator. This is, in many ways, an excellent model of the face-to-face interactive process which extends readily to any interactive medium that provides users with symmetrical interfaces for creation and consumption of messages. It is, however, a distinctly interpersonal model that implies equality between communicators that often doesnt exist, even in interpersonal contexts (Hopper, 1992). In case of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the one that is more powerful may tend to lead the communication and thus, creating more barriers to communication to solve the conflicting issues. 2.2 Definition of Conflict Most conflicts result as a state of disagreement stemming from perceived values, beliefs, interests, goals and motives. It can be between individuals, groups or between two countries. Research carried out on peace and conflict assumes that conflicts are the expression of opposing interests, that they are characteristic for modern societies and that they are endemic in modern societies. â€Å"A conflict exists when two people wish to carry out acts which are mutually inconsistent. It is resolved when some mutually compatible set of actions is worked out. The definition of conflict can be extended from individuals to groups (such as states or nations), and more than two parties can be involved in the conflict. The principles remain the same.† (M. Nicholson 1992:11) 2.3 Defining the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict History created divisive issues between both Israelis and Palestinians. The land of Judea[1], was conquered by the Roman Empire and named Palestine and it was further conquered and inhabited by Arabs for a thousand years. Before Britain conquered Jerusalem and the surrounding area known to be Palestine, in November 1917, the â€Å"Balfour Declaration[2]† was issued. This declaration stated that Britain support the creation of a National Homeland of the Jewish People in Mandated Palestine without violating the rights of the existing Arab population. This eventually led to rioting and pogroms against Jews creating a history of enmity between Jews and Arabs. Following the World War II (1939-1945), in which more than six million Jews were killed by the Nazis, pressure increased for the creation of a Jewish State. The United Nations Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) held that Palestine be partitioned into an Arab State and a Jewish State. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the partition plan (UN Resolution GA 181) and the modern state of Israel (Medinat Yisrael) was created and independence was declared on 14 May 1948 and David Ben Gurion become the first Prime Minister. The Arabs rejected the partitioned plan and refused to recognise Israel and wars broke out in 1948 known as ‘War of Independence and the Jews won decisively expanding their State territories. The conflict continued to deepen without any concrete solutions to the problems. In 1956, the second war broke out with Egypt (Sinai War) and in 1967 another war occurred (Six-day War) followed by ‘War of Attrition in 1968 making the conflict worse. In 1973, the Arabs Countries tried to invade and attack Israel (Yom Kippur War) but failed as Israel retaliated strategically to defend herself. There were many terror raids and Israeli reprisals. In 1982 and 2006 war broke out between Israel and Lebanon making hundreds of victims on both sides. Two â€Å"Intifadas†[3] in broke out in 1983 and 2000 and the violence continued to increased and thus reducing the prospect of peace. In December 2008 Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Gaza Strip (Cast Lead Operation) to stop the firing of short range missiles (rockets) leading to the Israeli Palestinian peace talk to collapse. Each side believes different versions of the same history and views the conflict as wholly the fault of the other (Ami Isseroff June 2009). 2.4 Rethinking the Two-State Solution (Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, 2008) The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Though all conflicts have their own distinctive features, the Israeli Palestinian conflict is singular in various aspects. In the first place, it not a territorial dispute involving two parties but also a situation on which one nation is under occupation by another (Focus Policy 88, 2008). In the work ‘Rethinking the Two-State Solution the problem this conflict creates has implication beyond the specific interest of the disputing parties (Griora Eiland Al, 2008). However, it is believed that this conflict dilemma is at the root of the Middle East unrest link to the Iranian nuclear threat and other global challenges. There appears to be a clear international interest to resolve the conflict ranging from the ‘Oslo Accords[4] to the ‘Annapolis Conference[5] to support the general approach of the two-state solution. Yet, the ‘Oslo Accord created an illusion that the situation was changing and though after its collapse, it maybe possible to reach a political agreement. Many Israelis are concerned that pursuing such an agreement is a lose-lose situation as Palestinians