Family Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Focus - Essay Example The family is the primary social group in society, typically composed of parents and their children. Another definition is that a family is: a married couple or other group of adult kinsfolk, who cooperate economically and in the upbringing of children; and all or most of whom share a common dwelling.(Gough 52). In a family, the members are either related by blood, or related by law or marriage, like a husband and wife. The bible sees the family not as a cultural construct but a fundamental God-given institution built into the very nature of the universe . The biblical record of the creation of the world centers on the human family, starting with the creation of Adam and Eve. God wants us to live in happy families. Ephesians 2:10 provides some insight, explaining that God prearranged a good life for us. Joyce Meyer says that you and I can have that life only if we choose to walk in it, if we submit to His will for us. The key is obedience. Obedient followers of God, like Noah and Dan iel received radical blessings from God. Sir John Bowring has said that a happy family is but an earlier heaven, and Leo Tolstoy has accurately observed that : All happy families resemble each other, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Family problems like divorce, illegitimate children, child abuse, and broken homes result from family breakdown. Family problems result in social problems like crime and poverty, sexual promiscuity, economic setbacks, etc.

Compare and Contrast between the Politics and Theories of Plato and Research Paper

Compare and Contrast between the Politics and Theories of Plato and the Politics and theories of Aristotle, Mentioning the Simil - Research Paper Example It is a matter of more than passing interest that Plato and Aristotle are so closely tied - Aristotle having learned from Plato - since the two differ so fundamentally in many of their beliefs and theories despite the similarities that no doubt are attributable to their personal association. For the relationship between Plato and Aristotle was one of master and pupil, as with the relationship between Socrates and Plato. â€Å"Aristotle had sat at (Plato’s) feet, and listened to his lectures; nor could he, if had been pressed, have done otherwise than acknowledge Plato†¦for ‘his master in humanis,’ and pre-eminently in politicis† (Barker, v).1 Placed in a modern context, their beliefs concerning the state and the notion of ethics in politics resonate powerfully in the present. One need only dwell on the political (and personal) hubris that gave rise to the Watergate scandal and subsequent abuses of Constitutional power in the Reagan and both Bush admini strations. Politics, Plato believed, was inseparable from morality; for Aristotle, the symbiotic nature between state and citizen was based on the idea that Name 2 both sides act in the common good. The depredations of domineering and irresponsible states indicate that modern incarnations of government have veered far from Plato and Aristotle’s conceptions of the â€Å"good† city-state. As such, an examination of the similarities and differences between their theories is still instructive within the context of modern-day political and governmental ethics. For instance, Plato distrusted the rich, who tended to act in their own self- interest before that of the state, a concern that echoes in the recent destructive transgressions of Wall Street. However, countless examples have proven that Plato’s belief in a sole ruler, even a philosopher king (â€Å"enlightened† is, after all, a relative term) can never facilitate the participation of all classes – Aristotle’s mixed and participatory government, despite its flaws, allows for wise and informed individuals to become involved in the processes of government. Politics and government Sacrifice, specifically self-sacrifice, is a trait implied in the Aristotelian Democratic ideal. â€Å"Even if the end is the same for an individual and for a city-state, that of the city-state seems at any rate greater and more complete to attain and preserve. For although it is worthy to attain it for only an individual, it is nobler and more divine to do so for a nation or city-state† (Miller, 2011).2 As a shared morality, it would not be possible without the rationality and reason of the law, formalized in a constitution. Reason is one of Aristotle’s five suppositions of politics, a point upon which he and Plato concurred. â€Å"Aristotle agrees with Plato’s dictum that, whenever a system contains a rational element, it is appropriate for it to rule over the non-rationa l Name 3 part, because the rational element alone

