Understanding Conflict and Violence Essay example

Conflict as a socio-political phenomenon is inherent in any society. He is one of the manifestations of the political process, method of resolving its contradictions. The important role of conflict marked already the ancients who asserted that the source of the movement of all things lies in the formation of opposites and their struggle. Conflict as a social phenomenon was first studied in the writings of Georg Simmel, G. Hegel, Marx, A. Smith, A. Tocqueville. Isolation of political conflicts in the separate problem of the world political science falls in the middle of the twentieth century. Since then, the political conflict studies has become one of the most important branches of theoretical and applied political science. In the†¦show more content†¦In this struggle for power is almost never openly declared (Batros and Wehr 2002). The desire for power is usually vested in the other clothing (religious, moral, ideological, etc.) to ensure the support of public opinion. Hence the criticism is born of the existing government, the ruling elite. Object and subject of political conflict is a political government, its possession, the unit of government institutions, the political status of social groups, values and symbols that are the basis of political power of the society. The subjects of the political conflict can serve an individual, small and large social groups (including ethnic - clan, tribe, nation) states and their coalition. In political tradition, there are several major methodological approaches to the study of conflicts associated with different paradigms of political science (Batros and Wehr 2002). Naturalistic paradigm explains the nature of politics, based on the dominant values of non-social factors that are innate and unchangeable in essence to the nature of man and society. One direction of the naturalistic paradigm - biopolitics - explains the existence of conflict in the political life of the presence and dominance in humans and the natural properties of instinctive aggressiveness, manifested in the struggle for the possession of vital resources. Another area of naturalistic paradigm - geopolitics - consider the conflict as aShow MoreRelatedSocial Conflict Theory : Social Identity Theory And Conflict1410 Words   |  6 PagesIdentity Theory and Conflict Theoretically significant to conflict is social identity theory. It allows â€Å"predictions to incorporate who is likely to perceive and act in group terms, to remain committed to the group in times of crisis† Turner (1999), Doosje Ellemers, (1999). Bar-Tal stresses conflict exists when an incompatible goal exists between two groups. The question of when incompatibility sets become important in understanding the cause of inter-ethnic or communal conflicts for instance, evenRead MoreMy Understanding Of Education Level Peace Building Efforts Essay1225 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Listening to four women peacemakers, rather peacebuilders, from different countries, cultures and contexts has broadened and, at the same time, challenged my understanding of gender dynamics in conflict context. This reflection essay aims to discuss how these presentations deepened and complicated my understanding of gender. It will mainly focus on Kurshid’s presentations of violent extremism in Pakistan. However, I will also use part of Fatma’s presentation on Western Sahara for theRead MoreConflict Analysis And Peacebuilding Planning Essay1143 Words   |  5 Pagesin East Africa, gender dimensions are often overlooked in conflict analysis and peacebuilding work. I believe that, as peacebuilders, understanding gender dynamics in conflict context would not only enrich our level of analysis, it would also help to come-up-with comprehensive and sustainable peacebuilding plan. In this essay, I will reflect on the conflict, gender and peacebuilding lens discussed in Lisa S chirch’s book (Chapter 9): Conflict Assessment and Peacebuilding Planning: Towards A ParticipatoryRead MoreAdolescents And War : How Youth Deal With Political Violence1523 Words   |  7 PagesHow Youth deal with Political Violence’. Political violence, the focus of this study – is difficult to define – primarily because it such a broad term which incorporates different levels of ideology surrounding the nature of violence, its causes, structures and objectives. Barber takes an interesting and unique stance in his literature, as he touches upon the rarely (but advancing) topic of youth and more specifically adolescents; in relation to political violence. Centralising on the role thatRead More Essay on Conflict Resolution and Mediation to End School Violence949 Words   |  4 PagesUse of Conflict Resolution and Mediation to End School Violence       Conflict and differences of opinion exist in every healthy organization. Americans need to try to take control of todays youth and the violence that is and has been developing in this country for many years.   Although violence will never be extinct, there are many different ways to reduce violence.   Each school and student population has different ways of dealing with and helping to curb the need for violence in schools. Read MoreThe Political Problems Of Burma1621 Words   |  7 Pagesis in constant conflict. We can wonder however to what extent can the conflict be understood by solely focusing on identity. If identity is an important factor in the emergence of tensions it is only one facet of the problem. Alternative theories to the identity explanation on the causes of civil war are polarised between grievance and greed theories (Ballentine and Nitzschke, 2003). However, it is possible to have a complete understanding of the causes and dynamics of ethnic conflict when combiningRead MoreThe Battle Of Inter State War1464 Words   |  6 PagesBull defines war as â€Å"organized violence carried on by political units against each other† (184). With respect to this broad definition, both he and Waltz posit models of conflict which can effectively be used to analyze the sources of modern violence. The warrior scholars employ the theories of multiple political philosophers including Kant and Rousseau in order to build theories that encapsulate the complex variables which lead to armed engagement. These theories can be extrapolated in orderRead MoreApplying Weber s Theories That Sh ape Everyday Life Essay1698 Words   |  7 Pagescombined inequalities, or seemed inequalities, that permeate themselves through the structures of power and conflict. The story of Cain and Abel is one of the earliest accounts of homicide, and the Roman Republic viewed homicide as a family matter, not one that needed government intervention. Throughout history, homicide has shifted as power and conflict have held different connotations, the understanding allowing murder to be seen differently today. â€Å"Homicides, as well as other negative interactions suchRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Death Of Cain And Abel Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pagesdirectly correlate with conflict, murder goes beyond a fight that ends badly: the social phenomena is a result of combined race, gender, and class inequalities, or seemed inequalities, that permeate themselves through power and conflict. The story of Cain and Abel is one of the earliest accounts of homicide, and the Roman Republic viewed homicide as a family matter, not one that needed government intervention. Throughout history, homicide has shifted as power and conflict have held different connotationsRead MorePersuasive Conflict Essay981 Words   |  4 Pagesmust fight back against conflict with a war of words. When we are faced with adversity, we need to respond forcefully with nonviolent approaches and be confident when answering the call. Rather than be physically aggressive towards the opposing group, people need to remain united through their purpose to truly accomplish and solve the problem. The best way for people to respond to conflict is to react peacefully. Many characters try to solve conflicts by using violence. This form of retaliation

Narrative Unreliability in Martin Amis Money - 1686 Words

In Money: A Suicide Note Martin Amis describes the life of John Self, an extremely successful filmmaker of TV adverts who takes part in the materialist game characterising the society of the 1980s. The protagonist is addicted to the 20th century, where he leads a careless life based on a daily abundance of drugs, alcohol, promiscuous sex, handjobs and the porn industry. However, this addiction leaves its marks on the body and character of John Self. His physical as well as social health slowly deteriorate while Self is unable (and unwilling) to get off his never-ending trip. For him life seems to be mainly a holiday, and a very expensive one indeed. Only far too late does he realise the dark sides of a lifestyle depending fully on money,†¦show more content†¦First of all, it is justified to claim that one of the reasons for John Selfs own unreliability lies in the fact that he himself is sometimes not aware of certain aspects of the story. Therefore, it is only a logical con sequence, and by no means part of Selfs intention, that the reader is not properly informed about what is going on at several points of the novel. For example, the dubious existence of his antagonists Frank the Phone and the red-haired woman who seems to follow Self almost everywhere are out of his own understanding. Consequently, he cannot offer the reader a plausible explanation for their motivation. In the end, it is the Martin Amis character of the novel, who sees through Fielding Goodneys insidious plot, identifies John Selfs partner as being both Frank the Phone and the red-haired woman and informs Self as well as the reader about his partners real intentions. As a result of his own lack of knowledge, John Self is simply unable to grasp the real connection between certain elements of the story, and thus the readers have to figure out many things by themselves. Another incident, where John Self is rather clueless regarding the truth, is when it comes to his girlfriend Selina Street and her questionable faithfulness. Thanks to one of his friends, Self knows very early in the novel that she is cheating on him but he is simply unable to establish the identity of her new lover. Finally, it is Selina herself who tells him about herShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesLibrary What’s My Job’s Motivating Potential? 240 Myth or Science? â€Å"CEO Pay Can’t Be Measured† 243 An Ethical Choice Identifying Conflicts of Interest 258 glOBalization! Motivated by Individual Goals or Relational Goals? 260 Point/Coun terpoint â€Å"If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, You Aren’t Spending It Right† 262 Questions for Review 263 Experiential Exercise Assessing Employee Motivation and Satisfaction Using the Job Characteristics Model 263 Ethical Dilemma Spitting Mad 264 Case Incident 1 Multitasking:

