Animal Farm – Corruption of Power

Jonathan Garcia Ms. Abasta English 9, Period 3 March 12, 2009 Corruption Of Power Can power really corrupt a person? Power can corrupt anybody who steps up as a leader, especially when power is unchecked. In Animal Farm, by George Orwell, Snowball and Napoleon fight for the top spot as leader, but on the way they become corrupted. As the animals discover new things and obtain them the pigs cunningly keep it for themselves. Even do Snowball also became corrupted Napoleon showed cruel force and intimidation to the animals to keep his position. Snowball became corrupt at some point during his time in power, but he always had the best interest for the farm. â€Å"Without halting for an instant, Snowball flung his fifteen stone against Jone’s leg (p. 37). † Even do Snowball was injured by Jone’s gun he got up and fought for the farm, animals, and freedom. His bravery in the war showed his true intentions for the animals, while Napoleon just hid and stayed behind. â€Å"At the meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches (p. 43). † Snowball usually is able to persuade the vote to go his way with intelligence and peeches rather than through cruelty and fear. Snowball usually came up or sided with ideas that benefited the farm in a positive way like the windmill. In the end Snowball benefited the farm in a positive way for the animals, and not abusing his power. Unlike Snowball, Napoleon showed his authority through fear and intimidation. â€Å"When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess (p. 75). † Demanding the animals to confess a crime they never had done with force, then illing them puts fear in the rest of the animals causing them to not act out against Napoleon. Also this fear and intimidation puts down the animals making them feel feeble. â€Å"Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gamboling round him (p. 117). † Himself standing up on two feet giving arrogant looks, he puts himself above all others showing he has more power and authority then anyone. Also the dogs surrounding him shows that no one can touch him putting more animals down again. So it shows that Napoleon is able to maintain his ower by putting others below him and putting fear into them. Napoleon was able to keep his power by fear and eliminating the competition, while Snowball used his intelligence and speeches to only have good for the animals he still lost his power. It shows that even do fear and intimidation keep your power its wrong and corrupted. It’s better to have the most sincere interests for the people, and not to put others below you. Snowball seems to be a better candidate as a leader compared to Napoleon’s cruelty. Even the best of people can become corrupted with power and abuse it.

Great Expectations: A Character-Driven Novel

The novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is heavily a character-driven novel due to the fact that the sequence of events in the novel are causes and effects of the actions of the characters as well as the interactions between them. The novel mainly depicts the growth and development of an orphan named Pip, who is greatly influenced by the other characters and became a gentleman and a bachelor in the end of the novel through his encounters with the other characters.Pip, as the main character, definitely has a lasting impact on the drive of the novel since his decisions are very instrumental and effective towards the other characters as well as to himself. This phenomenon applies to not only Pip, but to the other characters, especially Estella, Miss Havisham, Joe, and Abel Magwitch. Everything a character does and every encounter between the characters in Great Expectation has an effect on the flow of the plot and situation of the novel. Before the very beginning of the novel, the conflict of the novel is already set in motion.Pip is an orphan at the start of the novel as his parents were long gone and he lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe, and her husband, Joe, the blacksmith. As a result of the two siblings and the older sibling’s husband living together without any parents, the family was relatively poor. Thus, in addition to Mrs. Joe’s strict attitude and the fact that his status is in the lower class, Pip had a rough childhood. The fact that Pip had a childhood full of hardship and is poor sets up for his later decision to become a gentleman through a secret benefactor.When Pip do decides to leave for a new life in London, he upsets Biddy and especially Joe as he recently became an apprentice of his; their life-long friendship falls apart. This is one of the major decisions Pip has to make and it changed the entire course of the plot as the setting of the story shifts from Pip’s first known home in Kent to London since the novel fo llows where Pip goes and the direction of the story changes from Pip’s apprenticeship with Joe in blacksmithing to Pip’s new fortune of a career in a new place.If Pip had not been an orphan or lived with a poor family, the major plot would not have existed as Pip’s transformation to a gentleman is the key. Pip would never have met half the characters of the novel such as his best friend, Herbert, Jaggers, and Wemmick. The novel would be driven into a different direction. Dickens was able to produce a novel that makes sense and that reflects his view of what a â€Å"coming of age† novel would be like by making the main character a poor orphan from the start only to turn him into a wealthy gentleman later and then into a hardworking bachelor.Another beforehand affected character, who has a deep impact towards the novel’s state of conflict, is Miss Havisham as she is the mastermind behind Estella’s cold behavior and wants to get revenge on men just because one man, Compeyson, who is supposed to be her husband, left her on their wedding day before the start of the novel. This one particular major event of Miss Havisham’s life changed her life forever as she was heartbroken and turned into a crazy and vengeful woman.She has ever since lived in the moment when she got the note that her wedding with Compeyson was off as all her clocks stayed at the same time of that moment and she still wears her bridal clothing from back then. The fact that she got rejected by her future husband induced her to hate men in general, to never love them again, and to adopt a child for herself, which happens to be Estella, the long-lost child of Abel Magwitch and Molly. All of this leads to the intimidating duo of Estella and Miss Havisham at Satis House, whom Pip fears and terrorizes him for much of the better first part of the novel.Miss Havisham’s background story sets up for her influence on changing and manipulating the beautif ul Estella’s life as well as Pip’s. Miss Havisham reveals that she has been giving orders to Estella to accomplish her goals for her as Estella is very attractive by acting dispassionate towards her suitors. During Pip’s meetings with Miss Havisham, Pip first thought of the idea of becoming a gentleman and leaving his poor life. When he is informed of a fortune that will due to be his, he thought his secret benefactor was Miss Havisham, so he became confident of her kindness and Estella’s hand in marriage.Miss Havisham drives the plot by giving Pip the idea to leave his first known home away from Joe, Mrs. Joe, and Biddy. In addition, she was thoroughly thought to be the secret benefactor of Pip throughout the novel until Magwitch revealed it was him. Later, Miss Havisham changes her personality and became a totally different person as she regrets the pain she had given Pip and it was assumed she attempted suicide by catching herself on fire, leading Pip to rescue her. This event also influenced Pip to realize that his great expectations are not very significant towards him, but human feelings.Thus, he thanks and prays for Miss Havisham’s well being and made up with Joe and Biddy for leaving them in the first place to be a gentleman. Also, Miss Havisham let Estella go free to do whatever she wants, so she married Drummle. However, she realizes that Drummle is not the man for her and after his death, she meets Pip and finally admits that she now sees that Pip has feelings of love for her. Dickens was once again clever to come up with such a disheartening background story for Miss Havisham that can explain her wild behavior and set up her personality change, which to a great extent affected the lives of Estella and Pip greatly.Another major instance of the plot being greatly influenced include Estella’s background story along with her secret connection to Magwitch and Molly. Estella is also an â€Å"orphan,† but n ot as the same extent to Pip because she was adopted by Miss Havisham and both of her parents were still alive at the start of the novel. Estella’s life changed when there was trouble between her two parents in the past as her mother, Molly, was accused of killing a woman over her real husband, Abel Magwitch, or Estella’s father.Molly was also accused of murdering her daughter, Estella, but she is clearly alive, so that clears up the accusation. Also, Jaggers defended Molly in court by saying she was too weak to strangle another person. Then, the family separated afterwards, which lead the three members of the family to different directions in their lives: Molly became Jagger’s housekeeper, Magwitch became an infamous convict, and Estella was adopted by Miss Havisham. All of these events wouldn’t have happened if Molly was a mentally unstable woman, who thought of murdering someone and had destroyed her own child unbeknownst to her husband.The family†™s past leads them to their new personalities in the novel and were important characters that lead the buildup of the climax of Great Expectations. In conclusion, the novel, Great Expectations, has an outstanding â€Å"Literary Quality† as the course of the novel is greatly affected by the effects of character movement and their involvements with each other. There were many pieces in the novel that has led to an impactful shift towards the novel’s plot and conflict story with each and every character in the novel having some contributions towards it.

Moral psychology Essay

a. Strengths of the analysis include the idea that talking about ethical issues is important,and that the analysis suggests avenues for improving ethics education. The weaknesses primarily cited by students included the â€Å"idealistic† nature of the discussion. Onecommon theme emerged, which is that frauds and unethical behavior occurred long before formal business school education. Students often cited this fact as anunaddressed weakness in Professor Waddock’s analysis. b. The average level of moral reasoning for the Danish auditors in the study was a p-scoreof 35. 48, which corresponds to a conventional level of moral reasoning. However,about 37 percent of auditors in the study were in the pre-conventional moral reasoninggroup. Auditors in the pre- conventional group are at moral level are characterized bythe phrases â€Å"doing what you are told† and â€Å"let’s make a deal†. Auditors in theconventional group are at a moral level characterized by the phrases â€Å"be considerate,nice, and kind; you’ll make friends†, and â€Å"everyone in society is obligated to and protected by the law†. Only about a third of the sample in the study achieved the post-conventional moral reasoning level, which is characterized by the phrases â€Å"you are obligated by the arrangements that are agreed to by due process procedures† andâ€Å"morality is defined by how rational and impartial people would ideally organizecooperation. † Based on Kohlberg’s categories, this implies that many auditors in thesample will be heavily swayed by client preferences, and that regulatory pressure/compliance threats will be important in affecting auditors’ judgments. c. The arguments in Paper 1 assume that ethics can be taught, and yet the evidence inPaper 2 suggests that many auditors who have received a business school educationare still operating at very low levels of moral reasoning. Therefore, students’expressed concerns about whether ethics can really be taught in formal business schoolsettings. Students’ discussion focused on issues including the quality and extent of exposure to ethics interventions as being important in determining whether they will be effective. Students also commented on overall ethical climates at different auditfirms, and in different cultures (i. e. the Danish sample of auditors provided an avenueto discuss possible cross-cultural differences in ethical norms in a business setting). d. Students completing this project provided many examples of possible dilemmas. Common examples included concerns about client pressure on difficult accountingissues, independence issues, the relationship between tax and audit services, andinterpersonal dynamics (including age and gender issues, and concerns about how tohandle the inappropriate judgments of colleagues). In terms of plans for handling thesituation, any reasonable plan was deemed appropriate for purposes of assigning points. However, plans that incorporated the ethical decision-making frameworksdescribed in the chapter were considered superior. Regarding anticipated outcomes,students expressed concerns about their own welfare (pay, performance, jobsatisfaction, and job retention), and they also discussed the effects on other stakeholders (clients, shareholders, bankers, and society in general).