Behavioral economics and economic man

Behavioral economics and economic man How Behavioral Economics Rescue Economic Man From The Selfishness Behavioral economics is one single most influential and dynamic area in the current economics. Applying some insights from psychological science(s) to the economic models so as to understand better the economics decision making, the behavioral look has provided new and important ways for the economists to understand why different people make different choices that they make. The purpose of this article therefore is to explain how behavioral economics rescue the economic man from the selfishness in which he finds himself. Economic man is an imaginary perfect rational person who maximizes his/her economic welfare or being and achieves the consumer equilibrium by thinking marginally all the time. The importance of this concept is hinged in the theory of consumer behavior in which real people function such as this fictional entity (Wansink, 2006). On the other hand, economics is a group of ideas and conventions put together by different economists which they accept and use to reason along with. It is mainly a culture of doing things mainly by the economists. Behavioral economics therefore represents the transformation of such culture and it is a field of economics that study how decision-making process influences reached decisions in any organization as well as in any individual (Ainslie, 1992). Neoclassical economics postulates an economic man in any system is the main course of being economic as well as the course of being rational. This economic man is assumed to have good knowledge is different aspects of his surrounding which is not clearly complete (Wansink, 2006). This man is assumed to posses a well organized and a stable system of personal preferences and better kills of calculation on the best action to take so as to make him attain the highest benefits as compared to other people. The axioms of the consumer choices that underlie the economic man ensure that he, the economic man, is minimally rational and consistent in the choices that he makes because he always prefers more of a thing to less and he is able to efficiently allocate his low income among numerous things that he desires so as to enable him achieve a global utility maximum. In a standard welfare model, habits and culture are assumed to take a fixed position or at least change slowly during a given time period so that the cultural context of the Homo economicus/ economic man does not enter the analysis stage. The way tastes and preferences are formed is assumed to be outside the purview of economics because they are not matters of dispute (Stigler and Becker, 1977). According to Veblens (1898), an Economic man is a homogeneous (Uniform) globule of desire full of self interest. Self-interest is defined by different economists as all things that are intangible and tangible to human beings (Solow, 1993) but in practice the real meaning of utility is radically narrowed down to mean the consumption of goods in the market. Any increase in the welfare is equated to the increase in the economic output. The Economists are aware of public goods, intransitivity, Veblen effects and interdependent utilities but all these real-world phenomena are very difficult to include in the general equilibrium framework that currently dominate the economic policy recommendations (Hirsch, 1976). Different subjects explain the economic man in different terms pointing to the same meaning. For instance, biology explains the economic man as a selfish gene while regarding it as a concept that is used to explain the overall selfishness of any living thing especially man and for the direction of evolution. Richard Dawkins with his evolution theory coined this term in his book titled The Selfish Gene (Ainslie, 1992) as a notion of competition, struggle for survival/existence, natural selection and survival of the fittest in his idea of genes as self replicators. In a teleological account, evolution of the biological life is explained as being driven by these replicators, genes. The conclusion drawn here is that the successful replicators are very selfish that otherwise they would not replicate successfully. In order to protect and preserve their replication process, these genes create avenues of self-preservation in form of living things, their bodies and minds. From this type of re asoning, Dawkins (1976, p. 2) concludes that human nature cannot be anything but selfish as its very essence is composed of very selfish units in the name of genes. Later, Dawkins expanded his biological research by considering these genes as self-contained wholes things. But, as Maynard Smith states in Barlow (1991, p. 195), this Selfish Gene does not contain any new facts but rather offers a new world view. The basic to this view is the notion that competition and the virtuousness of the selfish behavior of biological units are rife in ever being. It is from this view that the biologist Ghiselin (1974, p. 247) writes concerning the species and nature that natural economy is competitive from start to the end .This can be seen in the impulses which lead an animal to sacrifice herself for another turn out to have their rationale in gaining more advantage over a third animal especially where it is in her own interest. Therefore, every organism can reasonably be expected to aid her fellow organisms yet if given full chance to act in her own interest, nothing but speed will restrain her from brutalizing, from murdering, from maiming her mate or child (Andrei, 1999). This perspective of the biological world replicates the economic perspective of human nature as being openly self-centered, rational in being consistent in choices they make and characterized by selfishness which is constrained by expediency (Frank, 1988). Strong intellectual thoughts in both economics and biology see the market economy as being full of utility-maximizing individuals without room for cooperation other than for a single individual to gain the immediate advantage over other individuals (Johnson, 2003). With the above explanation, there are three areas that tend to look at the economic man in a bid to get him out of his selfishness. These areas include the neoclassical economics, the human behavior and the behavioral economics. The criticism of these three areas against each other really explains the demerits of the economic man and the associated selfishness to each other. In the neoclassical economics, economics is the study of the way resources are allocated to their uses. In this school of thinking, economics is said to be the study which considers human behavior as a relation between alternative ends and scarce means. Virtually every neoclassical economist is a positive economist though there are a number of positive economists that are not neoclassical in nature (Harbaugh et al, 2002). Therefore, neoclassical economists consider the study of resource allocation as scientific and not a normative study. In addition, a neoclassical economist believes that free markets always bring about efficient resource allocation (Kagel Roth, 1997). With this understanding, neoclassical economists have made a number of assumptions. Depending on the definition that one can prefer, it can be said that economists are more interested in the resource allocation in nature and causes wealth of nations or perhaps something different. Irrespective of all these, all such things depend on the actions and decisions of people (Luce, 2000). Therefore, so as to get started, economists made or make some assumptions about people and about how individuals act and how they decide how to act. However, the economists have not as a rule based these assumptions on the psychological views of human minds. Rather, most of them have started from an assumption that few modern psychologists might support (Dahlquist Kirkpatrick, 2007). This assumption is that human beings/ individuals are highly rational and self-interested/ selfish. Many neoclassical economists assume that human beings make their choices in a way that gives them the best possible advantage (s) especially given the circumstances that they face. Such circumstances includes such things as the prices of the resources, goods and services available, scarce income, limited and localized technology for transforming such resources into finished goods and services, taxes imposed on them by their organizations, regulations by their governments and other objective limitations on the choices that they make. In Strict terms, neoclassical economics does not just assume that real and concrete people are rational and self-interested as it may seem. Rather, many economists assume that the economic systems work as if they consist of the rational and self-interested persons. People exists in all sorts ranging from sneaky and altruistic to smart and dumb but if the average is an individual that is rational and self-interested, then the system most definitely will act as if human beings in general were self-interested and rational (Hersh, 2002). The basis of neoclassical economics assumes that deviations from the rational self-interests are random and therefore will cancel out making the system to act as if every person is rational and self-interested. As a consequence, neoclassical economics studies the economic system that consists of rational, self-interested persons (Luce, 2000). However, it is known that there are some examples of non-self-interested behavior of human beings who for instance give to the church and who sacrifice themselves in other ways and common sense suggests that human beings are often irrational chumps. There are two very issues here to closely scrutinize. The first one is that human beings are at times altruistic. One can not avoid concluding that people sometimes act on ethical values making it hard to see how the selfishness of this majority can cancel out this self-sacrifice of many others (Kagel Roth, 1997). Therefore, people often act on non self interested values but whenever they do so they act on their own values and not of the government or some philosopher(s) or the economist that is observing (Dahlquist Kirkpatrick, 2007). This might be called a rational individualism rather than a rational self interest. What is left then is the rationality if human beings are not always self-interested. A broader neoclassical economics presumes that human beings choose things in a way that best advances their own values, altruistic or self-interested. The critics of the neoclassical economics sometimes argue that economics is an apology for self-interest. We can therefore note the behavioral approachs criticism to the neoclassical economics that man is always selfish and self centered. The behavioral approach indicates that not all people are self centered since many individuals act on behalf of other people (Harrison, 2005). This indicated that it is not true that all people are selfish. Rather, some are and it should not be generalized that all human beings are selfish to conform to the economic man. However, human behavior is not always selfish and behavioral economics rescues economic man from the selfish gene. In other words, the behavioral economics criticizes the neoclassical economics whether people are always rational or not (Luce, 2000). The neoclassical economics is at times criticized for its normative bias against human beings especially on their assumption. In this perspective, it does not lay more focus on explaining the actual economies instead of describing a utopia in which Pareto optimality applies. The assumption that human beings act rationally can be seen as ignoring very important aspects of the human behavior. Many people see the economic man to be very different from real people. Majority of the economists, even contemporary economists, have criticized the model of economic man. Neoclassical economics assumes people to be the lightning calculators of pleasures and pains, who oscillate like the homogeneous globule of desires of happiness under impulses of stimuli which shifts about an area but leaves then intact. Large organizations might come closer to the neoclassical ideal of maximizing profits but this is not necessarily seen as desirable whenever it arises at the expense of negligence of the wider social issues (Fehr Gachter, 2000). The response to this argument is that neoclassical economics is more of a descriptive statement rather than a normative one. It therefore addresses such problems with the concepts of private against those of social utility. Many critics of behavioral economics typically insist on the rationality of the economic agents. They contend that the experimentally observed behavior is not applicable to the market situations as the learning opportunities and competition ensures at a close approximation of the rational behavior. Equally, many others note that the cognitive theories like the prospect theory are models of decision making and not generalized economic behavior hence are only applicable to the sort of once-off decision problems that are presented to experiment the survey respondents. Traditional economists are very skeptical of the survey based techniques which are put to use extensively in the behavioral economics. Economists typically emphasize on the revealed preferences over the stated preferences from the survey in determining the economic value (Fehr Gachter, 2000). Experiments and surveys should be designed very carefully so as to avoid systemic biases and lack of incentive compatibility. Some economists on the other hand dismiss these criticisms claiming that the results are reproduced in various situations