Is Poland a consolidated democracy Research Paper

Is Poland a consolidated democracy - Research Paper Example The civil society, which gave voice to social groups, was a striking metaphysical idea that appeared to capture the wide gap between the ruled and rulers in the communist world (Biskupski 23). Only a few countries of the Soviet bloc - Poland and Hungary – exhibited sovereign structures of civil societies before the 90’s. These structures advocated, for this conceptual tool, to be applied in the whole region. Poland, in particular, pulled out from this Soviet bloc when the union broke. The country considers itself as a democracy, but questions have been raised to question this notion. Therefore, this paper will discuss whether or not Poland is a consolidated democracy giving facts in line with the instructions stated. The two-turnover test means that a nation has undergone the process of democratizing itself from an emergent democracy to a stable democracy (Davies 3). An emergent democracy must go through two democratic, as well as a peaceful turnover governing parties in order to become a stable democracy. Poland has undergone these changes, and it can be sternly ranked as a consolidated democracy (Davies 4). Poland, in 1989-1991, endorsed a democratic transition that put an end to the Polish Peoples Republic and created a democratic regime, which was referred to as the Polish Third Republic. After a decade of democratic consolidation, this country joined NATO, in 1999, along with the European Union (EU) in 2004. From the 70s to the 80s, tension increased between the citizens of Poland along with its Communist government. During this period, the rest of the Eastern bloc’s influence on the Soviet Union weakened. With the introduction of "perestroika" under Mikhail Gorbachev, in the Soviet Union, a chance was introduced finally to modify the system of ruling, after the harsh era of martial law (1981-83) brought by General Jaruzelski. After this period, Poland became a consolidated democracy (Davies 6). Poland

ISIT in the Strategy process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ISIT in the Strategy process - Essay Example The emphasis is not on predicting the technological advancements with absolute certainty; yet strategic planning is based on analysing the trends in technology and developing strategies to draw maximum benefits through optimal utilisation of the latest technology for the company. There are important distinctions between strategic planning andforetelling. A strategy is developed based on past performances, current situation and businenss scenario, trends and future implications and organisation's vision and objectives. It is not just a prediction into future but a comprehensive process of developing the strategic direction for the company and allocation of resources to meet business objectives. Ofcourse, this includes detailed analysis of technological trends and an estimate of technology change with a view to provide optimal technological solutions for business information needs. However, an organisation whch is unable to analyse the changing trend and fast growth in technology; fails to achieve the desired strategic objectives because of technology obsoleteness; needs for faster, reliable and secure systems and information transfer; and lack of resources to implement and operate latest information technology products and services. These information strategies need not be developed with a d

How Modern And Ancient Military Conflict Differs History Essay

How Modern And Ancient Military Conflict Differs History Essay How does modern military conflict differ from ancient military conflict? What accounts for these differences? Ancient warfare began before history was recorded to the end of the ancient period. Ancient warfare was more centered on organization than technology. During Ancient warfare, mass was the key element for battles. Modern warfare is the methods, concepts, and technology that came out of World War II. As a result total war created the need to develop war policy with changed the awareness of tactical, operational, and strategic information. Ancient and modern warfare are different from the make-up of the armies, the tactics and weapons, and the transition to total warfare. In Ancient Warfare, the beginnings of modern armies began to rise. There were four main ways the armies were in ancient times, infantry, cavalry, chariot and naval. Infantry was the beginning of armies. It allowed for many countries to win by accumulated mass. Then the use of horses allowed for cavalry to be created. Further development created the use of the chariot as a device both of transportation and of battle became the central weapon. The naval power also began during ancient times as the method to control the seas. There are several types of modern warfare. It also includes a similar setup that ancient warfare used. The types of modern warfare are: asymmetrical, biological, chemical, electronic, ground, guerrilla, psychological, naval, and nuclear. Asymmetrical warfare is also known as terrorism. Biological warfare is fought by using germs. Chemical warfare is the use of toxic substances. Electronic warfare is cracking the enemyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s code or jamming their system s. Ground warfare includes the infantry, armor and artillery. Guerrilla warfare if fought with irregular troops. Psychological warfare is used to instill fear and terror to support the achievement of national objectives. Naval warfare is fought on a larger scale in the oceans and nuclear warfare uses nuclear weapons. The development of technologies created what is known as modern warfare today. With these technologies tactics, strategy, and weapons were also developed. During ancient times, the ancient strategy focused broadly on two goals. To convince the enemy that continued war was more costly than submitting, and make the most gain from war as possible. Forcing the enemy to submit generally consisted of defeating their army in the field. Once the enemyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s force was routed, the threat of siege, civilian deaths, and the like often forced the enemy to the bargaining table resulting in gaining simple profit. In modern warfare, the goals are simply to stop one from controlling the entire world. The use of tactics in ancient times depended on the sizes and skill levels of both armies, the unit types of both, terrain and positional advantages of both armies, and the weather. In a modern sense, the battles are always fought no matter what the opposition has, the terrain, nor the weath er. Ancient weapons consisted of the bow and arrow, the sling; pole arms such as the spear and javelin; hand-to-hand weapons such as swords, spears, clubs, maces, axes, and knives. Catapults, siege towers, and battering rams were used during sieges. Modern weapons consist of more missile type weapons such as the gun. There are also grenades, mines, missile launchers, and many other systems. During Ancient times, Greek warfare was a limited and ritualized form of conflict. Armies of hoplites would meet on the battlefield and decide the outcome in a single day. During the Peloponnesian War, however, the fighting lasted for years and consumed the economic resources of the participating city-states. In modern times, the United States underwent total mobilization of all national resources for the Second World War. Previously untouched sections of the nation mobilized for the war effort. Academics became technocrats; home-makers became bomb-makers, massive numbers of women worked in heavy industry during the war; union leaders and businessmen became commanders in the massive armies of production.  The great scientific communities of the United States were mobilized as never before, and mathematicians, doctors, engineers, and chemists turned their minds to the problems ahead of them. There is a big evolution from ancient warfare to modern warfare. Ancient warfare was mostly centered on organization, such as the use of the phalanx, and modern warfare focuses on technology and the use of information. During ancient times, the goals of the civilization were to have personal gain of simple profit and in modern times the goals are to stop one person from controlling the entire globe. Also ancient warfare focused on hand-to-hand combat while modern warfare focuses on the use of missiles and information. There was also the transition from limited warfare to total warfare to develop technologies need for a countries goal. Overall, ancient and modern warfare are different from the make-up of the armies, the tactics and weapons, and the transition to total warfare. OVERALL GRADE: 86.5/100 CONTENT: 40/50 You did an average job explaining some of the differences between ancient warfare and modern warfare. But, you got some of it wrong. Also, you did not adequately tell me WHY these differences occurred. I realize that this paper was written in a 2 hour time period, but I certainly hoped that you would have done a slightly better job at organizing your thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Remember, this type of writing is relatively simple. Step 1: come up with your thesis (opinion). Step 2: state three facts that support you thesis. Step 3: conclude your paper by telling me your opinion, again, and quickly reviewing your supporting arguments. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc: 46.5/50