Leadership Behavior of Ben and Phil

Questions: 1. Describe and compare the leadership behavior of Ben and Phil. Describe each managers use of specific task and relations behaviors? 2. If you were the manager of this plant, what would you do to achieve both high employee satisfaction and high performance? Answers: 1. Ben Samuels is a plant manager for 10 years in Consolidated Products and is replaced by Phil Jones. Ben has adopted democratic or participative leadership style in which employees are engaged in the decision making process which results in the adoption of new changes in the organization in an easy manner. This plant manager communicates on one to one basis with the employees in order to provide solutions to their problems in an effective manner. Besides this, the manager has also planned to organize different fun activities such as picnics, holiday parties in order to keep friendly environment in the organization. Besides this, the manager also knows each employee by their name due to which employees feel valued by the manager (Hood, 2007). This has resulted in increased retention rate of the employees in the organization. However, there is an increased costs and decline in the production level of the plant as the objectives and standards are not set by the manager as well as department heads which results in decline in the overall productivity of the organization. In addition to this, employees work in an efficient manner in the company as they are highly motivated to work for achieving the goals of the company. The plant has running in the loss as optimum level of production is not met by the company. Under the leadership of Ben, employees are ready to work overtime to achieve the target as they have a trust in their leader (Slack and Parent, 2006). Under such type of leadership, there is an existence of high level of employee satisfaction in the company as the leader consider the opinions and views of the employees to bring changes in the organization. Along with this, employees also provide full support to their leaders in overcoming the challenges faced by the company. Under this leadership, the manager tried to avoid the occurrence of employee layoff in the organization as the manager believed that it is difficult to find the replacement of skilled employees in the organization. Along with this, Ben also shifts the employees to other department or provide other task if they are disable to perform the earlier task due to occurrence of injury. Ben treat its employees in a fair and proper manner which results in the increase in the motivation, commitment and loyalty of employees towards the organization (Murari, 2015). In contrast to this, Phil Jones has practiced transformational leadership in order to bring changes in the plant to increase the productivity and reduce the overall cost of production. Phil has communicated to the supervisors to establish different standards in order to increase the production level of the company. Phil has reduced the costs by decreasing different activities that are provided to employees such as fitness center, reduction in company picnics and parties and the training programs provided to supervisors (Schppel, 2014). This manager considers provision of training to supervisors is a waste of time and cost. In addition to this, Phil also believes in replacing the employees with new employees if employees do not want to work. This has resulted in increased employee turnover in the company. The manager asked the supervisors to set high performance standard for their department and encourage employees to achieve these goals. Along with this, the performance of the employees is verified and monitored by the computer monitoring system adopted by the company under the leadership of Phil Jones. Phil has established a policy that the supervisors should provide one warning to the employees who have not met the standard and fire the employee if it does not achieve the target within the two weeks of provision of the warning (Uzonwanne, 2007). The leader also supervises the performance of supervisors in a close manner and weekly meetings are organized for the purpose of reviewing the performance of the departments. Phil Jones also fire employees if they saw an employee making mistake as it is considered as a waste of time and resources by the leader. Under this leadership, there is a reduction in the cost incurred in the maintenance of the equipments in the plant by the way of reducing the frequency of equipment maintenance (Marques, 2007). The main reason behind it is that it has an adverse impact on the production carried out in the organization. Such activities results in an increase in the production output by 10% and reduction in the production costs by 20%. However, the company also found difficulty in finding the replacements for the workers who left the organization either voluntary or through terminated by the leader. These activities results in formation of the worker union in the organization under the leadership of Phil Jones (Jackson and Smith, 2011). 2. It is recommended that I would adopt of transactional leadership style in which there is a need to set goals by engaging the supervisors and consider their views and opinions. Besides this, it is also essential to establish a communication platform that help employees to share their experiences, knowledge with other employees and supervisors which results in solving their problems. It is also requisite to establish a system which helps in monitoring the performance of the employees and provide compensation to the employees on the basis of their performance (Bonnici and Cooper, 2011). I would also provide rewards to high performers which helps in motivating the employees to increase their performance in the organization. Besides this, it is also essential for the employees to discuss the problems faced by them with other employees in order to gain the solution for the problem. Besides this, training programs are organized for the purpose of enhancing their existing and new skills which are required to perform different tasks in the organization. Along with this, the goals and objectives are clearly communicated to the employees so that they have knowledge of what has to be done to achieve the goal or objective of their team (Iqbal, 2011). References Jackson, J. and Smith, L.B. 2011. Leveraging Your Leadership Style. Abingdon Press. Marques, J. 2007. The Awakened Leader: One Simple Leadership Style That Works Every Time, Everywhere. Personhood Press. Murari, K. 2015. Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Empowerment. Partridge Publishing. Schppel, F. 2014. Differences and Similarities between Charismatic and Transformational Leadership. GRIN Verlag. Uzonwanne, F.C. 2007. Leadership Style and Decision-making Models Among Corporate Leaders in Non-profit Organizations. ProQuest. Hood, J.D. 2007. Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles: An Exploratory Investigation of Traditional and Nontraditional Student Perceptions. ProQuest. Slack, T. and Parent, M.M. 2006. Understanding Sport Organizations: The Application of Organization Theory. Human Kinetics. Bonnici, C.A. and Cooper, B.S. 2011. Creating a Successful Leadership Style: Principles of Personal Strategic Planning. RL Education. Iqbal, T. 2011. The Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Effectiveness. GRIN Verlag.