and nations which can lead to good theoretical insight. Behavioral economists on the other hand have incorporated these criticisms by focusing more on the field studies as compared to the than lab experiments. Some economists therefore look at this split as the fundamental schism between the experimental economics and the behavioral economics. However, prominent experimental and behavioral economists overlap some techniques and approaches in giving answers to common questions. In addition, many other proponents of the behavioral economics have taken note that neoclassical models many times fail to predict the outcomes in the real world context (Luce, 2000). Behavioral insights can therefore be used to update the neoclassical equations and the economists have noted that these revised models do not only reach similar correct predictions as the traditional models but predicts correctly some outcomes where the traditional models fail. As an economic student, I object to the fact that man is always selfish. This drives to the numerous criticisms of the economic man. Criticisms of this notion that human beings are purely selfish go back to the start of the modern utility theory. Edgeworth (1881), for instance, in his theory of exchange included the term accounting for pure altruism. He stated that people might suppose that an object X with own utility is P tends, in a reflective and calm moment, to maximize his/her benefits from P to P+, where the + is a coefficient of effective sympathy. Equally, Mr. Veblen (1898) criticized the neoclassical concept of human beings as coldly calculating and coolly rational and this is still one most insightful literature among the criticisms of neoclassical theories (Ainslie, 1992). The other early, though neglected, criticism is that of Mr. Georgescu (1954) who stated that the individual utility not only depends on the individual well-being but also the communitys well-being to wh ich the individuals belong. This truly indicates that human beings are not egocentric and self centered but also works for the benefit of the society in which such a person comes from. Many other economists as well as just writers investigating the behavior of the human beings have come up with more criticisms while explaining the behavior of human beings. For instance, Frank (1988) and Hirsch (1976) all emphasized on the social nature of human beings and their decision-making process which is always associated with their behavior. It is true that that a big number of economic models have been developed to give explanation about altruism, charity, bequests and benevolence among human beings and how they exercise them. In doing all these, many economists together with many other social scientists have been quite ingenious in finding the explanations for the intentions for such behavior in self-interest among human beings. The possible selfish motivations or intentions that apparently lead to altruistic behavior include the enlightened self-interest, the pursuit of reputation among people, anticipation of reciprocity from other people and fear inherent in human being s that they will lose whatever little they have and as a consequence they will be faced with shame (Henrich, Henrich, 2008). Further, different explanations indicate that personal utility can be derived from one persons satisfaction or his contribution to it together with the benefits that adherence to the social contract may provide. The motives of altruistic behavior among human being however can be studied in different categories. For instance, from a psychological point of view, two egoistic motives for altruistic behavior can be identified. The first category is based on the social learning and enforcement amongst people while the second category is based on arousal reduction (Fehr Gachter, 2000). However, the theoretical and empirical investigation to the existence of altruism, different economists argue that altruism can also arise from peoples empathic emotions towards others. In some occasions an individual takes the perspective and position of another person that he/she perceives to be in need without feeling distress and helps to reduce his/her need. Given this explanation, one can conclude from numerous similar examples of altruistic behavior on which human behavior is based that moral commitments and economic factors shape each other and evolve and change within a given social environment and structu res (Arnsperger Varoufakis, 2005). Having explained this, one can forget that neoclassical theories insist on the fact that human beings have the selfish gene dominant in its system. This is the one hat is responsible for the selfishness in the economic man. However, there are a number of criticisms of this argument mainly based on the behavioral economics exercise. The selfish gene, just like the economic man, has also come under attack from numerous directions in general. The selfish gene together with its extension known as the extended phenotype has for a long time been criticized based on the fact that phenotype-distinction is not as clear as its proposers supposes. According to the explanations by the extended phenotype ideas, changes in the genes are reflected in the phenotypes and phenotypical effects determines the selection of genetic replicators (Henrich, Henrich, 2008). Therefore, the phenotypical effects preserve or replicate themselves by means of their extended phenotypes. These phenotypical effects may be morphological or behavioral. For example, a phenotypic expression of the beaver genes is the dam it builds. However, the phenotypical transformations are not exclusively triggered or induced by the changes of the genetic replicators but can as well result from the changes in the elements of the environment (Rabin, Loewenstein, Camerer 2003). On a very close examination and scrutiny, the proponents of the selfish gene idea are not dogmatic enough as popularly believed by many people especially the economists. Some people argue that higher properties of life are emergent in virtually all situations. In addition, it is argued that the accepted explanations of causality from genes to culture just the same as from genes to any other products of life, are not heredity alone. Equally, they are not environmental alone. It is mainly the interaction between the two. Therefore, all possible expressions of phenotype are always encoded in genes though particular attributes which express themselves depends on the triggers from the surrounding environment (Dasgupta, 2002). These phenotypic expressions may as well depend on how an individual integrates within a group. The controversy over the selfish gene is very important to the economists and economics in general because of its implication that competition is of much more complicated sort as compared to that which is assumed by the economic man (Fehr Gachter, 2000). This competition is much more complicated as compared to the isolated people competing for the immediate gain. Likewise, cooperation is complicated as compared to a simple tit-for-tat strategy. Not only does the economic mans model fail the test of realism but also fails to offer accurate predictions about the human behavior. Such failures are evident in the recent empirical findings by numerous economists. In the standard theory, the economic man as described by neoclassical economics lead to micro-foundations approach to the economic policy. Macro economies are assumed to operate by the similar rules of constrained optimization which are used to describe individual organizations as well as households together with their people (Varoufakis Hargreaves-Heap, 2004). Normally, a representative human being whose behavior is indicated and outlined by a well-behaved utility function and a representative organization outlined by a well-behaved production function are made use of to model some real-world phenomenon such as the global climate change or foreign trade. Without the assumptions of economic man and perfect competition such optimization models cannot reach a unique and stable equilibrium. Neoclassical models assume a strictly rational behavior in human consumption with constant returns in production and rely on the prices to dynamically adjust demand and supply. In relation to behavioral economics, the existence of pure altruism and other forms of pro-social behaviors has much more implications to the economic policy. The first policy implication is that the impersonal markets are not and not anticipated to be the best vehicles for the expression of human preferences (Fehr Gachter, 2000). Whenever economic decisions do not conform or tally with the axioms of consumer choices, market outcomes are not rational and therefore, there is no any reason to believe that a competitive equilibrium can represent social optimum. In as much as the market restricts choices to individuals then such choices exclude the richness of human behavior (Thaler, 1991). Equally, depending on who among peoples ancestors is considered human, people have been making decisions for many years based on personal interactions, direct negotiations and imposition of rewards and punishments so as to facilitate cooperation. It is however true that people have difficulties in ma king social decisions especially in impersonal markets (Frank, 1988). Even then, the prevailing trend is toward pushing more critical decisions into the market framework. In conclusion, behavioral economics rescues the economic man from the notion that he is selfish. It is true that human being s are always pursuing their self interests and goals given their human nature, but it not true that they are totally engulfed in their selfishness (Wansink, 2006). The neoclassical economics theories explain well about the economic man and his interests but it should not be generalized that human beings are selfish beings ever in the world (Fehr, E. Gachter, 2000). Human behaviors rescue man from the aforesaid selfishness because thee are many other human beings that sacrifice themselves to support other people in their society. This takes them out of the selfness that the neoclassical economics advocate. Human behavior is therefore not always selfish as is can be portrayed by the neoclassical economics (Harbaugh et al, 2002). Many people have been influenced by religion and molded in a way that they value human life and fellow human beings to an extent that even if they are seeking self interests, they go out of their way to help others achieve they needs. For instance, doctors world over might have their intrinsic desire to posses a lot of money but they always help their patients to gain their health so as to continue working for their good. Equally, different countries can only prosper if every person or at least majority of the citizens works for the good of their nation rather than working for their own gain. Should such happen, that nation is doomed to be poor. Therefore, human behavior explained in behavioral economics plays a great role in rescuing the economic man from the selfish gene. References Ainslie, G. (1992). Picoeconomics, London: Cambridge University Press Arnsperger, C., Varoufakis Y. (2005). Most Peculiar Failure: How neoclassical economics turn theoretical failure into academic and political power. Erkenntnis, 59, 157-188. Rabin, M., Loewenstein, G., Camerer, C. (2003). Advances in the Behavioral Economics, New Jersey: Princeton University Press Dasgupta, P. (2002). Modern Economics and its Critics: Models, Realism and Social Construction, London: Cambridge University Press Faruk, G. (2008). The Behavioral economics and the game theory. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition Fehr, E. Gachter, S. (2000). Fairness and Retaliation: Economics of reciprocity. The Journal of the Economic Perspectives, 14, 159 p. 81. Harbaugh, W., Krause, K. Liday, G. (2002). Bargaining by children. Unpublished manuscript: University of Oregon Varoufakis, Y. Hargreaves-Heap, S. (2004). Game Theory: A critical text, London and New York: Routledge Harrison, W. (2005). Advances in Behavioral Economics. Journal of Economic Psychology, 25, 793-795. Henrich, S., Henrich, J. (2008). The Culture and Evolutionary Origin of Cooperation: Kinship, Reciprocity and Ethnicity. London: Oxford University Press Johnson, A. (2003). The Families of a forest: Matsigenka Indians of the Peruvian Amazon. California: University of California. Kagel, H., Roth, E., eds. (1997). The handbook of the experimental economics. New Jersey: Princeton U. P Dahlquist, J., Kirkpatrick, C. (2007). A Complete Resource for the Market Technicians. pp.49 Luce, R. (2000). The Utility of Losses and Gains: Measurement-theoretical and Experimental Approaches. New Jersey: Lawrence Publishers. Hersh, S. (2002). Beyond Fear and Greed: Understanding the behavioral finance and the psychology of investing. London: Oxford University Press Andrei, S. (1999). Inefficient Markets: Introduction to Behavioral Finance. London: Oxford University Press. Smith, V. (2002). The Method in Experiment: A Rhetoric and Reality. Experimental Economics, 5, 91-110. Varoufakis, Y. (1998). Foundations of Economics: A beginners companion, London and New York: Routledge publishers Edgeworth, Y. (1881). Mathematical Psychics. London: L.S.E. Reprint 1934 publishers. Frank, R. (1988). The Passions within Reasons: The Strategic Role of Emotions. New York: Norton Publishers Hirsch, F. (1976). Social Limit to Growth. Cambridge: Harvard University Press Thaler, H. (1991). Quasi Rational Economics. New York: Russell Sage Publishers Foundation. Wansink, B. (2006). A process of Mindless Eating: Why people eat more than they think. New York: Bantam Books publishers