will not meet their end of bargain (Yehuda Ben Meir and Dafna Shaked, 2007) The paradox for the moment between the conflicting parties is that they truly do not desire the conventional two state approach and the Arab World specially Jordan and Egypt are not supportive to it as the success is slim and the political risk is high for both leaders. Today, the conflict has surpassed the classical view and has become a conflict against the rise of extremist in the region (Tzipi Livni, 2008). However, the problems still remains regarding the settlement issues in the land that Palestinians claim for their future state, Jerusalem where both nationalists and religions are intertwined, security arrangements, the refugees status and their rights of returns and the smuggling of weapons by terrorist groups through their armed allies like Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian regime that calls for the destruction of Israel (Natasha Gill, 2008). 2.5 Intercultural or Cross- Cultural Communication, Dialogue and Perception Change Intercultural communication involves the investigation of culture and the difficulties of communicating across cultural boundaries. Intercultural communication occurs whenever a message produced in one culture must be processed in another culture (Samovar Porter, 1982). Since all aspects of communication are both, a response to and a function of our culture, socialisation in a culture determines what communicative behaviours are perceived as appropriate or desirable within a given context (Samovar Porter, 1982). In addition to the use of verbal messages, during face-to-face interaction a great deal of information about personality, beliefs, values, and social status are transmitted and interpreted, often subconsciously, through non-verbal channels (Birdwhistell,1970; Burgeon et al., 1989; Mehrabian, 1969, 1972). The meaning of both verbal and nonverbal messages is drawn upon past experiences, personal knowledge of language and word meaning, and the social context in which a communicative event occurs. In intercultural encounters, observed behaviours may be interpreted by applying cultural frameworks that are inappropriate to the context in which the communication takes place, thus resulting in misinterpretation and misunderstanding, and even in negative stereotyping (Brislin, Cushner, Cherrie Young, 1982).While stereotyping responds to a human tendency towards categorisation and simplification of highly complex realities, negative stereotypes and prejudice are definite obstacles to successful intercultural communication and mutual understanding. In order for these barriers to be lowered, learners need to develop awareness and understanding of their own, as well as of their interactants, cultural universe, including â€Å"beliefs, values, customs, habits or life styles† (Samovar Proter, 1982) At the International Association For Conflict Management Annual Convention held in Spain in 1999, two basic questions were raised which concerned the role of culture and particularly religious culture and the impact of dialogue and contact in improving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict (Dr Mollov Dr Laive,1999). In his seminal realist theory of international relations, Hans J. Morgenthau gave little importance to cultural discourse between nations but instead he laid emphasis on the clash of power and interest. Therefore, there is a need to reach stability by attaining viable balances of power and the exercise of responsible diplomacy (Morgenthau, 1969). Recent researchers have emphasised that the importance of the cultural variables can either help to move forward or backward understandings between nations (Cohen, 1990). Inter-civilisation conflict like the Israeli- Palestinian conflict has put forward that international stability can advance by nations by discovering and developing intercultural understanding and appreciation with each other (Huntington, 1996) and recent research in the field of political psychology showed the importance of culture and psychological perceptions in politics (Pye, 1997). The research carried out by the Interdisciplinary Department of Social Science of Bar Ilan University, Israel, concentrated on evaluating the impact of inter-group and inter-personal communication based on mutual perception change between Israelis and Palestinians. According to the Social Scientist Karl Deutsch, there is a need to investigate the foundations of community building between nations in the form of amalgamated or pluralistic security communities where there is need of interpersonal ties and the intensity of social communication in the creation and upholding of such communities (Deutsch, 1957). The work of peace building is much affected by perception change and the quality of interpersonal interactions. The investigation of the numerous aspects of inter-group communication emphasise the decisive elements and conditions for effective encounters including ‘equal status contacts that should also be intimate rather than casual encounters for building efforts of cooperation, relations and institutional (Amir, 1969). In a