Impacts of Immigrants to UK and UK Immigration Policy on its Labour Essay

Impacts of Immigrants to UK and UK Immigration Policy on its Labour Market - Essay Example The composition of the of the incoming immigrants is usually very different from that of the population of the receiving country on matters pertaining to demographic, cultural and socioeconomic attributes (Okkerse, 2008). As a corollary, the demographic and socioeconomic effects of international migration have become very apparent in the contemporary world and this has gained the attention of policy-makers and the society in general. This has consequently made the immigration process a playing field for numerous studies in the 21st century (e.g. Clark and Drinkwater, 2010; Macura et al. 2005) In theory, the effects of international migration on earnings and jobs for the population in the host country is critically contingent to the extent to which migrants’ skills are complements or substitutes to the skills of the population in the host country, and on how immigration impacts the demand for labour in the host country (Hatton and Tani, 2005). Apart from changes in salaries and employment Dustmann et al, (2008) asserts that there are at least two other adjustment mechanisms in which an economy acts in response to immigration. Besides enlarging labor supply, immigration has the propensity to increase the demand for labor (Saleheen, and Shadforth 2006). Immigrants increase the consumer demand for goods and services in the host country and in the long run, immigration can lead to more investment in the host country (Schmitt and Wadsworth 2007). As a result, this paper aims at identifying the effects of immigration to the UK and UK immigration policy on its labor market . An empirical and experimental research by Dustmann et al (2013) on the labor market impacts of immigration in the UK shows that immigration has a moderately insignificant impact on the average earnings and salary distribution low, medium, and high paid employees.  Ã‚  

Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wal-Mart - Case Study Example Wal-Mart is envisioned to help people save their money so that they can live a better life. It has a reputation for convenience and wide range of products all in one store (marketingteacher.com, 2011). It is however, facing some threats and challenges like any other organization. Since it is number one, it means that it is the target of both local and global competition. Also being a global retailer, it is exposed to political problems in the countries it operates in. Intense price competition is also one of the major threats it is facing which has resulted in price deflation in some ranges (marketingteacher.com, 2011). Wal-Mart is world’s largest retailer and despite of its edge in IT, control of its empire could leave it weak in some areas due to its huge stretch of control. Since it has a large product diversity ranging from food to clothing to stationary, it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused challengers. Although the company is global, it still has i ts presence in relatively few countries across the world (marketingteacher.com, 2011). 2. What priorities did Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott set in his Wal-Mart: Twenty-First Century Leadership address (24 Oct 2005)?  ... Lee Scott set this commitment as one of his priorities and promised to abide by it. He also addressed his opportunities one by one, starting with the environment. He highlighted that by being one of the largest companies in the world, environment is their responsibility and environmental problems are their own problems. They can supply natural products such as fish, food and water only if the environment is safe and protected. This can be possible only if there is zero wastage and they are supplied by 100% renewable energy (Lee Scott, 2005). Another goal is the reduction of waste and this is one of their most visible opportunities. This can be achieved if the materials in the packaging are made up of recyclable materials. This can save them a lot of money and in turn help the environment (Lee Scott, 2005). Lee Scott’s another goal is built around the products Wal-Mart sells wherein customers should not make compromises when they buy products at Wal-Mart stores. Similarly, heal thcare and wages structure, community involvement or diversity are other areas which were emphasized by Lee Scott in his Twenty-First Century Leadership address (Lee Scott, 2005). 3. Wal-Mart’s Board discussed proposals to meet (some of) these challenges at a board retreat in 2005. To counter the challenges, the team proposed Wal-Mart to implement the nine limited-risk initiatives and five bold steps. The first initiative is to change the eligibility criteria for health insurance so that Wal-Mart becomes more competitive in the part-time labor market. The second initiative is to decrease cross-subsidization of spouses which would allow more dollars to be put towards Associates and their children. The third initiative is to provide information related to healthcare and health

Should the U.S. Stop Buying Some Imported Foods Essay

Should the U.S. Stop Buying Some Imported Foods - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in recent years there has been increasing consumer demand for imported food within the U.S., with a desire for numerous varieties of exotic food and out-of-season foods, fueling the controversy over whether allowing so much imported food into the U.S. is in our collective best interest. Legislation has been passed to improve inspection of imported food, but it would be too expensive to inspect all of it. My position is that the U.S. should stop buying food imported from some countries because it puts our public health at risk, undermines the U.S. economy, and puts the U.S. at increased risk for bioterrorism. Imported food increasingly puts our public health at a greater risk   One reason for this is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety testing has been cut in half since 2003 and the number of FDA employees involved in food testing has dropped 12 percent.   Only 1.3 percent of imported food was inspected in 2006. This has been enough to erase the gains made in inspections following 9-11 when concern about the safety of imported food was the highest. Imported food faces the same health risks as food grown locally, which in recent times has caused E. coli and Salmonella food poisoning illnesses. But it would be much more expensive for FDA inspectors to inspect the farms and other sources of tainted food when it is overseas if they were even given the authority. These problems make limiting imported food appears to be a wise choice, in order to avoid outbreaks of disease.

Computer Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Science - Essay Example This often attacks the routers, servers, and firewall processing resources and thus limiting them. Normally, this type of DDoS attacks sent a lot of data which leads to an overload making the network bandwidth to be depleted. There is a reduction in the quality of service when there is an overload attack in a system. This is because the normal access is tempered with. This kind of attacks often sent large traffic attacks in form of TCP, UDP and other ICPM.Often people use technology forgery to escape the system monitoring. When the attacks are mixed with the malware exploitation, they cause leaking of the information and this may be dangerous. This illegal activity of information leakage will occur while fighting the DDoc attacks. This is vital as it is used in the financial institutions to prevent breaches and leakages of the information. Though the attackers may not be many, this attack is taken for specific roles such as canceling fraudulent transactions or accesses a vital database. (Chai, 2013)This often involves targeting application layer of OSI model.Normally, application layer data is sent to the attackers to disable their functions. Here, there is the involvement of a machine which in most cases are the agents. When the orders are received from the master machine which is controlled by the attacker, this agent will be involved in remitting the packets to a host who is a victim of the attack. The agents and master will then generate an actual attack message instructing the modus operandi to attack the network victim.

Advertising on super bowl, internet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advertising on super bowl, internet - Assignment Example Secondly, Social Medias such as facebook is very popular. This has created an avenue to meet and communicate with all sorts of people in the entire world. Many companies have been advertisings on national television but with the entry of internet this has started to change. Small business should not spend most of its advertising budget on a television advertisement during the super bowl. Social media is also as major way that small business can use to reach large number of consumers especially the young consumers. Even if televisions are vital in informing families on the existence of new brands, it is not a competitive strategy. This is based on the fact that most companies have now embarked on use of internet to advertise their brands. As online shopping becomes popular there are still great fears among users. Most clients being used to the physical buying of goods and services, they tend to doubt the authenticity of the goods being sold online. Others fear payment transaction online as there is lot of cyber crime all over the world. Though there are lot of genuine goods and services being done on the internet which is much easier, cheaper and more so it can be done beyond

The Impact of Video Games on Children or is video games have impact on Essay

The Impact of Video Games on Children or is video games have impact on children - Essay Example For example, a national conversation ensued regarding what relationship video games had to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 when two students massacred 13 and wounded 23 before committing suicide. Though many motivations were probably involved, it is not practically feasible to identify exactly what provoked these teenagers to gun down their schoolmates and teachers but violent video games were and continue to be mentioned as a contributing factor. These two students had frequently played Doom, a bloody and brutal firearms game which is used by the U.S. military to instruct the armed forces how to kill with more effectiveness. To what extent this particular video game influenced the actions of these two high school students has been debated since this tragic incident. The entertainment medium, it is generally accepted, is an enormously influential dynamic in everyone’s lives. â€Å"What behaviors children and adults consider appropriate comes, in part, from the less ons we learn from television and the movies† (Huesmann & Miller, 1994). It is logical to expect video games, especially those that depict violence, will have similar and perhaps a more extensive effect on violent behavior. Currently, few studies exist which have comprehensively examines the connection between violent video games and violent actions by children. As video games are increasingly becoming more explicit and brutal as well as more widespread, additional research is needed concerning the effects on the easily influenced minds of the children who play them and a clearer explanation to parents of the risks associated with these violent games. Not everyone agrees that video games lead to violent behavior. For example, according to James Potter, the Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner shows alone exhibited more instances of explicit violence than kid’s witness today during an afternoon of playing video games. Watching violent acts, particularly those in