Critical Essay Of Slaughterhouse Five -- essays research papers

Slaughterhouse Five   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critics of Kurt Vonnegut’s are unable to agree on what the main theme of his novel Slaughterhouse Five may be. Although Vonnegut’s novels are satirical, ironical, and extremely wise, they have almost no plot structure, so it is hard to find a constant theme. From the many people that the main character Billy Pilgrim meets, and the places that he takes us, readers are able to discern that Vonnegut is trying to send the message that there will always be death, there will always be war, and humans have no control over their own lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the book is the narrative from Billy Pilgrim a unique character who has the ability to become â€Å"unstuck in time†, which means that he can uncontrollably drift from one part of his life to another â€Å"and the trips aren’t nessicarilly fun†. The whole books is organized in the same way Billy moves in time. In consists of numerous sections and paragraphs strung together in no chronological order, seemingly at random. The whole narration is written in the past tense, so that the reader cannot identify where the author’s starting point is. This aspect of the book is almost identical with the Tralfamadorian type of book:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There isn’t any particular relationship between all the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that,when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and suprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with Mark Vit when he says that the most often expressed theme of the book is that we, as people, are â€Å"bugs in amber†. The phrase first appears when Billy is kidnapped by the Tralfamacorian flying saucer:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Welcome aboard, Mr. Pilgrim.† said the loudspeaker. ‘Any questions,?’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Billy licked his lips, thought a while, inquired at least: ‘Why me?’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That is a very Earthling quest... ...  When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead I simply shrug and say   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is â€Å"so it goes†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of passages like this, many people are able to draw inferences to an almost spiritual quality in the book. The ideas that the Tralfamadorians hold defiantly point to predestination and maybe even a type of eternal life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So what was Vonnegut trying to say to us? That it does not matter what we do in our lives because they will end up the say way regardless? Several people have read the book and come away with that message.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regardless of Vonnegut’s intent, his final product was a book about the absurdity of war and death. Someone may live a noble life or be a war hero, but in the end, they will die, and the war will go on. It is futile to try and change the cycle.

Parkinson Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. The most well-known sign of Parkinson disease is the tremor in just one hand. Family can notice that you have Parkinson disease when there’s little expression in your face and you don’t swing your arms when you walk. Speech often becomes soft and mumbling. Parkinson disease symptoms tend to worsen as the disease progresses. There are many different medicines that treat this disease, but sometimes doctor may tell you to apply surgery. The symptoms may vary from person to person. Symptoms usually begin on one side of the body and remain worse in that side of the body. Some of the symptoms are: Tremor: the shaking usually starts on the hand.Slowed motion: Parkinson’s disease may reduce your ability to start initiate voluntary movement. For example, when you walk your step might become short. Rigid muscles: Stiffness can occur in any part of your body and sometimes it ca n be really bad that it can affect the range of movement you have in that part of your body. Impaired posture and balance: posture may become stooped, and balance problems can occur.Loss of automatic movement: Blinking, smiling and swinging of the arms are all involuntary acts that are a normal part of the human being. With the Parkinson disease these act are reduce and sometimes even lost. Speech changes: people with Parkinson disease may speak softly, rapidly or in a monotone. Sometimes repeating words, or hesitating before answering. Dementia: when the disease has progress a while people tend to deal with memory and mental clarity problems. Your physical, mental, and social state are affected by this disease. Your physical state is affected because this disease deteriorates your physical state little by little. Your mental state is affected because your brain is not functioning as it supposed to be, and socially it affects you because you are incapable of doing many activities th at you would be able to do if you didn’t have the disease.You need to see the doctor if you suffer any of these symptoms above. Internally the disease affects your body and the ability to do stuff. Externally it affects you and your relationship with your environment and everyone else around you.Causes of this disease may be: The exact cause of Parkinson disease is unknown, but there are many factors that play in the role†¦ Your genes: it is said that either inherited or caused by an environmental exposure these genes change might be responsible for Parkinson’s disease. Environmental triggers: exposure to certain toxins or viruses may trigger some of the symptoms and signs of the Parkinson’s disease. The position of your brain is critical because with this disease you are losing many of your main chemical messengers that help you do many of your automatic activities. Little by little you will lose some of the involuntary action you usually do.Several change s in the brain of individuals with Parkinson disease are noticeable, these changes include: A lack of dopamine: many symptoms of the Parkinson’s disease result from the lack of a chemical messenger called dopamine. This result when some cells of the brain that produce this chemical die or become reduced. The reason of these happening is unknown. Low norepinephrine levels: chemical messenger that controls automatic functions. For example, blood pressure. The presence of Lewy bodies.It spreads with time and it is usually worse in one side. I don’t think this disease will kill you, but it will disable you from many activities that a normal person can do. The disease affects most of your involuntary activities and the medicines use for it can also have side effects.Risk factors: age(older people has more risk), heredity, sex (male are more likely to suffer from it), and exposure to toxins. The disease gets worse as time pass by. In the past you will suffer some symptoms, b ut as present and future come the disease will affect you more and more. Parkinson disease is often accompanied by additional problems like: depression, sleep problems, difficulty chewing and swallowing, urinary problems, constipation, sexual dysfunction. What can you do when preparing for an appointment?Write down any of the symptoms you are feeling, write down key personal information, make a list of all the medication you are taking, ask someone to come with you, and write down questions you may want to ask to your doctor. The doctor will test you, but there’s not really a test for Parkinson’s disease. It is based on your medical history and a neurological exam. The doctor will make a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease if you: at least have two of the three Parkinson’s symptoms-tremor, slowing of motion and muscle rigidity, if these symptoms are mainly in one side of the body, if the tremor is more severe at rest, and if you improve significantly with th e Parkinson’s medication levodopa. Levodopa is a natural medicine that when it is taken in a form of a pill; it will go through the brain and transform to dopamine. It becomes less effective as disease progresses and it has some side effects.

