The Relationship Between Good and Evil in Beowulf free essay sample

Who Is The Hero? Throughout Beowulf I have been intrigued by the theme of good and evil and their relationship. Primarily how there are a number of different ways to think of the relationship between the two. I think that in Beowulf there are many interesting ways that evil and good are portrayed. For the most part Beowulf represents good/ heroes and then there are three main representations of evil that Beowulf faces. One thing I realized about the relationship between the two is that you could not have one without the other. For example, the reason that Beowulf becomes so well known and famous is because he defeats an evil demon (Grendel). A hero is someone who possesses a vast amount of courage and someone who is known for overcoming a certain obstacle(s). An evil figure is often the obstacle that the hero must over come; it is someone or something that is often thought of as immortal and feared by the public. We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship Between Good and Evil in Beowulf or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Without Grendel or any short of evil figure, Beowulf would not have made a name for himself. When it comes down to it; evil is what makes someone a hero. In this story, the idea of evil is presented through the three monsters and the action of killing, the idea of good is represented threw Beowulf and comitatus. Universally, pretty much all folk tales, stories, and epics that involve good and evil are about the two battling it out. It is a way of enhancing the story, no one wants to hear a story about a hero achieving a goal easily, the idea of a challenge and struggle is what really interests people. In Beowulf it is more that Beowulf is defending the people from the evil. It is not a pleasant scene when Grendel comes storming into the mead hall; he starts attacking everyone and everything, killing many in the process. Beowulf makes a boast that he will defeat Grendel in battle, but it also seems he just defends the peace of the community at hand, â€Å"So times were pleasant for the people there until finally one, a fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world. Grendel was the name of this grim demon. † (99-103) An interesting question to ask is how do you know who is the hero and who is the evil figure? In real life there is no one side to anything. Some people may consider a person a hero and some people may consider that same person the evil figure. It is all about putting it in too perspective, and who the â€Å"hero† is benefitting. For example, Beowulf is a hero to the Danes because he defeats Grendel and that bennifits them because it means they are safe for the mean time and will not be disturbed by Grendel again. Later though in the epic, Grendel’s mother battles Beowulf, and for what reason? She was avenging her son. Avenger a lost love one, seems like something a hero might do. So you cannot say that Grendels mother’s reasoning was very unreasonable, because in the end she was just honoring her son, in that sense Beowulf could even be considered the evil figure, its just all about perspective. Really though Beowulf it would be hard to imagine Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon as anything else except evil and monstrous, but too some in the story these characters may not be considered evil, so too sum it up, at first it may seem very straight forward too who the â€Å"good guy† is and who the â€Å"bad guy† is, but in the end the line between good and evil can often get blurred. Without a hero you could not have evil, with out evil you could not have a hero. Although we look at good and evil as opposites they need each other to define one another. A hero needs to conquer some sort of evil to earn the title of a true â€Å"hero† and Beowulf is a perfect example. Once he defeats Grendel the Danes adore him, he achieves a task that appeared near impossible. When he does end up finally defeating Grendel he earns the title of a true hero. Beowulf and Grendel are similar in the sense that they share a very similar level of physical strength and this is true with all the monsters Beowulf faces. All of the monsters are very evil and immortal, with Beowulf, since he has such grand power he is also thought to be a little bit immortal in some senses, â€Å"The monster wrenched and wrestled with him but Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength, the wondrous gifts God had showered on him: He relied for help on the Lord of All, on His care and favour. So he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute. † (1269-1274) So another characteristic that Beowulf and these monsters share are that they are all not normal human beings, they all share some sort of paranormal power and strength, which could either be very good or very bad depending on how one utilizes them. I find the idea that Beowulf and the monsters have similar traits and characteristics very interesting, because their power is what makes them similar but what separates them is how and what they actually use that power for. Like Uncle Ben once said in Spiderman â€Å"With great power, comes great responsibility. † When it comes down too it, it is about who has more moral strength, between the hero and the evil figure who is going to use their power for â€Å"the right thing†. Beowulf lives a life of greatness and glory, he gets known as a hero and he dies a hero. When he fights the dragon, it seems that that is the way he would want to die, defending the community. Too be a hero you must take risks, risks that may be considered by the average person too dangerous to even consider taking. Although, these risks are not always about fighting a monster. Heroes do not always come in such an obvious form; some one does not have to have godly strength or any kind of super power to be a hero, most heroes are the every day people. A hero does not have too kill a demon beast or save millions, a hero is just someone who is willing to make a difference, no matter how big or how small.