Role of Hiring Ethical People in Creating and Sustaining Organization

Introduction Ethics is a field of knowledge that deals with morality as it examines human behaviour and conduct. As a field of knowledge, ethics is important in the society because it promotes morality, which central in good governance (Stevens 2009). Therefore, it is within this context that the essay assesses whether hiring ethical people is the most important factor involved in creating and sustaining ethical organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Hiring Ethical People in Creating and Sustaining Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Ten Elements in an Ethical Organization The ten elements of an ethical organization are very crucial in the success of organizations. The elements enable employees and the management work in a productive manner. Effective implementation of these elements leads to good interpersonal relationships among employees and management that result in enhanced prod uctivity and customer satisfaction. Remarkably, some elements such as risk taking, customer focus, unity and cooperation, as well as results-oriented are entrepreneurial skills, which mean that employees need to acquire them. On the other hand, other elements are personal attributes, which implies that they are integral elements of personality that employees need to shape. Personality elements include respect, industriousness, integrity, passion, motivation, and persistence. Entrepreneurial Elements in an Ethical Organization Risk-taking is the first entrepreneurial element that employees require for an organization to succeed and achieve its objectives, it has to hire individuals who are well mannered and have good moral standards. Ethical individuals are those who do not fear risks, but instead are innovative and creative. Light (2009) explains that organizations should hire individuals and encourage them to engage in creative and innovative initiatives. By encouraging its employe es to be creative and innovative, organizations create sets of employees who are willing to think beyond the scope of the organization (Delios 2010). These sets of employees go out of their way to initiate products and strategies that organizations can employ and use to succeed. The act of going out of their way transpires because actions and behaviours of persons result from the set of ethics that they uphold and practise. Therefore, in cases where organizations succeed, organizations should reward employees. Additionally, whenever a risk-taking venture fails to give expected outcomes, organizations need to encourage the employees who are involved in the venture to work hard and examine factors that may have occasioned the failure.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Customer focus is the second element associated with entrepreneurial behaviour. It outlines that the success of organizations is measured through the number of consumers who are willing and able to purchase their products. Therefore, it is imperative that organizations emphasize on products that match the expectations of their target clients. To deliver the products that consumers expect in the market, organizations need to have a workforce in place that has the relevant skills in the production and delivery of their products (Uusitalo 2008). Ethical individuals are dynamic and can easily decipher what consumers need from an organization. Thus, organizations require these ethical employees so that they match up to what their consumers anticipate and increase their consumer base. This does not only result in the success of organizations, but also encourages investors and shareholders to amplify their support towards the subject organizations. Through consumer focus groups, surveys, direct correspondence, and personal selling, ethical employees pull out ideas, suggestions, and opinions from tar get clients concerning their perceived nature of the products. It is, therefore, evident that ethics play an important role in the performance of employees. These employees then use these ideas and suggestions to tailor organization’s products towards customer expectations, and hence, help in creating and sustaining ethical organizations. Unity and cooperation comprise the third entrepreneurial elements, which are necessary in teamwork. Unity and cooperation enable employees in ethical organizations to build good working relationship with others and work together to achieve the aims of the organizations. These individuals need to understand how cooperation and its power yield positive results in an organization. Positive results happen in organizations that hire ethical individuals, since they can choose a suitable course of action that fits well or suits a given state or situation. Ethical employees usually have the capacity of developing lasting relationships with others in the society or at the workplace. Hence, it is essential for organizations to hire ethical people in their quest to succeed and grow. Amazingly, togetherness is a vital ingredient in the success of organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Hiring Ethical People in Creating and Sustaining Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Belak (2011) explains that managers and employees of organizations cannot compromise unity and cooperation because they create harmony within an organization. Conflicts and poor relationships in the workplace usually lead to meagre performances, and ultimately failure of an organization. Conflicts and poor working relations can reduce if organizations hire individuals who have integrity and ethical behaviours. The fourth entrepreneurial element, which is result-oriented, states that ethical organizations can develop and sustain themselves if they ensure that they focus o n results that are achievable without straining their working budgets. Achievement of these results, which are customer friendly and match organizations expectations, is possible if organizations hire human resources who are morally upright and have the required values. Result-oriented employees understand that their focus should be on strategies that yield consumer satisfaction and beneficial outcomes. Notably, ethics helps organizations to ascertain the right activities that they need to undertake so that they can get the expected outcomes. These outcomes have the capacity of meeting the requirements of organizations and at the same time the purchasing power of consumers. According to Chairung (2012), good employees enable organizations to attain their objectives in terms of sales volumes by ensuring that their products match consumer preferences in that buying behaviour and purchasing power remains within the organizations working budget. Additionally, through the results obtaine d from the strategies, the human resources will be in a position of understanding present and future requirements of consumers and organizations in terms of products and production costs respectively. The Personal Attributes of Employees in an Ethical Organization Passion is an important attribute of a person, as it increases zeal and drive among employees. Since ethics encourages individuals to acquire values such passion, enthusiasm, and zeal, these values create the right category of employees, who develop and sustain ethical organizations. When employees develop enthusiasm towards their work, they deliver the best out of themselves and strive to create new strategies and products that enable organizations to deliver the best to their target consumers and grow (Gosselin 2008). With passion, employees can work under minimal supervision and admire the management, unlike employees who lack zeal and look at the management as imposers of inhumane laws.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Human resources who lack zeal and enthusiasm think that the management designs unfair policies and principles that control their character and behaviour in the workplace. Innovations, creativity, and inventions are a result of passion that employees develop in an organization. Therefore, the employees think beyond the scope of their organization and invent new courses of action that can be very practical in the attainment of organizational success and growth. Outstandingly, it is important that organizations encourage their employees so that they can continue delivering their best. Furthermore, integrity is one of the values that ethics encourage people to apply in their daily operations. Integrity entails a number of good qualities that individuals need to practice, for example, honesty, sincerity, assertiveness, and reliability. According to Smith (2010), organizations can succeed and sustain their market share, if they hire employees who have integrity and practise it in their da ily activities. When organizations hire these individuals, marketing and promotion of their products will have their basis on truth and factual evidences. The truthfulness exercised by ethical human resources helps to match pre-consumption, consumption, and post-consumption experiences of the clients. Therefore, organizations will have consumers who believe and trust in their products. Trust that consumers have on the products of the organizations is very crucial, as it increases revenues and profit margins of organizations. Ethical employers will always avoid over promising or under promising their potential clients as it leads to distrust from them. Thus, these employees will advertise products, which are available in their correct qualities and quantities. Moreover, employees with integrity will not commit white-collar crimes, which are a common form of crimes that have made many organizations to collapse. Moreover, organizations need to hire individuals who have strong interests and motivation in achieving the objectives of an organization. Ethical organizations cannot achieve their laid down objectives and goals, if they do not have a motivated workforce in place. Motivation gives the workforce some kind of willingness and a strong zeal towards meeting the desires of the company (Visser 2010). Ethical individuals who acquired good ethics at their tender ages are usually motivated and have self-confidence. These individuals acquire the ethics through religions bodies, societies, and families. Self-confidence enables these individuals to deliver the best in their respective organizations, and hence, steer them towards their goals. Moreover, ethical persons have confidence that their organization has a bright future. In this view, employees work hard with the conviction that the organization will achieve its goals regardless of the prevailing market and economic conditions. Organizations can motivate their human resources by providing incentives and rewards to the best performers. Provisions of incentives and rewards to best performers encourage employees to work hard and deliver their best in an organization. Persistence is an important attribute of employees because it provides the determination to keep moving and working irrespective of the discouraging state of affairs. With persistence, employees in organizations can achieve their desired goals since they maintain their hard work despite the nature of the challenges that they experience (Dilani 2013). Therefore, it is fundamental to understand that organization’s determination to persist and continue to deliver is achievable, if the employees have persistence and resilience. Employees who lack persistence and resilience will not work hard towards salvaging an organization, but instead they lose hope and leave the organization. Hence, it is very crucial for organizations to hire ethical individuals who love and admire organizations they work for, and work hard to ensure that they succeed irrespective of the challenges that they encounter. Ethical employees try to look for the causes of challenges that organizations experience using consumer surveys, personal interactions with consumers, and observations with a view of understanding their occurrence. These employees then use the findings from surveys, interviews, and observations in developing appropriate solutions that resolve the challenges experienced. In this view, persistent individuals do not only ensure that organizations succeed, but also enhance their resilience in times of adversity. Besides, respect is among the values that societies and individuals deem as ethical, and so it is very crucial to employ it in creating and sustaining ethical organizations. Organizations need to hire ethical people since they understand the importance of assertiveness and respect for others in the society and in the workplace. Remarkably, respect depicts the reciprocal relationship between the management and the employees (Segon 2010). Essentially, ethics, values, and moral principles enable individuals interact and create a good relationship with others in organizations. Without respect from the management or the workforce, organizations will not effectively achieve their objectives, and thus, growth and development may not materialize. To enhance respect among employees, organizations can employ codes of conduct to govern how they relate and interact with each other, as well as how they treat one another in the workplace (Becker 2010). People who respect and value others have the capacity of creating good relationship with others, which make them effective team builders. Moreover, respect ensures that clients receive a fine treatment from the workforce, a factor that translates into their satisfaction and loyalty. With the element of respect, organizations can train, control, and supervise their human resources easily and efficiently. Industriousness is an attribute that is central in eth ical organizations. Organizations that have the will to achieve the best from their workforce usually encourage employees to deliver their best. To ensure that employees deliver the best, organizations have an obligation of honouring and valuing them. These organizations can demonstrate their honour and value for their employees through appraisals, incentives, compensations, and promotions. Since ethical people are always working hard to ensure that their organizations succeed, they are likely to achieve the goals and objectives of their respective organizations. The ability of ethical employees to deliver their best implies that organizations need to recruit ethical individuals. Moreover, organizations can improve the ethical nature of its employees by ensuring that they adopt ethical frameworks, which govern behaviours and activities of their workforce, as well as increasing organizational performance and productivity. Personal sacrifices should receive recognition from the manage ment and individuals who engage in these sacrifices need appreciation (Quaquebeke 2009). The appreciation of these individuals not only boosts their morale, but also encourages other members of staff to work hard. Incentives such as fully sponsored trips to their preferred destinations, promotions, increment of wages and salaries are some of the ways that organizations can employ in appreciating good performers. Conclusion Ethical organizations can only emerge and grow if individuals who have good moral values and ethics get the chance of working for these organizations. For ethical individuals already practice ethical values in their daily activities, it becomes easy for them to adopt the policies and requirements of ethical organizations. Furthermore, ethical persons help organizations achieve its objectives through the introduction of values and morals that lead to customer satisfaction. For organizations to transform into ethical organizations, they have to incorporate elements such as risk-taking, customer focus, passion, integrity, motivation, results-oriented, persistence, unity and cooperation, respect, and industriousness. Therefore, hiring ethical people is the most important factor involved in creating and sustaining ethical organizations. Reference List Becker, W 2010, ‘Ethics in Human Resources: An Execrise Invovling New Employees’, Journal of Human Resource Education, vol. 4 no. 4, pp. 26-34. Belak, J 2011, ‘Informal and Formal Institutional Measures of Bussines Ethics Implementation at Different Stages of Enterprise Life Cycle’, Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 105-122. Chairung, C 2012, ‘Strategic Cost Management and Goal Achievement: Evidence from Food Businesses in Thailand’, International Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 12 no. 4, pp. 1-23. Delios, A 2010, ‘How Can Organizations Be Competitive but Dare to Care’, Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 24 no. 3, pp. 24-35. D ilani, J 2013, ‘Entrepreneur Motivations and Life Course’, International Small Business Journal, vol. 31 no. 1 , pp. 34-56. Gosselin, D 2008, ‘A Competence-Based Analysis of Account Mnagement: Implications for a Customer- Focussed Organization’, The Journal of Selling and Major Account Management, vol. 5 no. 1, pp. 11-32. Quaquebeke, V 2009, ‘Find out How Much it Means to Me! The Importance of Interpersonal Respect in Work Values Compared to Perceived Organizational Practices’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 89 no. 3, pp. 423-431. Segon, M, 2010, ‘Managing Organizational Ethics: Proffesionalism, Duty and HR Practitioners’, Journal of Bussines Systemes, Goovernance and Ethics, vol. 5 no. 4, pp. 13-25. Smith, A 2010, ‘Growth of corporate social responsibility as a sustainable business strategy in difficult financial times’, International Journal of Sustainable Economy, vol. 2 no. 1, pp. 59-79. Stevens, B 2009, ‘C orporate Ethical Codes as Strategic Documents: An Analysis of Success and Failure’, Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, vol. 14 no. 2, pp. 14-20. Uusitalo, K 2008, ‘Customer Complaints as a Source of Customer-Focused’, International Journal of Business Science and Applied Management, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 1-13. Visser, W 2010, ‘The Age of Responsiblity: CSR 2.0 and the new DNA of Bussines’, Journal of Bussines Systems, Governance and Ethics , vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 7-22. This essay on Role of Hiring Ethical People in Creating and Sustaining Organization was written and submitted by user Carl0s to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Philosophy Essay Example