The Failure of Gallipoli Was Mainly Caused by Poor Allied Leadership

â€Å"The failure of Gallipoli was mainly caused by poor Allied leadership† Gallipoli is a peninsula in the Dardanelles in eastern Turkey. Gallipoli and the surrounding areas of the Dardanelles were the locations of some of the most contentious battles of the First World War in 1915 and 1916. The military campaign is well known as one of the great disasters of British military history. In 1915 the First World War in northern Europe was deadlocked and ideas were being discussed about opening up new military fronts. One suggestion, in 1915, a decision was made to help Russia who was being threatened by Turkey.An allied plan was made to attack through the Dardanelles in an attempt to take Constantinople (today known as Istanbul) to make a link with Russia. The failure of this attempt was caused by many factors. Much of the military planning was poor. The strength of the Turkish forces was greatly underestimated partly based on poor military intelligence. The initial naval attack was undertaken by older ships that were though inadequate to fight the Germans in the Atlantic but suitable to be used to fight the Turkish.The slow preparation for the naval attack allowed the Turks to fortify the waterway with mines and artillery. Following the failure of the initial naval attacks there were many delays on starting the land campaign allowing the Turks to heavily entrench the peninsula that was already very unsuitable for a military attack. â€Å"The Allies landed against the most heavily defended and best-prepared position in the Ottoman Empire. † Despite this there was evidence that some landing points were almost undefended yet the Allied troops dug in on the beaches and waited for the Turkish troops to arrive.There are many other examples of failures of military planning. Two whole military divisions were landed on the same beach within hours of each other in darkness sustaining massive casualties. Landings were made in the wrong locations, for example, next to heavily defended steep cliffs. Attacks were poorly synchronised following the initial landings, a military stalemate ensued and there were further delays in getting reinforcements although the Turks were able to reinforce continuously.The lack of progress in the campaign led to major political disagreements in Britain and senior military figures resigned followed by a change in government. While many of the problems came from poor political and military leadership and planning, other factors such as bad weather also contributed. As the conflict went on into the summer, conditions for the soldiers became appalling due to the weather and particularly dysentery diseases. More attacks were carried out, but all were ultimately unsuccessful.Probably the greatest miscalculation that was made was not only to underestimate the numbers of the Turkish troops but to also underestimate their military skill and resolve. It was almost as if the Allies felt it was much easier to overcome Tu rkish soldiers than it was to win the war in northern Europe. The Allies were fighting against soldiers who had a very strong sense of national identity. Despite being regarded as a great Allied military disaster, the Turks suffered greater losses in the campaign.Ironically, the only parts of the military campaign that were considered as a success were the troop evacuations. The Gallipoli campaign was ill conceived with disagreement at the political level with a major underestimation of the opposition forces and the military difficulty of the target. Subsequently many bad military decisions were made. While some allowances may be made for adverse weather, difficult geography and climate, most of these problems should have probably been anticipated. Most significantly there was a massive underestimation of the capability of the enemy.

Turkey Facts, Biology, and Statistics

Turkey Facts, Biology, and Statistics The turkey is a very popular bird, especially around the holiday season. Before sitting down to enjoy that holiday meal, pay tribute to this splendid bird by discovering some of these fascinating turkey facts. Wild vs Domesticated Turkeys The wild turkey is the only type of poultry native to North America and is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey. Although wild and domesticated turkeys are related, there are some differences between the two. While wild turkeys are capable of flight, domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys typically have dark colored feathers, while domesticated turkeys are commonly bred to have white feathers. Domesticated turkeys are also bred to have large breast muscles. The big breast muscles on these turkeys make mating too difficult, so they must be artificially inseminated. Domesticated turkeys are a good, low-fat source of protein. They have become an increasingly popular choice of poultry because of their taste and good nutritional value. Turkey Names What do you call a turkey? The scientific name for the wild and modern domesticated turkey is Meleagris gallopavo. The common names used for the number or type of turkey changes depending on the age or sex of the animal. For example, male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are called hens, young males are called jakes,  baby turkeys are called poults, and a group of turkeys is called a flock. Turkey Biology Turkeys have some curious features that stand out upon first glance. One of the first things people notice about turkeys are the red, fleshy stretches of skin and bulbous growths located around the head and neck region. These structures are the: Caruncles:  These are fleshy bumps on the head and neck of both male and female turkeys. Sexually mature males may have large carnuncles with bright colors which are attractive to females.Snood:  Hanging over a turkeys beak is a long flap of flesh called the snood. During courtship, the snood enlarges and becomes red as it fills with blood in the male.Wattle:  These are flaps of red skin that hang from the chin. Males with large wattles are more attractive to females. Another prominent and noticeable feature of the turkey is its plumage. Voluminous feathers cover the breast, wings, back, body and tail of the bird. Wild turkeys can have over 5,000 feathers.  During courtship, males will puff up their feathers in a display to attract females. Turkeys also have what is called a beard located in the chest area. Upon sight, the beard appears to be hair, but is actually a mass of thin feathers. Beards are most commonly seen in males but may occur much less commonly in females. Male turkeys also have sharp, spike-like projections on their legs called spurs. Spurs are used for protection and defense of territory from other males. Wild turkeys can run as speed of 25 miles per hour and fly at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. Turkey Senses Vision: A turkeys eyes are located on opposite sides of its head. The position of the eyes allows the animal to see two objects at once, but limits its depth perception. Turkeys have a wide field of vision and by moving their neck, they can gain a 360-degree field of view. Hearing: Turkeys do not have external ear structures such as tissue flaps or canals to assist with hearing. They have small holes in their head located behind the eyes. Turkeys have a keen sense of hearing and can pinpoint sounds from as far as a mile away. Touch: Turkeys are highly sensitive to touch in areas such as the beak and feet. This sensitivity is useful for obtaining and maneuvering food. Smell and Taste: Turkeys do not have a highly developed sense of smell. The region of the brain that controls olfaction is relatively small. Their sense of taste is believed to be underdeveloped as well. They have fewer taste buds than  mammals and can detect salt, sweet, acid, and bitter tastes. Turkey Facts andStats According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans surveyed eat turkey during Thanksgiving. They also estimate that about 45 million turkeys are consumed each Thanksgiving holiday. This translates to about 675 million pounds of turkey. With that being said, one would think that November would be National Turkey Lovers Month. However, it is the month of June that is actually dedicated to turkey lovers. Turkeys range is size from small fryers (5-10 pounds) to larger turkeys weighing over 40 pounds. Large holiday birds typically mean a fair amount of leftovers. According to the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council, the top five most popular ways to serve turkey leftovers are: sandwiches, soups or stews, salads, casseroles, and stir-fry. Resources:Dickson, James G. The Wild Turkey: Biology and Management. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1992. Print.â€Å"Minnesota Turkey.† Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, http://minnesotaturkey.com/turkeys/. â€Å"Turkey Facts Stats.† Nebraska Department of Agriculture, nda.nebraska.gov/promotion/poultry_egg/turkey_stats.html.â€Å"Turkey History Trivia† National Turkey Federation, eatturkey.com/why-turkey/history.

