Thursday, October 31, 2019

Research report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research report - Essay Example versal view of their connection list that are constructed in the system.† Information and technology bequeath the present society with numerous interactive segments with the help of internet and gadgets of communication. Numerous interactive segments are provided by the social network sites depending on the motives of their founders. There are for example business, academics, sports, political, social, religion, and romantic platforms. It can be said that these sites are in position to entertain, inform, educate, and to create very strong feelings on their followers. Ever since they started, social sites such as twitter, Skype, MySpace, and Facebooks, among others have reportedly become ‘attention-grabbers’ for majority of those who use them as they have taken them as part and parcel of their day to day routine (Pedrycz, W., & Chen, S.-M. 2014). Presently there are numerous sites with varying features geared to suit their followers’ interests, and can be accessed through gadgets that have internet access. Basically social network sites are online services or platforms that aim at reflecting and building people’s relationship socially those for instance that have or share common activities and interests. The fame of social network sites increases as each second unfolds. They have become important tool of communication to their users and because of this trend learning institutions are now increasing using them to interact with learners as well as member of the teaching staff. Because of their continued use of social network sites drastic steps are being outlined by institutions to enlighten their students on social network sites usage and most so psychological dangers, legal issues, socio-economic and privacy issues. It also encourages students to live together and in harmony, bringing workload and additional responsibility, and collaborating and sharing which may appear to be forced and inflexible to some students (Naidu, 2005). In his studies, Gross

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Sustainability - Essay Example In the article by Koch (2015) for instance, the passive homes are designed to use less energy at act like thermos flasks. Energy is an interesting aspect because everybody uses energy in one form or the other on daily basis. One thing about sustainability that makes sense is that new and innovative ways of doing things are shaping the sustainability agenda. For example, in the article by Phansey (2014), the author shows how 3D printing has shaped manufacturing from its traditional form to additive manufacturing. Everybody appreciates that in order to lead a sustainable life, there is need to change the traditional way of doing things and adopt new strategies. However, I do not understand the issue of standards as they apply to sustainability. For example, in the article by Koch (2015), the Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) sets the standards relating to passive houses. How such standards are developed and regulated is not clear to me. I would like to know more about recyclable materials. In particular, am interesting in knowing the various recyclable objects and materials around us and how to best use them. For example in the article by Phansey (2014), the author shows how thermoplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) can be recycled and used in 3D printing. Knowing more about such materials will be beneficial in contributing to the sustainability efforts. I believe that since we live in an era when resources are scarce, sustainability should be a tenet of every society around the world. This will make the world a better place. Koch, W. (2015). Thermos-Like Passive Homes Aggressively Save Energy.  National Geographic. Retrieved from

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effect Of Leadership On Employees

Effect Of Leadership On Employees This paper tries to research the impact of different variables of leadership on employee motivation. Leadership Style, Leaders Motivation, Leaders Gender and Leaders Skills were taken as the independent variable and Employee Motivation was taken as the dependent variable. Data was gathered through the use of questionnaires. The results showed that Leadership Style, Leaders Skill and Leaders Motivation had a significant impact on the Employees Motivation whereas Leadership Gender had no significant impact of the Employees Motivation. The research is concluded with a detailed analysis of the result with conclusion. This chapter introduces some of the important features of the topic. It will give an overview of the different variables involved in leadership and how they effect employee motivation. The broad topic of my research is Human Resource Management. Human Resource Management is a new emerging concern for the organizations in Pakistan. Locally we can see many firms without a proper Human Resource department. Lately the Human Resource practices which are conducted in Pakistan are mostly carried out in the manufacturing sector but recently we have experienced a trend of Human Resource being adopted in the services sector. This topic has managerial as well as academic value. An overview of leadership Leaders in an organization play the pivotal role of founding and promoting values and ethics in the work environment. The influence leaders will have on employees in any given organization is immense and it is this influence that is in fact also vital to its functioning. Their interaction with workers casts the modality of operations and depending on the leaders behaviorism and style promotes or decreases motivation in the work place. The study of leadership is an abstract one and that leaves many loose threads, it is situation specific and no blue prints for the perfect type are available. And yet the brunt of the goal oriented characteristic of motivation also lies with the leader and it is he/her who must take on the responsibility of molding his/her style to suit the employees motivation needs. This research looks in to the intricacy of the relationship between leadership and motivation and studies the linkages between the two. The purpose is to study the effects of factors like a leaders gender, style, behaviorism, quality, rewards, workers agreeability etc on subordinate motivation leading to conclusive results about the contingency of the two. Furthermore this paper attempts to address the underlying importance of linking and studying leadership and motivation for an organization and how it is vital for the functioning of the two roles of the subordinate and the leader. Background Information Leadership entails several tasks key of which are the basic ones of mobilizing resources, coherency and fluidity of purpose and values; and influencing processes. Tracing the origins of leadership would necessitate drawing upon the history of how mans earliest ancestors lived in communities. Secondly the study of the history of leadership requires a much broader definition of the term and a lesson in the anthropological progression of mankind. The evolutionary view of leadership stipulates the need for drawing contextual references for leadership as it is today. Organizational hierarchy exists in every species of living sort. Roles in it based on the simple principle of survival are assigned. Similarly in a man- eat- man world individuals are honed and prepared from an early age to take on survival or predatorily roles in an organization be it a pre- historical community of hunter gatherers; agrarian tribes; an industrial society or even a contemporary organization in this age of information. It is only through consciousness and learning that the old instinctual primordial roles have been cast and people from a diverse background have successfully (or not) attempted to take up the challenge of leadership. The study of leadership in organizations is thus a vastly rich field of research and study and commands much importance in the building of the hierarchy of any organization. Millions are spent each year in training managers to become effective leaders and leaders to be even more effective at what they do. Motivation became a focus of research because it is a vital component of factors affecting worker productivity, job satisfaction, etc. motivation in itself has been a key area of concern for social scientists for more than a century. What is the most efficient way to get work done was a problem slave drivers in ancient Egypt even dealt with. The contingency between the concepts of motivation and leadership have come to the fore with mans need for sustainable production and efficacy. Thus in preserving the workers motivation leaders have persevered themselves. 1.3 Academic and Managerial concerns pertaining to research The academic concern of my topic is that it is an untapped area with respect to Pakistan. Anyone who wished to further research on this topic can use this thesis. The managerial concern is that it is a key issue in the organizations of Pakistan. They need to find the best possible leader for them to motivate all the employees. It will help them improve efficiency and enhance productivity. Definitions of Variables and Keywords Leader: a person who rules or guides or inspires others. Motivation: Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation) Autocratic Leader: This style states that the leader solves the problem or makes the decision using information available to him or her at that time. In some cases, the leader may consult with subordinates to obtain information, but at no time does subordinate input include decision making. The decision is passed on to subordinates for implementation. Â  (Ralph Nader, 2002) Democratic Leader: The leader shares the problem with subordinate and gets their input. Subordinate involvement is seen as either a collective or individual request for information which may or may not influence the decision. The leader reserves the right to make that decision. (Ralph Nader, 2002) Group Leader: The leader shares the problem with subordinates as a group, obtains their collective input and tries to reach consensus on the solution. The leader acts as a facilitator or chairman, trying not to influence input and accepting and solution that the group may suggest. (Ralph Nader, 2002) Emergent Leader: The leaders who earn leadership position through their expertise, skills, abilities to influence others, or personal acceptability by the group. ( Ralph Nader, 2002) Assigned Leader: The leaders who are given power to exercise influence through appointment. (Ralph Nader, 2002) Extrinsic: A reward, such as food, that is tangible and visible to others, and external (as opposed to an intrinsic reward). Intrinsic: Rewards that are associated with the job itself, such as the opportunity to perform meaningful work, complete cycles of work, see finished products, experience variety, and receive feedback on work results. Transactional Leader: Transactional leaders believe that people are motivated by reward or punishment. These leaders give clear instructions to followers about what their expectations are and when those expectations are fulfilled there are rewards in store for them and failure is severely punished. They allocate work to subordinates whether resources are there or absent. Transformational Leader: Transformational leadership is a leadership approach that is defined as leadership that creates valuable and positive change in the followers. 