Battle of Pea Ridge in the Civil War

Battle of Pea Ridge in the Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge - Conflict and Dates: The Battle of Pea Ridge was fought March 7-8, 1862, and was an early engagement of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders: Union Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis10,500 men Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn16,000 men Battle of Pea Ridge - Background: In the wake of the disaster at Wilsons Creek in August 1861, Union forces in Missouri were reorganized into the Army of the Southwest. Numbering around 10,500, this command was given to Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis with orders to push the Confederates out of the state. Despite their victory, the Confederates also altered their command structure as Major General Sterling Price and Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch had shown an unwillingness to cooperate. To keep the peace, Major General Earl Van Dorn was given command of the Military District of the Trans-Mississippi and oversight of the Army of the West. Pressing south into northwest Arkansas in early 1862, Curtis established his army in a strong position facing south along Little Sugar Creek. Expecting a Confederate attack from that direction, his men began emplacing artillery and fortifying their position. Moving north with 16,000 men, Van Dorn hoped to destroy Curtis force and open the way to capture St. Louis. Eager to destroy outlying Union garrisons near Curtis base at Little Sugar Creek, Van Dorn led his men on a three-day forced march through severe winter weather. Battle of Pea Ridge - Moving to Attack: Reaching Bentonville, they failed to capture a Union force under Brigadier General Franz Sigel on March 6. Though his men were exhausted and he had outrun his supply train, Van Dorn began formulating an ambitious plan to assault Curtis army. Dividing his army in two, Van Dorn intended to march north of the Union position and strike Curtis from the rear on March 7. Van Dorn planned to lead one column east along a road known as the Bentonville Detour which ran along the north edge of Pea Ridge. After clearing the ridge they would turn south along the Telegraph Road and occupy the area around Elkhorn Tavern. Battle of Pea Ridge - McCullochs Defeat: The other column, led by McCulloch, was to skirt the western edge of Pea Ridge then turn east to join with Van Dorn and Price at the tavern. Reunited, the combined Confederate force would attack south to strike at the rear of the Union lines along Little Sugar Creek. While Curtis did not anticipate this type of envelopment, he did take the precaution of having trees felled across the Bentonville Detour. Delays slowed both Confederate columns and by dawn, Union scouts had detected both threats. Though still believing that Van Dorns main body was to the south, Curtis began shifting troops to block the threats. Due to the delays, Van Dorn issued instructions for McCulloch to reach Elkhorn by taking the Ford Road from Twelve Corner Church. As McCullochs men marched along the road, they encountered Union troops near the village of Leetown. Dispatched by Curtis, this was a mixed infantry-cavalry force led by Colonel Peter J. Osterhaus. Though badly outnumbered, the Union troops immediately attacked around 11:30 AM. Wheeling his men south, McCulloch counterattacked and pushed Osterhaus men back through a belt of timber. Reconnoitering the enemy lines, McCulloch encountered a group of Union skirmishers and was killed. As confusion began to reign in the Confederate lines, McCullochs second-in-command, Brigadier General James McIntosh, led a charge forward and was also killed. Unaware that he was now the senior officer on the field, Colonel Louis HÃ ©bert attacked on the Confederate left, while the regiments on the right remained in place awaiting orders. This assault was halted by the timely arrival of a Union division under Colonel Jefferson C. Davis. Though outnumbered, they turned the tables on the Southerners and captured HÃ ©bert later in the afternoon. With confusion in the ranks, Brigadier General Albert Pike assumed command around 3:00 (shortly before HÃ ©berts capture) and led those troops near him in a retreat north. Several hours later, with Colonel Elkanah Greer in command, many of these troops joined rest of the army at Cross Timber Hollow near Elkhorn Tavern. On the other side of the battlefield, fighting began around 9:30 when the lead elements of Van Dorns column encountered Union infantry in Cross Timber Hollow. Sent north by Curtis, Colonel Grenville Dodges brigade of Colonel Eugene Carrs 4th Division soon moved into a blocking position. Battle of Pea Ridge - Van Dorn Held: Rather than pressing forward and overwhelming Dodges small command, Van Dorn and Price paused to fully deploy their troops. Over the next several hours, Dodge was able to hold his position and was reinforced at 12:30 by a Colonel William Vandevers brigade. Ordered forward by Carr, Vandevers men attacked the Confederate lines but were forced back. As the afternoon wore on, Curtis continued to funnel units into the battle near Elkhorn, but Union troops were slowly pushed back. At 4:30, the Union position began to collapse and Carrs men retreated back past the tavern to Ruddicks Field about a quarter mile to the south. Reinforcing this line, Curtis ordered a counterattack but it was halted due to darkness. As both sides endured a cold night, Curtis busily shifted the bulk of his army to the Elkhorn line and had his men resupplied. Reinforced by the remnants of McCullochs division, Van Dorn prepared to renew the assault in the morning. Early in the morning, Brigadier Franz Sigel, Curtis second-in-command, instructed Osterhaus to survey the farmland to the west of Elkhorn. In doing do, the colonel located a knoll from which Union artillery could strike the Confederate lines. Quickly moving 21 guns to the hill, Union gunners opened fire after 8:00 AM and drove back their Confederate counterparts before shifting their fire to the Southern infantry. As Union troops moved into attack positions around 9:30, Van Dorn was horrified to learn that his supply train and reserve artillery was six hours away due to a mistaken order. Realizing he could not win, Van Dorn began retreating east along the Huntsville Road. At 10:30, with the Confederates beginning to leave the field, Sigel led the Union left forward. Driving the Confederates back, they retook the area near the tavern around noon. With the last of the enemy retreating, the battle came to an end. Battle of Pea Ridge - Aftermath: The Battle of Pea Ridge cost the Confederates approximately 2,000 casualties, while the Union suffered 203 killed, 980 wounded, and 201 missing. The victory effectively secured Missouri for the Union cause and ended the Confederate threat to the state. Pressing on, Curtis succeeded in taking Helena, AR in July. The Battle of Pea Ridge was one of the few battles where Confederate troops possessed a significant numerical advantage over the Union. Selected Sources CWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of Pea RidgePea Ridge National Military ParkBattle of Pea Ridge Maps

The Use of Recycled Materials in Pavement Construction Essay

The Use of Recycled Materials in Pavement Construction - Essay Example Another important aspect therefore is trainings for construction supervisors, engineers, local government construction staff, industries and state government agencies is important in matters of use of recycled wastes in construction of pavements. One of the key elements emphasized by engineers and construction supervisors in charge of pavement is the fact that the use of the recycled material should not in any way compromise the quality of the pavements being constructed (Shu et.al, 1323). It is with this in mind that there is need to carefully consider the material being used for the construction of pavement since different material differ in terms of properties and types and as such can be used for different purposes. There is also difference in terms of the knowledge, expertise and experience in terms of construction in different countries and hence the reason for use of different materials differently in the different countries. The success of using the recycled materials successfully in the construction of pavements lies in the ability of the different construction supervisors, engineers, regulators, generators and researchers to understand and comprehend the difference in the materials in terms of their properties, how best to use the material based on their properties and the limitations and challenges associated with the available materials and the choices they make from the available materials (Colins et. al, 123). It is therefore very important that the people dealing in such a field where recycled material is to be used to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of their choices and consequences. Legislation is also a critical part of the use of recycled material in construction of pavement owing to the sensitivity of this as a choice (Fitzsimons & Gibney, 192). Some of the issues that generally come up when

The Violence of Video Games on Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Violence of Video Games on Children - Essay Example Violent video games can have a serious negative effect on children, by giving them aggressive thoughts and actions. Aggressive acts are â€Å"acts that make a person more likely to commit a dangerous or harmful act† (McCormick, 2001, 279). Video games make some children aggressive in all of their behavior. Children who like to play video games sometimes try to imitate those things in real life. Video games make children become lost in the game and can be very addictive. In addition, video games make children scared because they have challenges with opponents in the game. Children who play video games may also experience emotional imbalance or bad dreams when they go to sleep. Because of the use of video games children â€Å"behave more aggressively† with their siblings and friends (Whitaker, 2009). When a child plays video games that have aggressive behavior, they will want to repeat that behavior with their siblings or friends. Children typically apply what they learn from violent video games to real life. Violent games reinforce bad behavior in children and can negatively affect the friendly relationship between siblings. In addition, children can also lack of a sense of their feelings. Children become violent with their siblings or friends because they cannot control themselves and their feelings of anger. Children who cannot get along with their friends without using violence think that they can always get what they want. Also, they feel glad when they make someone cry. Also, sometimes when they can’t win they will take it out on their siblings or friends. Children who play violent video games can thus become very antisocial because they don’t know how to get along with their peers. Another side effect of violent video games is that children may become less obedient to their parents and teachers. They may think they are smarter than those people and lie to them if they think they can get away with it. Children often need to stay with their parents and siblings so they can talk about real life issues, but video games can distract their attention. This negative behavior can make children stubborn. In addition, violent video games cause children to miss out on valuable lessons from their parents and teachers. These children often don’t follow school rules or respect the teachers. Once this happens, it is only a matter of time before these children suffer from poor grades due to their decreased focus on studying. Some of these same children will even go to school with having enough sleep and so they will be very tired. Video games can also destroy a child’s personality because it will lead them to not do homework. Some children can forget to do homework because they are so busy playing video games. Students can also lose interest in other activities. Video games prevent them from exercising because that time is spent playing video games instead. These children don’t read anymore because the y have found something that is much more exciting than reading. Therefore, their reading ability begins to suffer. These children also cannot go to play football outside with their friends because they are too busy enjoying time by themselves when they play video games. Furthermore, some children have drawing talent, yet when they ultimately get into video games