Human Disease and Their Control Essays (1103 words) - Immunology

Human Disease and Their Control Essays (1103 words) - Immunology Human Disease and Their Control follow up questions 1a) When people refer to pathogens, they are talking about bacteria that cause disease. 1b)The toxins actually excreted by the pathogens are the main cause of diseases although thetoxins are only by-products of the pathogen's metabolism. 2a)In most cases, the toxins excreted by the pathogens find there way into the circulatory system. Thus, sometimes, the infection is caused somewhere else from where the toxins were excreted. An example of this would be Rheumatic fever. The toxins that ca Yet another example of where the disease is in a different location then where the toxin was released is Dipheria. The pathogen that causes Diptheria is usually located in the throat. As the toxin is released, it travels all the way to affect limb muscle 2b) Examples of where the disease is at the site of the bacteria could be Tetanus and Tuberculosis. The tetanus bacteria releases a deadly toxin which can affect the whole body which causes paralyzation. As it affects the whole body, the disease would mos 3a) In our environment, we encounter all sorts of micros of air-borne pathogens that cause diseases are the ones that cause whooping cough, scarlet feve 3b) An example for this kind of transmission would be the kind of pathogens found in feces. Typhoid fever is one of the kinds of diseases that are transmitted through water as these pathogens are found in feces. The feces released would sooner or later fi 4a) Besides transmitting disease through everyday drinking water and the air, another way of transmitting diseases are by contact. Chicken Pox and Small Pox are some of the many diseases that can be caused by contact. 4b) Veneral diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis can also be transmitted by contact. 5a) An example of a disease that can be transmitted if there is a wound would be our very familiar Tetanus. An example of how someone would acwuire tetanus from a wound would be like this: The construction worker moves around a lot and works very hard. Down on the floor is a tetanus infected nail. As the worker is too busy caring for his job, he accidently steps on the nail and gives the tetanus bacteria a chance to get into the body. The 6a) Immune carriers can be classified as those who have recovered from a certain disease and is immune to it, but still carries the pathogens. The immune carriers show no indecation of a disease with no symptoms, but this carrier can still trnasmit these 6b) One major disease carrier is the Anthropod. They pick up the pathogens in their food, where they walk and other places. As they carry the disease, they move to other places either for food or shelter purposes. When they bite or sting other organisms, 7) The skin is the main protector from pathogens. The first line of defense is the structure of the skin itself. It is almost impossible for pathogens to pass the skin layer. Those who do would go through the pores in our skin. The second line of defense 8a) Some cells that engulf pathogens are known as phagocytes. This is so because the phagocytes engulf the pathogens through a special process known as phagocytosis. An example of a phagocyte would be blood cells known as leucocytes. The whole job of thes 8b) What many people refer to as Pus is actually the left overs of dead leucocytes and pathogens. 8c) Serious infections cause the swelling of the nymph nodes as there are too many dead leucocytes and pathogens to store for excretion from the body. 9a) Antigens are foriegn proteins to the human body. In turn, these foreign proteins cause a reaction. Usually, the main cause of these foreign proteins would be toxins from pathogens or micro-organisms. 9b) When an antigen enters the body, a certain reaction occurs. When it has been found out that an antigen really is present, it causes the spleen and the lymph nodes to produce a substance known as antibody. This antibody is a specifically desgined aubst 9c) An antitoxin is a kind of antibody. This kind of antobody is specifically used to go after toxins release by these

Animal Farm And The Russian Revolution Essays - British Films

Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution jonathan chan Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution have many similarities and ideas. The characters, settings, and the plots are the same. In addition Animal Farm is a satire and allegory of the Russian Revolution, George Orwell meant for it to be that way. My essay will cover the comparison between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution. Also it will explain why this novel is a satire and allegory to the Revolution. First of all the characters of the farm have a special role in Russian Revolution. The farm itself represents Russia, with its poor conditions and irresponsible leaders. Napoleon, the mad dictator pig who plays Joseph Stalin in real life. Snowball, the leader who gets betrayed by Napoleon and plays Lenin, Old Major as Karl Marx. And who could forget the others like Boxer, who plays the working class, and Molly as white Russia, and of course Mendez 2 the evil dogs of Napoleon who inspire the role as the secret police of Joseph Stalin. Both the novel and Russian Revolution cover the same ideas because of these reasons. In the Russian Revolution an irresponsible leader name "Nicholas the second" or how people in those days refer to him as "the Czar" was overthrown by a new leader with better ideas and ways to keep Russia alive, he was Lenin! But then he was betrayed by one of his communist comrades, Stalin. Stalin ruled for a great period of time, but everyone knows there is no such thing as immortality, and so he got kicked out too! This time by his own people. In Animal Farm a boar name "Old Major" has a dream about a world where animals rule, there are no differences, all equality, a dream about communism. This same thought applies with the idea of Stalin and his plan in ruling Russia. So when Snowball hears this him and his comrades get ready to attack the government, Mr. Jones (also known as "the Czar"). When he is ov erthrown Snowball becomes the leader and is betrayed by Napoleon. This event is when Stalin kicks out Lenin. Mendez 3 Animal Farm is a great example of a "Political Satire". The novel was written to criticize the totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalin's rule in Russia. In Chapter one its tells how the author, George Orwell, feels about the novel. Also it give reference to the farm and how it relates to Russia. But you can see all the satire in chapter two. It tells how inefficient of the idea "communism" does not work. Human nature can't handle "communism". We are too devious and too demanding for the things we want, we are "bossy". From chapter two to the last chapter shows how the novel is a Satire and in the end has a conclusion that was shown in chapter two. The characters, settings, and plot of Animal Farm is an "allegory" to the Russian Revolution. For example Napoleon symbolizes Joseph Stalin because they are both advocates of the devil and follow an idea of a certain race or species ruling everything. The farm of course is Russia with their bad conditions and no good government. And last of all the plot tells about the same thing, dictatorship never works! Mendez 4 George Orwell has made good points in his novel. I think he's a great and very smart writer because his novel was disguised as a children's novel to a Revolution where if you spoke what you thought about it you would get executed. In conclusion I think Animal Farm is a great novel and not only did I learn about a group of Animals taking over a farm but I learned more about World War one history and Russia's history.

Air Pollution in Ontario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Air Pollution in Ontario - Essay Example There has a problem of urban sprawling that has become a cause of major pollution in the capital. (Marianne, 2000) Air pollution has been one of the major problems that have been affecting the city of Ontario for along time now. It has been a subject of study and research but there have been little that has been done in order to mitigate the situation. Air pollution in Ontario has been contributed by the rising urban sprawl in the area. Thus has come with a lot of problem with multiple effects on the health and general life of the people in the area. Urban sprawling has seen the gobbling up green space in the southern part of Ontario. This has been happening at an alarming rate which has come with a lot of environmental impacts in the area. According to the Neptis Foundation which has been monitoring the issue, there are addition 260,000 acres of rural land that is expected to the urbanized by 2030. This shows that it will be double the rate of the current size of the city of Toronto. This has been compounded by the fact that about 92% of the land in Ontario is best for farmland. Urban sprawling in the areas has lead to a lot of effects. It has led to destruction of green space and farmlands which has affected the rate of food production in the area. There has been an effect of river pollution and pollution of other water ways and streams. The population has been forced to be over dependent on vehicles which has been having a lot of air pollution with the consequential problem of climate change. (Ontario Greenbelt alliance, 2008) It has been shown that the Golden Horseshoe area on Ontario has been growing with more than 115,000 people coming in the area every year. In the coming 15 years, it is estimated that it will be the third largest urban region in the North America behind New York and Los Angles. This has been coming with a lot of problems and strains for the population living in the city. The Toronto area has also approved the development for 128,000 acres of land since 1989 which has been at a rate of 9,100 acres every year. The Toronto region conservation authority has shown that increased loss of biodiversity is having an effect on the natural resource. For example of the 180 animal species that are found in greater Toronto, 110 have been classified as having a risk of extinction due to encroachment of their land. These are some of the problem that has led to the compounding problem of urban sprawling in the area. In this regard there have been many problems that have come with the increase in population and the consequent reclaiming of arable land for the purpose of settling the population. In comparison to other cities around the city of Toronto has been adversely affected by the problem of increasing population since the local authority had to deal with the problem of increasing access of basic services to the population. There are several problems that have come as a result of increase in the population of the province in general. (Bates, 1997) Challenges of urban sprawling in Ontario There have been several effects that have resulted from urban sprawling in Ontario. These have resulted from the increasing population pressure and decreasing land resources and amenities to accommodate the population. In specific there has been

Biology in Everyday Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology in Everyday Life - Essay Example With the awareness of the risks impacted by rapid spread of this species, marine ecologists strive to find out the most appropriate management response (Siggins, 2014). This specific invasive species is costing millions of money because of loss of biodiversity and impact on human health and economic activity especially in Ireland, where it has been reported in the article (Siggins, 2014). The article sheds light on the spread of invasive species, which relates well to the course, which discusses invasive species. However, the course content does not expressly cover this specific invasive species, which can be explained by the fact that there are many invasive species in the world, which cannot be covered in this course. The course provides information on how invasive species affect other species in a given area, which has helped me understand the nature of the Didemnum vexillum, which is threatening to displace other sea species in the area and consequently have devastating effects on the environment and the economy (Hierro & Callaway, 2003). The article caught my attention from the fact it is affecting ocean environment, which clearly shows how serious it is. Previously, I thought it was not possible to have invasive species in ocean since it is vast and hence cannot be easily invaded. The article has changed my perception and expanded my knowledge on invasive species which to be present in almost every possible environment (Hierro & Callaway, 2003). The threat to ocean is real from this invasive species and can indirectly affect me as it displaces valuable sea species, which contribute to economies of nations across the world. The species also has enormous effect on environment as it affects the balance created by existing species where it colonises (Hierro & Callaway, 2003). Research on this invasive species should be increased to understand its nature and the best way of curbing its

