culture and conflict :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The culture of conflict is just as important as the conflict itself. The reasons for conflict and the inner agony of pride are all do to culture. The epic poem of Gilgamesh, and The Odyssey, the story of Genesis have many forms of many conflicts. Cultural conflicts have many different forms, but pride is usually at the root of all of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of Gilgamesh has many conflicts, and battles. Gilgamesh was a flashy warrior and leader that resolved everything with primitive actions. He was a conflict all his own because the towns people didn’t like his leadership. His acts of womanizing and mistreating the towns people is what caused this hatred towards him. They all wished for an equal to come. Enkido was a forest man that was an equal to Gilgamesh. He came, and at first wasn’t an equal to Gilgamesh, but a rival. Gilgamesh and Enkido battled through the streets of the town. These actions were pride based and human nature must have had an impact. In anything once a leader is challenged he will do anything to keep his leadership and step up to the occasion. In this case, Gilgamesh the leader was challenged. â€Å"Enkido stood, guardian on the threshold of the martial chamber, To block the way of the king, The aura and power of the wild ox, Gilgamesh, Who was coming to the chamber and take his bride.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stormy heart struggled with stormy heart, As Gilgamesh met Enkido in his rage, At the marital threshold they wrestled, bulls contending: The doorposts shook and shattered; the wrestling staggered.† (Gilgamesh_14,15)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the battle ended, Gilgamesh knew that they were equal. Being the leader that he was, he decided not to be rivals, but be friends. They decide to travel to the forest of Cedars, where they set to challenge the org Huwawa. Enkido doesn’t want to proceed with this thought but Gigamesh wants to continue. They show up and battle the superhuman guardian, kill him, cut down the forest, cut off Huwana's head as a trophy, build a raft, and head back to Uruk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The really only cultural experience in this battle isn’t just the battle itself, but after the battle when they cut off Huwawa's head and made it into a trophy. Making his head into a trophy exemplifies their in their great victory. It demonstrates was gained and shows that they had something to remember it by.

Origins of World War 1

September 5, 2011 Origins of World War 1: Compare and Contrast During the twentieth century Europe seemed to enjoy a period of peace and progress. But below the surface several forces were at the work and would lead Europe into the Great War. World War 1 was the mayor conflict that made its appearance in the beginning of the twentieth century. As we read in â€Å"The origins of the first World War† by Ruth Heing and in â€Å"The Iron Dice: World War 1† by John G. Stoessinger, World War 1 began in 1914 it had many countries involved but not all of them entered at the same time. At the beginning of this war there were two sides to choose from. The triple entente that was unified by Great Britain, France and Russia; Later called the Allied Powers and also they included Italy. The other Alliance was the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungry, and Italy; later on called the Central Powers whom instead of Italy who had join the Allied Powers, Turkey join this alliance. Although both chapters attempt to explain the origins of World War 1 they differ in various aspects. In the Reading â€Å"The origins of the first World War† by Ruth Henig, it is stated that cause of the war was the system. The system that was managed before the war was conformed by MAIN; which stands for, Militarism: Every country in Europe except for Great Britain had conscription, which means that every men over 18 years old should register for the army; The conscription plan resulted because as the time was going by all of the countries in Europe had a great growth in their military power; Also they were working on arms race, which means that they were developing new arms, the country that was the most benefit was Germany. MAIN also stands for Alliances: Alliances were a key concept because the alliances began the conflict in Sarajevo, if it weren’t because they had a close relationship with Germany this conflict would have been local, therefore Russia and Germany and later on France and Great Britain would had not participate. There would not have been a world war. The third letter in MAIN stands for Imperialism early twentieth century saw a great deal of colonization of Asia and Africa by European powers, each trying to colonize this lands. These colonies funded a great part of the ruling countries’ economies and expansion became necessary and desirable to advance the glory and the wealth of each European power. The last concept N stands for Nationalism, which means the identity that the government or the rulers created towards their population so they were proud of their country and wanted to fight for them. Through out the reading of â€Å"The Iron Dice: World War 1† by John G. Stoessinger, we are able to appreciate that it perfectly explains that the causes of world war 1 were attributed to the people in control. It perfectly examples that the lack of self-confidence in the leaders, the wrong perception on their adversary and specially the lack of empathy that was based on personal decisions, not based on facts but fears were the causes of the war. The