1.5 Study objectives: The purpose of this research is to shed light on an imperative aspect of organization management that has hitherto not been focused on in the context of firms and organizations in Pakistan. The effect of leadership on employee motivation has a directly proportional impact on the employees productivity, job satisfaction and consequently worker retention. The kind of leadership traits a companys management portrays will determine not only the working environment but even employee turnover rates. Effective leadership as a case in study has been much overlooked in the general practice of organizations in Pakistan. This research looks into how company leaders in Pakistan are mostly appointed not on the basis of qualification, aptitude or skill but rather through inheritance and nepotism. Nepotism in particular is an endemic practice in Pakistan which has pervaded every job sector, be it corporate or even bureaucratic. Assigning leaders based on favoritism and family connections instead of appointing them through set procedural means gives no guarantees that the heads leadership style will be conjunct to the requirements of the assigned sector. Just like a charismatic leader will be wasting his or her talents in a firm that requires minimal intervention by its management, an overbearing leader with a direct involvement in employees work can corrode their motivation merely with the way they direct them. Thus this paper seeks to underscore the importance of studying the correlation between leadership styles and worker motivation, especially in the setting of a country like Pakistan where leadership appointment is more erratic and seeped in nepotism. Leadership of any organization provides the driving force behind the productivity and working environment, all of which have direct bearings on worker behavior and motivation. If this psychology remains untapped and unstudied this has and will increasingly have dire repercussions for companies in Pakistan. Chapter 2 Literature Review This section covers the literature review that has been conducted after thorough analysis of several articled written by other scholars. The main purpose of including the literature review over here was to support the topic with proper referencing from work done by other researchers. This not only enhances the topic but also highlight a few more points related to the topic which have proved beneficial. Martin G Evans, tried to analyze the impact of leaders behavior on the motivation of his subordinates, in his article Leadership and Motivation: A Core Concept, 1970. Martin conducted a research based on the two theories on motivation. The first theory is the Maslows hierarchy of needs and the second is the Path-goal approach to motivation. Martin carried out his research on two organizations; a utility and a hospital. Questions were asked to study the importance of different goals to the employees. The questions also tried to collect information on the effect of high or low productive work on the motivation level of the subordinates. To test the Path-goal theory, questions were asked whether following each of the paths helped them attain their goals. The result supported the two theories. It showed that following high quality and high productive work led to the subordinates goals while low quality and low productive work led away from the subordinate goals. Job security was also see n as a very important factor to drive motivation confirming the hierarchy of needs model. In the end Martin highlights the managerial importance of the research and proposes that to have a strong motivation in the employees, the leader should create a strong relationship between the employees goals and the organizational goals. Arthur G. Jago claims in his research Leadership: Perspectives in Theory and Research, 1982 that despite years of systematic experiential research on the defining traits of leaders that distinguish them from non leaders, scientists of the soft science of behaviorism in organizations have yet to come up with conclusive data and results owing to the multifarious interpretations of the phenomena that does shed light on the role of a leader but leaves the topic of inter organizational relations and connections open to debate. The article discusses several theories and definitions that provide us with the premises used to build on tabulating a set of universal leadership traits and physical factors which is the first of four typologies drawn on the dominating assumptions of prior research in this field and Jago in some ways comments on their redundancy and limited approach owing to their limited set of assumptions. Jago discusses various and conflicting behaviorisms of leadership and the corresponding situations contingent on these traits and hence focus on a set of universally appropriate leadership traits and their reliance on situations to provide its second and third typology. The final typology looks at situationally contingent behavioral styles. Jago examines organizational prescriptions that follow from the typologies he had employed to argue the insufficiency of old methods used in the research of these traits and typologies and discusses and prescribes new and novel research methods in the study of leadership behaviorism. Kirkpatrick and Locke in their research Leadership: Do Traits Matter?, 1991 acknowledge the fact that different situations require different types of leadership, that the topic is so vast and complex that to determine the exact ingredients for the perfect leader would be fool-some. They acknowledge that a leader in a business organization will require a different mix of traits than say a military leader. They furthermore differentiate between skills and traits and back their claims with evidence from actual case studies. Six traits they identify that distinguish leaders from non-leaders are: drive, the desire to lead, honesty/integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business. Kirkpatrick and Locke then go on to discuss secondary characteristics that may not be easily backed with evidence nor be required in every situation but are nonetheless indicators of a good leader, these include Charisma, creativity/originality, and flexibility. The authors go on to as sert that apart from the core traits that provide the potential for good leadership, the following factors help them actualize their potential: skills, vision, and implementing the vision. Each factor is discussed in detail and how their effects are implicated at the level of the management and employees. The article finally talks about the grave responsibilities that come with the mantle of leadership and where the rare mix of traits and characteristics does come together to make an effective leader, the credit must be given to the individual. Where Kirkpatrick and Locke consider charisma as secondary and necessary but an insufficient trait for leaders, Shamir, House and Arthur, in The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory, 1993, on the other hand argue that charismatic leadership has profound effects on employee motivation and illustrate this claim with empirical evidence from several studies. After establishing the importance of charismatic leadership the authors point towards a problem in research on leadership and motivation, that is, absence of an account of the process that helps translate charismatic leadership onto its effects on employees. The authors use previous studies to list down a number of effects charismatic/ transformational leadership has on employees. These effects include elevating workers needs to a higher tier on Maslows hierarchy, achieve higher levels of morality, transcend their needs and goals to take the entire team into consideration, etc. By using a self c oncept based theory, Shamir, House and Arthur point at various processes that are set into motion in the context of a powerful and charismatic leadership. Leadership sets the tone for worker performance; by providing employees with a vision the leader makes them espouse his own values and higher goals. The authors point at factors like increasing the intrinsic valence of effort, increasing effort-accomplishment expectancies, instilling faith in a better future, etc to demonstrate the processes that come into play with the introduction of charismatic and transformational leadership in a work space. The authors identify classes of leadership behavior that set the certain processes into motion and discuss other external factors (organizational factors that provide a conducive environment for effective leadership and employee responsiveness). The authors thereby provide a theory that links transformational leadership and employee effects through employee self concepts. The nature of lea dership in question activates certain employee self concepts that hence affect motivational mechanisms. In Leadership and Motivation- The Effective Application of Expectancy Theory, 2001, Robert G. Isaac, Wilfred G. Zerb, Douglas C. Pitt, discuses Vrooms Expectancy Theory and its application in providing a practical tool in helping individuals in leadership roles. The authors trace a direct link between the underlying and explicit assumptions and variables in the expectancy theory and leadership concepts to draw the correlation of leader interactions with employees and motivational working environments. The authors then assert that motivational working environs aid employees in traditional job posts to achieve self actualization and transcend their roles to become leaders in themselves. The article discusses the complex relationships between employees and leaders within an organization and situation based antagonism that exists. It emphasizes distinctions between leaders and managers and stipulates the removal of these distinctions to help overcome the antagonism parameters in the rela tionship completely to increase motivation levels. The article examines several other relationships and linkages between behaviorisms and output in the context of motivation levels in an organization. Finally concluding that boss-worker distinctions should be eliminated and that everyone in an organization should strive to be a leader and influence should be a two way process and this, the authors propose can be achieved using the principles from the Expectancy Theory. Douglas F. Cellar, Stuart Sidle, Keith Goudy, Daniel OBrien in Effects of Leader Style, Leader Sex and Subordinate Personality on Leader Evaluations and Future Subordinate Motivation, 2001 examines the long standing evaluation of gender influences on motivation and employee response. The authors use the agreeability factor, a dichotomous leadership style variation (autocratic vs democratic) and gender differences to conduct a three way study with leadership evaluation, future interest and effort as dependant variables. The hypothesis was that agreeability affects inconsistent gender behavior and this by extension affects employee productivity and output. A self designed questionnaire was used. Subordinate behavior was analyzed with the expectation of leaders adhering to gender stereotypes and results of the study concluded that it was indeed the case. Where leaders deviated from stereotypical expectations disagreeable subordinates reacted and penalized the leaders for the deviation. Agreeable employees however did not. The purpose is basically to show the effect gender stereotypes have on the motivational levels of employees based on their behavioral profiles. According to different studies, transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on the employee satisfaction. Bass (1985) states that transformational leadership would result in followers performing beyond the expected levels of performance as a consequence of the leaders influence. Hatler and Bass (1988) state The dynamics of transformational leadership involve strong personal identification with the leader, joining in a shared vision of the future, or going beyond the self-interest exchange of rewards for compliance (Hatler and Bass, 1988, p.695). Nurdan Ozaralli tried to investigate the effect of transformational leadership in his research Effects of transformational leadership on empowerment and team effectiveness, 2002. The data for the research was collected from a sample of 152 people in different sectors in Turkey. Snowball technique was used for data collection and to measure transformational leadership, Bass and Avolios multifactor leadership questionnaire (ML Q) was used. The results showed that a transformational behavior of leaders has a positive relation with subordinate empowerment and with team effectiveness. Subordinates who worked under transformation leadership were more group oriented and had a higher level of performance. Creativity is higher when the subordinates work under a transformational leader as they are more empowered. In the end Nurdan suggests that there is a very significant effect of team empowerment on employee performance so the managers should identify the teams with low empowerment and should try to raise their level of empowerment. Nader in Leadership and Motivation, 2002 discusses two important determinants of individual performance in organizations: the type of leadership in that organization and personal motivation of employees in an organization. He draws on theories in general; data collected from empirical research on the subject to and the premises of people being the same as each other and yet being different to collate his findings and providing some general theories and analysis that determine behavior and leadership traits. Nader provides comprehensive definitions and analysis of the concept of motivation and discusses it in the context on theories like Maslows hierarchy of needs, McClellands theory of needs etc; ending his study of motivation by discussing motivational goals and categories these fall into. He then continues with a discussion of leadership theories, factors and leadership styles; and concludes with a list of leadership qualities that according to him help determine roles people can b e assigned to, based on their profiles. After the exposure of a few business scandals and the unveiling of irresponsible leaders, Nicola M. Pless in her research Understanding Responsible Leadership: Role Identity and Motivational Drivers, 2007 tries to find the prototypes of a responsible leader. The author does this by analyzing the biography of Anita Roddick; a responsible leader. The key learnings from the biography were that a responsible leader is driven by a values based vision of the future. Other findings include that a responsible leader make fundamental decisions with a long term effect on people, environment and future of the organization. A responsible leader should act as an active citizen. The leader should have ethics and desire to serve others. They should be close to the stakeholders and maintain good relations with them. A responsible leader is developed over time; they have values rooted in them that are reinforced and further developed by life experience. Another very important prerequisite to become a leader are ability and willingness to learn. Abass, Qaisar and Sara Yaqoob in Effect of Leadership Development On Employee Performance In Pakistan, 2009 carried out a research to prove whether or not leadership skills and traits have an effect on employee performance in Pakistan. Leadership theories have been an integral part of the field of business/management research since the proliferation of trait theories. Geert Hofstede in his article Motivation Leadership and Organization- Do American Theories Apply Abroad underscores the importance and reality of cultural conditioning and how it provides employees and leaders cultural lenses to view the world from. Abass and Yaqoob build on the theory of cultural conditioning to study how much of an impact leadership variables have on employee performance in the context of Pakistan. The factors of leadership they examine include: coaching, training and development, empowerment, participation and delegation. The purpose was to find a correlation between leadership development and worker performance, using an exploratory style research which would help determine what percentage of employee performance is directly influenced by the organization leader. Their findings show a staggering 50% positive correlation, with the remaining 50% being influenced by attitude, commitment, motivational factors, and trust in the organization, and other factors such as compensation, reward and bonuses etc. According to their finding for example training and development as part of leadership development had the greatest impact among all the variables of leadership. Thus this article delves into leadership research with fixed well defined leadership variables in the context of Pakistan. Chapter 3 Methodology Analytical Choices This section will cover the methodology for my research. It will deal with the methods used to analyze the research and the sample size considered for the research. The tools and techniques used to process the data will also be included in this section. Theoretical framework will also be included followed by the Hypothesis and expected findings. 