Ap Euro Martin Luther Conservative or Revolutionary Essay

Martin Luther was one of the greatest monks, priests, and theological teachers of Germany, along with being the symbol of the Protestant Reformation. He did not start off so religious however. One day he was caught in a frightening and dangerous storm. He prayed to God begging not to be killed, and vowed to become a monk if he survived. He did live, upholding his word to the lord, and joined a monastery. He joined an Augustinian friary in 1505, where he suffered from anfechtung, or spiritual anxiety. He never knew if he was doing enough good works to achieve salvation and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven, as it was believed by the Catholic religion that it took good works along with faith in order to enter. To take his mind off of his religious worries, he was recommended to a teaching post at the University of Wittenberg. There, he taught theology and was quite popular among his students. Luther suffered from constant constipation, so he often read the bible while on the toile t. One day while doing this a certain passage from the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: â€Å"the just shall live by faith,† which led to Luther’s core belief of sola fide, or faith alone. Through this belief, Luther believed that the only thing needed to achieve salvation was to live by faith alone, which challenged the Roman Catholic Church’s theology that both faith and good works were necessary. Luther shared his beliefs with the people of the Holy Roman Empire, demanding change to the way theology was widely taught. He agreed with parts of the current teachings and was conservative, wanting to keep parts of the religion the same. He kept the sacraments, however reduced the amount of them from 7 to 2. He was also like many Roman Catholic religious figures, anti-Semitic. Lutheranism, as his religion came to be called, became more submissive to the state as well. However Luther also had many revolutionary ideas, which angered those of the RCC. In response to the political problems, he wished to do away with the process of indulgences, which were no more than pieces of paper in his eyes as works had nothing to do with salvation. His nailing of the 95 Theses highly angered the church authorities, as it went against everything they taught and believe. However in his response to the social problem of the Peasant’s Revolt, he told the princes to crush those who rebelled, as social revolution was not his intention. After careful evaluation, Martin Luther has proven to be both a revolutionary as well as a conservative. Luther proved himself time and again of his revolutionary approach to religion. His best example of this was the 95 Theses. Johann Tetzel, a German Roman Catholic priest, was selling an expensive indulgence as a fund-raising idea of Pope Leo X to finance the building of St. Peters basilica. When one of Luther’s parishioners came to confession, he presented an indulgence he had paid for, claiming he no longer had to re pent of his sins, since the document promised to forgive all his sins. Luther was outraged, and wrote up the Ninety-Five Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences, which he proceeded to nail to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg Germany. He did this on a major Catholic holiday, All Saints Day, which struck at the core of the Catholic religion. The most prominent, challenging, and well known was Theses 86 which read â€Å"Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of Saint Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?† He said indulgences did not do what the Church said it did because salvation was granted by sola fide. The ideas in the Ninety-Five Theses quickly spread throughout Europe via the moveable type printing press. Another time Luther engaged in revolutionary actions was at The Disputation at Leipzig. He was invited to participate in the Church-sponsored debate, as the Church wanted a dialogue concerning Luther’s challenges to Catholic doctrine and practices. RCC leaders at Leipzig declared that Luther’s ideas were wrong because the pope and Church traditions could not be wrong. Luther then shocked everyone, denying the authority of the pope and church councils. He declared that the only authority on matters of faith for Christians was the Bible. He said that sola scriptura, or scripture alone, determined the belief of Christians, not the teachings of the Pope. Upon the conclusion of the meeting at Leipzig, Luther was threatened with a papal bull of excommunication, which he burned in protest. Luther also showed revolutionary idea at the Diet of Worms. He was called to attend by Charles V, the recently elected Holy Roman Emperor. At the assembly, Luther was asked if he had written the â€Å"Ninety-Five Theses,† â€Å"The Address to the Christian Nobility,† â€Å"The Babylonian Captivity of the Church,† and other works. Luther accepted the accusations and acknowledged that he had written them, and when asked to recant his ideas or suffer the consequences, he requested a night to think about his decision. When Luther returned the next day, he stood firm when asked if he would recant and proudly declared â€Å"Here I stand, I can do no other.† Luther was then declared a heretic and became a marked man. Troops of Frederick the Elector rescued Luther and took him to safe hiding in Wartburg Castle, where he proceeded to translate the Bible into the vernacular, which was highly against the teachings of the church and very illegal. He also declared that monks and nuns were not obligated to uphold their vows. Luther not only acted revolutionarily towards political religious issues, but towards the social issues of the time as well. The most well known was the Peasants’ Revolt. Some religious leaders twisted and perverted Luther’s ideas to benefit their own causes, with the most prominent being Thomas Mà ¼ntzer. They wrote the â€Å"Twelve Articles†: a petition of peasant demands and sent it to the Swabian League that called upon the Holy Roman Emperor to help the peasantry deal with economic and religious issues. When Charles V ignored the â€Å"Twelve Articles,† preachers led by Mà ¼ntzer stirred the masses to revolt against the nobles. Luther believed the peasants were way out of line, as he was adamantly against mixing religious reformation with political and social revolution. He disassociated himself with Mà ¼ntzer and the revolting peasants. He urged the princes to work together to â€Å"slaughter the swine,† or the peasants. He argued that religious subjects must be subordinate to their secular authorities. Luther proved himself a revolutionary over and over through many acts throughout his religious life. Though Luther was a revolutionary, many of his actions also dictate a conservative approach, wanting to keep some things the same or even go back to the way they used to be. An important message Luther delivered was that good Christians owed obedience to established authority in worldly matters. Lutheranism viewed the state with more respect than other religions did. Lutheranism was much more submissive to the state. He insisted that Christian liberty was an internal freedom, known only to God. Luther wanted the church teachings to go back to how they used to be, based on sola scriptura or scripture alone, without the need of outside interpretation by the pope, bishops, abbots, etc. He was conservative in that he made many alliances with princes who liked his ideas, spreading them to their own kingdoms. He didn’t side with armed rebellions, citing his name, against the nobility in regions of Germany, instead he backed the nobility, telling them to work together to â€Å"slaughter the swine.† He did not want to do away with the sacraments, however he did want to reduce them from seven to two. This showed how he did not want to change all parts of the Roman Catholic religion, only parts. Also, like most religious figures of the time Martin Luther was anti-Semitic. He wanted all the Jewish people to convert to Lutheranism, as he did not believe the Jewish religion was correct in its teachings and beliefs. He restricted the right of private judgement in matters involving conscience, but never denied it. A conservative in the way he did things, Luther was truly a great leader. Luther believed that the only thing needed to achieve salvation was to live by faith alone, which challenged the Roman Catholic Church’s theology that both faith and good works were necessary. Luther shared his beliefs with the people of the Holy Roman Empire, demanding change to the way theology was widely taught. He agreed with parts of the current teachings and was conservative, wanting to keep parts of the religion the same. He kept the sacraments, however reduced the amount of them from 7 to 2. An anti-Semitic, Luther displayed similarities with other religious officials. Lutheranism b ecame more submissive to the state, as Luther believed that in worldly matters religion has to listen to authority. However Luther also had many revolutionary ideas, which upset those of the RCC as it went against the basics of Roman Catholic teachings. In response to the political problems, he wished to do away with the money robbery of the selling of indulgences, which were no more than pieces of paper in his eyes as works had nothing to do with salvation. His nailing of the 95 Theses made the power of the church authorities fluctuate, as it went against everything they taught their followers and everything they had been taught.. However in his response to the social problem of the Peasant’s Revolt, he told the princes to crush those who rebelled, as social revolution was not his intention. He meant to keep the matters of social or political problems separate from religious reform. After carefully evaluating his actions, Martin Luther has proven to be both a revolutionary a s well as a conservative on multiple occasions.

