Project life cycle Essay

Projects are the way through which work gets done. Whether big, small, simple or complex, projects possess various common characteristics. Firstly, they have a start and an end. They do not run to infinity. Secondly, they are all unique. They may resemble other earlier projects but they are unique in various variables. These variables include their environment, period and resources. Thirdly, they lead to the creating deliverables. Finally, they all have resources assigned to them. The resources may either be part-time, full-time or a combination of the two. Projects are undertaken by all organisations. Their management can be done using a common range of project management procedures. Similar project management procedures can be used irrespective of the project being undertaken. Projects must have a definition and a plan. They should also have procedures for management of risks, quality, status and scope. Despite projects being unique, common lifecycle models are applied in building the deliverables. But most importantly, scalable and common project management processes are applied effectively on all projects. Regardless of whether one is managing a small or large project, various leadership styles are used. It is very important to understand these styles and their effect in order to become a better and more flexible leader. The most common styles are autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic Laissez-faire and people oriented types of leadership. Others include servant, task-oriented, transactional and transformational. In a project environment, one requires flexibility in these leadership styles since the various phases have got their specific demands that may be different from the other phases. General leadership styles and skills Project managers must show two leadership styles: transformational and transactional. He should give guidance to the team by identifying their role and responsibility in the project. He should give inspiration to them in order to finish the project’s tasks. It has been established that people with outstanding leadership skills turn out to be good in management of projects too. This is because they are visionary, motivating and can bring people together. Above all, they have great accomplishments (Bryman, 1986). Project managers must be competent in the project’s technology and generally how to manage a business entity. This will lead to mutual respect and confidence between him and the other members of the team and administration. Management skills as well as business management competence are essential. The project manager must use sound management skills consistent with the organisation’s management style. The project manager must be alert, quick, a good listener, versatile and above all very flexible. He should be able to adjust any current plan to a better one. Being flexible means having a tough willingness in changing plans to acknowledge current realities for the sake of the project’s successful completion. The project manager must be of good ethics and full of energy. He should adjust to working for over forty hours per week. He should also be always available to the various people involved and interact with them. A good project manager must always be interested in details and possess great optimism with a strong belief that it can be done. He should not assume anything he is not sure of. He should always speak his mind and mean it. In addition, he should regard others as allies and not foes. Respect for other people and acknowledgement of good performance is important. He must always see the bigger picture and keep that perspective. Moreover, he should be interested in knowing why things have to be one in a certain way and not the other. Above all, a good project manager must be both a manager and a leader for a project to be completed successfully (Glanz, 2002). A good project manager must also be a good problem solver. He should be able to handle a situation where he is presented with tough choices to make. Problem solving will involve recognition of the problem and acknowledging that endeavouring to solve the problem is worthwhile. This has to be done with a positive attitude. The next step is defining the problem and clearly understanding it. The third step involves generating alternative solutions for the problem. Finally, one must narrow down the alternatives after a thorough examination of each of them, and then decide (Heerkens, 2001). The project manager must foster teamwork among the members. The most important resource in a project is the team. It is about the people one works with. This team can comprise members from various different departments of the organisation or just one department. The recommended project team comprises members drawn from different organisations. The team has the following responsibilities: To understand the work to be accomplished Planning of the activities in detail if need be Completion of the work assigned within the timeframe, budget, and the desired quality Informing the manager about scope changes, risk, issues and quality concerns Proactive communication of status and management of expectations. A team is formed by people who understand their role. They are led by a project manager who is interested in the success of the project. The project manager is vital. He must display a flexible approach in his leadership style (Lewis, 1995). Leadership style and skills through the phases Regardless of the complexity or scope, all projects go through various phases during their lives. There is initiation where output and essential factors of success are defined. The planning phase, whose principal characteristic involves a break down of the project into smaller manageable units. Next is the execution phase where the planned project is carried out. Finally there is exit phase marking the project completion (Visit Ask, 2004). Initiation This is the initial stage of the project where a clear definition of the project’s scope is done alongside the approach to be employed in delivering the required output. This is where the project management team is chosen basing on their experiences and skills. The project leader must be very flexible to allow a change or overhaul of the scope if need arises. His leadership style should be such that it allows contributions of all the team members for the project to run smoothly. This will make use of the various skills, experiences and talents that will go a long way in delivering a high quality output. Planning This stage involves identifying in detail all the tasks and assigning them. It also involves analyzing risk and defining a criterion for successfully completing every deliverable. This is where the definition of the governing process is done. Identification of stakeholders, period of reporting and the channels are agreed. Business Plans are used in this stage. The project manager should be able to assign tasks and responsibilities to the right people basing on their experience, skills and talents. The project leader should be flexible enough not think he is the most knowledgeable and experienced of all the team members. He should do more of coordination since he is good among equals. The governance process of the project should also avoid rigidity to allow free participation of all members of the team. In as much as it is important to adhere to the time schedule, this should not compromise the quality of the output. The team should therefore have an allowance within its stipulated completion of the various tasks. This will involve extending the time for some tasks while reducing it for others. The plans used in the project should also have contingency alternatives to be used in case of failure of the original. This should be done in consultation with other team members and stakeholders and of course the client. Execution and controlling This is where one ensures proper control and execution of project activities. During this phase, the earlier plan is implemented in solving the particulars of the project’s specifications. When developing the product and system, a design that results in a particular set of product requirements is made. Measurement of the convergence is done using prototypes, tests and a review. During the execution stage, a plan for the final testing, producing and support is made by the various groups in the organisation. Some of the tools employed during this phase include Milestones Reviews and Business Plan. This is a very sensitive area that needs proper teamwork. Models and prototypes are developed and tested. There should be flexibility to allow improvement of the prototype. Again, the skills, talents and experience of the team members should be used for the sake of a good quality project output. Closure This is the final stage of the project. The manager ensures the project is completed properly. A formal project review report is written. It involves the client officially accepting the product, comparing the client specifications with those of the product. Other contents include a reward to the team, lessons learned, release of the project’s resources and an official closing notification to the top management. Conclusion Project management is an important aspect of many organisations. It is therefore important that these projects deliver their desired results within the stipulated period of time. This calls for teamwork among the stakeholders, clients and the project team members. Most importantly, the project team needs to work together. The team leader must therefore ensure the team works together harmoniously. He should therefore adopt a flexible style in leadership to accommodate all the skills, talents and experiences of the members. This will ensure that good quality output is delivered at the end of the project.

Life and Work of Miss Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in August 31, 1870. She was the first woman in Italy to receive a medical degree. She worked in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology& education. She believed that each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a â€Å"blank slate† waiting to be written upon. Her main contributions to the work of those of us raising and educating children are; †¢Preparing the most natural and life supporting environment for the child †¢Observing the child living freely in this environment Continually adapting the environment in order that the child may fulfill his greatest potential — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually The Early Years Maria Montessori was always a little ahead of her time. At age thirteen, against the wishes of her father but with the support of her mother, she began to attend a boys' technical school. After seven years of engineering she began premed and, in 1896 became a physician. In her work at the University of Rome psychiatric clinic Montessori developed an interest in the treatment of special needs children and, for several years, she worked, wrote, and spoke on their behalf. Miss Maria as an Educationalist Maria lectures on the importance of educating disabled children at a national medical congress and at a national teacher’s congress in Turin, Italy. She travelled to London and Paris to study the work of earlier pioneers in this field, Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin. In 1898 Maria becomes a member of the National League for the Education of Retarded Children. Maria is appointed co-director with Dr. Giuseppe Montesano of the State Orthophrenic School (for mentally retarded children) in Rome. In 1898 Maria becomes a member of the National League for the Education of Retarded Children. Maria is appointed co-director with Dr. Giuseppe Montesano of the State Orthophrenic School (for mentally retarded children) in Rome . She leaves the Orthophrenic School in 1901 and returns to the University to study psychology and philosophy. The University of Rome appoints Maria as a lecturer in science and medicine, and she chairs the Department of Anthropology House of Children She was given the opportunity to study â€Å"normal† children, taking charge of fifty poor children of the dirty, desolate streets of the San Lorenzo slum on the outskirts of Rome in 1907. The news of the unprecedented success of her work in this Casa dei Bambini â€Å"House of Children† soon spread around the world, people coming from far and wide to see the children for themselves. Dr. Montessori was as astonished as anyone at the realized potential of these children: The Montessori Method Maria’s book, The Montessori Method, is published in Italian Anne George, an American, and goes to Rome to take Maria’s training course. The first American Montessori School opens in Tarrytown, New York; this is the result of great interest in a long article about Montessori that was published in the American magazine, McClure. Maria’s book The Montessori Method is translated into English. in1912. Maria visits the U. S. for the first time due to Sam McClure’s persuasion; there are already over one hundred Montessori schools in operation. Maria gives a lecture at New York’s Carnegie Hall on Dec. . The Montessori American Committee becomes the Montessori Educational Association under the direction of Mabel Bell (Alexander Graham Bell’s wife) as president. Spain’s first Montessori school opens. Success of Montessori’s Method Since her death an interest in Dr. Montessori's methods have continued to spread throughout the world. Her message to those who emulated her was always to turn one's attention to the child, to â€Å"follow the child†. It is because of this basic tenet, and the observation guidelines left by her, that Dr. Montessori's ideas will never become obsolete. The potential of the child is not just mental, but is revealed only when the complete â€Å"Montessori method† is understood and followed. The child's choice, practical work, care of others and the environment, and above all the high levels of concentration is reached when work is respected and not interrupted, reveal a human being that is superior not only academically, but emotionally and spiritually, a child who cares deeply about other people and the world, and who works to discover a unique and individual way to contribute. This is the essence of real â€Å"Montessori† work today.