Christians and Atheism Essay -- Christianity Atheist Religion Essays

Christians and Atheism The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. – DC Talk, contemporary Christian band There are three general reasons why Christianity turns people off: 1) The teachings of Jesus and the Bible are not appealing; 2) particular aspects of the Bible (or the Bible as a whole) do not seem feasible (such as the existence of Hell or an omnipotent, all-loving God); or 3) some experience with a Christian or the institution of Church is/was offending or repelling. This last reason why many people dislike Christianity is the most common and most painful for Christians to accept. It is saddening for a true Christian to witness the loving message of the Bible get lost behind the legality of the church (especially regarding political issues) or the hypocritical, unloving attitudes of those who call themselves Christians. And it is a grave problem for churches, especially in the sight of evangelism. The church needs to address the causes of such a turn-off from Christianity in order for it to be remedied. A specific look at how Christians themselves turn people off from Christianity reveals that Christian history, Christians today, and the institution of the church are all unique factors. Christian history is one of the first and most obvious reasons why some people dislike the Christian faith. Here we review some of the great tribulations of the â€Å"Christian† religion: evangelical movements in the Old and New worlds, Salem witch trials, Crusades, the Inquisition, and so on. In his essay â€Å"Why I Am Not a ... .... 7:1-5). There is a way to judge without making people feel hated or rejected. Judge without malice or hate, and always communicate in a respectful, loving manner. If the Christian body can hone in on this, Christians themselves will be a testament to the loving message of God. Works Cited Cahill, Mark. One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven . Atkinson, NH: Genesis II, 2004. Casting Crowns. â€Å"If We Are the Body.† Beach Street Records, 2003. DC Talk, ed. Jesus Freaks . Vol. 2. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 2002. 2 vols. DC Talk. â€Å"What If I Stumble?† Jesus Freak . Virgin Records America, Inc., 1995. Muncaster, Ralph O. A Skeptic's Search for God . Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2002. Russell, Bertrand. â€Å"Why I Am Not a Christian.† The Writer's Presence . Eds. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

Critical and creative thinking skills Essay

Critical and creative thinking skills are used throughout our lives to help us make important decisions and guide us through our most difficult and treasured moments. These particular thinking skills are deemed to be higher levels of thought and through this higher level of thinking, help us make both personal and professional decisions. According to Le Cornu (2009), critical thinking is defined â€Å"as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered† (p.1). This type of thinking embodies three different characteristics in its approach, these three dimensions are, analytic, evaluation and creative. In taking this approach one must be ableto think critically through reflection, observation of the major components and also incorporate some creativity to come up with unique ways to address the situation. Utilizing this approach guides us and gives us a strategy to incorpo rate both critical and creative thinking which work hand in hand to allow us to arrive at our final decision. Critical and creative thinking are thought to â€Å"involve a complex approach to arriving at an educated decision by implementing a strategy for questioning and reasoning that will allow arrival at a final well informed outcome† (Nicholls, 2010). I have used critical and creative thinking in my life many times, most recently I used this thinking process to make a very important decision. This decision consisted of deciding whether to come back school and pursue my Masters in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Health. This decision required thoughtful thinking and was used to obtain the best possible decision I could. I decided to use this method of thinking because, according to Paul & Elder (2006), â€Å"critical thinking is the active, persistent and careful consideration of a belief or form of knowledge, the grounds that support it and the conclusions that follow† (p.5). I considered this to be a very important decision therefore I  understood that it would require thoughtful consideration to arrive at the right choice for me. At this point in my life three major things had to be evaluated, analyzed and thought about creatively. My family, my career, and the value of obtaining a graduate degree. I had to ta ke extensive time and weigh the pros and cons of returning to school at this point. I had to examine those major factors critically and I also had to be creative in my thinking to work out the details. Nicholls (2010), states that creativity â€Å"involves forming ideas to solve problems and resolve issues† (p.12). In considering such a life changing decision, intellectual and out of the box methods had to be considered. My family consists of my 3 year old daughter and my fiancà ©e. In making this very important decision I had to examine how this decision would affect these two very important people. Factors included, time and money. Evaluating if my family would suffer because of the time and energy I would use pursuing my degree. Also, how would the amount of tuition effect our financial status and how would we adjust to this. Being a fulltime mom for two years, living off of one salary, having no savings, were all factors that had to be taken into consideration. On one hand, obtaining a higher degree could potentially increase our income, however one the other hand, paying the tuition in the interim while still living off of one salary had to be taken into consideration. These very important issues all had to be evaluated and analyzed. In taking these issues into consideration I was offered a full time position, providing ABA intervention to children on the Autism Spectrum. This presented an exciting, positive opportunity except for the fact that I was not thinking about returning to school at the very same time. This exciting opportunity presented me with both obstacles and benefits that I had to incorporate. Some of these obstacles included being able to perform at the best of my abilities, completing tasks proficiently and number one on the list ensuring that I have enough time to spend with my family. In examining these obstacles I had to analyze the immediate benefits that this entailed as well, one of which included, having two salaries, having the financial security that two incomes can provide. Being that my daughter is only three years old, constantly growing and changing each day, every minute spent away from her, could potentially be a min ute that I missed a major milestone in her life. Included in this struggle for time would be less time to complete  school work, to study, to interact with classmates. Therefore in turn leaving less time to take in the overall experience that a graduate program has to offer. Having all this to consider I had to resort to sound thinking otherwise known as critical and creative thinking which â€Å"requires both imagination and intellectual standards† (Paul &Elder) (p.4). These things contributed to the quality of my decision in that I took the time to analyze all factors, evaluate how these things would both have a negative or positive affect, and be creative in the ways that I could go about planning, and organizing my life to incorporate this change. In doing this I used â€Å"cognitive skills or strategies that increased the probability of a desirable outcome† (Halpern 1998). My education, affordability, time, completing assignments to the best of my abilities and learning all appropriate information were all things that had to be taken into consideration. Going back to school requires dedication in time, money and consistency. Would I have enough time to complete assignments and tasks, would I be able to afford this? Considering all options I finally arrived at the decision to return to school and accomplish my dream of obtaining a master’s degree. When I thought methodically, incorporated a strategy that allowed myself to evaluate and analyze the pros and cons, while also incorporating some creativity I was able to see that this was the right decision for me. In thinking critically and creatively I came to the conclusion that it would not be perfect, I would not be able to fulfill all my duties every day. However with patience, organization, and discipline I am currently on the right track, and am happy with the outcome thus far. There are days when I cannot believe I made this decision. There are times when I am just too exhausted to make that special meal for my family and feel defeated. However, after taking a few moments for myself I am able to realize that there is tomorrow, and in that day I can once again try and accomplish what I did not the day before. In thinking this way I am still incorporating critical and creative thinking skills in which bring about a positive outcome. References Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Dispisitions skills, structure training, and meta cognitive monitoring. American Psychologist 53(4), 440-445. Le Cornu, A. (2009). Meaning internalizations and Externalization: Towards a fuller understanding of the process of reflection and its role in the construction of the self. Adult Quarterly 59 (4), 279-297. Nicholls, D. D. (2010). Development of critical thinking and creativity: Practical guidelines for the postsecondary classroom. ATEA Journal 38 (1), 12-15. Paul, R. E. (2006). Critical thinking: The naute of critical and creative thought. Journal of Developmental Education , 34-35.