Global Marketing Operations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Marketing Operations - Case Study Example Samsung has emerged stronger with global image by their innovative strategies that were globally focused, restructured, and streamlined to the target. Samsung achieved 70% of the business from outside Korea. The company remained very much Product- focused with attention on manufacturing. They believed in quality product that could take care itself to establish and to be preferred by consumers. But in today's world of competition this notion was mistaken and they had to change to become market oriented under the able leadership of Mr. Kim. In 2008, Samsung is expected to earn 9.27 trillion won, up from 7.4 trillion won last year, according to Reuters Estimates. The major objective of the company in 2008 is to be top three electronic companies in the world by 2010 with quality products, to double up their 2004 sales achievement of $55 billion by 2010, to have 20 number one market share in the compared to the present eight number one market share products, to identify growth engines of growth and pursue innovation through out its business operations. It is a fact that Samsung Electronics had been more a manufacturing giant than a market entity. In terms of marketing the company has been backward if compared with its rivals in the market such as Nokia and Motorola. The company started its marketing efforts late and yet they could not make highly visible brands particularly in the foreign market. The company is badly in need of signature product that will make its brand name stick in consumers' mind. The company is suffering from identity crisis. For example iPods of Apple is easily identifiable in United States as 'Anycall' phones of Samsung is identifiable in Korea. But this brand has identity problems in other countries. The real challenge is to build Samsung into a beloved brand into the mind of people who would love to have it and recall it any time. Cell phones account for 31% of Samsung's revenue and therefore needs intensive attention from the marketing manager. The company is planning to enter and succeed in emerging markets. The efforts of building the brand image can be resumed in these countries. Emerging markets have become highly competitive and it is very dangerous to take initiative here. But Samsung with its history of doing miracles with its products innovation can do it in marketing as well. In India about six million people are buying new mobile set every month. Nokia and Motorola are well positioned there even at low profit margins. They are active in the market to sell dirt-cheap handsets with hope to take over the high-end market in future. Samsung does not like to market these low-end handsets. They are catering to high end of the low-end market- 'the premier low end' in the price range of $50-$70. Samsung needs differentiation of its brand here in this premier low-end market. There are numerous consumers who bought high-end products in the past but and they are not happy buying the cheap products. Samsung with its superior image of building high quality products can focus its brands of low-end premium products without increasing the

The Irony of Socrates Essay Example for Free

The Irony of Socrates Essay Socrates was thought to be ahead of his time. At the time, the citizens of Athens believed that their government had the ultimate power and nothing could be higher. So of course when one person chose to believe another view, the government became a part of the situation to maintain a sense of peace thorough the nation. This didn’t sit well with Socrates. He wanted as many people to know about his knowledge as possible because he had found scientific reasoning as to why his way was true, rather than simply because government officials say it is. This strikes up multiple cases of irony from Socrates’s turn from natural philosophy to what eventually becomes what we know today as political philosophy. The first bit of irony arises from the fact that Socrates is actually writing to more than one audience, and also that he uses more than one strategy to do so. David Leibowitz, author of The Ironic Defense of Socrates: Plato’s Apolog, describes the audience situation, â€Å"Socratic irony has a twofold purpose and a twofold audience: conciliation of, and protection from, the unpromising members of Socrates’ audience, and the education of the promising member in the audience† (p. 17). He then explains the strategies he used to get attention from each audience, â€Å"Irony, in the sense of self-depreciation and even flattery, is necessary for the first audience so that Socrates will be less offensive to them and more in tune with their moralistic views of the world. Irony, also in the same sense of speaking in a â€Å"double† fashion is necessary for the second audience because even â€Å"they start off under the spell of vulgar prejudice†Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 18). Socrates knew that if he wanted anyone to understand his beliefs that he would have to use certain techniques that would speak to the right group of people so he could have potential to be understood. Leibowitz’s descriptions go beyond the fact that you can say two different things to two different audiences. First, it clarifies the complexity of Socrates’ ironic strategies with respect to the unpromising members of the audience. And second, it effectively continues to portray the true character of Socrates after his death. The after death irony works well in two ways also. For the promising young, his words were remembered and reflected on so that they would be taught the truth about his life and his scientific investigations of truth so each individual could decide what to believe in for themselves. For them, it worked so that his knowledge would linger on so that they could follow his footprints to pursue his ideas of philosophy. As for the unpromising Athenians, â€Å"it served as a bitter pill, or rather a pill that begins to taste more bitter over time, as they eventually repent of their condemnation of a man who was obnoxious and annoying, but nonetheless brave and concerned with only virtue† (p. 156). His beliefs seem to make a lot more sense to society today so it truly is too bad that he was put to death because who knows what other theories or discoveries he may have been able to come up with in his lifetime that could have been put to good use in the future. The regret of the people of Athens clearly comes too late for Socrates, but it then becomes a protection service for Socrates’s other philosophical followers so that people could come to admire the nobility of philosophers. Socrates was said to have â€Å"unconventional truths† that he was trying to convey to his listeners (p. 3). The first is how lying has become so simple, but such a necessity in politics. Socrates thought through his choices when presenting himself to the Athens’ officials and came to the conclusion that it was easier and better for him to lie to them. It’s occasions like these that lead people to find the government to be unjust and corrupt, so they truly should never have been in position to had the power to judge Socrates and his choices to begin with. But Socrates knew of this before his trials and knew that telling them the truth would only be a hopeless defense since their minds were already made up before sentencing. Looking back, Socrates denied looking into or taking part in natural sciences, but as Leibowitz’s studies show, â€Å"he was actually hints that this is exactly what he might have done as a young philosopher, and he suggests that these investigations were profane 1 / 2 because they do investigate the gods and attempt to substitute necessity for divine will† (qtd. in Leibowitz, 2). This suggests that people’s beliefs about gods do not generate their beliefs about human morality, but more that their moral beliefs generate their thoughts and beliefs in gods. So it really takes learning what your personal morals are before you can find who you actually are in the religious aspect, whether you were raised on a certain religion or another. In conclusion, the irony shown here is clear in several ways including being able to write to two separate audiences in two different tones and also that Socrates was able to discuss his thoughts on unconventional truths. It’s ironic, and sad in a sense, that we felt a man with his knowledge was put to death because the government was unable to find that they weren’t the ultimate power. And to find that a lot of the knowledge that we know today began from the ideas of Socrates makes you wonder if we could have built more off of what we already know now to better ourselves in the long run. But it’s truly the irony that makes Socrates’s life and knowledge such a big deal to people today. Leibowitz, David. The Ironic Defense of Socrates: Platos Apology. N. p. : n. p. , 2011. N. pag. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG)