reading is perfectly stating it in the following quote: â€Å"The Kaiser was indeed to blame. His flaw was both moral and political, for his form of loyalty demanded sacrifice beyond himself. It offered up the German nation, and it emboldened the senile monarchy of Austria-Hungary o take a desperate gamble†¦. What is closer to the truth is that he permitted other to rattle and ultimately use the saber for him†(p. 4-5). The lack of self-confidence is stated in the last sentence, he preferred that other people made decisions; it also states that he offered up the German nation because Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was a close friend. Between these two chapters we can distinguish that both chapters state that the fault of the origins of war was of Germany. In the second reading we can see this in the following quote: â€Å"succumbed to a power he had not reckoned with: the power of Fate; had not been for that, the war would never have started† (p. 4); and it is also clearly shown on the first reading when it is stated that if it weren’t for Germany who intervene in the conflict of Sarajevo, therefore there wouldn’t exist a war. There are not many similarities between these two texts, but different perspectives of presenting the information. In these two chapters it is clearly marked that the contrast between each other relies on the justification they give to the origins of war; the points of view stated in each chapter are related to different points of view. In the first reading â€Å"The origins of the first World War† by Ruth Henig it is clearly marked that the problem was the system failure. And as it is stated in the second reading â€Å"The Iron Dice: World War 1† by John G. Stoessinger, â€Å"Mortals made these decisions. They made them in fear and in trembling, but they made them nonetheless. We can infer that in this reading the ones to blame are the ones that were in control of the country: the leaders. Another difference between these two chapters is how the information is managed in the first reading the type of writing is strictly informative and in the second lecture it is more like a critique as we can see in the quotes that are stated in paragraphs before. In the second reading it is show n the relationship between leaders in a level where they interacted and send telegrams to each other; which it is not shown in the first reading. In conclusion I find more interesting the contrast between these two readings because that is the whole point of history; Specially in the causes (origins) of war can and must be shown from different perspectives. The reading I found more accurate through the reading is â€Å"The Iron Dice: World War 1† by John G. Stoessinger, because in my opinion the ones who have control of the system are the â€Å"mortals†, therefore they had in their hands the power to debilitate the system and stop the war from happening. Even if the system (MAIN) went out of control the ones how had the decisions to stop it in there hands where the leaders.

Malcom X “My First Conk” Essay

Through the years African Americans have been growing their roots in the United States. It wasn’t too long ago that they weren’t accepted as a part of society. Since then the gap between them and the Caucasian community has begun to close. As both populations blend together we start to think of them as one nation with more similarities than differences. What happens when one society bleeds out its culture more than the other? African Americans have increasingly opted to ditch their natural selves and instead take on the task of manipulating themselves in order to appeal to the white man’s idea of beauty. Rather than revolt against the insults thrown at blacks they seem to have adopted them as true. Why is it that instead of defending their natural kinks they cover them up with wigs or chemically alter them? Although some beauty practices are commonplace throughout most African American communities engaging in these activities is the equivalent of validating the notion that blacks aren’t good enough. Malcom X illustrates for us in his piece titled â€Å"My first Conk† how his first conking went. For those unfamiliar with the term conking is a procedure in which black males concoct a gel, using mainly household ingredients, then apply it to the hair in order to straighten it. The incorporation of lye in the gel is what causes the bearer to feel as though the scalp burns. Malcom was at first a devoted conker but through the years has come to regret his old habit. At first he explains how good the conk made him feel, later in his life he mentions that conking was his first step towards self-degradation. He calls out all those who have or still sport a conk and urges them to stop. He even goes as far as saying it makes blacks look foolish. He also concludes that hair unimportant and it’s a shame that so much time has already been wasted on this. A compelling story I stumbled upon tells the drastic measures some are willing to take in order to shed themselves of the image they have come to associate as inferior. A woman around 35 years old willingly admitted that she bleached not only herself but her children. She wet cloths with store-bought Clorox and placed the on her and the kids’ faces for about a couple of minutes. This woman openly acknowledged that she was ashamed of being black. Alongside with her there were other testimonies who felt the same. They all mentioned how they were looked down upon for being black. They told some of the insults they faced on a day to day for being who they were. They felt the measures they took to appeal to the white community was  