The Work Bicycle Thieves By Vittorio De Sica - 2024 Words

The work Bicycle Thieves is chosen to be discussed in this essay. Bicycle Thieves is an Italian film published in 1948, directed by Vittorio De Sica. It gained both commercial and artistic success, and have won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1948. The film is famous for its neorealism that reflects the post-war Italian society. In the following essay, I’m going to discuss how did De Sica use the cinematography skills to strengthen his expressions in Bicycle Thieves, and the ways he conveys the meaning of the film. De Sica claimed a film is â€Å"reality transposed into the realm of poetry† (Turan 103). So, the principle of his directing is to be genuine and realistic. This shares some similarities with the ideas of Italian neorealism. According to ‘Ten points of neorealism’ published by the Paris Journal in 1952, a neorealist movie should have some of the following features: a message; topical scripts by concrete events; a sense of the masses; realism; the truth of actors (often non-professionals) and lighting; refusal of the studio (Lielm 131-132). Bicycle Thieves comprise with most of the characteristics mentioned above and made good use of them: First, the selection of the actors. De Sica denied David Selznick’s suggestion of Cary Grant for the lead and his financial support. He insists on selecting unprofessional actors to be the protagonists of the film. The factory worker Lamberto Maggiorani played the leading role Antonio Ricci, and anotherShow MoreRelatedItalian Neorealism ( 1945-1953 )1909 Words   |  8 PagesItalian neorealism (1945-1953), through directors like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica, made its trademark on cinematic history not only in Italy, but also throughout the world. It was films such as Rome Open City (Roma città   aperta, 1945), The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette, 1948), and Umberto D., (1952) whose style of depicting the harsh economic and social realities of the poor and working class of Italy took off as a new cinematic style after World War II. Neorealism is a responseRead MoreTheme Of Neorealism In Ladri Di Biciclette1348 Words   |  6 Pagesscreenwriters who help star t the Neorealism movement in his home county’s cinema once said â€Å" The true purpose on cinema is not to tell fables...There must be no gap between life and what is on the screen.† His screenplay, Ladri Di Biciclette (known as Bicycle Thieves to American audiences) is an artful manifestation of the Italian Neorealism. The film through numerous narrative aspects captures realistic snapshot into the fictional life of a working class family in post WWII Italy, and even has viewers questionRead MoreAnalysis Of Nanook Of The North By Robert Faherty2109 Words   |  9 Pagesfilms, especially by those of Vittorio De Sicca. De Sica pulled documentary filming techniques to make his films seem realistic and to almost have a documentary feel to them. Italian neorealism rejected the opulence of Hollywood and instead only wanted to portray real people and their struggles. To do that De Sica borrowed some techniques that made Flaherty’s films so successful and seemingly r eal; like that of the long take, close-ups, and unobtrusive editing. De Sica wasn’t the only one to borrowRead MoreItalian Neo-Realism Cinema Essay1852 Words   |  8 Pagesestablish itself with the end of World War II with the end of German occupation. This caused audiences all around the globe to be â€Å"suddenly introduced to Italian films† (Historical Origins of Italian Neo-realism, n.d.) through works by â€Å"Roberto Rossellini (1906–1977), Vittorio De Sica (1902–1974), and Luchino Visconti (1906–1976)† (Historical Origins of Italian Neo-realism, n.d.). With the oppressive shackles of fascist censorship now gone, Italian directors began to pursue a new style of cinematic realismRead MoreEssay on Pure Cinema1702 Words   |  7 Pages 1. Ladri de Biccilette [Bicycle Thieves] (Vittorio De Sica) Do you agree with Andre Bazin that Ladri de Biccilette is an example of ‘pure cinema’? (Bazin [1971] p.60). To what extent is such a pure cinema possible and, in your opinion, which Italian Neo-realist film screened on the unit comes closest to it? Explain your reasoning. This essay will address the characteristics of ‘pure cinema’ and the extent of its practical nature. It also seeks to analyse the film Ladri de Biccilette whilstRead More Vittorio de Sicas The Bicycle Thief Essay3286 Words   |  14 PagesVittorio de Sicas The Bicycle Thief Since the beginning of its existence as a country, Italy has faced enormous challenges in establishing itself as a unified political and social entity. The geographic, economic, and linguistic differences between its various regions and the artificial manner in which they were amalgamated created a legacy of internal divisions that continues to dominate the countrys political climate to this day. Italys numerous historical fiascoes, such as its disastrousRead MoreA Realist Look993 Words   |  4 Pagesformalistic films. In my opinion, and I think Bazin, would agree that editing a scene would rendered it ineffective. The editing becomes in itself unrealistic and causes its own ambiguous meaning. In Realism, if you look at directors like Vittorio De Sica â€Å"The Bicycle Thieves (1948)†, Federico Fellini â€Å"8  ½ (1963)†, Franà §ois Truffaut â€Å"The 400 Blows (1959), and Jean Renoir (The Lower Depths (1945)† they have a better look on reality. As for me, I own all these films and I love them all. I personal love Jean

