General Motors Gm Company History - 3031 Words

v.s. By Parker Howard and Jared Sorenson GM Company History General Motors (?GM? or ?the company?) has a rich history longer than a century starting with its corporate organization in 1908. Following its organization, GM acquired its first brand, Old Motor Works, which was followed in 1909 by the purchase of Cadillac for $5.5 million. Two years later, GM organized both General Motors Truck to handle sales of GM?s Rapid and Reliance products and General Motors Export Company to handle export sales out of the US. In 1918, GM purchased Chevrolet Motors. In 1926, GM entered Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, Uruguay and Argentina through the General Motors Export Company. General Motors Truck became the modern GMC in 1943 when GM acquired the assets of Yellow Truck Coach. In 1945, GM finally established all of its historical core brands (Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac) when the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division, which would be renamed the General Motors Assembly Division in 1965, was formed. In 1993, GM ent ered the New Generation of Vehicles partnership alongside Chrysler and Ford to promote the development of more fuel efficient vehicles. This was a major step for all three automakers as they were, and still are, the main three American rival automakers. The year 2003 saw GM bow out of the defense industry when it sold GM Defense to General Dynamics; this was indicative of a renewed focus on fuel efficiency, and in 2004, GMShow MoreRelatedEssay on General Motors Company922 Words   |  4 Pagesby General Motors Company, or better known as GM. GM is the 2nd largest car manufacture in the world (General Motors Company, 2011). They have provided millions, if not more, vehicles to the world. Thanks to GM, many of the popular vehicle brands that are available, they have produced. You can understand how vital GM has been to the automotive world when you find out that â€Å"it was the world’s largest car maker from 1931 to 2008, when it was surpassed by Toyota† (Costantini). The history of GM datesRead MoreEssay on General Motors1323 Words   |  6 PagesGeneral Motors was founded in September of 1908 by William Durant during a time that there were less than 8,000 in the United States. Durant was already known in Flint, Michigan for his horse drawn vehicles. â€Å"At its inception GM held only the Buick Motor Company, but in a matter of years would acquire more than 20 companies including Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Oakland, today known as Pontiac.†(History Heritage-Creation,† 2014) General Motors set the tone in the automobile industry with designRead MoreGeneral Motors Strategic Plan Analysis Essay1212 Words   |  5 Pagespaper will discuss General Motor’s (GM) mission, vision, objectives, and goals, along with General Motors compared and contrasted by management styles with Toyota Corporation whom adopted total quality management (TQM). The paper will discuss characteristics of Toyota Corporation TQM with General Motors and t he extent to which Toyota Corporation TQM practices can integrate into General Motors management practices. In 1968, General Motors became the first automotive company to establish a formalRead MoreGm Financial Report Analysis Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the worlds largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. General Motors was founded 1908, in Flint, Michigan and currently employs approximately 284,000 people around the world. GMs global headquarters is the Renaissance Center located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, They currently manufacture their cars and trucks in 35 different countries. Its European headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland, and its Holden headquartersRead MoreGm Financial Report Analysis Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the worlds largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. General Motors was founded 1908, in Flint, Michigan and currently employs approximately 284,000 people around the world. GMs global headquarters is the Renaissance Center located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, They currently manufacture their cars and trucks in 35 different countries. Its European headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland, and its Holden headquartersRead MoreStrategic Plan Analysis1277 Words   |  6 Pagespaper will discuss General Motor’s (GM) mission, vision, objectives, and goals, along with General Motors compared and contrasted by management styles with Toyota Corporation whom adopted total quality management (TQM). The paper will discuss characteristics of Toyota Corporation TQM with General Motors and the extent to which Toyota Corporation TQM practices can integrate into General Motors management practices. In 1968, General Motors became the first automotive company to establish a formalRead MoreGeneral Motors Company : The Automotive Industry1103 Words   |  5 PagesGeneral Motors Company Billy Durant was a young man who worked as an itinerant salesman while managing bowling alleys. While working as a salesman and managing bowling alleys Durant, founded an organization that became the United States largest industrial company nationwide. In 1886, Durant launched a manufacturing horse-drawn carriage business and over the next several years he invested lots of his own money in notable manufacturers such a Buick Motor Company. By 1908, Durant created GeneralRead MoreThe General Motor Corporation And Alfred Sloan1406 Words   |  6 PagesThe General Motor Corporation and Alfred Sloan Khanh Do Phuong Phan Operation Management Fall 2015 Writing Paper Introduction There are few of important personalities who have made tremendous contribution to the process of industrialization of America. These industrialists help the economy of the country improving and developing. One of such famous inventor who has significant contribution to the operational management of the auto industry back in the old time was Alfred Sloan Jr. Sloan was knownRead MoreBackground Information : Chevy Volt Essay726 Words   |  3 PagesProduct and History of the Firm General Motors Chevrolet Volt is the world’s second production series hybrid-electric vehicle. It has both an electric traction motor and a gasoline engine. Its best feature is that once its 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack is drained, the 1.4 liter 4 cylinder engine switches on. When this happens it does not drive the wheels mechanically like other hybrids, instead it turns a 55 kilowatt generator that provides current to the 111 kilowatt electric motor and powersRead MoreGeneral Motors, Gm, And Its Effect On The Heart Of Detroit, Michigan Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pageswas the year William C. Durant founded the General Motors Company in the heart of Detroit, Michigan. Throughout the ups and downs of General Motors, they still prove to be one of the leading companies in automotive production. From the founding of GM in 1908 till present day; General Motors has made strong investments, and joint ventures regarding their company s’ success. Much of GM’s early inves tments were to acquire the assistance of other companies, whether it be producing steering wheels at

Compare and Contrast Early and Late Marriage - 750 Words

Marriage is an inevitable stage of our life. However, people debate over the pros and cons of early marriage and late marriage. Some people get married early just because of their environment and culture. Some have to marry their partner due to pregnancy or other social issues. In some parts of the world, people focus more on education and career and they prefer to marry late. Undoubtedly, the marriage is one of the most important institutions of the society. Each person in the world would like to get married as a consequence, they want to have their children and their houses which is they can live. However, there is a comparison and contrast on marrying young or marrying late. The first difference in marrying late or marrying early is†¦show more content†¦Some young people decide to get married even without any sources to existing. The reason for lack of money in a young family is not only a low income but also radiant expectations of the young. Teenagers think they will be able to buy all that things immediately while their parents have needed years for achieving such wealth. Having baby at early twenties can have some other advantages in early marriage compare to late marriage. In such cases, parents and children would grow up in similar culture and they can have more understandings to each other. Before the age of 50, they can be more relaxed because the children will be old enough to take care of themselves. When their children become teenagers, they’re still young enough to be not just their parents, but also their friends. Late marriage will result in late childbirth which is not very ideal for both mother’s and baby’s health. Then, people will give birth to fewer children than those in early marriages. Some might even plan to adopt one. Having fewer children means less bound between husband and wife. Parents are too old by the time their children get married. Probably not even chance to see their grandchildren. Companionship exist in both early and late marriage. In a marriage there is always someone to talk to or to listen to you. Sometimes, of course, your spouse might not be really listening to you but it is still more satisfying than talking to yourself. It is goodShow MoreRelatedThe Movement Of The 18th And 17th Century Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pagesin a poet’s zone invariably sets you inside a poetic movement or community. Major poetic movements include Greek Poetry Schools (6th century BC), Provencal literature (11th-12th century), Silican court poets (mid 13th to early 14th centuries), Elizabeth and Romantican poets (late 16th- 17th century), American Transcendentalists, Paris expatriate (Surrealist) and Beat poets (20th Century). These movements have been fundamental to change the course of poetry in and out of their eras. This essay willRead MoreChaucer s Canterbury Tales And The Wife Of Bath s Tale1167 Words   |  5 PagesPrologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath s Tale† , which is written by Geoffrey Chaucer, takes place during the late 5th and early 6th century during King Arthur’s reign of Great Britain. During this era, society was structured in a totally different manner than the society another piece of didactic literature targeted such as Lessons for Women by Bon Zhao. Bon Zhao’s writing applied to the women of the late Ming and Qing dynasty, which holds a lot of differences compared to the medieval society of Great BritainRead MoreComparing Opera Seria to Orfeo Ed Euridice by Gluck and the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart1229 Words   |  5 Pages Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck, was written in 1762 and The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart was written in 1786. It is interesting to analyse the changes and developments from opera seria to these two examples. During the eighteenth century, composers wrote in a style of opera called opera seria. Opera seria had the following characteristics: They used similar plots involving a hero and usually some sort of conflict of human passions, and these operas were often based on a story from an ancientRead MoreComparing The Parents And Child s Views On Marriage1187 Words   |  5 PagesJack Major Mr. Holland English 1-2CP 28 May 2015 The Contrast of the Parents’ and Child’s Views on Marriage: Romeo and Juliet Love is an intricate and complex emotion that has varying amounts of true affection. One might think he is in love with someone, but once he meets a different person, he may change his affection. Generally people agree that love is the highest form of affection, an emotion that produces deeply happy feelings that few events can disrupt. This is true in Shakespeare’s RomeoRead MoreAnalysis Of One Flesh 1565 Words   |  7 Pagesfather and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.† The passage explains that once a man and a woman marry, they unite together as one. In some ways, the title can be seen as ironic as many would presume the poem would describe marriage. Instead, it describes a relationship that is very estranged and distant. The title of the poem creates an image of unity and togetherness however, this is contradicted in the opening line, â€Å"Lying apart now, each in a separate bed,† causing someRead More A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin988 Words   |  4 Pagescharacters and compare and contrast them in multiple, detailed ways. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a short story with third party narration, centered on the main character, Emily Grierson. She is suppressed by her father, life expectations and community interest in her life. The reader gets a sense that Emily cracks under all the pressure and they soon realize after her death, when she is in her seventies, that she did in fact have a mental disorder. The second story in contrast is The StoryRead MoreWuthering Heights By Emily Bronte1337 Words   |  6 PagesWuthering Heights Essay Edgar Linton is a character in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà «. From early life to death, he resides at the cultivated Thrushcross Grange with his family. He becomes entangled with the affairs of the Earnshaws and eventually a target of Heathcliff. His spoiled and comfortable childhood allows his cowardice to continue to adulthood, proving him an ineffective character whose passiveness warrants Heathcliff’s vengeance. As an adolescent, Edgar displays tracesRead MoreData Analysis. In This Chapter, I Compare And Contrast1718 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis In this chapter, I compare and contrast representations of gender and motherhood in two pop culture sites—the film The Kids Are All Right, the television series The Fosters. My intention is to examine representations of gender and motherhood and uncover these discourses affect lesbian parents and lesbians more broadly. The following sections divide into individual discussions of each cultural text to reveal the cogs within each site. I then compare and contrast both texts to investigate theRead MoreGender Asymmetry, Emotion Work and Its Role in Gender Power Relations1242 Words   |  5 Pagesperiod, Couples seek incompatible emotional goals in marriage most (though not all) men seek a life in common with their wives, a home life, a physical and psychological base, somewhere to set out from and return to - in contrast, the wives wanted a common life with an empathetic partner, a close exchange of intimacy which would make them feel valued as a person not just as a wife. To begin in the marriage at different ideals, will this cause an inevitable asymmetryRead MoreCompare and Contrast Women’s Suffrage Movements Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Compare and contrast women’s suffrage movements of the late nineteenth and early centuries with the European feminist movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s.† Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains

Exercise Problems Essay Example For Students

Exercise Problems Essay Exercise 1 7 problems part l: Answers 1. The temperature contrast between the equator and the Arctic region is greatest in the winter, because the Arctic region is furthest away from the Sun during that time. 2. (a) The one region of the world where the hypothetical isotherm pattern is actually observed is in the Southern Hemisphere, starting at approximately 300 S. (b) The hypothetical pattern is seen here, because the oceanic and atmospheric circulations in this region constantly run from west to east with the West Wind Drift. This drift directly influences the temperatures in this region, and keeps this hypothetical pattern stable. . (a) The influence of cool ocean currents on coastal temperatures is more pronounced in summer. (b) Cool currents deflect isotherms equatorial, whereas warm currents deflect them pollard (Hess, 201 4, p 101). Cool currents produce the greatest isothermal bends in the warm season (Hess, 2014, p 101). A) Comparing the January map with the July map, the one region of the world that exhibits a large annual temperature range is the Eurasian continental mass, (b) Enormous seasonal variations in temperature occur in the interiors of high-latitude continents, and continental areas in general experience such greater ranges than do equivalent oceanic latitudes (Hess, 2014, p 103). (c) One region of the world that exhibits a small annual temperature range is the Southeastern Asian tropics. D) This average temperature fluctuates only slightly from season to season in the tropics, particularly over tropical oceans (Hess, 4, p 103). The areas that are closest to the equator will experience slight temperature ranges annually because they constantly receive the vertical rays of the Sun. Exercise 17 Problems Part II: Answers Starting in the west, point the actual FCC isotherm dips just below the hypothetical position. This could possibly be due to the Alaskan Current pushing cooler water along the coast. Going inland to North America (AN), the temperature slightly raises to 21 co. The highest temperatures also are found over the continents (Hess, 2014, p 102). The further east you go across AN, the actual CHIC isotherm Starts to come down closer to the hypothetical position. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the temperature stays consistent and close to the hypothetical position. Once you reach Europe, and continue east, the temperature begins to rise, and that could be again be due to the large land ass and rising altitudes, such as the Himalayas and Mongolia Plateau that can reach temperatures as high as CHIC. Moving west, into eastern Russia and China, temperatures drop off dramatically; back down to ICC as you approach the Eastern Chinese coast, where the cool Sashays Current can impact temperatures. Exercise 17 Problems Part Ill: Answers l. The primary factor that explains the different temperature patterns of SST. Louis and Oakland is altitude. 2. The warmest month tot summer is different in SST. Louis than Oakland is because of altitude, However, one can make a case for land-water contrasts as well. The maritime environment in Oakland takes longer to warm up, and keeps the bay area cooler, longer, 3, SST. Louis has colder winters than Norfolk because of the land-water contrasts. Warm current from the American Southeast directly affects the temperatures in Norfolk. 4. Although both are coastal cities, compared to Oakland, Norfolk has a very continental temperature pattern, because Of the Wind pattern. In Norfolk, most Of the air flows off the North American continent, which has a continental climate. In Oakland, the air masses flow Off the Pacific Ocean, Which has a maritime environment. 5. The primary factor that explains the difference in temperature patterns between Fairbanks and SST. .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .postImageUrl , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:hover , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:visited , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:active { border:0!important; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:active , .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0 .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ube6cf4397a2d7f9f0da0d0f40384a8e0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Edna St. Vincent Millay EssayLouis is latitude. 6. The primary factor that explains the difference in temperature patterns between Fairbanks and None is land-water contrasts. 7. Lieu has a smaller annual temperature range than Oakland because it is exposed to the sun regularly, being closer to the equator. Oakland is higher in latitude and is closer to the Sun during summer, and further away during the winter, This causes Oakland to have a larger temperature range than Lieu. 8. The difference in temperature patterns between Lieu and Killable is altitude.

Good life free essay sample

At the end of our lives, we all want to be able to feel as though the life that we lived on earth was a good and happy one. This seems like the ultimate goal that we strive for every day. However, the question arises as to how we can meet this goal by the way that we live our daily lives. If you were to ask random people on the street how they live a good and happy life, each person would give you a different answer. This is because everyone has a different perspective of what is important to make this life a good and happy life, and everyone has the control to make this life possible. What would I say if someone asked me how I plan to live a good and happy life? Personally, my answer would be that living a good and happy life would be living virtuously and living a meaningful life through my passion for helping others through nursing and also through my faith. There are many people that have studied these aspects of what a good and happy life would look like and have different views on what really defines what it means to live in a virtuous and meaningful way. According to the Stoics, their idea of virtue was moral goodness, doing what is right, just, honorable and wise, but I believe that being virtuous goes beyond being morally perfect. So, what does being virtuous actually mean to me? Being virtuous means consciously striving to do what is right, and learning from our mistakes, and continually growing to be a better person. In Joel Kupperman’s book, Six Myths About the Good Life, there is a quote that reads â€Å"There has to be a learning process; part of this inevitable will involve moral decisions, made by someone who is still inexperienced and who may be under pressure. I believe that making mistakes is part of our human nature, but that does not mean that we cannot be virtuous people. We can still live a virtuous life by learning from the mistakes that we have made. So, how does this view of virtue ensure that I live a good and happy life? Living a virtuous life require us to do what is right, and feel good about those decisions that we have made. It is important to learn from our mistakes, because in return, we will grow as people, and hopefully not continue to make those same mistakes. A life full of doing bad things, will only leave us with a life full of regrets at the end, but living virtuously will prevent us from living a life of regrets and in return will ensure a good life. Someone might disagree by saying that virtue is not important because anyone could live a good and happy life by doing bad things and stomping on the people around them for their own good. But, what is this person going to think at the end of their lives? What good did they do here on earth? That person would not look back at their lives as a good life and would ultimately not end up happy with it. Yes, I am sure this person was happy at certain points throughout their life, but the ultimate goal here is to end up with a good and happy life. A good and happy life means doing good things, and feeling joy through those good things that we have done. Aristotle believes that the most pleasant life, and presumably the happiest, is a life of virtuous or excellent activity. (Haybron p. 48) This means that a life of just doing good acts is just a part of the big picture. Doing good and also living a life full of meaningful and worthwhile activities is the key to a good and happy life. This leads into my second aspect of a good and happy life, which is living a meaningful life. How does one live a meaningful life? I believe that living a meaningful life means living beyond yourself, working towards something that has value to you and also to other people, and doing something that is worthwhile in the end. It means not just existing on this earth, but living a life that you would be willing to live over again. A quote from Haybron’s book reads â€Å"Any life devoted to worthwhile ends is meaningful. This means that doing something that will have worthwhile end results for not only you but the people around you is doing something meaningful. How does living this meaningful life make our lives good and happy lives? Living a meaningful life is ultimately living an emotionally fulfilling life. We will find pride and happiness in doing things that are valuable and meaningful to us, and will ultimately lead to a good and happy life. Haybron goes as far to say that â€Å"The full measure of happiness requires that we connect, in our lives, with what seems to us to matter. This means that we will not even experience our full potential happiness if we do not engage in meaningful activities. So, if a key part of a good and happy life is just doing something that is meaningful, then someone may argue that any useless activity that someone finds meaningful will lead to a good life. For example, someone who sits on the bathroom floor counting tiles because that is something that they find very meaningful and valuable, would not be viewed as someone who is living a good and happy life to most people. This concept of doing meaningful things then must go farther than just doing things that are meaningful to us personally. This is where Haybron talks about finding something that is not only valuable to oneself but also other people. A quote from his book reads, â€Å"The most meaningful lives will combine subjective and objective meaning: appreciative engagement with what genuinely matters. † The most meaningful life then must mean engaging in activities that have an equal balance between personal meaning and also meaning to others. Through my 20 years of age, I discovered what this meaning is for me. I plan to live a meaningful life by helping others through my nursing practices and also through my faith. Helping others and making a difference in their lives through the nursing skills that I have acquired, and also the knowledge that I share about my faith, is my passion in life. According the studies done my Mihaly Csikszentmehalyi people find the most pride and joy in doing activities that they can get caught up in. He refers to them as flow experiences, and explains that these flow experiences are important to our happiness. I completely agree with what this stands for. I find that my true happiness comes from when I am engaged in situations of helping other people; not only physically but also spiritually. The feeling that I receive by giving others a better life, is a feeling of happiness that I do not find in anything else I do. I could not fill my life with enough pleasures, relationships, or belongings to ever feel as though I would be living as good and happy of a life as I plan on living, without living out my mission and passion for helping others physically and spiritually. Although this is my plan to secure a good and happy life, this may not be applicable for everyone, but living a good and happy life is most definitely achievable. Like it states in our constitution, we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This does not entail that our happiness is given to us, but rather it is something that we have the freedom to strive for, and find the things that will ensure us this good and happy life. In regards to my own life, I find this attainable by living virtuously and by living a meaningful life through my passion for helping others through nursing and also through my faith. By living in such a way, I can live happily knowing that I am doing good and making a difference in people’s lives that will end in something that was worthwhile. Drawing from other readings and other’s opinions, I have been reassured that it is possible to live a good and happy life through just these two aspects of virtue and meaning. I plan to live in this way in hopes that when my life comes to an end I can believe that it was a good and happy life.