Environment: Pollution and Human Impact Essay

Every living thing has an impact on its environment. Therefore a human impact on the environment is inevitable. By simply existing, all species – including ourselves – will imprint their mark on the world around them. What differentiates us from other species is our ability to greatly overburden our environment with very few limits. The information regarding our human impact is vast and impossible to cover in one article but I will attempt to cover a basic overview. For 200 years we’ve been conquering Nature. Now we’re beating it to death. ~ Tom McMillan Water Pollution Perhaps the most obvious examples of a negative human impact on the environment is water pollution. It’s obvious we need water to survive but few people realize how much we need and just how much is available. Consider these facts from the United Nations Environment Programme: * Of all the water on Earth, only 2.5% of it is freshwater. * Of that 2.5%, less than 1% is available to us. * Humans each require up to 13 gallons (50 litres) a day of fresh water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. This does NOT take into account the countless gallons of water needed to grow food or care for animals. * 70% of all freshwater usage goes to irrigation. According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, only 2% of farms are organic. This means almost 69% of our freshwater supply is being contaminated by chemical pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, while also compounded with fossil fuels and emissions from heavy farming machinery. These chemical compounds contribute to acid rain. Since very little can live in an acidic environment, acid rain has harmful effects on plants, animals, and aquatic life, as well as humans and even buildings, statues or other objects. Acid rain also contaminates our limited freshwater supply, and thus the cycle of water pollution continues. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 45% of assessed stream miles, 47% of assessed lake acres, and 32% of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were not clean enough to support uses such as swimming or fishing. The following reasons and possible sources for this include: Photo Source: Alan Liefting| * Sediments, pathogens and habitat alterations from agricultural activity and hydrologic modifications (such as dams) * Excessive nutrients, metals and organic enrichment from agricultural activity and atmospheric deposition (the movement of pollutants from one environment to another, such as from water to air) * Heavy metals (primarily mercury), excess nutrients and â€Å"organic enrichment† from industrial and municipal discharges (â€Å"treated† or untreated waste water released from sewer plants and industrial factories into natural water sources) These points listed above lead to a poisoned and uninhabitable environment for plants and aquatic life, as well as affect land animals and humans reliant on these systems for survival and other land-bound plant life in need of clean water for growth. Land Pollution Land pollution, the degradation of the Earth’s surfaces and soil, is caused by human activity and a misuse of natural resources. Causes of land pollution and degradation include: * Urban sprawl: Natural habitats are removed to make room for communities, usually with inefficient or irresponsible planning. Urban sprawl generally results in a waste of land area for unused development (such as excessive roads, decorative and unused areas, etc). * Poor agricultural practices: Animal manure runoff from CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, the practice of growing monocultures (only one crop season after season) and the deforestation required to expand farm land all contribute to degradation and pollution. * Personal consumption: Our modern culture’s desire to have more, bigger and better â€Å"things†, as well as our relationship to and habit of waste, has lead to stripping of the land, excessive mining and pollution from industrial activities. * Industrial activities: The production of chemical-laden plastics, poor quality of products, unethical practices (such as illegal dumping), and extreme emissions affect both surrounding and far-reaching areas. None of this takes into account illegal dumping, diminishing landfill space, litter,  overproduction of synthetic materials, radioactive waste and more. All land pollution is caused by a human impact on the environment and thus can be averted by our actions alone. Two of the necessary actions must be proper planning and proper usage of natural resources. For instances, animals could be taken out of CAFO and allowed to graze on mountainous or wooded areas unsuitable for buildings or crops. Using organic and sustainable farming techniques can eliminate our need for chemical applications. Clean energy, such as wind or solar power, can slowly begin to replace coal or nuclear plants. And as consumers we can lessen our human impact on the environment by demanding better quality products, environmentally ethical practices from industries and a shift toward sustainable energy. Air Pollution One bit of good news about our human impact on the environment is that air pollution is lowering and air quality is increasing. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, since 1990 to 2008: * Ozone decreased 14% * Lead decreased 78% * Nitrogen dioxide decreased 35% * Carbon monoxide decreased 68% * Sulfur dioxide decreased 59% However, 127 million people still live in areas that exceed quality standards. And some of the quality standards are far from ideal, such as ozone. The question is: what amount of air pollution is really okay? Shouldn’t we be striving for technologies or practices that virtually eliminate major polluters, such as: | Photo Source: Michael CavÃÆ' ©n| * Better public transit, electric cars, rail, and city planning etc to replace heavy commutes, fossil fuels, air travel and unwalkable communities * Retrofitting or otherwise upgrading existing factories with greener technologies such as solar panels or air filtration systems * Removing  animals from factory farms and raising them on natural diets and rotating pasture to reduce methane emissions and pollution The greatest human impact on the environment we can have is to vote with our pocket book and our actions. By supporting companies that use greener technologies, we can start a trend toward better solutions. By getting involved in community planning and zoning we can have a global impact on a local level. And by buying less â€Å"stuff†, eating less animal products and sourcing our food from sustainable farms, we can spread the word that better solutions do exist and they don’t have to cater to mega-corporations and lobbyist pressure. The Consequences Of A Human Impact On The Environment Man maketh a death which Nature never made. ~ Edward Young What most of us fail to realize is that we will never truly destroy Earth. The planet will always remain and its nature will change and adapt to the conditions. But we have evolved to rely on the very particular conditions currently in place. We have specific water and food requirements, can only tolerate certain temperature ranges and we must have an abundance of clean, breathable air. Just look at how the environment is affecting human health already. Thus the question is not whether the Earth can withstand a human impact on the environment. The real question is will we so change the environment as to drive ourselves (and other species) to extinction? Ready To Get Stepping? All of this information about the human impact on the environment is great to help you understand and formulate your own opinions to the issues, but the most important part is not your opinions; it’s how those opinions change your lifestyle. Don’t find fault. Find a remedy. ~ Henry Ford If you’re ready to get started, I’d recommend the following Steps first: * Top Ways To Go Green: These should be your starting points. They are the no-duh things and most of them are very easy to implement. * Going Green At Home: For most of us, our homes are probably our biggest carbon footprint. Pop over there to learn easy ways to save water, energy and other  resources.