Not a Privilege, but a Right Essay Example for Free

Not a Privilege, but a Right Essay The times are ripe for civil disobedience. Not a full year ago was the act of defiance by the populace of Myanmar and their subsequent bloody repression displayed before the televisions around the world, sparking outrage and sympathetic demonstrations. The streets of Pakistan were also filled with protests, first against a President who would let an advocate of justice—a Supreme Court Justice—to be thrown to the jails for pursuing his conscience, and then again for the same President’s attempt to perpetuate his rule through an act of â€Å"emergency rule†. The world is now again made witness to a wave of international protests, sparked by violent protests by Tibetan secessionists and their repression by the Chinese government. Everywhere in the world, these acts of assembly and disobedience are criticized or hailed as acts of free expression based on the then-current sentiment. Many times, these same democracies that hails the voice of liberty and sound judgment and rule, condemn protests and demands for redress as â€Å"anarchistic in character† and â€Å"break the order and thus inconvenience the public†. Generally, if without the backing of any government, a protest is localized, and belittled as an act of unnecessary activism. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. , though living in different periods of history, fought under similar demeaning circumstances, and faced similar opposition from their government. They asserted that the act of civil disobedience was a God-given right granted to people to correct the fatal defects of government. Their separate acts of defiance were considered â€Å"illegitimately born†, â€Å"with malicious intent†, and â€Å"unwise and untimely†; these same categories echo now in the criticisms of our movements. For their sakes, then: what constitutes a valid exercise of the People’s will? Studying Thoreau and King’s works, that is, on the Duty of Civil Disobedience and Letter to a Birmingham Jail, respectively, we can identify two primary characters of a legitimated act of defiance: a legitimated cause and legitimated means. Legitimated Cause Why did we choose the term â€Å"legitimated† rather than â€Å"legitimate† or â€Å"lawful†, in characterizing a valid act of the people? This is due to the fact that the act of defiance, seeks as its purpose the overthrow of the unjust system of government. In Martin Luther King’s time, this was the segregation between â€Å"whites† and â€Å"blacks†, which though inherently unjust, was nevertheless valid under passage of law. If one were to require a â€Å"lawful† cause, it would bar any protest against any injustice that is protected under the mantle of law. The cause is â€Å"legitimated† not because of its opposition to any system, but because the system lost its mantle of legitimacy by its promotion of injustice. Thoreau wrote that if a system causes some injustice to be inflicted though it is merely incidental in its application, one would be unjust to apply a level of severity to attack it, for eventually the system will soon be smoothened out and these flaws corrected. If, however, the system compels one to cause injustice to another, then the system may be validly attacked. This is to say that in all governments, flaws are to be expected—in fact, the imperfection of the system of government lies within the need, at all, of a system of government. In view of this, Thoreau stressed not the need for a no-government, as he believes the people to be unprepared for this event, but at once a better government, which does not promote injustice and does not speak for the stronger few. The legitimated cause of a civil disobedience is dependent on the measure of injustice inflicted by the present system of government the act is made to oppose. King further elucidated this by expounding on St. Thomas Aquinas’ expression that an â€Å"unjust law is no law†. There are two ways by which a law is made unjust: if it is made contrary to natural and divine law, or, if in consonance to it, it is implemented as to make it unjust. A government, then, that enacts a law ordering the execution of every second son of every family violates the natural law against murder, promotes its agent to violate the same, and is consequently unjust. Likewise, if a government would inflict a severe punishment for the infidelity of a wife yet will only inflict a punitive penalty for the same committed by the husband, by virtue of its disproportionate application of justice the government would likewise be unjust. This injustice, then, must be inherent within the system, and so prevalent as to inflict the severity of oppression. If, however, the system is merely suffering â€Å"momentary lapses† of injustice that are incidental to its improper application, the system could be corrected without the use for excessive violence, and hence, disobedience. For example, a government erroneously enacts laws as to regulate traffic when in effect such traffic is worsened; this is no cause for civil disobedience. If however, the same law was enacted to provide for a path reserved for â€Å"white† people, as opposed to those of other races, then the system is inherently unjust. Legitimated Means The qualifying word â€Å"legitimated† is also as important here as it was in qualifying the proper cause. For any act of civil disobedience to a system is, by nature, unlawful; as paramount to a government’s duty is to make sure that its people will follow laws, however unjust it may seem to be. Dura lex, sed lex. The law, however harsh in its implementation, remains the law. Besides, which, it is in the government’s best interest that these laws are followed, as these inherently perpetuate their power. King opined that oppressors, in light of historical precedent, would not voluntarily give up their power. Nevertheless, the act of disobedience is legitimated in light of the injustice inflicted. As Thoreau explained, when something is stolen from a man, or injustice inflicted on him, he will not content himself with exhausting all lawful procedures provided for him by law; he will only be satisfied upon the return of the stolen item, and consequently his vindication. The two civil advocates differ only in the interpretation of the purpose of legitimated means: Henry David Thoreau, believing fully that the State is unjust from its inception, considers his act (in this case, the non-payment of a poll tax) as one of exclusion; he will not be part of a system that promotes injustice, in this context the propagation of slavery and the aggression inflicted on the Mexican War. King, however, considers this act of civil disobedience as an act of inclusion, and recognizes its unlawful nature and is willing to suffer its consequences. In this act, however, he hopes to unmask the oppressiveness of the system and its persecution of the advocates of equality and free expression. This distinction is further substantiated in King’s denunciation of two other camps: one that would do nothing in the face of oppression, and another that would set itself against the State and employ violent action. A proper legitimated means is one that will exhaust methods of petition provided by the State, and, having been refused, act in defiance of the system in order to promote tension and force the State to negotiate. This formula of defiance has been employed by the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi and Aung San Suu Kyi. Conclusion: Not a Choice, but an Obligation. A final word remains of civil disobedience: Thoreau warns that those who do not stand in opposition to a system that promotes injustice will necessarily aid it, and participate in it. This is the concept of collective guilt—the nation is naturally responsible for excesses inflicted upon it by the government, in their silent acquiescence to its measures. Those criticizing the untimeliness and impropriety of civil disobedience can well be reminded King’s remarks that a revolution, and an act of civil rights will never be timely, and will never be proper in the eyes of the oppressive government. Those who passively let their rights be trampled upon are equally guilty of the oppression inflicted on them. This is a harsh truth, but it remains the truth: the State will not provide for an individual who â€Å"sleeps on his rights†. So long as the people are deficient in fighting for their cause, the State will, by virtue of the previous maxim, take what it can in the name of the few and escape with impunity.

Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay

Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay The objective of this chapter is to formulate the research question and develop the conceptual framework for the study. A detailed overview of how the research was conducted, the operationalisation of the variables, hypothesis formulation and the research methodology used which covers data collection methods used, sample selection and method used for data analysis are discussed. 3.2 Research Question Based on the review of literature and the research problem, the following question has been formulated in order to determine the relationship that exists between the various dimensions of customer expectation and the service quality by the insurance companies for motor insurance policy holders. It is important to understand this relationship as it would enable the companies in the insurance sector to improve their service quality and to match and to exceed customer expectations and create a knowledge base in order to stay ahead in the market. The following research questions were derived from the research problem and the review of the literature. What are the Service Quality Dimensions that affect customer satisfaction in the Motor Insurance industry in Sri Lanka? What is the extent to which customers are satisfied with the services received from the Motor Insurance Industry? What are the gaps between customer Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Motor Insurance policy holders? 3.3 Conceptual Framework Service Quality Dimensions Dependant Variable Independent Variables [Source: Developed by the Researcher] 3.3.1 Rationalization of the conceptual framework Conceptual framework was replicated based on Zeithaml, Parasuraman Berry (1991), to test this study in the Motor Insurance Industry in Sri Lanka. On the detailed literature review, the research identified five factors that impact value delivery to customer of Motor Insurance services. These five service quality dimensions of SERVQUAL Model by Parasuraman and Berry et el (1985), have been derived as independent variables. These variables fall under Service providers Perspective in the conceptual framework. The dependent variable was identified as Customer satisfaction. The gaps in quality of service will be identified by using these five dimensions. This is the gap between the Customers expectation and experience of the Motor Insurance service delivery, which will subsequently have an impact on customer satisfaction. Rust Oliver (1994) and the Nordic Model (Gronoos, 1992) too emphasizes the importance of meaning of the gap between expectations and the experience in service industry. Hence all these have been included in the conceptual framework. 3.3.2 Definitions for Variables Tangibles Modern Equipment and Technology, Visually appealing physical facilities neat appearing employees and agents, visually appealing materials associated with services. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment personnel and communication material (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Reliability Keeping promises when promises to do something by a certain time , offering products and services of utmost quality, issuing contracts with clear, transparent and non ambiguous terms, settling customers claims with no unnecessary delays, ,showing sincere interest when solving customers problems, offering services right the first time without unnecessarily discomforting customers, providing services within the specified contract time limits, issuing error free bills, statements, receipts, contracts, claims and other documents. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Responsiveness telling customers exactly when the services will be performed, doing their best to give prompt service to customers, always willing to help customers, never being too busy to respond to customers requests . Willing to help customer and provide prompt service (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Assurance Customers feeling safe in their transactions, behavior instilling confidence in customers, being consistently courteous with customers, having employees and agents with the necessary knowledge to give professional services to customers. Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence (Competence, courtesy, creditability and security of the service), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Empathy Giving customers individual services, operating hours convenient to all customers, giving customers personal attention, having the customers best interest at heart, understanding the specific needs of customers. Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers (Access to organizations representatives, communication and understanding the customer), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). As presented in the above conceptual model, the independent variable of dimensions of service quality will be studied. Price is also a relevant variable. However, the focus of this study is on service quality attributes and therefore is not within the scope of this study. Theoretical research has presented several different service quality definitions. However, Parasuraman et al. (1985) definition of service quality, which has been used in many industry studies before, was adopted. Service quality is defined as the degree of discrepancy between customers normative expectations for the service and their perceptions of the service performance. The SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman et al.(1998), is therefore used for this study. Hypotheses Formulation Hypothesis is a testable speculative statement delineating the relations between all the elements of a theory (Page Meyer, 2000). The development of hypothesis was categorized into two sections based on insurance companies customers. Accordingly five hypotheses were developed. The source for all hypothesis development was based on the conceptual framework. Furthermore, the hypotheses based on insurance companies were primarily related to the importance of each expectation. The hypotheses developed for customers were based on the service quality of obtaining Motor insurance policies. When developing hypothesis, Literature review under section 2.18, according to the study carried out in Greece and Kenya by Rand, (2006), it was proved that there is a relationship between service quality dimensions and expected and experienced service quality by the customers in the insurance industry. 3.5 Hypothesis Rationalization Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance According to Parasuraman et al (1985) Reliability dimension measures the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. As per the research carried out by Rand (2006) , it says that the Reliability has a huge impact on the service quality in service industry. Especially in a industry like Motor insurance it has a huge effect. Consumers satisfaction choice of service provider and service quality evaluation are influenced by the expectations of the consumer, (Trinh et al.2000). As mentioned above in the research carried out in Kenyan Insurance industry by Rand (2006), it is noted that most of the researchers (Rand, 2006; Trinh, 2000) have identified that Reliable service always has a positive impact on the service quality provided by the company. Therefore it is worthy to investigate the relationship among Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance. It could be hypothesized that, H 1 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance H 1 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance The Dimension Responsiveness explains about willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Responsiveness factor significantly has a positive effect on Customer satisfaction. Quality service provision, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty has recently been emerging as important parameters for both researchers and practitioners in turkey. This has been proved through a research carried by Yale University in Turkey (2009) on Service Quality in healthcare. This research was also based on the service quality. To provide superior service quality responsiveness is a very important factor since service providers should always willing to help customers. Especially in an industry such as insurance it is a very decisive factor since the customer is expecting a prompt action for their problems. So responsiveness factor effectively contributes to reduce the gaps between the Expected Experienced Service quality by the motor insurance policy holders. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 2 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance H 2 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Assurance dimension is all about, the knowledge, competence, and courtesy of service employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Ducker (1991) defines service quality as What the customer gets out and is willing to pay for rather than what the supplier (of the service) puts in? Hence, service quality is often conceptualized as the comparison of service expectations with actual performance perception (Bloemer, Ruyter et al. 1999; Kara, Lonial et al. 2007). Service science literature often relies on SERVUQAL as an instrument to measure quality of service provided. SERVQUAL scale was developed based on a marketing perspective with the support of the Marketing Science Institute (Parasuraman, Zeithaml et al. 1986). It is very important to keep the assurance on the agreement made the company to their customers. Specially in the insurance industry, it is crucial factor to offer the assurance of the services provided. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship betwee n the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 3 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance H 3 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Empathy dimension is about caring individualized attention provided to customers. According to the expectancy disconfirmation model, customers satisfaction is a function between his/her service performance perception and expectation (Pizam and Ellis, 1999), and illustrated as Satisfaction=f (Perception-Expectation). It is very important to offer individual attention to the customers specially in the service industry. Trustworthiness is one of the critical factors in any industry for the customers. Empathy factor defines that. Keeping the customer complaints and criticisms is very important in the motor insurance industry as the competition is very high. If the organization looses one policyholder that may affect the organization immensely. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 4 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance H 4 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance Tangibility is all about appearance of physical facilities, equipment, ambience, personnel and communication materials. The rewards to firms that establish a loyal customer base have been well documented (Armstrong and Symonds, 1991: Heskett et al. 1994: Reichheld amd Sesser, 1990). In general, increased loyalty leads to lower cost of servicing the firms customers, reduced marketing expenditure, increased business from the existing customer base and greater profits. The internal appearance and the facilities is also affecting the service quality. It in turn helps the company to retain their customer and reduce the unnecessary costs such as saving costs. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 5 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance H 5 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance 3.6 Operationalization Based on the SERVQUAL scale and using five service quality dimensions. Concepts Variable Indicator Measure Reliability Price/Premium Reasonable Premium rates In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point scale was used. To measure customer perception the rating scale , for 1 Not important and 5 Very Important . And to measure customer experience the rating scale, for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level Product Range Range of products offered, to suit individual requirements Physical Access Availability and convenience of facilities and branch network Electronic access Availability of Telephone and online facilities Service delivery Level of service as expected/promised Responsiveness Waiting time Average time taken to process a claim after an accident In order to obtain data on average time spent with the Insurance providing company to get an service rating scale from 1 to 5 was used . for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level . In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point likert scale was used. Level of responsiveness of the Insurance staff Time taken to respond to an issue Assurance Stability The guarantee of safety when making a claim In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Safety of the investment Making the actual cost Convenience to the holder Confidentiality Maintenance of confidentiality Product Knowledge The knowledge of the product/features by the staff members Empathy Benefits Special benefits and features for the customer In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Attention Personal attention to customers and recognizing regular customers Caring Helping customers in a pleasant and caring manner Approachability Easy to approach staff members Tangibles Environment Pleasant ambiance inside the company In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Facilities Facilities provided to the policy holders Parking Availability of adequate parking at the Insurance company Number of repair centers in Sri Lanka Directional signs and information Availability of adequate instructions and directions of counters and procedures and easy directions when filling forma and other documents Appearance of Staff members Staff members are dresses appropriately Layout Convenient layout of the company interior Customer Satisfaction Level Satisfaction Level of satisfaction of the insurance company in relation to each service quality dimension A 5 point likert scale was used to measure the likelihood of these indicators ranging from Very Likely to Highly Unlikely. In Order to measure the time length of the relationship the respondent has with the Insurance provider , 5 time slots were presented where by the respondent could select his/her most relevant time slot. Study was carried out to ascertain the validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire. This was done as the instrument to use collected data was not tested previously. 3.7 Research Methodology The Research methodology is the way research is conducted. Research methodology refers to the theory of how research should be undertaken (Saunders, et al 2005). The first step of the study is to assess the service quality gaps in relation to the customer expectations and experience among five leading Insurance Companies which deals with Motor insurance in Sri Lanka and with each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions. This study helps to determine the average service quality gap score (between customers expectations and experience) for each service quality dimensions and how it affects the overall customer satisfaction. The second step each Insurance companys gap scores for each service quality dimensions. This is to examine the differences within each insurance company when providing services to the customers and to compare the differences of the overall satisfaction of customers in each insurance company. Stage three measured the level of satisfaction of the customers and the fourth stage examines the relationship between the expected and experienced service quality gaps by the customers for each dimensions. The final Stage integrates the data obtained from the five insurance companies and conclusions were prepared in accordance to the findings. Based on research problem, preliminary data was the main source of data used in this research. Consistent with the deductive research method, data collection through questionnaires has been a long proven method to collect valid and reliable data (Page Meyer, 2000). The deductive method refers to the use of a theory to generate prepositions or hypothesis that can be tested. Thus, the research method has been chosen for this study is based on deductive method. 3.7.1 Method of Data Collection In this study the primary data was collected through a self completion questionnaire from customers of the selected five Insurance companies. The study followed the Quantitative method to gather and analyze the data. The secondary data was collected from secondary source such Government publications (IBSL Annual Report 2010 Central Bank Annual Report 2010), Company Annual reports and from other publications. 3.7.2 Selection of Sample For the purpose of gathering data on customer expectation and customer experience, a total number of 250 questionnaires were distributed, from which a total of 224 valid Reponses were received and selected for data analysis. Individuals within a sample are chosen by chance rather than by the researcher or by being self-selected (Page and Meyer, 2000). A simple random sampling technique was used for this study, so that each unit of the population will have a known and equal chance of being selected. The sample was spread across Motor insurance policy holders of Five different Motor insurance providing companies in Sri Lanka. A brief description of selected five companies are given below, Aviva NDB Insurance PLCPLC Aviva NDB Insurance PLCtook wing as a leading player within Sri Lankas insurance landscape in the late 1980s. Over the years, the Companys good governance practices, ethics and innovation have helped it to soar to new heights. The dynamism and creativity of the Aviva NDB Family has been the engine of its evolution into a superior entity in the insurance and financial services sector. The Company has recorded a Consolidated Revenue of Rs. 7, 265 million with an impressive growth rate of 23.7% over the previous year. The Revenue reported for the current year includes Rs. 171.2 million being the gross-up of tax withheld at source on Government Securities. Excluding this, the growth for 2010 stands at 20.8%. Union Assurance PLC Union Assurance is a composite insurer transacting both Life and General business including personal insurance, in operation since 1987. A Public Quoted Company, UA entered the insurance arena at the time the private sector was permitted to set up in insurance, following the enactment of the Control of Insurance (Amendment) Act No. 42 of 1986. Committed to pursuing the highest standards of service and security, UA is backed by the corporate might of blue chip companies John Keells and Carson Cumberbatch. UAs reinsurers are world leaders, chosen for their dependability and total security. In short, they are the best in the business. The companys paid up capital as at 31 December 2009 is Rs 250 million and net asset base, Rs 1.6 billion, also indicates the companys  Ã‚   financial stability and strength, and places it firmly at the apex off private insurance service providers in Sri Lanka. Asian Alliance Insurance PLC Within a very short time period, Asian Alliance Insurance PLC has achieved what every company yearns for; it has touched the hearts of its customers with outstanding levels of professionalism and service. Asian Alliance commenced operations in December 1999 with 50 employees. Today the company has grown from strength to strength to become one of Sri Lankas leading players in the insurance industry. The company caters to an ever-growing client base that consists of corporate and individual clients. The secret behind the Asian Alliance Insurance success story lies in its ability to offer tailor-made insurance solutions to its customers. Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation which was established in 1962 as a State Owned Corporation was converted to a Limited Liability Company for a brief period of 6 years and was re-instilled in the state sector on the 4th June 2011, further strengthening the Corporation as the strongest and the largest Insurer in the Country. Sri Lanka Insurance is now backed by government protection and service excellence on par with the best in the private sector. At present Sri Lanka Insurance has over 120 Branches Island with an unparalleled assets base under management of over Rs.64.8 billion with a Life fund of over Rs.39 billion and over one million policies in force. The Motor Insurance Department has branched off into unrelated areas such as Theft only, Fire Only, Fire and Theft, 3rd Party Fire and Theft and Act only; once again, offering covers aimed at satisfying their clientele to a maximum. Ceylinco Insurance PLC From a solid and innovative start in 1939, Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited has faced numerous changes and challenges and has successfully weathered them all. Registered as Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited in 1987 and commenced business on the 14th of January 1988, in the spheres of Life and General Insurance, we have grown from strength to strength. Today, they have become the leading insurance company in Sri Lanka, with the largest network of branches and agents in the insurance industry. Their goals include becoming the leading provider of protection and financial security in Sri Lanka and in select international markets. 3.7.3 Structure of the Questionnaire Part one of the questionnaire focuses on demographic features of the respondents. Part two focuses on the dimensions. Questions from 1.14 entail in Reliability dimension and thereafter, based on Operationalisation, 10 questions focus on Responsiveness dimension 16 questions represents the Assurance dimension and 9 questions on Empathy dimension. Final dimension which is Tangibility has 10 questions. Each dimension has 2 columns to rate expected and experienced using a likert scale of 1.5, not important at all being No.1 and Very important being No.05. For the study, questionnaire was designed in accordance with the research objectives. The Questionnaire is based on the five SERVQUAL dimensions presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) and the Gap 5 which is also known as the Customer gap (the gap between customer expectation and experience) of the SERVQUAL mo del presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) , modified and tailored to specific service quality requirements of the Motor Insurance industry. Table 2: Structure of the Questionnaire Questionnaire Variables Measurement Items Section 1 Personal details Section 2 Measure Service quality perceptions of five insurance companies in general from individuals Section 3 Measure Service Quality dimensions separately to find out Expected Experienced service quality by each customer. 3.1 Reliability 3.2 Responsiveness 3.3- Assurance 3.4 Empathy 3.5 -Tangibility 3.7.4 Method of Data Analysis The Data was collected through a Questionnaire. The study was carried out using Descriptive statistics as well as Inferential Statistics. Under Inferential statistics an ANOVA analysis and paired sample two test were carried out. Descriptive Statistics Descriptive statistics  are used to describe the main features of a collection of  data  quantitatively. Inferential Statistics Inferential statistics are used to draw inferences about a  population  from a  sample. T-Test This test is used to compare the means of two samples (or treatments), even if they have different numbers of replicates. ANOVA test The Analysis Of Variance, popularly known as the ANOVA test, can be used in cases where there are more than two groups. The following methods have been used to analyze the data obtained from the study. Gap technique The gap technique will be used to analyze and identify the service quality gaps between expectation and experience of customers. Comparative Analysis A comparative analysis will be conducted in relation to the gap technique between the five Insurance companies using graphs and tables. Relationship Analysis Under Inferential Statistic analysis paired sample two test will be conducted to analyze the relationship between Expected service Quality and Experienced Service Quality by the customers. 3.7.5 Pilot Study Pilot study was carried out to ascertain the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The instrument used to gather data in a research should be valid and reliable (Page Meyer, 2000). 3.8 Summary The purpose of this chapter was to explain and formulate the research questions and to provide a conceptual framework. The research question was formulated and thereafter the conceptual framework was designed using Service Quality as the independent variable and Customer Satisfaction being the dependent variable. Thereafter, the operationalization for the study was designed in accordance with the features/qualities of motor insurance industry. Given this, the methodology for the researcher was presented which included methods of data collection, selection of the sample, the questionnaire design and the methods of data analysis. Finally the limitations of the study were mentioned.