4 Reasons You Need Volunteer Work On Your Resume

4 Reasons You Need Volunteer Work On Your Resume We all know volunteering experience can really jazz up a resume. But it’s hard to find the time to balance that sort of extracurricular pursuit with acquiring all the skills and knowledge needed in your field. It’s hard to tell when volunteering would actually, specifically, directly help you in your job search. Here are four situations where some volunteer work on your resume would be a major asset:1. You’ve just graduatedYour only relevant experience is academic, perhaps with an internship or two. Volunteering at this stage in your career can be fabulous for building your network and helping you find jobs, and also for padding your resume to help you get one. Try to find an opportunity that complements your chosen career path and you’ll be well on your way.2. You’re unemployed and have been (or will be) for a whileKeep yourself current and prove that, even though you may not have found a suitable job opportunity in the interval, you’ve kept yourself busy and motivated and have kept your skills sharp. It’s also a great way to make new connections. You never know who might help you find your next job.3. You want to change careersWhile you start to build up skills and expertise in the new career you’re angling to change into, volunteering can be a great way to get your feet wet and break into that world. It shows your passion for your field, and will start helping you to make valuable networking connections, plus learning things that will serve you in the course of your career switch.4. You don’t know what you want to doIt’s okay to come out of school and not know exactly what you want to be when you grow up. Volunteer work is a great way to try out different fields and get a feel for what rewards you and challenges you most. Play around. Worst case scenario? You haven’t wasted time, you’ve helped to make a difference.

Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet) essays

Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet) essays Mum Bett was born in 1742 to enslaved parents in Claverack, NY. Her master was a Dutchman named Pieter Hogeboom. Colonel John Ashley of Sheffield, Massachusetts acquired Mum Bett and her sister, Lizzy, from their owner when he married Hogeboom's daughter, Hannah. While in the house one day Ashley, attempted to strike Mum Bet's sister, Lizzy, with a heated kitchen shovel. Mum Bett interceded and received a blow to the arm from which she never regained full use. Afterwards, she left the Ashley house and refused to return. Mum Bett worked as a server during a committee meeting and listened while committee members talked about the Bill of Rights and the new state constitution, she decided that if all people were born free and equal then she deserved to be free also. She decided to sue for her freedom. She appealed to Theodore Sedgewick, a lawyer from Stockbridge. Massachusetts and committee member to represent her in her judicial quest for freedom. She heard him speak out against slavery while at Ashleys home and was able to persuade him to take the case. Later, another one of Ashleys slaves joined the law suit creating Brom Brom 1. Massachusetts had no law in existence that supported the institution of slavery 2. If there was a law, it would have been annulled because the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 stated that all people were born free and equal The jury ruled in favor of Brom and Bett and Mom Bett won her freedom. She was the first enslaved African American to sue for her freedom and win. This case was later used as a precedent for other cases and contributed to the termination of slavery in Massachusetts. Mom Bett changed her name to Elizabeth Freeman and worked as a paid Domestic helper ...

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Answer questions - Essay Example These dimensions can be used to determine exercise behavior as shown by numerous studies, such as Arais study in Japan and Rhodes and Smith study (Define Personality: Enduring characteristics that are important to a persons behavior) can frequently be related to personality. The conclusion of the studies showed that Extraversion could be associated with being active and hence pertained to individuals who would exercise more whereas Introversion could be related to a less active behavior. Furthermore it showed that athlete’s had a tendency to be more extroverted, emotionally stable and in some few cases psychotic. (Web) Stage 2 – Fixation/ Diversification – Ensuring the movement is consistent within the current environment and then adapting the movement accordingly so that the performance turns out to be successful. (Web) To clearly understand these two stage let’s look at the example of how playing long-tennis can incorporate the effective use of these two stages. It incorporates the key elements in form of body movement and object manipulation. In the first stage the player will focus on understanding how he must organize his movement to successfully serve to his advantage. He then determines how relevant what move or playing position will be by using the available information for the motor skills. In the second stage, before the opponent strikes the ball in your direction you hold still or shit from spot to spot it depends, (fixate) until you decide what direction the ball might head towards. And finally you incorporate diversification in your movement with perhaps a tennis forehand drive out of reach of opponent. Hence you incorporate key elements of body movement and object manipulation of Gentile’s Model in playing Tennis. According Nideffer’s (1981) framework of the theory of Attentional and Personal Style is used mainly in the process of

Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economy - Essay Example The liquidity crunch was the effect of fall in production due to the global financial crisis. Due to the debt crisis, there was shortage of liquidity for which the employment level was affected for which the income level of the people was reduced (Allen, 1999, p.35). Due to fall in the income level and availability of funds, the spending of the people was also lowered. A lower level of spending gave rise to fall in demand in the economy and the sale of products and services also shattered for the companies. The decrease in sale of products and services led to increase in inventory and the revenue earned by the companies and their profitability were lowered. This forced the businesses to reduce their total productive capacities as a result of which the total goods and services in Europe was lowered. Thus the gross domestic product of the European Union was lowered with the European national producing goods and services at a much lesser volume. The reduction in the GDP of the European economy again fuelled the lowering of income levels, subsequent spending and further production in the economy. This could be explained from the circular flow of income as given below. The output produced by the firms determines the productivity level in the economy. This output is determined by the expenditures or the level of spending of the households. The level of spending of the household again depends on the income levels. This income level is determined according to the payments of wages by the firms to their employees who are the household earners. The payment is done for receipt of services required for production of goods. Thus all the above activities in the economy are linked by a circular flow of income. The flow of money in the economy is also contributed by the net government spending. The net government spending is the difference between actual amount spent by the government and the amount earned by the government through levy of taxes. Due to fall in demand of the e conomy, the government spending also reduced in order to maintain a balance with the tax income. The tax income is lowered as there is a fall in the income level of the population. The governments of European Union designed appropriate monetary and fiscal policies to rescue the economy from the staged of recession (Mishkin, 2007, p.25). The interest rates were revised and subsidies were received to boost the income level and production of the economy. Due to the fall in demand in the economy, the net exports also suffered due to reduction in productive capacities which affected the balance of payments and the foreign exchange earnings. This created an impact on the currency conversion rates of Euro. Consequences of drop in demand for Fitnesse Due to the drop in demand in the economy and reduction in spending of the people, the business and profitability of Fitnesse have shown signs of vulnerability. Fitnesse is a centre for recreation and sporting activities that provides excellent infrastructural facilities to its members and also organises tournaments on squash and lifestyle sessions. The centre provides personal fitness training facilities, swimming pool, gymnasiums, body massage and maintenance facilities, restaurants and bars for health and recreation. These