3.1 Research type There have been numerous researches conducted on the effect of leadership on employee motivation but they are not applicable in Pakistan due to cultural differences. Therefore my research will be primary in nature and will be based on the data obtained through questionnaires. The research will also be applied in nature and will have managerial as well as scholarly applications. The sector that will be focused in the research will be the MNCs operating in Pakistan. 3.2 Population As my research is focused on the MNCs, my population will include all the Multinational Corporations operating in Pakistan. 3.3 Sample Size Due to budget and time constraints, the research will not be able to include the whole population. This research will focus on two MNCs; Packages and Tetrapack. These were chosen by using random probability sampling technique. Approximately 100 questionnaires will be floated in both the MNCs. There will be two questionnaires; one for the leaders of the MNC that will measure the independent variables like leadership style, leaders motivation, etc and the other questionnaire will be for the employees which will measure the independent variable that is the Employees Motivation. 3.4 Sample Time The time period considered in this research is from March 2011 to April 2011. 3.5 Hypothesis H0: Â  To test the hypothesis that leadership style has an insignificant effect on employee motivation. H1: To test the hypothesis that leadership style has a significant effect on employee motivation. H0:Â   To test the hypothesis that leader gender has an insignificant effect on employee motivation. H1: To test the hypothesis that leader gender has a significant effect on employee motivation. H0: To test the hypothesis that leader motivation has an insignificant effect on employee motivation. H1: To test the hypothesis that leaders motivation has a significant effect on employee motivation. H0: To test the hypothesis that leader skills have an insignificant effect on employee motivation. H1: To test the hypothesis that leader skills has a significant effect on employee motivation. 3.6 Theoretical Framework Leader Gender (Douglas F Cellar, 2001) Male -Female Leader Skills (Ralph Nader, 2002) Self Confidence -Charisma -Dominance -Administrative -Ability -Intelligence Leader Motivation (Ralph Nader, 2002) High motivation to lead -Moderate motivation to lead -Low motivation to lead Employee Motivation Leader Style (Douglas F Cellar, 2001) Directive -Democratic Theoretical framework shows the relationship of different independent variables with the dependent variable. In this case the major variables under discussion are Leader Gender, Leader Style, Leader Quality and Leader Behavior. All the independent variables considered in the theoretical framework are linked to motivation and have been studied on by different scholars. All of the variables have been identified in different articles for the literature review. Leader Style plays a vital role in the motivation of employees as does all the other variables that he been considered in the research. 3.7 Data analysis tools and techniques The data will be collected by floating questionnaires. The questionnaires used for this research have been used by previous scholars which ensure the authenticity of the questionnaires. Two questionnaires are designed for my research. The first questionnaire will be for the leaders of the organization and will measure the independent variables like Leadership Style, Leader Skills, Leader Motivation and Leader Gender. The other questionnaire will be for the employees of the organization and will be used to measure the dependent variable which is Employee Motivation. Data will be collected from 10 employees per leader and average will be taken to evaluate the overall motivation of the employees. The data collected through the questionnaires is then coded and standardized. To test the significance and relationship between the different variables, multi variable linear regression will be used. 3.5 Expected Nature of Findings It is expected that leadership does have an effect on employee motivation. Leadership Style, Leaders Motivation and Leaders Skills are expected to have a significant relationship with employee motivation whereas the effect of Leaders Gender on employee motivation is unknown. Chapter 4 Estimation, Analysis and Conclusion 4.1 Profile of Respondents The Questionnaire was filled by 10 leaders and 7 (70%) were male wheras 3 (30%) were female leaders.4 (40%) of the leaders were highly motivated, 2 (20%) were moderately motivated and 4 (40%) lacked motivation according to the questionnaire. Similarly 2 (20%) leaders had high leadership skills, 5 (50%) had moderate leadership skills and 3 (30%) were lacking leadership skills. 6 (60%) leaders had a democratic leadership style wheras 4 (40%) had autocratic leadership. The leaders age varied from 39 years to 48 years. The average age of the leaders was 42 years. The major reason for this is because mostly you get to a leading posirtion in an organization after your 40s when u r mature. All the leaders chosen has 10 plus years of experience in their desired field and were working in the same firm for atleast 2 years so that the employees motivation could reflect their leadership and not the leadership of the previous leader. The Questionnaire was filled by 100 employees. The age of the employees varied from 25 years to 32 years. The average age of the employees was 28 years.5 (50%) of the firms had highly motivated employees, 2 (20%) had moderately motivated employees and 3 (30%) had low motivated employees. Estimated results Multiple regression was used with employee motivation as the dependent variable and Leadership Style, Leaders Motivation, Leader Gender and Leaders skills as the independent variable. The estimated results are given in the Appendix A. Analysis of findings In the leadership style column, 1 was used to represent democratic style of leadership wheras 2 was used to represent autocratic style of leadership. In the Leader Gender column, 1 was used to represent male leaders wheras 2 was used to represent female leaders. In the Leaders Skills column, 1 was used to represent high skills, 2 was u

Friday, October 25, 2019

similarities and differences in ancient civilizations :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient civilizations have a lot of similarities and differences. The two civilizations are the Aryans and the Shang. The Aryans ruled over India from 1500 B.C. to 1000B.C. The Shang ruled over china from 1750 B.C. to 1122 B.C. The Aryans and Shang had similarities and differences in writing, religion, and Technology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many similarities and differences in writing in the Aryans and Shang dynasties. The Aryans used Sanskrit as their method of writing. The Shang used a method of making symbols for almost every word and the symbols would look like what the word meant. The Shang later used calligraphy. Modern Chinese is still related to the ancient character system, which had no alphabet and still doesn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many similarities and differences in religion in the Aryan and Shang dynasties. The Aryans and Shang both had polytheistic beliefs. The Shang mainly worshiped a god called Shang Ti, which meant lord on high. He was the god who ruled over all other nature gods. The Aryans also believed that there was one god who created everything referred to in an important hymn. Both dynasties made sacrifices to their gods. These sacrifices were very important to their religions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many similarities and differences in technology in the Aryan and Shang dynasties. Both the Shang and Aryans had a lot of farmers. Farming was a very important part of their lives. They both used methods of irrigation. They used farming to their advantage by using what comes natural to their area and trading with other areas. The Shang discovered many metals such as tin and bronze and you can see that they used these very much in their art pieces.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ap European History Frq: Karl Marx vs. Adam Smith

â€Å"Adam Smith’s enormous authority resides, in the end, in the same property that we discover in Marx: not in any ideology, but in an effort to see the bottom of things. In both cases their greatness rests on an unflinching confrontation with the human condition as they could best make out. † Assess the above quote. What ideas did both men draw upon in order to formulate their ideas? What were their conclusions? Why were their conclusions so different? To what extent were they correct? Adam Smith and Karl Marx were considered to be amongst the best or if not the best economic theorists the world has ever seen.Despite seeming to be polar opposites, both Smith and Marx are fundamentally similar. Both are looking to see what makes the entire system run, and what the basis of economy truly is. They both have their flaws, yet they were both correct. Their idea was to formulate something that would run the basis of economy. Both have different ideas, both have different ag endas. Marx and Smith had different thoughts and drawing different conclusion on how things should be run, and yet to a certain extent both of them are correct. Both men drew their ideas upon very different sources.Adam Smith was a child of the Enlightenment; therefore he must’ve drawn some Enlightenment ideas. In 1751 Adam Smith met Scottish philosopher David Hume, who was a major Enlightenment thinker. It is safe to assume that Smith learned many things from Hume, who was ten years his senior. Some also argued that Smith came up with the idea to write â€Å"Wealth of Nations† on his own, with little or no influence of others. Marx, on the other hand, was greatly influenced by the ideas of others. Georg Hegel's dialectics inspired Marx greatly.Generally, the idea was that conflict between two opposing forces would produce a synthesis which was generally more acceptable to both sides. Hegel saw this phenomenon in nature and everywhere, and it was the basis of class con flict in Marx's writings. Conflict would ultimately lead to synthesis, in which mankind would progress. In a way Marx was also inspired by Smith himself, and possibly also by early socialists such as Saint-Simon. Not only were their ideologies differ, each drew different conclusions from their theorems too.In his book â€Å"Wealth of Nations† Smith proposed that a nation’s wealth should be judged by its gold and silver supply but by the total of its production and commerce (today more commonly known as GDP). He also explored the idea of division of labor, through which specialization would lead to an increase in quality for manufactured goods. Marx would argue that communism offered the best model both politically and economically with its collectivist ownership, production, and central planning, which are intended to distribute wealth equally amongst the populace and eliminate the distinctions between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat altogether.He reasoned that wor kers would be exploited by capitalists (or bourgeoisie), for the capitalist system basically means that the rich would get richer and the poor would get poorer. Furthermore, the bourgeoisie is always in a better position to negotiate a low wage for the proletariats. One of his theories, the labor theory of value, claims that the value of a good or service is directly connected to the amount of labor required for its production. So, in effect the two theories and conclusion were very different. The very difference in ideology is what set the two apart.While Adam Smith contended that the most ideal economic system is capitalism, Marx believed that capitalism leads to greed and inequality. Karl Marx is more of a revolutionary; Adam Smith was more to reforms rather than a full-scale revolution, as he valued order and stability more rather than freedom from oppression. Karl Marx saw class struggle, while Adam Smith saw special interests that were often at odds with the general public int erest. Also, Smith did not put the spotlight on the land holdings or the riches of the aristocracy like Marx did.They also differed on the method of production of goods and services and distribution of resources. While Adam Smith’s envisioned ideal society would not distribute resources equitably or eliminate gaping wealth levels between the different classes in a society, Marx’s ideal economy would produce, according to the directives from a central authority, and distribute resources according to the needs of the public. However, despite the disagreements, both Smith and Marx were correct to a certain extent. In a wider perspective, they both wanted a prosperous nation of wealth.They both also agreed that the workers (proletariats) were crucial for the production of goods. Both of them also recognized that there is a conflict, or at least a wide division, between the working and upper class. Adam Smith also realized that there are basic social classes: land-owners, w age earners, and capitalists. Marx, to a certain extent, also accepted the condition where there are different classes, albeit trying to change the situation. Overall, both of them proposed ideas to change the economy to fit their liking, despite both economists going in a completely different direction altogether.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Substance Abuse Global Phenomena Health And Social Care Essay