Judaism and Collaboration Assessment Guide

Collaboration Assessment Guide Please complete this guide and submit it with your evidence to the collaboration assessment. Part One: Team Evaluation Rate your team according to each of the performance criteria below. Consider the work of all members, including you. Use the comment area to explain your rating. 3=Always Rating for You: 2=Usually 1 -?Sometimes 0=Never Criteria: Rating for the Team: Comments: Listened to others 3 They listened to what everyone had to say Showed respect for others' opinionsEven if one of us did not like an opinion, we still respected it Completed assigned duties We all completed the assigned parts Participated in discussions We had great discussions Attended meetings on time We were all on time Stayed on task We didn't get off task Completed high-quality work 2 I did research Completed work on time We completed it on the date we agreed on Part Two: Reflection Respond to the following questions with two to three sentences each. What collaboration task did your group complete? The collaboration task that my group completed was the â€Å"stolen girls† and the Jews in concentration camps.They have a few similarities such as, racism and they are both being prejudice. Describe your specific contribution to the group's final product. The specific contribution to our final product was comparing the stolen girl and Jews in concentration camps. We finished it within a reasonable amount of time. What did you enjoy most about working with others on this lesson/task? Explain. What I enjoyed most about working with others on this task was the team work we put into the project. Also, how we all got along and it all worked out smoothly. How did your team deal with conflict?Explain. We did not have any conflicts while we worked on our project. We had a god time working together. Do you feel others were happy with your participation in the lesson/task? Explain. I do indeed feel like others were happy with my participation on the project. In m y opinion, I did all I had to do to be a great worker. What will you do differently, if anything, in your next online collaboration opportunity?

Aristotle on the Soul Essay

Aristotle’s notion differs from the usual conception of a soul as some sort of substance occupying the body, existing separately and eternally. To him, the soul is the essence of a living thing. The soul is what makes an organism an organism at all by actualizing its potential for life, and it’s constituted by its capacity for activities essential to that specific type of being. His investigation into the nature of the soul demonstrates basic principles of his philosophical theories at work, including Hylomorphism, potentiality and actuality, and his four causes. His use of these theories in analyzing and teasing out the complexities of the soul make for a cohesive and comprehensive study, easily amenable with his other works. In this paper I will analyze his notion of the soul as described in De Anima, recounting how he came to define the soul, the explanation of the soul, how the souls of different kinds of ensouled beings differ, and his unique concept of how the soul is related to the body. Aristotle begins Book 1 of De Anima by stating that since the soul is a principle of animals, and here I will interpret animals to mean more broadly beings, describing its essence has implications beyond its obvious scope. In unfolding the nature of the soul, it is possible to determine which attributes belong to the soul alone and which belong to the organism in virtue of having a soul (Aristotle, De Anima 402a). So besides exploring the nature of life, his analysis will also seek to answer the question of whether all mental states (of the soul) are also material states of the body, or whether some attributes of the soul are unique to it. In doing so, we are confronted with the interesting implication of Aristotle’s position on the mind/body problem, to which I will get to later on. Returning to the question at hand (what is the soul? ), Aristotle starts his investigation by use of his explanatory theory of Hylomorphism, which states that substances are compounds of matter and form, and change occurs when form actualizes matter (Shields). There are three sorts of substances; form, matter, and the compound of form and matter. Matter is potentiality and form is actuality. Form actualizes matter, which possesses the potential to be what it is. So using Aristotle’s example of a bronze statue, the matter, in this case the bronze, only actualizes it’s potential of being a statue when it acquires the form, or the shape and features. Of interest is the third kind of substance, compounds, which make up living beings. The body is the substance as matter, so the soul is the substance as form or shape. Here we get to Aristotle’s preliminary definition of the soul as the actuality of a natural body having life potentially (Aristotle, De Anima 412). It is in virtue of this form, the soul, that makes an organism alive. Without the soul, the body would only have the capacity for life potentially, and so the soul is the essence (the form) of living things. This preliminary definition is taken a step further when Aristotle identifies the soul as the â€Å"first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive† (Aristotle, De Anima 412a). He claims that the actuality that is the soul is like the actuality that is knowledge, in that we speak of it in two ways. We can distinguish between a state of knowing x and a state of attending to the knowledge of x, where the latter is more of an active process. The passive of state of knowing x is the first actuality, first because it must necessarily come prior to attending or remembering that knowledge i. e. potential precedes actual. Similarly, the soul of a sleeping person is like the passive state, the first actuality, while the soul of an awake person is like the active state. The soul must be the first actuality, for if not we would be forced to say a sleeping animal lacks a soul, a conclusion we do not want to make (Aristotle, De Anima 412a-412b). First actuality seems to correspond to a capacity to engage in the activity of the second actuality, and in this way is a kind of potential to exercise some function, like the ability to engage in thought. Aristotle makes this clear when he states that, â€Å"If the eye, for instance, were an animal, sight would be its soul† (Aristotle, De Anima 412b). Sight is the capacity of the eye for seeing, where sight is the form and the eye is the matter. The first actuality is the capacity for seeing, and the second actuality is seeing, actively exercising the potential ability. So it seems that beyond defining the soul as the ‘first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive’, we can say the soul is a set of capacities that characterize living things. These characteristic capacities are different in different beings, and we will see that it is by these that Aristotle creates his hierarchy of ensouled beings or the degrees of souls. I will return to this distinction later in this paper, when describing how the souls of different ensouled beings differ. At this point we have a definition of the soul, but as Aristotle stresses throughout his various works, we must determine the cause or explanation in order to truly grasp the essence, and therefore get at complete picture of his view of the soul. The definition just given explains the what, but a full account must explain the why. He states in the Physics, â€Å"for our inquiry aims at knowledge; and we think we know something only when we find the reason why it is so, i. . , when we find its primary cause† (Aristotle, Physics 194b). His criteria for an adequate definition, one that is sufficient for knowledge, rest on his theory of causation and explanation. The four causes include the material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause. Material cause is what something is made of, the formal cause is the form or pattern of which a thing is what it is, the efficient cause refers to the agent of change or rest, and the final cause is the intended purpose of the change or the reason why a thing is done (Shields). We must, therefore, determine why the soul is what it is in virtue of these four general causes. The soul is the principle and the cause of the living body, for it is in virtue of the soul that the body is alive, and thus it plays an explanatory role. It is the cause of the living body in three of the four ways, as â€Å"the source of motion, as what something is for, and as the substance of ensouled bodies†(Aristotle, De Anima 415), corresponding to the efficient cause, the final cause, and the formal cause respectively. It is the source of motion in that it causes growth and decay in the organism. The soul is also the cause of the living body by being the final cause, as the body is merely an organ for the sake of the soul, aimed at the soul. And finally, the soul is the formal cause of the living body for it causes life by being the form and actuality of what is potentially. The body makes up the fourth cause, the material cause, by being the matter that makes up a living organism (Aristotle, De Anima 415). I will use Aristotle’s example of the nature of a house as described in Book One, when he is discussing the importance of form, in order to better illustrate the necessity for analysis of a concept under his theory of causation and explanation. To merely define a house as stones, bricks, and timbers, is not to capture its full essence. A house is stones, bricks, and timbers (material cause), built into an enclosed structure (formal cause), fashioned together by a carpenter (efficient cause), in order to provide shelter from the elements (final cause). We can describe the what, but without further details about the explanation, we don’t really know the nature of a house. Similarly the soul is why, it gives the explanation for, the life activities of a living body. At this point Aristotle’s notion of the soul is quite clear; it is the first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive, it is a set of capacities for life-giving and defining activities of organisms, and it is the form, the source of motion, and the means (it directs) to the end of the living body. Souls of different living beings are differentiated by their capacities to engage in the activities characteristic of that type of organism, which comprise their livelihood and survival. It is these differentiating faculties that make up the soul. Among these faculties are the nutritive and reproductive, perceptive, locomotive, and the capacity for thought and understanding. Aristotle claims, â€Å"the soul is the principle of the potentialities we have mentioned—for nutrition, perception, understanding, and motion—and is defined by them† (Aristotle, De Anima 413). There are three types of souls, arranged in a nested hierarchy, so the possession of a higher soul entails possession of all that are below it. The lowest, or most basic, in this hierarchy is the nutritive soul. All living things possess the capacity for self-nourishment, for without this they would not live. Next is the sensitive soul, which is possessed only by animals. The highest type of soul is the rational soul, belonging only to humans. These three souls are differentiated by their function, corresponding to the ensouled being in possession of the soul with the power to exercise that function. While the animal soul possesses the nutritive and the sensitive, and the human soul the rational as well, each has but one unified soul with a various sets of capacities (Shields). The nutritive soul is the potentiality held by all living things to preserve it and equip it for life. The function of this soul is the use of nourishment and generation, or reproduction. Generation is the most natural function, as it is a means for a living being to participate in the future (the â€Å"everlasting and divine†) by producing something else of its own sort. The use of nourishment allows the being to preserve itself, only existing while it is nourished. Nourishment allows an organism to grow as well as decay, according to its form. Since all living things possess the nutritive soul, all living things have the capacity for self-nourishment, growth, decay, and for reproduction. Further, since all nourishment involves digestion, and digestion involves heat, all beings contain heat (Aristotle, De Anima 415-416). The sensitive, or perceptive soul, distinguishes plants from animals. Perception is a type of alteration, in that a suitable sense-organ in perception is affected or changed by an external object. The external object acts as the agent, possessing the qualities in actuality that the sense-organ possesses potentially. Aristotle describes that it is through an intermediate condition, such as air, that sense organs receive the forms or qualities of the objects of perception, not the matter, when involuntarily acted upon by the external object. Thus, the sensitive soul has the capacity to receive sensible forms, resulting in perception. The sense-organs become like the agent after being affected, or receiving the qualities (Shields). Again, we can see Aristotle returning to his theory of Hylomorphism in describing perception as the change in the sense-organ as a result of the acquisition of form. The potential of the sense-organ is made actual in virtue of the external object which possesses the form in actuality. Aristotle states that every animal has the sense of touch, but not all possess the sense of sight, hearing, taste and smell. Animals are further distinguished along these lines; while each possesses a nutritive and a sensitive soul, there are various degrees of complexity of the latter soul corresponding to the activities of the animal. Aristotle continues further that the possession of the perceptive soul implies that the animal has the capacity to desire, and desiring includes appetite, emotion, and wish. He also determines possession of this soul entails the ability to feel pleasure and pain and it is in virtue of this soul that some animals possess the power of locomotion (Aristotle, De Anima 413-415). The rational soul, perhaps the most difficult section to interpret of De Anima, is essential and indicative of humans alone. It is in virtue of the rational soul, the intellect, that we come to know and understand things. The intellect is the seat of thought and thus reason. Thinking is similar to perception, as it involves the reception of form by a suitable capacity. However, while the object of perception is external and is the composite of form and matter, the object of thought is within the soul and is form alone (Shields). While hard to follow, I believe the objects of thought are the forms of forms; they get their intelligible forms in virtue of the sensible forms sensed in perception. Aristotle discusses the concept of â€Å"appearances†, which are different from perceptions and beliefs, for appearances exist while we sleep, with no external stimuli actualizing the ‘sensation’, and beliefs involve conviction, while appearances do not. Appearances are images resembling objects of perception (Aristotle, De Anima 428). It is helpful to think of appearances as the representation of reality we see in imagination. I believe Aristotle is claiming that it is these appearances that are the objects of thought. In intellection, the mind is made to be like the object of thought through reception of its intelligible form. The intellect is pure potentiality, it potentially has all of these objects of thought, and only in thought do these intelligible forms become actualized in the mind (Shields). As Aristotle’s philosophical worldview rests on a Hylomorphic principle, it is difficult to see how the alteration, bringing the intellect from potentiality to actuality in thought, comes about. In perception, this is in virtue of an external object that acts as an agent for change in the sense-organ. But what is the agent of change in intellection? Aristotle divides the intellect into the active and passive intellects. The active intellect acts as the agent of change; when the mind thinks the active intellect actualizes the intelligible forms in the passive intellect. The passive intellect stores the concepts of knowledge and intelligible forms in potentiality, to be recalled by the active intellect during thought. This means however, that the actual must precede the potential, contrary to what was discussed above. The nature of the active intellect is its activity, so it must be unremittingly active in order to cause the passive intellect to act and us to have thoughts and reason. If it is continuously active, this part of the rational soul must be eternal and thus stands in stark contrast with the rest of the souls Aristotle posits, but this controversial point is something I will not take up in this paper (Shields).