Toy Central Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toy Central Corporation - Case Study Example People with variety of roles, such as those who formulate and implement policies and those monitor systems are accountable for the success or failure of the process. The findings from interim audit procedures conducted in July and August 2007 reveals that the controls over the purchase and payments systems are managed efficiently. However, the delayed production to satisfy the enormous demand during 2006 holiday selling season had also created a lag in the smooth running of the business. Though a fair quantity of this product was sold out for Valentine’s Day 2007, rest of them was returned to TCC for a full refund. This created an adverse situation within the firm in managing the inventory. But it does not sound nice to go into the holiday season selling with the same stock again. This control issues must be looked into by the management. The physical environment in which companies conduct their business continues to change dramatically, and it requires the firms to make chang es in their policies. Economic factors, advances in technology, and increasing global competition are some of the elements that force the management into greater challenges to control and manage liquidity while increasing sales (Preparing for internal control reporting, 2002). TCC executive have been putting efforts to boost the sales in September, the month that is â€Å"quiet before the storm† by negotiating with the Fathom Studios to obtain the right to produce the plastic-cast of the movie Delgo. Even though TCC had accrued $500,000 of sales revenue in September 2007 as expected while making the agreement, it had a delay in reaching the objectives. There was a delay in reaching the final licensing agreement which in turn delayed the final completion of the character toys. In the same way, TCC had invested nearly $150,000 in creating state-of-the-art software tools to develop Linux games. This decision seems to be a wrong one and shows the weakness of the control over fina ncial reporting of the firm. On the other hand, the companies who hold the intellectual property rights to produce popular games currently produce consoles and computers that run on Windows based software. Therefore, investing too much on developing games for Linux based consoles may not bring the expected return over the investment. Most of the disbursements made by TCC were for purchase and of raw materials from suppliers in Taiwan. Though all items were properly accounted, there was inaccuracy in the accounts. One item seemed unusual in comparison to the sample. The transaction involved a $10,000 payment to the International Transport Union, requisitioned by TCC’s VP-Operations and approved by the CFO. The VP explains that the payment was â€Å"a gesture of support for U.S. transport workers—a gesture we believe is important these days, as transport workers believe they are significantly underpaid and talking about organizing work stoppage and strikes† (Earle y &Philips, 2008). Though it was a non-operating expense, it shows a too much expense on the non-productive functions. The TCC’s management had fallen short in making correct financial analysis and preparing effective financial reporting. The findings of the interim report reveal that the retailers dramatically reduced the quantity of toys that they were willing to undertake in 2006 and sustained it through 2007. This reduction in the supply had intensified competition among all manufacturers of consumer