Why woman should not ever have an Abortion Essay

Why woman should not ever have an Abortion - Essay Example God condemns abortion. The reason abortion is prohibited is not just the fact that it is murder, but also because of a whole range of consequences that it causes. In many cases, abortion poses risk to the life of the mother. Even if the mother survives the initial risk, she is quite susceptible to bearing the huge burden of guilt of having killed her own child. Many mothers experience many negative emotional and psychological effects of abortion for a long time in their life. Owing to the fact that life starts at conception, every abortion results in the killing of a human being. To make it even worse, that human being cannot even speak for his/her rights, he/she does not even know about any rights, and is in the most innocent form. The moment a child starts developing inside the mother’s womb, the mother’s body does not remain just her body, but also becomes a home shared by her child. All these points lead to the conclusion that abortion should be

Outsourcing ICT In The Tesco Company

Outsourcing ICT In The Tesco Company This is a report about Tescos company ICT outsourcing, knowledge management and knowledge management systems. In the following paragraphs two questions are going to be answered and analyzed according to the information existing in Tescos case. Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organizations as an approach to strategic management. Access the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organization such as Tesco. The great competition and the global economic crisis that organizations have to face nowadays, made Information Communications Technology outsourcing a really attractive management tool in order to cut expenses in non-core activities, specific in overheads of Information Technology departments. By deciding to outsource, there would be a lot of benefits but also a number of risks associated with it. It is important for a decision maker to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT outsourcing, before making the decision to outsource. Outsourcing ICT has to do with the whole existing information in the business field. It is about networks, web design, programming, online shops etc. Network services is the most common ICT services activity outsourced and outsourcers who do not comply with contract will badly influence the organizations process in a very risky way. The Technology of information and communication is growing fast and the vendor business has to be updated and synchronized with the era of 2010. So it would be far easier for them to sell their products and serving their customers in every possible way. Big organizations that have to deal with so many products from soap to bread it would be more difficult to take the risk and create their own Information and communication department from scratch and keep it upgraded while their whole process is running. The result of this difficulty in Tescos case is to outsource ICT specific functions to Trilogy Company. The advantages of outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. ICT is vital to Tesco. Every aspect of their operation is controlled or monitored by ICT stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods, and so on. ICT is essential to the running of a modern store. It is used for planning, monitoring, auditing and communicating between store operations. For example, when an item has its barcode read at the checkout, the system not only logs the price onto the till, but also logs the financial transaction between Tesco and the customer and the fact that the stock has been reduced by one item. This shows the integration of departments by using ICT. All stores are connected to the mainframe at Head Office via the Tesco Network. Another advantage of Outsourcing ICT from a business perspective is that organizations are realizing that owning and operating their own IT infrastructure no longer makes sense. The cost of that is much bigger and the results are never guaranteed. This coupled with the common resource lack make outsourcing a viable alternative. It is very important for organizations to adopt the right approach of outsourcing ICT in order to have benefits. The outsourced ICT selected company they are going to cooperate with, must follow certain organizations demands. First they have to manage well specific ICT functions in stages, to work with responsibility over review performance, to make adjustments and to support technically with experienced system engineers. The gained confidence and in-house acceptance by the organization as well a very good relationship and cooperation will give the best benefits in the organizations performance. With the right approach and the suitable outsourcing of ICT the organizations will manage to stay high at the competitive edge in the market. Serving the customers in the best way and surprising with new ways of purchasing their products (for ex. via online-shops), their loyalty will be kept and the margins will be increased. A big company like Tesco has many sub-stores, some in the same country and some abroad. The communication between them and the line the company sets everywhere should be well established. ICT helps in this area and it is the primary reason that chain branches use ICT. In summary outsourcing ICT for a company such as Tesco is important for increasing the ability to reach the goals of the company, reduce human risks, saving time, helping the company to stay competitive and minimize the operating costs. The Disadvantages of Outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. As it was already mentioned above, the outsourcing ICT has also disadvantages that raise the risk the company has to take. For example, at times, it is more cost-effective to conduct a particular business process, rather than outsourcing it, not that much in IT but maybe the companys upgrade wants are small and opposed to the ICT Companys big fees. When you begin to outsource your business processes, you might find it difficult to manage the offshore provider when compared to managing processes within your organization. In case, your outsource ICT service provider becomes bankrupt or goes out of business, your organization will have to transfer immediately the business processes in-house or find another outsourcing provider The employees in your organization might not like the idea of outsourcing your processes and they might express lack of interest or lack of quality at work. Also outsourcing can create potential redundancies for your organization because a lot of employees may lose their jobs. Your outsourcing provider might not be the right who is providing services for your organization. Also the quality of the service isnt always guaranteed, especially in low-price agreements. Since your provider might be catering the needs of several companies, there might be not be complete devotion to you and your company something that shouldnt happen if you own the ICT department. In outsourcing, you may lose control over the process that is outsourced and dont be able to fix something in time because you are not in charge of this field. Outsourcing, though cost-effective, might have hidden costs, such as the legal costs incurred while signing a contract between companies and you might also have to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the contract signed. There can be several disadvantages in outsourcing, such as, renewing contracts, misunderstanding of the contract, lack of communication, poor quality and delayed services amongst others. The disadvantages of outsourcing give to organizations an opportunity to think about what they are stepping into. However if you find a reliable outsourcing partner you probably wont face any of these disadvantages of outsourcing. Question 2 What do you understand by Knowledge management and knowledge management systems? Analyze how useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. Knowledge Management refers to the process of collecting the gathered experience of a company or organization, whether it is in databases or documents, or even in the minds of executives of the company or organization and then share it and use it at those parts of the business that will provide the maximum contributory benefit. KM has been growing rapidly in the last years as a business model. More and more businesses and organizations have developed stores of knowledge related to customer service, product development, human resource management, etc. This fact also created new jobs related to knowledge management and made a necessity for the existence of knowledge management in a modern business and the need for trained managers to be responsible for the process. Nowadays fields like media, information, computer science, public policy and public health have started contributing to Knowledge Management research. Also non-profit organizations and huge companies have resources specific to internal Knowledge Management efforts, usually as a part of their business strategy, human resource management and information technology departments. There are many consulting companies that advice and provide strategy regarding KM to the organizations. For the better use of Knowledge Management the companies needed to use Knowledge Management Systems   mostly IT based systems that manage the knowledge in companies , gather it, storage it and sharing it as information. Such systems as Software tools, databases, networks, Internet access, worldwide communication etc. A KM system is needed to enable employees to have quick access to the organizations databases, sources of information, and solutions, this is mainly helping to encourage innovation and improve efficiency. When employees have the knowledge or information and are able to use it at the right time, relationships with customers, suppliers and dealers improve. These workers are able to make better decisions by using the information that their company gives them access to. How useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. A Company like Tesco today has to gather the wisdom and knowledge as fast as they can. Share the results across the rest of their branches and at the same time continue to develop and share new knowledge. Tescos leaders know how serious is to let the knowledge flow within the organization. Tesco is consist of 220,000 human beings, which means that is necessary to make an environment that would help their staff feel motivated and valued with return the better service to their customers. Loyalty is basically driven by personal relationships and the employees are the face of the company when a customer enters a Tesco branch. From the results of the projects that have been taking place they realized that there were customers who were not experiencing warm and friendly service from Tesco and that internal levels of staff morale were suffering in reaction to increasingly ambitious cost and efficiency targets in stores. Trilogy (WhatIf, InterAction and Bridge consulting companies) was hired by Tesco to help transform the quality of its customer service and raise it to the market-leading standard. To reach the needs of Tescos millions of customers Trilogy developed the Living Service Programme. The main idea of this concept was to change for the best. It was also clear that its aim was the change of process and not the change of the people but by, with and for Tesco people. In many ways the Living Service Programme is Tescos recognition, through committed investment of time and money. Among the projects significant intangible benefits is the widely noted enhancement in the quality of dialogue and communication within stores. Staffs report that the them and us culture is practically a thing of the past, with deep effects on the work climate and employee attitudes to the company. The programme was designed to improve commitment bottom-up as well top-down in the organization and this needed to be clear to avoid the misunderstandings. It was undertaken by 660 stores in 26 weeks, in this period the staff trained to provide excellent service and cooperation with the other employees and also using the knowledge/information when needed. The usefulness of LSProgramme was obvious to the head managers of Tesco and the Trilogy Company but from the employees there was skepticism. People often feel vulnerable to the importation of techniques that may appear to criticize their behavior, values, and styles of interaction. Also Initiatives with really innovative attributes may be treated with suspicion if they come from the organizations leadership because their apparent oddity can be interpreted as a failure to understand the day to day reality of the business. One of the key enemies of change is the perception that change is being imposed by one group upon another. Tesco managed to redirect the evolution of its culture in a way that keyed into its employees beliefs and motivations while focusing faithfully on the needs of its customers. This was a project in which the personal became the practical: a case of cultural change carried out at the human scale, person by person, and action by action.