Discuss the effects of hazardous materials on the fire service Essay

Discuss the effects of hazardous materials on the fire service - Essay Example They are produced due to incidents in plants or other such activities. There are a large number of hazardous materials that are used as chemicals in various walks of life such as in agriculture or cultivation of land. These chemicals get dissolved in the soil and contaminate the water sources as well as compromise the hygiene. The waste from the industries is also a main source of increasing amount of hazardous materials in the environment. These wastes are discharged in rivers, seas, and oceans hence polluting the water sources as well as the aquatic life. In order to understand the effect of hazardous material we must take into considerations the main causes of these hazards, the ways in which they can affect the human body, the precautions that must be taken in order to perform a safe rescue operation during fire service and also the handling of the situation from the beginning to the end with correct decisions and safety as the prime concern. Contamination is simply defined as the contact of a hazardous material with the clothes or some part of a body such as hair, skin e.t.c. while exposure happens when a hazardous material enters a human body through respiration or other means or is in direct contact with human body. To avoid these issues fire service men are provided an apparatus and special kind of clothing that resists exposure as well as contamination. Exposure can happen without contamination however in certain case contamination usually results in exposure unless only the clothing is affected by the hazardous material. For example many gases can enter a human body without coming in contact with the parts of the body or the clothing through the process of respiration or breathing. The human skin has an ability to absorb certain substances which it comes in contact with. But this depends upon certain conditions namely the time for which the substance comes in contact with the skin. If a hazardous material comes

Implementing & managing change (in tables) Assignment

Implementing & managing change (in tables) - Assignment Example National planning exercises are fundamentally important undertakings for any government. Nevertheless, the plans drafted to be used in the realization of national goals and objectives may be variant from one country to another due to a number of reasons. Basic to the explanation is that countries often differ in visions, resource endowment as well as the stage of economic development. Moreover, planning documents may be different in on the time stipulated for the development process or realization of the set aims. In this understanding, this paper therefore, focuses on comparing national development plan documents for three countries; England, Scotland as well as the Wales. The analysis will focus on the aims as well as objectives outlined in either, the primary focus of development, time frame within which the plan is to be actualized as well as likelihood of its success. This paper therefore, presents a discussion in segments which will be under the above sub-headings.