series of dialogue held between a group of Palestinian students and Israeli students which lasted for four years, from 1994 to 1999, focused on commonalities between Islam and Judaism and this led to a spin off cooperative efforts and increased cooperation and interactions between the two groups of students from both sides. There were reports of warm atmosphere during face to face meetings and this attributed that achievement to the discovery of commonalities in the others religious culture (Mollov and Barhoum, 1998). Approximately 90 students had participated in this initiative and at the end of it, there was positive development of family visitation and strong friendships that developed during the process and hence in wake of violent events both issued condemnation and condolences. 2.6 The Israeli- Egyptian conflict resolution as a reference Scholar Raymond Cohen has written about how miscommunication can occur when even elite specialists and diplomats must negotiate across cultural boundaries. One of his examples focuses on the Egyptian-Israeli conflict through the 1970s. He questions why, throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Israeli deterrence based on large-scale use of force against Egypt for terrorist attacks emanating out of Egypt against Israel, failed to actually deter attacks. A cultural analysis revealed deep differences between Israeli and Egyptian understandings relating to violence, vengeance, and vendetta. He concluded that Israels use of massive force violated Egyptian understandings about culturally â€Å"appropriate† vengeance and retribution. In particular, Israelis misunderstood Egyptian conventions of appropriate â€Å"proportionality† in these matters. The â€Å"cultural logic† of Israeli deterrence was that the more disproportionate the punishment the greater the compliance. But Egyptians understood matters differently. What they regarded as highly disproportionate vengeance on Israels part had the effect of shaming and humiliating them, leading to a serious loss of honor in a culture where honor is deeply valued. To erase the shame and regain the lost honor, Egypt supported further attacks against Israel. The effect Israelis hoped to achieve, Egyptian compliance in stopping cross-border attacks to avoid mounting reprisals , was not achieved. Israeli action produced the opposite effect, providing Egyptians with strong reasons to ensure their support of incursions into Israel. In this case cultural misunderstandings led to an intensification of the conflict, producing what is sometimes called a â€Å"conflict spiral.† Ultimately, this cost many lives on both sides (Kevin Avruch CROSS-CULTURAL CONFLICT, 2004). The former President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, made an unprecedented gesture by visiting Israel though there were no ties between Israel and Egypt, to reinforce a positive cultural and perception and change to the negative cross cultural differences between the two nations. This led both countries to emerge out of the hatred and miscommunication and together, not only Israelis and Egyptians understood each others but also their Leaders Former Israeli Prime Minister, Shamir and Former Egyptian President Sadat signed peace agreements (Camp David Treaty) under the ageis of the United States in the 1970s. All these were possible because both sides made unprecedented moves to understand their cultural differences for peace in the region, eliminating their barriers of communication like language, religion, hatred, wrong communication channels, stereotyping and perception and also avoiding confrontation. The same happened with Jordan in 1994 leading to full diplomatic relationship with the sec ond Arab/Muslim country after Egypt and later followed by Azerbaijan. 2.7 The Palestinians Unilateral â€Å"Kosovo Strategy† Implications for the PA and Israel Dan Diker (Jan 2010) Article No. 575- Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas new precondition that the international community recognise the 1967 lines in the West Bank as the new Palestinian border bolsters the assessment that the Palestinians have largely abandoned a negotiated settlement and instead are actively pursuing a unilateral approach to statehood. Senior Palestinian officials note that Palestinian unilateralism is modelled after Kosovos February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. European and U.S. support for Kosovos unilateral declaration has led the Palestinian leadership to determine that geopolitical conditions are ripe to seek international endorsement of its unilateral statehood bid, despite the fact that leading international jurists have suggested that the cases of Kosovo and thePalestinian Authorityare historically and legally different. The Palestinians are legally bound to negotiate a bilateral solution with Israel. Unilateral Palestinian threats to declare statehoo d have been rebuffed thus far by the European powers and the United States. The Palestinian â€Å"Kosovo strategy† includes a campaign of delegitimisation of Israel, seeking to isolate Israel as a pariah state, while driving a wedge between