Substance maltreatment is a multi-facetted job that plagues a whole society, irrespective of different age classs and societal categories. The effects and the sum of injury caused to the person, the household and society are diverse. Mauritius, while being a little island of about 1.2 million dwellers merely, far off from the taking powers of the planetary economic system, and niched at the bosom of the Indian Ocean has non been spared from this issue. Harmonizing to the National Drug Control Masterplan 2004-2009, the age of induction to substance maltreatment in Mauritius starts from every bit early as 11 old ages because of equal or media influence. The principle of substance maltreatment is nevertheless non this simple. Sometimes, some people give in to the natural homo behavior which is seeking to happen the easiest flight from rough worlds and nuisances of day-to-day life, and resort to substance maltreatment. Substance maltreatment may hold become an dismaying phenomenon of late, but drugs have been present in Mauritius for a far longer clip. The usage of drugs has been recorded to hold started with every bit early as during the Gallic colonization with illicit rum production by slaves. With the reaching of apprenticed laborers, Indians brought along with their civilization and traditions, hemps, while Chinese immigrants brought opium. These drugs were largely utilised in a socio-cultural circumstance, by grownups without being a cause for serious concern. Sixtiess brought with it the Hippie Culture to Mauritanian shores every bit good as new signifiers of drugs such as LSD, Mandrax and other psychedelic drugs which became synonymous to â€Å" new highs † to childs. The 1970ss caused an wholly different tendency of substance maltreatment, as the state of affairs changed drastically from its socio-cultural to a more significantly worrying usage. A fundamental signifier of diacetylmorphine known as â€Å" Brown Sugar † was introduced in Mauritius. Brown Sugar was smuggled through the airdrome, seaport and through postal packages. The â€Å" Amsterdam Affair † that broke out in 1985 was the ether of the range of the drugs job in Mauritius. As an effort to expose its willingness to go forth no rock unturned in the combat against drug trafficking, statute law was amended and decease punishment was introduced for proven sellers. No drug seller have nevertheless been executed because of the thorny legal issues environing capital penalty. A sudden downward tendency was observed in 1987 and continued until 1990 after which indexs revealed a little addition in illicit trafficking and ingestion. In 2003, the â€Å" White Lady † was a psychoactive drug opted by most drug users. Post 2005, Subutex, which is usually used as intervention on those dependent on narcotic hurting slayers, and opiates, shortly became the most sought-after drug in Mauritius. Substance Abuse and Repercussions Social Consequences Significant societal effects include the decomposition of the household unit, with the emotional and psychological wellbeing of household members being disquieted. Substance maltreatment and delinquency go manus in manus ; as sometimes dependence and backdown syndromes overcome ground and push nuts towards larceny, force and similar such Acts of the Apostless to secure the fiscal agencies to obtain their needed dose. The 2009 World Drug Report shows that figure of drug-related offenses has increased by 18 % from 2006 to 2007. Health Consequences Substance maltreatment affects the personal wellness of drugs nuts themselves. Withdrawal and apathy are a few of the psychological disfunctions they might confront. The impact of dependence can be far making. Cardiovascular disease, shot, malignant neoplastic disease, and lung disease can all be caused by drug maltreatment. Because of needle sharing behavior, a well-established norm among IDUs as has been shown by the IDUs Respondent Driven Sampling, which is explained by the increased costs and low fiscal agencies of IDUs every bit good as Police Services uninterrupted still hunt of IDUs in ownership of drug gears, blood borne diseases such as AIDS or Hepatitis are easy transmitted, reverberations of which is ruinous both for the IDU and society at big. IDUs who get affected by such blood borne diseases will frequently through a Domino consequence, affect their sexual spouses, while pregnant adult females who are IDUs run the hazard of polluting their unborn kids with such. Injecting drug usage is the cause for an increasing proportion of HIV infections in many parts of the universe, Mauritius included. It is estimated that between 11 and 21 million people worldwide inject drugs, and of those, between 0.8 and 6.6 million are infected with HIV. Fiscal Impacts Health services that have to be provided to drug nuts include intervention of diseases which may develop in drug nuts as a effect of substance maltreatment, every bit good as costs of rehabilitation services, which is frequently overlooked by most individuals. The cost of non-generic antiretroviral intervention per individual per annum may amount up to $ 1500, averaging to about Rs 50, 000 based on current exchange rates. Fiscal effects on the economic system are sedate, with the parallel running of a black economic system with net incomes obtained from the illicit traffic, every bit good as with the effects of drugs abuse of members of the work force which reduces productiveness. Conventional Approaches to Substance maltreatment Mauritius has ratified the United Nations Drug Control Conventions. It has besides ratified the 2000 Convention on Trans-National Organized Crime and is besides signer of both the African Union and the SADC Drug Control Protocol. Existing legal models that were used, and still are used to command drugs supply and demand decrease are: a ) The Dangerous Drug Act 2000 B ) The Pharmacy Act 1983 degree Celsius ) The Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002 Drugs Demand Reduction Drugs demand decrease is one of the attack used to battle the substance maltreatment crisis at its nucleus. Drug demand decrease refers to policies and programmes directed towards cut downing the consumer demand for narcotic drug and psychotropic substances as covered by the three chief International Drug Control Conventions, as mentioned above. The National Agency for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers ( NATReSA ) is a parastatal organic structure under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions which was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1996 and it is responsible for all demand decrease activities in the state. By carry oning a figure of bar activities in the community, schools and the workplace, NATReSA uses instruction as its chief vehicular arm to seek to decrease the demand for drugs. It provides support to a figure of NGOs engaged in bar, intervention and rehabilitation work. The National Prevention Unit set up by the NATReSa in 2002 has set up a Demand Reduction Integrated Program, from which more than 25 parts have already benefitted boulder clay day of the month. Supply Side Reduction As to provide side decrease, the jurisprudence enforcement side is actively involved and a figure of establishments runing under the auspices of different ministries are responsible for drug control activities. The Anti Drug Smuggling Unit ( ADSU ) , the National Coast Guard and the Special Mobile Force are particular units of the Mauritius Police Force, working under the bid of the Commissioner of Police involved in drug control. The Passport and Immigration Office besides operates under the supervising of the Commissioner of Police and has a function in the showing of riders at the haven and airdrome while Custom Investigation and Intelligence Unit plays a notable function in the checking of containers and other baggage come ining the state. The Pharmacy Section of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life ( MOH & A ; QL ) is responsible for the issue of licences for the import of licit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Finally, Mauritius Post Services work in close cooperation with the above units to exert near control to vouch that drugs do non come in the state through letters and postal bundles and the Forest Department aids through its field work in woods, mountains and province lands, and is instrumental in observing cannabis cultivation. Harmonizing to the 2010 World Drug Report, Mauritius is the state with the highest opiates ingestion prevalence in the African continent with an estimation of 1.9 % . This demonstrates clearly that conventional attacks to the Mauritanian drug job have non met outlooks in footings of efficiency in undertaking it. Alternatively, new factors borne due to a quickly altering society contributed to the rendering them inefficient – opening up of air spaces which while increasing benefits from the touristry and travel industry has besides increased the hazards of drugs being brought into the state by aliens, enlargement of the offshore sector through which big amounts of money theodolites through Mauritius, beginnings of which remain confidential to the offshore companies and the unfastened secret being that sometimes, portion of these monies go into the black economic system, financing drug minutess and poorness and harlotry which are cardinal conducive factors every bit good to the enlargement of the Mauritanian drug market among others. The escalation of drug usage became a cause for concern as the chief vehicle for substance maltreatment being through injection, this implied a heightened hazard of transmittal of blood borne diseases among the IDU population and hence a greater figure of HIV positive and hepatitis instances amongst others. An wholly new attack was therefore adopted to counter this contingency, known as the injury decrease attack. The injury decrease which consists of needle exchange plans every bit good as dolophine hydrochloride permutation therapy implied a wholly different position, the nucleus rule being acknowledging the being of a substance maltreatment issue in a community, which frequently is pig-headedly resisted by governments, therefore exposing the immense trouble in the execution of this method. Over the old ages, legion observations have been made by journalists and Non-Governmental Organisations ( NGOs ) representatives on the structural alterations of the drug state of affairs in Mauritius, the distressing dimensions of the issue of substance maltreatment and its dealingss with transmittal of blood borne diseases. Harm decrease nevertheless, being a comparatively new construct in Mauritius dating merely back to 2006, remains a instead undiscovered way. Hence, the intent of this thesis would be to convey focal point on Needle Exchange Programs ( NEPs ) as they are carried out in the Mauritanian context. While running through a general overview of the injury decrease attack, the principle behind it will be examined along with execution timeline of NEP in Mauritius. Policy facets will be reviewed and an analysis of the legal background of NEPs in Mauritius will be presented, which will dwell of a survey salient characteristics of the bing Torahs and NEPs and finally the NEP particular model which is the HIV/AIDS Act 06. NEP in prisons, being a delicate and problematic issue, will be considered and the chance of such in Mauritanian prisons discussed. The thesis will be concluded by measuring the Mauritanian NEP, and suggesting recommendations of possible ways to pitch more towards efficiency and best pattern with respects to Mauritian Torahs and needle exchange. Preliminary Chapter: Understanding Harm Decrease The Basic Concept Harm decrease refers to policies, programmes and patterns utilized and