American Art Education in 1980s through today 2012 Research Paper

American Art Education in 1980s through today 2012 - Research Paper Example In the 1980s, art curriculum for K-12 focused on progressive education and self-expression. American technology education on art was founded, which is based on the cultural industrial education history.This focus addressed the need to develop art talent in children while nurturing their natural abilities. Art teachers taught painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and other forms of art skills. The result of this approach was quite impressive. Many children were able to grasp the skills and produce aesthetic work. Another notable thing with revising of the art education curriculum in the 1980s is that it revitalized art education. Art education looked at history, traditional systems, and broader aspect of art to make art education interesting to pupils and the teachers. The 1980s curriculum stressed on art making while blending it with studies of art history, aesthetics, and criticism. The art education curriculum of the 1980s did stress on visual art education. Many art students sta rt by learning art through visual art. Apparently, the current visual art education curriculum is similar to the curriculum of the 1980s. In the 1990s, art education in the United States had some new development. For instance, in visual art education, researchers of art education argued that everyday realities and personal realities would bring diversity to art education. This argument led to the push for more realistic studies in art over the formal system. Notably, art education in the 1990s has emphasized the need for visual art in all aspect of art education.

How does the picture of the Catilinarian conspiracy differ between Essay

How does the picture of the Catilinarian conspiracy differ between Cicero and Sallust To what do you attribute these differences - Essay Example But the plot was unearthed followed by the execution of five conspirators, and this revelation compelled Catiline to escape from Rome. Many historians and political experts of the age have presented vivid accounts of Catiline’s life and his famous conspiracy. But of all these, the accounts put forward by Cicero and Sallust stand out in terms of their vivid details, eloquent language and authenticity of information. Marcus Tullius Cicero  was one of the greatest philosophers and prose writers of Rome. Apart from his accomplishments in the sphere of oration and his career as a lawyer, one of his major achievements was his political career. It was in the course of his political career as a consul that the  Second Catilinarian Conspiracy occurred. However, the  attempt to overthrow the Roman government through an external attack was foiled and the ensuing revolt was supressed at that time largely due to the efforts of Cicero. Subsequently, he acquired a Senatus Consultum Ultimum and delivered four fervent speeches against Catiline for his treachery against the Republic. These speeches, collectively known as the Catiline Orations, are classified as rare specimens of an extraordinary rhetorical style. The speeches revealed the truth about the depravity and corruption practised by Catiline and his followers, while denouncing them for extending their support and sympathy to a treacherous rogue l ike Catiline. The acerbic and sardonic tone of the speeches was effective enough to drive Catiline and his followers out of the city. The speech was delivered at the Temple of Jupiter Stator, and was directly addressed to Catiline. The rhetoric was so powerful that Catiline was forced to leave the senate midway during the course of Cicero’s speech. The subsequent speeches, that yielded more evidence against Catiline, were addressed to the people and the senate. Cicero’s first speech was relatively short and precise. It was remarkable for its opening remarks

Business Management Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Management Systems - Essay Example Job functions will vary from research to production, from marketing to finance and personnel management. As there will be a lot of cross functional activities, unambiguous communication is very much needed in between these division and functional roles. Conflicts are very much probable in a scenario of cross functional activities. Disagreement can happen in a situation where the functional goals would overlap each other. Performance and productivity can go on toss in a disapproving situation. There can be many reasons for conflicts but opaque communication is the foremost one. For an example in a cross functional scenario employees may have to report o two bosses; one from the product department and other from the functional department. Power struggle, resource scarcity and ambiguity regarding the authority can very well be the reasons of an undesirable situation. In such a scenario communication is of utmost importance. Clear communication and discussion can remove the disagreements and misunderstandings between employees or departments. In any business customers are of utmost magnitude. Communication is very much needed for effective servicing and enhanced product line up. Information system can take different way of communication. A designing and manufacturing house must have the knowledge of the market and customer demands. Many organizations can have their own market research team; some outsource this activity to others. Whatever be the scenario, depending upon the market research report the designing division prepares an outline of the product, i.e. the car. The designing division tries to make the design as per the market demand; but for this they are mostly dependent on their research and development team. A new innovation takes place in that division. For a new product after the designing is done, it passes on the specification to

Preliminary Reference Procedure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Preliminary Reference Procedure - Essay Example The phrase you put for query, ‘Preliminary Reference Procedure’ is, according to Bromberg and Fenger (2010) a provisional terminology of the European Union law under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that indicates the provision the national court or tribune to refer a question of the EU law to the ECJ for preliminary ruling so as to enable the national court to decide the case before it on receiving that ruling. From this angle, you can consider that the functioning of the preliminary reference procedures ensures the uniformity of interpretation and validity of the EU law across all the member states in the union. In an over view, (Harris & Horspool, 2010, pp. 3-5) the preliminary reference procedure is constituted as per the guidance of Article 267 TFEU that says that if a question is raised before any court or tribunal of a Member State, and if the court considers that the decision on the question is necessary to enable it to give judgement, that court may require the Court of Justice to give a ruling of the case thereon. Simply speaking, you can consider this as the tool of the state courts at times of critical decision makings on special issues with the consolidation of the ECJ. You need to further focus on the fact that the ECJ relies on its co-operation with national courts in taking decision on the appeal of national courts. In most cases related to such conditions, the CEJ leads the role in the decision making and the national courts go in submission to ECJ in the process of co-operation and therefore, are normally guided by the EU judiciary. The preliminary reference procedure guarantees the dominance of the ECJ as it gets the legal assistance of the EU laws system and therefore the cases handled by the ECJ sometimes provide controversial options of discretionary power to the national courts, particularly in situations related to arbitrations on employment and industrial relation disputes. For instance, if you take t he disputes on issues like indirect discrimination, the EC is supportive to the benefit of employers but at the same time, this issue is sent to the national court for the review of the general principle of proportionality of the case on objective grounds. Reports and statistics may be of the effect of fading the effectiveness of the upper court’s judiciary system to decide on certain identical issues of national important, which are usually pertaining to industrial disputes; however, the system of Preliminary Reference Procedure is presently the most popular channel that connects national courts with the ECJ. For further clarity, I would like you to refer Article 254TFEU; it explains to you the validity of equality of decision making between the two courts in its original phase of inception of the law. The procedure functioned in a vicious circle that channelled the move of a question from the discretionary powers of the national court; from there, the ECJ takes into conside ration, the legality of the case under the provisions of the EU law relevant to the issue and guides the national court to take the decisions accordingly. The prominence of the law-making process based on the preliminary reference procedure has been emerged as a result of the upper hand of the ECJ on the national courts whereby each decree of the ECJ becomes the decision unanimously approved and followed by other national courts in the Union (Role of National Courts inEuropean Law 8, Dec, 2006). You can thus observe that the new tendency among the national courts paved the way for the development of EU judicial system by placing the ECJ as the Apex Court. Also, this new move