Philosophy Essay Example Philosophy Essay Philosophy Essay GITANJALIIntroduction Gitanjali is the one of the greatest book wich is written by the rabindernath tagore and it was written in bengali and it has been tranlated into english, gitanjali is the collcetion of 103 poems and for this poem tagore won nobel price the word â€Å"gitanjali† is drived from th rood git which means â€Å"git† means songs and â€Å"anjoli†means offerings and thus means â€Å"prayer offering of songs†and rabindernath became first non eropian who won the nobel price. It reflects on the iterrelationships among the poet or speaker, the deity ,and the world. He sometimes seems to be resisting tradional religion and prophetically looking towords a new spirituality. It resembles the poetry of mysticism and ofcouse tagore’s reaction ti the vision of reality. Here he presents the divine as the great affirmation, the fountion of energy, the source of life and death, and also the belief of the vedantic doctrine . In the vedantic doctrin e â€Å"that art thou† tagore expains pretty wll about the human existence in the word and also about the nature. Telling the true beauty about these things. His lyrics like a transparent and they open to us the door of inner spaces abd longing for the divine. Tagore like sufi saint brings out the concept reaching god through music and when i read tagore’s works writings would clearly say about the ocean and and personification of the human life and death.Rabindernath writings It is about full of inspiration and full of color. Gitanjali speaks of birth of life, to the death, nature and man’s quest for answers from god. Be it song or rain, nature or god,each poems disply the simplicity of thoughts. Nuances between god and man’s tributions with are captured beautifully in this book.while one poem describes a person waiting for the temple gates to be opened, the other describes beautifully a womean who is ready and awaiting her lord to come and embarence he r. De- mystifying the joys of trhe naature is also one of the Philosophy Essay Example Philosophy Essay Philosophy Essay Philosophy Currently, the Federal Communications Commission suggested changes have raised mixed reactions in the media. Some oppose the changes while some agree to them. These changes will have several implications on the legal and ethical philosophy in the media. Merges would reduce the number of media owners. The implications include unfair competition in the market. Some of the changes suggested include allowing broadcast stations to reach 45% of the United States market, on the geographical area compared to the current 35%, lifting the ban that allows the media to own more than one station and newspaper (Hirst Harrison, 2007). This changes address deregulation of the media. Part A 1. A disagreement is the failure to convene on an opinion presented by a person or group. An argument, on the other hand, is the presentation of opposing views on a particular subject matter. A formal argument is presented in an ordered series of statements called premises that lead to a conclusion. A disagreement is not a prerequisite for an argument. It does provide an incentive for an argument by giving two differing positions on a subject. An argument may exist to analyze the validity of widely accepted concepts further or for intellectual jousting purposes. The existence of two or more people in an argument is not necessary, but it provides differing views that may further the argument. A single person may take different stances on the same topic. 2. An explanation is a statement or a number of statements aimed at providing a clearer understanding of certain facts. An argument seeks to prove that a certain statement is true based of factual premises. This means the argument purposes to contribute knowledge in a given subject. If two people, A and B, address the issue of whether or not a third person, C is sleepy, they may refer to the fact hat he is dosing. This is an argument based on the premise that C is dosing and people dose when they are sleepy. However, if A and B agree on it, they may what to know why C is dosing and hence propose an explanation that C is exhausted from working in the hot weather. The difference is that they both what to show why a case is true. 3. A deductive argument is one that derives a conclusion from a set of premises that arrive logically at a certain conclusion. It directly links the premises presented with the conclusion. If the premises are true, then it follows that the conclusion is true by logical necessity. Validity is determined by the condition that a conclusion is logically evoked by its premises considering each step of the argument is logical. A deductive argument is valid if and only if a true conclusion is drawn from the premises, whatever they may be. It means that an argument can be valid even though the premises are false. An example of a valid deductive argument: Everyone who eats chips is overweight. James eats chips. Therefore, James is overweight. The first premise is false because there are people who eat chips but are not overweight. The conclusion is true because it is derived from the premises. This is a valid deductive argument. 4. The quality of validity, as far as deductive arguments are concerned, relates the conclusion arrived at to the premises to judge whether true or false. If the conclusion is true based on the premises, then the argument is valid irrespective of whether or not the premises are true. Conversely, inductive arguments only state the probability of a conclusion being true based on the premises put forth. This gives the inductive its quality of strength based on the degree of probability. Another noteworthy difference between the two types of arguments is that, in an inductive argument, the conclusion may be false despite the premises being true. 5. The argument follows the structure: If P, then Q. When Q happens, the conclusion is made that P is true. This is an invalid argument since the conclusion is false. Not all other possibilities have been excluded to the exception of P. As long as the conclusion of a deductive argument is false, the argument is rendered invalid. A counterexample of the given example is: Miami is in the USA. Sam lives in the USA. Therefore, Sam lives in Miami. The above argument is invalid because the conclusion is false even though the premises are true. 6. A dilemma is a problem that offers two solutions, neither of which is desirable. A common example of such a situation is depicted when one encounters a homeless person asking for change: Either the change will help the person or not. Giving them change may lead to dependency. Denying them change may result in them sleeping hungry. Therefore, dependency or hunger will result from giving change. There are several solutions to a dilemma. The analogy of â€Å"being on the horns of the dilemma† is used to refer to the person facing a dilemma as it is akin to facing a charging bull. The outcome – impalement – is undesirable. The first involves grasping the first horn, which means giving the person the change to prevent the risk of them going hungry. Grasping the second horn means denying the person change to prevent dependency. The other option of going between the horns would be to ignore the request for change hence, avoiding both outcomes. Charging the bull involves changing strategy, resulting in a proactive approach to the dilemma. Other solutions to this dilemma can be broached, such as finding employment for the person to provide sustenance and eliminate dependency. 7. The argument is weak because the conclusion of an inductive argument is probabilistic, that is, given certain premises, the conclusion is probable. The given argument is an example of a weak inductive argument. To turn it into a strong inductive argument would entail changing the conclusion drawn from the premises: I have observed five crows today. All five crows were black. Therefore, there is a probability that most crows are black. The change in the framing of the conclusion changes it to a strong inductive statement because chances are that not all crows are black. Five crows are a small number on which to base an argument. They are not a representative of the entire crow population. The argument is strong because the likelihood that the conclusion is true is higher. 8. Modus ponens is an argument form that follows the structure: if P implies Q and P are true, then Q is true. An example is: If it is sunny, then I will go for a swim. It is sunny. Therefore, I will go for a swim. The fallacy ensues from affirming the consequent â€Å"then I will go for a swim† since â€Å"if it is sunny† was not presented as the only sufficient condition of the consequent of the conditional statement. Part B The Apology, correctly Apologia, is a philosophical work that documents Socrates’ trial. The meaning of apologia is a presentation of a case in one’s own defense, which is what Socrates offered the jury and the public that had gathered to take part in his trial. Socrates was accused of being a heretic by not worshiping the deities of that time and misleading the youth in his charge (Plato 2000). As a leading philosopher, Socrates was in charge of the education of the youth of Athens. The people who brought theses charges against him were those slighted by his philosophies. Socrates believed that he was tasked by the gods to enlighten the people of Athens by showing them that the acceptance of ignorance was the beginning of knowledge. As part of his defense, Socrates offered a speech to the Athenians present, seeking to explain his actions from a philosophical standpoint. In his address, he referred to himself as a gadfly poking the lazy horse that was Athens from its slumber. The metaphor referred to Socrates’ calling to investigate on the prevalence of knowledge among the experts on different fields of study. His findings illustrated that those proclaimed experts only pretended to have profound knowledge, but lacked in-depth understanding of their fields of expertise. Socrates went about stirring them into action from the state they had put themselves. The relevance of this metaphor to the role that philosophy to intellectual pursuits is to stir the academicians from a state of contentment with the advances made so far. As a gadfly, philosophy should continuously wake the academicians, ensuring that the inquisition of knowledge is relegated. Philosophy serves to remind that the pursuit of knowledge and understanding should stem from the acceptance of ignorance, contrasted with the arrogance of the Athenians who purported to possess wisdom but on further inquisition by Socrates were proved arrogant in their ignorance. The men in Socrates time were insulted by his inquisitions, which proved their ignorance on matters they professed excellence. Instead of seeing the challenged posed by Socrates’ findings, they were quick to take offence (Plato 2000). The inquiries were viewed as a personal attack by Socrates, and the ‘targets’ instead sought to eliminate Socrates by propagating trumped up charges against him. These charges were proved baseless, but all the same, Socrates was condemned to death. This defensive strategy adopted by the Athenians did not help them in the long term. Constructive criticism is useful to the development of academic fields. As a part of his defense, Socrates mentioned that the unexamined life is not worth living. He referred to his opponents and their objection to his inquiries into their intellectual pursuits. They were opposed to the examination the Socrates carried out into their work and understanding of it. Most were found to lack an understanding of the fields they purported to be experts. Socrates had humiliated them by exposing their ignorance. In their anger, they missed the point of the inquiries Socrates made into their work. An examination of their lives’ work was vital to provide insight into the accomplishments and failures made. This point is relevant to our daily lives. The stocktaking that Socrates mentioned is important to illuminate the advances people make as well as the shortcomings encountered. Organizations carry out this analysis on a regular basis to ensure its survival and growth. This review should not only be restricted to such organizations but also extended to all spheres of life. Without it, there is no account made to the activities carried out on a daily basis. It is philosophically immoral to live a life without introspection, as this is a requirement of any being that possess intelligence and a desire of self-improvement. The only way to ensure constant development and avoid stagnation, such as the lazy horse Socrates described Athens to be, is to set the course of constant introspection and improvement (Plato 2000). As a society and individuals, stagnation arises from arrogance nurtured by perceived excellence. There is so much that the human race is yet to understand; hence, arrogance would be folly. These types of fallacies are cultivated by egos that refuse to accept the limited nature of the human mind verses the limitless universe. There is a lot to be discovered, and even that, which is known, can still be improved. The knowledge of human ignorance is the only key to gain wisdom. Socrates understood the prophecy of the oracle at Delphi to be a riddle as he was considered himself the most ignorant man in Athens. His wisdom, as prophesied by the oracle, lay in his acknowledgement of his ignorance. Socrates was open to learn as opposed to the other distinguished men in Athens who considered themselves masters in their respective fields. Their ignorance lay in their arrogance juxtaposed with Socrates wisdom that lay in his acceptance of ignorance. To truly learn, one must accept the limited knowledge one possess, hence the process of learning will emanate from the quest to eliminate the ignorance. Socrates was a pioneer in the methods used in presentation of arguments. In his trial, the formal arguments he presented served to negate the accusations levied against him by his detractors. He used various methods in his cross-examination of the accusers, for example, Meletus. He backed Meletus into a corner by proving that his allegations of heresy and atheism were unfounded because Meletus accused Socrates of believing in demigods who were sons of gods (Plato 2000). It does not make sense to believe in something but not its progenitor. In his lifetime, Socrates provided philosophies that are still applicable to our lives today and to the future generations.