applied with the aim of decreasing hazards associated with the usage of drugs by substance maltreaters. Subdivided into needle exchange plans and dolophine hydrochloride permutation therapies, injury decrease is viewed as a far-reaching advanced attack to the job of substance maltreatment and its related hazards. The outstanding characteristic of this fresh method is the extremist displacement in focal point to the bar of injury caused by substance maltreatment, instead than on the bar of drug usage itself. This entails recognizing the being of a substance maltreatment job in society which in bend indicates the inability or sometimes even failure of concerned governments in undertaking the drug job. This attack was frequently discussed in Mauritius after acknowledgment of the menace of HIV every bit good as other blood borne diseases which were distributing through shooting drug usage. Stakeholders including the National AIDS Secretariat agreed that injury decrease does non sabotage but alternatively complements attacks seeking to forestall or diminish drug ingestion. It is based on the acknowledgment that many people throughout the universe continue to utilize drugs despite the best of attempts to forestall drug usage and is of a non-judgmental and non-punitive attitude towards the ingestion of intoxicant and drugs. The Implementation of Harm Reduction In Mauritius Harm decrease is implemented in Mauritius through the vehicular plans of Methadone Substitution Therapy ( MST ) and Needle Exchange Programs ( NEPs ) . MST normally works by cut downing cravings and barricading ‘highs ‘ from diacetylmorphine. It does non supply the same euphoric haste the drug user under MST will no longer see utmost highs and depressions that consequences from the degree of diacetylmorphine in the blood. MST around Mauritius is controlled and supervised by the National Detoxification Centre For MST found at Cite Barkly in Beau Bassin. MST plans carried out may be either residential lasting for 15 yearss merely or day-care. Drug users are induced on dolophine hydrochloride under medical supervising and doses are accordingly adjusted. There are 16 methadone distributing points around the island from which drug users, after holding gone through initial initiation receive their day-to-day doses of dolophine hydrochloride. Needle exchange plans forms portion of the injury decrease scheme and is funded by the State and partly by international administrations such as the Global Fund. Mauritius has pioneered government-run needle exchange plans throughout the African Continent as both NGOs and the Mauritanian Government through MOH & A ; QL both carry out NEPs. The plan offers a comprehensive bundle of services which include exchange of used acerate leafs, HIV guidance and testing, proviso of rubbers and intoxicant swabs and referrals for rehabilitation services ( where requested ) every bit good as other HIV-related services. Rationale Behind Harm Reduction Harm Reduction and Human Rights The injury decrease attack to drugs is based on a strong pledge to public wellness and human rights. Harm decrease intercessions have found support among legion United Nations ( UN ) homo rights mechanisms, specifically in context of HIV bar and the right to achieve the highest accomplishable criterion of wellness. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ( ICESCR ) And Harm Reduction. The Committee on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights ( CESCR ) has recommended many times that States Parties scale up their injury decrease programmes in order to run into their duties under Article 12 of the ICESCR. In its Concluding Observations on Ukraine ( 2007 ) , the Committee stated that it was ‘gravely concerned at ‘the limited entree by drug users to substitution therapy, ‘ and recommended that the province party ‘make drug permutation therapy and other HIV bar services more accessible for drug users ‘ . Article 15 of the ICESCR provides for everyone to ‘benefit from scientific realizations and its applications. ‘ Considered against the background of injection driven HIV, this implies the right for any individual to profit from plans backed by solid grounds, therefore harm decrease plans, demoing that they can most expeditiously contain and treat HIV/AIDS and such drug related likely diseases. In 2009, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a declaration on human rights and HIV/AIDS that unambiguously provided support to harm decrease plans, including needle exchange. Research Based Rationale Despite the continued attempts of concerned governments, some of which being holding rather a considerable bearing on the state ‘s budget every bit good, substance maltreatment still remains one major cause for concern in Mauritius, it holding the 2nd highest per capita rate of opiate usage in the universe after Iran. Manners of transmittal of HIV and blood borne infections steadily shifted from heterosexual activities to shooting drug usage as from the twelvemonth 2002 to 2005, with an exponential rise in the figure of detected instances to make a extremum of 921 instances in 2005. 92 % of all new HIV infections in Mauritius by 2005 were shooting drug users. While this alteration was most probably a consequence of increased HIV proving among IDUs in assorted establishments including the prisons, and did non needfully stand for a brusk addition of new HIV infections, the figures were sufficient to measure up the epidemic as a concentrated one and were a clear warning of a latent job among the IDUs population. A speedy and efficient action in response to the quickly intensifying increasing transmittal of HIV was therefore required, accordingly climaxing into kicking off of injury decrease activities in 2006. The consequences obtained from the recent Injecting Drug User HIV Surveillance Survey, in Mauritius is no beginning of comfort: – among the HIV positive detected instances as at December 2009, 73 % consisted of members of the IDU population. HIV prevalence is 47.4 % and Hepatitis C ( HVC ) prevalence is 97.3 % . The usage of non-sterile acerate leafs and shooting drug equipment which is an highly efficient manner of HIV and blood borne diseases transmittal remains a cardinal factor declining the HIV epidemic among IDUs around the Earth and in Mauritius, while 61.2 % of IDUs reported shooting two to three times a twenty-four hours, 29.3 % among them reported shooting with a antecedently used acerate leaf in the past month. Prior to the induction of syringe exchange plans in 2006, needle and syringe sharing in the old three months was reported by 80 % of IDUs. However, in the last three months of the twelvemonth 2009, 30 % merely of IDUs reported sharing a needle or syringe at last injection and less than half reported occasional sharing of injection equipment or pulling up drug solution from a common container shared by many, research-based groundss stressing wholly along on the demand for continuance of harm decrease activities in Mauritius.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How To Make A Living Blogging

How To Make A Living Blogging Ah, the blogging dream. You, in a coffee shop or sitting on a beach, earning an income. You discovered how to make a living blogging and its smooth travel from here on out. Whoa, now.  Lets slow down and think things through. You might not be able to spend the rest of your life tapping out blog posts on your laptop swinging in a hammock as the sun sets behind palm trees, but you can still make a living blogging on more realistic terms. Make A Living Blogging, Without The Myths I bet youve heard a few myths about how to make a living blogging and instead of thinking about those bogus promises rationally, youve adopted them as truth. Thats a bad move to make if youre going to quit your day job and bank on blogging. What are the myths you often hear? The most important thing to do is to just start. How many times do you hear the advice to just get started or something about the longest journey begins with the first step? The most important thing to do is not to just start. Its to have a plan on what youre going to do before you start. There are so many things to consider before you sink time into a blog or freelance career.  What are you going to write about? Will you have a niche blog? Will you write for other blogs? How will you monetize your blog? Will you have ads?  Will you have a product or service to sell? How much income do you need? Will you need a part-time job? You have to start, but perhaps you should start blogging before you quit your day job. Get a feel for it. And, more importantly, make some serious plans. Figure out what youre going to do before you make the leap. Do some research.  Ask tough questions and provide honest answers, and then start. Start knowing where youre headed. Even if your direction changes, you didnt start out by wandering around, lost. Working for myself will be much easier than working for someone else. Making a living as a freelance writer and blogger isnt easy. This isnt a story of you not working for the man, and sleeping in until noon every day, wandering over to your computer and tapping out a few thousand words before taking a nap. Its not like a regular job; you cant clock in and clock out. Blogging Myth: Working for myself will be much easier than working for someone else.Freelance writing and blogging means you have to have discipline to self-start and make the chase every morning. It means you will need to get a handle on what to charge as a freelance writer and blogger. You cant undersell yourself with your own pricing structure. It means working directly with clients; no more hiding behind the company or policies. It means organization, the best tools, and learning how to work when you dont feel like it. It means you will still be taking ordersnot from your boss, but from your client. In effect, you might be working twice as hard for every dollar you make. Thats not a bad thing. There are lots of benefits in working for yourself, but easier isnt one of them. I have to have a hugely successful personal blog or it wont work. As youll read below, huge amounts of traffic on your own blog are only one small way you can make a living as a blogger. You do not have to have a blog with massive amounts of traffic unless you plan to fund a winter home in the Bahamas solely off of ad clicks from traffic. Be honest. That kind of outcome happens to very few writers and bloggers, mainly the ones telling you they did it and getting traffic and clicks from bloggers like you who want to figure out what they did. Thats a pyramid, and not everyone is at the top. Traffic is important, particularly if youre selling a product or using ads or affiliates for income, but not everyone needs a million hits a month to still make a decent living off of their blogging. Just tell me the formula and Ill go do it. Making a living blogging is, sorry to say, without a clear formula. What works for one blogger wont work for another. What works in one niche wont work for another. What works in one year wont work the next. Trends change, blogging changes, available tools changethere is no one-size-fits all formula for success. This is what you dont want to hear, butfind what works for you. This comes about with trial and error experience. Its not usually fun. Be cautious when reading about a sure-fire way to make money on a blog, because theres no guarantee that will work for you. I only want to blog on my blog. Dont put all of your income eggs in one basket. It will take time to make your own blog an income-generating behemoth (if ever). It is foolish to restrict your blogging to one income source only. Find many ways to make a living blogging so that you are on secure ground should something change. When you are new and starting out, you dont have the luxury of being a purist (unless you have a trust fund to live off of). Make A Living Blogging On Your Blog Ideally, youll make a living off of your own blog property, where you call the shots. Your blog is about more than personal writing freedom, though.  If you dont love your own writing, youre going to have a hard sell making your clients love the writing you do for them. Your blog just happens to be the perfect place to find your voice, figure out blogging, and learn to love your writing. You Need More Than Great Writing If You Need Significant Traffic Great writing isnt all that youll need. What do you think of when someone talks about making money off of their blog? You think ads and affiliates.  For ad revenue or affiliate links to really work, you are going to have to build serious traffic. And, even then, youll likely need other sources of income from your writing or even a side job. How do you build that traffic? Build traffic to your site by participating.  Commenting on other blogs and participating in social media networks and groups is vital to building traffic to your own blog. Take marketing strategy seriously. Weve talked about several methods of marketing that are both creative and powerful when it comes to bringing traffic to your site. Whatever method you choose for your blog, take it seriously and dont leave marketing your own blog up to chance. Write regularly. Were big cheerleaders for regular, planned content using a tool like an editorial calendar to make certain it happens. Write so search engines and readers have something new to read whenever they visit. Learn about search engine optimization (SEO). Learn all you can about what good SEO requires, and take the steps to make it happen. Get the plugins, do the research, do the writing. Be patient. Guest blogging. Writing on others blogs is a great way to tap into their audience and introduce yourself to new people. Find blogs you enjoy reading and would be able to write great content for. There are many websites that  list reputable companies  that offer ad campaigns and services, but youll likely have to show you have significant traffic. If that is the route you wish to go, do your research well and choose a company with a good reputation for both payout and privacy. Ad Revenue Isnt The Only Option But maybe that isnt the route you want to go. Maybe you dont want ads on your site.  