Nature of Logic and Perception Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nature of Logic and Perception Paper - Essay Example If man develops a habit of analyzing his thinking, all his actions will take a positive direction, for it is mind and thinking which control all the actions and steps taken by man. Linda Elder and Richard Paul (2000) have suggested seven universal intellectual standards, which are thought to be the scale to measure the intellect that includes clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth and logic. Both logic and critical thinking contain intimate relationship with each other. Critical thinking aims to draw out truth with the help of logic, though logical alone cannot facilitate critical thinking in respect of acquiring the truth, yet it paves the way towards discovering which is correct and true. Critical thinking, Scriven & Paul submit, is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (Retrieved in criticalthinking.org) Critical thinking lays stress on in-depth examination of one’s own ideas, notions and opinion. Through critical thinking, a rationale person defies and confronts his poignant as well as egotistical mode of thinking and perceiving. A significant proportion of people in society lack mental competence necessary enough to under stand something and give proper reply to some specific logical question by applying critical thinking. Further, such individuals are not so intelligent to apply critical thinking skills to discover the truth. Mentally deficient, stupid, silly, idiot and insane people lack critical thinking, and ignorant and gobbledygook individual also lie in the same category. Such people seldom use their intellect while estimating a comment, view or notion due to their superficial and shallow observation of self

INTASC principle #5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

INTASC principle #5 - Assignment Example Artifact: A classroom (kitchen) activity that helps students use technology and social interaction to create warm or cold fruit desserts. The lesson involves INTASC principle #5 of behavior and motivation. Character Education: This artifact represents the teacher's mastery of INTASC principle # 5 because it displays the teacher's ability to use classroom management principles in order to increase student participation and motivation, thus create a more positive interaction and relationship among students. It also helps students learn how to be accountable to individual and group behaviors, thus promote a goal-directed learning in the classroom. The students will be asked to read and incorporate in the group activity the verse from Philippians 2:4 â€Å"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.† The main classroom management plan that is used for this activity is based on the principle of active student involvement. Students are ta sked to use the internet to search for kitchen safety rules and kitchen hazards. This is necessary prior to the kitchen activity itself. The students, in their groups, will talk about how to implement the safety precautions in the kitchen. Each group will be tasked to oversee a particular safety precaution they discussed in the classroom, and they will be responsible for ensuring that it is maintained throughout the whole kitchen activity. Each group will have a different kitchen safety precaution to manage. Through this activity, the students will be able to use technology to do their own research. Also, they will experience the importance of team work and active engagement in group interactions. Furthermore, giving the students the feeling of being trusted to determine kitchen rules for their activity could increase their sense of motivation. Reflection: I think that this lesson is very engaging for students because it involves everyone in a class activity that promotes positive t eam/group work. It also lets the students experience how it is to be responsible both for themselves and for others. My role here as a teacher is to look for means where students will have constant interaction through social engagement and make them see how important these are to make the group work successful. One area that needs to be addressed in this activity is the English communication skills of the non-native speakers of English. Another is the inclusion of children with disabilities in the group activity. Even though the class was divided evenly according to various ethnicity, socioeconomic, and academic considerations, children with special needs and the non-native speakers should not be excluded in the groups, and the teacher should make a careful balancing of whether to allow the class to decide on their own what their individual roles would be (with consideration to special needs children and the non-native speakers), or make the decision for the whole class on this matt er. This is where the part of incorporating the Biblical verse becomes very important, as students will be made responsible for each other and each other's participation and performance throughout the activity. Classroom Management Plan: Technology is essential in the artifact. This involves students accessing information online to complete the activity. This computer can also be used as a tool to integrate INTASC Principle #5 on motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that

World War II Through the 1970s Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World War II Through the 1970s - Assignment Example The war officially started in 1939 with the formation of two global military fronts, the allies and the axis. Most countries had no choice but to join either of the two military alliances. It was by far the most globally widespread war ever fought in the history of mankind. The European conflict was already heating up during the 1930s that ultimately resulted in German invasion of Poland in Sep 1939 and inevitably marked the onset of the Second World War. Adolf Hitler was a major figure that influenced the course of the war and proved to the mastermind behind the German’s plan of world domination. Therefore, Axis alliance was mostly led by the Germans with major contributions from Italy and Japan. Poland, France, British Empire, Soviet Union and later on US mainly constituted the Allies front. US initially avoided being part of this power clash but had no option but to counter attack after Japan bombers drop havoc over Pearl Harbor. (Payment 2004). During 1930s to 1970s, the p eriod is full of major historical events but two of them had a major influence on America’s current politics, economy, culture and society. These include the mentioned incidence of Pearl Harbor and later US atomic bomb explosions over the two populated cities of Japan. Pearl Harbor and Atomic Bombs The attacks on Pearl Harbor proved to be the decisive event that prompted US to finally involve in the bloodshed of the world war. However, going into the war turned out be politically and strategically beneficial as it helped US to emerge as a superpower on the global canvas. Soviet Union was the other force that gained immense power during the war period, thus, a clash between these two super powers was displayed in the form of cold war that had a great impact on political, social and economic front of America. Incidence of Pearl Harbor can be argued as one of the major underlying factor in stirring these future events. Moreover, dropping of nuclear bombs on the two cities of Jap an by the American planes that killed thousands of people in an instance turned out be a major blow. It gathered huge criticism and induced massive uproars regarding the use of nuclear weapons but it also put an end to six year long war. It had a great political as well as social impact. Even today, it remains as a black mark on the history of United States. Arguably, that event influenced many US policies that include a solid stance on global nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. US reluctance During the development of European conflict in the late 1930s, America maintained its stance of isolationism. Few reasons for such apathy can be deduced. First of all the great depression during the 1930s discouraged the US from participating any distant conflicts that would add burden on the economic front. Secondly, they were reluctant to enter the emerging war after the lessons learned from the aftermath of the First World War. A committee in the senate had already blamed war profiteers or â€Å"merchants of death† for American entry into the World War I. Several neutrality acts were passed during the late 1930s to ensure similar mistake is not repeated under the current situation. (Wittkopf et al 2002). Women in the World War American women played a major role in winning the World War II. Their contributions came in many forms. War demanded utilization of all country resources such as labor in the factory to produce military supplies, troops to fight for country’s cause. American women served all these purposes, more efficiently than anticipated. They also contributed as nurses, taking care of the wounded by serving in the Red Cross. The whole

Leadership based on a video 12 angry men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership based on a video 12 angry men - Essay Example At one instance where he got agitated he offered his own position to another jury member which shows his weakness. He did not portrayed any of the attributes that a leader might have practiced. He was not the most intelligent in the room neither was he extrovert or conscientious. He was bound by the rules and norms followed by a jury foreman and he kept on reminding jury members of them although he never used his influence to strictly enforce them. His pause when the architect did not favor the guilty verdict in the beginning shows that he was hesitant and was only a follower of popular opinion. Furthermore there were no inherent leadership qualities that would separate him from other jury members as a result his idea of conducted a secret ballot in the beginning was shot down and he was referred to as a â€Å"kid† by Juror # 10. After seeing the movie it is felt that there was a very insignificant role played by the jury foreman as he relinquished his responsibility to lead t he group and losses his composure. After losing his composure he was only fulfilling the demands of the Jurors, for example taking a vote or asking the guard for exhibits (12 Angry Men, 1997). Q2. How was the behavioral leadership theory depicted in the movie? Provide at least three examples from the movie to support your argument. The movie has substantial content that supports behavioral leadership theory, leadership can be learned and is not a born trait (Carpenter et al., 2010). It is observed in the movie that during the course of time most jurors show courage and learn to accept both fact based information and humanistic elements (Carpenter et al., 2010). Initially most of the Juror’s appeared convinced of guilty verdict and to a certain extent biased but as the discussions progressed they change themselves and learned to stand up for what they believed and distanced themselves from biasness. The foremost example is Juror # 9, the nice old man who agrees with the majori ty initially but later on his confidence, courage and ability to understand and present both fact and human based elements convinces other jury members, something presented in the behavioral theories as Laissez-faire style of leadership. His keen observation related to wearing the glasses proved sufficient to convince Juror 4 who was till then adamantly supporting the guilty verdict. Similarly the African American Juror, who grew up in slums was very shy as he abstains from commenting and stayed silent in the beginning although later on he stands up for who he was and using his experience he brought forward his arguments about the murder weapon (knife) and how they are usually applied. The third example was Juror # 7, the sports fan who had no interest what so ever in the case as he wanted to get over with it so he can go to the baseball match. Later on as facts are revealed to him he shows interest and changes his behavior as a sarcastic member of the group to an accepting member w ho supported the truth by removing his perceptual bias towards the accused teenager. It is a fact that all the men in that room learned and grew that day, fighting their personal prejudices, bias, indifference, anger, cultural difference, fears and bad experiences to reach a fair judgment but all due to Juror