The Structure and Function of the Endocrine System in the Body Essay

The Structure and Function of the Endocrine System in the Body - Essay Example Release of hormones is slow or fast. Hormone production ceases on attainment of the required physiological activity. The endocrine system regulates almost all the other structures of the body. The circulatory system carries the secreted hormones to all the target tissues and organs. The main function of the endocrine system is homeostasis. Homeostasis is the maintenance of the internal environment at a constant state for proper function of cells. Individual hormones affect cells that contain a specific genetic program that allow them to respond. The secretion of hormones by the endocrine glands causes specific responses that led to corrective measures (Falvo, 2013:374). Endocrine system functions by feedback mechanisms. The hypothalamus releases a hormone that triggers the pituitary gland to produce stimulating hormones. The stimulating hormone acts on the specific gland making it to secrete its hormone (Sherwood, 2012a, p19). When the level of this hormone increases in the blood, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland stop their secretion. The secretion by the target gland eventually stops. The cells contain receptors on the membrane. The hormones bind to specific receptors trough the key-lock mechanism. Polar hormones generate a chemical signal through a second massager because they are unable to penetrate through the cell membrane (Falvo, 2013:378). The second massager activates the response of the target cell. The target cell begins the triggered activity. The non-polar hormones like the steroids enter the cell and bind to their receptors found in the cell cytoplasm. When it gets into the cell, it binds to the receptors on the nuclear membrane. This activates the hormone receptor complex, which in turn binds to the DNA stimulating specific genes to produce proteins. The following are the major glands that integrate for the proper functioning of the endocrine system. They include the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, parathyroid gland, pancreas, ovaries,

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation Essay

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation - Essay Example However, not all organisations are able to establish a competitive edge utilising traditional differentiation tools and must, instead, rely on human resources to establish a tangible human capital advantage. There are some organisations, such as Sainsbury’s, a leading supermarket chain, that must establish a collaborative, culturally-sensitive model of teamwork in order to improve business position in a very mature and saturated marketplace. In order to ensure that employees have the skills and competencies necessary to gain competitive advantage, training becomes a critical imperative for HR professionals. This report describes the dynamics of the workplace that both hinder and support training in HRD, mitigating issues of organisational culture, and the potential conflict that can arise between theory and tangible HR practice when attempting to build human capital. Why training is an imperative Sainsbury’s positions itself on the market as a value leader and as an organisation with a strict compliance to multiple dimensions of corporate social responsibility to maintain a competitive edge (Sainsbury 2011). At the highest levels of governance, with decision-making occurring vertically throughout the organisational hierarchy, Sainsbury leadership establishes an ethical climate built on integrity, transparency and trustworthiness which are then disseminated throughout the organisational culture. Establishment of an ethical climate is quite different from development of an organisational culture, defined as the methodology by which employees perceive the established norms of the business culture (Denison 1996; Bartels et al. 1998). The premise of this ethical climate and supporting ethical culture is to ensure that the values and principles of Sainsbury’s business model are modelled by employees and managers to improve Sainsbury’s market reputation with mu ltiple stakeholders and shareholders. Why is this important in the domain of HRD? Sainsbury, in order to maintain its high market share in this saturated marketplace, must ensure that the ethical and socially-responsible values are transparent and adopted throughout the organisational model. Sainsbury differentiates itself from major competitors such as Tesco and Morrison’s through branding, â€Å"a core marketing practice emphasising the continuity of the firm with important buyer markets†, translating the intangible of market-based assets to a tangible representation of value (Abimbola 2001, p.98). Sainsbury establishes a brand personality in dimensions of sincerity, competence, and sophistication, three dimensions necessary to gain market loyalty and subsequent brand equity (Aaker 1996). However, in order to provide tangible and recognisable value associated with this established brand personality, employees must be properly developed so that job role functions are aligned with core values and the elements of brand that leads to competitive advantages. This cannot be effectively accomplished without establishing a training programme that is homogenous and relevant for issues of ethics and social responsibility. Because the integrity of relationships with many stakeholders along the value network distinguish Sainsbury’s brand reputation from competitors, it is critical that interpersonal relationship development be improved between internal employees and external stakeholders. Without proper training and development in these key areas underpinned by ethical values, Sainsbury cannot maintain a unified culture that willingly and openly role models these vital

Procedures or Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Procedures or Methods - Research Paper Example The researcher requires a platform for explaining reasons behind the collected data. The researcher has to develop guidelines that help collect the reasons behind the results during the research process. This involves the formulation of causal explanations that justify the collected information. Beneficial ways of identifying and carrying out a research depend on the researcher’s intimate understanding of the issue to be studied. This is enhanced during the design process where the researcher gets some background information on the issue. The NCLB law was enacted to give children with disabilities equal education opportunities with their counterparts without disabilities (Baker, 2010). The research design process begins with identifying the aim of the research. In this case, the researcher would be interested in finding out the benefits of NCLB and how the children have benefited so far. Some scholars consider NCLB law to contradict with the initial IDEA law that protects indi viduals with disabilities (Baker, 2010). The researcher may include the effects of the two laws in protecting people with disabilities. The teachers and state education heads have developed educational interventions in order to comply with NCLB requirements and meet the required student performance. The results and failures of the strategies can be included in the aims of the research. The second step is to formulate the research questions that completely address the aims of the research (Bynner and Stribley, 2010). These questions shed light on the benefits of NCLB and the effects it has created in the education system. The research questions are: Where would Special Needs children be educationally without No Child Left Behind? What impact has NCLB created among children with disabilities? What strategies have been formulated by the education board and what effects have they introduced in the curriculum? What issues make the implementation of NCLB difficult and what are the resourc es involved in the implementation process? The third step is to design the research paradigm or theoretical framework. The framework provides a guiding structure and range of tool that will help the researcher answer the research questions. This research would require a positivistic method of collecting data like interviewing students with disabilities, parents, teachers, and curriculum developers (Mitchell and Jolley, 2012). Questionnaires would also be helpful in collecting quantitative data on the subject. The questionnaires would be distributed to various schools within the state. They would have sections to be filled by students, teachers and their parents. These would increase the sampling area by minimizing the effort used when conducting interviews. The students would provide data on the effects of NCLB on their education process. The teachers would provide information regarding the effects of the law on the curriculum and the cumulative effects on the education process for students. Parents would also provide information regarding student performance and perceived benefits introduced by the law. The curriculum developers or education officials in the state offices would provide information regarding the effects of the law on curriculum development and the challenges faced when implementing the guidelines. The questionnaires would also involve questions dealing with the benefits of NCLB on the students, the impact in the education

Week8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week8 - Assignment Example This is especially beneficial for the people living in the remote parts of certain developing countries. Apart from transactions other augmented services like balance enquiry, credit or debit alerts, payment alerts can be viewed through mobile banking. It also helps the customers to make money transfers instantly. A part from the customers, the banks also benefit from mobile banking as they can promote or sell products loans, credit cards for a specific target market segment (Unhelkar, p.471). According to security experts mobile banking is safer as compared to internet banking. However there are various security threats. Users can be exposed to fake messages known as ‘smishing’. Each and every device may not have the facility to perform mobile banking. There are certain banks that do not even provide the facility of mobile banking. The increase in the use of blackberry and smart phones is a key indicator that mobile banking is here stay. Besides, people never wanted to stay in long queues to make bill payments. As far as BOA is concerned customization can really help the bank to target different groups of customers. The company can launch different types of mobile application to target different market segments. However the key to the success would be to follow the KISS (keep it short and simple) approach as customers are likely to hate it if the applications are far too complicated. Another key area would be customer education. Many customers are still a bit hesitant to use mobile banking or internet baking so to speak due to security concerns. Raising awareness among people regarding the safe and sound use of mobile applications related to mobile banking can help the bank to attract new customers. The increasing number of usage of smart phones or black berry is for once the key motivator for offering mobile banking. Add to that mobile banking get be a great platform for the competitors also to gain new market or to

Procedures or Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Procedures or Methods - Research Paper Example The researcher requires a platform for explaining reasons behind the collected data. The researcher has to develop guidelines that help collect the reasons behind the results during the research process. This involves the formulation of causal explanations that justify the collected information. Beneficial ways of identifying and carrying out a research depend on the researcher’s intimate understanding of the issue to be studied. This is enhanced during the design process where the researcher gets some background information on the issue. The NCLB law was enacted to give children with disabilities equal education opportunities with their counterparts without disabilities (Baker, 2010). The research design process begins with identifying the aim of the research. In this case, the researcher would be interested in finding out the benefits of NCLB and how the children have benefited so far. Some scholars consider NCLB law to contradict with the initial IDEA law that protects indi viduals with disabilities (Baker, 2010). The researcher may include the effects of the two laws in protecting people with disabilities. The teachers and state education heads have developed educational interventions in order to comply with NCLB requirements and meet the required student performance. The results and failures of the strategies can be included in the aims of the research. The second step is to formulate the research questions that completely address the aims of the research (Bynner and Stribley, 2010). These questions shed light on the benefits of NCLB and the effects it has created in the education system. The research questions are: Where would Special Needs children be educationally without No Child Left Behind? What impact has NCLB created among children with disabilities? What strategies have been formulated by the education board and what effects have they introduced in the curriculum? What issues make the implementation of NCLB difficult and what are the resourc es involved in the implementation process? The third step is to design the research paradigm or theoretical framework. The framework provides a guiding structure and range of tool that will help the researcher answer the research questions. This research would require a positivistic method of collecting data like interviewing students with disabilities, parents, teachers, and curriculum developers (Mitchell and Jolley, 2012). Questionnaires would also be helpful in collecting quantitative data on the subject. The questionnaires would be distributed to various schools within the state. They would have sections to be filled by students, teachers and their parents. These would increase the sampling area by minimizing the effort used when conducting interviews. The students would provide data on the effects of NCLB on their education process. The teachers would provide information regarding the effects of the law on the curriculum and the cumulative effects on the education process for students. Parents would also provide information regarding student performance and perceived benefits introduced by the law. The curriculum developers or education officials in the state offices would provide information regarding the effects of the law on curriculum development and the challenges faced when implementing the guidelines. The questionnaires would also involve questions dealing with the benefits of NCLB on the students, the impact in the education