Plight of Hispanic-Americans in the United States Essay Example

Plight of Hispanic Plight of Hispanic-Americans in the United States Essay Plight of Hispanic-Americans in the United States Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Plight of Hispanic-Americans in the United States Minority groups exist in all societies in the world and they are characterized by members with insignificant power amidst the members of the dominant groups (Shepard, 2009). They are marginalized because the members have less control over their lives and often suffer in silence in the societies. Therefore, members in a minority group are not privileged to experience the variety of opportunities that would improve their standards of living and put them in the same level as those in the dominant groups. Factors that distinguish minority groups and majority groups are race, culture, physical impairment, religion, gender, politics, class, religion and education. Members have no choice but to be in the group because they are brought together by the commonality that is unrecognized by the dominant groups and thus, they have a sense of solidarity. The Hispanic-American population is one of the minority groups in the United States. Language barriers and immigration issues have put the population at the front of marginalization in America. In such a country that is bound by democracy, equality is a mandatory element without which the justification of democracy is vague or futile. Hispanic-Americans still suffer from discrimination in work places. It is obvious than in a society where capitalism is abundant, business owners are at liberty to choose who they deem right to be in their workforce. However, if a Hispanic-American is equally qualified as a Native American, it is only fair to employ both under the same conditions because it is the value of the output that counts and not the value of the worker’s presence. Hence, the Hispanic-Americans deserve equal treatment with respect to the job specifications. The government went a notch higher in stipulating laws that uphold equality and abate segregation. Such an effort in the wide spectrum of a society is highly commendable but unfortunately, the measure is not well implemented down the radar because studies show that minority groups such as the Hispanic-American face assimilation challenges in the workplaces. Research shows that in 2009, almost three out of ten Hispanic-American employees face discrimination in the workplaces (Gibson, 2009). Most survive on a low payroll and do not enjoy job promotions in either executive or management positions. These people are similar to the majority in that their needs include providing for their families, education and self-sustenance. Employment is their means of survival and they are obliged to succumb to worse bad working conditions because they need those meager incomes to survive. According to Gibson (2009), there should be more Civil Rights lawyers to ensure that the Hispanic population is g iven equal treatment in the country. According to a report on situation testing conducted in the United States to determine the criteria of recruiting employees, an advert for a receptionist position in an optometrist’s office was featured in a local newspaper (Bendick, 2007). A tester with a Latina name, Juanita and partial accent was put on hold when she telephoned the next day for the application. Unfortunately, she got negative feedback when the office told her that the company was not taking any other application. This scenario may prove the sidelining of the Hispanic-Americans because of language barrier. If a person from the dominant groups puts herself in the same situation, the outcome will be frustration. For example, if Juanita in the above scenario needed income to pay the increased rent or to pay for her child’s fee while the child is almost dropping out of school, chances are that her family will be homeless and the child will not have a solid background of education in the future. If this is the case, how many children will be freelance for lack of education? The predicament has long-term problems, which will affect the country’s economy in the future as a whole. Education is the backbones of the country’s economy since its current and future labor market highly depend on it. Employment discrimination in the United States triggers discrimination of Hispanics in other parallel aspects of life such as purchasing products of quality and housing or access of health care services and learning institutions. According to Marger, (2011), this can be detrimental to the population because they will be psychologically affected by the form of rejection in the society. It is enough to picture the emotional stress and frustration that a Hispanic-American worker experiences in the workplace or a potential employee faces when unjustly rejected during a recruitment activity. Added areas of discrimination will have serious psychological implications on the Hispanic individual. The fact that they are Hispanic-Americans clearly outlines their citizenship and as citizens, they are entitled to the justice proclaimed in the United States constitution. Ignoring their rights by treating them unequally is contrary to the law. Just as the majority in the United States are cautious and vigilante in matters which affect them because they feel deprived of their rights, so should the voice of Hispanic-American population be heard. The government has put in place anti-discrimination measures and campaigns but the turnover can only start with the individual. Employers should organize for forums in the workplaces to foster diversity and inclusion and communicate equality through recruitment and promotion procedures. Concurrently, Hispanic-Americans should be aware of their rights and be relentlessly in pushing forward policies that uphold the ethics on their employment. It is understandable when employers do not recruit Hispanic people who have poor education background but the problem arises when employer has pre-conceived ideas about other Hispanic-Americans with admirable resumes. Such pre-conceived ideas make the employers to grade Hispanics lowly and if at all they are employed, they are offered risky jobs t hat can cause physical injuries. Social psychological research shows that stereotypic notions can become a barrier in the change of attitude by the majority towards the minority. Therefore, the Native American employers’ stereotypic notion about the underperformance of the Hispanics can lead them towards subtle discrimination. This happens unconsciously and in most occurrences, such employers can argue that discrimination was not their intention. The immigration status of the Hispanic workers might have caused the unequal treatment because most of the Native Americans were against the status and this inconveniences the working potential of the Hispanic-Americans (Marger, 2011). Many people have different perspectives on the reasons behind the Hispanic situation but the most important point is equality in the United States. Ethical codes must be addressed to document responsibility. This will reflect the anti-discrimination efforts that the government vibrantly focuses on. The major impediment in the employment of Hispanics is poor English skills. English is the official language in the United States and it is logical for Native American employers to scrutinize how fluently it is spoken by the Hispanic job seekers. It is also mandatory for communication activities with clients and colleagues. However, the expertise of the Hispanic job seeker in other major areas in the workplace should be put into consideration. Every day, we are braced with innovation from different aspects and thus, employers can adopt innovative methods to ensure the Hispanics knowledge of English materializes. This is not to say that the period of the company’s activities will be derailed but concurrent programs if managed properly can increase the output so there will be nothing to lose. Race-based discrimination in the workplace should be avoided because it creates an imbalanced social system and it is a threat to the country’s economic status. When all workers are equally valued, they combine efforts in the organization to increase productivity and they appreciate each other. This improves the environmental working conditions. Work Cited Bendick, Marc. â€Å"Situation Testing for Employment Discrimination in the United States of America.† Horizons strategiques 3.5 (2007): 17-39. Web. 6 July 2012. Gibson, Sebastian. â€Å"Discrimination against Hispanics, Latinos and Mexican Americans and the need for more Civil Rights Lawyers in California.† Global Legal Resources 28 February 2009. Web. 6 July 2012. Marger, Martin. Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives. Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Shepard, Jon. Sociology. Cengage Learning, 2009. Print

Chesapeake colony essays

Chesapeake colony essays Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the region had evolved into two distinct societies. The main factors that influenced the evolution of differences in New England and Chesapeake region were: political, economic and social influences. In the Chesapeake region the economy evolved through trades and agriculture; plantations and staple crops. Tobacco which became the main crop of the region increased rapidly its production, creating the need for labor. As a result of the tobacco plantations the headright system came about, which established that whoever paid the passage of an indentured servant received the right to acquire 50 acres of land and thereby, increasing the production of tobacco and other crops like rice, which became the main crop of the Carolinas. The plantations in this region were to vast causing the development of churches, schools, and cities limited and relatively few. Trades played a big role in the development of this region; in the Carolinas the settlers started to use slave trade, they used Savannah Indians to gather other Indians for their slave trade. However most of the Carolinas prosperity is due to their trade with the sugars island of the West Indies. In social terms, the tobacco plantat ion brought the young people without a family who rather work as indentured servants for ten years and hope to get the portion of land that was promised to them. These indentured servants were mostly young men whom desired to find and easy way to get rich or just make money clouded their minds; as the talked contract for land and yet not a written contract. Many proprietors didnt give them the portion of land that they were promised. As result of this, the free indentured servants moved to the backwoods of Virginia and thereby, invading Indian Territory and creating the clash that is now known as the Bacon Rebellion. Bacon being the leader of th...