Consumer Law in United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Consumer Law in United Kingdom - Essay Example The paper tells that very many companies today use awkward tactics to make sales. These range from closing down sales that they let to run for as long as possible, to the special offers that do not really exist. Nonetheless, some of the offers they usually make are quite genuine. However, the way the sales are made to the customers usually leaves the customers perplexed and wondering what the salespersons are aiming. A sales man or woman may stay for very long, up to hours waiting for a customer or client to make a subscription and then go ahead to tell the customer that his or her income depends on the client paying up. No sound for alarm, though, because ever since 26th may 2008, laws have been put in place with the aim of militating against such practices. Consumer protection from unfair trading regulations 2008 (CPRs) have made it possible for the protection of consumers from exploitation, and unfair treatment through misleading omissions, misleading actions, or other aggressive practices that businesspersons engage in. Misleading actions according to the consumer protection regulations are such practices such as marketing or advertising goods that do not really exist in the first place. Businesspersons also offer also usually make advertisements of items that they do not really have enough of in their stock. This means they create excess demand for the little goods they have in their stock. This practice of advertising a commodity with no aim of meeting its demand is a misleading action on the part of the traders and sales persons. The consumer protection regulations also prohibit traders from lying about the goods they have, or marketing them to consumers as another product, in order to gain credibility. In any case, a trader has signed a code of practice, he or she should stand by it and obey it to the later, failing to do so; failing to follow the code of practice may result for charges on the grounds of breach of the Consumer Protection regulations (Wo odroffe 82). Misleading omissions on the other hand, applies to the act of traders being very economical with the truth about their products, or deliberately leaving out information that customers need in order to make decisions that are well informed. Under these consumer protection regulations, it is the responsibility of the traders to make sure information about the products they sell reaches the consumers and customers at the right time. Timeliness is important in business. This ensures that information gets to consumers when they really need it; and not very late, that they can no longer use the information (Sealy 54). The aggressive practices are the sales tactics that really influence the process of decision making of consumers and customers in general. ThiAQAs means that the traders who ‘force customers’ to make decisions through threatening behavior, and do not give consumers breathing space, will be, under the regulations of consumer protection, committing an offence. In practicing these consumer protection regulations on traders, it is not just enough to demonstrate the deed. The accuser has to show that the consumer’s decision was indeed, influenced by the practice the trader is guilty of doing. The new rules set out by the United Kingdom to govern consumer protection against traders who are rogue came into effect in 2008. For the first time in the history of the United Kingdom, traders will not be allowed to trade unfairly to their customers. This does not mean that they will be restricted from making their own profits as they would; they are only required to follow the guidelines stipulated by the consumer

The quality of risk management in the Civil Engineering Assignment

The quality of risk management in the Civil Engineering - Assignment Example The paper tells that to any engineer, a statement of â€Å"risk† in correlation with a hazard represents the combination of the probability that a hazard will occur and the resulting consequences of that hazard. The possible consequences could range from traumatic injury or death, the cost of rebuilding a structure, the loss of revenue from suspension of economic activity, In addition to environmental damage, and further dangers. To be specific, a hazard can be defined as a set of conditions with the potential to cause adverse or undesirable events. In any case, the safety issue has to be addressed either by the soundness and safety of the design, or by directed measures taken in advance to minimize dangers. Facility construction and civil engineering by necessity involves a wide range of risks. International projects — defined in this case as those where the owner and/or contractor originate from a country other than that of where the project is situated — usual ly require a wider range of issues than purely domestic efforts. There is no doubt that venturing beyond one’s typical business jurisdiction produces many unknowns. Factors concerning owner investment decisions involving international capital facilities can be highly complex and may differ in crucial ways from region to region and between various projects. Contractors are faced with similar challenges when they begin working outside of their country of residency. International projects differ from purely domestic operations in areas such as legal regulations, construction systems/equipment, available technology, and management strategies. The success of a particular venture, and in some cases the viability of the entire organization, can depend upon an understanding of the risks correlating with these projects. International projects that fail in these implicit challenges in terms of scale, budget, and scheduling can result in a variety of undesirable impacts with severe econ omic, social, and political consequences. There is little doubt that construction projects of many eventual purposes going through a process of systematic review for the purpose of risk assessment and managed decision-making will benefit over those that do not. Viewed collectively, construction in a global sense is an essential worldwide industry which by itself accounts for approximately US$3.4 trillion, which constitutes nearly 10% of gross domestic product globally. (Bon, 2000) This sum is distributed among local, regional, or national enterprises, yet an increasing percentage of industry players conduct operations on an international level (Bon 2001). Most recently, the United States has been the largest construction market. With estimates reaching over $800 billion USD—projects completed outside of the domestic market. Construction in a general sense has a history of even greater capital investment in the portfolios of American owners, as well as the work performed by Am erican contractors. The development and operations of multinational corporations serves as a major contributor to the creation of an international market for construction in a way not possible in previous centuries. (United Nations 2001). Most industry experts propose that international business opportunities will continue to attract American foreign investment, while the international construction market will draw U.S. contractors. American Owners are vigorous in searching out international opportunities for new markets or to streamline cost effectiveness in present manufacturing operations. The globalization of the international construction markets allows for considerable profit for contractors to expand into additional foreign markets (Hann and Diekmann 2002). With the expansion of profit potential comes in added need for safety. The effort to minimize safety hazards is not only an issue of public concern, but as the market expands construction hazards pose an increasing threat to the budgetary constraints of many firms. With greater investment also comes greater potential for losses if

Multiculturalism in contemporary english literature(how to do a Essay

Multiculturalism in contemporary english literature(how to do a research for this topic) - Essay Example multicultural education, or multicultural menu.† As pertains to contemporary English literature, contemporary multicultural English literature would be that body of written work by authors whose work comes to fruition during the twentieth century, incorporating themes and characters of a cultural diversity; such as the works of Salman Rushdie, wherein Rushdie’s work, as Deepika Bahri (2004) suggests, is reflects a body of work that represents â€Å"’hybrid temporalities of ‘of colonialism.† Rushdie’s work, as Bahri suggests, falls within the â€Å"paleocolonial† era; or those post-colonial writers who by time and space in a post-colonial empire, whose work has not been the subject of post-colonial resentment and suppression.1 While there indeed exists a variety of contemporary English literary works from which to select that include a multicultural diversity by way of author and theme, with the exception of a limited, albeit growing, bod y of works, they tend to be works portraying the English protagonist in a foreign setting. The goal of this paper became one of searching the existing body of contemporary literature for a work of literature reflecting a multicultural setting, written by author of other than a British born English heritage, and whose story presents a protagonist as hero, or heroine of that story in a multicultural setting and of a multicultural heritage. To that end, the focus rested on the works of author Salman Rushdie, whose body of work emanated from lands other than England, and brought to the reader the opportunity to both discover the essence of a rich multicultural environment and tradition through interesting multicultural characters. Narrowing down the selection within Rushdie’s body of work to the multicultural work encompassing the goals previously discussed, the focus of this paper is Rushdie’s The Moor’s Last Sigh (1997).2 The selection of support materials for inclusion in this paper were made on the basis of

Ontological Argument for Gods existence Essay Example for Free

Ontological Argument for Gods existence Essay To asses the strengths of the Ontological Argument for Gods existence, we firstly need to understand what it entails. The Ontological Argument looks at proof A Priori, which is Analytical truth, reason based proof. This can be explained by saying 1+1=2. We know this to be true, as it is based on reasoning, and is a logical statement. This can be seen as a strength of the Ontological Argument, the fact that it is logical and rational. It deals with knowledge gained independently of experience, innate knowledge. It does not use any external evidence, it simply uses the definition of the word God. It therefore claims that if you understand what God is, then you understand that he must exist. St. Anselm, an Archbishop of Canterbury, first proposed the Ontological Argument in his book Proslogian, according to Anselm, both theists and atheists have a definition of God, if only for atheists to dismiss his existence. Therefore, Anselm claims, God exists in the mind. This could be considered a strength of the Ontological Argument for Gods existence. The fact that if you use the word God, then you, yourself must have an understanding of the meaning of the word. To use the word we show we have an idea of God which exists in our minds. However, existing in the mind is one thing, but to exist in reality is another. Lord, not only are You that then which nothing greater can be conceived but you are also something greater than can be conceived St. Anselm, Proslogion. As Anselm states above, God is that which nothing greater can be conceived, therefore not only must he exist in the mind, but in reality. This is because it is greater to exist in reality than simply in the mind. There is strength in this point, as what Anselm is saying is true. It is greater to exist in reality, that in the mind alone. For example if we had not eaten for a week, it would be good to imagine a 3 course meal, however, to actually receive that meal, and make it a reality, would be even better. As God is described as the greatest, then this helps to prove his existence. Rene Descartes supported Anselms argument, he had strengths in his proposition in which he said that if your minds exists, then it is logical to assume that clear ideas which come into your mind are true. His proposition began with I have an idea of God and finished with Therefore  God, as the clear and distinct idea of supreme perfection must exist. He maintained that his idea of God is one of a supremely perfect being, and one of the attributes of perfection is existence. This is similar to Anselms argument, and bears the same assets of being logical and plausible.