necessary. It was necessary if they wanted to feel good, if they wanted to be seen as equals, and if they wanted to stop the mental abuse . When I first came upon these people I was shocked. How could someone be so insensible as to literally bleach their skin? What would compel people to undergo such painful procedures as the one mentioned by Malcom? I was shocked but little did I know I too was just as guilty of caving in to society’s ideals of what I should look like. Just last year, my senior year in high school, I would have a morning ritual. At 5:00 a.m. sharp I would stumble out of bed and turn on the coffee machine. The energy from the coffee was to help me stay awake so I could complete the lengthy task of straighten my hair. 2 long hours it took for me to do only my hair! As is probably imaginable I was often late to school. I was late so many times in fact that I nearly didn’t graduate on stage. How then did I dare judge poor lady who bleached herself when in reality I was no different? I too unnecessarily took it upon myself to change the way I was because the pressure I felt to be just a bit sim ilar to white people. Consciously I did not notice this was what I was getting across, as I presume many black people that do things such as perming or wearing wigs are also unaware, but ultimately we have been brainwashed so much that this behavior is reasonable. Many may argue that we have the right to express ourselves any which way we want. This is true but why then are blacks ridiculed when they defy the expectations and take pride in their true selves. Why must wearing their natural selves take courage? We as a blended society should know better than to judge. Oppressing people has to be a thing of the past. The oppressor is not the only one to blame here. The oppressed are guilty of not fighting back. No change will come until we try to change ourselves. Too many have suffered and continue to suffer. Both mentally and physically these people are abused but to no avail. Society will not let up. Instead of conforming to society, as we have done for so long, we must pave a different path. Comparing ag ainst another race is futile. Blacks will never be the same as whites, they shouldn’t try to be. Each a culture rich in its own way. Teach ourselves and our peers to take pride in our appearance once again. Dig back into a culture once covered up and exhume it. Let it breathe for when it does so will we.

Marx, Weber, and Rousseau

The establishment of modern society is tied closely to the common line of thought expressed by modern thinkers like Marx, Weber, and Rousseau. These men all had complicated ideas in regards to the formation of modern society, but they all addressed certain aspects of that development. They all focused their studies on human nature and specifically, how human beings came to live out some of the goofy ideas that are now commonplace. Among those was the important premise of personal property. Modern human society places a great deal of importance on gaining things and this is something that is certainly not new. In fact, it has been around since very early on. Even more important than the material possessions is the actual strife to gain these things, which human beings seem to take great solace in. The overriding characteristics of modern human society can be closely tied to the theories presented by these famed thinkers. They hold similar ideas on how society developed as a result of the acquisition of personal property, and from those ideas, one can quickly gather insight about the overall development of modern society. Marx had his own ideas on personal property that have become something of a resource guide for other thinkers and government formers alike. Karl Marx is a highly misunderstood figure among the American public, because most people are quick to associate him and his ideas to communist ideals. Even though many of his theories were eventually used to found communist nations, it cannot be denied that Marx was a brilliant economist and well rounded thinker. Marx had his own particular opinions on personal property and the accumulation of wealth and he was not shy about sharing those ideas with other people. Marx found capitalistic society to be something that was destined to fail for a few reasons. In his writings, he indicated the price based competition in business would force small businesses out of the mix and would eventually lead to lower wages for people, as big business controls the activity. Marx was not completely right about a lot of his theories in regards to modern society, but he did hit the nail on the head on a few things. Marx had strong feelings on the issue of private property as it relates to the development of a society. He was always of the opinion that human nature was a drastically shifting thing, but it stood strong on a few different foundations. Human beings might change their feelings on a lot of things, but according to Karl Marx, they would never stop with the striving to work hard for their possessions. Work, to Marx, was a much more important aspect of society’s underlying nature than the actual possessions that come as a result of that work. That is why much of Marxism is based upon the theory of work. People in society can not survive without it, even if they have the possessions that they desire. According to Marxism, people will always want to acquire more things than they already have. That is why work is so important to the development of society, in addition to acquiring things in society. Though Marx and fellow thinker Max Webber do not completely agree on the issue of personal property, they do share many of the same underlying beliefs on its role in the development of modern society as it is known today. While Karl Marx held onto the belief that possessions were not the end all for people in modern society, Max Weber felt strongly that they were an important part of what he referred to as The Spirit of Capitalism. Anyone who has studied the thoughts of Max Weber knows that much of his theory is based upon religious things. To him, they played an important role in the shaping of modern society in addition to the economic factors that were so prevalent. That creates a very interesting paradox in his line of thinking. Most of the time, the pursuit of material possessions did not go along with the pursuit of religious purity, but that thinking had to change when modern society was considered. People, on the whole, could pursue both things and they did that in modern society. The Spirit of Capitalism is the most important ideal in Weber’s book and it possesses the basic premise of a pursuit. People did not just desire the goods and the economic wealth; they desired the pursuit of such ventures. That particular wording of the theory brings it closer in line to what Karl Marx wrote about in his literature. It is interesting to consider that over time, Weber’s theory evolves from what he originally thought. As he becomes much deeper in his research of certain aspects of capitalistic society, he understands that religion does play a role in forming how people go after their economic goals, but it is not the only thing. Overriding that religious aspiration is the fact that modern society is a highly competitive place that will chew up people and spit them out if they are not careful. At some point, instinct takes over and individuals have to look out for their own good as opposed to doing the right thing and keeping with Protestant values while going after economic gains. An interesting comparison can be drawn between Weber and Marx when one considers their theory on the development of the modern world and how material possessions played a role in that. According to Weber, the most important way that possessions had an impact was that they caused people to do things that they normally would not do. Weber thought that the desire to work for material possessions took people completely out of their element. In a way, society changed the way that people worked and the way that people dealt with their friends and their family. Human beings, by nature, only want to do just enough to get by and just enough to have the things that they need. When personal possessions are out there to be had, people change their ways, though. Marx believed this to be true, as well, though he does not apply the basic religious principles in his thinking that Max Weber is so quick to apply. On the other hand, Marx always held on to the idea that material possessions changed the way people viewed the world. When faced with the prospect of having to make one’s own success in a capitalist society, people had the tendency to change their world view and make it meet their current situation. For some, this created a false sense of security and a false sense of reality. When people have their world view flipped on its head, it changes the way that they deal with other people and it changes the way that they make decisions in forming a society. Marx enjoyed arguing that Capitalism and the desire for possessions changed the way governments operated and the way that nations were formed. This basic premise is not wrong, as it has certainly bared itself true in many situations over the last one hundred years and change. Another important economic thinker that cannot be left out of the equation is Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He was a man who liked to come up with theories on the basic inner workings of human beings and how they think at a most basic state. His early research was on this fact and later, he came to develop ideas on the development of society. Rousseau makes a point in writings to analyze the role that personal property had on the development of human beings and as such, the development of modern society on the whole. In the beginning, man was content to operate on two basic premises. Human beings would do enough to ensure self-preservation and they would ultimately operate as a result of pity. Those were two basic ideas that eventually had to change as human beings learned to live together in a modern society. Then there was something different introduced into modern society. Someone decided that human beings must take possession of land and other things in society, as the entire dynamic had to change. All of a sudden, the things that were required for basic survival of human beings went from being just air, food, and water to being much more complicated than that. In fact, people had to learn to work in order to keep up with others in society and get the possessions that they learned to covet. That was not the whole of it, though. Human beings not only had to learn to love work in order to sustain themselves personally, they also had to learn to do enough work to sustain the whole body of society. This is an important idea and an important aspect of work that thinkers like Marx and Weber also kept in mind when they were writing down their particular policies. For Jean-Jacques Rousseau, people were not the only ones who were forced to change as a result of the introduction of private property into the equation. Society as a whole had to change to allow for the differences between human beings. Society became much more regimented and things became much more complicated than they had ever been before possessions played a role. In the early days of human society, the biggest and strongest individuals did all of the talking because they had all of the power. Now that possessions were necessary for survival, work became just as necessary. As Marx had mentioned in his writings, the desire to gain possessions was just as important as the material possessions themselves. Therefore, the smart and the shifty were now the people who were put into control. They instantly became more important than the strong folks that used to have complete control over society. That created a society that was broken down into two parts. The society that comes about as a result of private property is one that has a distinct class system. There are the haves and the â€Å"have nots†. Those with the land, money, and possessions are the ones who can impose their will on the people who are not lucky enough to have this type of control. According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, it takes the rich people with the possessions a little while to figure out that they have such power, but when they do, the results are somewhat catastrophic to society as a whole. The moral implications of this type of control are also worth keeping in mind. For the first time, people with the good things in life do their best to start deceiving the people without property. This is the first time that society begins to eat itself alive for the sake of personal property gain. For all three of these theorists, the connection between personal property and human inequality is a strong one. As mentioned before, Rousseau felt that when personal property became important for human society, people began to establish classes and the smart took over where the strong had once been in control. He felt very strongly that personal property was the cause of many of the ills of society that had not originally been in place when society was first being formed. Marx, on the other hand, did not have this strong of a feeling on the matter because his research and his theories were mostly based upon economic principles. He did feel that capitalism was destined to fail because the system would eventually collapse upon itself. Instead of people simply doing enough work for their own personal survival, people started doing work to gain more things than the person next to them. This important theme is one that turned society into a cut throat one. There was now a desire for people to get ahead of their neighbor when there was no other reason to do so. Max Weber understands that the search for new possessions and the ability to work for those things is an extremely important part of the development of society. Human nature is always shifting, so this was just one thing that eventually caused people to compete with one another. In one sense, it was bound to happen, but the creation of a class system happened more quickly because work and possessions came about in the newly forming society. The development of human society cannot be considered without also looking at the development of personal property and work. As Weber, Marx, and Rousseau brought to light in their research, society took a turn when personal property was introduced into the equation. Some felt that this change was for the worst, while others felt that the change was for the good, but it cannot be argued that personal property did nothing to the formation of modern society. When people realized that work and personal property were things that they had to do in order to survive, they began to work just as hard as they ate and just as hard as they breathed. Human nature is such that people will do whatever it takes to survive. That survival moved to include work and because of that, modern society changed in a profound way that no one could easily escape.

Project Finance, Accounting and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Finance, Accounting and Control - Essay Example Weaknesses of the Annual Budget The approach of annual budgeting, with the inclusion of multi variables and numerous factors, emerge as a complex process. Consequently, the approach involves many advantages along with few major drawbacks. For instance, there are many shortcomings in the annual budget preparation irrespective to different budgeting approaches. The inherited weaknesses which can be by far identified in the annual budget are discussed below: Weak Forecasting Capabilities The most critical step in the budgeting process is related to the forecasting capabilities regarding the financial resources that will be available in the future course of business operations. Immense technical expertises are required in order to forecast the revenue collection and expenses with high level of accuracy (Martinez-Vazquez, 1997). The level at which the forecasting will be made is a decisive consideration. To initiate the process of budget forecasting there are certain considerations that s hould be adhered by the executors, i.e. industry-level forecasting, corporate forecasting, product forecasting and product-line forecasting. During the process of budget forecasting, inclusion of all these factors are not considered to be complex, but in turn evolves as a time-consuming process. Consequently, the lack of forecasting capabilities makes the budget risky in executing. In addition to that, different types of problems occur that make the budget restructuring essential and therefore increases the cost (Mentzer & Gomes, n.d.). Insufficient Budget Control of Certain Funds There is lack of control over the budget in regard to certain funds that are variable in nature depending upon the period of operation. The budgeting officer needs to contact each department and analyze the debit and credits of the department in order to find out the funds’ leverage upon the department. Although incorporating this intensive technique, the budget does not have sufficient control over certain funds (New York University, 2007). These funds vary in nature and controlling them within the budgeting process limits is somewhat impossible. This tends to change the overall financial funding. Inclusively, the fund might be internal or external. Pulling the funds for the specified fund option is often misinterpreted as budgeting, which ultimately results to ineffective budget planning. Therefore, the overall planning needs to be re-planed due to the ineffective balance of the funds in the budget. Contextually, the level of control in the fund management in budgeting becomes difficult while drafting the budget for an accounting period (Flexstudy, n.d.). Profitability Index In order to forecast the profitability index, an estimation of the cost of capital is required. But this can not provide the corrective decision when applied to compute mutually exclusive projects (Peterson-Drake, n.d.). The decision may be incorrect while computing and this will result in failure of the budget of the project. The budget model is not capable of determining the profitability index to ensure the effectiveness of the financial status of the company

Feedback and changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Feedback and changes - Essay Example The elderly population, today, did not have computers taught in school (Wood, 2010). The modern world requires everyone to possess basic computer skills. When computer access is necessary to acquire information, senior citizens find difficulty when lacking computer skills (Wood, 2010). Computer technology services may include obtaining government Social Security services Medicare, banking services, and accessing the performance of their children in school (Suntanto, 2012). The elderly population should learn computers because computers are necessary for the best utilizing services and adapting to modern society. A cursory examination of the issue introduced above reveals a number of compelling studies provide a meaningful overview of the computer literacy among the older generation as it stands and its most significant social factors. An examination undertaken in 2011 by McMurtrey carried out a survey of large random sampling of senior citizens in order to gauge their views towards interaction with information technology. McMurtrey (2011) reveal an important point: even if senior citizens do want to learn how to interface with information technology the restriction of access to training or education is an obstacle. Resistance is an issue, which must consider other studies have chosen to look at the issue (Gilly, 2012). The primary obstacle to acceptance seemed to be the usage; lack of support stemming from a lack of available training and education (Gilly, 2012). Many are now undertaking efforts to market information technology directly to seniors by focusing not so much on robust features but on the ease of use, or on bundled training materials (Smith, 2012). Technologies have the potential to play significant roles in the lives of senior citizens and the more comfortable and accepting they are of technologies the more likely they may be able to reap the associated benefits. Tech-savvy (2013) study pointed out 57 percent of all senior

EARLY YEARS Numeracy-Investigation of Approaches to Calculation Essay

EARLY YEARS Numeracy-Investigation of Approaches to Calculation - Essay Example ception class, reception teachers should be able to consider the information gained through assessment and observation and utilization of records passed on from playgroup and nurseries. The paper aims at investigating the approaches used to teach mathematics in the reception class. Reception teachers should be able to identify the student’s needs especially the ones who need additional support. Reception teachers use a variety of activities to help teach mathematics. Children are made to observe pattern and numbers in the environment and daily routines. The children can also take part in board games and small constructions (Bruce and Martin, 2002). The use of finger games, songs and stories help the students to memorize mathematical numbers. Shopping and cooking, outdoor playing, imaginative play and two and three dimensional work activities help students understand mathematic concepts in the reception class. Arguments have often ensued on various approach of teaching mathematics with respect to pedagogical debate targeting socio constructivism and behaviorism. Socio- constructivism is influenced by quasi empirical philosophies while behaviorism is influenced by foundationalist conception. Teaching mathematics to the reception class by utilizing rote learning is like directing an immutable body of knowledge and ideas to the students with an intention of making them understand without basing on reasoning. However, teaching mathematics in the reception class through application of the constructive approach makes mathematics a creative, cultural and creative activity and ensures learners are able to construct their own mathematical knowledge despite their different methodology (Guardiola et al, 2010). Relational understanding approach is applied in teaching mathematics in the reception class since it promotes understanding among the learners. Use of images such as the base ten apparatus and empty number line together with use of models in teaching mathematics in