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay Example for Free

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you? Why are these concepts important to United States society? Race is usually defined by the color of a person’s skin such as black, or white. These words are used very frequently. Ethnicity is a more proper way to define us as people and usually refers to our cultural background/ancestry. For example: Africans, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. These concepts are important to the United States because of the diversity, and all walks of life, census plays a big role. Our ethnicity/race is what distinctively separates us from one another by groups. Also according to (Office Of Management and budget August 28,1995) In 1977, OMB issued the Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting that are set forth in Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. The standards in this Directive have been used for almost two decades throughout the Federal government for recordkeeping, collection, and presentation of data on race and Hispanic origin. The standards have been used in two decennial censuses and in surveys of the population, data collections necessary for meeting statutory requirements associated with civil rights monitoring and enforcement, and in other administrative program reporting. Data collection agencies have legislative authority to collect racial and ethnic data needed for Federal programs and in the case of the decennial census, for redistricting. They also use racial and ethnic data for analyses of social, economic, and health trends for population groups. Basically it is important for them to collect this info for federal, business, and statistical reasons. References: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_race-ethnicity

The Ara Pacis: Monument of the Age of Augustus

The Ara Pacis: Monument of the Age of Augustus After 31 BC, as Augustus secured overall power in Rome, he set about a series of radical reforms which affected almost every area of public life, and some areas even of private life (the marriage laws, for example). His intentions were on a grand scale; he planned to regenerate Rome and its people after the disturbances of the late Republican period, and in more ways than one might have expected he succeeded. The price, of course, was the loss of republican liberties. Syme says â€Å"It was the end of a century of anarchy, culminating in twenty years of civil war and military tyranny. If despotism was the price, it was not too high† (Syme, 2). Suetonius’s account of the reign of Augustus is partly a list of reforms, in the army, the fabric of the city, the administration of justice, the customs of dress, the securing of public health and many others. Paul Zanker says that â€Å"The goal of his â€Å"cultural program†, pursued with far-reaching and concentrated e ffort over the next twenty years, was nothing less than a complete moral revival† (Zanker, 3), in which the focus of national and cultural attention would be himself, a ruler chosen by the gods, who embodied practically as well as symbolically the soul of the state. The excesses of the previous period were to be replaced by nobler and more serious public values, by a greater sense of national loyalty which would reject personal rivalries in the world of power politics and bring about an era of peace and security which would allow Rome to thrive. Such a radical revision of the public world naturally required a public imagery to support it and express its new codes. â€Å"Invidious private ostentation [was replaced] by a program of publica magnificentia† (Zanker, 3). Building in the city, and the visual arts generally, naturally became vehicles for conveying the new values. Favro says that Augustus â€Å"continuously used the built fabric of the city to convey policy† (Favro, 141). The Ara Pacis was built between 13 and 9 BC, and is a key monument for the display of the Augustan principles. Augustus himself records its construction in the Res Gestae: â€Å"When I returned from Spain and Gaul after successfully settling the affairs of those provinces†¦ the Senate decreed that the Altar of Augustan Peace should be consecrated for my return near the Campus Martius† (Brunt Moore, 25). Augustus had been away on this military campaign for three years, and the Ara Pacis was a tribute to him, but also to the idea of peace, which he reminds us in the next paragraph of the Res Gestae came through war and victory: â€Å"Peace had been secured by victories throughout the Roman Empire by land and sea.† It is not surprising, then, that in the carved panels flanking the doors of the Ara Pacis, the figure of Tellus/ Ceres/ Venus, surrounded by the images of fertility and peaceful abundance is matched by another figure, of Roma, seated on a pile of arms, reminding all viewers of the serious truth â€Å"that the blessings of peace had been won and made secure by the newly fortified virtus of Roman arms† (Zanker, 175). The altar enclosure carries sculpted friezes on all four sides. Tellus and Roma flank one door, Aeneas and Mars with Romulus and Remus the other. On the long sides a procession is depicted, showing Augustus himself and members of the Imperial family, accompanied by senators, lictors and priests preparing for a rite of sacrifice. Perhaps the processional image records the actual event of Augustus’s return to Rome. Some of the figures have been identified, rather tentatively, as individual people in the ruling group, but for the most part the faces are idealized, though distinctly human. Clearly there is a classicizing influence at work here. These are dignified and serious people, displaying â€Å"the Roman traditional concepts of dignity (dignitas) and sobriety (gravitas)† (Henig, 85). Although Henig argues that the procession commemorates â€Å"a specific event of contemporary history†¦ with anecdotal detail in three dimensional relief† (Henig, 74), it is s urely more the case that the classical dignity of the image is meant to convey â€Å"the idea of the return of Augustus, the guarantor (auctor) of peace† (Gallinsky, 142), and the presentation shows â€Å"not so much an individual action as a reflection of the underlying idea† (ibid). Augustus had refused the senate’s offer of a triumphant entry into the city, and accepted the Ara Pacis in its place, a structure of quite modest scale for a dictator, and understated in its imagery. The classicizing generality of the figures is part of the Augustan taste for moderation and restraint in all areas of life. The â€Å"elegant simplicity and clarity of style† (Henig, 74) reflect the classical model behind the design, the 5th century BC Panathenaic procession depicted in the Parthenon. Augustus’s inspiration could hardly have been more noble. The miraculous thing is that the Ara Pacis frieze escapes completely from the frigidity of the Parthenon sculptures , and from the pomposity of much nineteenth-century neo-classical statuary. It is interesting at this point to consider the images of Augustus himself produced during his lifetime. The Prima Porta statue of 27 BC is based on a Greek model, the Doryphoros of Polyclitus, which Quintilian calls â€Å"gravis et sanctis†, and thus a telling choice as a precedent. Augustus is shown addressing the troops, his right arm raised to command attention. Syme describes it as â€Å"showing the Princeps in his middle years, firm and martial but melancholy and dedicated to duty† (Syme, 470). The face has a calm, noble expression, its features â€Å"marked by a harmony of proportions, inspired by the Classical canon† (Zanker, 99). Like the Doryphoros, the hair has been arranged with careful attention to the rules of symmetry. The result is a look of â€Å"timeless and remote dignity† (ibid). It had little to do with Augustus’s actual appearance, but that is beside the point. This is how Augustus wished to be seen, it is the â€Å"image† of Augustus, an image which derives much of its authority from the great Classical models, with all their associations of seriousness, nobility and the ideals of human grandeur. The armour Augustus wears carries emblems of his achievement and reminders of the nature of the peace. â€Å"The rich panoply of symbols and personifications that decorate his cuirass refers to the establishment of peace (pax Augusta) in the Empire and Augustus’s role as restitutor orbis† (Henig, 85). At the centre of the cuirass a Parthian king hands the legionary eagle to an armed figure – a Roman centurion, perhaps, or even Mars Utor himself, to whom Augustus built a temple in Rome. Around them are placed heaven and earth. Two mourning women are on either side, emblems of the defeated nations. Apollo and Diana ride traditional animals, a griffin and a hind. Above, Sol is in a chariot above Apollo, Luna above Diana, while Caelus spreads out the cloth of heaven. Luna is being replace d by Dawn, who pours dew from a jug. Augustus’s victory over the Parthians thus takes on qualities imagined in terms of eternity, timeless like the idealized Classical face of the Emperor. â€Å"The Princeps who wears the new image of victory on his breastplate becomes the representative of divine providence and the will of God† (Zanker, 192). The second statue, from the Via Labicana, is from later in Augustus’s reign and shows us the Emperor dressed as a priest. The face is more individualized – the eyes are smaller, the cheekbones are visible, and the ears protrude. This is a more â€Å"real† Augustus, but the overwhelming effect of the statue is to show him as a serious and thoughtful figure. â€Å"The spirituality of the wise and benevolent father of the state and restorer of traditional morality emanates from the shaded deep-set eyes† (Henig, 85). The military commander is absent, but the same underlying conception is there; the god-like Emperor, who is both guardian of the security of the state, and also richly human in the most virtuous, intelligent, and pious ways. The sculptures of the Ara Pacis can be understood in these terms. The procession is towards a sacred ceremony. Around two thirds of the scenes involve members of the four principal colleges of priests, which Augustus had revived in his reform programme. The flamines can be identified by their traditional dress, a woollen cloak and a cap with a metal point. Membership of the priesthood was a mark of high status. Augustus entrusted the management of the annual sacrifices to officials of all the major priesthoods (thus skillfully diluting their real individual power). Here, some of the priests have veiled heads, which shows that the ceremony has begun. A woman puts her fingers to her lips to call for silence. â€Å"The dense rows of figures all similarly veiled in their togas give the impression of unity and uniformity. The sculptural style and composition, inspired by Classical reliefs, elevates the scene beyond the historical occasion into a timeless sphere† (Zanker, 121). Amon gst the Imperial family the women are draped in the style of Classical statues. Drusus, the successful general, stands in their midst. Children try to get the attention of their parents. As with the two Augustus statues, dignity and authority merge subtly with humanity. There is, as Gallinsky says, an â€Å"exquisite balance between stylization and informality† (Gallinsky, 152). The postures and gestures are varied, and in a way that is not merely the result of the artist’s desire to add variety to a potentially monotonous subject. â€Å"These are real people. They chat, even to the point of having to be admonished to be quiet, and the children wriggle and squirm as we know them to do at any official ceremony or church service† (ibid). That this is true, even though the principal mood is that of Classical decorum and sobriety, is a remarkable artistic – and perhaps political – achievement. Gallinsky goes on to call the Ara Pacis â€Å"one of the m ost humane monuments ever built by a powerful ruler†¦ This is not the pompous and grim monument of a party leader whose subjects are bullied into conformist succession. The relaxed attitude of the participants†¦ is in fact another manifestation of the blessings of pax† (ibid, 151-2). Mortimer Wheeler argues similarly for the remarkably relaxed grace of the work. He notes the delightful gestures of the lady hushing the chatterers, and the children â€Å"particularly vital in their display of childlike interest or boredom† (Wheeler, 165). While Bandinelli rather insensitively describes the work as â€Å"frigid in conception, sharing the programmatic conformity which stamps all official art† (Bandinelli, 189), Wheeler says that this is â€Å"wide of the mark. If frigid, these figures owe their aloofness to the calm assured, unanxious society which they represent† (Wheeler, 165), surely a very astute understanding of the relationship between Augustan art – even â€Å"official art† – and the mood of the society it expresses. Another fine piece of observation is Wheeler’s note that as we look along the frieze slabs form one vitally depicted head to another â€Å"there is no dramatic concentration upon the Emperor† (ibid). He stands, indeed, at the centre of the frieze, but he is only slightly taller than those around him, a quality he shares with Agrippa. The Emperor may be a god, but there is no personality cult at work. â€Å"He is merely primus inter pares† (ibid) and Wheeler sees this too as an example of the virtues of the Augustan era, â€Å"its quiet good manners and its undemonstrative confidence† (ibid). He contrasts this modest presentation of the Emperor with the image on the Arch of Titus about 100 years later, where the figure of the victorious Emperor is more prominent than the glory that seeks to crown him, and whose frontal positioning causes hopeless distortion of the perspective. This notion of Augustus’s modesty is certainly supported by Suetonius. He notes how Augustus â€Å"felt horrified and insulted when called ‘My Lord’† (Suetonius, 80), and would not let even his adopted children or grandchildren address him in this way. He al ways tried to avoid leaving or entering Rome in daylight â€Å"because that would have obliged the authorities to give him a formal welcome or send-off† (ibid). (This seems to be supported by his rejection of a triumphal entry after the Hispano-Gallic campaign, and the preference for the modesty and decorum of the Ara Pacis). Suetonius also describes the simplicity of Augustus’s living conditions. The furnishings of the palace would â€Å"now hardly be considered fit for a private citizen† (Suetonius, 92), and his dress was unostentatious. Of course he held formal dinner parties, but â€Å"There was no great extravagance, and a most cheerful atmosphere, because of his talent for making shy guests†¦ join in the general conversation† (ibid). And yet Syme reminds us that the blessings of the Augustan reign had a cost: â€Å"The new dispensation, or ‘novus status’, was the work of fraud and bloodshed, based upon the seizure of power and red istribution of property by a revolutionary leader† (Syme, 2). Both Bandinelli and Henig have complained of the lack of coherent plan in the Ara Pacis, â€Å"not in the quality of the sculpture, nor in the style and technique, but in the subject matter† (Henig, 73). The question is whether the processional friezes have anything to do with the mythical and allegorical panels flanking the doors at either end. If we have understood the nature of the friezes correctly, and their relationship to the Augustan vision of the Roman world, it is clear that the subject matter of the panels and their treatment are central to the statement of the work. Most important in this sense, as well as best preserved, is the panel depicting Tellus (or Venus, or Ceres). The subject of the panel is the blessings of abundance. A matronly woman sits in Classical dress, with two babies at her sides, reaching for her breast. Her lap is filled with fruit, and her hair is bound with a wreath of grain. Wheat and poppies grow behind her, and below her are farm animals. T he image celebrates growth and fertility. Either side of her are female figures, aurae, icons from Greek Classical tradition, who are emblems of the winds on land and sea. The land figure sits on a goose over a stream, the other has the sea monster under control (like Browning’s Duke, â€Å"taming a seahorse†). The aurae are the bringers of warmth and rain, the bestowers of abundance and successful harvest. â€Å"The overall structure is a paean to the fecundity, wealth, and harmony made possible by the Augustan peace† (Favro, 266). The female figure is Tellus, Mother Earth, but also Ceres, Venus, and perhaps Pax herself. The multiplicity of identities is enriching, not confusing. But this idyll is not allowed to stand alone as a dream vision. On the other side of the door, in the corresponding position, we see the figure of Roma sitting on a pile of arms, reminding us that the price of peace is military preparedness and conquest, â€Å"Peace based on world dom ination† (Gallinsky, 146). At the other end the panels celebrate the heroic past, putting the Augustan present into the grandest possible context. In one panel Aeneas is shown preparing to sacrifice after he has seen the portent prophesying his future in Italy. With Venus, and his son Julus, founder of the Julian family, who stands behind him, he is the ancestor of the Roman people, as are Romulus and Remus, presented in the corresponding panel with Mars, god of war, their father and thus also a Roman ancestor. It is the members of that family and the leaders of that people who walk in procession in the long friezes. Much of the wall surface is covered in delicate, symmetrical patterns of tendrils and vine clusters. This was a traditional decorative motif, but here the imagery of abundance takes on a particular relevance, which is reflected in the poetry of the period. The reference is to the myth of the Golden Age, and the implication of the use of such imagery, and so much of it, in the Ara Pacis is that the glorious present has recovered some of the qualities of that legendary past. As David Castriota says, â€Å"For poets like Horace and especially Virgil, who sought to idealize the stable and ordered Peace of the Augustan regime in the comparative terms of the mythic precedent, the analogy of a pristine era of blissful abundance and moral virtue must have seemed irresistible† (Castriota, 124). Such imagery was central to the Augustan picture of the world. In one sense the Ara Pacis might be seen as not entirely the modest and restrained monument suggested here, in that it appears that it was planned as part of a giant structure which sounds rather more Mussolini-like than anything hinted at so far. The Ara Pacis was placed where it would be part of a giant sundial, the hand a huge obelisk 100ft high, with Augustus’s mausoleum at the opposite end of the dial. Elaborate astronomical functions have been claimed for the design. The obelisk was of course a monument to the conquest of Egypt, so that the peace-through-victory notion is repeated. The Ara Pacis faced the Via Flaminia, which was the way Augustus had reentered the city after his campaign, and positioned in open ground â€Å"midway between Augustus’s Mausoleum and the built-up area of the southern Field of Mars, possibly coinciding with the pomerium (the sacred boundary of the city where soldiers had to lay aside their weapons)† (Claridge, 189). The positioni ng probably carried symbolic significance, joining secular and sacred ground, emphasizing the universality of Augustan rule. How much of this must one dismiss as the propaganda of a dictatorial regime? The Res Gestae is a curious document, hardly notable for its modesty. â€Å"Always it is the first person that is stressed† (Brunt and Moore, 4), say its editors, and it presents a highly selective view of the events of Augustus’s reign. He claims that he was unwilling to accept untraditional honours and powers, but â€Å"This plea is an example of clever propaganda writing†¦ He naturally did not mention that there was no precedent for any one man holding so many different positions and powers at the same time† (Brunt and Moore, 5). Syme says that Augustus’s account of recent history is nothing more than â€Å"official truth† (Syme, 522-3), and Tacitus, writing over 100 years later, was cynical: â€Å"He seduced the army with bonuses†¦ Opposition did not exist. War or judicial murder had disposed of all men of spirit†¦ Upper-class survivors found that slavis h obedience was the way to succeed† (Tacitus, 29-30). And yet for Horace, who we must remember fought against Octavius at Philippi, the Augustan peace was something very real. The Centennial Hymn, â€Å"a triumphal ode which is unique in the way it breathes serenity† (Horace, 31), is a tribute to Augustus’s achievements seen in terms of the establishment of peace, prosperity and safety. Now the Parthian fears the Alban axes, the forces mighty by sea and land; now Scythians and Indians, lately so proud, await our answer. Now Faith, and Peace, and Honour, and pristine Modesty, and Manhood neglected, dare to return, and blessed Plenty appears With her laden horn. (Horace, 168) The Augustan peace was something genuine for Horace, and it is difficult to see work of the quality of that in the Ara Pacis as the product of official artists merely. It is little wonder that both the Renaissance and the English eighteenth century saw the Augustan period, and its art architecture and poetry, as the great models to emulate. Works Cited Bandinelli, R.B., trans. Green, P. Rome. The Centre of Power. Roman Art to AD.200. London: Thames and Hudson, 1970. Brunt, P.A. Moore, J.M. (eds), Res Gestae. Oxford: Oxford U.P, 1967. Castriota, D. The Ara Pacis Augustae and the Imagery of Abundance in Later Greek and Early Roman Art. Princeton: Princeton U.P., 1995. Cooley, M.(ed.). The Age of Augustus. London: LACTOR, 2003. Claridge, A. Rome: an Oxford Archaeological Guide. Oxford: Oxford U.P., 1998. Favro, D. The Urban Image of Augustan Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge U.P., 1996. Henig, M. (ed.). A Handbook of Roman Art. Oxford: Phaidon, 1983. Galinsky, K. Augustan Culture. Princeton: Princeton U.P., 1996. Horace, trans. Shepherd, W.G., introd. Radice, B. The Complete Odes and Epodes. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983. Suetonius, trans. Graves, R. The Twelve Caesars. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1957. Syme, R. The Roman Revolution. London: Oxford U.P.1960. Tacitus, trans. Grant, M. The Annals of Imperial Rome. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1956. Wheeler, M. Roman Art and Architecture. London: Thames and Hudson, 1964. Zanker, P., trans. Shapiro, A. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan P., 1990.