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson Cooperative learning is a great technique to implement into your curriculum. As you begin to think about and design this strategy to fit into your teaching, consider using the following tips. Present the material first, cooperative learning comes after students are taught.Choose your strategy and explain how it works to the students. For this sample lesson, students will be using the jigsaw strategy.Assess students individually. Although students will work together as a team they will also be working individually to complete a specific task. Here is a cooperative learning sample lesson using the the Jigsaw method. Choosing Groups First, you must choose your cooperative learning groups. An informal group will take about one class period or the equivalent to one lesson plan period. A formal group can last from several days to several weeks. Presenting the Content Students will be asked to read a chapter in their social studies books about the first nations of North America. Afterward, read the childrens book The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose. This is a story about how the first Americans lived. It shows the students beautiful pictures of art, clothing, and other Native American artifacts. Then, show students a brief video about Native Americans. Teamwork Now its time to divide students into groups and use the jigsaw cooperative learning technique to research the First Americans. Divide students into groups, the number depends on how many subtopics you want the students to research. For this lesson divide students into groups of five students. Each member of the group is given a different assignment. For example, one member will be responsible for researching the First American customs; while another member will be in charge of learning about the culture; another member is responsible for understanding the geography of where they lived; another must research the economics (laws, values); and   the last member is responsible for studying the climate and how the first American got food, etc. Once students have their assignment they can go off on their own to research it by any means necessary. Each member of the jigsaw group will meet with another member from another group that is researching their exact topic.For example, students that researching the First Americans culture would meet regularly to discuss information, and share information on their topic. They are essentially the expert on their particular topic. Once students have completed their research on their topic they return to their original jigsaw cooperative learning group. Then each expert will now teach the rest of their group everything that they learned. For example, the customs expert would teach members about the customs, the geography expert would teach members about the geography, and so on. Each member listens carefully and takes notes on what each expert in their groups discusses. Presentation: Groups can then give a brief presentation to the class on the key features that they learned on their particular topic. Assessment Upon completion, students are given a test on their subtopic as well as on the key features of the other topics that they learned in their jigsaw groups. Students will be tested on the First Americans culture, customs, geography, economics, and climate/food. Looking for more information about cooperative learning? Here is the official definition, group management tips and techniques, and effective learning strategies on how to monitor, assign and manage expectations.

Business Strategy in a Global Environment Essay

Business Strategy in a Global Environment - Essay Example The purpose of developing these strategic options is to identify feasible options available to the organisation for future. Since all identified alternative cannot be implemented, this does not mean that only implemented alternative are best; instead it is matter of adopting alternative that is most feasible to implement. SO STRATEGIES WO STRATEGIES 1- (S2, S3, 02)- Expand in untapped areas and leveraging the human expertise and other expertise to perform developed from global existence. 2- (S1,O1, O2)- Strengthen and emphasis market position with improved customer services and marketing. 3- (S4, 03)- Increase delivery efficiency 1- (W2, O1)- Develop alliance with other service provider to reduce cost of physical transfer. 2- (W3, O3)- Install software that reduces communication gap. 3- (W1, O1, O2)- Reduce cost impact by expanding destinations gaining advantage of economies of scale. ST STRATEGIES WT STRATEGIES 1- (S1, T1) – Strengthen company position and develop barrier for new entrants. 2- (S2, S4 and T2)- Increase efficiency in operation to reduce cost 3- (S3, O3)- Increase sales in different countries to off-set the disadvantage of climatic change in certain destinations 1- (W1, T3)- Install services that ensure delivery in climatic hit regions. 2- (W3, T1) – Enhance the integration in services to increases efficiency; making it costly for new competitor to compete. 2. STRATEGIC OPTIONS TO DEVELOP COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Strategies developed in TWOS matrix especially ST, WT, WO are generally pursuit to get in situation to implement SO strategies; though not always the case (Barney & Hesterly, 2008). Although all strategies are developed in similar direction to enhance TNT Express position and efficiency; however, following five have been selected as five most feasible strategies: Strategy 1- As already expanded in large number of countries; TNT Express is well aware of the factors that must be adhered to before launching the services. Prior to launch homework capability of the TNT Express would enable it to predict the possible obstacles and hence, ensure the successful establishment. Moreover, it would also increase sales in hometown for the fact of diverse population landing in UK as immigrants. However, selection of newer destination is a crucial question to address apart from general market analysis perspective. It is important to several factors such as distance from already existent location; identifying economies of scale benefit etc. Strategy 2-Importance of strengthening company position among customers needs no advocacy. An important role this strategy would play is to increase awareness about the wide network of services of TNT Express among the existing and potential customers. It would also serve as muscle pulling to potential competitors planning to land in with delivery services. Strategy 3- Many international brands are available worldwide; hence; despite incurring physical transfer firm shall develop all iance with different organisations and brands in order to facilitate the worldwide delivery operations without physical transfer. Moreover, for the documentations’ transfer firm can develop alliance with embassies to endorse documents based on certain service numbers from TNT Service. This will increase efficiency contributing to objective of reducing carbon emission. Strategy 4- Mechanism developed in strategy 3 would also lend support for this strategy; hence, the transfer (of

Anti-Trust Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-Trust Laws - Essay Example The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), created in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Trade Commission Act into law, is a US government agency tasked with protecting consumers by preventing anti-competitive business practices.In terms of public policy, the FTC has a broad regulatory mandate to reign in organizations judged to have engaged in activities that stifle industry competition, thus eliminating products or services from reaching the marketplace that are overpriced, substandard or lacking in the innovation that true competition would engender.FTC chairpersons have wide discretion regarding the cases pursued by the agency. For example, despite a global antitrust campaign mounted by computer chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices against rival Intel, which is supported by at least two FTC commissioners as well as by trade regulators in Korea and the European Commission, current agency head Deborah P. Majoras recently declined to open a formal investigation into the matt er (Labaton 1).In the FTC case against the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association (WCA), it was alleged that the organization and its executive director Russell A. Leonard violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C.  § 45 by conspiring to advise members of the more than 900-member association on how to increase prices for chiropractic services based on new billing codes and to boycott managed care plans in order to receive higher reimbursement rates (â€Å"Complaint†).

Alcohol Beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Beverage Essay Throughout the history of television, viewers have raised many questions about alcohol advertising. How is advertising affecting us? Does it have an impact on alcohol abuse or alcohol related disease and death? Does advertising influence alcohol consumption? In this essay, I will mainly concentrate on why such alcoholic advertisements should be restricted; and to what extent should any governments be able to control advertising. My personal opinion that I maintain is that I agree with having restrictions on alcoholic beverages’ advertisements on TV, by focusing more on responsible drinking and on problems that drinking causes every year because of irresponsibility of its consumer. I also stand by my opinion because young people are negatively affected by those ads, since there are no messages for responsible action while drinking. Moreover, statistics show that alcohol-related admissions to hospital in United States have reached 20% in 1995. With other words, most of cases sent to our hospitals were alcohol related, which potentially leads to violence, accidents and health issues. Alcohol is thought to cause thirty thousand premature deaths a year. Therefore, it may cause physical and mental harm to its consumers. The two main media tools that help advertising for alcohol are Televised programs and radio channels. These giant corporations make millions of dollars advertising for alcoholic beverages with having minimal advices on responsible drinking and reckless behaviors that can be caused primarily because of it. My personal believe is that too excessive exposure to alcoholic advertisement can increase consumption and influence peoples attitudes towards alcohol especially for youngster as they have not formed the correct understanding of it. In order to prevent the large amount of alcoholic advertising that appears on media, over the last few decades, government have set far stricter guidelines and regulations concerning alcohol. Some of these limitations and restrictions are particularly made for advertising for alcoholic drinks. Some of these restrictions include limiting the timing of advertisements on television and allow alcohol related ads to be displayed only after 10:00pm, which will avoid youth exposure to it. Nowadays, Alcohol advertisement is at its peak on sport events. This is why prohibiting the liquor company from being the official sponsor in sport must be considered. As Professor Gilmore said, limitations should include alcohol sponsorship in sport, as the alcohol was being advertised 24 hours a day. Besides, the contents of advertisement should be restricted, images like violence and potential crime should be forbidden, as it is easy for young people doing the same things that show on television. On the other hand, both in public and private sectors are responsible in joining their efforts to help to set out limitations and restrict alcohol promotion and sales through ads. For instance, clubs should abolish the unlimited drinks to a certain time only with fixed amount of money, and restrict underage people from being exposed to a place where alcohol is heavily consumed. Besides, the price should be increased to reduce the alcohol consumption and alcohol producers should develop a new production line, as an alternative to replace alcohol. Now, alcohol has spread in our culture and society and became the symbol of fun and pleasure. Its consumption has increased more than ever did in mankind history and their effects are increasing with it as well. Advertising for alcohol is not only encouraging our youth to drink more which will affect their health but also promotes reckless and irresponsible behaviors associated with its consumption. Our government is more aware of the seriousness of this issue than ever, however further laws and restrictions must take place in the future in order to decrease its negative effects.