Dont forget what else your blog has to offer, besides the potential for ad revenue: Your blog is your proof. Its a resume, its samples of writing, its proof to clients that you know what youre doing and have the experience. Its your writing portfolio. Your blog is a publishing house. It is a way to generate income off of your writing from ebooks, self-published books, and magazines. You can create written content, fiction and non-fiction, that others might enjoy reading and would pay money for. Your blog is your brand. This is where you run your PR from, your updates, your news, and where you create that unique online personality. Your blog is a place to offer subscription content. Depending upon your niche, your audience, and the level of expertise in the content you share, you could offer paid memberships to portions of your blog. People will pay to get regular access to your site as long as you keep the content high quality, publish frequently, and offer something unique they cant find elsewhere. Your blog is a chance for affiliate links. Writing reviews or other blog posts that allow you to include links to affiliate sites is another way for you to earn extra cash from your blog. While you might not get rich right off the bat, it is extra income. A niche blog is particularly good for affiliate links. Your blog is the home base for your product or service. Having a product or service that you sell on your blog is a fine way to create steady income and build a business. It should fit well with the niche your blog is in. It might be paper or ebooks, coaching services, an app, a WordPress plugin, T-Shirts–anything. Dont overlook the power of your own blog when you think about making a living as a freelance writer and blogger, but dont let that be where you stop your efforts to make a living blogging. Your blog is your home base, but writing is your skill. That skill is portable. Make A Living Blogging On Other Blogs Writing for other blogs can go beyond guest blogging without pay. There are some blogs that will pay you for content, just as any other freelance client would. The trick is finding blogs that will pay you for your writing. This doesnt happen by accident. Block out time to find blogs that will pay you to write for them.   Rather than a hit-and-miss approach of saving bookmarks as you find them, create a list of search terms and make an effort to block out time to find a place to blog. Whether you use a spreadsheet or an organizing app, sift through the resources and note where, what, and how they want you to write for them. Save the links, decide which blogs youll write for, which ones pay and which ones are unpaid guest blogging. In other words, be purposeful about finding blogs that pay just as you would any other paying client, and organize your results so that you can organize your plan of attack. Get in the habit of being paid. It should be obvious that if you dont get paid in a timely manner, you should not write more posts until you do get payment. Youve agreed on a set amount before you start? Then thats what you should receive. Some blogs might offer their writers a percentage of the ad revenue, or other payment options. Know what you need, and dont let the myth of its good exposure convince you to let slide a previous agreement of payment. Make A Living Blogging As A Ghost Blogger Ghost blogging is controversial. Its the practice of being paid to write blog posts for another blog without receiving any recognition or rights to your work. Payment varies, from as low as $20/600 words and up. Once youve submitted the post and received payment, your writing is out of your hands and youre done with it. You will likely find more paid ghost blogging opportunities than you will paid blogging opportunities. Most people who ghost blog dont make a big public announcement about doing it. Its a controversial practice, and if you do an online search on ghost blogging, youll get a slew of popular bloggers decrying the practice for its lack of authenticity, claiming that it hurts other writers and bloggers, and that it cheats the reader. Such claims have elements of truth to them, perhaps, but sometimes impending bills and payments speak louder than a call to authenticity.  You have to make your own decision on whether or not youre comfortable writing for another blog without receiving credit. The Reality Of Ghost Blogging If youre ready to try your hand at ghost blogging there are a few things you should know. Though getting paid for your writing is a good feeling, there are aspects to ghost blogging that you will need to come to terms with before diving in. You dont always get to write about the things you love. You may luck out and be able to find blogs to write for that cover topics you enjoy talking about, or are an expert at. Chances are pretty good, though, that youll find yourself writing about things you didnt give much thought to, you cant believe anyone would read, or you have zero interest in. For example, are you ready to write about choosing the perfect houseplant, or how to take care of goldfish? (Sometimes youre relieved your name isnt associated with the post.) Thats ghost blogging. This means youll need to come up with a system that makes sure you get your work done. You cant miss a deadline. You will have to force yourself to write on things that arent fun, you will have to do research that takes up time, and you will have to deal with feedback from the client you may not agree with. Its not all that different from other forms of freelance writing except one thing: your name isnt on it.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Consequentialistic and Virtue ethics

Consequentialistic and Virtue ethics Graham (2000) notes that, â€Å"consequentialism theory states that every behavior should be taken to maximize happiness† (p.143).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Consequentialistic and Virtue ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hurthouse (2000) adds that ,â€Å"consequentialism refers to moral theories that hold that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action or create a structure for judgment†(p.5).In other words, as long as the end product is good, the action is also termed as good. Hurtson (2000) states that, â€Å"this theory operates under the principle of the end justifies the mean† (p.5). Graham (2004) also adds that, â€Å"a morally right action is one that produces a good outcome or consequence† (p.144). How Consequentialistic Theory may be used by Eastern Producers The Eastern textile industries manufacture many text ile products.These textile products are then used domestically and others are exported. Wang Zhang (2008) notes that, â€Å"the textile industries in the Eastern countries and specifically in China have raised a lot of disputes with the Western countries† (p.134). So as to justify its actions, China can make use of the consequentialism theory. To start with, the textile industry in China has promoted the local economy and the GDP to a large extent. Chow (2007) notes that, â€Å"textile industry in China is a traditional pillar industry and a livelihood industry as it is an important source of China’s foreign exchange earning and capital accumulation† (p.323). Wang Zhang (2008) also note that, â€Å"China’s textile industry is believed to have set low prices for its products in major international markets, and thus improves the real income level of consumers who buy their commodities†(p.323). The textile industries in China have also created emplo yment for a good number of people. Chow (2007) notes that, â€Å"China industry has employed more than twenty million people and is of great benefit to more than a thousand cotton farmers† (p.323).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Brown et al. (2005) notes that, â€Å"the contribution of the textile industry to overall output and employment attracted considerable attention as many textile mills are state-owned enterprises with substantial workforces that directly contributes to the local economy† (p. 30). Brown et al. (2005) also notes that, â€Å"China acts as both a significant exporter and importer of wool textile products with trade flows servicing different segments of the market† (p. 31).Thus, we can see that the textile industry in China gives yield to a positive outcome, hence its actions are justified according to the consequentialism t heory. Secondly, China’s textile industry produces clothes that are cheap and of good quality to its customers. Chow (2007) notes that, â€Å"the textile industries in China solve more than ten billion domestic residents dress issue† (p.323). Brown et al (2005) also notes that, â€Å"the trade disputes between the United States of America and China can hardly stop the American consumers from buying textile products from China as they are of good quality† (p.324). Thus, it is clear that China’s textile industry maximizes the happiness of its consumers by providing them with affordable and durable products, hence the consequentialism theory holds true. Thirdly, the textile industries in China have led to China being recognized as the second largest economy. Chow (2007) notes that, â€Å"over the years, China’s economy has greatly grown and China has been recognized as the world’s dominant supplier in textile industries as well as the second l argest economy globally† (p.310). Brown et al. (2005) also notes that, â€Å"textile industry is in a constant state of flux in response to economic growth as demand patters and supply conditions change† (p.30).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Consequentialistic and Virtue ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moore (2002) also notes that, â€Å"the China textile industry has enjoyed much benefits under the Multi Fiber Agreement (MFA) and thus has the potential to perform better economically in an international environment â€Å"(p.182). Yager (2005) also notes that, â€Å"China is expected to be the largest economy in the next decade† (p. 10). Brown et al. (20050 also notes that, â€Å"textile exports in China has increased and covers losses in sectors like agriculture and automobile manufacturing which do not fair well† (p.30). From these arguments, it’s clear that the textile industries have empowered the country economically. As this is a positive outcome that is of great benefit to both the citizens and the country, then by consequentialism theory, China’s production of cheap textiles is justified. Finally, the textile industry in China has led to a higher profit margin in the retail trade. Moore (2002) notes that, â€Å"China has lowered import duties which increases the competitiveness of Chinese finished goods† (p. 182). Chow (2007) states that, â€Å"by the US transferring technology and manufacturing industries to China, a high cost of Chinese imports to the US consumers will go to US traders and distributors, so that the profits of selling Chinese products in the Us market will contribute to US GNP† (p. 323). Brown et al. (2005) also notes that, â€Å"China produces high quality and low price goods† (p.323). As a result of this, retailers are able to buy these products and sell them at a higher price. Thus, the textil e industry benefits the retailers to a great extent and this makes the textile industry in China justified. How the Consequentialistic Ethic may be used by Western Consumer Groups The consequentialistic ethic can also be used by the Western consumer groups in their opposition against the production of cheap textiles by industries in China. To start with, Chow (2007) notes that, â€Å"textile industry causes serious environmental pollution due to the printing and the dyeing that takes place in industries† (p.323).