Response Scenario Paper on the Spillage of N,N-dimethylaniline Essay

Response Scenario Paper on the Spillage of N,N-dimethylaniline - Essay Example The principles of the Incident Command System [ICS] provides an organized approach in handling and controlling different types of incidences in which lives and property may be at risk (â€Å"ICS Features and Principles†, 2007). This paper presents a response scenario on the chemical spillage of N,N-dimethylaniline in a manufacturing company using the principles involved in an Incident Command System. Keywords: Incident Command System, N,N-dimethylaniline, Response Scenario Hazardous Material: N,N-dimethylaniline N,N-dimethylaniline is known to be toxic to humans because it affects the organs like kidney and liver. Exposure to this chemical either through ingestion, skin contact or inhalation may lead to acute or chronic effects, depending on the degree of exposure. Although there are no available data whether N,N-dimethylaniline is a carcinogen or a mutagen, it is still best to have as minimal exposure to the chemical as possible (â€Å"N,N-dimethylaniline MSDS†, 2005). N,N-dimethylaniline is a combustible material. There are no data available on possible explosion risks due to static discharge or mechanical impact, or incompatibility with the presence of other chemicals (â€Å"N,N-dimethylaniline MSDS†, 2005), but this does not mean zero chances of the risk of an explosion or fire. Incident Command System The Incident Command System [ICS] follows an organized management principle where there is a hierarchy of the different individuals responsible for the control and handling of emergencies or incidences (FEMA, n.d.). An ICS is headed by the Incident Commander [IC], who has typically three members under the command staff, namely: the Information Officer, Liaison Officer and the Safety Officer. The General Staff which encompasses the Operations, Planning, Logistics and, Finance and Administration, together with the command staff create the over-all management system that comprises the ICS (NRT, 2000). Applicable to both government and privat e sectors, the ICS is an effective yet flexible approach to any incident because it allows the coordination and integration of the different functionalities within an organization (FEMA, n.d.). The scenario of an N,N-dimethylaniline spillage in a manufacturing company requires the immediate response action of the components of the ICS to ensure the safety of the responders, employees, and the people immediately surrounding the area where the incident took place. On-set of the Spillage. The manufacturing plant is categorized as a fixed closed facility in which hazardous materials can be accidentally released in very large quantities because of the presence of large containers in the area. This implies the importance of labeling of these containers for proper identification, especially when an incident like a chemical spill occurs. Aside from labeling, the Materials Safety Data Sheet [MSDS] for the chemicals, in this case, N,N-dimethylaniline must be on-hand to be able to obtain infor mation on the hazardous nature of the material (USFA, 1998). First Responders. More often than not, the first person, also known as the first responder, who recognizes the spill must immediately inform the supervisor of the occurrence of the incident. Regardless of the department or section that they belong to, the first responder must be aware of the type of hazardous material that spilled, immediately wear the necessary personal protective equipment [PPE] and prevent other personnel from

Dominant designs Essay Example for Free

Dominant designs Essay Dominant designs tend to help everybody. Good ones reduce production costs, benefiting suppliers and competitors as research and development costs are reduced to near-zero. They also greatly improve the situation for complementors, who are able to produce a wide variety of easily standardized, low-cost complementary products. Consumers benefit too, as costs are driven down by fierce competition to produce the dominant design at lowest cost. The process at its best can be seen in one of the most commonly used and least commonly thought-about products in the world: the lightbulb. There are thousands of brands of lightbulbs produced using a standard design, yet they are entirely indistinguishable. Lightbulbs from China, from Korea, Vietnam, and even America are all produced at roughly the same cost to exactly the same standards. The main variability between them, wattage, is clearly marked and well-understood. Costs are low, and innovation survives. The dominant design in the lightbulb consists of the screwing-in part and the wattages. However, lightbulbs can be developed at all shapes and sizes, and with different color filters. Key innovations, like compact florescent bulbs and floodlights, were seamlessly integrated into the existing system. Even exotic designs, including LEDs and blacklights, were developed using the dominant design. And, of course, the number of available lamps to house them is enormous and standardized. You can even get one with a fan. Computer operating systems, on the other hand, represent a failure of the dominant design. Because each OS behaves differently, a dominant platform like Windows forces programmers to develop their programs either exclusively for Windows or invest lots of time and effort rewriting the program. But since the platform is proprietary, it leads to a powerful monopoly on operating-system technology that creates excessive costs and relatively poor performance, since there are no direct competitors. However, I believe this situation is rare.

Report on Data Management Essay Example for Free

Report on Data Management Essay Introduction HR data would need to be stored by all organisations due to either legal requirements or internal purposes. This report will uncover types of data and methods of storing them. The last segment of the report will cover legislations that affect HR data as ‘there is a substantial and complex amount of EU and UK legislation that has an impact upon the retention of personnel and other related records’(Retention of HR records, 2013) Why Collect HR Data HR data can be collected for various reasons in an organisation. There are two reasons listed below: Productivity: appraisals records are collected so  that managers can assess the productivity of their staff and team. It can also be useful for employees to know their potential within the team and can use it for their career progression. Legal Compliance: Payroll data would be important for the HM Revenue and Customs to calculate taxes whereas health and safety records can help the company to improve their environment and allow them to be compliant with the Health and Safety Act. Also certain data can be used as evidence in any legal proceedings that the company may have to face. Types of HR Data and how it supports HR ‘Monitoring records enables personnel to amend or reformulate policies and procedures.’(Personnel data and record keeping, 2011) Below are 2 types of data that HR collects:  Recruitment and Selection- records on staff turnover and vacancies can be important for HR as it informs them when and for which team to recruit for and also allows them to see the trend in each team depending on its staff turnover. This would also include appraisal records which would inform them if an employee or team needs training. Absence Data-the absence reports, complied from the absence data gives HR an indication of which department is suffering most from high absentees and allows them to rethink the working patterns. It also helps them to calculate the cost of absenteeism to the organisation. Data Storage and its Benefits Data can be stored in several methods. However, below are 2 key methods which can be used along with their benefits. 1. Manual / Paper based- keeping records on paper in a filing cabinet Files cannot be destroyed with any virus Information can be accessed without any password restrictions Members do not need to be PC literate to find data 2. Computerised filing More than one user can access the information at the same time Large volumes of data can be stored and accessed easily  Data can be used to compile reports and identify trends with the latest programmes on computer Most companies prefer their records to be stored electronically as it is efficient and easily accessible. However, there are  certain companies which use both methods as certain records do not need to be stored for a longer period of time, hence can be filed away in cabinets. Essential UK legislations relating to recording, storing and accessing HR data There are several legislations that affect the retention of HR data. Below are two such legislations. Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) DPA applies to most HR records, whether held in paper or on computer. DPA controls how personal information of living individuals is used by organisations, businesses or the government. It came into force on March 2000. There are 8 data protection principles the data controller needs to comply to in order to handle data correctly: 1. ‘adequate, relevant and not excessive 2. fairly and lawfully processed 3. processed for limited purposes 4. accurate 5. not kept for longer than is necessary 6. processed in line with your rights 7. secure 8. not transferred outside EU without adequate protection’ (Employment Law FAQ, 2013) Every company that processes personal information must be registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), unless they are exempt. The ICO, which is UK’s independent supervisory authority, ensures that the DPA as well as other data protection/retention legislations are followed by organisations and it can prosecute them for not doing so. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) The FOI came into force on January 2005. It gives the public a right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, however there are few exceptions to these right as not all personal records can be obtained by public, such records can be requested under the DPA. Government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces are few of the public authorities. Conclusion This report explains that recording and storing data is very important. Every  company has a different method and reason of storing data; however, handling data correctly is important for all. There are several legislations that can affect the data retention and not complying with these legislations can have an adverse effect on the company’s reputation. Reference List CIPD, 2013.Retention of HR Records.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets [Accessed 13 June 2014] ACAS, 2011. Personnel data and record keeping.[online] Available at: www.acas.org.uk [Accessed 12 June 2014] CIPD 2013. DP04: What is data protection and what are the eight data protection principles?.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk [Accessed 17 June 2014] Activity 2 Analysing Absence Data in Examinations Team Introduction The report includes findings and analysis of different reasons of absence within an Examinations Team from May-December in 2013. The final segment of the report concludes the analysis along with recommendations to overcome the core reasons of absence. Absence Level in Examinations Team There are two apparent findings from the graph (data in appendix 1), the high levels of absence from May-June due to stress and from October- December due to viral problems: May-June: due to peak season of exams, the examinations team is required to do ample preparations from planning, supervising and marking exams to attending board meetings. This therefore, becomes very stressful for the team as ‘the most common cause of stress†¦is workload’ (Barometer of HR Trends and Prospects, 2013) and as each person is only trained in their individual role there are issues of ‘presenteeism’. October-December: during this season many people fall sick due to bad weather. However, the outbreak of the Norovirus in 2013 could also be the reason for the viral problems to increase. Also, due to Christmas parties in December it further causes the virus to spread from contaminated food. Conclusion The study indicates that stress and viral issues were two implications the examinations team suffered from in 2013.Stress is a common issue in several workplaces as mentioned in the Absence Management report by CIPD and it can be costly. To overcome the issue, two possible recommendations are: Stress- 1. Hire temporary staff during busy period 2. Train team members to share workload and prevent presenteeism, where employees feel forced to come into work. Viral Problems- 1. Give free flu vaccination to employees 2. Communicate awareness regarding the virus Appendix 1: Number of Employees Absent by Reasons in 2013 (a) Musculoskeletal- back, neck and other muscle pain (b) Ear, Nose, Dental pain and skin disorder Reference List BPP. (2013).Appendix 1 of Number of Employees Absent by Reasons in 2013. London: BPP CIPD, 2013.barometer of HR trends and prospects 2013.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports[Accessed 18June 2014]