Active Listening

* We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct. Active Listening * We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct.

Why should we belive in a religion Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why should we belive in a religion - Term Paper Example At the same, consideration of human religiosity involves accepting the freedom of a personal choice. This means that every person has the right to take the religion that most accurately fits his/her worldview and life expectancy. This paper defends the idea of a special significance of religion for the life of both the individual and society as a whole. To begin with, the special status of religion and religiosity was claimed in ancient Greek philosophy (Hare). Moreover, almost the majority of Greek philosophy was riddled with the idea of the existence of a divine origin, and every philosopher gave it his own interpretation. Socrates and Plato pointed out the particular importance of religion in human life. They considered religion in close connection with ethics as a science of the right human behavior and actions. According to this position, the person as a rational being should have to follow the religious principles that affirm the universality and high status of ethical principles. In one of Platos dialogues namely Euthyphro, Socrates makes it clear that the gods are just and moral beings, and therefore faith in them allows a person to observe justice in this world. After many centuries, another philosopher Immanuel Kant addresses religion as well. As part of his concept, Kant says that a man cannot reliably prove the existenc e of God, since the knowledge of the world is limited by sensory experience that does not reveal the true nature of things (Rohlf). For this reason, Kant exposes the harsh criticism of the evidence for the existence of God, the soul and immortality. Nevertheless, despite this understanding, the philosopher draws attention to the importance of religion as a basis for human ethics. Based on the existence of the moral law requiring people to follow it, Kant asserts the necessity of postulating the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. Only by admitting the existence of God, able to observe the good and the

Macbeth Act 4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Macbeth Act 4 - Coursework Example 2. Do you have any sympathy for Macbeth in Act 4, scene 1? We feel sympathy when we learn someone is struggling and suffering, even if they are suffering because of their own sins and faults, in which they sincerely repent. In the case of Macbeth, he is willingly goes to witches; he has seen them before and knows that they are strange, evil and hideous creatures, however he chooses to go to them and, when he comes to their abound, he acts boldly, he commands witches to answer him, even if they will have to call on all the power of hell, and it would mean destruction in nature – he does not care for anything else, he only cares to get his answers. â€Å"Even till destruction sicken, answer me / To what I ask you† (4.1.61-62) 3. Imagine you are directing this scene. How would you: design the set dress Lady Macduff and her son direct the characters to act etc. To maximize the sense of innocence - i.e. the more innocent Lady Macduff and her son seem to the audience, the mor e cruel their murders seem, and the more wicked Macbeth will look. In the castle of Macduff there are usual daily activities that carried out – chores to attend, there are domestic animals, servants. Lady Macduff is in her middle age, tidy, stout woman; she has an apron and a headpiece. She is obviously a head of this household; she speaks gently, yet firmly.

International Taxation Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Taxation - Research Proposal Example Anti-avoidance legislation Tax avoidance can be defined as the lawful measures that a firm may take in order to reduce their liability to payment of tax. It should be noted that tax avoidance is not illegal but its effect on the economy may be dire. The question of avoidance of tax has been of great contention considering the fact that the firms have a responsibility of being diligent in their dealings with the state. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of tax avoidance, governments have been at the forefront of enacting anti-avoidance legislation that is aimed at sealing the loopholes that allow for tax avoidance. One of the strategies that governments have used is the adoption of the general anti-avoidance rule. The logic of this strategy is the fact that legislation has limits on the extent to which it may foresee all arrangements of taxpayers2. Therefore, a general anti-avoidance rule may operate within existing laws or provide a caveat against general tax avoidance issues. In the United Kingdom, governments have implemented anti-avoidance are targeted to deal with specific abuses of tax law. This is consistent with the legal view that legislation should be specific and outline the specific circumstances under which liability arises. There are scenarios whereby the anti-avoidance laws are applied retrospectively in order to comprehensively account for previous abuse of the law. However, the United Kingdom courts require concrete proof of avoidance before a conviction can be upheld. In Partington v The Attorney General3, the courts ruled that for the government to recover tax the prosecution must bring the subject to the letter of the law. It is not sufficient to have a case that is just backed by the spirit of the law. In the context of Canadian law, the courts lay emphasis on the substance of the legal arrangements in a given transaction rather than the economic outcome of the transactions. The interpretation of the Income Act 1976 is literal and the burden of proof of avoidance is upon the prosecution. The Revenue Canada department gave guidelines that expressly allowed the taxpayers to be subjected to minimum pay. However, cases of crafty tax planning grew exponentially leading to a major decline in the amount of revenue that the government collected. This led to the enactment of general anti-avoidance legislation that reinforced anti-avoidance provisions in the Income Tax Act 1976 and the Goods and Services Act 19873. The essence of the rule was to distinguish from between abusive and legitimate tax avoidance measures. Australia has had a longstanding general anti-avoidance rule over the years.

Discrimination and the Role of Business Research Paper

Discrimination and the Role of Business - Research Paper Example However, the commonness of the term in our societies, there has been no stable and neutral definition of the feud. In an attempt to define the term, Altman (2011) views discrimination as the means of treating groups of people in distantly different ways. Discrimination in the workplace occurs when an individual employer or employee treats one group of employees with less consideration than others. All the same, Altman (2011) admits that not all unequal handling of employees constitutes discrimination considering the fact that various people in an employment set up perform different kinds of duties. Employment discrimination practices as comprising issues like biased hiring of workers, selective promotion, unequal job assignment, unreasoned termination of ones duties and unfair compensation. Furthermore, discrimination can be defined as the use of ones power to induce legal and behavioral restrictions on the impoverished societal members to with a vision to maintaining the inequality and desires of particular individuals. In addition, discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of a particular society or group having different believes and views on concerning particular issues. Workplace place discrimination does not just result from the specific work place but the established social relations mostly influence it. The elements of social discriminations are influenced by the varying relationship between groups, which later dictates power and participation in various issues. The hostile existence between groups and social prejudice can lead to development of bullying and stereotyping among various employees in the working organization. Discrimination in an organization may also result as a way of reiterating against past discriminatory acts to previously low ranking employees. Discrimination takes various dimensions that include race, gender, age, ethnicity, or disability among other natures of discrimination. Discrimination classifies under two major forms that include direct and indirect discrimination. Direct discrimination involves the act of treating particular individuals in a disfavored manner with consideration to specific traits such as of gender, race, disability, nationality, disability, and culture (Altman 2011). Indirect discrimination on the other hand refers to the policies that tend to be transparent and fair from the outlook but appears opposite when critically investigated. Indirect discrimination can involve blockade of job applicants on the grounds of petty reasons such as age and unreasonable requirements. In most cases, indirect discrimination persists in organization since it is never for an individual to identify and disclose it on the open. Indirect discrimination have been problematic to certain individuals especially women and the disabled groups (Altman 2011). The general concept of discrimination involves unethical treatment of specific individuals in ways of harassment, bullying, and prejudices that finally ma y have negative impacts on the victims’ concentration. The impacts of discrimination are usually borne by the society as well as the organization in which the act is pursued. The gender form of discrimination has been problematic and with great influence to the society and job organization as well. Gender discrimination in the societies has seen women being viewed as the minority members of the particular families (Glucks 2011). Gender discrimin