Politics in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Politics in Heart Of Darkness Anyone can read Heart Of Darkness and easily sense the attitude of Conrad toward English politics. Many times throughout Heart Of Darkness Conrad points out the pointlessness and savagery of English colonization. Conrad also comments a bit on society as a whole. With these two ideas added to the book, there is no wonder of why Heart of Darkness is such a touching novel. Through several examples, Conrad often shows the pointlessness and savagery of the English colonization in Africa. Probably the first instance of this is when Marlow comes up to the French-man who is "shelling the bush". In this scene, the French see something move and so they start shelling it for that reason. The shelling really does no good; if fact, it probably does not even kill what is out there. This represents what the English are doing in a way -- they are trying to conquer a land by shelling it to death and by trying to kill all the people who live there. The next example that Conrad gives is when he sees the black guard, who is leading the black slaves in a chain gang, straighten up when he sees a white man. What this shows is how everyone tries to look better than they are when they are in front of a supposed superior person. Also it shows that if a person can suck up enough -- and sometimes betray their own people -- they can move up in the world. Probably the biggest example of the pointless of colonization is when Marlow is walking around and he sees big holes just around, a train and tools rusting to pieces, and when he hears blasts that seem to do nothing. What this shows is that the English presence in Africa does no good but create a empty hole in it (the big hole), that the English are just was wasting their time and money on a needless project (the rusting objects), and that the English seem to do nothing in Africa (the pointless blasting). One the final examples that he gives is the manager. This manager is all dressed up in "proper" clothes, must have everything in a perfect order, and complains about the sick man in the corner of the room. This symbolizes how uncaring the English are in their pursuit for ivory.

Psychological Disorders Essay

Psychological Disorder Analysis This psychological analysis is about Maria a 42 year old Hispanic female who comes into the mental health clinic complaining of feeling jumpy all of the time, she has trouble sleeping and is enable to concentrate on her work as an accountant. These symptoms are causing problems for her at work. There can be many causes for her symptoms but to get to the root of her issue a clinical assessment, diagnoses, and proper treatment for her disorder will be submitted. Maria comes into the clinic complaining of having trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy all the time, she has trouble concentrating on her work which seems to be causing an issue. A clinical interview is done first on Maria to attain some background information. Clinical interviews questions are 1. What brings her to the clinic? 2. When did these feelings start and did an event trigger them? 3. Do these feelings last long? 4. What is her relationship with her parents? 5. What is her relationship with her siblings? 6. What type of work does she do? 7. What are her romantic relationships like? 8. What was her childhood experiences like? 9. What makes her happy? 10. Does she have any medical problems or medication she is taking? A possible disorder is causing her symptoms. Because information was not given concerning her background, family or social life Maria’s symptoms coincide with Dysthymic Disorder with major depression (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymic Disorder is known as double depression (Comer, 2011). It has symptoms of chronic and low level depression which reduces one’s ability to function. Some individuals with Dysthymia experience insomnia, or hypersomnia, poor appetite and overeating. They also experience poor concentration or have difficulty making decisions. Some fail to attend to daily hygiene, some experience low energy and low self esteem which cause them to overlook their daily duties or job responsibilities (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Most say they have been unhappy or sad all of their lives which cause them not maintain healthy relationships (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymia also causes changes in feeling, thinking, and physical well-being (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymic disorder share symptoms with major depression. Both disorders share symptoms such as sleep difficulties, shyness, and social withdrawal; poor work performance,  irritability, and conflict with family and friends (University Of Phoenix, 2007). The main difference between the two disorders is the intensity and duration of the disorder. With major depression symptoms are more severe such as the individual may be so depressed they cannot get out of bed and have thoughts of suicide whereas with Dysthymia the depression is more muted where the person is able to function on some level, he or she may be getting out of bed, but they may not groom themselves (University Of Phoenix, 2007). The other difference is major depression needs episodes that last for at least two weeks whereas dysthymic disorder symptoms persist for at least two years (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Major depression is also common with minorities. Minority groups that live below poverty or come from family wh ose environment was impoverished tend to suffer from depression in higher numbers (Comer, 2011). Gender also plays a role in major depression women are twice as likely as men to receive a diagnosis of depression (Comer, 2011). To assess her case the DSM-IV is used. According to what Maria says her symptoms meet the criteria on the DSM-IV. Maria must display two of her symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or longer (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Maria did not indicate in this case study how long she had been experiencing symptoms. The case study did not indicate Maria’s dress condition or hygiene neither did it indicate that she was shy or socially withdrawn. Maria may have developed dysthymic disorder through a behavioral process called learned helplessness. (University Of Phoenix, 2007). During an experiment dogs were placed in a cage with barricades and were exposed to a stimulus light which was followed by a shock (University Of Phoenix, 2007). They learned quickly through classical conditioning to fear the light (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In phase two of the experiment the shock was turned off and when the first group of dogs was exposed to the light they jumped over the barricade jumping to safety (Comer, 2011). When the second group of dogs encountered a large barrier they could not jump from the fear producing light to safety. When the light came on they ran around the cage barking and when they discovered escape was impossible they lay down and whimpered (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In ph ase 3 of this experiment all the barriers were removed, and the dogs could escape easily however, when the light came on the dogs that had been trapped made no effort to leave the cage, instead they lay down and whimpered (University Of Phoenix, 2007). What the experiment revealed is the dogs learned that even though they can escape nothing they can do will improve their conditions so in effect the dogs learned to be helpless (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Because Maria is Hispanic the multicultural perspective plays a role. Because of social norms, family structure, and background this should be all taken into account with minorities. Maria probably grew in an impoverish environment. Research shows that Hispanics are more likely to live a poorer environment that White American (Comer, 2011). Maria may feel that her life was precondition to remain this way even though she has made a life for herself as an accountant. Just like the dogs in her thinking she feels nothing she can do will change her conditions, even though she has opportunities to improve her life she has learned to be helpless which makes her sad and depressed which are symptoms of the disorder (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Multicultural research also shows that prejudice and discrimination against multicultural groups leads to higher anxiety and depression in minorities (Comer, 2011). Other probably causes for Maria’s disorder is a biological imbalance or hormonal imbalance like those seen in major depression. Biological theorist believes abnormal behavior as an illness is brought on by a malfunctioning organism in the brain or brain chemistry (Comer, 2011). The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons (Comer, 2011). When an electrical impulse reaches a neuron it is stimulated to release a certain chemical called a neurotransmitter which travels to receptors (Comer, 2011). These receptors travel to other neurons telling them to fire or not fire (Comer, 2011). Neurotransmitters play a key role in carrying information through the brain. In Maria’s case her neurotransmitters may be defective causing her symptoms (Comer, 2011). A hormonal imbalance can also trigger depressio n (Comer, 2011). A woman’s biological life changes as she ages triggering different hormone levels (Comer, 2011). Although hormonal changes cannot alone cause depression alone important social and life events that occur with puberty, pregnancy, or menopause can (Comer, 2011). To treat dysthymic disorder biological treatments such as psychotherapy and medications like Prozac and Tofranil have proven to be helpful in reducing symptoms (University Of Phoenix, 2007). A variety of psychotherapeutic approaches can work as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy can challenge Marias unrealistic ideas,  pessimistic expectations and self-critical evaluations (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Therapy can help her to have a more positive outlook on her life, and can help her to prioritize both opportunities and challenges concerning her life (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Multicultural treatments such as culture-sensitive therapy can be used in which the therapist addresses issues faced by minority groups (Comer, 2011). In addition behavioral oriented therapy can help her adapt better coping skills and help her communicate more effectively with friends and coworkers (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In this case study Maria went to the mental health clinic complaining of having trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy all the time, an inability to concentrate on her work as an accountant. Interview questions were asked which lead to a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder with major depression. Probable causes for her disorder are rooted in a neuro chemical imbalance or a learned helplessness from her environment (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Treatment for dysthymic disorder is psychotherapy and medication to reduce the symptoms (University Of Phoenix, 2007).

Power and Politics essays

Power and Politics essays Fran Gibson was placed in an awkward position when Jennifer Chung, a financial analyst in Ken Hamiltons Department came into her office at 6:45 a.m. to complain about Kens off-color comments made her when they were alone within a month after Jennifer joined Thompson. According to Jennifer, the situation worsen. Jennifer told Fran that Ken would leer her, put his arm over her shoulder when they were reviewing reports, patted her rear. Jennifer stated that every time one of these occurrences happened, she would ask him to stop it and not to do it again. However, according to Jennifer, it fell on deaf ears. Fran had to decide how to respond to Jennifers complaint since sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC's guidelines define two types of sexual harassment: "quid pro quo" and "hostile environment." Being the highest ranking woman at Thompson, Fran understood that unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute "quid pro quo" sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual. Fran also understood that unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute "hostile environment" sexual harassment when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. According to the EEOC, the central inquiry is whether the conduct "unreasonably interfered with an individual's work performance" or created "an intimidating, hos...