Infosys Technologies Ltd: SWOT and PESTLE

Infosys Technologies Ltd: SWOT and PESTLE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY We are using the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry. In actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. In some companies, this is referred to as Management Information Services (MIS) or simply as Information Services (IS). The information technology department of a large company would be responsible for storing information, protecting information, processing the information, transmitting the information as necessary, and later retrieving information as necessary. History of Information Technology: In relative terms, it wasnt long ago that the Information Technology department might have consisted of a single Computer Operator, who might be storing data on magnetic tape, and then putting it in a box down in the basement somewhere. The history of information technology is fascinating! These Information Technology resources for information on everything from the history of IT to electronics inventions and even the top 10 IT bugs. Modern Information Technology Departments: In order to perform the complex functions required of information technology departments today, the modern Information Technology Department would use computers, servers, database management systems, and cryptography. The department would be made up of several System Administrators, Database Administrators and at least one Information Technology Manager. In India, the software boom started somewhere in the late 1990s. Most of the Indian software companies at that moment offered only limited software services such as the banking and the engineering software. The business software boom started with the emergence of year2000 problem, when a large number of skilled personnel were required to fulfill the mammoth database-correction demand in order to cope up with the advent of the new millennium. The profile of the Indian IT Services has been undergoing a change in the last few years, partly as it moves up the value chain and partly as a response to the market dynamics. Ten years ago, most US companies would not even consider outsourcing some of their IT projects to outside vendors. Now, ten years later, a vast majority of US companies use the professional services of Indian Software engineers in some manner, through large, medium or small companies or through individuals recruited directly. The market competition is forcing organizations to cut down on costs of products. The professional IT services on the other hand are becoming increasingly expensive. The offshore software development model is today where onsite professional services were ten years ago. There is a high chance (almost a mathematical certainty), that in less than ten years, the vast majority of IT services (software development being just one of them) from developed countries, will be, one, outsourced and two, outsourced to an offshore vendor. Despite the global economic slowdown, the Indian IT software and services industry is maintaining a steady pace of growth. Software development activity is not confined to a few cities in India. Software development centers, such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Calcutta, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Vadodara, Bhubaneswar, Ahmadabad, Goa, Chandigarh, and Trivandrum are all developing quickly. All of these places have state of the art software facilities and the presence of a large number of overseas vendors. Indias most prized resource is its readily available technical work force. India has the second largest English-speaking scientific professionals in the world, second only to the U.S. It is estimated that India has over 4 million technical workers, over 1,832 educational institutions and polytechnics, which train more than 67,785 computer software professionals every year. The enormous base of skilled manpower is a major draw for global customers. India provides IT servi ces at one-tenth the price. No wonder more and more companies are basing their operations in India. The industry is in an expansion mode right now, with dozens of new offshore IT services vendors emerging every day, the industry has a high probability of being subjected to the 80:20 rule in not too distant a future. In perhaps another ten years, 80 percent of all outsourced offshore development work will be done by 20 percent of all vendors, a small number of high qualities, trusted vendors. Only a few select countries and only the most professional companies in those countries will emerge as winners. India will definitely be the country of choice for offshore software development. It has the potential to become and remain the country of choice for all software developments and IT enabled services, second only to the USA. The third choice could be far distant. India is among the three countries that have built supercomputers on their own. The other two are USA and Japan. India is among six countries that launch satellites and do so even for Germany and Belgium. Indias INSAT is among the worlds largest domestic satellite communication systems. India has the third largest telecommunications network among the emerging economies and it is among the top ten networks of the world. To become a global leader in the IT industry and retain that position, India needs to constantly keep moving up the value chain, focusing on finished products and solutions, rather than purely on skill sets and resumes. It also needs to be able to package its services as products, rather than offering them as raw material. It needs to be able to recognize and build up on its strengths and work on weaknesses. Another extension of the IT industry is the ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) which is a sector dependent on IT sector. Information technology consulting (IT consulting or business and technology services) is a field that focuses on advising businesses on how best to use information technology to meet their business objectives. In addition to providing advice, IT consultancies often implement, deploy, and administer IT systems on businesses behalf. The PC industry is one of the strangest in the world. There is probably no other type of product that is so technologically sophisticated, sells for so much money, and yet is sold by so many companies for so little profit. The severe competition in the industry is the one reason why so many problems are encountered by those who deal with PC vendors. While I consider there to be absolutely no excuse for a company not treating its customers fairly, at the same time I think customers should have some idea of what vendors are up against in this demanding marketplace. PESTLE ANALYSIS There are many factors in the macro-environment that will effect the decisions of the managers of any organization. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyze these factors, managers can categorize them using the PESTLE model. PESTLE stands for Political, Economical, Social, Technical, Legislative and Environmental. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analyzing the environmental pressures on a team or an organization. It describes a framework of macro environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis or doing market research and gives a certain overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. PESTLE factors play an important role in the value creation opportunities of a strategy. However they are usually outside the control of the corporation and must normally be considered as either threats or opportunities. Kotler (1998) claimed that PESTLE analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The headings of PESTLE are a framework for reviewing a situation, and can in addition to SWOT and Porters Five Forces models, be applied by companies to review strategic directions, including marketing proposition. (P)olitical factors These refer to government policies such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system, Government rules and regulations can also affect a business heavily. Rules and regulations such as environmental regulations, industry specific regulations, competitive regulations, consumer protection and various kinds of employment laws. (E)conomical factors These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates, governments spending levels, unemployment, job growth, tariffs, consumer confidence index and import or export rations. Economic changes can have a major impact on a firms behavior. Higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more to borrow. A strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency Inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise costs Higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products (S)ocial factors These often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, demographics (age, gender ,race, distribution), career attitudes and emphasis on safety , lifestyle changes, population shifts, education trends, fads, diversity, immigration/emigration, housing trends, fashion, attitudes to work, leisure activities, occupations and earning capacity. Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. Today the aging of population has become a huge problem. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff is living longer. It also means some firms have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. (T)echnological factors Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Technological factors look at elements such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. New technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided designing are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations providing the products. (L)egal factors These are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected organizations behavior. The introduction of age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organizations actions. Legal changes can affect a firms costs (e.g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e.g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). (E)nvironmental factors Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Introduction: Infosys Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: INFY) was started in 1981 by seven people with US$ 250. Today, we are a global leader in the next generation of IT and consulting with revenues of over US$ 4 billion. Infosys defines designs and delivers technology-enabled business solutions that help Global 2000 companies win in a Flat World. Infosys also provides a complete range of services by leveraging our domain and business expertise and strategic alliances with leading technology providers. Infosys offerings span business and technology consulting, application services, systems integration, product engineering, custom software development, maintenance, re-engineering, independent testing and validation services, IT infrastructure services and business process outsourcing Infosys pioneered the Global Delivery Model (GDM), which emerged as a disruptive force in the industry leading to the rise of offshore outsourcing. The GDM is based on the principle of taking work to the location where the best talent is available, where it makes the best economic sense, with the least amount of acceptable risk. Infosys has a global footprint with over 50 offices and development centers in India, China, Australia, the Czech Republic, Poland, the UK, Canada and Japan. Infosys has over 103,000 employees. Infosys takes pride in building strategic long-term client relationships. Over 97% of our revenues come from existing customers. In an increasingly globalised world, significant complexity and uncertainty is getting attached to the unprecedented economic crisis. The Indian economy has also been impacted by the recessionary trends, with a slowdown in GDP growth to seven per cent. The focus and exponential growth in the domestic market has partially offset this fall and insulated the country, resulting in net overall momentum. The IT-BPO industry in India has today become a growth