Israel and the United States. The unilateral Palestinian bid for sovereignty will also likely turn the Palestinians into the leading petitioner against the State of Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Although the Palestinian Authority is not a state and therefore should have no legal standing before the court, the petition it submitted to the court after theGazawar (Cast lead Operation) was not rejected by the ICC. Finally, a unilateral Palestinian quest for the 1947 lines may well continue even if the 1967 lines are endorsed by the United Nations. The Palestinian Liberation Organisations (PLO) 1988 declaration of independence was based on UN General Assembly Resolution 181, which recognises the 1947 partition plan for Palestine, not the 1967 lines, as the basis for the borders of Israel and an Arabstate. 2.8 Cooperation and Conflict in Negotiation Negotiation refers to a process in which conflicting parties work together to formulate an agreement over the disputes affecting them (Rubin Brown, 1975). The process of negotiation assumes that the disputing parties are willing to communicate and to generate offers, counter-offers, or both. Agreement occurs if and only if the offers made are accepted by both of the parties. Negotiation is comprised of several key components like the disputing parties interests, alternatives, process and the negotiated outcomes that are likely to come in the phases of negotiation during preparation, debating and proposing, bargaining and finalising legal aspects and follow-up (Neale Northcraft, 1991). In his research, Morton Deutsch concluded that most conflicts involve a mix of cooperative and competitive motives. His theory of cooperation and competition serves as a guideline to understand conflict processes and resolutions (Deutsch, 2000). Accordingly, a key element to understand this is to find out the goal interdependence between the conflicting parties. It may also be that the goals are negative leading to a win-lose situation. The disputing parties goals being positively interdependent will yield cooperative relationship for a win-win situation. Deutschs research suggests that constructive processes of conflict resolution are similar to cooperative processes of problem solving and the destructive processes of conflict resolution are similar to competitive processes. A friendly gesture tends to suggest cooperative responses and for competitive responses stir up suspicious and domineering attitudes (Deutsch, 2000). The theory of cooperation and competition implies one to understand conflict, the practice of conflict management, and conflict resolution. A cooperative orientation on the part of the disputing parties will tend to facilitate constructive resolution of the conflict. Deutsch highlights that social support is very important to create and maintain such cooperative orientation (Deutsch, 2000). Constructive resolution is more likely to take place when the conflicting parties would be able to reframe their understanding of their goal and conflict. This will help to adhere to norms, values, respect, honesty and seeking common grounds to find resolutions. Additionally, effective conflict management requires skills and knowledge to establish and maintain effective working relationships leading to problem solving and decision making (Deutsch, 2000) 2.9 Irish Pact Is Mixed Model for Middle-East Article: Newsday (1998, April 1) -Washington Near East Institute Author: Robert Satloff The Israelis and Palestinians have to learn a lot from the Northern Ireland peace accord that solved the conflict in 1998. Both had a common legacy of terrorism with thousands victims. The two conflicts are fundamentally different and the solutions reached are very different, too but the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians does have an important lesson for Northern Ireland: The tough part is implementing an agreement, not reaching it. The conflict has involved the threat of war and neighbouring countries fought five wars during the last 50 years and most Arabs insisted that settlement terms would require the dismantling of the Jewish state and sent most Israelis to their country of origin. The nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict has calmed over the past two decades, with Israels signing of peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and this lead to reconciliation with the Palestinians in the Oslo accords. Since Ireland gained its independence, the idea of war between the Irish and the British has been unthinkable. In contrast, few Middle Easterners doubt that the moderation of most, which have come to terms with Israel, is only a function of the balance of power. If the Arabs were stronger, Israel weaker and America indifferent, the chorus of â€Å"throw the Jews into the sea† would almost surely be as popular in official Arab circles as, sadly, it is today. If one is able to convince the Israelis that Arab intentions have changed irrevocably, peace would be at hand. In the Palestinian-Israeli context, this would translate into an expansion of the current bilateral negotiation into a