Satire and Comedy Essays

Satire and Comedy Essays Satire and Comedy Paper Satire and Comedy Paper Satire Satire is a term applied to any work of literature or art whose objective is ridicule. It has significant functions in social and political criticism. Satirical literature exposes foolishness in all its forms, such as vanity, hypocrisy, sentimentality etc. It also attempts to effect reform through such exposure. Satirists, therefore, design a work of literature focusing on human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings. They use satire as a literary technique to combat these vices and shortcomings, and to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony or other methods (New Encyclopedia Britannica, 1993, 10, 467). Satirical works are commonly critical. Hawthorn (2005:197) states, Satire attacks alleged vices and stupidities either of individuals or of whole communities or groups and its tools are ridicule, exaggeration and contempt. However, Sutherland (1958:2) points out that not all satirical works are equally critical. He argues that: 2 Some works are satirical throughout; in others the satire is only intermittent, one element in a more complex effect. The lines that separate the satirical from the unsatirical are often hard to define, either because the writer shifts easily and rapidly from one mood to another, or because the satirical tone is so rarefied as to be almost imperceptible. In addition to being critical, many satirical texts are humorous. To put it in Feinbergs words, crit icism and humor have to be present in a literary work to be called satiric (1967:60). Thus, it is the nature of satire to be humorous and critical in order to expose follies and vices of individuals and society, and if possible, to do justice to such erroneous practices. Several literary critics state that satire is a protean term that makes it difficult to come up with a fixed definition. In line with this, The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 2005, 23,173 states, together with its derivatives, it is one of the most heavily worked literary designations and one of the most imprecise. This book even goes to the extent of saying: No strict definition can encompass the complexity of a word that signifies, on one hand, a kind of literature as when one speaks of the satires of the Roman poet Horace or calls the American novelist Nathanael Wests A Cool Million a satire and, on the other hand, a mocking spirit or tone that manifests itself in many literary genres but can also enter into almos t any kind of human communication. Similarly, Feinberg (1967:18) points out that satire is such an amorphous genre that no two scholars define it in the same words. However, many literary scholars have attempted to give suitable working definitions based on their own perspectives. This does not exclude the definition stated in the 13 above source that states, Wherever wit is employed to expose something foolish or vicious, to criticism, there satire exists, whether it is in song or sermon, in painting or political debate, on television or in the movies. Nor does it disregard what Feinberg says in defining satire as: a playfully critical distortion of the familiar (1967:19). It is, therefore, important to mention the varying definitions of satire given by different writers at this point. One of the most widely accepted definitions of satire is the one that is given in A Glossary of Literary Terms by Abrams (1981:167). Abrams defines satire as: The literary art of diminishing a subject by making it ridiculous nd evoki ng toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, indignation or scorn. It differs from the comic in that comedy evokes laughter mainly as an end in itself, while satire derides; that it uses laughter as a weapon and against a butt existing outside the work itself. That butt may be an individual (in personal satire), or a type of person, a class, an institution, a nation or even (as in Rochesters A Satyr against Mankind and much of Swifts Gullivers Travels, especially Book IV) the whole race of man. The above definition emphasizes the principal notion of satire as a literary work in which human vice or folly are attacked through such techniques as irony, derision, or wit. Accordingly, it is the nature of satire to ridicule mans naive acceptance of individuals and institutions at face value (Feinberg, 1963:19). It is also acknowledged that satire gives us pleasure, for it presents the subject matter to scrutiny through humorous ways. 14 Robert Harris (2004), points out that the best definitions of satire should be formulated from a combination of its corrective intent and its literary method of execution. He quotes Thralls definition as an acceptable definition of satire as follows: A literary manner that blends a critical attitude with humor and wit to the end that human institutions or humanity may be improved. The true satirist is conscious of the frailty of institutions of mans devising and attempts through laughter not so much to tear them down as to inspire a remodeling. It is important to note in the above definition that satire involves the fusion of laughter and contempt. Inseparable from any definition of satire is its corrective purpose. Ian Gordon (2002) points out the corrective purpose of the satirist saying that the satirist stands in opposition to the current state of affairs, endeavoring to change things either to what they were in a recalled and often mythologized, past, or to what they might be in a preferred, and frequently Utopian, future. It may follow from the above definitions that the corrective purpose of satire is expressed through a critical mode that includes laughter and contempt. Scholes and Sullivan (1986:8) define satire based on the view of the world presented in a literary text. They argue, A work that presents a fictional world worse than the real world is in th e mode of anti-romance, or satire. They also suggest, The world of satire emphasizes ugliness and disorder. These authors claim remind us that the theme of sati re can be presented through different techniques in order to maintain standards, reaffirm values, and to come up with reforms in the society. 15 To put it briefly, satire is concerned with the nature of reality. It exaggerates or understates to criticize human follies and vices for it has a corrective purpose. It reveals the contrast between reality and pretense; yet again, it uses comic devices in order to criticize and give us pleasure. As Feinberg (1967) puts it, the sphere of satire is criticism of man and society, a criticism made entertaining by humor and moving by irony and invective. For many literary scholars, efforts at defining satire may vary. However, the definitions such as those described above commonly share the view that satire is concerned with the criticism of individual and social evils. Moreover, at the heart of every satire, there exists a corrective purpose that is expressed through critical humor. 2. 2 Characteristics of Satire Satire, in prose or verse, employs critical humor to expose human wickedness and folly. In reflecting the salient characteristics of satire, Mitchell (2003) argues that satire attacks those institutions or individuals the satirist deems corrupt. In other words, one characteristic feature of satire is that it is concerned with ethical reform. The other characteristics of satire according to Mitchell are: It works to make vice laughable and/or reprehensible and thus bring social pressure on those who still engage in wrongdoing. It seeks a reform in public behavior, a shoring up of its audiences standards or at the very least a wake- up call in an otherwise corrupt culture. Satire is often implicit and assumes readers who can pick up on its moral clues. It is not a sermon. Satire in general attacks types the fool, the boor, the adulterer, the proud rather than specific persons. If it does attack some by name, rather than hoping to reform these persons, it seeks to warn the 16 public against approving of them. Satire is witty, ironic, and often exaggerated. It uses extremes to bring its audience to a renewed awareness of its ethical and spiritual danger. According to Ian Johnston (1998), one characteristic feature of satire is the desire to use precisely clear language to induce an audience to protest. As a result, the language of the satirist is full of irony, paradox, antithesis, colloquialism, anticlimax, obscenity, violence, vividness, and exaggeration. The satirist uses these techniques to describe painful or absurd situations or foolish or wicked persons or groups as vividly as possible. Johnston argues, The satirist believes that most people are blind, insensitive, and perhaps anesthetized by custom and resignation and dullness. The satirist wishes to make them see the truth at least that part of the truth which they habitually ignore. Moreover, Johnston considers morality as an important characteristic of satire. To put it in his words: At the basis of every good traditional satire is a sense of moral outrage or indignation. This conduct is wrong and needs to be exposed. Hence, to adopt a satiric stance requires a sense of what is right, since the target of the satire can only be measured as deficient if one has a sense of what is necessary for a person to be truly moral. Satire attacks socially objectionable behavior through humorous ways. It aims at amendment of vices by correction. As Feinberg (1967) writes on the characteristics of satire, its essential qualities are entertainment and its freshness. That is, the appeal of satire lies in its literary merit, brilliance, wit, humor, and freshness (7). Satire, therefore, shows old things in a new 17 way to reveal the contrast between reality and pretense through skillful manipulation of language. To put it in Feinbergs (1967:16) words: Satires are read because they are aesthetically satisfying as works of art, not because they are (as they may be) morally wholesome or ethically instructive. They are stimulating and refreshing because with commonsense briskness they brush away illusions and second han d opinions. With spontaneous irreverence, satire rearranges perspectives, scrambles familiar objects into incongruous juxtaposition, and speaks in a personal idiom instead of abstract platitude. It is important to note in the above quotation that satire entertains through humor, irony and invective. Russell and Brown (1967:xviii) also argue that where attack is absent or where it tends to turn almost wholly on extreme distortion, what may pass as satire becomes ineffective and does not deserve the name. 2. 3 The Purpose of Satire Harris (2004), highlights that the satirists goal is to expose vice and hypocrisy in order to effect reformation. The best satire, according to Harris, does not seek to do harm or damage by its ridicule, but rather it seeks to create a shock of recognition and to make vice impulsive so that the vice will be expunged from the person or society under attack or from the person a society intended to benefit by the attack. Thus, satire attempts to effect some changes in the behavior of the target as well as to encourage others not to behave in such a manner. Satire is concerned with justice, morality, and virtue. Maynard Mack (quoted by Harris) states that satire asserts the validity and necessity of norms 18 systematic, values, and meanings that are contained by recognizable codes. Accordingly, Harris notes that satire has moral and didactic purpose. He writes: Satire is inescapably moral and didactic (in the best sense of that unfortunately slandered word) even when no efinite, positive values are stated in the work as alternatives to the gross corruptions depictions by the attack. The satirist does not need to state specific moral alternatives to replace the villainy he attacks because the morality is either already present in the lip service his target pays to virtue, or it is apparent by implication. Likewise, Feinberg (1963:20) argues that the primary purpose of the satirist is to moralize. Humbert Wolfe (cited by Feinberg) strengthens this idea considering the satirists work as half-way etween a preacher and a wit; he has the purpose of the former, uses the weapon of the latter. In other words, what motivates the satirist is the hatred he has for the wrong and injustice as much as his love of the right and the just. Moreover, the satirist holds up human and individual wrong doings to censure in order to make us better. The art of satire is, therefore, the delivering of moral judgment and its objective is not to degrade man but to show him how he has degraded himself (Feinberg, 1968:23). The purpose of the satire, according to Sutherland (1958:11) is to compel man to what they have tried to ignore, and to destroy their illusions or pretenses. As a social critic, the satirist, therefore, makes us see familiar things in a new way compelling us to what we have ignored. Accordingly, any kind of satirical comment may magnify, diminish or distort to tear off the guise and expose the naked truth, or to bring someone to his sense s. 19 Abrams (1981:67) agrees on the corrective purpose of satire. He says, Satire has usually been justified by those who practice it as a corrective of human vices and folly. Similarly, Harris (2002) argues that the corrective purpose of satire in exposing individual and human vice and hypocrisy succeeds only to the extent that the audience responds to the attack. Hence, as Sutherland (1958:20) puts it: Satire is not for the literal-minded. It exists on at least two levels, the overt and the implied; and it can only function properly when the tact, the intelligence, and the magination of the satirist are met by a corresponding response in the reader. In short, satire attacks erroneous practices of individuals in particular and human beings at large with intent to bring about changes. These changes may have corrective or moralizing purpose. That is, at the heart of every satire there is criticism that is geared towards exposing hypocrisy, pretense, corruptions, and other shortcoming of human beings. Therefore, satire aims at displaying the critical attitude of the satirist in order to reaffirm values, maintain standards and rectify the follies and vices of the society. 2. 4 Techniques of Satire It has been pointed out earlier that the essence of satire is giving pleasure of criticism by combining or contrasting ideas. Accordingly, satirists use different techniques to convey their messages. Certain specific literary techniques lend themselves to satire because they can contain a measure both of wit and of humor. Among them are exaggeration, distortion, understatement, innuendo, simile, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, parable, and allegory (Harris, 2002). On the other hand, Feinberg (1967) lists distortion, indirection, externality, brevity, and variety as major techniques of satire. Other scholars, such as Matthew Hogart, Gilbert Highet and Northrop Frye, 20 add reduction, invective, caricature, burlesque, and reduction ad absurdum to the list. A brief discussion of the prominent techniques has been presented as follows. 2. 4. 1 Exaggeration Exaggeration is one of the most commonly used techniques in satire. Harris (2002), notes that exaggeration is one of the best ways to get the target to recognize or admit that a vice exists. The satirist exaggerates in order to make the unseeing see, and the seeing-but-complacent oppose and expunge corruption. Hence, exaggeration as a satirical technique plays an important role. To use Feinbergs (1967:108) words: The exaggeration of satirists is not as purposeless as it tries to appear. What the satirist exaggerates is the bad, the foolish, the hypocritical; what he minimizes or omits is the good, the sensible, and the honest. The resulting scene is not only exaggerated but heavily biased-against the victims of the satirists attack. In other words, the satirist uses exaggeration to describe painful or absurd situations or foolish or wicked persons as vividly as possible. On top of that, as a dispassionate observer of humanity and the irate attacker of particular individuals (Knight, 2005), the satirist employs exaggeration to make his observation and attack effective. 