Erp vs Legacy System Free Essays

string(120) " of the need for legacy systems to persist in the organization according to varying degrees \(Holland and Light 1999\)\." Ng, Martin M. T. , School of Computing, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2 Singapore 117543, ngmongth@yahoo. We will write a custom essay sample on Erp vs Legacy System or any similar topic only for you Order Now com. sg Tan, Michael T. K. , School of Computing, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2 Singapore 117543, mtan@comp. nus. edu. sg Abstract Being hailed as possessing the ability to â€Å"drive effective business reengineering and management of core and support processes†, it is not surprising that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been adopted by more than 60% of Fortune 500 companies as at the turn of the century.In contrast, negative connotations have been commonly known to be attached to legacy systems and inhouse developed systems. But yet, some of these legacy systems are not replaced when companies adopt ERP solutions while in-house systems still continue to be developed. This research employs symbolic interactionism as the informing theoretical perspective in an ethnography study of a large government authority in Singapore.Our findings surprisingly indicate that the IS professionals supporting the systems tend to attach rather negative symbols to their SAP system, while viewing their legacy system and in-house software development work in a more favorable light. In this paper, we first describe the different symbolism that has been attached over the years to the ERP vis-a-vis legacy system. We then highlight how certain of the early symbols gradually got sedimented over time, while others did not exhibit similar permanence and presence.As a result of such symbolic realities, we demonstrate the consequent differences in attitudes of the staff involved in ERP support vis-a-vis legacy and in-house system supp ort. Keywords: Symbolic interactionism, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), legacy system. 1 INTRODUCTION ERP solutions are commercial software packages (â€Å"integrated suites†) that enable the integration of transaction oriented data and business processes throughout an organization (Davenport 1998).By 2000, more than 60% of Fortune 500 companies have adopted ERP packages and this is a trend that is increasingly embraced by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they realize the cost effectiveness and competitive necessity to follow suit (Klaus, 2000). Boston-based AMR Research estimates that the ERP market will grow from $19. 8 billion to $31. 4 billion in 2006 at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent (Surmacz, 2002).This widespread adoption is largely the result of ERP packages being hailed as possessing the ability to â€Å"drive effective business reengineering and management of core and support processes† (Al Mashari, 2002). In fact, Davenport (1998) describes them as being the â€Å"most important development in the corporate use of in formation technology in the 1990s†. In contrast, legacy systems have been described as having a â€Å"consequentially negative impact on competitiveness† (Brodie and Stonebraker, 1995) while being â€Å"non-maintainable and inflexible† (O’Callaghan, 1999).As more organizations follow the trend of implementing ERP packages, there is increasing interest to study the factors determining the places that existing legacy and in-house developed systems are left to occupy within the organization. This is made all the more relevant in view of the negative connotations often attached to these systems. However, it is a well-known fact that some legacy systems are not replaced when companies adopt the ERP solutions (Themistocleous and Irani, 2001), while in-house systems still continue to be developed.While risks and time involved have been highlighted as possible reasons for the non-replacement of legacy systems, little attention has been paid to the process issues (Markus and Tanis, 2000) as well as the sym bolic meanings attached to the ERP vis-a-vis legacy systems. Many researchers have highlighted the fact that extant literature has focused on the early stages of the ERP lifecycle – the implementation phase (Esteves and Pastor, 2001; Bancroft, 1996).While it is recognized that there are many stakeholders involved throughout the ERP lifecycle, as more organizations go live, they face â€Å"the challenge of maintaining these costly systems† (Ng, 2001). This has resulted in increased recognition for research effort to be placed on the impact of the relationship between IT support staff and their information systems. As such, this study will focus primarily on the perspectives of the IT support staff. In this study, we investigate the relative positions of the ERP ackage vis-a-vis the legacy and inhouse developed systems existing within a large government authority in Singapore by noting the difference in attitudes of IT support personnel towards the systems. In particular, we adopt symbolic interactionism as the informing theoretical perspective. Doing so allows this study to differ from prior research, providing valuable insights through the use of a fresh perspective that has been underutilized in IS research, in spite of its obvious theoretical strengths (Prasad 1993). THE ERP VERSUS LEGACY SYSTEMS DEBATE Over the years, ERP has served as a powerful and comprehensive tool in aiding organizations on managing their businesses. In fact, it can be regarded as one of the most innovative developments in the information technology of the 1990s, exhibiting both pervasiveness and prominence. Despite the large installed base of ERP systems, academic research in this area is relatively new and related publications within the IS academic community are only now emerging.Much of the existing literature consists of articles or case studies in business press or in practitioner focused journals, while new fields of knowledge remain yet to be explored – with â€Å"process† and â€Å"human† issues being especially pertinent. 2. 1 The Issue of Legacy Systems Given the potential benefits of ERP, many firms have been trying to standardize their IT environment by deploying ERP packages to replace legacy systems that had been built on outdated technologies (Ross and Vitale, 2000).Further accentuating this trend is the conventional view that such systems â€Å"resist modification and evolution to meet business requirements† (Brodie and Stonebraker, 1995). On the other hand, it has also been argued that ERP packages have in fact failed to achieve application integration and 38 percent of companies who adopt these ERP solutions do not replace their legacy systems (Themistocleous, Irani and O’Keffe, 2001).Specifically, ERP packages do not seem to be able to â€Å"cover all the business processes of an enterprise† and as such, organizations typically do not â€Å"abandon all their existing applications when adopting ERP solutions† (Schonefeld and Vering, 2000). Indeed, there is an increasing recognition of the need for legacy systems to persist in the organization according to varying degrees (Holland and Light 1999). You read "Erp vs Legacy System" in category "Papers" In spite of this need for co-existence between the systems, ERP packages are however not designed to be incorporated with existing systems (Schonefeld and Vering, 2000). . 2 Symbolism at Work? Against this paradoxical backdrop, it is common knowledge that many ERP implementations are associated with a â€Å"mythmaking† process whereby the incoming ERP package is usually slated to be the â€Å"ideal system† while the outgoing legacy systems are usually attached with the title of a â€Å"dying system† (Alvarez, 2000). In fact, during the implementation process of the ERP packages, legacy systems have sometimes been â€Å"constructed† by the organization to assume such a â€Å"dying system† identity in order to facilitate the transition (Alva rez, 2000).In the same way, it is frequently thought that IT support personnel would view being assigned to provide ERP support as â€Å"ideal† while doing in-house development work and providing legacy system support would be a â€Å"dying† responsibility. Clearly, there is much symbolism at work in the implementation, use and support of ERP systems within organizations. Gaining an appreciation of such symbolism may therefore yield new and interesting insights in this ERP arena. 2. 3 Roadmap of PaperTo further contribute to the ERP-legacy systems debate, the rest of this paper will proceed as follows. We first elaborate on our choice of symbolic interactionism as the theoretical perspective for this study. Next, we outline the research questions and explain our choice of ethnography (appropriately informed by the symbolic interactionism) as the strategy of inquiry for this study. Our case study findings of a large government authority in Singapore are then presented.We conclude with implications for research and practice. 3 SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM Over the years, there has been increasing interest in the role of symbolism within organizations in general (Turner, 1990) and of the symbolic nature of computers and IT in particular (Prasad, 1993). In IS literature, prominent researchers have also similarly recognized the importance of symbolism when organizational and technological contexts intersect (e. g. Hirschheim and Newman, 1991). However, symbolism interactionism as a theoretical perspective has been largely underutilized and there have been few noteworthy organizational studies in IS literature that explicitly use the interactionist perspective (e. g. , Gopal and Prasad, 2000). Together with phenomenology and hermeneutics, symbolic interactionism is one of several interpretive approaches to social science research. Developed largely by Blumer (1969) and Mead 1934), symbolic interactionism is a long standing methodological tradition described as a study of the ways in which people assign meanings to objects and events in the course of everyday social interaction. Having evolved over the years by researchers like Maines (1977) and Stryker (1981), symbolic interactionism is now an influential school of thought in social science research (Prasad, 1993) and is employed in multiple fields of management including organizational behaviour (Vaught and Weihagen, 1991) and organizational change (Prasad, 1993).Such a perspective recognizes peoples’ capacities for adjustive reflectivity with 3 basic assumptions (Blumer 1969): †¢ That human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings that these things have for them †¢ That the meanings of suc h things are derived from, and arise out of, the social interaction that one has with one’s fellows †¢ That these meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he encounters In this research, symbolic interactionism is particularly appropriate as a theoretical perspective to study the ERP versus legacy system issue because it â€Å"simultaneously emphasizes both process issues and the roles of meaning and symbols† (Prasad, 1993). These process issues are important when considering how the symbols and meanings attached by IT support personnel to the various systems come to be â€Å"sedimented† over time. The sedimentation process itself is worth investigating because how these symbols come to be impressed upon the actor is usually as important as, if not more so than, the symbols themselves. 4 RESEARCH STUDY This paper reports on a field study in which the first author was immersed in the organizational context of a large government authority (henceforth referred to as the â€Å"Authority†) in Singapore during a critical decision-making period. 4. 1 Research SiteSince beginning operations in the mid 1900s, the Authority has prided itself in being recognized as a major global hub in the transportation industry. Having more than 10 divisions, the Authority employs around 2000 people. Given the increasing need to integrate their operations, the Authority implemented the SAP R/2 system in the early 1990s to replace some functions of its legacy system. Only the Materials Management (MM) and Finance modules were implemented. Certain core modules like the Human Resource (HR) applications were not incorporated into the package. Instead, this functionality was left to the responsibility of the in-house developed legacy systems. In 1998, the Authority upgraded the R/2 system to the newer R/3 system in view of the impending Year 2000 (Y2K) problem. Even then, the HR functionality was still left unimplemented. In early 2003, the decision to upgrade the R/3 package to a newer version was shelved, in spite of requests to do so to accommodate communication with external government systems. Instead, the Authority has taken upon itself to do in-house development of a scheduling system whose functionalities can actually be provided by the SAP system with some customizations made. It is said that management will review the decision to upgrade the SAP system sometime in the first half of 2004. 4. 2 Research Questions The following research questions were developed after two weeks of reliminary observations at the Authority with the intention of addressing the aforementioned gaps in the existing literature: 1) What symbols did the IT support staff attach to the ERP package vis-a-vis the legacy and inhouse developed sys tems? 2) How did the manifestation of the symbols impact the organization as a whole? 4. 3 Symbolic Interactionist Ethnography As mentioned earlier, this study uses symbolic interactionism as the theoretical perspective to guide the research. However, as a theoretical perspective, symbolic interactionism does not offer any guidance as to the actual conduct of the research methods, and this is where we select ethnography as the strategy of inquiry for the study.Ethnographic research comes from the disciplines of cultural and social anthropology. It requires the immersion of the ethnographer into the life-worlds of the people being studied. Observation, participant-observation, and interviews are the three sources of data that an ethnographer will rely on to achieve intimate familiarity within the settings (Prus, 1996). In this study, there is a need for the researcher to be immersed in the naturalistic setting of the research site for a significant amount of time so that he/she can observe the phenomenon in its social/cultural context. Ethnography is therefore an appropr iate approach for such research (Lewis, 1976). With symbolic interactionism as the informing theoretical perspective for this study, it is imperative that the chosen strategy of inquiry respects the intersubjective nature of human group life and maintains a coherence with the researcher’s hermeneutic viewpoint (Prus, 1996). An ethnographic approach satisfies this by allowing the researcher the opportunity to be immersed in the life-world of the actors being studied and hence be appreciative of the interpersonal exchanges on a firsthand basis. This allows for the researcher to be more attentive to the ongoing social interactions of the actors. 4. 4 Research Methods For almost three months earlier this year, the first author was immersed in day-to-day activities at the Authority (he also had a similar immersion the previous year albeit not in a formal research capacity).During this period, he worked in the Information Systems (IS) department, whose function is to oversee project implementation of back-end systems (including the ERP package) and to ensure the smooth daily operations of these systems. Such an attachment provided many opportunities for interactions with IT support staff maintaining the various systems. Data collection consisted of observation, participant-observation and interviews (Prus, 1996). Pre-arranged semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 personnel consisting of employees from the IS department as well as end-users from the Finance and Internal Audit departments (in particular, focusing on employees who had been present since the pre-R/3 days).The focus was set on trying to understand the interviewee’s experiences with the information systems as well as to identify any symbolisms that they attach to the system. Information was also gathered from informal chats and minutes taken from meetings, memos, correspondence letters as well as other official documents pertaining to the SAP package’s usage and maintenance. This vital source of data, drawn out from the Authority’s archives, was instrumental in providing a valuable insight which allowed for a review of the events that took place during the early years of the SAP package’s usage. The next four months were spent off-site but there were continuing regular interactions with various members of the Authority to clarify various research findings prior to writing this final ethnographic account.Data analysis was performed employing Emerson, Fretz and Shaw’s (1995) recommendations of the initial open coding by going through the fieldnotes in an attempt to identify and formulate ideas and themes. This was followed by focused coding where the core theme was built up and elaborated. 5 5. 