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe: Loss Of Identity

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe: Loss Of Identity Research Question: how does male dominance, reputation, and responsibility lead to the downfall of Okonkwos and other characters identity. My research paper has to do with the loss of identity of the main character as well as others. The conflicting battles they had with themselves and society as a whole. I believe this is important because within this novel, Things Fall Apart, there are countless conflicts that mostly ended in disarray. My gist was that the underlying themes within this novel were mostly responsible for these conflicts and so I took it upon myself to scrutinize the novel and find out for myself. In doing so, I heavily relied on the novel attained from my high school and researched other peoples perceptions concerning this topic. Through writing this paper I have made clear the motifs in this novel such as letting power control you instead of vice versa and such things were the cause of many characters downfall or rise within the novel. Loss of Identity in Things Fall Apart From reading the novel Things Fall Apart, you instantly pick up idea that the world of the Igbo people is engulfed in ancestral believes and hierarchy. These notions are strongly embedded within the society that the villages resistance to the European rein by force rumbles disarray in the society. The reader is reminded of a similar paradigm in the days of Queen Elizabeth the first.  From an Igbos view, one could pronounce that the emergence of the Europeans might have triggered the chaos follow-on their meddling with Igbo traditions. The foremost adjustment of these set in stone conventional cultures alarmed mainly the customary authority accredited to men by their known patriarchal society. Moreover, the characters keenness for male dominance undoubtedly interrupted various aspects of the existing ancestral believes and hierarchy, particularly reputation and responsibility which were deemed manly traits. Even more so, these traits amount to the main standard for measuring a mans respect and authority/dominance. The dominance of the male characters emerges inherent, within the Igbo patriarchal community where power is usually cited as the most important factor used by men to construct their own identities as the engendered representatives of humanity.(OLI) This sort of power is portrayed at the physical level as well as on a social and interactive level. On the physical level, people who tend to be lazy are regarded as an  agbala, which means a woman in Igbo. This idea is vividly illustrated through Onkonkwos father. Okonkwo himself achieved fame after showing his strength when he defeated Amalinze in a wrestling contest. This is the first account we have of Okonkwos t physical strength and ability; Okonkwo asserts comparison to the coercive physical power exercised by the British colonisers upon Umuofia people, and which Okonkwo uses to punish his wives (EP, p.52). On the social plane, we are introduced to a structural supremacy which involves several privileges accorded to the person by the tribe they belong to. We see this being exemplified through Ogbuefi Ezeudu a character who had been a great and fearless warrior in his time, and was now accorded a great respect in all the clan. (TFA, p.57). The positive male supremacy is the ideology employed in contrast to the coercive physical power. These perceptions were values customary to clans and established by the elders as a primary foundation of their ancestral beliefs and hierarchy in the Umuofia village. Within this novel, we observe the direct link between male dominance/authority and reputation. Effectively, the structural supremacy is accorded on the basis of the persons intelligence, and as well as some principles defined by the clan. Reputation however becomes the fulcrum around which most aspects of their ancestral beliefs and hierarchy turn. A reputation being the main focus in the org anised Umuofia system is stressed upon by fact that it is a standout feature of people who are capable to accede to the leadership of the clan. Subsequently, these people (men) show a great sense of responsibility because they do not want to be viewed as failures and also to encourage values that guarantee the continuation of the ancestral beliefs and hierarchy in the clan. Likewise any man who fails to attain authority or dominance loses his identity as a true member of the tribe. Consequently, my distress lies in depicting how male dominance, reputation, and responsibility have all directed to the downfall of Okonkwo and other characters identity. Situated in Igboland approaching the beginning of the twentieth century, Things Fall Apart  is embodied via the overlapping of various premises among which one is able to pull out male dominance, reputation, responsibility, collisions of cultures, ancestral beliefs and hierarchy. The novel points out the disarray as well as the incompatible circumstances caused by the onset of the white Europeans who on their arrival brought with them a new religion, new ways of going about life, and a shift in paradigm. The beginning phase of Things Fall Apart limns the integrated community of Umuofia Village, with its kingship political system.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The reader also experiences the initial exposure of male power through the central figure, Okonkwo who is portrayed as a strong fearless warrior whose celebrity status is undeniable across the Igboland, Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. (TFA, p.3) Okonkwos reputation is given more weight by the narrator who stresses on the physical account that discloses much about his personality and gives the reader insight into the main character and his capabilities: That was many years ago, twenty years or more, and during this time Okonkwos fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan.  He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. He breathed heavily, and it was said that, when he slept, his wives and children in their houses could hear him breathe. When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he did pounce on people quite often.  He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough; he would use his fists. He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had had no patience with his father. (TFA, pg.3-4) At this point you could come to the conclusion that Okonkwo is satisfied with his accomplishments taking into account his authority as a man and status within the community. In accordance to Ada Uzoamaka Azado: In the Umuofia community of  Things Fall Apart, Igbo men are constrained to achieve and flaunt [male superiority], in order to be seen and respected.  (EP,  p.50) (OLI) The Nigerian civilization described within the novel has been established by patriarchy which is intern manifested throughout the novel. Regardless of the concept of  Nneka, which in translation means Mother is Supreme, which brings to mind the assertion that the most important factor with regard to the woman in traditional society is her role as mother, women are often measured and represented as possessions of men: In domestic terms, women are reckon as part of a mans acquisitions. Hence, women are regarded in the Umuofia community as part of the several measures perceived to be as sociated to masculinity. The seclusion of female characters from the social hierarchy is hammered on by the narrator. It was clear from the way the crowd stood or sat that the ceremony was for men. (TFA, pg.87). However this circumstance is not typical to Umuofia alone. Actuality, in pre-colonial African culture, women were deemed inferior and not at pair with the opposite sex. It is then not surprising when the author controverts Okonkwos father to him. His father Unoka is presented as a sluggish and irresponsible drunk; Unoka, for that was his fathers name, had died ten years ago. In his day he was a lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. If any money came his way, and it seldom did, he immediately bought gourds of palm-wine, called round his neighbors and made merry. He always said that whenever he saw a dead mans mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in ones lifetime. Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some money, from a few cowries to quite substantial amounts. (TFA, pg.4) His fathers irresponsibility is portrayed through his failure to manage money properly. His main aim is to drink palm wine and to make merry with his friends. He is talked about as a failure, an  agbala. He endured mockery just because he did not live up to the standards set for men in the community; Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back. /à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/ Unoka was never happy when it came to wars. He was in fact a coward and could not bear the sight of blood. And so he changed the subject and talked about music, and his face beamed. (TFA, pp.5-6) The subdued image of Unoka is by no means accidental. Achebe uses this as a medium to represent male dominance in the Igbo society as well as to depict the perception against men who do not succeed. Therefore, one comes to the realisation that male dominance within the novel is strongly associated with the individuals own pursuit for identity. This elucidates the motive behind the main characters unending efforts to attain power which is threatened in novel from time to time. Simply, Okonkwo aims to characterize himself in the sense of creating an image that regarded as the real man with all authority accredited to him in this patriarchal community Okonkwo appears, first, as a successful man who has achieved the self-fulfilment he tries to look for. As Ifeoma Onyemelukwe states:  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   [Okonkwo] is the man who was able to resolve his identity crisis in late adolescence. At age 18 he had developed self-confidence, a high self-concept, and self-esteem and had high achievement motivation as typical of the average Igbo man. The consequence of this is his reverberating achievement and celebrity.  (EP, p.37) Okonkwos bodily strength in combination with the mans keenness to attain social climax moulded a very commanding persona which is fit for such a patriarchal community.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The ideology of the male character as an influential and commanding individual is subsequently toughened by the image of the  agbala  which generally alludes to fruitless or sluggish men. Onyemelukwe comments:   Things Fall Apart  depicts very successful Okonkwo as showing no empathy or sympathy to less fortunate men like his father, Unoka. Such individuals, to his mind, are simply agbala  (Igbo word for woman) or she-men.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It is not surprising that Okonkwo stands out in the novel as a macho man with a great deal of self-esteem and self-confidence.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The cap fits Okonkwo in many instances in the given description. Achebe  portrays him as one who is neither patient nor tolerant. (EP, pp. 37-38)   Okonkwos authority is as a result of his will to attain success. This is evidently highlighted within the novel:  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his  chi  says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his  chi  agreed. And not only his  chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands. That was why Okonkwo had been chosen by the nine villages to carry a message of war to their enemies unless they agreed to give up a young woman and a virgin to atone for the murder of Udos wife.  (TFA, pg.27) Achebe allows the speaker to broaden the confines of Okonkwos authority, evoking what his own father could not achieve: accomplishing himself as a man and building up his reputation. However, Okonkwo was unsuccessful in effectively conveying the authority he possessed. One might argue that the power controlled his actions and in the end the rationale behind his failure may be to shed light on the flaws of the hero blinded by his reputation of and his edge to climb up on the social ladder. Okonkwos reputation drops suddenly following his accidental murder of a young boy. He is no longer deemed as the figure of authority, fame and masculinity just because a bullet from his gun inadvertently killed a young boy. In addition, the laws and regulations customary to the Igbo community demands that any being found guilty of taking anothers life must be banished to his or her motherland. This in contrast to Okonkwos macho personality highlights the shame that adorn him. Overnight, great Okonkwo, the great warrior, the great warrior, the great wrestler, one of the most outstanding achievers of his time, most respected and revered, loses all he has laboured to achieve just in the twinkle of an eye. His hope or remaining one of the lords of the clan, is shattered.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   His flight to Mbanta implies starting life afresh, from the scratch. It means loss of self-esteem, peace, happiness. His ego is obviously punctured. His fame transforms into shame. His identity crumbles. Crises and conflict set in again. (EP,  pp.41-42) It is evident that the situation Okonkwo finds himself in is a paradoxical one because, in spite of the patriarchal trend, he is still banished to his mothers village. This occurrence can be regarded as a device Achebe utilizes to reconstruct the image of women. In this regard the author celebrates the Mother as a Supreme Being, a concept which is recurrent in Achebes writings. Noticeably, Okonkwos return to his motherland plays an important role as it secures him from European influences. At this point, Okonkwo becomes fully aware of his of himself in exile. The identity alteration is first observed by his mothers brother who pertinently comments.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Why is Okonkwo with us today? This is not his clan. We are only his mothers kinsmen. He does not belong here. He is an exile, condemned for seven years to live in a strange land. And so he is bowed with grief. But there is just one question I would like to ask him. Can you tell me, Okonkwo, why it is that one of the commonest names we give our children is Nneka, or Mother is Supreme? We all know that a man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child belongs to its father and his family and not to its mother and her family. A man belongs to his fatherland and not to his motherland. (TFA, pg.133) The speaker highlights Okonkwos responsiveness to his loss of identity. [He] knew these things. He knew that he had lost his place among the nine masked spirits who administered justice in the clan. (TFA,  p.171) However, his return in the subsequent lines stress upon his reputation and responsibility:  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   He was determined that his return should be marked by his people. He would return with a flourish, and regain the seven wasted years. /à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/ Even in his first year in exile he had begun to plan his return. (TFA, pp.171) One might wonder if the changes that have occurred in his society would allow him to achieve his reintegration without troubles. However taking into account Okonkwo we knew at the early stages of the novel, you would come to think that his return would once more rekindle the ancestral beliefs and hierarchy within the village of Umuofia. Nonetheless the overlapping of models like reputation, male dominance, and responsibility are such that they compose in a common focus characterised by violent behaviour and also the downfall of Okonkwos fame and persona Revisiting Okonkwos reassimilation within his society, he is put in the skeleton of the above body depicting that his final condition is by no means perchance. Effectively, Okonkwo composes a blend of male dominance, reputation, and responsibility. Okonkwos petulance and zeal to succeed demonstrates the fundamental nature of his character. Hence, the violent condition that has propelled Okonkwo into an inevitable downfall is a produce of the overlapping of male dominance, reputation and responsibility. The society of Umuofia is structured such that man must climb up on the social ladder if he wants to gain respect in the community. The other side of the coin is set aside for women, or in this case, men incapable of achieving masculinity. In effect, the permutation female honour / power do not lead to a decline because a woman moving upward on the social ladder is tantamount to re-examination. Its an amelioration of their rank and cannot be viewed as a downfall. This is also evident in Achebes works; A Man of the People and the Devil on the Cross when Eunice and Warrà ®Ãƒ ®nga respectively, rid themselves of their male tyrannisers. These individuals found their identity and repositioned themselves at superiors on the social ladder and hierarchy.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  In consequence, Okonkwo who is unable to find some of his previous attributes is, inevitably excluded from his rank on the social hierarchy. No longer is he perceived as a role model that he was and, as a result, declines o n the hierarchy as low as an  agbala, like his  father. Okonkwos shift on the social hierarchy is negative. The only factor resultant from the overlapping talked about themes is violence. Eunice uses this as a tool however; this is not the same in Okonkwos situation. In the first instance, violence is utilized at the personal level to liberate themselves from the Europeans, whiles the second instance has an effect on the entire village of Umuofia. Moreover, because the violence in the case of Okonkwo is not tied to one person, the reparation thereafter is irrepressible and, things fall apart. To shed light on Okonkwos failure, Achebe distances the main character from the various revolutions taking place and affecting the people of Umuofia. The author shows a significant role in conjunction to his banishment and uses that as a tool to segregate Okonkwo from the occurring changes. The altercation is no more among Okonkwo and his community, but his cultural beliefs and the European imposed culture. In point of fact, the Europeans having accomplished their efforts in convincing the Igbo people, Okonkwo is left standing alone defending the traditions of Umuofia. His accomplishments and disappointments rest on his capability to formulate a suitable decision of the three principles that constitute to his personality: reputation, male dominance, and responsibility Okonkwo inhabits a society where male dominance is the focal point of traditional beliefs. The patriarchy that he and many others have emulated from ancestral traditions vitalizes him to adopt a mind-set of superiority over the opposite sex by abusing his wives. Okonkwo rose to fame as early as the age of eighteen and since then has been most certainly blinded by fame. As a result, his main aim is to stay at the peak of his power. Okonkwo then shifts from a well-liked hero to a villain. This shift in Okonkwos character demonstrates violence as a predestined outcome of the transformations which affected Okonkwos community. For Okonkwo and many others like himself, the only respond is through violence. Achebe exemplifies Okonkwos calamity as a character falling victim to social violence on the one hand, but also of himself on the other. The first of the violence is one brought upon the Village of Umuofia by European colonisers. This violence was physically imposed and it goes up against the two different lifestyles and their cultures. The second is violence imposed by traditions on the characters. For example; Okonkwo serves seven years banishment for having killed a Klansman; the intentionally killing of twin children to avoid a curse that may strike the village; also Ikemefuna as young as she is sacrificed to Ani (the Earth goddess,) to provide justice after the death of a member of the neighbouring village. Also the individual violence Okonkwo works out on his own personality. We first observe this particular type of conflict mentally. This was where he strongly believed in recapturing his lost identity and to achieve his cause, he ends up as the physical victim of his own violence choosing to hang himself rather than fall into captivity. However, in doing this, he sheds off his reputation.   It is apparent that the last few sections of  Things Fall Apart reveal an Okonkwo who has come to terms with his failure, and tries to evoke his identity. Okonkwo now is not the same Okonkwo who said yes strongly; so his chi agreed (TFA, pg.27). Sadly for Okonkwo, he came to realisation a little late and his strive to keep the little honour he had prove to be futile. Consequentially, committing suicide is gaze at as a taboo: It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offence against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen. (TFA, pg. 207). He is forsaken even in death just because his ordeal was against [their] custom. (TFA, pg.207). However, the speakers convey some compassion through Obierika:   Obierika, who had been gazing steadily at his friends body, turned suddenly to the District Commissioner and said ferociously: That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill  himself;  and now he will be buried like a dogà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ He could not say any more. His voice trembled and choked his words. (TFA, pg.208) The narrator attributes the blame of Okonkwos death to the District Commissioners men. And at this point Achebe condemns the negative and brutal aspects of the arrival of the colonisers in Africa  in general and the Igboland in  particular.  Things Fall Apart  can also be considered as a novel that Achebe uses to epitomise the irrationality of certain traditions which in the end have overwhelming effects on the individual and the entire society. Hence I conclude with this famous quote by W.B Yeats, Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. Word count: 3,582