American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes and The Virgin Suicides, direct

Reality. Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary defines reality as â€Å"something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily.† But what is real by today’s standards? Does what appears to be normal equal reality? By looking at two different films it seems that the old cliche stands correct. Things aren’t as they appear. American Beauty and The Virgin Suicides give classic examples of how â€Å"normal† and â€Å"happy† suburban life is anything but. American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes (1999) and The Virgin Suicides, directed by Sofia Coppola (2000), share many of the same themes even though the plots are contrasted. Underneath the layers of white picket fences, beautiful houses, and safe neighborhoods, lies a truth. A truth so dark that it leads to the destruction of many characters in both of these movies. The first element that must be looked at is the imprisonment of the characters in both films. The main character of American Beauty, Lester Burnham, is the man whom feels the burden of imprisonment the most. He is in an ongoing marriage that should be coming up to the red light. He is also stuck in a job where he feels under appreciated and not well respected. He has been at this job for fourteen years. That is fourteen years of being in jail. It is quite evident that he is not happy. Who would be when you know that your wife and you daughter think that you are a â€Å"gigantic loser† (American Beauty)? Lester is not the only character who suffers from this. His wife Carolyn and daughter Jane both know what it is like to feel trapped in an unhappy life. Carolyn is imprisoned by image. She has the notion that she cannot be happy unless everything appears as perfect. And Jane, feeling the weight of her parents, wants to break off from her prison, her home life. She like most teens views her parents as weird and wants out of that life. In The Virgin Suicides the characters that are the most imprisoned are the five Lisbon sisters. After the youngest sister plunged to her death during the first party they were allowed to have, and Lux came home late after the homecoming dance, their parents literally turned their home into a prison. â€Å"For most children, mothers and fathers set boundaries; for the Lisbon’s, it’s iron bars† (Berardinelli). They were not allowed out, had the tree cut down that was near their window, and even had actual bars put on the window... ... ‘You’re not even old enough to know how hard life gets,’ he tells her. ‘Obviously, doctor,’ she says, ‘you’ve never been a 13-year-old girl.’ No, but his profession and every adult life is to some degree a search for the happiness she does not even know she has.† (Ebert). Bibliography Berardinelli, James, Review: American Beauty, http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/a/american_beauty.html, 1999 Berardinelli, James, Review: The Virgin Suicides, http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/v/sirgin_sucides.html, 2000 Bowman, James, Suffering Poses, American Spectator, Jun 2000, Vol 33, Issue 5, p. 66 Ebert, Roger, American Beauty, Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/cgi-bin/print.cgi Ebert, Roger, The Virgin Suicides, Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/cgi-bin/print.cgi , May 5, 2000 McKittrick, Casey, Shaping Pedophilic Discourse around American Beauty Happiness. Velvet Light Trap, Spring 2001, Issue 47, p 3-12. Scott, A.O., Film Review; Evanescent Trees and Sisters In an Enchanted 1970’s Suburb, The New York Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/review.html Viner, Russel, The Virgin Suicides, Student BMJ, Jul 2000, Vol. 8, p 254

French culture Essay

France is a Western Europe country with a population of approximately 60. 4 million people as by July 2004. France has a diversity of religions but the dominant religion is Roman Catholic with Jewish religion having the least followers (Kwintessential, 2010). These preliminary diversities in ethnicity and religion signal a diverse French culture. This paper discusses French culture by looking into different beliefs and attitudes common to French people. Language is also a central part of French culture as well as other important values. A diverse French culture Every people have their identity which is mainly entrenched in their culture. The French are not exceptional for the French culture is rich in almost all dimensions. The culture is usually best felt when you explore philosophy or by looking at the unique literary and art work. The input of French people in philosophy is outstanding with prominent philosophers like Rene Descartes (1600s) prided as the pioneers of modern philosophy. Montaigne is also a renowned sixteenth century philosopher who is celebrated for his ability to institute as part of art. Other French philosophers include Voltaire, Pascal and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (LERC, 2010). Having such renowned philosophers indicate that the French culture has been very influential not only in European countries but also in the Western nations and practically the whole world. A people’s art is a mirror of the people and what their values are all about. French art is in the form of literature, theatre as well as other forms of art. Some of the art works are very old thus portraying a rich history of the French culture. Some of the French artists who are known worldwide include Claude Monet who is known for his contribution to impressionist art which is an impression of ones view about nature (Cauderlier, 2009). Other artists include Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir and Armand Guillaumin. The cathedrals of France such as the Notre Dame and Chartres cathedral are popular structures that showcase French artistry. In particular, the Notre Dame cathedral has its walls decorated with statues as well as gargoyles. On the other hand, Chartres cathedral has its windows made of about 3,000 m2 of stained glass (LERC, 2010). All these are magnificent features of the French art work. Writing, poetry and theatre make up a beautiful French literature. France prides of the Academie francaise which is made of prominent writers. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was for instance the work of novelist Victor Hugo in the 1800s. Among other French writes whose works have been influential in development of culture include Alexandre Dumas and Charles Baudelaire (LERC, 2010). In poetry, the works of Ronsard and Lamartine regarding nature and love are still influential (French Language, 2010). French theatre is also a unique symbol of French culture. For instance, Moliere has several comedies which portray the vanities of human nature as a satire. Other playwrights include Racine and Corneille. These pieces of literature unique to French people are a source of pride and identity to the French people thereby displaying one aspect of their culture. Language is an important aspect in the French culture. French is the predominant language with about 88 percent of the communicating through French with even most of the rest speaking French and another language. Other spoken languages which are spoken by a small percentage of people include German dialects, Flemish, Italian, Catalan dialects, Breton and Basque. Immigrants have such dialects as the Corsu, Kabyle as well as Antillean Creole (Kwintessential, 2010). French people not only utilize verbal communication but they also regularly use non-verbal communication mainly in form of gestures. For instance, an eye contact is mainly used to signify equality or to act as a cue for friendship request. Shaking hands among acquaintances is also highly regarded by French people. Specific gestures are used for counting (using fingers starting from the thumb) whereas covering ones mouth with the hands indicates making an apology or an acknowledgement that one has made a mistake (LERC, 2010). French people also have their food which is unique and defines them. French cuisine varies mainly according to regions in France as regions influence availability of food. The most common traditional meal is the baguette and cheese accompanied by wine. Other meals have several courses with an air of sophistication. Since each region has different ingredients, each region seems to specialize in such ingredients but the foods have commonalities such as use of olive oil and tomatoes. In addition to the influence of local availability, French foods also vary depending on the influence of bordering countries and immigrants (sauerkraut common Alsace which borders Germany) Lunch break usually takes about two hours for most people (FPSi, 2010) The French society also has unique family and societal values, customs and etiquettes which are an important feature of the French culture. The family is highly valued and they are families are composed of few children. The roles of each family member are clearly defined with the parents being guardians and providers. The extended family offers support either financially or emotionally. French people usually develop open and polite dealings with family members and friends. Exchange of gifts bears some given etiquettes. For instance, one is not supposed to give an even number of flowers. Nevertheless, number thirteen is said to be unlucky and therefore such a number of flowers should not be given. It is also a requirement to open gifts immediately they are received (Kwintessential, 2010). French people are time conscious and they value keeping time. For instance, one is not supposed to be late for dinner for an invited dinner for more than ten minutes without prior explanation for being late. There are unique table manners such as being a requirement to finish food in ones plate. Business is usually conducted formally and courtesy is among the most important etiquettes. For a person who cannot speak French, it is always preferable for them to apologise if they are to establish a meaningful relationship. Dark-coloured suits are recommended for as business wear for men while women can do with either business suits or if it has to be a dress, then it must be elegant and having soft colours (Kwintessential, 2010). This is an exemplary culture as it has been adopted in the business environment virtually all over the world. Conclusion French culture is interesting, unique in many ways and has influenced other cultures in the world. The philosophy, art and literature are renowned worldwide and are an identity for the French people. French culture is also clearly defined in language, foods, general etiquettes in the society as well as unique business etiquettes. The French culture is undoubtedly interesting and influential especially if one considers every minor detail of the culture. As French, one finds reason to be proud of their culture which is outstanding even in the modern world. Bibliography Cauderlier, A. (2009). Monet. Retrieved 12, May 2010 from http://giverny. org/monet/welcome. htm FPSi. (2010). French food culture. Retrieved 12, May 2010 from http://www. france-property-and-information. com/french_food. htm French Language. (2010). French culture. Retrieved 12, May 2010 from http://www. frenchlanguageguide. com/french/culture/ Kwintessential. (2010). France-French culture, customs and etiquette. Retrieved 12, May 2010 from http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/resources/global-etiquette/france-country-profile. html LERC. (2010). French culture, communication and gestures. Retrieved 12, May 2010 from http://lerc. educ. ubc. ca/LERC/courses/489/worldlang/french/frenchcultandcomm. html