Freedom Essay -- essays research papers

I believe rationality is incorrectly dictated by society. Generally when one is irrational he or she is contradicting the "normal" or what everyone is programmed to do. Kant says "Can you also will that your maxim should become a universal law."1 In part I agree to the theory of universal law where "rational" is judged by universality or what everyone should do. In fact we know that primitive societies were not built on rationality. I believe that we are intrinsically rational and irrational. In my opinion , taking the daouist view, having the ability to be rational and irrational, a hybrid of both, gives an individual the ability to be rational. Kant says "These, so far from hiding a good will or disguising it, rather bring it out by contrast and make it shine forth more brightly."2 I like what Kant thinks here but I think the good will should be substituted with irrationality. For example in order to maintain the title rational while conformi ng to society's dictated rationality, one must do the following. Allow our irrational thoughts and ideas to manifest themselves in private and then refine and hide them for public display. When an individual is accepted or titled as rational they are universally accepted (universal law). Irrationality must be well disguised at first to gain universal acceptance along with the sister word "credibility." Once credibility has been established, undress the irrational. This first step to ...

Digital Divide :: Essays Papers

Digital Divide The â€Å"Digital Define† is the distance between the people who have adequate access to technology and those who do not. As teachers, we have numerous avenues through which we can assist in narrowing the gap of the Digital Divide. Some suggestions are the following: 1. Gather teaching materials through sources such as: www.pbs.org/digitaldivide/about.html www.pbs.org/digitaldivide/learning.html www.siliconvallydigitaldivide.net www.ed.gov/free www.fcs.gov/resources.html 1-800-257-5126 2. Donate a computer, obtain a donated computer, or upgrade an obsolete one. Many organizations have been developed to assist in this task; a few are as follows: Share the Technology - www.sharetechnology.org Computers for Learning – www.computers.fed.gov NewDeal – www.newdealine.com Heaven – www.heavens.org 3. Keep informed about the most recent government initiatives, as well as what politicians and government officials have to say. A variety of Web sites can aid you in this undertaking; some are listed here: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology – www.ed.gov/Technology Federal Communications Commission – www.fcc.gov.major.html Closing the Digital Divide – www.digitaldivide.gov The National Telecommunications and Information Administration – www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/contents.html The Digital Divide Network – www.digitaldividenetwork.org 4. Investigate the community access centers (CACs) in your area and spread the word about their availability. CACs include places such as libraries, community centers, schools, and other public-access locations. 5. Learn about model initiatives – successful models. A few projects include: The Digital Divide Project – www.washington.edu/wto/digital/resources/html NetDay – www.netday.org Alliance for Community Technology – www.communitytechnology.org The Foundry – www.thefoundry.org The Village Foundation – www.villagefoundation.org/PROGRAMS/pathways/technology/index.html PowerUP: Bridging the Digital Divide – www.powerup.org The Maine Laptop Program Lightspan, Inc. – www.lightspan.com Plugged In – www.pluggedin.org Neighborhood Network – www.hud.gov/nnwnnwindex.html 6. Explore opportunities for corporate support. A good place to start is www.wested.org/tie/grant.html#corporate. This site has a list of corporate and foundation funding sources and other grant related resources. The model initiative I chose to investigate is NetDay. NetDay is a project connecting students and their teachers in under-served communities with the necessary resources to facilitate learning through education technology. From this site, NetDay Compass is accessible. NetDay Compass is a teachers guide to educational technology resources. There are sections on developing technology plans, technology infrastructure, grant and funding, classroom support, and model high tech schools. Here teachers will find the information they need to include technology in education and narrow the gap of the digital divide. In the three years I have been teaching in Louisiana, I have seen numerous incidents of digital divide. However, one particular incident stands out in my mind the most. Last year, I had a Financial Math class made up of mostly juniors and seniors.

Albee and Williams Use of Virility in Their Plays Essay -- Literary A

The sexual dominance of male characters over their female counterparts in the plays establishes their superiority and control. Both playwrights suggest that a degree of personal status is acquired by sexually dominate women. The rape scene shows Stanley’s use of power sexually through rage and strength, used to illustrate his final defeat of Blanche and establish himself as ‘King’ of his territory, ‘limited to expressing basic desire’ . ‘Since earliest manhood†¦ his life has been pleasure with women... giving and taking of it... with power and pride’. It is a power he can achieve over women that they cannot over him. ‘Let’s have some rough house! [He springs towards her, overturning the table. She cries out... he picks up her inert figure†¦ carries her to the bed]’. The use of stage directions portrays Blanche’s passivity, and gives the audience a better understanding of how the event empowers Stanley ; also the enjambment, ‘Don’t you come towards me another step or I’ll-‘, intensifies Blanche’s lack of power comparatively with Stanley’s. Similarly Albee shows men’s power through the ability to overpower; George asserts ‘I’d take you by force, right here on the living room rug.’ It is telling that at the end of the play he takes her to bed, after destroying her illusion. Albee also uses sexuality as a tool for battle, Martha says ‘I was necking with one of the guests’ in an attempt to antagonise her husband; his nonchalant response undermines her quest for power, ‘... Good... Good you go right on’. Women show a submission to the power of men, even Blanche admits that maybe Stanley is what they need to ‘Mix with [their] blood’, whereas she treats Mitch with contempt, rolling her eyeballs when he can’t see and ridiculing him in ... ... http://www.gradesaver.com/a-streetcar-named-desire/study-guide/major-themes/ (accessed October 2010). Harold Bloom, K Harvey. Dark Humour. Infobase Publishing, 2010. Kolin, Philip C. Tennesse Williams: A guild to resear and performance. USA, 1998. Oxford Dictonary . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1989. Roudane, Matthew. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Towards the Marrow. Shmoop Univeristy, inc. . Shmoop. 2010. http://www.shmoop.com/afraid-of-virginia-woolf/ (accessed October 2010). Shmoop University, Inc. Shmoop. 2010. http://www.shmoop.com/streetcar-named-desire/ (accessed October 2010). Small., Brustein 10 Quotation. Robert C. New York, USA: Penguin Group, 2004. Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. London, Great Britain: Methuen Student Edition, 1984. —. A Streetcar Named Desire. London, Great Britain : Secker & Warburg Ltd., 1984.