Five Axioms of Urban Economics

Five Axioms of Urban Economics Economics is a science of scarcity and it is bound by rules and principles like other sciences. Arthur O’Sullivan’s five axioms of urban economics are the guiding principles for urban economic theory. In this essay, the author will define and discuss O’Sullivan’s five axioms of urban economics, and then explain the existence of cities utilizing the five axioms of urban economics. The Five Axioms of Urban Economics The first axiom of Urban Economics is stated as prices adjust to achieve locational equilibrium. What this axiom means is that prices change based on the desirability of the area until individuals no longer desire to leave their current occupied area of residence. Locational equilibrium is what keeps Dallas residents living in Dallas. South Dallas and Oak Cliff may be rough areas to live in, but property values are cheaper because of the perceived value of present characteristics of these areas. Down Town, Dallas is an expensive area in which to live, but wages are higher. Fewer people want to live Oak Cliff or South Dallas when compared to Downtown, so homes are priced lower in Oak Cliff or South Dallas than in Downtown. Prices for housing, land, and wages are always adjusting to make urban areas equally appealing. People will not place the same values on all cities equally, but with a multitude of cities and variance in individual circumstances, cities can reach equilibrium. The second axiom of Urban Economics is self-reinforcing effects generate extreme outcomes. This axiom means that if one type of person or group moves into an area, then that area will become more attractive to the same types of people or groups. Think about places around the Dallas area. Are there areas known for rich people the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area? What about trailer parks or areas specifically known for high poverty in North Texas are there any that come to mind? Is there any certain street where you might find a surplus of car dealerships, gas stations, or restaurants? These are all examples that could be considered extreme outcomes. These outcomes happen because of self-reinforcing effects, or changes that lead to similar changes. When a trailer park locates in a city, for example, the area right around that park becomes an excellent spot for a new trailer park, and this creates even more appeal for a third park, and so on. Soon the area has additional stores and services targeted at people living in trailer parks, adding to the appeal for future expansion. The same outcome is true for any group of people where there is a higher concentration or that group, such as African Americans concentrated in South Dallas. The third axiom is externalities cause inefficiency. An externality is a cost or benefit that is passed on to someone outside of a transaction. There are two types of externalities, positive and negative. A negative externality, or external cost, is an economic activity that imposes a negative effect on an unrelated third party (Urban Economics, 8E). A positive externality, or external benefit, is the positive effect an activity imposes on an unrelated third party (Urban Economics, 8E). For example, if a widget business expanded into a widget factory, then a negative externality of this expansion would be the increase in pollution that a factory would produce. Positive externalities of the expansion would be the improved effect in production of widgets through research and that the laborers’ work became easier and less dangerous. Both positive and negative externalities can occur on either the production or the consumption side (Urban Economics, 8E). Externalities cause ineffi ciency because they incentivize people to do too much or too little of something. The fourth axiom of Urban Economics is that production is subject to economies of scale. The higher the volume of production of a firm, the lower the production cost. If the firm makes only one widget it will incur the total cost of buying the needed supplies, research and development of making a widget, and time cost of producing the widget. The cost would be very high. If a widget factory made millions of widgets, it may receive cost reduction for buying supplies in bulk, and through higher production of widgets the production process could be streamlined and cut costs. By principle of scale of economy, the cost of making the millionth widget will be less than the cost of producing the first widget. The fifth and final axiom of Urban Economics is that competition generates zero economic profit (Urban Economics, 8E). Where there are profits, there are people interested in getting their share (Urban Economics, 8E). This axiom of urban economics says that in real life businesses try to maximize profits by trying to mimic ideal economic model conditions. Firms analyze where to derive profits and wherever profits are found, new businesses with lower prices drive down the prices and the profits for the industry. The result is efficient for consumers, who can buy what they want at optimal prices. Take our hypothetical scenario: you have complete working knowledge of the production of widgets, the market is profitable, and the starting capital was given to you. Therefore, you open your own widget making business. For most people, the answer is easy. Assuming all widgets are created equal, to be competitive in the market, you charge you lower price than your competitors charge. In the wi dget industry where price makes the difference, a competitor might respond by lowering their price as well. You would have no choice but to lower your prices again to remain competitive. Eventually, firms in the widget market will lower price levels to the point where there is no more profit and firms are only covering costs of production. Competition would have created a situation where there is no economic profit and no room for new firms to enter into the marketplace. Why Cities Exist According to the Axioms of Urban Economics Since modern society seems to focus on cities, it may seem strange to the modern Americans that cities actually are very young and a new idea in terms of history. Cities are where we work and live, cities host our governments, and cities are where firms choose to be to do their business. Urban Economics by Arthur OSullivan States cities exist because human technology has created systems of production and exchange that seem to defy the natural order†¦The transformation of a rural society into an urban one occurred because technological advances increased the agricultural surplus, increased the productivity of urban workers, and increased the efficiency of transportation and exchange (Urban Economics, 8E). Recently in history, society has shifted from an agricultural focus to a focus on industrialization. Obviously, we all could not live in cities or there would be no one to raise crops and ranch livestock. According to the first axiom of urbanization, a locational equilibrium has been established by making land cheaper in the country to offset the lower wages of farming and ranching so not everyone will move into the cities. Thus, land and housing would be more expensive the closer you come to the heart of a city to offset the high wages available in the urban setting. According to the second axiom of self-reinforcing effects generating extreme outcomes, industrial firms that produce industrial goods will centralize themselves in the city, and farms and ranches that produce agricultural goods will develop side by side in the countryside. The fifth axiom states that firms will develop near like firms and will do so until there is zero economic profit. This situation means that industrial firms will develop in the city and agricultural firms will develop in the countryside until there is no more profit to be made. The fourth axiom of the scaling effect would allow for specialization in both the countryside and the city. This would set up a comparative advanta ge economy between the countryside and the city where the city can trade their industrial goods for the agricultural goods of the countryside. Cities were born from efficiency, hard work, and ingenuity. Without inventions like the cotton gin or the tractor, Americans might still find themselves living on the farm today. Instead, only 5 percent of the population grows food that feeds the entire country with more to spare; and the rest of us work to produce something worthy of trading for that food or for some other good or service (Urban Economics, 8E). Therefore, cities exist because it is beneficial to produce what you specialize in and use trading firms to lower costs and trade with other cities and areas that may specialize in goods and services desired or needed. Second Essay Starts Marginal costs and benefits are utilized as a form of measurement of costs and benefits at a specific level of production and consumption.Everyday individuals, groups, and institutions make decisions based on our marginal evaluations of the alternatives. They do this by asking questions: â€Å"What will it cost to produce one more unit†, and â€Å"What benefit will be received by acquiring one more unit†? In this essay, the author will define and discuss marginal costs and benefits and their effect on market efficiency in the presence or absence of externalities. What Are Marginal Costs and Marginal Benefits? Marginal benefit is the gain you receive for doing anything one more time (Urban Economics, 8E). Marginal benefit is typically measured in terms of revenue or what price level the free market places on the next unit you produce (Urban Economics, 8E). Imagine you are the proud owner of a widget making shop, and you could sell an unlimited number of widgets for 10 dollars, then your marginal benefit for each additional widget you produced would be 10 dollars. Realistically though, there is a limit on the amount of any item you can sell at a given price. If your market is saturated, to sell another widget you may have to lower your price to 8 dollars. Therefore, your marginal benefit for the next widget you produce will be only 8 dollars. Consumers experience marginal benefits as well, but the value of these benefits are not generally measured by the measurement of revenue. If a customer, values a widget from your store at value laden 20 dollars, based on its perceived value and consumer satisfaction from a purchase of a widget from your shop, then they will buy one. However, once they have one, they will only consider buying a second widget at 20 dollars. If they buy a second widget from your shop, it is based solely on the value-laden perception that the widget’s benefit is worth the 20 dollars. If the consumers do not perceive that the widget has 20 dollars benefit or use, they will not purchase another widget at the 20-dollar price level. Therefore, if your shop wants the consumer to buy widgets, the owner must either lower the price or offer some other promotional benefit. Consumers marginal benefit is also referred to as marginal utility(Urban Economics, 8E). According to the law of diminishing marginal u tility, â€Å"as a person increases consumption of a product, while keeping consumption of other products constant, there is a decline in the marginal utility that person derives from consuming each additional unit of that product† (Urban Economics, 8E). As the marginal benefit for widgets declines among your customer base, so does the price they are willing to pay which in turn affects your marginal benefit as a widget producer. â€Å"Marginal cost is the total cost you incur to produce one more unit† (Urban Economics, 8E). Following the example from the previous paragraph, it is the cost to make one more widget. Since, marginal costs are measured by total cost divided by change in output, marginal cost declines as change in output increases (Urban Economics, 8E). The overhead costs of production gets spread out over the increased change units produced. At some point, though, marginal cost reaches full capacity, and if you want to increase production, you will have to buy more widget machines, hire more employees, keep longer hours, and eventually build another site of production. These changes will increase the total cost for making widgets, so your marginal cost will increase. Now marginal cost is going up while marginal revenue is declining, for reasons already discussed. This situation means you are making less profit for each widget. Market Efficiency without Externalities If there is competition in the market but no significant, the free market result is efficient and benefits both the producer and the buyer (Urban Economics, 8E). It may or may not be fair since it depends on the existing distribution of market ownership (Urban Economics, 8E). This efficiency is achieved because the maximized quantity of output produced by a perfectly competitive firm results in the equality between price and marginal cost (Urban Economics, 8E). The most optimized efficient market without externalities is Perfect completion market. Perfect competition Market is an idealized market structure that achieves an efficient allocation of resources. In the short and long run, this involves the equality between price and marginal cost (Urban Economics, 8E). Market Efficiency with Externalities An externality exists when a third party who is not directly involved in the buying or selling of the goods or service incurs a cost or benefit (Urban Economics, 8E). In other words, an externality arises when a third party to a transaction experiences addition costs which can be either negative or positive due to transactions between buyers and sellers(Urban Economics, 8E). Negative externalities occur when the consumption or production of a good causes a harmful effect to a third party (Urban Economics, 8E). For example, the pollution produced with a sports car, or traffic jams due large number of car owners. If a good has a negative externality, then the cost to society is greater than the cost consumer is paying for it (Urban Economics, 8E). A positive externality exists when the private benefit enjoyed from the production or consumption of goods and services are exceeded by the benefits as a whole to the society. In this scenario, a third party other than the buyer and seller will receive a benefit because of consuming the good (Urban Economics, 8E). An example of positive externalities is the increased value of the neighborhood when you refurbish the outside of your house. Externalities are not usually fully reflected in prices. Externalities are regarded as a form of market failure. The costs and benefits related to externalities are not typically included as part of the decision making process when making market decisions. Negative externalities because too many goods and services are being made available to the market and being consumed at ill efficient amounts (Urban Economics, 8E). Positive externalities cause too little of a good or services to be made available to the market which cause inefficacies in consumption of goods and services by consumers (Urban Economics, 8E). the price for the good and the quantity produced are lower than the market could bear. When positive externalities occur in a free market, consumers pay a lower price for goods and services and consume lesser quantity of those goods and services to socially efficient levels (Urban Economics, 8E). When negative externalities happen in a free market, producers do not pay the additional external costs that exist so the costs are passed on to society (Urban Economics, 8E). Thus, producers have lower marginal costs so more of the products and services are bought than the efficient amount (Urban Economics, 8E). In order to get consumers to consume more of goods and services that have been affected by a positive externality, a government subsidy can be given to the public (Urban Economics, 8E). The subsidy will increase the marginal benefit they receive when they consume the good. All those who receive the external benefits from the consumer goods (Urban Economics, 8E) can pay for the subsidy. The subsidy will increase the marginal benefit they receive when they consume the good and all those who receive benefits from the positive externalities (Urban Economics, 8E) can pay for the subsidy. Negative externalities result in a lower free-market output. In order to make the market produce the optimal amount, we must impose a government regulations or taxes. This is called internalizing the externality, and forces those involved to pay for the negative externalities (Urban Economics, 8E). In conclusion, through this essay the author has learned many things about regulated and unregulated markets. Both have their costs and benefits, and society should be very prudent when entering to the market place because not all the cost is seen.

Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Jealousy in Othello Shakespeare is well for his ability to compose plays full of deceit, revenge, and jealousy. Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most recognized tragedies, was consistently evolving around the central theme of jealousy. As these lies are unraveled the central theme of his play became distinct, and clearly visible. Furthermore the theme of jealousy goes hand in hand with love, as often is the case in real life. Love consumes all those who take part in it, and in Othello's case his flaws lie in his loving Desdemona so blindly. It is for that single reason that Iago knows that such a naà ¯ve man as Othello, who loves his wife so blindly and unrealistically, can be corrupted. Just as Othello's flaws lie within his inability to see past his jealous feelings, so does many of the other characters, no matter what social ranking they are classified in. Even from the well-developed characters, such as Othello, to the lesser figures, such as Roderigo, envy and lust are feelings all of Shakespeare's characters are accountable for holding at one time or other in the play. Within each of the characters in Othello is a level of jealousy, which Iago creates by testing their pressure points for his benefit. In Act 1 scene 1, Shakespeare opens up to his audience a level of jealousy that goes hand in hand with feelings of greed. This is the moment in which Iago expresses his animosity for Othello. Iago is sub... ... Works Cited and Consulted Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991. Di Yanni, Robert. â€Å"Character Revealed Through Dialogue.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Literature. N. p.: Random House, 1986. Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Shakespeare. Othello. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. Rossi. New York: Longman, 1999. 312-379. Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.

The Bereavement Journey :: essays research papers

The Bereavement Journey Breavement is handeled differently in different generations. Weather it is a kid that has a terminal illness or an elderly person who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, each breave differently. Breavement deals with not just someone clsoe dying but, someone themselvs who is diagnosed with a life threatening illness. Kids are more afair of death than adults are. Kids do not underdstand death like adults. In one of our class discussions , Dr. Bradshaw told our class a story about how he went to Yale New Haven hospital (I think) and Dr. Bradshaw stated that a young boy who was a terminal cancer patient drew him a picture of a tank going after him. When Dr. Bradshaw told our class this , it was then clear to me that a child does not understand death as well as adults. But there are also ways a parent can help a child with breavement like buying the child a pet and when that pet dies, explain to the kid whay the pet died and that it can not be replaced. â€Å"childeren are capeable of experiencing greif† (DeSpilder 359). Childeren tend to be more quiet when dealing with a death of someone close. Childeren like to forget the sight of a dead one and try and move on without talking to anyone. Adults experience greif more open. When a certain person reaches adult hood , more and more people that he or she knows is going to die, a parent can die, a friend, and even a child. The most extemem death a parent can experience is death of a child. â€Å" the death of a child may be experienced as the ultimate lack of protection and nuture, the ultimate breakdown and failure in being a â€Å"good parent†Ã¢â‚¬ . When and adult experiences a deah he or she will be more open and go to counceling or actually talk to someone, and talking to somneone about your problems is a good way of breavement. Elderly when dealing with deaht and breavement is also an extreme. An elderly is close to death as is, but his or her friends are starting to die repidly and most of all a spouse is very close to end of life.

Dalai Lama :: Essays Papers

Dalai Lama His Holiness, the XIVth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was born in a small village called Takster in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama. His enthronement ceremony took place on February 22, 1940 in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The Dalai Lamas are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who chose to reincarnate to serve the people. Dalai Lama means Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshin Norbu, the Wish-fulfilling Gem, or simply, Kundun, meaning The Presence. Born Lhamo Dhondrub, he was, as Dalai Lama, renemaed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso - Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom. He began his education at the age of six and completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) when he was 25. At 24, he took the preliminary examination at each of the three monastic universities: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. The final examination was held in the Jokhang, Lhasa, during the annual Monlam Festival of Prayer, held in the first month of every year. In the morning he was examined by 30 scholars on logic. In the afternoon, he debated with 15 scholars on the subject of the Middle Path, and in the evening, 35 scholars tested his knowledge of the canon of monastic discipline and the study of metaphysics. His Holiness passed the examinations with honors, conducted before a vast audience of monk scholars. In 1950, at age 16, His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power as head of State and Government when Tibet was threatened by the might of China. In 1954 he went to Peking to talk with Mao Tse-Tung and other Chinese leaders, including Chou En-Lai and Deng Xiaoping. In 1956, while visiting India to attend the 2500th Buddha Jayanti, he had a series of meetings with Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Chou about deteriorating conditions in Tibet. In 1959 he was forced into exile in India after the Chinese military occupation of Tibet. Since 1960 he has resided in Dharamsala, aptly known as "Little Lhasa", the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. In the early years of exile, His Holiness appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet, resulting in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961 and 1965.

Is Liberal Autocracy the Optimum Form of Governance for Lesser Developed Countries?