trilateral process that includes Jordan, which ruled the West Bank before Israel. Indeed, there is general recognition in the region that while there may be a bilateral contractual solution for the West Bank, there will, in the end, be a trilateral arrangement governing many of its political, economic and military aspects. â€Å"An equally important lesson is dont ever try to dictate terms of an agreement† (President Clinton, 1998). As history has shown, American engagement in diplomacy is necessary for its success, but not sufficient. The Israelis and Palestinians dont need a distinguished ex-senator such as George Mitchell to help them achieve their own solution; they already made their own deal, without direct U.S. assistance, at Oslo. Therefore, to further research on how the Israeli Palestinian conflict can be solved through effective communication, there is a need to adopt a new approach that of using effective communication. In this regards, there is a need to provide solutions to the exiting on-going problems that lead to peace agreements and where two people can live side by side in harmony, strategic cooperation and trust without being affected by extremist ideologies that would ruin the peace prospect. University of Technology, Mauritius The Ancient Kingdom of Judah of the Israelite A letter issued to Lord Rothschild by the Zionist Movement of Great Britain The uprising of the Palestinians against Israelis through waves of Violence Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles A conference held in 2007 to produce a substantive document on resolving theIsraeli-Palestinian conflictalong the lines of President George W. BushsRoadmap For Peace

Emersons Self Reliance vs. Douglass Narrative of the Life Essay

After reading both â€Å"Self Reliance,† by Ralph Waldo Emerson and â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,† by Frederick Douglass, one might notice a trend in what both writers regard as the key to happiness or self-fulfillment. Emerson and Douglass both imply that acquiring knowledge is what people should strive for throughout their lives. However, their perceptions on the kind of knowledge should be attained is where their ideas diverge; Emerson is the one that encourages one to develop the soul whereas with Douglass, it is the mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the primary issues that Emerson tried to convey was that one must follow what they believe is true for themselves and not listen to what other people think. He states, â€Å"It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps perfect sweetness the independence of solitude(Emerson 151).† One of the definitions of the word â€Å"world† is â€Å"human society.† The word â€Å"opinion† means â€Å"a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.† By putting these words together, Emerson is implying that the â€Å"world’s opinion† is the general point of view accepted by most of society. Emerson also uses the word, â€Å"solitude† which means, â€Å"the quality or state of being alone or remote from society.† By also using the word â€Å"solitude† in this sentence, he shows a contrast between the majority (society), and the individual. What Emerson suggests is that if one can live in a world full of people who think a certain way because they were taught to believe that way, but still hold your own ground and follow what you believe, you are a great person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Douglass also believes in following what is true for oneself despite what people around him think. This is evident when he says, â€Å"But I should be false to the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence (Douglass 75).† The word â€Å"true† means â€Å"being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed,† and the word â€Å"false† means â€Å"inconsistent with the facts.† Douglass uses both of these words to convey the fact that he would rather believe his own thoughts and suffer the wrat... ... and unhappy (Douglass 78).† Learning how to read was as big a step towards freedom for Douglass as it was back. It made him aware of the circumstances but it also made him realize how difficult it would be for him to ever find himself a free man. However, knowledge overpowers ignorance in the sense that his masters could never take his ability to read away from him and because Douglass now knew his condition, he knew that he deserved a better life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Emerson and Douglass had a huge impact on those who read their work. Their messages were both similar and different in their own ways. Emerson pushed the idea of unification with God through the soul while Douglass stood behind the development of the mind with the ability to read. However, both Emerson and Douglass were for non-conformity and individualism. They were very much concerned with the growth of the individual, whether it be in mind or through the soul. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York: Penguin Group, 1982. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Selections from Ralph Waldo Emerson. USA: Riverside Editions, 1957.