Importance of Securing Items

It would be nice if we were able to wake up, get dressed, and lay out any additional clothes, or uniforms we may need later on in the day. Then go to eat breakfast at a local favorite restaurant; getting in and out of your vehicle quickly without care or worry. It would be nice to chat and trade info with your friends and family, or enquire help with someone different on-line. To be able to come back home after a long day of work, and leave the outside world to itself, would be great! However, the reality of it all is that doing so in this world, is not only dangerous, but also potentially deadly. For us to be able to function in today’s society requires security. And this security is needed in almost every aspect of life; no matter how large or small it may be. Yes, everyone can agree that a vehicle needs to be secured. Without security, criminals are able to climb in, start it up, and drive off. You have just lost your primary form of transportation. That leads to delays in work, or even losing a job. Then trying to get a job would be difficult without a vehicle, making life more and more trying. In today’s news, as well as ads, we are informed of the importance of security when it comes to one’s home. Criminals and burglars, target locations with no or very little security. Large valuable items are easily obtained through this. Even one’s life is in potential danger without home security. One of the most important things that need security, whether you are single or a family, is as simple as a desk or wall locker. Almost everything we do each day can be found in one. We tend to put car keys, and house keys in a desk or locker. We also tend to keep important paper or receipts from wherever we went or did through the day. Or we may have small items like jewelry, and cash stored away. Without security measures in place, these items would be directly obtainable to anyone. Not only from those that want to take things from you. Not only from those that would take and use your things against you, like your bank info, your social security number; to name a few. But also those near to you that you love. A Child can enter an unsecured cabinet and get hands on poisonous cleaning supplies, or medications; or even a handgun that may have been meant for protection. It would nearly, if not be the worst to ever happen to lose a child, or other family member, because a locker or desk was unsecured. So it is very important to be ever vigilant in ensuring that your things, especially your wall locker is secured at all times. Start practicing today, and every day. Then you can have one of those days that will be nice to wake up to safe, and sound.

Summary Response

Agents of Change and Nonviolent Action* Nonviolent action is a way for ordinary people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice. It is frequently associated with moral or ethical nonviolence, but I will address it here as a distinct phenomenon, separate from any moral or ethical underpinnings, to expand on how it works as a pragmatic way to exert leverage in a conflict. Nonviolent action is based on the insight that power in a society is ultimately derived from people’s consent and obedience.In contrast, the prevailing view is that power in a society is inherently based on whoever has concentrated wealth and the greatest capacity for violence. But just as the economy is a subsystem of the biosphere— and therefore is ultimately governed by the laws of the biosphere—so too, systems of power that are seemingly based on violence and money are actually subsystems of thousands or millions of people’s broader behavior and obedience patterns.If those people shift their loyalties, behavior, and obedience, the balance of power in a society, and in the world, shifts. Simply put, if people do not obey, then rulers or corporations cannot rule. Nonviolent action, therefore, wields power by creating shifts in people’s loyalties, behavior and obedience patterns at a collective level. This can happen dramatically, for example as it did at moments during the Indian Independence Struggle, the US Civil Rights Movement, various labor struggles (i. . the United Farm Workers movement in the mid-late 1960s), and the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos (1986), Augusto Pinochet (1988), Apartheid in South Africa (1980s-90s), Slobodan Milosevic (2000), and the authoritarian system in Ukraine (2004). Or, shifts can happen more subtly, as when people choose to shop at locally owned businesses, boycott a product, or work to develop alternative institutions and economies.Regardless of its myriad of methods and manifestations, all acts of nonviolent action fa ll into one of three categories: acts of 1 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. commission—that is, people do things that they are not expected, supposed, or allowed to do; acts of omission—that is, people do not do things that they are expected, supposed, or required to do; or a combination of acts of commission and omission. In order to promote shifts in people’s obedience and behavior patterns, it is important to understand why people obey and behave as they do in the first place. Reasons will differ from society to society, but two of the most common reasons for obedience that I encounter in my work with activists and organizers around the world are that people feel there is no alternative way of behaving and they lack confidence that their actions make a difference. Many people have forgotten that they are the true power holders in their society.Of cou rse formal education, corporations, governments, and media all reinforce the narrative that power resides among the few individuals in a government building or corporate headquarters, and that money and guns (on which they have a monopoly) are the ultimate source of strength. This narrative suits their purposes well. Successful nonviolent movements throughout history, however, have awakened people to the fact that through their collective actions, people who are organized around a common vision and act strategically are far stronger than armies and money.Any contemporary grassroots movement that wants to gain traction should take note of this fact and make reminding people that they are powerful a central point of its rhetoric. Taking this one step further, successful movements not only tell people that they are powerful, they demonstrate people’s power by setting clear, achievable objectives and then documenting and publicizing their victories. The victories themselves may b e limited, but their impact on mobilizing people can be enormous.For example, the US Civil Rights Movement concentrated its strength on desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955-56 and desegregating Nashville lunch counters in 1960. The Indian Independence Movement focused its effort on gaining concessions from the British on the Salt Acts and others laws in 1930-31. Once achieved, these objectives were small 1 Gene Sharp, Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, (Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers), 2005, p. 547. 2 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. relative to the mammoth task of overturning segregation in the entire US South or gaining independence in India. But their true impact was in their catalyzing effect on the movements themselves. These victories showed people that their actions mattered and that they were capable of making a difference, which led to great increases in support and mobilization and propelled these movements to the national and international center stage.These objectives were not achieved merely because the US Civil Rights Movement or the Indian Independence Movement occupied the moral high ground. They were achieved also because of hard work, creativity, and skillful political analysis. This is true of all successful nonviolent action. However, many neglect this fact and instead assume that nonviolent action consists primarily of public protests, expressions of outrage, and moral injunctions, or that its success depends on a charismatic leader or some sort of mystical power. It does not.Nor does it require people who are ideologically committed to pacifism or ethical nonviolence. What it does require is an inclusive vision that unites people, sound strategic planning, effective public communications, and the identification of appropriate methods for the situation. There is no one -size-fits-all recipe—nonviolent action is place-specific. While the principles that govern it, such as power being based on consent and obedience, are constant across all struggles, its application depends on the context and particulars of a given society.Whether it manifests as bold public action, subtle shifts in buying patterns, or both (most movements have a wide variety of tactics that are designed to be used by people with different levels of involvement), it provides a way for people to use or create political space in their society from which to leverage concessions from an entrenched adversary. Fortunately, a lot of intellectual work, research, and communication have been done about how people can use, and historically have used, nonviolent action to achieve great results.Demand for this knowledge is increasing among those who recognize the power and potential that nonviolent action holds. You won’t read about this in most 3 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A sligh tly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. newspapers, and you won’t find a lot of politicians talking about it, but if you talk to grassroots organizers and members of civil society around the world, they will tell you. They recognize that it is the people in a society who are the agents of change and that structural change is created from the ground up.They are not waiting for a person to lead them, because they understand that most government and corporate leaders will not take the lead to do what is right if their populations are disengaged and do not know the means to hold them accountable. Therefore, people around the world are increasingly looking towards nonviolent action (which they may use in conjunction with voting, the legal system, or other traditional means of making change) as a pragmatic way to empower their communities to win human rights, freedom, justice, transparency, women’s, indige nous people’s and minority rights and environmental protection.Regardless of the objective for which nonviolent action is used, its prerequisite is the same: a reframing of the concept of power in people’s minds. Sharing this knowledge, and awakening people to their power, is an essential task in shifting humanity’s course. 4 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. Summary Response Agents of Change and Nonviolent Action* Nonviolent action is a way for ordinary people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice. It is frequently associated with moral or ethical nonviolence, but I will address it here as a distinct phenomenon, separate from any moral or ethical underpinnings, to expand on how it works as a pragmatic way to exert leverage in a conflict. Nonviolent action is based on the insight that power in a society is ultimately derived from people’s consent and obedience.In contrast, the prevailing view is that power in a society is inherently based on whoever has concentrated wealth and the greatest capacity for violence. But just as the economy is a subsystem of the biosphere— and therefore is ultimately governed by the laws of the biosphere—so too, systems of power that are seemingly based on violence and money are actually subsystems of thousands or millions of people’s broader behavior and obedience patterns.If those people shift their loyalties, behavior, and obedience, the balance of power in a society, and in the world, shifts. Simply put, if people do not obey, then rulers or corporations cannot rule. Nonviolent action, therefore, wields power by creating shifts in people’s loyalties, behavior and obedience patterns at a collective level. This can happen dramatically, for example as it did at moments during the Indian Independence Struggle, the US Civil Rights Movement, various labor struggles (i. . the United Farm Workers movement in the mid-late 1960s), and the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos (1986), Augusto Pinochet (1988), Apartheid in South Africa (1980s-90s), Slobodan Milosevic (2000), and the authoritarian system in Ukraine (2004). Or, shifts can happen more subtly, as when people choose to shop at locally owned businesses, boycott a product, or work to develop alternative institutions and economies.Regardless of its myriad of methods and manifestations, all acts of nonviolent action fa ll into one of three categories: acts of 1 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. commission—that is, people do things that they are not expected, supposed, or allowed to do; acts of omission—that is, people do not do things that they are expected, supposed, or required to do; or a combination of acts of commission and omission. In order to promote shifts in people’s obedience and behavior patterns, it is important to understand why people obey and behave as they do in the first place. Reasons will differ from society to society, but two of the most common reasons for obedience that I encounter in my work with activists and organizers around the world are that people feel there is no alternative way of behaving and they lack confidence that their actions make a difference. Many people have forgotten that they are the true power holders in their society.Of cou rse formal education, corporations, governments, and media all reinforce the narrative that power resides among the few individuals in a government building or corporate headquarters, and that money and guns (on which they have a monopoly) are the ultimate source of strength. This narrative suits their purposes well. Successful nonviolent movements throughout history, however, have awakened people to the fact that through their collective actions, people who are organized around a common vision and act strategically are far stronger than armies and money.Any contemporary grassroots movement that wants to gain traction should take note of this fact and make reminding people that they are powerful a central point of its rhetoric. Taking this one step further, successful movements not only tell people that they are powerful, they demonstrate people’s power by setting clear, achievable objectives and then documenting and publicizing their victories. The victories themselves may b e limited, but their impact on mobilizing people can be enormous.For example, the US Civil Rights Movement concentrated its strength on desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955-56 and desegregating Nashville lunch counters in 1960. The Indian Independence Movement focused its effort on gaining concessions from the British on the Salt Acts and others laws in 1930-31. Once achieved, these objectives were small 1 Gene Sharp, Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, (Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers), 2005, p. 547. 2 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. relative to the mammoth task of overturning segregation in the entire US South or gaining independence in India. But their true impact was in their catalyzing effect on the movements themselves. These victories showed people that their actions mattered and that they were capable of making a difference, which led to great increases in support and mobilization and propelled these movements to the national and international center stage.These objectives were not achieved merely because the US Civil Rights Movement or the Indian Independence Movement occupied the moral high ground. They were achieved also because of hard work, creativity, and skillful political analysis. This is true of all successful nonviolent action. However, many neglect this fact and instead assume that nonviolent action consists primarily of public protests, expressions of outrage, and moral injunctions, or that its success depends on a charismatic leader or some sort of mystical power. It does not.Nor does it require people who are ideologically committed to pacifism or ethical nonviolence. What it does require is an inclusive vision that unites people, sound strategic planning, effective public communications, and the identification of appropriate methods for the situation. There is no one -size-fits-all recipe—nonviolent action is place-specific. While the principles that govern it, such as power being based on consent and obedience, are constant across all struggles, its application depends on the context and particulars of a given society.Whether it manifests as bold public action, subtle shifts in buying patterns, or both (most movements have a wide variety of tactics that are designed to be used by people with different levels of involvement), it provides a way for people to use or create political space in their society from which to leverage concessions from an entrenched adversary. Fortunately, a lot of intellectual work, research, and communication have been done about how people can use, and historically have used, nonviolent action to achieve great results.Demand for this knowledge is increasing among those who recognize the power and potential that nonviolent action holds. You won’t read about this in most 3 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A sligh tly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. newspapers, and you won’t find a lot of politicians talking about it, but if you talk to grassroots organizers and members of civil society around the world, they will tell you. They recognize that it is the people in a society who are the agents of change and that structural change is created from the ground up.They are not waiting for a person to lead them, because they understand that most government and corporate leaders will not take the lead to do what is right if their populations are disengaged and do not know the means to hold them accountable. Therefore, people around the world are increasingly looking towards nonviolent action (which they may use in conjunction with voting, the legal system, or other traditional means of making change) as a pragmatic way to empower their communities to win human rights, freedom, justice, transparency, women’s, indige nous people’s and minority rights and environmental protection.Regardless of the objective for which nonviolent action is used, its prerequisite is the same: a reframing of the concept of power in people’s minds. Sharing this knowledge, and awakening people to their power, is an essential task in shifting humanity’s course. 4 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2.