Is Liberal Autocracy the optimum form of governance for Lesser Developed Countries? Andre Lim, Joshua Tjahjadi August 2011 1743 Words Hypothesis: Liberal autocracy is the optimal system of governance for lesser-developed countries (LDCs) Democracy at home, and abroad: In this essay, the authors aim to compare the systems of governance in Indonesia and Singapore, as well as how their differences have led to varied repercussions in both countries; those (repercussions) that will be closely examined here are the growth/development of stable governmental institutions, as well as the just rule of law.These are relatively newly-decolonized states existing side by side, in recent years taking different paths of governance. This resulted in wildly different outcomes. What was it about their different political paths that caused the difference? Is the fault with the democratic process, or with their implementation? Is there a certain developmental threshold within which democracy is just doom ed to failure? Many of these questions traverse along peripheries of political doctrine and liberal ethics. Certainly, democracy is an unpredictable, and often messy process.Only by answering hard questions like these can it be better understood, and refined. This is what the authors hope to achieve. To start off, however several key terms first have to be defined. Liberal autocracy refers to a non-democratically elected government founded on the principles of liberalism, that is a fundamental belief in the importance of liberty and basic fundamental rights. Notably successful examples include Singapore, and in the past Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as Japan. Lesser developed countries are nations exhibiting low levels of socio-economic development.Criterion include- low economic development (GNP of less than 905 USD, per capita) as well as human resource weakness (indicators include Adult literacy, nutrition and education). Liberty vs. Democracy- Rise of illiberal democracies? As Faree d Zakaria once brilliantly put it, ‘there today exists two strands of liberal democracy, both inextricably interwoven into Western political fabric- liberty and democracy. ’ The former is floundering even though the latter is flourishing. What is the significance of this co-relation?Democracy at its purest essentially means the rule of the people, whatever it may entail. Liberty recognizes that every man is born with certain unalienable rights- rights to religion, to life, to own property and be free from unfair prosecution. These are rights that cannot be infringed upon. Thus the crux behind constitutional liberty is the construction of institutions such as an independent Judiciary and Treasury to safeguard these rights. Only with a firmly-established Constitutional Liberty can democracy become a force for good.People frequently understand these concepts in reverse. Without the restrictive tenets of a strong Constitutional Liberty, the democratic process will end up ma nipulated and reinforcing corrupted/tyrannical/incompetent governance, elevating mediocrity and triggering stagnation. This is made apparent with Indonesia’s example. Without the checks and balances provided by libertarian governance, elections more often than not grant victory to illiberal forces. Contrast with Singapore’s single-party rule that gave rise to political stability and little corruption.A lack of liberty turn erodes the egalitarian and majoritarian principles casted by founders of modern constitutional-democracy doctrine- Madison, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu. After all, the democratic system obviously has many admirable qualities. It allows a peaceful transfer of power, and renders tyrannical rule impossible. In both Singapore and Indonesia, this conundrum has been made apparent, time and again. 1960s to 2000: Emerging from the upheavals of 1960s, both the LKY and Suharto regime placed utmost emphasis on stability and order.Thus a common tactic was to st ifle political opposition; co-opting whoever they could, and proscecuting the rest. For instance, in the 1980s a group of Indonesian intelligentsia composed of former military men, public intellectuals and officials signed the Petition of 50(Petisi 50), criticizing the regime’s authoritarian tactics and following a 1984 accusation that Suharto was building a one-party state, the group was cracked down upon and many of its leaders were jailed. In Singapore, many prominent opposition leaders such as Chee Soon Juan and Joshua Jeyaretnam were proscecuted and jailed for their political activities.In both nations, the government also played a major role in different sectors of society; be it religion, social or economic. The results were astounding. Between 1960 and 1990, GDP/capita increased four-fold. After the debacle made by the Sukarno regime of economic affairs, Indonesia slowly regained trust of investors, and foreign markets. Hyper inflation was brought under control, and a s slew of measures were implemented to make Indonesia competitive again. By early 1980s Indonesia had achieved self-sufficiency of rice production, as well as basic education for all and successful family planning measures.The Golden Age of Autocrats? In the 1960s-1980s, in midst of the Cold War, amidst the geopolitical turmoil engulfing South Asia then, strong leaders were required maintain unity, as well as stability. In a sense, the turbulence of those years gave legitimacy for autocratic rule. In developing countries where the populace was mostly uneducated and politically illiterate/susceptible to radicalism, the strong hand of an Autocrat was required to provide the stability vital to building the economy, creating strong instutions, pushing forth important reforms. These would in the future be key to building a working Democracy.If there was one thing men like Mahatir, Marcos, Chiang, Lee and Suharto agreed on, it was that in an LDC, the strong, unwavering hand of autocratic rule was necessary to temper populism and keep check radicalism. 2000 onwards: Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, Indonesia evolved into a full-fledged democracy. However, democracy has brought about a whole slew of problems. For instance, the judiciary’s impartiality and reliability have often been questioned. In June 2011, a judge was caught receiving bribes from a lawyer that amounted to Rp250 million in various currencies.In addition to this, the country also faces problems such as crumbling infrastructure, falling tax revenues, environmental degradation, corruption as well as religious tensions. Singapore on the other hand has been powering forward, be it in terms of education levels, or the economy. Its political elite, un-encumbered by electoral demands is able to make long-term decisions that otherwise would have been rendered impossible in a full-fledged democracy. For example, Singapore fiscally is exceptionally disciplined.Its population exists on little subsidies, and through measures like the CPF, whereby people pay for their own compulsory healthcare insurance, it has large surpluses and little deficit. This allows the MAS and GIC to invest in new technologies and facilities vital to Singapore’s long-term growth, such as the Petrochemical facilities on Jurong- Island, or Biopolis biomedical facilities. Contrast this to Indonesia, whereby the electorate is unwilling to give up on fuel and food subsidies they once enjoyed during the boom years, but are nowadays unsustainable and detrimental to Indonesia’s economic growth.What constitutes good Libertarian Governance? Having looked at the preceding case studies, several correlations can be made between democracy, governance and progress. Firstly, it is that democracy can only become a force for progress and stability were it to come hand in hand with strong governance. When left to itself, democracy by no means lead to consensus and effective decision making. Instead, it will end up getting manipulated and corrupted by infighting, vested interests and corruption. Take the Indonesian Parliament. It is an archetypal example of the democratic process getting hijacked by corruption and ideology.Given that Indonesia lacks strong governmental institutions and mature civil society, the democratic process frequently ends up as a medium for parties in power to battle out their vested interests and for racial, ethnic groups to push forward their own agendas. Some may ask, what is the value of strong institutions? The crux behind Constitutional Democracy lies in checks and balances. No single party should have all the power, instead; power and the decision making process should be diffused among the different branches of government.This way, it would render cronyism, patronage politics and in general bad governance less likely. Were this accomplished, decision making rests not so much on who is in power; but rather the institutions that formulate and implement them. T hus the underlying problem with immature democracies like Indonesia. Without a civil society and strong institutions to balance out the powers of the executive, there is nothing preventing irresponsible governance on the part of those who seek to use democratic institutions to push forward their undemocratic agendas.For instance, with the presence of a strong judiciary and treasury to formulate and implement a just tax code, it would be impossible for Indonesian conglomerates and their cronies in Parliament to push for tax breaks and other concessions. This is inherently undemocratic. What Democracy thenceforth would end up doing is aggravating conflicts and instability, as can be seen in places like Lebanon and Iraq, whereby the advent of democratic elections have given rise to an ethnically, politically polarized electorate. Secondly, a certain amount of economic growth has to be achieved before a stable democracy can be established.There exist several reasons for this. On one han d, a government capable of producing sustained economic growth is more likely to be stable and effective, possessing the strong institutions required for this. Their presence increases the chances of a Liberal Democratic regime surviving. Economic prosperity also means that a society is more stable, with an educated, empowered population likely to hold government account to their actions. Paradoxically, as inherently undemocratic the PAP regime may seem today, Singapore 45 years after independence is closer to becoming a successful Liberal democracy than ever before.Having a motivated, uncorrupt elite in more or less total control of public policy means that Singapore had been able to enjoy decades of sustained economic, political and social growth. This has created stability, as well as strong institutions and a flourishing civil society. With its vast ruling majority, the PAP regime has also been able to build legislative and judicial institutions that counterweigh the power of th e ruling body, since it has no need to cope with frequently detrimental populist sentiments or political infighting.The legislative body can then focus solely on advancing national interests. Therein lies the crux behind effective governance. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be surmised that establishing the pre-requisites required for a strong Democracy is a complicated process. Developing countries lack these pre-requisites, and trying to develop Liberal institutions in these countries under democratic circumstances is arduously tough. When this process fails, as it often does, the Democratic process loses its value as a force for stability.Herein lies the value of a Liberal Autocracy; to build the foundations for a working democracy. Certainly, liberal autocratic rule has its disadvantages. With such a high concentration of power within the ruling government, things only work out if the government is able, uncorrupt and works to build the institutions required for future transit ion to democratic rule. This was the case in Singapore. In Indonesia, the establishment of growth, stability and Liberty came hand in hand with cronyism and patronage politics. This is undemocratic; a possible offshoot of autocratic rule.Like America’s founding fathers, Lee and Suharto were both elitists with a democratic cause; to improve the lot of as many people as possible. They had one consensus- Democracy has to be meticulously built, rigorously defended. Developing countries require autocracy first, were a strong democracy to be conceived. However, with the advent of internet and a new generation of young people eager for rights and freedoms, this formulae may not work in other developing countries today. After all, any system needs to be revised from time to time. No system last forever.This thus, is the dilemma developing countries face today. They face the problem of consolidation, of making a democratic regime successful, because self-government is never easy. Afte r all, democracy can be entrusted to any society, but not everyone can make it work. (1743 words) Bibliography Hard copy sources: 1. â€Å"Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 2. â€Å"Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew: Citizen Singapore-how to build a nation† by Tom Plate.December 1 2010, Marshall Cavendish Corporation, ISBN-10 9812616764, ISBN-13 978-9812616760 3. â€Å"Lee Kuan Yew-Hard truths to keep Singapore going† by Ignatius Low, Chua Mui Hoong, Han Fook Kwang, Zuraidah Ibrahim, Lydia Lim, Rachel Lin and Robin Chan. February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 Soft copy sources: 1. Is Media Helping or Hurting Push for Democracy Ismira Lutfia, May 9 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/arts/is-media-helping-or-hurting-push-for-democracy/440043 2. LeeKuanYew-istan Forever Parag Khanna, May 24 2011 3.Indonesian Democracy at Standtill John Macbeth, Str aits Times Indonesia May 10 2011 4. A Replacement for Suharto’s Iron Fist Mohamed Iqbal Ahnaf April 08, 2011 5. Liberalism and Democracy: Cant Have One Without The Other Marc Plattner, 1998 http://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/53815/marc-f-plattner/liberalism-and-democracy-cant-have-one-without-the-other? page=show 6. The Thinker: Indonesia Unplugged? Mahpud Sujai, May 27 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/opinion/the-thinker-indonesia-unplugged/443379 ——————————————– 1 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 2 ]. http://www. indonesia-digest. net/3300suharto. htm [ 3 ]. ibid [ 4 ]. Jakarta Post, November 5 2009 [ 5 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 7 ]. 6 ibid [ 8 ]. 7 ibid [ 10 ]. Conversations With Lee Kuan Yew February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 [ 11 ]. ibid [ 12 ]. ibid [ 13 ]. Foreign Policy, May 2007