engine for the economy, contributing substantially to increases in the GDP, urban employment and exports, to achieve the vision of a young and resilient India. During the year, the sector maintained its double digit growth rate and was a net hirer. This growth has been fueled by increasing diversification in the geographic base and industry verticals, and adaptation in the service offerings portfolio. While the effects of the economic crisis are expected to linger in the near term future, the Indian IT-BPO industry has displayed resili ence and tenacity in countering the unpredictable conditions and reiterating the viability of Indias fundamental value proposition. Consequently, India has retained its leadership position in the global sourcing market. The Indian IT-BPO industry is estimated to achieve revenues of USD 71.7 billion in FY2009, with the IT software and services industry accounting for USD 60 billion of revenues. During this period, direct employment is expected to reach nearly 2.23 million, an addition of 226,000 employees, while indirect job creation is estimated to touch 8 million. As a proportion of national GDP, the sector revenues have grown from 1.2 per cent in FY1998 to an estimated 5.8 per cent in FY2009. Software and services exports (including BPO) are expected to account for over 99 per cent of total exports, employing over 1.76 million employees. While the current mood is that of cautious optimism, the industry is expected to witness sustainable growth over a two-year horizon, going past i ts USD 60 billion export target in FY2011. While the industry has significant headroom for growth, competition is increasing, with a number of countries creating enabling business environments aimed at replicating Indias success in the IT-BPO industry. Hence, concentrated efforts are required by all stakeholders to address the current challenges, to ensure that India realizes its potential, and maintains its leadership position. Vision To be a globally respected corporation that provides best-of-breed business solutions, leveraging technology, delivered by best in class people. Mission To achieve our objectives in an environment of fairness, honesty, and courtesy towards our clients, employees, vendors and society at large. STP Analysis Segmentation Geographical regions: US, India, Australia, China, UK Psychographics: MNC, BFSI, Hospitality Sector Demographic: Population or Employee strength of consumer company: +5000 Targeting Infosys Technologies Ltd, which offers its core banking solution under the brand Finacle, is targeting regional rural banks to achieve higher growth. There are over 90 rural banks in India they have come up with a solution called The Finacle Bank in a Box for this segment. The expenditure that each rural bank would have to make would depend on its existing level of automation. IT service providers would benefit a great deal if more people from rural areas were included in the banking services, and Infosys has. The solution will be deployed by a third party who will do the banking transaction on behalf of different banks as the model is expected to be cost-effective Infosys BPO is targeting the hospitality industry for its outsources processes offering. The company has formed a strategic alliance with New York-based hospitality consultancy major HVS International The alliance will help Infosys BPO (formerly called Progeon) to target hotels and other customers in the hospitality industry. HVS is a well-known consulting firm in the hospitality segment. Positioning Infosys is seeking to move away from its image as a cheap Indian offshore service factory to that of a global business technology (BT) leader. The company is investing in measures to enhance its visibility and footprint across a wider group of client stakeholders and markets. The aim is to position Infosys as a prototype for successful companies in a globalized market environment. While Infosys can justifiably point to its ongoing business growth as a major success story, its corporate positioning suffers from inconsistencies in its underlying messaging. Furthermore, its product positioning continues to mainly focus on technology and cost-related benefits, which represents a disconnect with Infosys corporate ambitions. Leadership Style: Infosys believes that leadership is one of the most essential ingredients of organizational success which is provided by its Chairman, N R Narayanmurthy. Leadership is based on high business vision and predominantly supportive styles. There is emphasis on developing leadership qualities among employees. For this purpose, it has established Infosys Leadership Institute. Top management emphasizes on open door policy, continuous sharing of information, takes inputs from employees in decision making, and builds personal rapport with employees. As we have seen over last few years, we have seen smooth transition from N R Narayanmurthy to Nandan Nilakeni and from Nandan Nilakeni to Kris Gopalkrishnan without any adverse effects on the company outlook and each one has proved to be an able leader taking company forward. Staff (Human Resources): Since Infosys is in knowledge-based industry, it focuses on the quality of the human resources. Out of total personnel, about 90 per cent are engineer s. At the entry level, it emphasizes on selecting candidates who find the companys meritocratic culture satisfying, superior academic records, technical skills, and high level of learn ability. The company emphasizes on training and development of its employees on continuous basis and spends about 2.65 per cent of its revenues on up gradation of employees? skills, and around 50% as employee costs. In spite of thousands of people joining every month, Infosys has been able to maintain its training standard mostly due to its highly matured processes capabilities and investment in infrastructure. SWOT Analysis (S)TRENGTHS: Leadership in sophisticated solutions that enable clients to optimize the efficiency of their business. Proven Global delivery model Commitment to superior quality and process execution Strong Brand and Long-Standing Client Relationships Ability to scale Innovation and leadership. (W)EAKNESSES: Excessive dependence on US for revenues, 67 % of revenues from USA. Weak player in domestic market. Only 1 % of revenues from India low as compared to peers. Low R D spending as compared to global IT companies only 1.3 % of total revenues. Low expertise in high end services like Consultancy and KPO. (O)PPORTUNITIES: Domestic market set to grow by 20%. Expanding into new geographies Europe, Middle East etc. Infosys is cash rich (Around US $ 1 Billion). Acquiring companies to increase expertise in Consultancy, KPO and package implementation capabilities Opening offices and development centers in cost advantage countries such as those in Latin America and Eastern Europe. (T)HREATS: Global economic slowdown may continue for several years hence low IT spending globally. US Govt. against outsourcing. Shrinking margins due to rising wage inflation, Rupee-dollar movementaffects revenue and hence margins. Increased competition from foreign firms like Accenture, IBM etc. Increased competition from low-wage countries like China, Indonesia etc. Strategy: Infosys has adopted a client-focused strategy to achieve growth. Rather than focusing on numerous small organizations, it focuses on limited number of large organizations throughout world. In order to cater its clients, the company emphasizes on custom-built softwares. Another differentiating factor for Infosys is that it commands premium margins. Company does not negotiate over margins beyond a certain limit and some time prefers to walk-out rather than compromise on quality for low-cost contracts. This has helped in building an image for quality driven model rather than cost-differentiating model. Increase business from existing and new clients: Infosys has focused on expanding the nature and scope of engagements for the existing clients by increasing the size and number of projects and extending the breadth of its service offerings. For new clients, it provides value added solutions by leveraging its in-depth industry expertise. It increases its recurring business with clients by providing software re-engineering, maintenance, infrastructure management and business process management services which are long-term in nature and require frequent client contact. Expand geographically: Infosys plans to establish new sales and marketing offices, representative offices and global development centers to expand its geographical reach. It plans to increase presence in China through Infosys China, in the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe directly and through Infosys BPO, in Australia through Infosys Australia and in Latin America, through Infosys Mexico. Enhance solution set: Infosys focuses on emerging trends, new technologies, specific industries and pervasive business issues that confront our clients Pestle of Infosys: (P)olitical: Political stability: Indian political structure is considered stable enough expect the fact that there is a fear of hung parliament (no clear majority). U.S. government has declared that U.S companies that outsource IT work to other locations other than U.S. will not get tax benefit. Government owned companies and PSUs have decided to give more IT projects to Indian IT companies. Terrorist attack or war. (E)conomic: Global IT spending (demand) Domestic IT Spending (Demand): Domestic market to grow by 20% and reach approx USD 20 billion in 2008-09 NASSCOM Currency Fluctuation Real Estate Prices: Decline in real estate prices has resulted reducing the rental expenditures. Attrition: Due to recession, the layoffs and job-cuts have resulted in low attrition rate. Economic Attractiveness: Due to cost advantage and other factors (So)cial: Language spoken: English is widely spoken language in India, English medium being the most accepted medium of education. Thus, India boasts of large English speaking population. Education: A number of technical institutes and universities over the country offer IT education. Working age population (T)echnological: Telephony: India has the worlds lowest call rates (1-2 US cents). Expected to have total subscriber base of about 500 million by 2010. ARPU for GSM is USD 6.6 per month. India has the second largest telephone network after china. Teledensity 19.86 % Enterprise telephone services, 3G, Wi-max and VPN are poised to grow. Internet Backbone: Due to IT revolution in 90s India is well connected with undersea optical cables. New IT Technologies: Technologies like SOA, web 2.0, High definition content, grid computing, and innovation in low cost technologies is presenting new challenges opportunities for Indian IT industry. Internet Backbone: Due to IT revolution of 90s, Indian cities and India is well connected with undersea optical cables. New IT technologies: Technologies like SOA, Web 2.0, High-definition content, grid computing, etc and innovation in low cost technologies is presenting new challenges and opportunities for Indian IT industry. (L)egal: IT SEZ requirement: IT companies can set up SEZ with minimum area of 10 hectares and enjoy a host of tax benefits and fiscal benefits. Contract / Bond requirements: Huge debates surrounding the bonds under which the employees are required to work, which is not legally required. IT Act: Indian government is strengthening the IT act, 2000 to provide a sound legal environment for companies to operate esp. related to security of data in transmission and storage, etc. Companies operating in Software Technology Park (STPI) scheme will continue to get tax-benefit till 2010. (E)nvironmental: Energy Efficient processes and equipments: Companies are focusing on reducing the carbon footprints, energy utilization, water consumption, etc BIBILIOGRAPHY http://www.businessballs.com/pestanalysisfreetemplate.htm http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/datamonitor-premium-profiles/ http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/careersintechnology/p/ITDefinition.htm http://www.wikipedia.com