2. 4. 2 Distortion The technique of the satirist, as indicated earlier, consists of a playfully critical distortion of the familiar. Distortion refers to changing the perspective of a condition or event by isolation (separation from its ordinary surroundings) or by stressing some aspects and deemphasizing others (Harris, 2002). Hence, the satirist distorts in many ways. For instance, he 21 may minimize the good qualities of the person or institution that he is attacking. For example, in Gulliver’s Travels (1726), Swift exposes humanity in all its baseness and cruelty using this technique. Sa tirists may also magnify the bad ones making isolated instances seem typical. 2. 4. 3 Indirection and Invective One often-used satiric technique is indirection. Many literary critics agree th at the quality of satiric representation is effective when the attack is indirect. David Worcester (cited by Feinberg, 1967:93) remarks that satire is the engine of anger rather than the direct expression of anger. Similarly, Sutherland (1958:20) points out that twentieth century satire relies more and more on the indirectness of irony, innuendo and fantasy. Accordingly, the indirectness of satire helps the satirist to make his or her attack tolerable by making it entertaining. As Johnston (1998) suggests satires that are very direct are boring and ineffectual. Unlike indirection, invective is very abusive. It is an open insult used occasionally for shock effect. It usually lacks irony in order to attack a particular target. According to Johnston, it is the least inventive of the satirists tools. Besides, the danger of pure invective is that one can quickly get tired of it, since it offers limited opportunity for inventive wit. 2. 4. 4 Burlesque Burlesque refers to ridiculous exaggeration in language, usually one that makes the discrepancy between the words and the situation or the character silly. To use Johnstons example, to have a king speak like an idiot or an ordinary worker speak as a king is burlesque. Similarly, a very serious situation can be burlesqued by having the characters in a literary text speak or behave in ridiculously inappropriate ways. In other words, burlesque creates a large gap between the situation or the characters and the style with which they speak or act out the event. 22 2. 4. 5 Irony Irony is a systematic use of double meaning where meaning of words is opposite of the literal or expected meaning. It is a stylistic device or figure of speech in which the real meaning of the words is different from the literal meaning. As Muecke (1969:3) puts it, irony may be a weapon in satirical attack. Likewise, Johnston (1998) notes that irony brings two contrasting meanings into play. Consequently, it becomes satiric when the real meaning appears to contradict the surface meaning. It should, however, be noted that irony is not confined to satire. To put it briefly, satirists use a variety of literary devices. They may use various techniques, such as those described above, in order to say two or more things at one time, and to compare, equate, or contrast for satirical purposes. Moreover, these techniques provide variety, conciseness, and opportunity for employing wit and humor. In explaining the use of satirical techniques, Harris (2004) writes the following about satirical techniques: The satire must be presented in a manner that will bring action, and in a world of complacent hypocrites, irony, with its various means of presentation, is essential; the message cannot be derived without it, if the message is to have any tangible effect. In a two-word abstract, the purpose of satire is the correction or deterrence of vice, and its method is to attack hypocrisy through the ironic contrast between values and actions. The aforementioned quotation highlights that the techniques the satirist uses have to serve the purpose the satirist has in mind. It is an indispensable 23 quality of satire to employ appropriate techniques. Furthermore, Hawthorn (2005:197) remarks that the satirist is concerned with drawing our attention to what he or she is attacking rather than to create characters, situations and events that are believable in and for themselves. That is, a novelist may include satirical elements in works that do not, overall, merit the term satirical novel (and indeed most novelists do). Therefore, literary works that are not usually categorized as satirical (novel or short story) may use the major weapons of satire in order to diminish a set of beliefs by making it appear ridiculous. Finally, based on the techniques the satirist employs satire can be divided into formal or direct and informal or indirect (Abrams, 1981:168). Abrams also distinguishes two types of formal satire, namely Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire, whereas the Menippean satire is indirect. On the other hand, Juvenalian satire is harsher; more pointed, and often attacks particular people with an invective attack. Horatian satire is mild and gentler. To put it in the words of Abrams (1981:169): In Horatian satire the character of the speaker is that of an urbane, witty, and tolerant man of the world, who is moved more often to wry amusement than to indignation at the spectacle of human folly, pretentiousness, and hypocrisy, and who uses a relaxed and informal language to evoke a smile at human follies and absurdities ometimes including his own. In Juvenalian satire the character of the speaker is that of a serious moralist who uses a dignified and public style of utterance to decry modes of vice and error which are no less dangerous because they are ridiculous, and who undertakes to evoke contempt, moral indignation, or an unillusioned sadness at the aberrations of men. 24 2. 5 The Nature of Comedy Comedy, according to Abrams (1971:26), is a form of literature that is de signed to amuse by use of wit, humor, criticism or ridicule. He defines it as: a work in which the materials are selected and managed primarily in order to interest and amuse us: the characters and their discomfitures engage our delighted attention rather than our profound concern, we feel confident that no great disaster will occur, and usually the action turns out happily for the chief characters. Abrams also notes that even though comedy is commonly applied to dramas, the comic form also occurs in prose fiction and narrative poetry. In whichever form it appears comedy attempts to arouse and satisfy human instinct for mischief. In line with this, Fowler (1973:31) has the following to say about the materials of comedy: Comedy in itself is neither morally useful nor immoral: it can perpetuate and extend misconceptions as well as ridicule them. Sometimes, however, dramatists use the irresponsible instinctual speed of comedy to lead the audience to a more complex intellectual awareness. According to John Morreall (http: //www. dbu. du/ mitchell/comedytr. htm) there are many characteristics that make up a comedy. One among them is the fact that comedy is more imaginative, stressing playfulness. For this reason, comedy tends to look for a variety of answers and does not need to solve everything. Secondly, comedy tends to call attention to the incongruities in the order of things, be it political, social, or religious. Thirdly, comic characters are often ironic and disengaged from the situation; they tend to respond wi th wit, imagination, or cynicism. 25 The other characteristic feature of comedy is that its language is fluent and articulate. To put it in Fowlers words: Characters do not feel a need to develop exploratory, stretching uses of language to account for themselves and the world around them, but are satisfied that the relationships between them and the world are simple and comprehensible (1973:32). It is also the nature of comedy to reveal playfulness. Even if it has its serious side, the comic vision tends to treat large portions of ife as not quite so serious. However, satiric comedy, according to Abrams (1971:27) attacks the disorders of society by making ridiculous the violators of its standards of morals or manners. In addition to this, comedy involves exaggeration, incongruity, and contradictions as techniques. It also uses contrast between social order and individual, suspension of natural laws, and comic premise to provide structural and thematic unity for comic dialogue. Ma ny argue that producing pleasure through laughter is the primary nature of comedy. On the other hand, Sypher (1991:148) states that the pleasure caused by the laughter of comedy is not a pure enjoyment. He further notes that it is not a pleasure that is exclusionary esthetic or altogether disintegrated. It always implies a secret or unconscious intent, if not of each one of us, at all events of society as a whole. Therefore, comedy may have a critical intent. Hence, comedy is not always a naive joke; nor is it always seriously stuffed with didactic moral issues. It expresses the characteristics of men in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life. As Sypher (1991:149) puts it: the comic is not always an indication of a fault, in the moral meaning of the word, and if critics insist on seeing a fault, even though a trifling one, in the ludicrous, they must point out what it is here that exactly distinguishes the trifling from the serious. 26 2. 6 The purpose of Comedy Comedies usually tend to focus on the larger community and spend more time paying attention to the interaction between groups. As a result, they often question tradition and those in authority. Comedy, according to Eric Trumbull, serves the purpose of looking at the world in which basic values are asserted but natural laws suspended in order to underscore human follies and foolishness. That is, in comedy we are usually being asked to laugh at our common human foibles and ourselves. Besides, comedy reminds us our inescapable human limitations. Sypher (1991:241-2) discusses several social meanings of comedy. He points out that in its earliest days comedy is an essential pleasure mechanism valuable to the society. To put it in his words: Comedy is a momentary and publicly useful resistance to authority and an escape from its pressures, and its mechanism is a free discharge of repressed psychic energy or resentment through laughter . . . The ambivalence of comedy reappears in its social meanings, for comedy is both hatred and revel, rebellion and defense, attack and escape. It is revolutionary and conservative. Socially, it is both sympathy and persecution. Comedy also serves the social purpose of affirming the security of any group already unsure of itself. With this regard, Sypher says, the comedian banishes doubt by ridicules and is the diplomatic artist (244). He further notes that comedy can relieve the stress between compelling ideals by laughter. In other words, comedy may enable us to adjust incompatible standards without resolving the clash between them. Finally, here is how Sypher (1991:245) describes the use of comedy in helping us with our disillusions: 7 Comedy can be a means of mastering our disillusions when we are caught in a dishonest or stupid society. After we recognize the misdoings, the blunders, we can liberate ourselves by a confident, wise laughter that brings a catharsis of our discontent. We see the flaws in things, but we do not always need to concede the victory, even if we live in a human world. If we can laugh wisely enough at ourselves and others, the sense of guilt, dismay, anxiety, or fear can be lifted . Unflinching and undaunted we see where we are. This strengthens us as well as society. To put it briefly, apart from the pleasure that we get from it, comedy enables us to laugh at evils and errors of human beings. Consequently, it serves the purpose of psychological compensation. In other words, comedy helps us escape from the vices and follies of individuals and societies making us laugh at the imperfections of the world around us. Not only that, but comedy can also be quite in accord with stern morality. It should, however, be noted here that what distinguishes satire from comedy, as Fowler (1973:167) put it, is its lack of tolerance for folly or human imperfection. 2. 7 Satire and Comedy Satire and comedy often shade into each other in ways tha t make an exact borderline difficult to draw. Like satire, comedy has a corrective purpose. The New Encyclopedia Britannica (2005,23,151) highlights that the comic artists purpose is to hold a mirror up to society to reflect its follies and vices, in the hope that they will, as a result be mended. Correspondingly, Johnston shares this view of the corrective purpose of comedy. He argues that satire is a particular use of humor for overtly moral purposes. According to him, satire seeks to use laughter not just to remind us of our common often ridiculous humanity, but rather to expose those moral excesses, those 28 corrigible sorts of behavior which transgress what the writer sees as the limits of acceptable moral behavior. One characteristic feature of satire, as indicated earlier, is criticism and humor. That is, the technique of the satirist consists of a playful critical distortion (Feinberg, 1967:19). Although not everything humorous may be satirical, Harris (2004) states that satire uses humor to make the attack funny. To put it in h is words: Satire, like all literature and poetry, must be intellectually rewarding, be reasonably well written, and especially must entertain in order to survive- and in the particular case of satire, in order to be received at all. The basic mood of attack and the disapproval needs to be softened to some xtent and made more palatable; wit and humor serve this end by making the criticism entertaining, and even attractive. The satirists major objective is unmasking or exposing human follies, vices and shortcomings. As Sypher (1991:242) put it, certainly the laugh of the satirist is often a sneer; and there is an undercurrent of satire in most comedy. As a result, when the satirist uses comic elements, it will only be for the purpose of criticism. In other words, wherever wit is employed to expose something foolish or vicious to criticism, there satire exists. Sutherland (1958:7) strongly argues that comedy, like satire deals with the common errors of our life. He says, If we can agree that it is the satirists intention to expose, or deride, or condemn that distinguishes him from the writer of comedy, then we shall probably find that much of what has conventionally been referred to as comedy should more probably be called satire. On the other hand, the tone of satire may vary in different works 29 eventhough the elements of attack and humor is associated with the efinition of satire. In line with this, Russell and Brown (1967:xviii) argue many satirical works are so playful or whimsical as to preclude the idea of attack, and many other satires, even some acknowledged to be great, lack humor and tend to become ponderous. However, satire and comedy are not exactly the same. Abrams (1981:167) argues that satire differs from the comic in that comedy evokes laughter mainly as an end, while satire derides; that is it uses laughter as a weapo n, and against a butt existing outside the work itself. What sets satire apart from comedy, according to Ian Johnston, is that in satire there is a clear and overt didactic intention. On the other hand, normal comedy aims at producing laughter at our common follies and ourselves. In line with this, Feinberg (1967:101) has the following to say: Uncritical humor is not satire, nor is all satire humorous. But since satirists use all the comic devices for the purpose of criticism, to see how satire works it is necessary to examine four basic techniques of humor: incongruity, urprise, pretense, and catering to the superiority of the audience. In general, there is a common agreement among literary critics that satire uses comedy for the effect of criticism. Besides, as Sutherland (1958:10) puts it, we must be prepared to find the writer of a comedy losing his moral neutrality and slipping into satire, and the satirist occasionally loosening his control over the reader and relaxing into co medy.