Compare and contrast Marxist and Functionalist accounts of religion

Both functionalists and Marxists share the common view that religion serves to legitimise the morals and laws within society. Many functionalists as well as Marxists do agree that society creates religion as a visual symbol of itself. Followers are ultimately not worshipping their religion, their worshipping society and everything it stands for. However, this is where the split in views begins. Functionalists see Religion as serving towards the 4 pre-requisites of society. (Namely: Social integration, shared values, social solidarity, and social harmony). By ensuring these needs are met, religion reinforces collective values and promotes solidarity. Functionalism is not over concerned about the ‘why' religion is allowed to assume this falsified symbolism, but instead recognises it's use in keeping harmony and faith in society. Durkheim demonstrates this in admitting that religion does not have to be ‘super natural'. It's important to note that mortal people and objects can gain a sacred status in society similar to that of the idols of religion. For instance: Princess Diana – a national symbol of charity and possibly the last real ‘princess' of the British Nation in the people's hearts. She has become sacred because she represents a good quality of society. From this, Durkheim believes â€Å"Understand what sacred things represent and you understand the values of a society†. Here we come into the first major difference between functionalism and Marxism. The former believes that there is a positive relationship between society and the individual. Worship society; believe in society. Marxists, however, inherently are discontent and have an ill view of society as it is. It is understandable how they are opposed to religion indoctrinating the people into a value set, pulling them into the collective conscience that ultimately supports capitalism and the idea that people deserve to â€Å"have their place†. Religion has allows supported class systems and promoted inequality. In gender. In work. In authority. Everything that Marxism is opposed to. â€Å"The rich man placed in his castle – The poor man placed at his gate† Malinowski, famed for his research at the Trabaind islands, did not see religion as a celebration of society, despite the same functionalist perspective as Durkheim. He did, however, agree that religion promotes solidarity. It does so by dealing with emotional stress / life crisis (disruptive events). Religion goes as far as to introduce ceremonies for dealing with various life crisis. Death is given a funeral. Love is given marriage. In all cases then hope is given through the expressed belief in immortality and fellow mourners serve to comfort and support the bereaved, so they can become functional members of society once again. Dangerous and unpredictable events are also surrounded in religious ceremony. Prayer is common before a possibly hazardous experience. These rituals reduce anxiety and increase confidence, strengthening unity in shared situations. Talcott Parsons shares this view and goes onto show how religious devices, such as the 10 commandments, provide the basis for many social norms and morals. Religion guides behaviour and helps in the formulation of decision through this. Finally, Religion is looked to answer the â€Å"ultimate questions† and give meaning to our existence. Humanity needs to feel as though there is meaning in all significant things; meaning to death and suffering, and justification of existence in itself. Religion works to show sense in contradictory scenarios that threaten the balance of ultimate beliefs. For instance, a man who is profiting through the doing of evil will be punished in the after life for his wrongful gain in life. Religion is a warning, a giver of justice, a provider of guidance and ultimate supernatural fear if one goes astray. Marx himself rejects any idea of supernatural aspect of religion. He describes religion as the â€Å"Heart of a heartless world†; The heartless world being the society moulded by capitalism. Religion is born out of a need for comfort, it does just this by cushioning the effect of worker oppression. Marxists have placed religion as part of the super structure, it helps justify the capitalist base as well as the whole super structure. (See rich man quote page 1). Religion as a tool of the bourgeoisie plays an important roll in justifying worker oppression, by showing that all will gain equal reward in heaven for doing the ‘right thing'. Religion has varying levels of strictness according to socio-economic class placement, especially in India where the cast system places strict restrictions and categorisations on a persons place in society. The idea of equal opportunity is ultimately crushed by harsh teachings and acceptance that a lower class worker is having a bad life because super natural forces placed them in that situation as punishment for wrongfulness in previous life. In conclusion, Marxist and functionalist similarities on the subject start and end with the acceptance of religion as a conservative force in society. Neo Marxism does accept the idea (like functionalism) that religion can sometimes be useful to society in bringing about change for the better. For instance the radical role of Liberation Theology. (Madura). Traditional Marxism is totally opposed to the oppressive role of religion and would be surprised to see that radical forces have emerged with some minority religious groups. Functionalists such as Durkheim and Parsons see religion as being a positive and perhaps essential part of the harmonious workings of society but have been criticised for ignoring the dysfunctional, disruptive, and divisive aspects of religion. They fail to consider hostility between religious groups within the same society. â€Å"It would seem that religion threatens social integration as readily as it contributes to it† (Stark & Glock).

Chorographic Fusion between Contemporary Dance and Indigenous Movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre Essay

Chorographic Fusion between Contemporary Dance and Indigenous Movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre Stephen Page has been the Artistic director of Bangarra Dance Theatre since 1991. During this time he has choreographed many works, including his two major pieces Ochres and Fish. Ochres was first performed in Sydney in 1995 playing an essential part in traditional life and it explored the significance of ochres. Fish is also about the earth and the power of the elements, Fish focused on the waters of the earth and the wealth of life. Bangarra gets its inspiration from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and deals with the contemporary issues the Indigenous population face. Ochres is a work with four parts to it, Yellow, Black, Red and White,(colours representing Aboriginal culture and heritage) with each section representing the following: Yellow showing the female spirit, Black displaying the male energy, Red being about contemporary social issues and White takes inspiration from what has come and using it to create a new world. Using the ochres is a traditional ritual done before dancing on the earth, it welcomes the story to the earth and this is done at the start of Ochres. Djakapurra Munyarryun is Bangarras cultural consultant and is featured in Ochres to display the traditional paint up and preparation of cleansing the earth. This traditional element in Indigenous dance and is much more detailed than what is performed in Ochres. In the section Yellow, Page has used choreographic fusion between contemporary dance and indigenous movement. The dancers are imitating animal movement which is taken from traditional Indigenous dance. However most of the movement in Yellow is presented in an abstract contemporary way. Black starts with Munyarryun wiping the ochre across his forehead, this is a traditional element that is repeated in Black. The stick dance in Black is about men competing for hunting grounds and has a traditional meaning. Most of Ochres has traditional meanings that are displayed though contemporary dance. The fusion between the contemporary dance and the indigenous movement is clear in Black with a lot of animal imitation. Fish also has four sections to it, Fish, Swamp, Traps and Reef. They are all about the waters of the earth and the mysteries they contain. Both traditional movement and contemporary dance is shown in Fish and each section displays this in its own way. The contemporary expression of traditional parts of Indigenous culture in Fish is shown when the men are hunting for fish in the section  Traps. They have spears and are demonstrating how they traditionally caught fish. The choreographic intent of the hunting movement achieved the message of their traditional ways but told a whole story through the abstract contemporary outlook. Fish has many traditional elements that are expressed through contemporary dance; this includes things such as movement, music and costumes. The Music in Fish changes from their traditional music with instruments like the didgeridoo into a more techno and modern upbeat sound. Throughout Ochres the music has a combination of the traditional and contemporary music. Indigenous chanting in both pieces displays the relevance of the Indigenous culture in Ochres and Fish. The costumes in Fish look like creatures of the ocean, they have a scaly effect but are kept simple. Jeans are also used in Fish as costumes other than the traditional body paint that is still shown in other sections. In Ochres there is a section that has the woman dancing topless, this is done in low light and is very traditional and acceptable in this form of dancing. Page has also incorporated costumes that are very modern in contemporary dance in Ochres, in the section Red a lot of the items of clothing are beautiful and modern but still contain that Indigenous feel. Bangarra Dance Theatre is important to Australia because it has so much history behind every single dance that Page creates. It celebrates the communities and cultures of the indigenous people in a unique way. It’s living traditions go back at least 40,000 years with the Indigenous people of Australia and reflects the lives of Indigenous people today. Contemporary dance embraces traditional stories that admire the histories and identity of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The culture, values and traditions of Indigenous Australians inspires movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre. This company tells a story about the history of the indigenous people to Australia to the world. It is important that the Indigenous culture is never forgotten and Bangarras artistically creative works make sure that they aren’t. Ochres and Fish have many parts that are traditional to Indigenous culture with animal imitation, the paint up and preparation with ochre and the representation of what the earth means to their culture. Bangarra Dance Theatre is important to Australia and to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Stephen Page has created many works with a fusion of contemporary dance and traditional movement. This is important because it’s apart of Australian heritage and our history. Bangarras distinctive choreography portrays stories and highlights important traditions through contemporary dance.