1 RESEARCH FINDINGS Multiple Symbols: ERP package vis-a-vis Legacy and In-house developed systems To begin, it is important to note that the IT support staff tends to attach multiple symbols to the ERP package as well as the legacy and in-house developed systems, as tabulated in Table 1. SYMBOLS Misalignment Distrust Uncontrollability Potential Extravagance Hindrance Efficiency Pride Commitment ExclusivityERP PACKAGE PRE-R/3 POST-R/3 Not in line with corporate vision (but in line with work process objectives); Not cost-saving, profit-generating or customer-facing Doubt and disbelief that the ERP package can take on the responsibility of the legacy and in-house systems Inability to customize the ERP â€Å"†¦tied in to the supplier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Indicates package to fit current user that they are â€Å"at the [supplier’s] requirements, â€Å"like a monster† mercy† Gate way to a better career; Untapped capabilities, â€Å"like an ocean Stepping stone for future [full of possibilities]† organizational/IT improvements Excessiveness and waste of resources Viewed as a major obstacle in the IS professional’s career path Integration; Speeding up of work Similar to the pre-R/3 period, albeit processes; Better use of resources; exerting less prominence, possessing Data collection on site more of a residual impression Recognition as an expert of a highly sought-after system (esp during ERP’s boom years) Obligation to stay on with package, high switching costs, â€Å"marriage without a divorce† – LEGACY IN-HOUSE SYSTEMS – – Capable; Necessary for effective operations Masterpiece; Ownership Sense of responsibility and dedication to its own system Functionalities that cannot be performed by the ERP package, â€Å"the one and only† Table 1. Table of prominent symbols The symbols to describe the ERP packag e can be classified based on two time frames: the pre- and post-R/3 years.The symbols identified during the pre-R/3 years represent those attached to the package during a period of change and transition. In contrast, there was a clear transition to the postR/3 years which represented a time when the system was already well-established within the Authority and there were few major changes made to it. As noted by a senior Information Systems manager: â€Å"Before the system was upgraded to the present R/3 [system], there were so many problems. Users tried to tweak the system and so many changes were made. And even then, it didn’t really come out right. In the end, most of them just entirely left out that function†¦. It took many years after the [initial] implementation before the project could be said to be completed.In contrast, the upgrade to the R/3 system was very fast†¦about 9 months† The symbols from the pre-R/3 days are determined mainly from comments from members of the implementation team as well as from documents obtained from the Authority’s registry. In accordance with the four-phase model proposed by Markus and Tanis (2000), these symbols reflect the sentiments towards the systems mainly during the Shakedown phase of the ERP package, as well as the occasional comments taken during the Project Chartering and Project phases. These symbols were attached to the systems when the ERP package was still in a period of constant change and upgrades. Not surprisingly, the expressed sentiments veered on both positive and negative extremes.Some of the more prominent symbols during this period and as described in greater detail in Table 1: Efficiency, Potential, Uncontrollability and Distrust. The symbols from the post-R/3 years are a reflection of the support staffs’ impressions of the system during the Onward and Upward phase. Some of the symbols exhibit strong levels of permanence, crossing over from the pre-R/3 period to the post-R/3 period. Yet others simply fail to â€Å"sediment† and disappear with the upgrade. These symbols are plainly visible from the speech and behaviour of the support staff – clearly, their sentiments have turned more negative in spite of the system being more â€Å"established†. Prominent symbols: Extravagance, Hindrance and Misalignment.The symbols attached to the legacy and in-house developed systems are representative of the impressions support staff currently have of the systems in comparison to the SAP package. Clearly, they seem to take quite a bit of pride in their own â€Å"handiwork†, in contrast to the failings of the commercially-developed SAP package. Prominent symbols: Pride, Exclusivity and Commitment. 5. 2 Temporal meanings of Symbolic Representations Having identified the multiple symbols attached to the systems, it is imperative to note that different symbols signify different meanings to different people. Symbolic interactionists recognize the need to identify and differentiate these meanings. Mumford Weir (1979) and Pava (1983) have demonstrated this when writing about how the turmoil and chaos people attach to computerization have different meanings. They also give recognition to the importance of identifying the different local meanings of the symbols identified. In this study, we find that beyond such local meanings, different symbols also signify different meanings at different times. Between the pre-R/3 years and the post-R/3 years, the differences in the meaning of the various symbols also serve as a demonstration of the difference in impression of the ERP package during a time of change versus a time when the system is considered generally established.By noting the symbols in the two time frames (tabulated accordingly in Table 1), it can be seen that while some symbols persisted (with/without changes to the meanings), others failed to do so. Such changes, coupled with the fact that there are more negative symbols attached to the ERP package, clearly indicate an im provement of the â€Å"status† of the legacy and in-house systems relative to the ERP package. 5. 3 Sedimentation of Symbols The study of the sedimentation process of the symbols is as important, if not more so, as the identification of the symbols themselves and their temporal meanings. This focus is supported by theorists like Fine (1992) who argue that attention should be directed to the forces resulting in the attachment of the symbols to the various subjects.At any one time, there are multiple symbols attached to the systems (as demonstrated in the earlier section) but only those that exhibit a degree of persistence and presence will develop into organizational realities. Certain symbols exhibit a strong presence within a given time frame, but fail to persist as the system undergoes a transition. In the case of the Authority, there were four main processes and forces that proved to be instrumental in determining the persistence and presence of the various symbols. They are management influence, innovation fit, external forces and interaction with users. 5. 3. 1 Result of management influence Top management influence has long been an influencing factor on the implementation phases and the usage phases of any organizational system (Nah, Lau and Kuang, 2001).In the case of the Authority, it was apparent among the support staff of the Authority that the sedimentation of negative symbols like hindrance were largely dependent on management’s impression of the system and the subsequent (lack of) recognition for efforts of the support staff. A system analyst commented, â€Å"[The SAP system] is not a good thing to go into because management does not recognize the work that you do. † This impression was the result of attributing the obstacle in one’s career path to that of supporting the ERP package which did not win the favor of management. In contrast, during the boom years of the ERP package, management viewed the system favorably, resulting in the symbolic representation of potential being sedimented as a popular opini on among the support staff. By this, they attached the meaning of a gateway to a better career to the system. One of the visions of the Authority is to provide outstanding service to its customers. Being a backend system, management did not consider the ERP package to be aligned with the corporate vision in contrast with other customer-facing applications which were viewed in a relatively better light. This resulted in the sedimentation of negative symbols like misalignment. This was highlighted when one of the staff highlighted, â€Å"But [the ERP package] is not a customer-facing system and doesn’t help to make the customer’s experience here more pleasant. True, it is important for our work, but it’s not getting recognized [by management] like the rest of the front-end systems. † 5. 3. 2 Result of innovation fitInnovation fit is one of the main factors influencing the implementation of new technologies for improved operational efficiencies (Meyers et al. , 1999). This is also highlighted as one of the factors impacting the sedimentation of the symbolic representations, clearly demonstrated when considering the symbol extravagance. A support staff commented, â€Å"Actually the SAP system is better for manufacturing industries where they actually make use of all the modules throughout the production process. Over here, we only make use of the MM and Finance modules. As for the other modules, [we] never make use†¦very wasted. † 5. 3. 3 Result of external influence A significant number of symbols are the result of external factors like interactions with end-users as well as newspapers and magazines.Though not direct users of the ERP package, the IS professionals themselves were very much influenced by the comments of the end-users, so much so that most of them often consider the position of the end-users and take it as their own. For example, when trying to bring across the idea of efficiency, one senior system analyst stated, â€Å"[The ERP package] is a very efficient piece of software, that’s what all my end-users say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The symbolic reality, commitment, was attached to the ERP package largely due to the external influence of the SAP vendor. The commitment that support staff attached to the ERP package took on the meaning of an obligation and reflected the high switching costs involved.From interviews with several IS professionals, it was found that a common term used to describe the Auth ority’s relationship with the ERP package was that of a â€Å"marriage which cannot be divorced†. This is in direct contrast to the meaning attached to the legacy system, where commitment was often a result of dedication and responsibility to the IS professional’s own creation. 5. 3. 4 Result of interaction with system The sedimentation of most of the symbols can also be largely attributed to the support staffs’ interaction with the systems. Through such daily interactions, opinions were formed and symbols became attached to the respective systems.A senior Information Systems manager present during the early stages of the ERP package provided an analogy which summarized her experience with the ERP package and clearly demonstrated the reason for her attachment of the symbol uncontrollability to the pre-R/3 package: â€Å"It’s like building a house which rest on the ground (original plan) but [the] owner wanted to modify [the] building by putting on stilts/legs. After much argument with the architect who strongly discouraged him to make the modifications, he got his stilts/legs to the house anyway. But through the months/years, the stubborn owner started to see more and more problems creeping into his modified house, and one day he’d to leave it before it collapsed. † 5. 4 Symbolic ManifestationAs noted by Prasad (1993), the â€Å"process of enactment, whereby symbolic realities mediate meaningful action, is a central concern of any research project† for symbolic interactionists. As such, this section will focus on the pre- and post-R/3 manifestation of the symbolic representations attached to the systems, which contribute to the â€Å"cause† of the events observed in the Authority. During the R/2 to R/3 upgrade phase in 1998, the Authority had the opportunity to incorporate the HR system as part of the ERP package but they chose not to do so. From an interview with an original member of the support team in charge of the upgrade, a reason cited was that they had â€Å"learnt their lesson of trying to customize the system†. This was clearly a case of the manifestation of uncontrollability.During the early implementation and usage of R/2, the Authority had actually attempted to customize the ERP package to fit their wor k processes but realized that the effort to do so resulted in problems which instead caused them to abandon several functionalities. Furthermore, the support staff exhibited a resistance to change because of a strong sense of pride, in this case, a sense of ownership over the particular HR legacy system as well as a belief in the exclusivity of the legacy system’s functionality. As such, the decision to incorporate the HR functionality did not receive much support from the support staff during the SAP package’s upgrade to the R/3 version.During the post-R/3 years, it was decided that an in-house development of a system, whose functionalities could actually have been provided by the ERP modules with customizations done, was to proceed in favor of the upgrade of the ERP package to a later version (which was actually required to facilitate communication with external government systems). On reflection, this decision may not be so surprising after all. The symbolic representation of extravagance tended to be associated with the ERP package. This was clearly the sentiment of a number of staff who comment ed that the upgrade was â€Å"too expensive†¦ no budget. † Furthermore, management felt that the need to upgrade the system could not be justified in terms of the returns they could expect. Another reason for the decision to shelve the upgrade was indicated by a member of the ERP support team.She indicated that one of the reasons acting against the decision to upgrade was because of the â€Å"fear of changing systems and usage of systems†. This is very much the symbol uncontrollability, once again manifesting itself among the support staff. A further demonstration of the manifestation of the symbolic realities within the Authority was apparent in the attitudes of the IS professionals. There was a clear motivation among members of the legacy support team who took pride in carrying out their maintenance job. To them, the system symbolized a commitment which they were prepared to stay back long hours to ensure the proper functioning of the system. In contrast, the support staff in charge of the ERP package failed to display a similar level of commitment. There was a general perception that the ERP package was a hindrance to the career path of the support team and, as a colleague described, that they were â€Å"stuck there†. Though the ERP package was also a commitment, the support staff saw this more as a problem with the lack of vendor support and a high switching cost. It was observed that the level of urgency to solve problems facing the ERP package was somewhat dependent on the ability to obtain vendor support, and it was apparent that these problems did not rank top among the priorities of the support staff. A consequence of this was the delay in conducting a feasibility study of the upgrade of the ERP package. Taking into consideration the negative ymbolisms that the IT support staff attached to their ERP package, further accentuated by the contrasting positive symbolisms attached to their other legacy and in-house developed systems, it is clear that the nature of the symbols attached to the information systems played im portant roles in determining the decisions in the abovementioned events. 6 DISCUSSION In this study, the combination of leveraging the theoretical strengths of symbolic interactionism (as a cognitive lens) and the empirical strengths of ethnography (as the strategy of inquiry) has allowed for a unique comparison of the relative positions of the ERP package vis-a-vis legacy and in-house developed systems within a particular organization. As Prasad (1993) recognized in his employment of symbolic interactionism, theoretical insights offered are more like â€Å"guiding propositions† than â€Å"testable hypotheses†. As such, the findings emerging from this study may not be â€Å"universally applicable statements†, but offer several empirically supported perspectives that aid in the understanding of the co-existence of the ERP package and legacy and in-house developed systems. These findings will be discussed in the context of implications for practitioners as well as researchers 6. 1 Implications for Practice This study suggests that the relative positions of co-existing systems are the result of the sedimentation forces that give rise to the manifestation of the symbolic realities within the organization. Management influence and technological fit have been highlighted as important implementation success factors (Meyers et al. , 1999).This study demonstrates that beyond the implementation phase, these factors are also important factors that management should consider as organizations enter the maintenance and usage phase of the ERP life cycle (Esteves and Pastor, 2001). While See (2001) has proposed a framework for ERP maintenance and upgrade decisions to consist of fundamental factors such as: ERP maintenance, availability of new versions and benefit-realization, this study suggests that symbolisms attached to the systems may constitute another important component of her framework. As demonstrated in this study, the symbols attached to the systems influenced the decision of upgrading and replacing the co-existing systems.Feldman (1989) notes that all too often, managers are liable of focusing on only the technical aspects when considering technological change processes. In doing so, they however, fail to recognize the symbolic aspects attached to the technologies. As such, this study highlights the importance of taking into consideration the social processes surrounding an organization’s information systems. In contrast to the popular belief that IS professionals would exhibit positive attitudes when supporting such high-profile and well-recognized systems like ERP packages, the support staff in charge of ERP support in our study instead reacted negatively to the SAP package.In comparison, the IS professionals supporting the legacy and in-house developed systems displayed positive attitudes, apparent from the high levels of motivation. This proves to be an important issue for organizations to note as the motivation levels of the support staff are usually important determinants of the organization’s productivity. 6. 2 Implications for Research This study suggests that symbolic interactionism, as a theoretical perspective, can be harnessed to achieve a deeper understanding of the various phases of the ERP package’s lifecycle, and at the same time contribute to the rising interest in the use of symbolism in organizational and technological research.This study also points the way to the employment of complementary theoretical perspectives, particularly those with a focus on community life as suggested by Prus (1996) to shed new light on this phenomenon. For example, interested researchers may wish to further employ the Actor Network, Critical Social and Structuration theories as intriguing lenses to study the complexities of the social processes surrounding the acceptance and resistance to the ERP package. 7 CONCLUSION The central message of the study is that the symbolic representations attached to the systems may have strong implications on the perpetuation and maintenance of the syste m. This is in line with the discussion of Feldman and March (1981) who suggest that â€Å"information technologies are used and introduced primarily for their symbolic value†.This is an especially important factor to consider when studying the legacy and in-house developed systems whose functionalities can be replaced by the incoming ERP package. Though IS literature has recognized the negative connotations usually attached to the outgoing systems, this study finds this to be not always accurate. As demonstrated in this study, the varying degrees of persistence of the legacy systems may not always be a result of time and risks, but could be due to the organizational impact of the symbolic representations attached to the systems. Another important point highlighted by this study is the differing attitudes of the IS professionals towards the support of the co-existing systems, as demonstrated by the symbolic realities they attach to the systems. How to cite Erp vs Legacy System, Papers