Comparing James Joyces The Dead and Dubliners :: comparison compare contrast essays

An Analysis of The Dead To start in absolutely the least likely place, we have here another version of family life in Ireland (moving East, and from here through The Snapper make a unit contrasting with the previous one), with another way of picturing what the Irish take to be their insularity and closedness, their ludicrous longing for union with the supposedly superior but alien culture of "the continent", and especially that confusion and torment about sexuality which derives so directly from the Irish church's inability to reconcile desire as sin and desire as life-affirming. A fact (at least according to a major recent survey): married Catholics have better sex than other married Americans. Why? It's been suggested that you can't preach so fully the analogy between the union of man and woman with the union of Christ and his church and indeed of man with God without giving a celebratory turn to married love. But this would be inconceivable to the Irish, whose church (despite its being the dominant influ ence on American Catholicism) focuses on the ascetic and the equation of sex with sin. In a sense, because he is so firmly embedded in this tradition, struggling against it, Joyce seems both hopelessly dated and eternal: hopelessly dated because we don't have enough residue of the sense of sinfullness in our culture to have it be much of a force we have to struggle against, and eternal because it remains true for everyone that passing into adulthood (especially through adolescence) means somehow coming to terms with what is a strand of conflict between sexuality insofar as it is self-aggrandizing and aggressive and the affectional life as it is non-self-aggrandizing and other-centered and in some sense more "pure"-seeming. It is of course possible to come to good terms with this contradiction, but it is also possible to understand and be undermined by its existence, and Gabriel is a very clear instance of the person who can't really reconcile simple physical desire for his beloved wife, a 'getting close to and taking' motive, with equally simple adoration and affection for her in the grace and authenticity of her autonomy, a 'standing back and in some sense giving' motive (I read two passages from Portrait, 171, as against 99-101). So Gabriel is troubled by what strikes us awfully oddly as his moments of pure and "clownish" "lust", and