Open Table System in Blackshop Restaurant Coursework

Open Table System in Blackshop Restaurant - Coursework Example The Cerny brother emphasized on the concept of human tough and considers the tremendous success of the restaurant for the same. However, it is seen that extensive work done manually gives rise to mistakes which consequently affects the quality of services and impacts on the revenue too. The project makes an analysis of the present conditions of operations for the restaurant. Based on the above it puts forth reasons why an online reservation system called Open Table must be incorporated. The relative advantages of doing the same are presented in the project. Finally, a suitable operational strategy has been recommended in the project. This includes the market analysis, marketing, and advertising plan, reservation system, and operations for the restaurant. The quality of services and the role of the front office staff have also been highlighted in this regard.In order to know whether the Open Table system should be incorporated into the organization, it is important to understand the f unctions of the system and its relevance in the organization. Open Table was established in the year 1998 and operated a website which connected numerous reservation-taking restaurants and customers who dined at the restaurants (Huber, Larmaraud, Li & Williams, 2009, p.1). Open System is a reservation, guest management, and table management software designed for the restaurants. The software and hardware systems of smoothened the process of automation of reservations, table management by replacing the conventional methods of reservations by restaurant hosts and hostesses using pen and paper. The system is used by users for the construction of customer databases which fosters guest recognition and allows targeted e-mail marketing. Moreover, the open system also helps the restaurants to save cost and time, improve their services, attract businesses, and increase revenue in terms of the numbers of diners and also improve efficiencies with tools of table management. The system was prima rily aimed at the independent restaurant groups, restaurants, hotels and resorts. The system has been adopted by numerous customers across different nations like Canada, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and Spain. The main advantage offered by the system is that it allows its users to allow electronic reservations using their website.

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama - Essay Example First, Gilgamesh is a sacred king in the ancient Babylonian kingdom who greatly possesses the trait of â€Å"two-thirds divine† (Mitchell 10). By virtue of his god-like character, the Babylonian people fear and follow the absolute monarchy practiced by Gilgamesh, the demigod of the bygone civilization. Like Gilgamesh, Rama is a divine king in the age-old India who greatly ruled his devoted subjects with â€Å"universal or social conscience† (qtd. in Leeming, Madden, and Marlan 803). Second, Gilgamesh and Rama have sameness with respect to their journeys in finding their missions in life and/or love. On the one hand, Gilgamesh travels to varied and tortuous places in order to find the person who â€Å"can tell him how to escape death† (Mitchell 1). After his friend’s death, Gilgamesh journeys into the terra incognita which he, consequently, â€Å"suffered all and accomplished all† (qtd. in Mitchell 9). On the other hand, Rama travels to the land of h is mortal enemy in order to rescue his beloved Sita. On this way, Rama constantly remembers in the need to avoid the â€Å"sense enemies’ lust, ire and greed† (Das 69). And third, both epic heroes greatly share tragedy (Gupta 23). The tragedy of Gilgamesh lies in his failure to attain immortality while Rama’s tragedy lies in the unfaithfulness of his beloved. Both stories of Gilgamesh and Rama are, by and large, shaped by their cultures and societies.

Open Table System in Blackshop Restaurant Coursework

Open Table System in Blackshop Restaurant - Coursework Example The Cerny brother emphasized on the concept of human tough and considers the tremendous success of the restaurant for the same. However, it is seen that extensive work done manually gives rise to mistakes which consequently affects the quality of services and impacts on the revenue too. The project makes an analysis of the present conditions of operations for the restaurant. Based on the above it puts forth reasons why an online reservation system called Open Table must be incorporated. The relative advantages of doing the same are presented in the project. Finally, a suitable operational strategy has been recommended in the project. This includes the market analysis, marketing, and advertising plan, reservation system, and operations for the restaurant. The quality of services and the role of the front office staff have also been highlighted in this regard.In order to know whether the Open Table system should be incorporated into the organization, it is important to understand the f unctions of the system and its relevance in the organization. Open Table was established in the year 1998 and operated a website which connected numerous reservation-taking restaurants and customers who dined at the restaurants (Huber, Larmaraud, Li & Williams, 2009, p.1). Open System is a reservation, guest management, and table management software designed for the restaurants. The software and hardware systems of smoothened the process of automation of reservations, table management by replacing the conventional methods of reservations by restaurant hosts and hostesses using pen and paper. The system is used by users for the construction of customer databases which fosters guest recognition and allows targeted e-mail marketing. Moreover, the open system also helps the restaurants to save cost and time, improve their services, attract businesses, and increase revenue in terms of the numbers of diners and also improve efficiencies with tools of table management. The system was prima rily aimed at the independent restaurant groups, restaurants, hotels and resorts. The system has been adopted by numerous customers across different nations like Canada, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and Spain. The main advantage offered by the system is that it allows its users to allow electronic reservations using their website.