Dear Dad free essay sample

Dear Dad, One of my most distinct memories of my childhood is one of me accompanying you to the hospital for your daily rounds. I recall the love and esteem you received from your patients and coworkers. I also recall the comments I received from them; â€Å"Oh how adorable, you look just like your father!† and â€Å"Do you want to be a doctor like your daddy?† My answer was always the same: â€Å"I want to be just like my dad!† Years have passed and it may seem that my dream of being just like you has withered, but I’m writing this letter to tell you that it hasn’t. When I was little you were my hero; I would run to hug you every day when you got home from work, and I would call you specifically to show every accomplishment of mine however small. Over time this faded, and I grew apart from you. We will write a custom essay sample on Dear Dad or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Your foray into drinking bothered me since as Muslims we are forbidden from consuming alcohol. Your hours spent at work increased and we grew extremely distant from each other. You changed and I began to dislike more and more about you, which led to all the arguments. I was convinced that you and I could never live in the same house peacefully. Eventually, I resolved that I truly hated you and refused to speak to you for various periods of time. I believed I didn’t really have a father figure in my life, that I didn’t need one. Even when you stopped drinking, began to take our faith seriously and made attempts to be more of a father to me, I still resented you. Then last year, I began to focus more on studies and you started to regularly work entire weeks at the hospital. I grew used to being alone much of the time, having late dinners alone with mom, not seeing you for days at a time and not knowing when you would be home. However, when you were home I noticed that th e problems we had before weren’t present, but I was still holding you against who you were without giving you a chance to show whom you had become. I started to open up to you little by little. We talked and discussed my plans for the future, and I began to value your guidance once again. I realized that all our similarities, however trivial, are the results of my inner strive to be like you. So many things about us, like the way we look and dress, carry conversation, and work endlessly to achieve our goals, are identical. I wear button down shirts tucked into jeans, a leather strapped watch, and a pair of suede oxfords; typical physician attire. I work meticulously on schoolwork until everything is perfect, and I’m bent on keeping all my belongings organized; much like how mom describes your college self. When I got my license I even claimed your sports car as mine. All these things convince me that I am slowly becoming more and more like you. I now accept that you a re my father and that your influence on me is and always will be profound. Through all of the times I conflicted with you and all the times we gave each other trouble I never gave up my dream of being a doctor. You may have been at fault for some things, but I was always the first to argue and therefore equally guilty. I truly am sorry for being so impatient with you. Those times taught me that I have to give everyone a chance, and now I have more patience with everyone around me. You’ve given me strength because I know I have the influence and guidance of someone great. Sometimes I tell others that mom’s ophthalmologist background is what influenced me, but deep down I know that our trips to the hospital when I was little are really what make me want to be a physician. You still are my hero dad, and I will be proud to one day be referred to as you are; Dr. M. Love, S

Prosocial Skills

The Role of Nature and Nature in Development Prosocial skills among growing children are vital. These are skills that involve sharing and cooperation and they normally develop through three stages. First, children must decide whether to help if they can or not, at any given time and this phase is referred to as the recognition step.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Prosocial Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Secondly, it is upon the siblings to decide whether they are ready to help or not. Thirdly, the children then act by selecting and performing a behaviour that they deem appropriate at a given situation. Essentially, this could be by way of helping or not doing so and this is according to Olson and Spelke (2007). To them, cooperation among humans is one of the central themes which concerns social and biological sciences. In explaining the development of cooperation, scientists use economic game and e volutionary models, as well as studying the cultures of different people. Cooperation essentially entails acting in close relations, rewarding others whose actions have benefitted others, and rewarding people who show generosity. These three qualities are shown by adults. On the other hand, children do not exhibit all these qualities. Children start exhibiting pre-social behaviours while in their second year of life. Such behaviours include sharing toys with others and cooperating with them in performing certain activities. For instance, it is said that children are more likely to share with their parents compared to adults. Additionally, there is a high tendency of attentiveness among children when it comes to friendship relations. Children do learn the act of giving from their parents and friends. This is done through observation thus learning reciprocity as well as close relations (Fehr Fischbacher, 2004). An experiment can be undertaken to investigate how children judge sharing with family members, strangers and friends. The child is given seven dolls which are described as sisters, friends and strangers. The child is then given resources to share with these seven dolls. These resources include stickers, candy bars, miniature plastic bananas, bottles, paint sets, hard candies, rubber ducks, plastic oranges and seashells.Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From this experiment, it can be determined how children share out resources among friends, strangers and family members. The way the child will share these resources will show if they are in any way likely to favour their friends or close family members when it comes to sharing. In children, for them to develop and learn, there are various factors which influence the whole process. However, it is said that children are some of the active learners. As such, they have the capacity to draw on direct physic al, as well as social experiences and knowledge transmitted through culture. This helps them in constructing a clear understanding of the world they live in. Additionally, through the interaction of biological maturation, as well as their immediate environment, children are able to learn and develop. An important aspect in the development of children is play. Through play, children develop emotional, social and cognitive skills. Nevertheless, development and learning among children occurs only under certain circumstances. This occurs when children are safe and feel valued, have their physical needs met, and have a feeling of psychological security. Consequently, Olson and Spelke (2007) argue that co-operation is vital among humans. More so, this co-operation can only be sustained through our daily experiences, as well as moral teachings. Their research shows that the three principles that form the basis of human cooperation exist and function well in young children. Moreover, it is these principles that act as a guideline in the judgement of children on how people share and distribute resources among individuals. However, children have developed their own new pattern of giving in their early stages of development. These patterns are mature and complex networks that depict cooperation among children.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Prosocial Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The only limitation of these studies is that they do not show how such children would behave in case they were protagonists. In such a case, these children would probably behave in a way contrary to what we have seen from the experiments. References Fehr, E. Fischbacher, U. (2004). Social norms and human cooperation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8, 185-190. Olson, K. R. and Spelke, E. S. (2007). Foundations of cooperation in young children. Cognition, 108, 222-231. This term paper on Prosocial Skills was written and submitted by user Jerry Moore to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Do You Have a One-Size-Fits-All Resume 5 Tips to Avoid this Fatal Error!