A Comparison of Freedom: The Works of Frederick Douglass and David Walker Essay

One of the hottest and most discussed topics in American History is the issue of freedom. This is because of the fact that the young American nation, especially in the early and middle 19th century, witnessed different notions of freedom that is believed by her citizens; and most contrasting in this case is the notion of freedom by the industrial north (who favored the abolition of slavery), and the notion of freedom by the agricultural southern states (who favored slavery). It is well known that the United States is called the â€Å"home of the free and the land of the brave;† however, it is also well known that the institution of slavery and the racism against African Americans played a dominant part in the southern states of the country, dominated by cotton plantations (also known as the â€Å"deep south†). This paper would then discuss the notions of freedom according to two African Americans, one whom is slave: Frederick Douglass and David Walker. Frederick Douglass is one of the most famous former slaves in American History; he soon escaped from his masters, helped in the strengthening of the â€Å"underground railroad† (a secret route that helped slaves escape to freedom†), and joined the abolitionist movement. His personal accounts, as well as his notions of freedom, can be seen in his work My Bondage and My Freedom. Meanwhile, David Walker is also an abolitionist; but he was free unlike Douglass (his father was a slave, but his mother was free). Despite being a free man, he also witnessed the cruelties of slavery in his childhood, and advocated the abolishment of slavery, detailed in his work Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Colored Citizens of the world, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America (also known as David Walker’s appeal). This essay would try to make an analytic comparison of their ideas on freedom based on these two works. 2. Frederick Douglass on Freedom One of the most compelling accounts of freedom as narrated by Frederick Douglass can be seen in Chapter XIX of his book My Bondage and My Freedom, entitled The Runaway Plot (Douglass 271-303). In this chapter, Douglass was actually reflecting upon his thoughts on New Year’s Eve, especially upon his thoughts on gaining freedom and liberty (Douglass 272). In his thoughts, Douglass actually stated one of the most important precepts of the freedom of every individual, in which each man has the right to be free ever since being born, and regardless of color (Douglass 272). According to Douglass, â€Å"I was not through the first month of this, my second year with the kind and gentlemanly Mr. Freeland, before I was earnestly considering and advising plans for gaining that freedom, which, when I was but a mere child, I had ascertained to be the natural and inborn right of every member of the human family. The desire for this freedom had been benumbed, while I was under the brutalizing dominion of Covey; and it had been postponed, and rendered inoperative, by my truly pleasant Sunday school engagements†¦It had, however, never entirely subsided. I hated slavery, always, and the desire for freedom only needed a favorable breeze, to fan it into a blaze, at any moment. † (Douglass 273). In this case, it can clearly be seen that Douglass strongly believed that every man is created equal, wherein every man also has the right to freedom, in the sole reason that he is human; this debunks the very notion of the racial basis of inequality and slavery. Douglass adds to this point by saying that â€Å"My faculties and powers of body and soul are not my own, but are the property of a fellow mortal, in no sense superior to me, except that he has the physical power to compel me to be owned and controlled by him. By the combined physical force of the community, I am his slave — a slave for life† (Douglass 272). This is where Douglass wants to be free, for he believes that the master owing him is not, in any sense, superior to him, but is dictated by circumstances and by institutions to be slaved. In addition, the notion of freedom according to Douglass, even though it is a natural right, must be fought for whenever it is taken away, this is the freedom that comes with action (Douglass 274). According to Douglass, â€Å"The intense desires, now felt, to be free, quickened by my present favorable circumstances, brought me to the determination to act, as well as to think and speak†¦This vow only bound me to make my escape individually; but the year spent with Mr. Freeland had attached me, as with â€Å"hooks of steel,† to my brother slaves†¦ and I felt it my duty to give them an opportunity to share in my virtuous determination by frankly disclosing to them my plans and purposes† (Douglass 274). In this case, freedom is not only to be fought for individually, but also for fellow men, for â€Å"brothers† whose freedom is actually taken away. Therefore, the idea of freedom by Douglass does not only end in recognizing your own personal right to freedom, but also for fighting for the freedom of other oppressed peoples. After he escaped into freedom from slavery, he put into action his words by joining the abolitionist movement, claiming victory when Abraham Lincoln officially abolished slavery at the end of the civil war. 3. David Walker on Freedom David Walker, famous for his David Walker’s Appeal, also expressed his notion of freedom in a very expressive way, earning the contempt of both white plantation owners and white supremacists. According to Walker, â€Å"All I ask is, for a candid and careful perusal of this the third and last edition of my Appeal, where the world may see that we, the Blacks or Coloured People, are treated more cruel by the white Christians of America, than devils themselves ever treated a set of men, women and children on this earth† (Walker 4). What lead Walker to express this kind of emotion to the institution of slavery? This is because of the fact that Walker believed the institution of slavery, as well as the cruelty to slaves (who were overwhelmingly colored peoples) violated the very foundation of the American republic, being the â€Å"land of liberty† (Walker 6). In this case, Walker also believed that it is the very â€Å"evil† institutions of slavery that has violated the right of freedom of men, stating that the system of slavery in itself is cruel and inhuman, and that it is even the source of all miseries and cruelties to all nations (Walker 6). Therefore, Walker argues that slavery must not be practiced at all, given that freedom is a right and it must not be violated. In addition, Walker also states that â€Å"All persons who are acquainted with history, and particularly the Bible, who are not blinded by the God of this world, and are not actuated solely by avarice–who are able to lay aside prejudice long enough to view candidly and impartially, things as they were, are, and probably will be– who are willing to admit that God made man to serve Him alone, and that man should have no other Lord or Lords but Himself–that God Almighty is the sole proprietor or master of the whole human family† (Walker 7). In this argument, Walker seeks a biblical explanation, wherein God created all men equal, and only God is superior to man; therefore, it also follows that it is only God who has the right to become master of man, to become the proprietor of man, to which slavery is a direct violation of it. 4. Conclusion One common aspect of the notion of freedom for both Frederick Douglass and David Walker is the fact that they both believe that freedom is a natural right of man, wherein racial or class origin does not count. Douglass emphasized its natural basis, while Walker seeks a biblical explanation to it. Also, Douglass emphasized the aspect of action, fighting for freedom not only of the self but for others, while Walker emphasized the wretchedness of man in slavery (Walker 32). Works Cited: Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. New York: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855. Print. Walker, David. Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Colored Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America. Boston: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 2009. eBook. Outline: 1. Introduction 2. Frederick Douglass on Freedom 3. David Walker on Freedom 4. Conclusion