Migration Project Essay

The Tony’s Chips web site is to be moved from and external hosting solution to an internal solution. In addition, the site will be redesigned to enable customers to place orders. These are two separate work tasks that should be treated separately and performed by different team members. There are many options for hosting the web site internally, including software choices to hardware architecture. This document will review the tasks that need to be performed, document the process of performing those tasks, and justify the software and hardware choices. There are a few different alternatives to how this web site can be hosted. The company could host the web site with an external service that maintains their own servers and services. This method is commonly used by start-up businesses and web sites that do not require a huge amount of customization, monitoring, bandwidth, and storage. When a company wishes to have more control over their site and how it is hosted, they can chose to use a server service. With this kind of service, a company that owns a large server farm leases out one or more servers to the company. This allows the company to have dedicated servers, which they have control over without the need to physically store the server or perform the regular maintenance. Web sites that involve database-driven web applications can eventually require many different servers. This can be a problem for some companies that do not have the logistical capabilities to store these servers on-site. Consider that these servers will take up space, require appropriate cooling, and warrant a sophisticated fire-suppression system. A server farm service will have all of this in place all ready at no additional cost to the client. The first step in migrating the web site from an externally hosted service to an internal system is to get the infrastructure in place. This includes the physical computers that will be used, the software servers that will be installed on these computers, the network configuration, the wide area network connectivity, and the necessary firewall. Once all of this is in place, the content of the external web site should be replicated to the internal system, as it currently is. Then, after testing the internal web site via the IP address that points to the internally-hosted version, the systems administrators can update the DNS record for the web-site’s domain name to point to the internally hosted version. This can take a couple days to fully produce across the major DNS backbone on the internet. During that time, some traffic will go to the internal site and some will go to the external site. There will be no downtime as far as the users of the site are considered. However, some data that is stored as a result of user-interaction may not be record at the new site. This will require that the old site to be left running for a business week. After every day, the old site should be checked for any new data transactions. Any found should be migrated to the new site. While this method will place more work on the staff of the company, it results in zero downtime for users of the site. While this method place more work on the staff of the company, it results in zero downtime for users of the site. The work to be performed in this part of the project can be broken down into: Planning and Analysis, Physical Setup, Software Installation, Code Replication, Data Migration. In the Gantt Chart in the attachment following this paper, a lot of the tasks that are taken during the process of migrating the existing site from an externally hosted service to an internally hosted system can occur concurrently. For instance, installation of the web server and the database server can occur at the same time. This is assuming that the web server and the database server are on two different machines. The system software that will be used is rath er standard for a web site. The paradigm hat is chosen revolves around a Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) model. The security features available within many distributions of Linux are far better than would be available on Windows. In addition, everything in a LAMP model is freely available. An alternative model would use Windows and IIS. However, Windows and IIS are only available commercially. In contrast, Linux and Apache are free systems that are widely supported and are, by far, the most widely used platform for hosting web sites. In addition, the use of PHP and MySQL is also free. The web site could also be set up with something like Adobe ColdFusion and Microsoft SQL Server. However, both of these items are commercially available for a substantial price. While Microsoft SQL Server is quite popular, it does not come close to the wide spread use of MySQL. Likewise, PHP is an order of magnitude more common than Adobe ColdFusion. There is no reason to spend large quantities of money on application and database servers when the most commonly used, and fully supported systems are freely available. Since Tony’s chips is not currently an extremely large web site that processes millions of transactions a day, the architecture will be rather standard and simple. However, the need for redundancy has been made clear and needs to be taken into consideration. In the interest of making the web site fault tolerant, two web servers, two database servers, and a replication server will be set up for the site. The system administrators must also ensure that wide area network connectivity with a static IP address is set up. This way, the static IP address can be assigned to the domain name in the site’s DNS entry. It is also important that security be taken into consideration. The use of a firewall and a demilitarized zone will be required. The demilitarized zone is in place to ensure that the public can access the web servers. However, the database servers and the replication server will exist behind a firewall that prevents the public from accessing these computers. The only external entities that will be able to access these servers are the web servers themselves. The replication server is exactly what it sounds like. It is in control of the replication of data across the two databases. We want to make certain that if a single database fails, that the other database is still up and running. This requires that we keep two copies of the database running at all times. However, this will not require that the program logic deals with two sets of data. All modern database management systems have the ability to set up a replication service that copies all the data entered into one database into another database. This ensures that if one of the databases fails, we can switch over to the database that is still running. After the failure is resolved, the data between the two servers will need reconciled. However, the users of the web site will not notice an interruption. The same basic concept is used for the web servers. Depending on traffic load or server condition, a web server could crash. To ensure that the system is tolerant of such a fault, two web servers are set up. If one of the computers or web servers crashes, the other one can pick up the traffic. In addition to providing the key benefit of fault tolerance, the additional web server can be set up to use load balancing. Since there will usually be two web servers running at any given time, it is possible to set it ups so that the traffic to the web site is split between the two servers. In a case where the web site is getting a very large amount of traffic in a short amount of time, this can help prevent the web server from getting over-taxed. An illustration of the system architecture is also provided in the attachment following this paper. The requirement to update the web site to facilitate customer orders has been identified. This is a software engineering requirement that is fundamentally separate than the requirement to move from an external host to an internal host. The only major impact that this would have on the migration is in the case that the web site never used a database before this change. This has not been identified. However, even if that were the case, the previously described architecture assumes that a database will be used. Therefore, the architecture that is required for the addition of an ordering system is fully in place. Now that such a system is in place, software engineers and programmers can begin the work of designing and implementing the new ordering system. It would not make sense to roll these processes in with the migration of the web site. Migration of a web site has enough potential pit falls and potential points of failure without adding in the variable of entirely new code. If this were to be done at the same time, a fault in the new ordering code could be mistaken for a fault that occurred with the migration, or vice versa. One of the downsides of hosting a web site internally is that all support will be divested to the company rather than a third-party service. This includes all regular maintenance of the system as well as regular web site support. For maintenance, regular backups of each database should made. This could include nightly backups and weekly backups that are stored off-site. This also involves maintaining network cabling and monitoring the temperature of the server storage area and cleaning dust out of the servers fan vents. This will also require monitoring network activity for malicious attacks such as a port scan or a distributed denial of service. More advanced server solutions that are available as external hosting would include all of this in their service fee. Technologies to detect and prevent things like distributed denial of service takes planning and a non-trivial software investment. Of course, the addition of the ordering system adds new requirements to the web site support. Customers will need a place to email and/or call to inquire about orders or complain about the service they received. There will need to be individual who are responsible for addressing these customer interactions. Evaluation of a web site like the one planned in this document is an ongoing process. At first, the success of the migration is evaluated by the existence and duration of any down time. Then, web site responsiveness and uptime is evaluated. With the measure put into place, the downtime should be zero and the uptime should be close to 100%. Even with redundancy and fault tolerance, it is impossible to guarantee 100% uptime. To evaluate the new order system, the success of orders needs to be taken into consideration. Can customers place the orders that they wish to make? When a product is out of stock, does it state so on the product pages and prevent the customer from placing the order? When the customer places the order, does the financial transaction process successfully? Is the database notified about denied charges? Beyond the mechanics of the order procedures, the number of orders being placed should be evaluated. The success of the web site can partially be evaluated by assessing the conversion rate on the web site. The conversion rate is the number of visitors who proceed to making an order. The goal is to convert as many customers as possible. If the system’s cart and the checkout system is not intuitive, the result could be a very low conversion rate. Conclusion The Tony’s Chips web site will be migrated to an internally hosted system consisting of fault tolerance and redundancy. After this logistical process has been completed and all necessary DNS entries have successfully updated, the system will be modified to include an ordering system so that customer can order chips and any other product that is offered. These two objects are separated to ensure that they do not interfere with one another and to limit the number of variables at any given time. With the proposed architecture and design, it is believed that the new system will be highly efficient and effective. In the attachments following this paper, as some were discussed earlier there will be a gnatt chart, system architecture illustration, and a use case.