Do You Have a One-Size-Fits-All Resume 5 Tips to Avoid this Fatal Error! At a July 4th event, I was talking shop with another successful author, AnnaMaria Bliven. Her book, Work at Home with a Real Online Job, is about being successfully employed and working from home. Of course part of that success entails successful job applications. So she was excited to promote How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile to her clients. Then our conversation turned to a related topic: â€Å"I wrote another book that might be of interest – How to Write a WINNING Resume,† I stated helpfully. â€Å"Oh, I’m not interested in a book about resumes,† she said. â€Å"Every resume needs to be unique.† I was surprised by AnnaMaria’s response. The idea that any resume book would advocate a cookie cutter resume was beyond my comprehension. But hearing this perspective, from someone who built her career helping people get jobs, made me think it’s important to clarify my philosophy: NEVER write a â€Å"one size fits all† resume!! Here are some tips on how to ensure your resume is targeted to the position you’re seeking and paints you as a unique candidate: 1. Tailor each resume to the job description. If you’re applying for two different types of jobs, you will probably need two different resumes that highlight different aspects of your experience and qualifications. Let’s say, for example, you are a registered nurse with management experience and you are currently pursuing an MBA. If you are applying for a â€Å"worker bee† nurse position, you will focus on the details of the types of procedures you know how to do with patients, and the different types of medical conditions you are familiar with. You might not include information about your MBA at all, and you would want to play down the fact that you created a wound care program at your hospital from scratch. In contrast, if you want to be a manager, you will highlight your managerial, organization and training skills, and downplay your ability to put in an IV. This strategy applies to every single profession and resume. We used it when we had a CFO who wanted to be an Executive Assistant, and she got the job. Currently, we have a client with an executive business background who is applying to be a house mother at a sorority. We are putting her sorority experience up front and center. If she had been applying for a VP of Marketing position, sorority experience would be relegated to the final lines of her resume. If you have just one version of your resume, it might work well for some positions, but you might also be futilely throwing spaghetti at a wall. It’s worth the time and energy to emphasize the things that will matter for each job application you send. 2. Use keywords from job descriptions. Part of tailoring your resume to job descriptions is using actual keywords and language from those job description. You might feel like you’re â€Å"cheating† but trust me, it works. Here’s a sample bullet from a job description for a Marketing and Sales Manager: Meets marketing and sales financial objectives by forecasting requirements; preparing an annual budget; scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; initiating corrective actions. It’s easy to see how someone with the skills listed could put them in a resume bullet, ideally by tying them to a quantifiable achievement such as the dollar amounts of those marketing and sales financial objectives. But a resume with these keywords can only be truly valuable when the keywords are in the job description. Yes, this means you will be tailoring each resume to the job description. I wasn’t kidding. Yes, there is work involved in applying for jobs. It’s worth it. 3. Use concrete facts to describe yourself in the top section of your resume. As I discussed in my â€Å"New York, New York principle† blog, it’s important to write a summary of yourself at the top of your resume that could not have been written by anyone else. This section is your opportunity to brand yourself and state your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). I’m not sure when it became customary to use vague, general, or even flowery language in a resume summary, but I’m telling you now, it is not helpful! Instead, list some big name companies or clients you worked for, a specialized skill you have, and a big result or two. The person next to you can be â€Å"results-oriented† and capable of â€Å"cross-functional leadership.† But how many of them worked for Coca-Cola and launched one of its most successful product lines? If you leave the most impressive pieces of your background for the Experience section, you are leaving money on the table. 4. Use professional formatting techniques. If your resume looks like the one your college career office helped you write, it’s time for a refresh. Look into the many formatting tricks that will bring your resume into the modern age. Possibilities include nicely designed headers (for sections like Profile, Experience and Education); bolded sub-headers; text boxes, charts and graphs; and varied font styles (within reason). Be careful to keep your format within the standards for your industry. For instance, financial and legal resumes are more conservative format-wise than biopharmaceutical executive resumes or sales resumes in general. Create something that you feel represents you and that is in line with your industry standards. Important: if you are sending resumes through computerized Applicant Tracking Systems, they might not recognize text in a text box or table. Format a separate document that you’re confident will pass through the ATS. 5. Vary your language. If you start every bullet with â€Å"Increased† or â€Å"Managed,† you will have a hard time keeping your readers’ attention. Instead, use a variety of verbs like â€Å"Boosted,† â€Å"Pushed,† â€Å"Grew,† â€Å"Raised,† â€Å"Expanded,† â€Å"Directed,† â€Å"Trained,† â€Å"Supervised,† and more. Sprinkle these verbs throughout your resume and your reader might not even realize what is keeping them reading past the first six seconds! Seeking more resume resources? Check out How to Write a WINNING Resume, by Brenda Bernstein, or Resumes for Dummies, by Brenda’s mentor, Laura DeCarlo. Do you have other ideas of how to make your resume unique? Share them below!

Albert Hofmann and the Invention of LSD

Albert Hofmann and the Invention of LSD LSD was first synthesized on November 16, 1938, by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in Sandoz Laboratories in Basle, Switzerland. However, it was a few years before Albert Hofmann realized what he had invented. LSD, known as LSD-25 or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, is a psychoactive hallucinogenic drug. LSD-25 LSD-25 was the twenty-fifth compound developed during Albert Hofmanns study of amides of Lysergic acid, hence the name. LSD is considered a semi-synthetic chemical. The natural component of LSD-25 is lysergic acid, a type of ergot alkaloid that is naturally made by the ergot fungus, though a synthesizing process is necessary to create the drug. LSD was being developed by Sandoz Laboratories as a possible circulatory and respiratory stimulant. Other ergot alkaloids had been studied for medicinal purposes. For example, one ergot was used to induce childbirth. Discovery as a Hallucinogen It was not until 1943 that Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD. LSD has a chemical structure that is very similar to the neurotransmitter called serotonin. However, it is still not clear what produces all the effects of LSD. According to a Road Junky writer, Albert Hoffman deliberately dosed himself [after a milder accidental dose] with just 25 mg, an amount he didnt imagine would produce any effect. Hoffman got on his bicycle and rode home [from the Lab] and arrived in a state of panic. He felt he was losing his grip on sanity and could only think to ask for milk from the neighbors to counter the poisoning. Albert Hoffman's Trip Albert Hoffman wrote this about his LSD experience, Everything in the room spun around, and the familiar objects and pieces of furniture assumed grotesque, threatening forms. The lady next door, whom I scarcely recognized, brought me milk†¦ She was no longer Mrs. R., but rather a malevolent, insidious witch with a colored mask.† Sandoz Laboratories, the only company to manufacture and sell LSD, first marketed the drug in 1947 under the trade name Delysid. Legal Status It is legal to buy Lysergic acid in the U.S. However, it is illegal to process Lysergic acid into lysergic acid diethylamide, the psychoactive drug LSD.

Well-Being And Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Well-Being And Education - Essay Example It is an ambiguous term used widely and frequently in public discourse. Well being can be viewed as a positive mental condition, originally embraced by some scholars as a way of focusing on satisfaction with life and health, as opposed on the focus on mental illnesses and its cures. In a dynamic way of viewing it, â€Å"Well being|† is a state in which a person is able to develop his or her creativity, productivity, potential, and work. It helps one-build positive and strong relationships with others as well as contributes largely to their communities. It is through education that an individual’s well being can enhance a sense of purpose in the society (Kennedy, 2006 45-6). Promoting well being is a legitimate aim of education. Many professionals in the education sector firmly perceive that their work makes individuals have a high self-esteem and have a positive view of their lives. Research shows that most of the adult learners gain evidently in optimism and confidence because of successful learning. Such experiences have also been realized by most practitioners in workplaces, communities, and in colleges. There are numerous justifications for considering the promotion of well being legitimate in education. Apart from being desirable in itself, it has a positive view on the future and a feeling of one’s ability to control his life are crucial to further, on-going successful learning. ... Most importantly, well being creates a focus on the emotional and social features of effective learning including managing feelings, empathy, self-awareness, social skills, and motivation. Educationists typically gauge the well-being of students in terms of test scores, academic achievement, university entrance trends, attendance records, engagement, or success in up to date accountability culture, and international league. The paper presents that promotion of well being is a legitimate aim of education in an exploration of wellness in schools to achieve an overall consideration of this issue. Well being is the foundation or basis on which academic excellence is build and the exemplary behavior is prized. It is quite logical to argue that well being and achievement of learners go hand in hand (Noddings, 1995, 41-2). Indeed, people who have received quality education say that they have the satisfaction in life and that they carry out worthwhile activities. However, it is not always tr ue that education necessarily brings about happiness. The well-being of a learner is as well affected by the way he or she feels, including the health factor. Well being as a legitimate aim of education It is a justifiable aim of education; after all, education is goal-oriented. Moreover, when it comes to parents educating their children, it is believed that well being is a goal worth of pursuit their goals. As a relatively educational, goal, well being is assumed to prepare learners to develop into independent critical thinkers as ethically responsible citizens. It is a global requirement or legal expectation of the whole world that all children get access to universal education for a common good. Education