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The western countries can argue that due to production of cheap textiles, there is usually high demand of the textile products which leads to increased production. Increased production on the other hand increases environmental pollution. Since environmental pollution affects the health of human beings, then it does not cause happiness to human beings.According to the consequentialism theory, the activities of the textile industries in China do yield a negative impact and thus their actions are not justified. Secondly, the production of cheap textiles by industries in China has led to a downfall of the Western textile industries. This is so because of the availability of China’s textiles in their country which makes most people prefer to buy the China textiles. Yager (2005) states that, â€Å"China’s textile products have caused much disruption in the market and are a threat to an orderly development of trade in the US and EU† (P.30).This has been a cause of alar m in these countries. Yager (2005) notes that, â€Å"the US have had to seek help from a Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreement (CITA) so as to come up with ways in which the impact of China’s textile products can be minimized† (p.30). Brown et al. (2005) notes that, â€Å"CITA has laid strategies on how to control China’s exports in the US† (P.324). From these arguments, it is clear that China’s textile industry has caused many demerits than benefits to the American economy. Thus, the activities of the China’s textile industry are not justified by the consequentialism theory as they do not cause happiness to the American population. Finally, the Western countries have had to move transfer their technology and manufacturing industries to the Eastern countries. Chow (2007) states that, â€Å"the US government has had to move foreign investments and technology to China so as to cope with the competition in textile industriesâ⠂¬  (p.323). This movement makes people to be foreigners in another country whereas they could stay and enjoy with their relatives and friend in their own country. Since this is not a favorable outcome to the people in Western countries, then according to the consequentialism theory, the activities of China’s textile industries are not justified. The Merits of the Consequentialism Theory given that it can Support Both Sides The consequentialism theory has many merits over other ethics theories. Anderson (1995) notes that, â€Å"the consequentialistic theory promises to provide a single, simple premise and determinate procedure of justification that employs objective calculation to overcome disputes over what to do† (p.440. China is able to justify its action of producing cheap textiles due to the positive outcomes that its activities yield by creating a premise and justifying it. For instance China claims that its manufacture of cheap textile products helps to improve the economy and the GDP. Since this is a positive outcome, then by the determinate procedure, the activities of China’s textile industry are justified. On the other hand, the Western countries will pick a premise like, production of cheap products by China’s textile industries cause environmental pollution which is a negative outcome. By the determinate procedure, the activities of China’s textile industries will not be justified. Secondly, the consequentialism theory maximizes value. Anderson (1995) states that, â€Å"people seek to maximize value by sending their children to best schools, by ensuring that they obtain the maximum value of their money and by making the best of a bad day† (p.44). In this case, China justifies its production of cheap textile industries by the end results. Some of these end results include: promoting the local economy and GDP, providing cheap clothes to customers and gaining popularity as the second largest economy in the w orld. On the other hand, the Western consumers seek to maximize their value by criticizing China actions like those of exporting cheap products to their countries. Finally, the consequentialistic theory applies specific social concepts. Anderson (1995) notes that, â€Å"consequentialism follows a long tradition in western philosophy that contrasts reason with emotions and social norms and that seeks independent perspective from which our emotions and social practices can be criticized†(p.43). By applying these social concepts, both China and the Western countries are able to justify their arguments. For instance, the Western consumers argue that the mass production of textiles by China leads to environmental pollution, which is not socially acceptable. On the other hand, China’s textile industries boast of having improved the local economy and the GDP among other achievements that are socially acceptable. Thus, the consequentialistic theory is able to support both side s as long as each party is able to justify its arguments in relation to behavior that creates maximum happiness for all. How Producers in China’s Textile Industry can Use the Ethic of Virtue Graham (2004) notes that, â€Å"virtue ethics seeks to answer the question, what is good life for human beings?† (p.61). Swanton (2005) adds that, â€Å"ones morality is judged by the presence or absence of virtues which are described by words like good, bad, outgoing, lazy and intelligent† (p.120). Gardiner (2005) also states that, â€Å"Aristotle recognizes that some things are done for their own sake, end in themselves, while other things are done for the sake of others, means to other ends† (p. 47). The manufacturers of textiles in China industries may use the ethics of virtue to respond to the consumers in Western countries in several ways. To start with, the consumers in Western countries argue that mass production of cheap textiles to meet the high demand of ch eap textiles leads to environmental pollution. So as to respond to this using the virtue theory, China can argue that their production of cheap textiles is usually out of good intentions. For instance, they can argue that they aim at enabling people of all social classes to have access to decent clothes and at an affordable price. At the same time, producers in China textile industries can argue that their products lead to an improved global economy and an increased GDP, all which are good for the country. Secondly, the consumers in Western countries argue that the production of cheap textiles has led to the fall of Western textile industries. By use of virtue ethics, the producers in China textile industries can argue that they do not produce cheap textiles with the ill intent of causing a downfall in the Western textile industries, but they do so as to improve the local economy. Finally, consumers in the Western countries argue that they have had to transfer their technology and m anufacturing industries to China. By use of virtue theory, the Eastern countries can argue that their intentions for the Western textile industries markets are not ill as they do allow these foreign industries to operate from their countries as they make GNP for their home countries. In conclusion, both the consequentialistic and the virtue theory can be used to support the existence of textile industries that produce cheap textile in the Eastern countries. By use of the consequentialistic ethics, Eastern countries can justify their industries by use of positive end results that they achieve. Some of these end results include improved local economy and GDP, recognition as the world’s second largest economy, provision of cheap and high quality textiles to customers and a high profit margin in retail trade. By use of the virtue ethics, the Eastern countries are able to justify their production of cheap textiles. On the other hand, Western consumers are able to oppose textile pr oducers in the Eastern countries by use of consequentialistic theory. Finally, the merits of the consequentialistic theory over other theories in ethics have been discussed. Some of these benefits includes: availability of a clear procedure to be followed in the theory whereby on builds a premise and later justifies it, its ability to maximize value and its reliance on specific social concepts. References Anderson, E. (1995) Value in ethics and economics. London, Harvard University Press. Brown, C., Wardron, S., Longworth, J. (2005) Modernizing China’s industries: lessons from wool and wool textiles. London, Edward Elgar. Chow, G. (2007) China’s economic transformation. New York, Wiley Black-well. Gardiner, S. (2005) Virtue ethics, old and new. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Graham, G. (2004) Eight theories of ethics. London, Routledge. Hurthouse, R. (2000). Ethics, humans and other animals: an introduction with readings. Routledge Moore, T. (2002) China in the world market: Chinese industry and international sources of reform. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Swanton, C. (2005) Virtual ethics: a pluralistic Wang, G. Zhang (2008) China and the new international order. London, Routledge. Yager, L. (2005) US-China trade: textile safeguard procedures should be improved. London, Diane.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Medea Aristotelian Analysis

This would add to the tension, and provide an exaggerated contrast between the men, speaking in their natural voices, and the women in their falsetto. This also influences the musical nature of the play. As compared to other Greek tragedies where the chorus would have been intentionally all male, Medea would have a very different sound, a much more feminine sound, as would be fitting for one of the few Greek plays with a female protagonist. The language Eurypides uses helps the audience understand her and her actions, as well as be able to empathize with her. Words of destruction, such as â€Å"kill,† â€Å"broken,† â€Å"refugee,† â€Å"sick,† â€Å"hate,† â€Å"enraged,† and â€Å"starves† all set the stage in the first 20 lines of the play. The audience instantly knows that Medea has suffered horribly, and now has every right and reason to take revenge for the wrongs that have been done to her. These same words are used often throughout the play, especially â€Å"hate† and â€Å"betrayed† and give us great insight into the total fury and single mindedness of Medeas later actions. Jason’s words, on the other hand, help us realize just how disconnected he is. He is, as the Chorus says â€Å"ignorant beyond pity. †Ã‚   Jason thinks he is being â€Å"generous,† and he somehow thinks leaving his wife for a younger woman makes him her â€Å"advocate. Eurypides carefully emphasizes the scene where the children are slaughtered by having it be the only time we hear them speak. They are on stage for many scenes, but they never do anything but watch, silent and obedient while their family falls apart around them. When they finally speak, it is because it is their only hope of saving themselves; it is too late for their family. They cry out, with young innocent voices, pleading for help in what is perhaps the most tense moment of the play. This tension is further heightened by the fact that the audience cannot see what is happening, they can only hear it. They are forced to rely on sound alone, and that sound for those few lines becomes the only thing that matters. One almost wants to watch Medea kill her children just to know what is actually happening behind that door instead of being denied perhaps our most important sense: sight. The audience becomes blind to the action of the play, as Medea has embraced her blind rage. Social Implications: In the last lines of Medea, Euripides uses the verbal interaction between Jason and Medea to show a reversal in the stereotypical gender roles of the time. Although Medea is a goddess, she represents a strong, unyielding female role that has power over her male counterpart in their relationship. Moments before the final grand spectacle, a distraught, weakened Jason is powerless to the will of Medea. He raises his voice (indicative of his losing all authority and pathetically lashing out for some form control) and demands that he be allowed to have his children back. Yet Madea is unwavering and persistent. Unlike Jason, she â€Å"wastes† no words and provides a simple, rational-sounding message that reflects her supremacy. This kind of social commentary is interesting because women, who were rarely awarded the liberties of men at the time, were allowed to attend the plays at the Dionysus festival. It is possible that Euripides was sending a subtle message of hope and pride to all of the oppressed female members of his audience. Dialect: Euripides was celebrated for his simplistic use of language which reflects a more realistic dialogue in the character’s expressions. Although he did not win as many first place awards as Sophocles or Aeschylus at the Dionysus festivals, his work was popular to an audience which was able to recognize their own dialects and accents on stage. Unlike other tragedies of his time, Euripides’s work was not diluted by unrealistic, grandiose phraseology which often had a deleterious effect on the listener’s comprehension and ability to interprate the plays. Physical Realities of Sound in Ancient Greek Theater: Ancient Greek theaters were specially constructed to perfectly suit the art which they housed (although without roofs). The multi-thousand-seat theaters were built into hilsides to allow for minimal construction and also excellent accoustics. In today’s theater, sound is almost always electronically amplified to permit better hearing by the audience, but not having this as an option, these grecian temples had to be constructed perfectly. By encircling the orchestra   with a mathematically perfected design of wooden or stone benches, sloping upwards away from the performance, the ancient architects nearly mimiced the way that sound travels as it spreads. This near-perfect acoustical environment allowed the actors’ voices to travel all the way to the last row of seats. Also, the Skene buidling which stood behind the orchestra may have assisted in the amplification by reflecting voices and sound towards the thousands of audience members. This arrangement meant that the words which were spoken and sounds of music and dancing were clear such that their importance could be heard accurately. The theaters of Ancient Greece enormous, when, for example, the nearest seat was almost 10 meters away from the performer, large movements and loud voices were critical to conveying the full story. As such, it is widely accepted that the performers would wear very simple, plain masks which made their facial features more clear and obvious for the audience to