Adolescent Rites of Passage

Bridging the Gap: Adolescent Rites of Passage General Purpose: To inform. Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, my audience will understand how cultures use adolescent rites of passage to help people mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. Central Idea: Adolescent rites of passage have marked the passage of children into adulthood around the world, and elements of those rituals are being used in modern American society. INTRODUCTION How did you celebrate your eighteenth birthday? Do you recall your graduation ceremony?If you’re like most Americans, such events marked the moment you became an adult. It may have been the day you walked off a lighted stage, clutching your diploma to your chest. Yet if you were an Arunta from Australia, it might be the moment you rose off of the smoking tree branches you were lying upon and were proclaimed an adult. Regardless of which are the most personally significant, we all have moments in our life that we would consider â€Å" rites of passage†Ã¢â‚¬â€moments that carry us across the threshold between two lives.In societies around the world, collective rites of passage have been seen as ways to initiate young people into adult life. In researching on this topic, I have discovered the important role rites of passage play for youth around the world, and I would like to share this with you this afternoon. Today we will look at the ways in which cultures throughout the world have used rites of passage to mark the transition to adulthood for both boys and girls, and how elements of those rituals are being used today in American society. Transition)To begin, let’s look at some of the different rites of passage from around the world that show traditional coming-of-age ceremonies in other cultures that are the basis for new American rituals. BODY I. Rites of Passage in Cultures: Puberty is often a signal in most cultures that a boy or girl is ready to become an adult.A. The Navajo of the American Sou thwest celebrate this milestone with the vision quest. 1. The ritual begins when a fifteen to sixteen-year- old boy is taken into a sweat lodge, where he will be purified in both body and soul before he begins his quest. . During the period before he leaves he will also be advised by a medicine man regarding his coming quest. 3. Finally, he ventures into the wilderness or desert on his own, fasting until he receives a vision that will determine his new name and the direction of his life. 4. When he receives his vision, the community welcomes him back as a man (Transition)Like their male counterparts in the Navajo, females also have special coming of age rituals. B. The Okrika of Nigeria celebrate coming of age with the Iria ceremony for seventeen-year-old girls. 1.The highlight of this ritual is when the girls enter the â€Å"Fattening Room. † 2. Only leaving to travel to the river, the girls stay in the rooms to gain the weight that the tribe considers attractive. Girls are forced to eat large quantities of food. 3. Female friends and family teach the girls how a woman should act. 4. When a girl leaves the Fattening Room, she is considered a woman. (Transition)These examples of the rites of passage for Navajo males and Okrika females show us how different cultures mark the transition from childhood to adult status in the community.Now let’s look at the increasing popularity of traditional rites of passage in the United States. II. Increase in Rites of Passage in United States: The United States is an ethnic melting pot of cultures and traditions. A. Yet our diversity prevents us from having a single experience, common to all, that celebrates our entrance into the adult community. 1. Some ceremonies are religion specific, such as Jewish Bar and Bat Mitzvahs or Christian baptisms and confirmations. 2. Many children, without religious or ethnic heritage, have no sort of recognition outside of high school graduations—if they choose to graduat e.Yet Cassandra Delaney writes about graduates, â€Å"They often are not equipped with the necessary components of a stable adult personality such as a well-reasoned moral code, a faith or world review which sustains them during crisis, and perhaps most importantly, a positive and cohesive self image. † B. With this problem in mind, many Americans are turning to tribal traditions like the ones described earlier to help their children have a positive rite of passage. 1. The African-American community is turning back to its cultural roots to aid social ills among young males. a.The MAAT Program attempts to instruct at-risk African-American males on social behavior through sessions with older mentors that incorporate African tribal tradition. b. Program sessions begin by prayer and an offering of a drink to the ancestors. c. At the end of the program, writes Aminifu Harvey and Julia Rauch of Health and Social Work magazine, the boys â€Å"mark their passage to manhood by giving themselves another African name, based on their personality, at the final retreat. † d. In this way, African-Americans use the rite of passage concept to develop a positive sense of identity for youth. . Even in Washington State, rites of passage are growing. a. An article in the Spokane Spokesman-Review by Jeanette White tells of Stan Crow, who runs a three-week program called â€Å"The Coming of Age Journey. † b. Here activities include challenging hikes and â€Å"vision quest† style nights alone in the wilderness in an attempt to promote self-reliance. c. Rites of passage like these, says psychologist Michael Gurian in the Spokesman-Review article, promote positive self-image because they force children to develop skills to meet challenges, to reflect on goals, and to learn leadership. . In Washington and the entire United States, rites of passage are becoming more popular as a way to fulfill the spiritual and moral needs of youth while identifying them to a community. CONCLUSION In conclusion, adolescent rites of passage mark the transition to adulthood. In the United States, questions have been raised as to whether rites of passage like those used by Africans, Native Americans, or others might be useful in helping with social problems. Some programs have attempted to experiment with the positive potential impact of rites of passage in modern American society.Though coming-of-age ceremonies do not automatically make us adults, they are the milestones of a maturing process we are all on. Think again about what you consider to be your â€Å"rite of passage. † Did the license, the diploma, or the keys to your dorm or apartment make you an adult? Perhaps some are yet mired in that no-man’s land called adolescence. Yet it one day might be different. Your child might one day swelter in a Western-style sweat lodge or eat in the Fattening Room; your child might depart on a vision quest.Regardless of the method, bridging the gap b etween childhood and adulthood is , and will always be , one of the most universal and important milestones of human life. BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"Coming of Age as an Australian Aruntas. † Michigan Jewish Online Education. 1999. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. 9 October 2000 . â€Å"Coming of Age in the Navajo Nation. † Michigan Jewish Online Education. 1999. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. 9 October 2000 . Delaney, Cassandra Halleh. â€Å"Rites of Passage in Adolescence. † Adolescence 30 (Winter 1995): 891. Elan, Jessica. A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Puberty Rites and Ceremonies for Females. † The Oxford Review. 5 May 1998. Oxford College of Emory University. 8 Oct. 2000 . Harvey, Aminifu R. and Julia B. Rauch. â€Å"A comprehensive Afrocentric rites of passage program for black male adolescents. † Health and Social Work 22. 1 (Feb. 1997): 30-37. White, Jeanette. â€Å"Too few of today’s children experience traditional ri tes of passage, experts say. † Spokesman-Review 4 July 2000: A1. ———————– Emphasize Pause Put on First Visual Pause Use Visual #2– Pause Gesture 1,2,3†¦ Gesture 1,2,3†¦ Slower