Why did Britain and France get out of Africa between 1957-1965 Essay

Why did Britain and France get out of Africa between 1957-1965 - Essay Example 56). They, therefore, had to redirect most of their finances in rebuilding their cities; hence, they could not afford to sustain the manpower they had deployed to run the colonies. From an economical point of view, the colonies did not generate enough income to sustain themselves; therefore, it was uneconomical for the two countries to retain them. Secondly the rise of nationalism and nationalists helped to speed up the evacuation process. Countries like Ghana, found in West Africa had extremely powerful nationalists who fought for the liberation of their country, for example, Kwame Nkurumah. Among his achievements, he helped to unite African countries through the establishment of Pan-African Union. Nationalists from different countries were able to meet during these forums, whereby they discussed their grievances and formulated plans to forcefully evict their oppressors. The liberated countries also provided military support to other African countries which opted to evict their colonial masters. However, these countries only resorted to the use of violence because peaceful negotiations had failed (Mungazi 1996, p. 113). Thirdly, international pressure from other countries, which did not have colonial possessions also helped to speed up the evacuation process. the formation of United Nations after the second World War united most countries and brought about the rise of the veto states. These states had the final say in most things affecting the United Nations. Among these countries was the USA, which used, to be Britain’s colonial possession before gaining independence in 1776. This would explain why USA was a forerunner in the fight against colonialism. Britain and France faced a lot of opposition from USA which lobbied the support of China and Russia when making veto decisions. This constant opposition affected France and Britain and undercut their advancement

Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay The global carbon cycle is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature and should be considered with special emphasis because of constantly increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Basically, the term â€Å"global carbon cycle† describes the movement of all forms of carbon, which is the fourth abundant chemical element in our universe and essential for the structure and/or energy production for every living organism, between the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and geosphere. Two main parts of the carbon cycle can be distinguished, i. e.the geological carbon cycle (with a turnover time in the range of millions of years), and the biological carbon cycle (which operates at time scales ranging between days and thousands of years). In short, in the geological cycle, processes like weathering and erosion are forming carbonates from atmospheric CO2 and water which are reacting with minerals in the earth’s surface and eventually washed the into the oceans where they settle in sediments. The much faster carbon turnover in the biological cycle includes processes like photosynthesis and respiration, both key phenomena of life. 2. A greenhouse gas is a gas in the atmosphere that allows sunlight enter the atmosphere and reach the earth’s surface, but then prevents a certain portion of the reflected radiation (mainly this is the infrared or â€Å"heat† part of the spectrum) to leave the atmosphere towards open space again. Due to this effect, a â€Å"greenhouse† effect, similar to that wanted and used in agricultural greenhouses to grow plants faster and earlier due to warmer temperatures, develops and gradually heats up the atmosphere. This leads to global warming with all the negative effects discussed in the next paragraph. CO2 is both, a naturally occurring and man-made greenhouse gas, that together with other natural (water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide) and man-made substances (e. g. gases used for aerosols and cooling liquids) is responsible for global warming, the man-made amount of atmospheric CO2 however alarmingly rising. 3. â€Å"Global warming† describes the slight, but constant and gradual elevation of our atmosphere’s temperature, especially realized as a man-made effect within the last decades. Although times of global warming have repeatedly occurred on our planet long before humans could contribute (e. g. ice-age and warming periods), the dramatic increase of man-made atmospheric CO2 due to industrialization, excessive agriculture, and transportation leads, due to the previously described greenhouse effect, to a global rise in temperatures. With growing certainty that rise is understood to be responsible for an increasing occurrence of catastrophic events such as changes in weather (storms and hurricanes, heavy rain and snow, desertification), elevation of sea level (flooding), or melting of glaciers and arctic ice shelves. 4. There are diverse causes of global warming including natural processes such as carbon dioxide exhausting from rotting organic matter, atmospheric water vapour or natural gases like methane. However it is more and more agreed that the recent dramatic increase in global warming is mainly caused by a man-made elevation in atmospheric CO2 by transportation, agriculture and industries. Such elevated concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and all their negative effects (see above) not only cause global warming by direct influence, but also interact with natural processes, altogether outbalancing the global carbon cycle and destabilizing our climate with unpredictable consequences. 5. The Kyoto Protocol has been signed by the United Nations on Dec. 11th 1997 in Kyoto, Japan with the intention to set measures against progressive climate changes. For the first time in history, the participating nations (until today 136 nations signed and ratified the protocol) agree on threshold levels and the reduction of the production of greenhouse gases within the protocol’s validation period from 2005 until 2012. 5. Unfortunately shaming poor. The United States signed the Kyoto protocol when it was initiated, but (together with Australia) never ratified the agreements. However, Australia started to ratify the agreements in the year 2007 after a change in their government, leaving the USA (who under President G. W. Bush shows no intention to ratify the contract in the near future) back in shame alone†¦ 6. Of course YES! The US considers itself as one of the world’s leading nations. Doubtlessly it is one of the world’s leading industrial nations, which is good for wealth and progress, but also implies a big responsibility, since due to its industry the US is also one of the leading producers of CO2. Thus, the US contributes a major part to the worldwide greenhouse effect and therefore to global warming as well. So why does the US not act responsible in terms of environmental issues? Profit and industrial interests are a strong power worldwide and very often refuse sustainable actions and environmental care, but in contrast to the US the other nations who signed the Kyoto Protocol at least start acting responsible. To my opinion it is a shame for the US to ignore alarming facts and signs of global warming and not even try to show some responsibility for our planet and future generations. So, even if the Kyoto Protocol is certainly not the final solution to growing environmental challenges, it is a beginning and can be the start of a sustainable and more responsible human future. However, to allow that beginning, cooperation and good will of all nations, including the US is essential.

Robert Burns :: Essays Papers

Robert Burns A Biography of Robert Burns Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and writer of traditional Scottish folk songs. He was born on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire. Burns was the oldest of seven children born to William Burness and his wife Agnes Broun. His father was the descendant of a line of tenant farmers. His wife was also eldest daughter of a tenant farmer. Burns’ parents were both not very well educated, but were deeply religious. When Burns was born, his father worked as a gardener. However, the family grew too large for their cottage at Alloway and their needs to great for his father to support as a gardener. His father then decided to try his hand at farming and moved his family to the farm of Mount Oliphant. At Mount Oliphant, Burns engaged in difficult farm work and suffered from undernourishment, which lead to permanent injury to his health. His father next moved the family to the farm of Lochlea where Burns’ father, William, died in February 1784. Burns was then left as head of the family. He and his brother Gilbert decided to rent Mossgiel Farm that later proved to be another failure. Although his family struggled, Burns managed to obtain an education. At the age of six, Burns and his brother Gilbert were sent to John Murdoch’s School in Alloway. In 1768 Burns and his brother left the school and Burns briefly boarded as a pupil of John Murdoch at Ayrshire Grammar School in 1773. Through Murdoch’s influence, Burns read Shakespeare, Milton, Pope and Dryden. However, a great deal of Burns’ education took place in his own home. He was encouraged in his self-education by his father and his mother acquainted him with Scottish folk songs, legends, and proverbs. Burns also read widely in English literature, the Bible, and learned to read French. Burns’ literary career began with the Vernacular Poems. In 1784 Burns read the works of the Edinburgh poet Robert Ferguson. Under his influence and that of Scottish folk tradition and older Scottish poetry, he became aware of the literary possibilities of the Scottish regional dialects. During the next two years he produced most of his best-known poems, including â€Å"The Cotter’s Saturday Night,† â€Å"Hallowe’en,† â€Å"To a Daisy,† and â€Å"To a Mouse.† In addition, he wrote â€Å"The Jolly Beggars,† a cantata in standard English, which is considered one of his masterpieces. Several of his poems, notably â€Å"Holy Willie’s Prayer,† satirized local ecclesiastical squabbles and attacked Calvinist theology, which brought him into conflict with the church.