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards - Essay Example the accumulation and evaluation of evidence regarding information to help determine and report on the degree of correspondence between information and established criteria (p. 4). Auditing requires that there must be verifiable information and certain standards by which the auditor can evaluate the information. The standards can vary depending on the nature of information. For instance, GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principle) is considered to be the criteria for auditing historical financial statements. Auditing requires evidence like written communication and oral testimony and auditors need to obtain sufficient quality of evidences. The final step in auditing is preparing the audit report (Arens, Elder and Beasley, 2006, p. 4). GAAS are auditing standards that suggest necessary qualifications and characteristics of auditors. The guidelines are 10 GAAP standards that have experienced minimal changes since these were first developed in 1947 (Arens, Elder and Beasley, 2006, p. 4). These GAAS standards remain the same through time and for all audits, even though auditing procedures may vary depending on the complexity of accounting systems. The 10 GAAS standards relate to the competence of auditor, his independence in both financial and managerial relations and the attitudes about professionalism (Louwers, Ramsay and Sinason, 2008. p. 39- 42). The GAAS elements also affect the standards at field that include detailed planning of the audit, risk assessment through internal control and collecting audit evidences. One of the major concerns of GAAS is regarding the standards in financial reporting and its contents. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed by George W Bush on July 2002, was intended to establish investor confidence by improving the quality of financial disclosures and audit reporting, to strengthen the independence of accounting firms and to increase the responsibilities of corporate officers (Hayes, Dassen and Schilder, 2005, p. 49). The