Game Wardens Essay

1. Why do most game wardens decide to become game wardens? Most guys become game wardens because they like the outdoors and fish and wildlife in general. In my case, it ran in the family as your Grandad, Larry Glover, was a game warden. 2. What kind of things does a game warden do? Can the job be physically demanding? Game wardens patrol for fish and wildlife violations and conduct investigations regarding these offenses, both state and federal. Some game wardens also conduct biological duties such as fish creel censuses, deer/elk/antelope population surveys, and migratory bird aerial surveys. The typical state game warden serves in one county and is responsive to all fish and wildlife issues there-in. A federal game warden can be in charge of an entire region of a state. I was never home for very long periods because there was so many duties I had to fulfill. The job is demanding both physically and mentally. I could be â€Å"breaking the ice† to check duck hunters in the frozen marsh one day and wearing a coat and tie to testify in court the next day. I told the young agents that I supervised, â€Å"It’s not a job but a way of life. † 3. If a man wants to become a game warden, how should he best prepare? Is there a difference of preparation on the state and federal level? Any majors he should pursue in college? Most game wardens I know majored in Wildlife Management or Criminal Justice while in college. My degree was in Wildlife Management. Most states now require a degree for entry level game warden positions. Federal game wardens usually have several years of state experience prior to coming on board. 4. How competitive is it to get a job as a game warden? Is the level of competition different on the state and federal level? The competition is extremely tough both at the state and federal level. Even when I came on as a New Mexico Game Warden back in 1971, it was tough. I waited for several months after applying to several states and only got on because my dad knew the New Mexico Director of Game & Fish. Even then, I started out as a lowly beaver trapper and worked my way up to district game warden supervisor. I left the New Mexico State Game and Fish Department for federal game warden service in 1976. 5. Any tips on getting hired as a game warden? Get your degree, take any position available in the game department, work any law enforcement job available while waiting (police officer, deputy sheriff, etc.) for the experience, get to know your local game warden, and don’t violate any fish and game laws. Tom McKay, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent 6. What is the average salary for a game warden on the state and federal level? Oklahoma state game wardens are paid very poorly. It’s about $30K/year. Texas wardens are paid much better- about $52K/year. On the federal level, Special Agents with the US Fish & Wildlife Service usually start as GS-7 on the federal pay scale, which is about $40K/year. Plus you get Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) which is 25% of your base grade or about another $10K. You can work your way up to Journeyman Special Agent. It’s a GS-12 on the federal pay scale, which is about $100K/year. 7. What is the best part of the job? The best part of the job is the field work and camaraderie with fellow officers, both state and federal. These guys become your â€Å"brothers† with friendships that last a lifetime. 8. What is the worst part of the job? The worst part of the job is the administrative requirements such as personnel and investigative reports. You may work a week on a case and several weeks preparing it for prosecution. Also, the supervisory responsibilities (if you go that high) are trying and time-consuming. Always hated that aspect of my job. 9. What is the biggest misconception people have about the job? The biggest misconception is that game wardens spend all their time hunting and fishing. The good wardens and agents have no time for this as they are in the field managing the other nimrods out there during hunting season. I hunted and fished much more before I became a game warden, not at all after I became one. 10. What is the work/family balance like? As you observed, Brett, the work/family balance is horrible. Never home, always on the road or in the field on a case. However, that’s how I grew up with my Dad and your Mom with her father (Editor’s Note: My mom’s dad was a forester). So, we were used to it, but it doesn’t make it right. I still regret the time I missed with you boys and your sister. 11. Are there ways to move-up in the job, or in other words, what is the hierarchy like? The promotion potential is great in federal service. If you do a good job and are willing to move, the promotion potential is likely. However, anything higher then a Journeyman Special Agent (GS-12) usually requires a 2-year stint in Washington, DC headquarters as a desk agent. I never chose to do this, but was lucky to obtain the Resident Agent In Charge (RAC) position, which increased my pay to a GS-13. That’s the position I had when I retired. The hierarchy for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement is: Special Agent, Resident Agent in Charge, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Special Agent in Charge, and Chief of Law Enforcement (along with several division chiefs under him).