Sparate Peace

In the novel Separate Peace, John Knowles uses both positive and negative scenes throughout the novel. John Knowles does this to show how the setting can affect the characters and the events that are being taken throughout the novel. Knowles introduces right away that there are two big scenes, the summer session and the winter session, both playing big roles in the story’s plot and theme.The summer session would represent peace and the winter session would represent the distress brought on by World War II, the shift between them clearly confirms that Knowles intended to show how completely and abruptly the war overtook the peace at the summer session. Knowles uses the summer session setting to symbolize peace.Knowles uses the positive setting described in this quote to reveal the importance of the setting: â€Å"They (elms) too seemed permanent and never changing, an untouched, unreachable world high in space, like the ornamental towers and spires of a great church, too high to be enjoyed, too high for anything, great and remote and never useful†. Knowles describes the setting like this to create a peaceful image representing the summer session as a time of peace.This also brings a vividly peaceful image to mind further connecting the concepts of summer and peace together which is later conquered by the war elements of winter. Knowles uses the winter session setting to symbolize the distress of the war. Knowles uses this as the negative setting in the novel. In this quote, he describes the importance of the setting: â€Å"Not long afterward, early even for New Hampshire, snow came†¦They gathered there, thicker by the minute, like noiseless invaders conquering because they took possession so gently.I watched them whirl by my window-don’t take this seriously, the playful way they fell seemed to imply, this little show, this harmless trick†. Knowles uses words such as invaders and conquering to connect this image to the war zone. T his shows Knowles’ elements of the war and how it overtook the peace present and the Devon School. Knowles also writes that these elements of winter conquered the life of nature which had previously been a symbol of summer.This strengthens his intent of highlighting how the war element of winter took over the peace of summer. The change between the previous positive setting of summer and the negative setting of winter represents the effect the war had on the peace at the Devon School. The time that Finny and Gene spend at the beach represents the peak of the summer. However, overnight it is followed by this description of the ocean: â€Å"The Ocean looked dead too, dead waves hissing mordantly along the beach, which was gray and dead looking itself†.Here Knowles uses words such as â€Å"dead†, â€Å"hissing†, and â€Å"grey†, which have a negative meaning, to create a powerful negative setting scene in the novel. This causes an unexpected contrast between negative and positive settings. This piercing contrast between the beach and a â€Å"dead† ocean, which meets the beach at the shore with the hissing of dead waves, foreshadows the sharp contrast between the peace of summer and the distress of winter that meets the summer of Finny’s fall.This event is the symbolic fall of peace to the distress of war. Knowles cements this fact with stating the setting of the situation just before his fall, claiming that â€Å"From behind us the last long rays of light played across the campus, accenting every slight undulation of the land, emphasizing the separateness of each bush†. The last long rays of light show the end of summer because the end of the long days marks the beginning of autumn season due to daylight savings time.Since the summer session represents peace and the winter session represents distress, this shows that Finny’s fall from the tree marks the fall of peace to distress. John Knowles use of s etting scenes strengthens his idea in the novel of the peace at Devon school being overtaken by the elements of World War II. This is done by the addition of positive settings of summer which represent the peace at the school; and winter, which represents the invasion of the war and the piercing contrast between these two types of settings at certain scenes throughout the novel.

Marketing †ethics Essay

Marketing ethics is an area that deals with the moral principles behind marketing. Ethics in marketing applies to different spheres such as in advertising, promotion, pricing. However, for purposes of this essay, the ethics of advertisements will be dealt with especially in relation to children. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Many marketers and analysts have agreed that children are marketer’s best friend. This is backed up by evidence from watch groups such as Media Channel. In the year 2007, they highlighted the fact that in the United States, close to two billion dollars was spent on advertisements to children. It was also revealed that children greatly affect the commodities their parents buy. Estimates done in this field show that projects tailored for children in the year 2006 totaled fifty two billion dollars. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Regardless of all this potential returns that children can give manufacturers and their marketers, there are key ethical issues that arise in the discussion. For example, do children have the capability of understanding some of the intricate marketing tactics? Do children possess the final buying power? Do marketers need to get permission from their parents? And do children understand the negative effects of some of the products advertised to them? These key questions will be analyzed in relation to business pressures then recommendations will be made. Key ethical issues in marketing to children Some companies have become notorious for the utilization of psychologists in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Normally what such companies do is that when trying to create marketing strategy, they will involve psychologist to tell them about tactics that they can use to influence children. Since psychologists understand the way child’s mind works, they can help marketers create campaigns that will be directly aimed at them and those ones that can easily influence their choices. This trend has becoming so alarming that the American Psychological Association has raised an alarm about it. They have set up a committee to estimate the effect that the involvement of psychologists in the marketing process of children’s products has on them. The group has asserted that no psychological principles should be used when marketing to children. They are also recommending that there should be some sort of strategy to protect the young ones from exploitation though the use of psychological ploys. (Beder, 1998) The basic framework which steers marketing ethics revolves around three main issues. These are: values, stakeholders, processes. Marketing ethics that are done on a value inclined framework are those one that involve the analysis of the kind of value that the marketing idea creates. So advertisements may instill in their target audiences positive or negative attributes. This all depends on their implementation. For example, an advertising targeting a child may become a problem if it violates the right to privacy, transparency, honesty or autonomy. By using psychologists in the process of creating advertisements for children, marketers are imposing upon children’s right to autonomy and transparency. They try studying children’s behavioral trends and then use this to exploit those children. This is quite unethical. The process oriented framework in marketing ethics is founded on the basis of analysing marketing ethics through the categories that marketers use. For example research, promotion and placement must be done in an ethical manner. This is something that marketers have chosen to ignore because their research is not done in an ethical manner. Their research involves using psychological experts who may use their knowledge to take advantage of children who belong to vulnerable groups (Lizabeth, 2001) Targeting children alone Marketers who create marketing campaigns that are just directed towards children only are engaging in unethical marketing practices. This is because children are naive. They are at a stage of development called proximal development. At this stage, children simply take up elements of what they perceive in the world around them and then use it in various aspects of their lives. There is a certain level of trust that children have over and above than one of adults. They lack the ability to weigh arguments in a sober and even sometimes a cynical way. Consequently, this makes them very vulnerable to exploitation. (Murphy et al, 2004) Examples of advertisements that are directed towards children alone are those ones that have cartoon characters and are seen as specifically meant for children. At that point, children will feel like they are the only ones with the ability of purchasing the item yet it is their parents who have to foot the bill. Unethical advertisements are those ones that do not involve getting consent from parents. Most of the time such advertisements are usually aired in the afternoon during kid’s programming sessions. They usually create desires in children to have those advertisements at all costs. When advertising is done without parental consent; that is when children are watching shows on their own then it became unethical. Children are too young to realize the manipulations that are going on through television or media advertisements. They also do not realize the financial pressures that come with the purchase of items. It would therefore be unethical for marketers to leave parents out of their marketing strategies. Normally, ethical advertisements are those ones that require children to get their parents involved in the marketing place. This can be achieved by stating it directly in the advertisement. It can also be achieved by limiting some children’s products in parental magazines or targeting families in general instead of just children. (Waymack, 2000) Advertisements targeting children alone have shown their effects in a number of ways. In the year 2007, it was found that about fifty eight percent of all the items purchased by children (through their allowances) are sweets and toys were the next highest items to be purchased by children. This took up a whooping thirty percent. Toys and candy are all items that are advertised directly children hence the staggering statistics. (Davidson, 2002) Advertising to children alone brings out very fundamental ethical issue. It highlights the power analysis issue in marketing. Any form of marketing that claims to be ethical must adhere to the power balance principle. The scales must not be tipped towards the consumer neither should they favor the marketer either. When marketers target vulnerable markets, they tend to make the situation favor them. This is what is called caveat emptor in marketing. It is an unfair scenario and is also exploitative in nature. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Types of products, manner of advertisements and other qualities can indicate whether or not an advertisement is targeting children. It should be noted that there are certain elements that if conducted by marketers may be deemed unethical for example, when an advertisement is made in such a manner as to imply that it is meant for children. Some elements to watch out for are: music, images, voices, color. These are all elements that are meant to draw on children’s attention. Besides this, there may be certain activities expected to captivate children such a drawing, then those advertisements may be meant for them. Besides that, some advertisements may have characters that are designed for that demographic group. Sometimes some advertisements may be placed in publications that are usually read by children alone. They may also be placed in areas that have children. (Murphy et al, 2004) All these features can be deemed unethical if they will be seen or heard by children exclusively, For example, if the advertisement is placed in a publication that is read by children alone then this is unethical because there is not parental consent there or if it is broadcast at times when children could be watching without parental consent. (Lizabeth, 2001) Sometimes the kind of content in the advertisements matters too. Advertisements that are created in such ways as to make children feel less about themselves if they lack that product may be deemed unethical. Also advertisements that will promote harmful products to children are also unethical. For example, there were certain toys from China that had an excess of chemical elements and exposed certain risks to children who were playing with them. If advertisements possess those characteristics, then they may be considered unethical. Responsible marketing The issue of marketing itself has two main components. The first group is made up of the abolitionists and the second are the libertarians. The abolitionists believe that all advertising to children is wrong and that it should be completely eliminated. But this is something that is unrealistic and cannot be feasible in today’s fast paced and commercial world. The other extreme is held by the liberalists who believe that advertisements to children should be left as they are. They insist that society shapes advertisements and that advertisements do not change moral values. But this is denying the obvious. The fact that children in the UK and even in other parts of the world spend the largest portion of their leisure time watching television implies that they will pick up some of the habits depicted on their screens. (Waymack, 2000) In light of the above facts, it is important to come up with a compromise on the issue through taking up responsible marketing. Children can still be considered as a target audience for marketing of retail products, however, this should be conducted in such a responsible and socially sustainable manner. There are three main alternatives available for marketers targeting children and these are: viewing children as docile consumers, viewing children as non-consumers, viewing children as informed consumers. Choosing the non-consumer part would not be very market friendly because as it has been seen from earlier parts of the essay; children have substantial levels of buyer power. It is would therefore be uneconomical not to tap this very valuable market resource. On the other hand, viewing children as docile consumers causes a lot of ethical controversies that have been raised earlier. Consequently, the most sustainable form of marketing should be viewing children as informed consumers. Marketers need to advertise and market their products in such a way that there will still be room for them in the future. This will be effectively achieved by informing children about marketing ideas. This will enlighten them and give them a very valuable asset; choice. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Informing children about the intricacies of marketing at an early age will go a long way in ensuring that children can understand the fundamentals of the commercial world. It will mean that children’s naivety will not be taken advantage of and that they will have the power to decide for themselves whether or not products are good for them. The ethical issues that have been brought forward stem from the fact that children are too young to understand the main reasons behind marketing displays. Informing them about this will drastically reduce those ethical concerns and will at the same time still allow marketers to go about marketing their products. (Beder, 1998) It should be noted that some countries like Sweden have argued that children can understand the effects of commercial marketing after reaching the age of twelve; some have suggested four and others ten. They claim that at that point, be it 4, 10, or 12, children can understand the commercial world and the exploitation tendencies that their worlds present them. Consequently, human rights groups claim that marketers should not target children that fall below that group. But that debate can be eliminated if children below those established ages are made aware of the commercial world. Regulations This is something that is already in place, but still needs more emphasis. Advertisements should not be aired during children’s programming as they are likely to be unsupervised at that point. Governments should institute statutory regulations on television advertisements. Advertisements should also be edited such that they do not seem to appeal to the child directly. They should be made in such a way that they will involve the parent or family. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Conclusion Advertisements to children have sparked off lot of controversy resulting in various reactions in various countries. However, experts agree that unethical marketing occurs when advertisements are directly aimed at children without getting consent from parents. Organisations can go about this issue through regulating their content, changing their times and embarking on a consumer education to make their young audiences aware. (Waymack, 2000) Reference: Beder, S. (1998): Marketing to Children, University of Wollongong Journal Lizabeth E. (2001): Marketing With A Conscience: Sales and Ethics; Journal for the US Dept. of State Mohandeep S. (2001): Ethics in Marketing; Encyclopedia of Business and Finance Davidson, D. (2002): The Moral Dimension of Marketing; South-Western Educational Journal Murphy, P. et al (2004): Ethical Marketing; Prentice Hall Waymack, M. (2000): The ethics of selectively marketing the Health Maintenance Organization, Journal of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, Issue 8, Volume 11, Pages 301-309 McGee, T. and Heubusch, K. (1997): Getting Inside Kids’ Heads; American Demographics, Vol. 19, No. 1.

Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Example

Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Example Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 2019 Paper Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 2019 Paper Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 2019 Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs) are a filtration device used for removing fine particulate matter from an exhaust gas by means of an electrostatic force. ESPs possess high collection efficiency and can handle large gas volumes at high temperatures. This renders them vital to heavy industries such as steel mills cement plants, and especially to thermal power plants. Combustion processes in coal-fired power plants receive a performance boost with the use of ESPs. They also act as conditioning systems for the fly ash and flue gases produced during the process.Visit Complete Report Here: marketresearchreports.biz/analysis-details/electrostatic-precipitator-esp-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2013-2019 Environmental, Health, Safety guidelines emphasize the need for better air quality air pollution control, something achievable to a great extent with the use of ESPs. This industry is aiming towards higher efficiency numbers, especially in coal-fired electricity generation. Increased adoption of newer technologies subsequent renovation by existing power plants prove to be very attractive opportunities for this market in the future. Since demand for thermal power generation is not going to recede, the threat level for the ESP industry is minimal.The technological segmentation of ESPs is done depending onthe characteristics of particulate matter involved and volume of the exhaust gas. Based upon whether steam is used, the classification is done as wet ESP and dry ESP. The primary segmentation for ESP’s are done on the basis of the components. The earlier design of the parallel plate-weighted wire has now been replaced by modern versions including the pipe-frame design. Asia is the market leader for new systems as well as the repair upgrade of existing ESPs. This is mainly

Book Review of A National Party No More

C. he claims that he had hoped that he would find Washington to be â€Å"the place where great issues of the day are debated and solved, and great giants walk those hallowed halls.† Instead he discovered what Washington D.C. was not at all like he had hoped and this angered him â€Å"on behalf of Americans† (Miller 8). In his career Miller has served the State of Georgia as an administrator of a number of â€Å"vital agencies, as an assistant to two governors, as head of the State Democratic Party, as Lieutenant Governor, and then as Governor† (Miller introduction no page number). He also served in the Georgia State Senate from 1965-1969. He failed in his attempts to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia. In addition Miller served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has taught at four different colleges. It is worth noting that the majority of these positions are executive positions not legislative positions so serving as Georgia’s United States Senator put him into a relatively unknown form of government where he lacked extensive experience and none on the national level. It appears somewhat incongruous that a marine would be a lifelong Democrat since military personnel currently tend to lean toward the Republican Party. Although Miller served only three years in the Corps it is clear that his experiences affected him greatly because he has written a book Corp Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned in the Marines.† Miller’s book was occasioned by his experiences in the U.S. Senate beginning in 2000, in combination with his advanced age. Miller was born in 1932 according the reverse side of the title page. The book was published in 2003 so Miller was 70 or 71 at the time his book was published. This is certainly not an issue of itself, but one wonders if Miller would make the same claims he had entered the same Senate at the age of forty or fifty. Miller alludes to this when he writes that he has â€Å"arrived at a station in life where I hear the whistle of that moral policeman we all have to answer to . . .† (Miller 1). He takes the occasion to advise â€Å"members of my Democratic Party and other politicians who are so far out of touch with regular Americans to ‘shape up'† (Miller 2). This position, that tacitly assumes he is correct while other party members who disagree with him are wrong, is strongly reminiscent of an elderly gentleman on the brink of retirement who climbs on a soapbox to â€Å"straighten out† the next generation. This is not to say Miller does not make some good points, he just does not prove them nor give the reader sufficient information to determine if Mill is correct. The book suffers significantly because it has no notes, no bibliography and no index. Consequently the reader has no opportunity to check either the statements Miller makes as being either true or false. Many of his claims are supported by anecdotal evidence based on his memory of what happened throughout his career. Miller calls himself a Conservative Democrat, an unusual designation, but not an illogical one. Despite this he is known to have been a supporter of President George W. Bush and announced in 2003 that he would support the Presidents re-election. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2004 in support of the President. Such actions hardly indicate a lifelong Democrat. Miller criticizes the Democrat Party because the leaders, he claims, have ignored the opinions of Conservative Democrats in the South, about one-third of the U.S. population, and have told them to â€Å"go to hell† (Miller 9). He appears to assume that all Democrats in the South are Conservative Democrats because he is one and that they all agree with him. He fails to mention the non-conservative Democrats in the South and seems to assume there are none. Miller concludes the Democrat leadership disagrees with Southern Democrats on the critical issues of â€Å"capital punishment, late-term abortion (even with a lot of pro-choice people), trying juveniles as adults, national defense, and the teaching of values in school† (Miller 3). Miller’s reasoning process is suspect for a variety of reasons. First, it is not clear that these are the critical issues, at least on a national level. Capital punishment has been left up to the states and should not be regarded as a national issue, as are abortion laws as long as laws do not restrict a woman’s right to control of her own body. Trying of juveniles as an adult does not seem to be a national issue either nor should it be. The current system presumes juveniles will not be tried as adults unless there are significant overriding reasons for doing so. The decision of where to try a juvenile is judged on a case-by-case basis which is as it should be. As far as the teaching of values as a national issue, it is clearly an important issue that impacts people throughout the country, but the Federal Government has no basis to determine what values should be taught. Miller seems to have completely forgotten the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution that reserves to the states any powers not delegated to the federal government and not prohibited to the states shall be a state power. It is apparent that many of these critical issues are state issues. National defense clearly is a national issue, but federal taxes, the deficit, Medicare, and Social Security benefits are as well, but Miller doesn’t mention these issues. Miller’s has a rambling and folksy writing style that slips from story to story and slides from point to point in a chaotic fashion that defies linear analysis. He chooses his anecdotes by cherry picking stories that will reinforce his position even if they are not related to the Democratic Party; on page 145 Miller quotes The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Winston Churchill, and Rodney King on the same page in support of a chapter entitled â€Å"Give to Bigotry No Sanction.† Certainly a case can be made for citing Rodney King, but the other two sources were clearly not written in support of civil rights in the United States. To his credit Miller admits mistakes he has made during his career. He points out that during 1964 he had â€Å"proclaimed that there should be an ‘investigation of Communist infiltration in the civil rights movement.’ What an idiot!† (Miller 143). This is remarkably refreshing given the current climate of politicians who consistently hide what they have done and deny they have done it until they are proven to have done it when they will admit and ask for forgiveness. On the other hand this begs the question as to just how much credence one ought to place in the writings of a self-proclaimed idiot. Miller claims that the Democratic Party no longer represents the majority of Americans and has become distinctly too liberal in relation to the United States’ population as a whole. This is an interesting position. Miller does not claim the leadership is wrong on issues, just that they disagree with Southern Conservative Democrats such as himself. This leaves the possibility open that the leadership is correct and the membership is wrong, but Miller fails to allow for this possibility. If this proves to be the case, it appears that Miller is advocating that the Democratic Party concern itself, not with the correct solution, but with gaining power again. A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat is largely not successful. His conclusion has merit but his treatment of the issues is inferior. The lack of references is a major weakness that could be easily corrected. Miller’s failure to move in a linear, logical fashion in favor of using a disjointed, episodic style greatly reduces the effectiveness of Miller’s writing. Rather than being the scathing indictment he hopes to provide that will help the Democratic Party, Miller’s book feels more like a farewell by a statesman whose party has evolved while he has not. His gloom and doom predictions for the Democratic Party made in 2004 proved him incorrect since the Democratic once again gained the majority in both houses. Although Miller makes some interesting points that have validity, his book should be read with circumspection. Works Cited Barnes, Fred. â€Å"Zell Miller Endorses Bush.† 29 Nov. 2003. The Daily Standard. 20 April 2007. Miller, Zell. A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat. Atlanta: Stroud and Hall Publishing, 2003. â€Å"Text Of Zell Miller’s RNC Speech.†Ã‚   01 September 2004. CBS News. 20 April 2007   ;http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/01/politics/ main640299.shtml;.