see. Some theater historians assert that these masks also had a type of megaphone built in for amplification, although this point is disputed. In conjunction with their enlarged faces, the performers were often on stilts and wearing heavy robes of fabric to accurately convey their character. These amendments to their body meant that every move they made and every sound they created needed to be worth it. There was no â€Å"stage whispering† in this theater which limited but also inspired Euripides to write plays with more dynamic and complex plotlines, ones filled with action and confrontation to futher add to the experience. In addition, the chorus of some twelve men (playing women in Medea) would constantly dance around the orchestra (derived from the Greek term for dancing) during their scenes. The dancing was entertaining but also allowed the group to spread around the wealth so to speak of their odes, so that all might be privy to hearing their sound and seeing their dance. VI. Spectacle The Greatest Spectacle: After the extraordinary hardships which Medea faces throughout the play, we come across the ending when she â€Å"appears in a winged chariot, rising above the house. The bodies of the two children are visible in the chariot. Interestingly, over the past 1570 lines of the play, the stage directions are almost never this specific or elaborate. Showing that Euripides has literally saved the best for last, perhaps to shamelessly present a big ending, the rising chariot is the epitome of spectacle in this play. Although there would be no such chariot in the ancient theaters, it is likely that Med ea herself would be lifted from the stage level by the deus ex machina (literally, god machine) and the childen’s bodies would be thrust forth on a rolling wagon from the skene in the rear of the orchestra. By creating such a spectacle, Euripides also highlights the importance of this event: Medea has killed her own childen in order to free them from the terror of the world which has been created for them. Her actions display her insanity, and her relentless pursuit of revenge against Jason. Setting and Costumes: The unique Greek theaters which seated many thousands called for very simplistic yet very clear design choices. Instead of elaborate costumes, the performers would wear large bold costumes which allowed even the farthest spectator to be clear on who is who. Due to the widely acknowledged â€Å"three-actor rule† (whereby three actors played the roles of all the characters in a play) the costume and mask changes would need to immediately reflect differing characters. It is also widely accepted that the performers would wear a type of stilts to make them â€Å"larger than life† leading to two interpretations: the actors could be better seen and heard when higher, but also became almost godlike or unrealistically large- adding to the spectacle of this world. Entrances and Exits: In the rear of the orchestra section was the Skene, a large building which served as a universal setting for Greek Theater. The sometimes elaborate building would generally have a major door in the center (for palace settings) as well as machines which hoisted actors above the orchestra section. Some characters may have entered this way, but most, including the chorus, would enter on ramps adjacent to the orchestra area. These eisodoi or parodoi would be used for entrances by characters such as a messenger or soldier. How did the actors move: Simply, the actors moved in large, overstated motions. In order to make the play as clear as possible for the large audiences, subtlety was not an option for the ancient Greeks. But what this also meant   for the performance was that the plot had to be appropriately planned for this style of acting. Performers carried out sometimes-long speeches with highly clear emotional intent. This style is a crucial part of Medea. As the plot continues and Medea’s situation worsens, emotions become increasingly polar and disjointed, making clear the protagonist and antagonist’s intentions. Medea Aristotelian Analysis This would add to the tension, and provide an exaggerated contrast between the men, speaking in their natural voices, and the women in their falsetto. This also influences the musical nature of the play. As compared to other Greek tragedies where the chorus would have been intentionally all male, Medea would have a very different sound, a much more feminine sound, as would be fitting for one of the few Greek plays with a female protagonist. The language Eurypides uses helps the audience understand her and her actions, as well as be able to empathize with her. Words of destruction, such as â€Å"kill,† â€Å"broken,† â€Å"refugee,† â€Å"sick,† â€Å"hate,† â€Å"enraged,† and â€Å"starves† all set the stage in the first 20 lines of the play. The audience instantly knows that Medea has suffered horribly, and now has every right and reason to take revenge for the wrongs that have been done to her. These same words are used often throughout the play, especially â€Å"hate† and â€Å"betrayed† and give us great insight into the total fury and single mindedness of Medeas later actions. Jason’s words, on the other hand, help us realize just how disconnected he is. He is, as the Chorus says â€Å"ignorant beyond pity. †Ã‚   Jason thinks he is being â€Å"generous,† and he somehow thinks leaving his wife for a younger woman makes him her â€Å"advocate. Eurypides carefully emphasizes the scene where the children are slaughtered by having it be the only time we hear them speak. They are on stage for many scenes, but they never do anything but watch, silent and obedient while their family falls apart around them. When they finally speak, it is because it is their only hope of saving themselves; it is too late for their family. They cry out, with young innocent voices, pleading for help in what is perhaps the most tense moment of the play. This tension is further heightened by the fact that the audience cannot see what is happening, they can only hear it. They are forced to rely on sound alone, and that sound for those few lines becomes the only thing that matters. One almost wants to watch Medea kill her children just to know what is actually happening behind that door instead of being denied perhaps our most important sense: sight. The audience becomes blind to the action of the play, as Medea has embraced her blind rage. Social Implications: In the last lines of Medea, Euripides uses the verbal interaction between Jason and Medea to show a reversal in the stereotypical gender roles of the time. Although Medea is a goddess, she represents a strong, unyielding female role that has power over her male counterpart in their relationship. Moments before the final grand spectacle, a distraught, weakened Jason is powerless to the will of Medea. He raises his voice (indicative of his losing all authority and pathetically lashing out for some form control) and demands that he be allowed to have his children back. Yet Madea is unwavering and persistent. Unlike Jason, she â€Å"wastes† no words and provides a simple, rational-sounding message that reflects her supremacy. This kind of social commentary is interesting because women, who were rarely awarded the liberties of men at the time, were allowed to attend the plays at the Dionysus festival. It is possible that Euripides was sending a subtle message of hope and pride to all of the oppressed female members of his audience. Dialect: Euripides was celebrated for his simplistic use of language which reflects a more realistic dialogue in the character’s expressions. Although he did not win as many first place awards as Sophocles or Aeschylus at the Dionysus festivals, his work was popular to an audience which was able to recognize their own dialects and accents on stage. Unlike other tragedies of his time, Euripides’s work was not diluted by unrealistic, grandiose phraseology which often had a deleterious effect on the listener’s comprehension and ability to interprate the plays. Physical Realities of Sound in Ancient Greek Theater: Ancient Greek theaters were specially constructed to perfectly suit the art which they housed (although without roofs). The multi-thousand-seat theaters were built into hilsides to allow for minimal construction and also excellent accoustics. In today’s theater, sound is almost always electronically amplified to permit better hearing by the audience, but not having this as an option, these grecian temples had to be constructed perfectly. By encircling the orchestra   with a mathematically perfected design of wooden or stone benches, sloping upwards away from the performance, the ancient architects nearly mimiced the way that sound travels as it spreads. This near-perfect acoustical environment allowed the actors’ voices to travel all the way to the last row of seats. Also, the Skene buidling which stood behind the orchestra may have assisted in the amplification by reflecting voices and sound towards the thousands of audience members. This arrangement meant that the words which were spoken and sounds of music and dancing were clear such that their importance could be heard accurately. The theaters of Ancient Greece enormous, when, for example, the nearest seat was almost 10 meters away from the performer, large movements and loud voices were critical to conveying the full story. As such, it is widely accepted that the performers would wear very simple, plain masks which made their facial features more clear and obvious for the audience to see. Some theater historians assert that these masks also had a type of megaphone built in for amplification, although this point is disputed. In conjunction with their enlarged faces, the performers were often on stilts and wearing heavy robes of fabric to accurately convey their character. These amendments to their body meant that every move they made and every sound they created needed to be worth it. There was no â€Å"stage whispering† in this theater which limited but also inspired Euripides to write plays with more dynamic and complex plotlines, ones filled with action and confrontation to futher add to the experience. In addition, the chorus of some twelve men (playing women in Medea) would constantly dance around the orchestra (derived from the Greek term for dancing) during their scenes. The dancing was entertaining but also allowed the group to spread around the wealth so to speak of their odes, so that all might be privy to hearing their sound and seeing their dance. VI. Spectacle The Greatest Spectacle: After the extraordinary hardships which Medea faces throughout the play, we come across the ending when she â€Å"appears in a winged chariot, rising above the house. The bodies of the two children are visible in the chariot. Interestingly, over the past 1570 lines of the play, the stage directions are almost never this specific or elaborate. Showing that Euripides has literally saved the best for last, perhaps to shamelessly present a big ending, the rising chariot is the epitome of spectacle in this play. Although there would be no such chariot in the ancient theaters, it is likely that Med ea herself would be lifted from the stage level by the deus ex machina (literally, god machine) and the childen’s bodies would be thrust forth on a rolling wagon from the skene in the rear of the orchestra. By creating such a spectacle, Euripides also highlights the importance of this event: Medea has killed her own childen in order to free them from the terror of the world which has been created for them. Her actions display her insanity, and her relentless pursuit of revenge against Jason. Setting and Costumes: The unique Greek theaters which seated many thousands called for very simplistic yet very clear design choices. Instead of elaborate costumes, the performers would wear large bold costumes which allowed even the farthest spectator to be clear on who is who. Due to the widely acknowledged â€Å"three-actor rule† (whereby three actors played the roles of all the characters in a play) the costume and mask changes would need to immediately reflect differing characters. It is also widely accepted that the performers would wear a type of stilts to make them â€Å"larger than life† leading to two interpretations: the actors could be better seen and heard when higher, but also became almost godlike or unrealistically large- adding to the spectacle of this world. Entrances and Exits: In the rear of the orchestra section was the Skene, a large building which served as a universal setting for Greek Theater. The sometimes elaborate building would generally have a major door in the center (for palace settings) as well as machines which hoisted actors above the orchestra section. Some characters may have entered this way, but most, including the chorus, would enter on ramps adjacent to the orchestra area. These eisodoi or parodoi would be used for entrances by characters such as a messenger or soldier. How did the actors move: Simply, the actors moved in large, overstated motions. In order to make the play as clear as possible for the large audiences, subtlety was not an option for the ancient Greeks. But what this also meant   for the performance was that the plot had to be appropriately planned for this style of acting. Performers carried out sometimes-long speeches with highly clear emotional intent. This style is a crucial part of Medea. As the plot continues and Medea’s situation worsens, emotions become increasingly polar and disjointed, making clear the protagonist and antagonist’s intentions.