Roles and Funtions of Management in Healthcare Setting

Roles and Funtions of Management in Healthcare Setting For the health care setting to operate effectively in achieving its goals and objectives, it requires to implement the main management concepts. These include planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Roles and Funtions of Management in Healthcare Setting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a setting where nurses, therapists, and other healthcare staffs are located in a central position, management is relatively simpler than where the care of patients is managed out of a central location. However, these four functions apply irrespective of location in managing health care leaders and their staffs (Management Functions in a Health Care Facility, 2012). The administration undertakes planning by evaluating the current operation of the institution and developing plans that focus on the future of the heath center (Huber, 2006). In our case, the administration employs strategic plann ing technique in planning ahead to overcome unprecedented challenges. The management achieves this by analysis both external and internal factors affecting smooth operations. The most common approach for accomplishing this task is using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) method. This tool helps the administration to determine the most cost effective action for business (Management Functions in a Health Care Facility, 2012). As community health service providers, we plan for emergencies by ensuring that enough staffs are available to handle urgent situations, and equipping them. Even when we are offering our services out of the health center, we prepare emergency wards within our central facility.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, we gather information from the community to help in decision making. We employ SWOT analysis to determi ne how to overcome institutional weakness such under staffing and delays in delivery of medical supplies. Also, we evaluate threats such as ignorance among of clients regarding appropriate health care lifestyles. There are opportunities, for instance impressive service demand, and; therefore, it is possible to charge clients an affordable fee and still remain resourceful. Apart from planning, organizing plays unique roles in management. This function mandates the health care management to organize its resources and plan for their proper usage in advance. This is a system that helps management to determine the internal doctorial configuration (Huber, 2006). The management does this by considering allocations for different departments. The management also performs this function at whatever time they are selecting and authorizing certain departments to handle some clear-cut roles (Huber, 2006). I, as the health center’s administrator, implement these roles in conjunction with my assistant and other trained health professionals. My assistant reports to me, whenever necessary, on the progress of daily operations and joins in organizing and reorganizing them. We also work together prepare duty rosters for nurses and doctors. In addition, she handles bookkeeping, staff payroll, costs and maintenance, and coordinates with heath insurers and social services. The next function of management in health care set up is directing or leading. This management function entitles the administration to control and take charge of staffs (Huber, 2006). Directing helps the company achieve it objectives. Also, it helps the health workers to achieve their personal and career goals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Roles and Funtions of Management in Healthcare Setting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, our management supports staff to meet these goals. This we do through motivation, open communicatio n, and employing department management techniques. Management introduces incentive programs, which help to motive staffs to worker harder. I occasionally join trained health care officers and engage them on how to improve our services. I persistently look for better ways of motivating them. Additionally, I work closely with all staffs. Apart from giving out instructions, I sometimes, join them in treating patients whenever there is a shortage of doctors. The supervisors get my plans and communicate them to all workers. I develop plans that are beneficial to health care staffs, patients and the community. Such plans include economical use of fare, lab apparatus and developing constructive relationships with patients. In addition, we do hold quarterly meetings, and I use the opportunity to communicate to all health officials on corporate goals. However, I do this during impromptu meetings, as well. As a final point, Control plays a significant role in health care management. A key rol e under this function is establishing performance standards (Stahl, 2004). Performance problems sometimes crop in; however, we commonly resolve them by setting high standards for all departments and clearly communicating our goals to departments that have problems. Otherwise, if a department fails to attain set standards and it emerges that external factors have played in, then the management lowers the standards to accommodate all genuine interests. Most importantly, I endeavor to see all workers take control of the business by making decisions, but under my supervision.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I have, through experience, discovered that all the four management roles are crucial. This is because a weakness exhibited in one of them is displayed in the entire organization. However, we can argue that planning is the most pivotal role because all the other roles depend on it (Stahl, 2004). I, therefore, as an aspiring leader, trained nurse, and student value to understand all functions of health care management. In so doing, I envision to be a highly skilled health care manager. References Huber, D. (2006). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. Management Functions in a Health Care Facility Yahoo! Voices voices.yahoo.com. (2012). Yahoo! Voices voices.yahoo.com. Web. Stahl, M. J. (2004). Encyclopedia of Health Care Management. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Rail construction project failure Research Paper

Rail construction project failure - Research Paper Example The rail transport in this country is underdeveloped with rail transportation accounting for less that 1% of the land transportation (Oluwakiyesi 2011). It has been found out that non-utilization of competent consultants and contractors, inconsistencies in government policies, defective cash flow, and inadequate monitoring are the major cause of failure of projects in this country (Ololusi & Otunola 2012). However, the government and other stakeholders have been very slow to react and thus the problem continues to be evident. Morocco on the other hand is an African country that has been able to construct its railway system with all odds. It has recently pursued an upgrading of its rail network to meet the expectations of the customers and aspirations of economic operators (ADB 2011). This indicate that unlike other countries whose rail network rate back in the colonial period, most of the rail networks in Morocco are current. The reason for this is the several successful railway cons truction projects done in this country. The development of the railways in this country is associated with its collaboration with other Arab countries. This collaboration has been assisting Morocco to pull together massive capital investments at the beginning of the railway construction projects thus making them successful. According to Mawared (2012), the forming of community with other countries has aided economic growth in this country thus enhancing success of railway construction projects. b) Statement of the problems Railway construction experiences various problems. According to Lucas (2004), the board and management of railway construction programs find it difficult to keep the programs going at full speed. This causes the railway network in most of the country to stagnate or under-develop. This is one of the problems that will be addressed by this the research we propose. No research has been done to address this problem and that is why this research will be of importance. The other problem is about the funding of railway construction projects. The funding of these projects has been found to be beyond the capability of the government and stakeholders involved (Foch 2012). Very few researches have attempted to solve this problem and they have not been able to provide an appropriate solution to the problem. Therefore, there is a need to design a mean that could be used to fund such projects. Moreover, these projects are not only influenced by financial factors but also by social and environmental factors (COWI 2012). This problem has been avoided for years and that is why we have decided to undertake this research to address it. There is a need to establish some of those factors that might be causing the projects to fail so that to avoid their failures in the future. This will be a third problem that will be addressed by the proposed research. c) Research hypotheses The large sizes of railway construction projects make the projects complicated thus cont ributing to their failures. The large cost involved in the railway construction projects is the major cause of their failures. Other factors like socio-economic and environmental factors also play a great role in causing failure of railway construction projects. Lack of collaboration between the people involved in the r

Research Notetaking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Notetaking - Assignment Example to more readily irrigate land in Mexican territory- in 1904 the company excavated a more direct opening at a site a few miles south of the California/Mexico border† (Wiltshire, Gilbert and Rogers 2) Jackson relates that the roots of the Hoover Dam project stretch deep into a long-term goal by the private sector to secure the irrigation of the Imperial Valley in the southern section of California. These efforts can be traced back to the 1900’s, when such irrigation aims became central to the existence of the Colorado Development Company. The successful early efforts resulted in a large tract of the Imperial Valley being nicely irrigated. There were problems however with canal siltation, even when the valley was being successfully irrigated, so that the firm had to redouble its efforts building another canal on top of the original canal that tapped the Colorado River and connected the valley to it (Wiltshire, Gilbert and Rogers 2). â€Å"Constructed in the 1930s, the concrete arch-gravity structure was intended to prevent flooding as well as provide much-needed irrigation and hydroelectric power to arid regions of states like California and Arizona. It was originally known as Boulder Dam, but was renamed in 1947 in honor of Herbert Hoover, who as U.S. secretary of commerce and the 31st U.S. president proved instrumental in getting the dam built. At 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long, Hoover Dam was one of the largest man-made structures in the world at the time of its construction, and one of the worlds largest producers of hydroelectric power† (A&E Television Networks). The History Channel notes that the Hoover Dam was originally named Boulder Dam, but that in 1947 the dam was renamed to honor the late President Edgar Hoover. Hoover was also US Commerce Secretary, and it was Hoover who was credited with having done a substantial part of the work to erect the iconic structure to the benefit of the people of states like Arizona and California. For those states,