Four Things That Set Americans Apart and Why They Matter

Four Things That Set Americans Apart and Why They Matter The results are in. We now have sociological data about the values, beliefs, and attitudes that make Americans unique when compared with people from other nations- especially those from other rich nations. The Pew Research Centers 2014 Global Attitudes Survey found that Americans have a stronger belief in the power of the individual. Compared to residents of other nations, Americans are more likely to believe that hard work will lead to success. Americans also tend to be much more optimistic and religious than people in other rich nations. What Makes Americans Unique? Sociological data from the Pew Research Center suggests that Americans differ from residents of other nations in their individualism and their belief in hard work to get ahead. Moreover, compared to other wealthy nations, Americans are also more religious and optimistic. Lets dig into these data, consider why Americans differ so greatly from others, and figure out what it all means from a sociological perspective. A Stronger Belief in the Power of the Individual Pew found, after surveying people in 44 nations around the world, that  Americans believe, far more than others, that we control our own success in life. Others around the world are far more likely to believe that forces outside ones control determine the level of ones success. Pew determined this by asking people whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: Success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside our control. While the global median was 38 percent  of respondents disagreeing with the statement, more than half of Americans- 57 percent- disagreed with it. This means that most Americans believe that success is determined by ourselves, rather than outside forces. Pew suggests that this finding means that Americans stand out on individualism, which makes sense. This result signals that we believe more in the power of ourselves as individuals to shape our own life than we believe that outside forces shape us. The majority of Americans believe that success is up to us, which means we believe in the promise and possibility of success. This belief is, in essence, the American Dream: a dream rooted in the belief in the power of the individual. However, this common belief runs counter to what we social scientists know to be true: a litany of social and economic forces surround us from birth, and they shape, to a large degree, what happens in our lives, and whether we achieve success in normative terms (i.e. economic success). This does not mean that individuals do not have power, choice, or free will. We do, and within sociology, we refer to this as agency.  But we, as individuals, also exist within a society composed of social relationships with other people, groups, institutions, and communities, and they and their norms exert social force on us. So the paths, options, and outcomes from which we choose, and how we make those choices, are influenced greatly by the social, cultural, economic, and political circumstances that surround us. That Old Pull Yourself up by Your Bootstraps Mantra Connected to this belief in the power of the individual, Americans are also more likely to believe that it is very important to work hard to get ahead in life. Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe this, whereas just 60 percent do in the United Kingdom, and 49 percent do in Germany. The global mean is 50 percent, so residents of other nations also believe this too- just not to the same extent as Americans. A sociological perspective suggests that theres circular logic at work here. Success stories- widely popular in all forms of media- are typically framed as narratives of hard work, determination, struggle, and perseverance. This fuels the belief that one must work hard to get ahead in life, which perhaps fuels hard work, but it certainly does not fuel economic success for the vast majority of the population. This myth also fails to account for the fact that most people do work hard, but do not get ahead, and that even the concept of getting ahead means that others must by necessity fall behind. So the logic can, by design, only work for some, and they are a small minority. The Most Optimistic Among Rich Nations Interestingly, the U.S. is also far more optimistic than other rich nations, with 41 percent saying they were having a particularly good day. No other rich nations even came close. Second to the U.S. was the U.K., where just 27 percent- thats less than a third- felt the same way. It makes sense that people who believe in the power of themselves as individuals to achieve success by hard work and determination would also show this kind of optimism. If you see your days as full of promise for future success, then it follows that you would consider them good days. In the U.S. we  also receive and perpetuate the message, quite consistently, that positive thinking is a necessary component of achieving success. No doubt, theres some truth to that. If you dont believe that something is possible, whether its a personal or professional goal or dream, then how will you ever achieve it? But, as author Barbara Ehrenreich has observed, there are significant downsides to this uniquely American optimism. In her 2009 book  Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America, Ehrenreich suggests that positive thinking can ultimately harm us personally, and as a society. As one summary of the book explains,  On a personal level, it leads to self-blame and a morbid preoccupation with stamping out negative thoughts. On a national level, it’s brought us an era of irrational optimism resulting in disaster [i.e. the subprime mortgage foreclosure crisis]. Part of the problem with positive thinking, per Ehrenreich, is that when it becomes a mandatory attitude, it disallows for the acknowledgement of fear, and of criticism. Ultimately, Ehrenreich argues, positive thinking, as an ideology, fosters acceptance of an unequal and highly troubled status quo, because we use it to convince ourselves that we as individuals are to blame for what is hard in life, and that we can change our situation if we just have the right attitude about it. This kind of ideological manipulation is what Italian activist and writer Antonio Gramsci referred to as cultural hegemony, achieving rule through the ideological manufacture of consent. When you believe that thinking positively will solve your problems, you are unlikely to challenge the things that may be causing your trouble. Relatedly, late sociologist C. Wright Mills would look on this trend as fundamentally anti-sociological, because the essence of having a sociological imagination, or thinking like a sociologist, is being able to see the connections between personal troubles and public issues. As Ehrenreich sees it, American optimism stands in the way of the kind of critical thinking that is necessary to fight inequalities and to keep society in check.  The alternative to rampant optimism, she suggests, is not pessimism- it is realism. An Unusual Combination of National Wealth and Religiosity The 2014 Global Values Survey reaffirmed another well-established trend: the richer a nation is, in terms of GDP per capita, the less religious is its population. Around the world, the poorest nations have the highest levels of religiosity, and the wealthiest nations, like  Britain, Germany, Canada, and Australia, the lowest. Those four nations  are all clustered around a $40,000 GDP per capita, and approximately 20 percent of the population claims that religion is an important part of their life.  Conversely, the poorest nations, including Pakistan, Senegal, Kenya, and the Philippines, among others, are the most religious, with nearly all members of their populations claiming religion as an important part of their lives.   This is why it is unusual that in the U.S., the nation with the highest GDP per capita among those measured, more than half of the adult population says that religion is an important part of their lives. Thats a 30 percentage point difference over other rich nations, and puts us on par with nations that have a per capita GDP of less than $20,000. This difference between the U.S. and other rich nations seems to be connected to another- that  Americans are also far more likely to say that belief in God is a prerequisite for morality. In other rich nations like Australia and France this figure is far lower (23 and 15 percent respectively), where most people do not conflate theism with morality. These final findings about religion, when combined with the first two, demonstrate the legacy of early American Protestantism. Founding father of sociology, Max Weber, wrote about this in his famous book  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Weber observed that in early American society, belief in God and religiosity were expressed in large part through dedicating oneself to a secular calling, or profession. Followers of Protestantism at the time were instructed by religious leaders to dedicate themselves to their calling and work hard in their earthly life in order enjoy heavenly glory in the afterlife. Over time, the universal acceptance and practice of the Protestant religion specifically waned in the U.S., but belief in hard work and the power of the individual to forge their own success remained. However, religiosity, or at least the appearance of it, remains strong in the U.S., and is perhaps connected to the three other values highlighted here, as each are form s of faith in their own right. The Trouble with American Values While all of the values described here are considered virtues in the U.S., and, indeed, can foster positive outcomes, there are significant drawbacks to the prominence of them in our society. The belief in the power of the individual, in the importance of hard work, and optimism function more as myths than they do as actual recipes for success, and what these myths obscure is a society cleaved by crippling inequalities along lines of race, class, gender, and sexuality, among other things. They do this obscuring work by encouraging us to see and think as individuals, rather than as members of communities or parts of a greater whole. Doing so prevents us from fully grasping the larger forces and patterns that organize society and shape our lives, which is to say, doing so discourages us from seeing and understanding systemic inequalities. This is how these values maintain an unequal status quo. If we want to live in a just and equal society, we have to challenge the dominance of these values and the prominent roles they play in our lives, and take instead a healthy dose of realistic social critique.

40 Common English Idioms

40 Common English Idioms Learning English isn’t as easy as some might think. First, grammar muddies the waters (makes things unclear), and idiomatic expressions only add fuel to the fire (make things worse). If you’re taking the TOEFL or the TOEIC, or just want to know more common idioms,  study this list of 40 common idiomatic expressions before you take the test. They may just help your English language acquisition soar (get much better). Common English Idioms 24/7: Twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly. My little sister irritates me 24/7!A short fuse: A quick temper. Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play.A taste of your own medicine: Bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people badly.  After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juan’s house.Butterflies in my stomach: To be nervous.  Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin.By the skin of your teeth:  To just barely get by or make it.  Lester made the dance team by the skin of his teeth; you can tell he hasnt been dancing jazz for very long.  Cat got your tongue?: Can’t you speak? (Usually said to embarrass the other person).  I just saw you kissing my boyfriend. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?Crying w olf:  To ask for help when you dont need it.  You have cried wolf so many times that no one believes you when youre really hurt.   Cut someone some slack:  To not judge someone too harshly.  Hey. Cut me some slack. I was really busy with my frog hunting business last week and forgot to call. Im sorry!Down for the count: Tired; giving up; unable or unwilling to participate any longer.  No, you can’t take my dog for a walk- she’s down for the count after chasing cats all day.Draw the line: To stop; to know the point where something goes from okay to not okay.  Now I draw the line at speaking in front of 34,000 people.Easier said than done: Not as easy as it appears to be.  You want me to come to work at 6:00 AM? Easier said than done!Every cloud has a silver lining: You can find good in every bad situation.  Even though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining- at least you don’t have to work for that grouchy boss anymore!Finding a needle in a haystack: Virtually impossible to find.  Trying to get a new job these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.Fish out of water: To be out of place.  Tom felt like a fish out of water at the Star Trek convention his new girlfriend begged him to attend. Get something off your chest: To talk about something that has been bothering you for a long time; to admit something you have done wrong.  I have to get this off my chest- I copied your answers on the SAT. Thanks for the 15th percentile score, by the way.  Give it a whirl: To try something.  I’ve never gone kite-boarding, but I’m prepared to give it a whirl!Go down in flames:  To fail suddenly and spectacularly.  The football players career went down in flames after the media learned hed been losing on purpose to settle gambling debts.  Go the extra mile:  To make an extra effort.  My dentist always goes the extra mile, offering free back massages at the end of a stressful tooth extraction.  Hang in there:  Be patient. Wait it out.  I know youre struggling right now in school but just hang in there. Itll get easier. I promise.  In the fast lane: A life filled with excitement.  When Curtis turned forty, he decided he needed to live life in the fast lane, so he quit his job as a dentist and decided to tour Europe by motorcycle. In the nick of time: Almost too late.  You gave me that main idea help in the nick of time- my teacher just gave us a quiz on that reading skill and I passed it!Let the cat out of the bag: Tell a secret.  Brady’s surprise party is going to be great if you don’t let the cat out of the bag.Let the chips fall where they may:  To let something happen, no matter if its good or bad.  Look. Im going to just try out for the cheerleading squad and let the chips fall where they may.  Lose your marbles: To go crazy; insane.  Mom  has really lost her marbles; shes making me practice writing the ACT Essay seven times this week!Once in a blue moon: Rarely.  In Florida, the temperature drops below freezing only once in a blue moon.Plain as day: Obvious; clear.  It’s plain as day that you’re in love with her, so just admit it.Play second fiddle: To be less important.  I hate playing second fiddle to my sister; she always does things better than I do!Pu t your foot in your mouth: Saying something you shouldn’t have.  Jessica really put her foot in her mouth when she asked about John’s job right after he lost it. Pull yourself together:  Calm down and behave normally.  Pull yourself together, man! Sure, your girlfriend just dumped you and then you got hit by a car, but you cant let those things get you down.  Sick and tired: To be bothered or annoyed by.  She is sick and tired of her dog chewing up her shoes every day.Sleep on it: To think about something for a while before making a decision.  Don’t tell me whether you’ll move to Texas with me or not today. Sleep on it, and get back to me tomorrow.Snug as a bug in a rug: Warm and cozy; content.  That baby looks as snug as a bug in a rug cuddled up next to his mother.Step up your game:  To start performing better.  Listen, Jen. Youd better step up your game if you want to get all As in Miss Finchs Physics class. She isnt easy!Stick your nose into something: To interfere.  Sharon always sticks her nose into everyone else’s business.Straight from the horse’s mouth: Directly from the person involved.à ‚  Listen to the news straight from the horse’s mouth; we’re all getting bonuses this week! Take it easy: Relax.  I know you’re not feeling well, so try to take it easy today.Tip of the iceberg: The small easily visible part of a larger problem.  The fact that Carrie is dating a member of the mafia is just the tip of the iceberg; she’s also smuggling contraband into the country.To not see the wood for the trees: To be so involved with the details that you don’t get the most important facts.  She always argues about the silliest things; it’s like she can’t see the wood for the trees.Up a creek without a paddle: In an unlucky/bad situation.  If you don’t have any money to pay for the repairs we just made to your car, I guess you’re up a creek without a paddle because you can’t have your car back.You rock!: You are great.  Dude. You rock. Thanks for offering to watch my pet iguana all week.   These are just a few of the thousands of idioms in the English language. Get your feet wet (start) with these, and then move on to the idioms that will knock your socks off (astound you).