Maintenance of Minority Languages in Majority Settings Essay Example for Free

Maintenance of Minority Languages in Majority Settings Essay Rather than showing the picture of how the people with different languages are related to each other, it is more essential to break down the orders of natural languages existing in any given area and only by this way that we can identify which language is considerable as good and appropriate to ensure somehow that they will continue to be used.   Language serves as marker of group of people and most disputes involved in language minorities deals with the way the languages are reproduced in consideration with the affiliation in geographical boundaries. Maintaining language minorities which are all too often ill-equipped for modern life, strengthens the position of the dominant language as the only common language of communication. Francophone comprises larger fraction of Canada’s speakers prior to the twentieth century and it went less due to imbalance in the flow of population such as birth rate among French speakers and as immigration of English speaking people. Quebec apparently endures English and they have maintained the high concentration of French speakers. Francophone  Canada  remained a vital community sustained by the hard efforts of people from within the community who ensure that the French speaking minority population will continue to thrive (Posner and Green 345-358). The same case had happened in some other part of the world where the people had different origin that changed their cultural sphere, such as in India which, aside from Hindi, also has some regional dialects. Having language minority remained as a matter of political questions especially as it was applied in instructional materials which requires rationalized language policy. Multilingual education came out as another option and a good consideration for better accessibility of education transcending the boundary of language (Groff 8-12). Endangerment or even extinction can be the worst case scenario when language wasn’t maintained. When we talk about endangered language, we refer to the gradual decrease of monolingual speakers using the language. One example of this implication was stated in the works of David and Maya Bradley (316-321) which tackles the revival of native languages of Aboriginal group in Australia. Designs for the attempt of reviving languages can only be possible with enough resources like documentations or retrieving information from similar languages. The efforts for this also require valid aim or intentions in having it done apparently to make it worthwhile than just having it done for the luxury of education. Losing the function of a language relates to the reasons for its decrease of usage or may extent to total non-usage. A language has the power as long as it has the function fulfilled as it was used contemporary industries. The report by Michelle Goldberg and David Corson (1-3) shows that bilingual Immigrants, with an official language learned, are not perceived to bear any advantage for they are not recognized in their chosen field even though, in some situations, proficiency in the language is a crucial skill required in the job. Valuing this skill thru formal recognition is greatly beneficial for the company itself since it contributes in returns in the market specially when dealing with bilingual clients. Linguistic minorities whether in Canada, or in Europe or in Asia don’t just preserve the natural communication means of their group but can also provide reflection of their culture which separates them to the rest. They were therefore protected and promoted by laws in the belief on its significant importance of preserving the identity of these groups (Jimenez Nakagawa 6). Compared to the situation in Australia, the minorities in Canada, Francophone, has different form since they are comparable to the majority group, Anglophone, when we talk about their origin. None of these two naturally emerged in the land since both were influences or contributions from European. French colonized Quebec after its discovery and for centuries, French has already been an official language (Mc Creery 6). Vitality of relationship between the language and culture in a community determines proliferation of a language therefore, and maintenance and preservation requires analysis of people in group by their demographic prominence, social status, and economic power. These variables can determine the vitality of a language relative to the culture developed in parallel to the language. In order to study the essential factors affecting the growth of the language and design a maintenance procedure, it needs a clear definition of the culture in which it is in. Anything that is associated with vernacular culture manifests linguistic features. Daily activities of people and collective behavior can show its relations to linguistic attributes then we can determine what perceptions and concepts influence the language (Grenoble and Whaley 261-264). Another implication that needs to be aided by language maintenance is the tendency that the difference in language would extend to the separation of people and a state. In Canada, tension rose between English speakers and French speakers, mainly Quebec, carrying the biggest fraction of French-Canada. For decades, a Marxist group called Front de Liberation de Quebec (FLQ) tried to gain sovereignty and fought for the independence. The government applied quick aid to pacify the nationalist actions by making French speakers feel more welcome as they created official policies for the benefit of bilinguals (Ruypers 149). From the viewpoint of anyone who wants to grow towards the wider immediate community such as in the case of minority relative to the majority surrounding them, it tends to make the minority encouraged to gain the actual condition of the majority. When we talk about the will to sustain linguistic identity, it needs to be acknowledged that it is important to develop individuals and the community without compromising the culture and language. Keeping the diversity of language varieties needs not to be broken instead should be respected in the way that none will be damaged (Bastardas-Boada 3-5). Any action in a community, whether it is verbal or physical, contributed to the culture that defines the distinction of human group. The ability to share with the rest this developed culture makes the group dynamic in the wider scope. These are the notions to be considered as a challenge for anyone attempting to participate in different social dimension. This idea can be applied to the relationship of minority and majority languages which are connected by communications since every language users are considered as part of the community of ideas and practices (Duranti 46). After all, the maintenance of a language, however few the users are, would be simplified as long as there is enough reason for it to stay. It will not matter whether the majority of people around use different language or doing different thing from what you do for if language really serves as a mean for communication, differences will then not make this a problem but a source for it to become richer and maintained. References Duranti, A. â€Å"Linguistic Anthropology†. UK:   Cambridge UP (1997): 46 Posner, R. and Greene, J.N. â€Å"Trends in Linguistics†. Walter de Gruyter and Co. (1993): 345-358 Groff, C. â€Å"Status and Acquisition Planning and Linguistics Minorities in India†.   (2003):8-12 Bradley, David and Maya. â€Å"Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance† TJ    International (2002): 316-321 Corson, D. and Goldberg, M. â€Å"Minority Languages learned Informally- The Social Construction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Language Skills through the Discourse of Ontario Employers† ON: University of   Ã‚  Ã‚   Toronto (2001): 1-3 Jimenez, V. and Nakagawa, M. â€Å"Linguistic Minorities† Public International Law and Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Group (2005): 6 Mc Creery, C. â€Å"the Order of Canada† Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated(2005):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   6 Grenoble, L.A. and Whaley, L.J. â€Å"Endangered Languages† UK: Cambridge UP (1998): 261-264 Ruypers, J. et. al.†Canadian and World Politics†. Canada: Emond Montgomery (2005): 149 Bastardas-Boada Albert. â€Å"Linguistic Sustainability and Language Ecology†. Catalonia, Spain:    Centre Universitari de Sociolinguistica I Comunicacio (2005): 3-5

Metamorphosis A Novella By Franz Kafka English Literature Essay

Metamorphosis A Novella By Franz Kafka English Literature Essay Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka and deals with the travelling salesman Gregor Samsa, who is the familys sole earner, waking up one morning finding himself transformed into a bug. In the following Kafka describes how Gregors position within the family as well as the family itself change. The story is divided into three parts. Each of them ends with Gregor attempting to break out off his room but being refused and hurt by his family. The first part begins with Gregor awaking and finding himself transformed into a bug. Curiously he is rather worried about being late for work than about being not human anymore. Even on the first page evidence for Todorovs theme of The Self can be found. This Theme deals with his interest in the self and the world around this self in relation to the fantastic and the supernatural. The reader does not know if Gregor really transformed into a bug. This ambiguity, according to Todorov, is the reason for the reader hesitating between different possible explanations of events, the realistic and the supernatural. When the reader decides whether an event was real or imaginary, the story is either uncanny or marvelous.  [1]  Metamorphosis therefore is rather a marvelous narrative considering that the reader is not explicitly told why Gregor has transformed into a bug. To Todorov every word in the novella is a description of the fantastic universe and that there is no reality or truth outside this language used.  [2]  When Kafka writes that It was no dream  [3]  and that his family cannot understand him anymore because his voice altered,  [4]  this is evidence enough for Todorov to accept that Gregor really transformed into a bug. Furthermore he argues that Metamorphoses constitute a transgression of the separation between matter and mind  [5]  and that transition from mind to matter [] become possible.  [6]  Gregor is very unhappy with his life working very hard to gain acceptance and having no time for having a relationship. Feeling like a bug eventually transformed him into a bug. Todorov also wrote about the theme of The Other dealing with the relation of man and his desire and repressed desires. This is a very interesting theme which can be found in Metamorphosis as well. Right on the first page we learn about Gregor having a picture of a lady in a fur hat and stole [] bolding in the direction of the onlooker a heavy fur muff into which she had thrust the whole of her forearm.  [7]  Freud argues that fur is used as a fetich on account of its association with the hairness of the mons veneris.  [8]  Gregor has to work very hard to earn enough money for the whole family. Therefore he has no time to have a relationship. According to Freud, sexual desire is an impulse that is made analougous to the impulse of taking nourishment, and to hunger.  [9]  Gregor repressed this desire for a long time and it has to be satisfied. When Gregor does not come to work the chief clerk comes to his house to see him. Gregor manages to open the door but his family and the chief clerk are frightened. His father tries to force him to go back and eventually kicks and he is thrown back into his room. The second part shows explicitly Gregors relationship to his family and how this changes. His sister is looking after him twice a day and cleans his room regularly.  [10]  Gregor loves his sister and even planned to send her to expensive school.  [11]  He is always pleased about when she enters the room and feels sad about not being able to thank her for what she does for him.  [12]  He knows that she sickens at him but still does not hesitate to feed him.  [13]  She even brings him a range of food to choose from when she recognizes that he has not drunk the milk.  [14]  In this scene Grete enters the room, how Gregor describes, almost completely dressed  [15]  to him this must be a detail, important enough to mention. Due to his sexual repressed desire he even seems to see his sister as possible sexual object. Freud argues that an excessive need for affection a boy may [cling] for the infantile attraction for [] sisters which has been repressed in puberty.  [16]   At the end of part two it is the sister who argues that Gregors furniture should be removed which hits him very hard knowing them to be the only things that made him not feel like he was not human anymore. Nevertheless he is certain that his sister only wants to create space in his room to give him the chance to crawl.  [17]  Still he wants to save the picture of the lady as very last relation to his personhood and so he crawled hurriedly up to it and pressed himself against the glass, which stuck to him and impartet a pleasant coolness to his hot belly.  [18]  This underlines that his sexual desire is strong and that this is the most important thing to him. According to Todorov, there is no longer any frontier between the object [] and the observer.  [19]  It makes no difference to Gregor that this is no real woman but only a picture. When his sister enters the room her eyes encountered those of Gregor, up on the wall.  [20]  Here again, Gregor relates his sexual desire to his sister in a very obvious way. Gregor desperately protects this picture and, by that, frightens his family again. His father shies apples at him until one of them pierced his back and Gregor collapses with pain. In the third part Kafka describes how Gregor is now able to listen to his family through the open door to the living room. All family members have a job now but they still have money problems which force them to let room to tenants. When his sister plays the violin one night, Gregor, drawn by the music, decides to crawl closer to her.  [21]  He recognizes that, apart from him, no one really appreciates her play.  [22]  He crawls even closer meet her gaze.  [23]  Todorov argues that sexual desire gains an exceptional mastery over hero.  [24]  Although Gregor knows that there are people around who are not supposed to see him, he cannot resist getting closer to her. In the following Gregor describes explicitly how he desires his sister, he sensed a way to the unknown sustenance he longed for. He was determined to go right up to his sister, to pluck at her skirt and so let her know she was to come into his room.  [25]  He wants her to sit next to him and to be with him until he dies.  [26]  Furthermore he wants to kiss her on the throat.  [27]  He obviously desires his own sister and has sexual phantasies of her. According to Todorov, the literature of the fantastic illustrates several transformations of desire.  [28]  Most of them belonged to a social form of the uncanny.  [29]  So does incest. Gregors sexual desire takes over and he cannot think of anything else but to be close to his sister. When the tenants spot him when he crawls closer to Grete they immediately move out. Now Grete is really angry, locks him into his room and claims that they have to get rid of Gregor  [30]  who dies the next day. His family is rather relieved than in mourning about his death. They plan to move into a cheaper flat and to marry Grete. Now I am going to compare Kafkas novella to Brother and Sister, a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. The story deals with the lives of two siblings, running away from home because they are mistreated by an old witch who is their stepmother. The action can be divided into three parts, as well. In the first part the children depart from home. Meanwhile their stepmother has cast[ed] her spells over all the streams in the forest.  [31]  Eventually brother gets thirsty and wants to drink from a stream but sister can hold him off doing so because she can hear it murmuring: Who drinks of me will be a tiger!.  [32]  Although the brother is very thirsty he does not drink. When they come to the next stream, brother is eager to drink but sister can hold him off again, hearing it murmuring: Who drinks me will be a wolf!.  [33]  At the next stream she can hear that brother is going to be a roe, if he drinks the water but she cannot stop him who is already drinking and immediately falls on the grass transformed into a little Roebuck.  [34]   The transformation in this fairytale is, unlike Gregors transformation, introduced by two streams until brother eventually cannot resist any longer. Gregors transformation, in contrast, is not introduced at all. The whole novella starts with this transformation that, due to that point, lacks of surprise in comparison to the fairytale. Furthermore the fairytale is definitely a marvelous one. The reader accepts the fantastic, the fact that the witch can curse all streams, which makes her, as Todorov calls it, a supernatural being,  [35]  having power over human destiny,  [36]  and the fact that brother transforms into a deer, as part of the world. Hence both of Todorovs supernatural elements can be found in this story. Brother and sister are very sad about the situation but sister promises: Never mind, dear little fawn, I will never forsake you, and she [takes] off her golden garter and tie[s] it round the Roes neck.  [37]  Then she fastens a rope to the collar. This shows the symbolic connection between the two siblings. She promises never to leave him and even connects himself to him. They have a very close relationship which is expressed even in the first sentence, Brother took sister by the hand.  [38]  This indicates that brother desires his sister in a way Gregor desires Grete. He wants so be near her and he needs her to look after him and to be with him. Gregor and brother both depend on their sisters. They now live in a small house in the forest and if brother had but kept his natural form, really it would have been a most delightful kind of life.  [39]  This explicitly tells the reader that they would have lived together like couples do. Here the second part begins. The king has a hunt through the wood. When the deer hears about that it wants to join and after begging his sister she lets him go. The hunt lasts three days and the hunters are eager to shoot the beautiful deer which can always run away though it gets hurt once. On the last day the king follows the deer to the house and finds sister. He asks her who has grown to a lovely maiden  [40]  to marry her. She answers: Oh yes! [] But you must let my Roe come, too. I could not possibly forsake it.  [41]  Sister even takes brother into her marriage with the king and keeps her promise. Here the last part begins. The stepmother watches all this with envy and when sister gives birth to a baby, the witch traps her by leading her into the bathroom and locking the door. She and her hideous daughter make a blazing hot fire under the bath, so that the lovely young Queen might be suffocated.  [42]  Then she lays her daughter in the queens bed and makes her look alike her. The king never notices. Every night the real queens ghost comes to see after her baby and the deer. When she decides to come only for three more nights, the nurse, who watches her every night, tells the king. In the last night of her visit the king cries out that she has to be his wife. She answers: Yes, I am your dear wife! and in the same moment she was restored to life, and was as fresh and well and rosy as ever.  [43]  The witch and her daughter are put to death and the spell was taken off the little Roe, and he was restored to his natural shape.  [44]   These are two transformations. The queen in restored to life by the kings love and the brother is retransformed into a human being by the witchs death. The fairytales last sentence is again evidence for the assumption that brother desires his sister, and so brother and sister lived happily ever after.  [45]  Sister obviously does not share her live with her husband, the king whose love restored her, but with her brother. This seems to be the only way for them to be happy. To sum it all up, Metamorphosis and Brother and Sister doubtlessly deal with transformations and are fantastic narratives in Todorovs sense. Especially the fairytale applies to that having the witch as a fantastic character who controls human destiny. Dealing with the theme of sexual desire, Metamorphosis conforms to that more explicitly although there are several textual evidences in Brother and Sister that indicate an incestuous relationship between the siblings, too. (2207 words)