Relationship of relationships Essay

Statistics on suicides show either positive or negative correlations with suicidal tendencies. There are then vulnerabilities but there are also mitigating circumstances or resistance to committing suicidal acts. Age level, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation and affiliations were found out to somehow relate to occurrence of suicide. The individual’s state of mind and history of mental illness are shown as factors to consider. To properly situate these findings, we therefore define the key elements of a synthesis from the three disciplines used in the study. We came up with the following: 1. There is a sort of an internal progression line and a parallel social time line The relationship between these two line is like lock and key, based on fitness but in a very dynamic setting subject to sudden â€Å"twists and turns† along the way of integration or its opposite alienation. The situation made more complex as social situations are not usually homogenous. Variation in individual progression may not be the same. Alienation then could continue with the social situation for the individual deteorating as well because of its regression into greater alienation. 2. Reason for living There are levels of ideation, fairness for example is simpler than being just and in the same manner looking at life as a skill of how to handle the complex of emotion and reasoning in relation to social information daily being processed and given the vulnerabilities, intervention could be crafted and social vectors who or which will carry it out properly identified, invited and oriented. The purpose is not really educational or mentoring but engagement in real life social situations. Gaining insights in preventing suicides Taking bits of wisdom from different disciplines affords a view of world against a new light and in concerns such as suicide; a fundamental realization of the value of life in contrast to losing the reason for living is of paramount importance. Combining psychology, sociology and religious perspective gave us this opportunity (Table 1). Table 1. Generated insights used in the study from the three disciplines Discipline Insights Psychology The perception of self could be more decisive than the nature of self as determinant of action. Perception is a product of cognition. Suicide is a form of self annihilation. Could be a product of â€Å"dark cognition† Sociology Group setting is integral in developing self. The value system is as fundamental as the relational in group or social networks. Suicide as a syndrome has social context, a form of conflict resolution which is acceptable in some cultures (Masada, Seppuku in Japanese culture). Religion The value of life is above life. The objective of life is purification. Suicide is a sin not on life but a sin of arrogance that life is for us to take. A continuing exploration on life There is that saying that life is always a search for completion and which forms one of the great motivations in human development. In the same vein, this effort is an exploration traversing perhaps what Kolberg’s describe as the higher stages. The integration of the different perspectives may not be perfect as each of the disciplines have their own attributes which could be taken as either strength or weaknesses (Table 2). Table 2. Strengths and weaknesses of the three disciplines used in this study Discipline Strengths Weaknesses Psychology Probes into the nature of self and will on human behavior including dark acts such as suicide. The apparent stand off in the nature and cognition Sociology Relates self and social processes of integration or alienation Unpredictability of human behavior or dynamic shifts. Social senses may not be keen enough and sensitive enough to notice risk situations or situations leading to suicides. Religion Externalization of the value and meaning of life. Morally grounded. Tendency to mystification of mundane and human nature.

Discuss whether it seems possible for alternative (i.e Essay

Alternative Media Substituting Mainstream Media in Developed & Developing Countries - Essay Example While such pluralism dissipates political subversions of free opinion, smaller countries with authoritative regimes at the helm of affairs do throttle traditional media mechanisms. The situation is even worse in nations where the capitalist mode of an economy still persists. As argued by critical theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, both microcosmic as well as macrocosmic social structures unleash equal amount of media propaganda in the guise of art. Maintaining this line of argument it can be inferred that technological boom has affected people’s cultural integrity and identity in a detrimental manner, resulting in generalization of opinions and conscious worldviews (Adorno and Horkheimer 1944). If we take the example of a developing nation like Turkey, or any other Middle-Eastern country for that matter, it would be clear that mainstream media has long resorted to alternative media agents in order to remain independent of state administered policies. Instead of acting like a mere vehicle to voice the politically motivated manifesto of the State, media houses do adopt a neutral standpoint within a restricted religious ideal (Romano 147). It has to be underlined that consumer culture primarily driven by religious fundamentalism does very little to encourage semi-formalized notions of production and absorption of mass

U.S. and Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U.S. and Texas Government - Essay Example It was thought that by having electors with a better political understanding, the choice of the president would be one to unite all Americans. Presently, for a US presidential candidate to be declared officially as the president, a 270 majority from the electorate college is mandatory. In the past, the Electoral College has denied some candidates the presidency. During the 1824 elections, Andrew Jackson failed on the president bid because, despite winning the popular vote, he only managed less than 50% of the electoral votes. Similarly, Samuel Tilden, during the 1876 elections failed to become president because he did not meet the threshold. Others who faced a similar ordeal were Grover Cleveland and the recent one Al Gore. Currently, the state of Texas has 38 electors while Wyoming has 3. However, seemingly, unfair, this system is fair given the populations of respective states. However, the smaller states are likely to perceive it otherwise. Besides Nebraska and Maine, all the other states use the ‘winner-takes-it-all rule. This rule influences the presidency in the sense that a state can be biased. ‘Swing states’ refer to a state that two main political parties share voters almost equally. Presidential elections ought to be reformed in a way that the general electorate’s wish is directly implemented. College educated voters are quite knowledgeable on electoral matters. Conversely, nonvoters tend to know mainly about the candidates, not issues discussed.

Vocation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vocation - Essay Example I believe that this overemphasis on money on the things that we do is one of the causes of many problems that we have right now. On the other hand, if we think too much about others, such as our community, family, we may forget our responsibility with our self. Thinking about others in choosing what we should do is good but just not excessively. The ideal way on how to choose with what to do with our lives is to strike a balance between ourselves and others. That is, determining what we really would like to do that will make us happy and balancing it with economic consideration if it could provide for our responsibilities in life. Equally important is for us also to ask if our choice could also benefit our, community, society, family, country and humanity in general. Such that when we do it, we make everybody happy, first is our â€Å"self†, then our community, our country and then mankind in general. As a guide on how to best choose with what to do with our lives, it is best to ask first â€Å"what will makes us happy?†, or â€Å"what is the thing that we would like to passionately?† This requires soul searching but when we have determined what it is that we would really like to do, the rest will follow. That includes the economic aspect because we would excel with what we do and thus, gets paid handsomely for it. In the process of determining what we would like to do, we should also consider the greater good of everybody because what good will an endeavor do if it does not do good to others except for one’s self? This is important because not all that we would like to do are appropriate or even legal which is why we have to ask if it will do good to our community and society. Thus, it goes without saying in selecting what we would like to do, we should also consider existing laws, our morals and social norm. If we have satisfied all these guidance in choosing what we would like to do, we did not only make

Influence of physical attractiveness and personality on relationship Essay

Influence of physical attractiveness and personality on relationship formation - Essay Example (Gonzales, 2008). Some uses physical attractiveness as factor to consider in choosing the person to have a relationship with. Simple observations like clothes he wears, the way he talks, the way he walks and others may lead to the interpretation of a variety of other characteristics. In the literature review the paper presented researches and study done on physical attractiveness and personality on relationship. One of the study was done by Gonzales, Casey of Department of Psychology in Loyola University of New Orleans (2008). In 2001 Yela and Sangrador of Univeristy of Madrid releases their article, "Perception of Physical Attractiveness throughout Loving Relationship". In the article they try to verify various hypotheses about the importance of physical attractiveness (PA) in loving relationships, based on known psycho-social processes. Also included in the review are the researches done by Gilles on 1994. In this article the writer presented two useful and complementary models of relationship development: the Social Penetration Theory and Attraction. At the end of this letter the writer will show his own view about the topic. In the study done by Casey Gonzales of the Department of Psychology in New Orleans presented three characteristics that affect interpersonal attractiveness across a range of social relationships these are: warmth, competence and physical attractiveness. (2001). Warmth is described as a positive outlook and positive attitude towards people and things. Competence matters mostly when it depends on the nature of the relationship that he/she has with a person. Physical attractiveness according to Gonzales (2001) is the most difficult of the three characteristics because it is hard to avoid forming impressions of people based on their appearance. This implies that if a person is physically attractive he/she also has other positive qualities as well. Also in the article written by Gonzales (2001) when choosing someone to have a relationship with the characteristics of warmth, competence and physical attractiveness are important influences. Many studies showed that although both sexes view a partner's physical attractiveness as an asset, men placed greater value on the physical attributes of a partner than women did (Feingold, 1990; Jackson, 1992; as cited by Taylor et. al). In a national survey of Americans, women were more willing than men to marry someone who was not "good looking"(Sprecher, Sullivan, & Hatfield, 1994). Women also prefer older partners while men prefer younger partners. Women place greater emphasis on a partner's economic resources than men do. Men were more willing than women to marry someone who was not likely to have a steady job, earned more, and had more education. These sex differences have been found not only in the United States but in a wide range of other cultures as well (Buss, 1989). Yela and Sangrador (2001) presented scientific study on the importance of physical attractiveness and personality in forming a relationship. Using variables and measurement technique they evaluated how physical attractiveness greatly influences the person to pursue to have a relationship. Social psychology emphasize that the role played by physical attractiveness in our social cognition, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships is