Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness essays

Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the "voice" of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtz's demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlow's initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrad's use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlow's two opposing points of view: one of naà ¯vetà ©, which comes before Marlow's eventual epiphany after having met Kurtz, and the matured perspective he takes on after all of the events leading up to his and Kurtz's encounter.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost immediately after the start of the passage, the reader is exposed to the prejudices of the white inhibitors. The indigenous people of the area are repeatedly compared to animals, dehumanizing them and depriving them of the common respect that all people deserve, regardless of race or creed. On page 24, Marlow says "A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants." Reinforcing this idea, he lends them other animal-like qualities, calling the sickly ones "creatures" and describing their movements as being "off on all fours...to drink," and even the act of drinking is described as the native having "lapped out of his hand," reminiscent of something a dog would do (28).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another interesting employment of language used by... ...s of the jungle, which sought to swallow him whole like the snake devouring its prey, sending it deeper within its body digesting it by stripping it of its layers one by one, paralleling the snake-like qualities of the river that drew Marlow deeper and deeper into its dark nothingness. And just like the Ancient Mariner, who is doomed to tell his tale for the rest of his life for the sake of penitence, Marlow, too, seems to retell his story of the tragic loss of innocence, of death and rebirth. Regardless of how many times the story had been told before it got to the narrator who eventually transcribed the events, it is one of great importance. It tells us that we must not judge a book by its cover, regardless of how convinced we may be of what is inside.    Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994.    Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness essays Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the "voice" of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtz's demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlow's initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrad's use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlow's two opposing points of view: one of naà ¯vetà ©, which comes before Marlow's eventual epiphany after having met Kurtz, and the matured perspective he takes on after all of the events leading up to his and Kurtz's encounter.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost immediately after the start of the passage, the reader is exposed to the prejudices of the white inhibitors. The indigenous people of the area are repeatedly compared to animals, dehumanizing them and depriving them of the common respect that all people deserve, regardless of race or creed. On page 24, Marlow says "A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants." Reinforcing this idea, he lends them other animal-like qualities, calling the sickly ones "creatures" and describing their movements as being "off on all fours...to drink," and even the act of drinking is described as the native having "lapped out of his hand," reminiscent of something a dog would do (28).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another interesting employment of language used by... ...s of the jungle, which sought to swallow him whole like the snake devouring its prey, sending it deeper within its body digesting it by stripping it of its layers one by one, paralleling the snake-like qualities of the river that drew Marlow deeper and deeper into its dark nothingness. And just like the Ancient Mariner, who is doomed to tell his tale for the rest of his life for the sake of penitence, Marlow, too, seems to retell his story of the tragic loss of innocence, of death and rebirth. Regardless of how many times the story had been told before it got to the narrator who eventually transcribed the events, it is one of great importance. It tells us that we must not judge a book by its cover, regardless of how convinced we may be of what is inside.    Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994.   

Lululemon’s Marketing Mix – Product

Lululemon offers a comprehensive line of performance apparel and accessories for women, men and female youth. Their apparel assortment includes items such as fitness pants, shorts, tops and jackets that are designed for healthy lifestyle activities such as yoga, running and general fitness. Although Lululemon benefits from the growing number of people that participate in yoga, they believe the percentage of their products sold for other activities will continue to increase as they broaden their product range to address other activities. Lululemon’s fitness related accessories include an array of items such as bags, socks, underwear, yoga mats, instructional DVD’s, and water bottles. They believe the authenticity of their products is driven by a number of factors. These factors include their athlete-inspired design process, their use of technical materials, their sophisticated manufacturing methods and their innovative product features. Lululemon’s athletic apparel is designed and manufactured using cutting-edge fabrics designed to deliver maximum function and athletic fit. They collaborate with leading fabric suppliers to develop advanced fabrics that they sell under their trademarks. Luluemon’s in-house design team works closely with their suppliers to formulate fabrics that meet their performance and functional specifications such as stretch ability, capability to wick moisture, color fastness and durability, among others. Advanced fabrics that they currently incorporate in their products include: †¢Luon – is included in more than half of the products, wicks away moisture, moves with the body, and is designed to eliminate irritation. †¢Luxtreme – their inherently wicking fabric is used in their running lines and is silky and lightweight †¢Silverscent – incorporates silver directly into the fabric to reduce odors as a result of the antibacterial properties of the silver in the fabric. Lululemon’s products are constructed with advance sewing techniques, such as flat seaming, that increase comfort and functionality by reducing skin irritation and strengthening important seams. Their apparel products include innovative features to promote convenience, such as pockets designed to hold credit cards, keys, digital audio players, clips for heart monitors, and elastic bands attached to the zippers. Packaging and Labeling Lululemon Athletica distributes reusable shopping bags to their customers as one of their green initiatives in reducing waste. The reusable shopping bag features their company name and logo on one side and on the other side features their manifesto. Their manifesto has inspirational messages that play a vital role in Lululemon’s culture which employees and customers alike inspire to. Some of their messages include â€Å"Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks†, â€Å"Do one thing a day that scares you† and â€Å"The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought†. Brand Name and Image Lululemon Athletica became famous for its yoga wear. The founder Chip Wilson, took his first yoga class and found the results exhilarating. However, he didn’t like the cotton clothing that was being used for sweaty, stretchy power yoga. His passion laid in technical athletic fabrics, and created an underground yoga clothing movement and wanted to sell his products. How do you know what good yoga wear is when it doesn’t exist yet? Lululemon would talk and let yoga instructors try their products and give back feedback. They design and iterate with the end user. The reason behind why their brand became so popular was by talking and listening to their customers. Customers can give their feedback through Lululemon’s website, through the store, and on their Facebook Fan Page. Lululemon Athletica spends almost nothing on advertising except the occasional print ads in yoga and running magazines. Also, they do not endorse celebrities with money to wear their merchandise to help them profit. Instead, they have Ambassador’s and Elite Ambassadors. Ambassadors are individuals in store communities (fitness instructors) who embody the Lululemon lifestyle and live their culture. These ambassadors are given $1000 of free apparel in return for modeling it to their clients. Elite Ambassadors are their international athletes of an elite level (Olympians) that choose to train and/or compete in their product. They are not paid to wear their clothing but are part of the Lululemon family and they support the athletes with product, yoga classes and training accommodation. Warranty and Service Lululemon does not have warranties for their products. They advise all customers how to wash and take care of their products so that they last long and which should refrain them from trying to return any damage product. Lululemon stands behind their return policy of 14 days. Lululemon sales associates are called â€Å"Educators†, they are trained intensively on product knowledge and are to pass the knowledge of product features, benefits, usage and care to all customers looking to buy Lululemon product. Strengths and Weakness: Strengths Lululemon Athletica has many strengths with their product. They provide many features and benefits on their products which entices the customers to purchase. Their packaging is environmentally friendly so customers are able to reuse the shopping bag. They do not spend millions of dollars in advertising due to their ambassador program. Weaknesses Warranty of their product is a major weakness for them. Many customers have complained and sent messages to the Complaints Board of Canada and United States regarding their horrible return/exchange policy on products that become damaged after one wash or one wear. Future Recommendations: Lululemon Athletica’s features and benefits, packaging and labeling, and brand name and image should be maintained. Lululemon is always striving to bring out the best products that have the best features and benefits to their customers because they listen to what their customers want. They continue to give reusable shopping bags to customers as they are an environmentally friendly company. A recommendation that should be developed for the upcoming year is on their product warranty. They should want to make their customers happy if they are unhappy with their purchase. If something was recently purchased and worn and washed within a month of purchasing and looks like it has been worn out, they should offer an exchange and look for the problem as to why the product turned out poorly in such a short time. Customers become turned off and bad mouth companies who do not stand behind their product.

Police scandals are an untallied cost of the drug war Essay

The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and even the Coast Guard have had to admit to corruption. The gravity of the police crimes is as disturbing as the volume. In New Orleans, a uniformed cop in league with a drug dealer has been convicted of murdering her partner and shop owners during a robbery committed while she was on patrol. In Washington, D. C. , and in Atlanta, cops in drug stings were arrested for stealing and taking bribes. New York State troopers falsified drug evidence that sent people to prison. And it is not just the rank and file. The former police chief of Detroit went to prison for stealing police drug-buy money. In a small New England town, the chief stole drugs from the evidence locker for his own use. And the DEA agent who arrested Panama’s General Noriega is in jail for stealing laundered drug money. The drug war is as lethal as it is corrupting. And the police and drug criminals are not the only casualties. An innocent 75-year-old African-American minister died of a heart attack struggling with Boston cops who were mistakenly arresting him because an informant had given them the wrong address. A rancher in Ventura County, California, was killed by a police SWAT team serving a search warrant in the mistaken belief that he was growing marijuana. In Los Angeles, a three-year-old girl died of gunshot wounds after her mother took a wrong turn into a street controlled by a drug-dealing gang. They fired on the car because it had invaded their marketplace. The violence comes from the competition for illegal profits among dealers, not from crazed drug users. Professor Milton Friedman has estimated that as many as 10,000 additional homicides a year are plausibly attributed to the drug war. Worse still, the drug war has become a race war in which non-whites are arrested and imprisoned at 4 to 5 times the rate whites are, even though most drug crimes are committed by whites. The Sentencing Research Project reports that one-third of black men are in jail or under penal supervision, largely because of drug arrests. The drug war has established thriving criminal enterprises which recruit teenagers into criminal careers. It was such issues that engaged law-enforcement leaders — most of them police chiefs — from fifty agencies during a two-day conference at the Hoover Institution in May 1995. Among the speakers was our colleague in this symposium, Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who told the group that he had visited a high school and asked the students if the high dropout rate was due to kids’ being hooked on drugs. He was told that the kids were dropping out because they were hooked on drug money, not drugs. He also told us that when he went to community meetings he would ask the audience three questions. 1) â€Å"Have we won the drug war? † People laughed. 2) â€Å"Are we winning the drug war? † People shook their heads. 3) â€Å"If we keep doing what we are doing will we have won the drug war in ten years? † The answer was a resounding No. At the end of the conference, the police participants completed an evaluation form. Ninety per cent voted no confidence in the war on drugs. They were unanimous in favoring more treatment and education over more arrests and prisons. They were unanimous in recommending a presidential blue-ribbon commission to evaluate the drug war and to explore alternative methods of drug control. In sum, the tough-minded law-enforcement officials took positions directly contrary to those of Congress and the President. One hopes that politicians will realize that no one can accuse them of being soft on drugs if they vote for changes suggested by many thoughtful people in law enforcement. If the politicians tone down their rhetoric it will permit police leaders to expose the costs of our present drug-control policies. Public opinion will then allow policy changes to decriminalize marijuana and stop the arrest of hundreds of thousands of people every year. The enormous savings can be used for what the public really wants — the prevention of violent crime.

Project Management: Resource Considerations Essay

Resources can include people, equipment, machines, tools, facilities, and space. Among the people may be many different types, such as painters, designers, cooks, computer programmers, and assembly workers. The consideration of resources adds another dimension (beyond the element of time) to planning and scheduling. In many projects, the amounts of the various types of resources available to perform the project activities are limited. Several activities may require the same resources at the same time, and there may not be sufficient resources available to satisfy all the demands. If sufficient resources are not available, some activities may have to be rescheduled for a later time when resources are available for them. One way to consider resources is to take them into account when drawing the logical relationships among activities in the network diagram. In addition to showing the technical constraints among activities, the network logic can also take into account resource constraints. The sequence of activities can be drawn to reflect the limited availability of a number of resources. If resources are to be considered in planning, it’s necessary to indicate the amounts and types of resources needed to perform each activity. For this reason, a resource profile is often developed. Resource leveling, or smoothing, is a method for developing a schedule that attempts to minimize the fluctuations in requirements for resources. This method levels the resources so that they are applied as uniformly as possible without extending the project schedule beyond the required completion time. Resource leveling attempts to establish a schedule in which resource use is made as level as possible without extending the project beyond the required completion time. In resource leveling, the required project completion time is fixed, and the resources are varied in an attempt to eliminate fluctuation. Resource-limited scheduling is a method for developing the shortest schedule when the number or amount of available resources is fixed. This method is appropriate when the resources available for the project are limited and these resource limits cannot be exceeded. This method will extend the project completion time if necessary in order to keep within the resource limits. It is an iterative method in which resources are allocated to activities based on the least slack. The steps are repeated until all resource constraints have been satisfied. In resource-limited scheduling, the resources are fixed, and the project completion time is varied in order not to exceed the resource limits. For a large project that requires many different resources, each of which has a different limit of availability, resource-limited scheduling can get very complicated. Various project management software packages are available that will assist with this process. It is the responsibility of the project manager to make sure that the customer is satisfied that the work scope is completed in a quality manner, within budget, and on time. The project manager has primary responsibility for providing leadership in planning, organizing, and controlling the work effort to accomplish the project objective. In terms of planning, the project manager has to clearly define the project objective and reach agreement with the customer on this objective. In terms of organizing, the project manager must secure the appropriate resources to perform the work. In terms of controlling, the project manager needs to track actual progress and compare it with planned progress. The project manager is a key ingredient in the success of a project and needs to possess a set of skills that will help the project team succeed. The project manager should be a good leader who inspires the people assigned to the project to work as a team to implement the plan and achieve the project objective successfully; be committed to the training and development of the people working on the project; be an effective communicator who interacts regularly with the project team, as well as with any subcontractors, the customer, and her or his own company’s upper management; and have good interpersonal skills. It is important that the project manager develop a relationship with each person on the project team and effectively use his or her interpersonal skills to try to influence the thinking and actions of others. An effective project manager can handle stress and has good sense humor. In addition, he or she is a good problem solver. Although it’s easier to identify problems than to solve them, good problem solving starts with the early identification of a problem or potential problem. Good project managers also manage their time well. These essential skills can be developed through experience, by seeking out feedback from others, by conducting a self-evaluation and learning from your own mistakes, by interviewing effective project managers, by participating in training programs, by joining organizations, through reading, and through involvement with volunteer organizations in which all these skills can be tested. Project managers need to be good delegators. Delegation involves empowering the project team to accomplish the expected results for her or his area of responsibility. It’s the act of following individuals to carry out assigned tasks successfully. One other important component of the project manager’s job is managing and controlling changes to minimize any negative impact on the successful accomplishment of the project objective. To do this successfully, the project manager, at the beginning of the project, should establish procedures regarding how changes will be documented and authorized. A team is a group of individuals working interdependently to achieve a common goal. Teamwork is the cooperative effort by members of a team to achieve that common goal. The effectiveness – or lack thereof – of the project team can make the difference between project success and project failure. Project teams evolve through various stages of development. Forming, the initial stage of the team development process, involves the transition from individual to team member. During this stage, individuals on the team begin to get acquainted. During the storming stage, conflict emerges and tension increases. Motivation and morale are low. Members may even resist team formation. However, after struggling through the storming stage, the team moves into the norming stage of development. Relationships among team members and between the team and the project manager have become settled, and interpersonal conflicts have been resolved for the most part. The fourth and final stage of team development and growth is the performing stage. In this stage, the team is highly committed and eager to achieve the project objective. The members feel a sense of unity. Characteristics often associated with effective project teams include a clear understanding of the project objective, clear expectations of each person’s role and responsibilities, a results orientation, a high degree of cooperation and collaboration, and a high level of trust. Barriers to team effectiveness include unclear goals, unclear definition of roles and responsibilities, lack of project structure, lack of commitment poor communication, poor leadership, turnover of project team members, and dysfunct ional behavior. Team building – developing a group of individuals to accomplish the project objective – is an ongoing process. It is the responsibility of both the project manager and the project team. Socializing among team members supports team building. To facilitate socializing, team members can request that they be physically located in one office area for the duration of the project and they can participate in social events. Diversity is about acknowledging, understanding, and valuing differences, and creating a work environment that recognizes, respects, and harnesses differences among team members for the benefits of accomplishing a shared goal, such as the project objective. Diversity of the team brings unique ideas and perspectives to projects. Diversity should be seen and valued by the project team as a strength that can enrich communication, foster better relationships, create an enjoyable workplace, and enhance team performance. Ethical behavior is necessary within a project organization and is crucial in project business relationships with the customer, suppliers and subcontractors. Customers and suppliers want to do business with a contractor or project organization that they can trust. Intentional distortion, deception or misrepresentation is outright unethical. Conflict on projects is inevitable. During a project, conflict can emerge from a variety of situations. Sources of potential conflict on projects include differences of opinion on how the work should be done, how much work should be done, at what level of quality the work should be done, who should be assigned to work on which tasks, the sequence in which the work should be done, how long the work should take, and how much the work should cost. Project communication takes various forms, including personal communication, meetings, presentations, reports, and project documentation. Communication can be face to face or use some medium, including telephones, voice mail, e-mail, videoconferencing, or groupware. It can be formal or informal. Personal communication can be either oral or written. Oral communication can be face to face or via telephone. Information can be communicated in a more accurate and timely manner through oral communication. Such communication provides a forum for discussion, clarification, understanding, and immediate feedback. Listening is an important part of making communication effective. Failure to listen can cause a breakdown in communication. Common barriers to effective listening include pretending to listen, distractions, bias and close-mindedness, impatience, and jumping into conclusions. Listening skills can be improved by focusing on the person talking, engaging in active listening, asking questions, and not interrupting. Project managers and team members are often called on to give formal presentations. In preparing for the presentation, it’s important to determine the purpose of presentation, find out about the target audience, make an outline, develop notes and visual aids, make copies of handout materials, and practice. Written reports are often required during a project. The two most common types of project reports are progress reports and final reports. Progress reports often cover accomplishments since the prior report, the current project status, any potential problems that have been identified and corrective actions that are planned and goals that should be accomplished during the next reporting period. Final reports provide a summary of the project and often include items such as the customer’s original needs, the original project objective and requirements, benefits resulting from the project, a description of the project, and a list of deliverables produced. All reports should be clear and concise and written as you would speak. Chapter 13: Types of Project Organizations The three most common structures used to organize people to work on projects are functional, project, and matrix. These structures are applicable to a large majority of businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The functional organization structure is typically used in business that primarily sells and produces standard products standard products and seldom conducts external projects. The focus is on the technical excellence and cost competitiveness of the company’s products, as well as the importance of each functional component’s contribution of expertise to the company’s products. For projects, a multifunctional project team or task force is forced, with members selected from the appropriate sub functions. In this structure, the project manager does not have complete authority over the project team, because administratively the members still work for their respective functional managers. The project organization structure is used by companies that are working on multiple projects at any one time and do not produce standard products. People are hired to work on a specific project, and each project team is dedicated to only one project. A project-type organization is positioned to be highly responsive to the project objective and customer needs because each project team is strictly dedicated to only one project. The advantages of a functional organizational structure are no duplication of activities and functional excellence. Disadvantages include insularity, slow response time, and lack of customer focus. The project organization structure has control over resources and responsiveness to customers as advantages. The advantages of a matrix organization structure include efficient utilization of resources, functional expertise available to all projects, increased learning and knowledge transfer, improved communication, and customer focus. Its disadvantages are the dual reporting relationships and the need for a balance of power.

Herodotus and the Scythians

The accounts of Scythia in Herodotus’ The Histories are organized in concurrence with the timeline of the Persian invasion of Scythia, led by King Darius, where as the invasion progresses Herodotus repeatedly digresses about the history of Scythia until the Persians and Scythians meet, at which point the apparent essence of the accounts of Scythia in The Histories, the Persian invasion, is concluded. Although Herodotus’ description of Scythia seems to be a byproduct of the accounts of King Darius, it is nonetheless thorough. Along with detailed descriptions of the origins of Scythia, as well as its diverse populace, Herodotus seems determined to write extensively on the geography of Scythia. Concerning the veracity of Herodotus’ accounts on Scythia, there is no effort to provide one point of view as fact, but instead he provides many possibilities and then gives input on which he believes to be most accurate. Because of this, there is little evidence supporting Herodotus having a Greek anti-†barbarian† bias. In fact, as Herodotus is considered by many to be the â€Å"proto-historian†, his work is not easily weighed against the efforts of those that followed. Rather, the stories Herodotus relates weaves a fuller more comprehensive picture of the time than later histories. This unschooled effort should not be construed to suggest a bias, but a rich and new writing style undiluted by the socratic method to follow in later years. Herodotus describes three possibilities for the origin of the Scythian nation. The first possibility described is the position of Scythian people who state that, â€Å"theirs is the youngest of all nations. †? As claimed by the Scythians, the first man born on Scythian soil was descendant from the daughter of the Borysthenes River and Zeus. This man, Targitaos, had three sons whose descendants were that of the first three tribes of Scythia. Herodotus clearly states he does not see much merit in this claim, but acknowledges that this is what the Scythians believe, â€Å"†¦ though that does not sound credible to me. Nevertheless, that is their claim. †? Because Herodotus acknowledges the position of the Scythians and does so politely, the idea that he has an anti-†Barbarian† bias is further diminished. His commentary disregarding the Scythian claims should not be construed as a bias, because it is not forced upon the reader. It is simply an his opinion that is completely up for discussion. This same idea applies to the next possibility of the origin of Scythia, because, although Herodotus does not necessarily believe it, he leaves open for discussion. The second possibility for the origin of Scythia described by Herodotus is according to the Hellenes. The Hellenes believed that Herakles, or Hercules, came to the land of Scythia before the Scythians and as he was heading through the land he came upon a woman who was half woman and half serpent. This woman and Herakles had three sons together and, at the request of Herakles, when they became men any of the three who could draw Herakles’ bow and wear his belt would stay in the future land of Scythia, whereas any of the three who could not do these things must leave.? The youngest of the sons, Scythes, was the only one who achieved this task and, â€Å"the descendants of Scythes son of Herakles have succeeded ever since to the kingship of the Scythians. † ? The third possibility of the origin of the Scythian nation discussed in The Histories is the one preferred by Herodotus. It says that the Scythians were originally from Asia, but because of conflict with other Asian inhabitants they left Asia and settled in was what to become Scythia. At that time Scythia is said to have been inhabited by Cimmerians, but when the Cimmerians learned of the approach of the large Scythian army they either fled or killed themselves. Herodotus believes this to be the most viable possibility of Scythian origin because there is remnants of Cimmerian ruins within Scythia.? After discussing the origin of the Scythian nation, Herodotus goes on to discuss the differences in the people who inhabit Scythia, based on there region. According to Herodotus the easternmost Scythians, know as the Greek Scythians, practice the same basic tenants of Scythian culture besides the fact that they grow grain, onion, garlic, lentils, and millet for sustenance. To the northeast of the Greek Scythians are the Scythian plowmen who, â€Å"grow grain not for their own consumption, but for sale. ? East of the plowmen are the Scythian farmers and southeast of the farmers are the Scythian nomads. The nomads do not farm, but instead live a nomadic lifestyle of hunting. Further east, across the Gerros River are the Royal Scythians. The Royal Scythians are considered to be the most noble of the Scythians and, â€Å"consider the rest of the Scythians their slaves. †? To the north of the Scythians, from west to east, are Neurians, the Maneaters, and the Black Cloaks.? Although Herodotus spends a lot of time discussing the different peoples of Scythia, most of the information given is in the form of stories or very detailed arbitrary aspects of Scythian culture, which does not have a central theme. One aspect of Herodotus’ accounts of Scythia that does have a central theme and is extensively discussed is the geography of Scythia and more specifically, the rivers of Scythia. It is clear that Herodotus was impressed by the rivers of Scythia and was eager to convey information about these rivers to his readers. He discusses each river that flows through Scythia territory, from west to east and credits the rivers for being the most important natural resources of the Scythians.? It is hard to say what information Herodotus deemed most important to know about the Scythians. Discussion on the customs of the Scythians is vast, but largely arbitrary, while remarkable emphasis is placed on the geographical tenants of the area of Scythia. Though, throughout Herodotus’ accounts of Scythia one aspect is largely consistent and that is his determination to provide multiple points of view regardless of the source. There is no real attempt to provide evidence on the veracity of what is being said, besides his commentary, but there is also no bias. Notes 1. Herodotus, â€Å"The Histories,† in Landmark Herodotus, ed. Robert B. Strassler (New York: Pantheon Books, 2007), 282. 2. Herodotus, 282. 3. Herodotus, 284-285. 4. Herodotus, 285. 5. Herodotus, 286-287. 6. Herodotus, 289. 7. Herodotus, 291. 8. Herodotus, 298. 9. Herodotus, 301-306. Bibliography Herodotus. â€Å"The Histories. † In Landmark Herodotus, edited by Robert B. Strassler, 282-306. New York: Pantheon Books, 2007.

The Impact of Changes on Safety and Cost of SABIC Dissertation

The Impact of Changes on Safety and Cost of SABIC - Dissertation Example According to Kumar. R. ( 1999 ) , the basic purpose of any research work is to understand and analyze the chosen research phenomenon . There are many methods of communication research methodologies like qualitative research , quantitative research , case studies and many more . These communication research methodologies try to acquire the actual scenario of the research phenomenon by methods of interviews and surveys . The qualitative methodology happens to be based on the interpretative paradigm , while the quantitative methodology follows the positivist paradigm of knowledge . This research has chosen the quantitative research methodology as one of the research approach . Another research methodology chosen for this research includes the case study method . According to McMurray et al. ( 2004 ) , when these two methods are used together , provides triangulation , which is expected to increase the validity and reliability of the research data collected . The strategy chosen for this research work comes under the two approaches , they are the quantitative method of data collection followed by statistical analysis and the case study approach which follows an empirical inquiry of a research phenomenon in real life situations . The quantitative method of data collection seems to follow the positivist paradigm that assumes that the participants are aware of the research concept and thus they intend to answer a defined set of questions in a predetermined scale . Here , the questions and the answers are defined by the researcher and the participant just chooses a specific option that suits his opinion . Thus the opinion of the participant in the research is generally limited to the set of answers and any other relative opinion of the participant seem to be suppressed . Â  

Social Phenomena Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Phenomena - Essay Example Each of these views relies upon more or less legitimate arguments and evidence, but neither of them is flawless. Functionalist perspective still remains arguably the most influential tool for understanding the phenomenon of deviant behavior. Since the term 'deviant behavior' is rather broad, only two types of social deviance will be closely analyzed within this project: crime and suicide. Functionalist explanation of the causes and social outcomes of these types can lead us to understanding of functionalist perspective on deviant behavior in general. Emile Durkheim, the famous French sociologist of the 19th - 20th century, was probably the first scholar to adopt the logic of the functional approach studying the phenomenon of deviant behavior. Thus, Durkheim claimed, "When . . . the explanation of a social phenomenon is undertaken, we must seek separately the efficient cause which produces it and the function it fulfills. We must determine whether there is a correspondence between the fact under consideration and the general needs of the social organism, and in what this correspondence consists" (Durkheim, 1930 in Coser, 1977: 143). Ut Utilizing these principles Durkheim focused on the way a society stimulates individuals demonstrate deviant behavior than on individual characteristics of those whom demonstrate such behavior, though majority of sociologists of those days viewed crime, suicide, and other forms of social deviance as an outcome of inborn psychological characteristics of the individual. Durkheim considered such approach flawed. Instead, the scholar argued that deviance in general and crime in particular was by no means abnormal or dangerous for the society: "Crime is normal, an inevitable and necessary part of every society [although] it may take abnormal forms, such as when the crime rate is unusually high (Durkheim, 1961: 872). Durkheim's views on another form of deviance - suicide - were absolutely the same. "La Suicide" was the third major work of Emile Durkheim. This book was the first sociological research that established the traceable empiric connection between the phenomenon of individual suicide and social environment, and defined certain social functions of suicide. In the end of the 19th century suicide or self-destruction was considered a form of deviant behaviour that occurred in insane individuals. Durkheim challenged this traditional standpoint that suicide was an unpreventable pathology. Instead, he provided " a sociological explanation for a phenomenon traditionally regarded as exclusively psychological and individualistic" (Thompson, 1982: 109). In fact, Durkheim formulated the founding principles of functionalist perspective on deviance precisely in his study of suicide. Even today, despite abundance of recent studies, Durkheim's work remains the most significant sociological analysis of s uicide in modern societies. Suicide is a complex phenomenon that can be caused by numerous factors. Many reasons both individual and social have been demonstrated to have certain correlation with self-destructive