Free Essays: A Comparison of Iliad and Odyssey :: comparison compare contrast essays

A Comparison of Iliad and Odyssey    Although both works are credited to Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey provide two remarkably different views on the nature of the Olympian Gods, their relationship to humanity, and the general lot of mortals throughout their all too brief lives. As a result of these differences, both stories end up sending contrasting messages about life in general. In the Iliad, the supernatural denizens of Olympus are depicted as treacherous, power-hungry, and above all temperamental beings that are always at each other's throats. Factionalism abounds, and neither the bonds of marriage, nor the ties of kinship can contain keep it under control. A perfect example is when Ares betrays his mother, Hera, and his sister, Athene, by aiding the Trojans instead of the Greeks. When he is discovered, Athena strikes him down in battle through Diomedes. In the Odyssey, however, the Gods of Olympus display far more unity and civility toward each other. They argue and disagree, but their disagreements are never carried out to the extremes found in the Iliad. When Poseidon punishes Odysseys for blinding the Cyclopes, Athena does not take revenge. Even though Odyssey's is her favorite mortal, she respects Poseidon's right to punish him. Also, the treachery among the Gods that is so prevalent in the Iliad, is nowhere to be found in the Odyssey.    In Iliad, Hera, enters into a conspiracy with Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Morpheus to aid the Greeks by putting Zeus to sleepÉ thus rendering him unable to help his beloved Trojans. Nothing like this incident can be found in the Odyssey. References to past disagreements and arguments between the Gods (such as in the Poet's tale of Ares and Aphrodite) are scattered throughout the book, however, so the views between the Iliad and the Odyssey are not exactly diametrically opposed. The role of the Gods in the affairs of humanity is much greater in the Iliad then in the Odyssey. In the Iliad, the Olympians are constantly meddling in the conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans. At best, they view mortals as amusing petsÉ to be cared for, played with, and loved. At worst, humans are just pawns to be shuffled around, sacrificed, and set against each other in order to resolve inter-Olympian ego-clashes.

Hemophilia Manitoba :: essays research papers fc

Hemophilia Manitoba Hemophilia Manitoba, or hemophilia, is a sex-linked genetic disorder that is effecting about 20,000 Americans, most of which males. A person with hemophilia either has an inactive or inadequate supply of one of several blood factors needed for blood to clot. Because of this hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe. Severe hemophiliacs are at risk for bleeding during surgery, trauma, or even dental work. There are two types of hemophilia, A and B (Christmas disease). Hemophilia B is extremely rare. The majority of the people have hemophilia A. In hemophilia A, the particular factor missing is 8 for clotting. Because hemophilia is sex-linked disorder, it can be passed on from mother to child. This is because the gene responsible for making blood factors 8 and 9 are only found on the X-chromosome. If a female is a carrier that means that she has one bad gene and one good gene for this disease. There is a fifty percent chance that she would pass it on to her child because she can only pass on one of the two chromosomes. If a male has hemophilia, he will have normal sons and all of his daughters will be carriers of the hemophilia disorder because all he can pass on is the defective X-chromosome. Males mostly have hemophilia, but women can also have hemophilia. This is extremely rare though because two defective X-chromosomes would be needed. In fact, the first proven case of women having hemophilia was not until the 1950’s (Bornstein 89). Female carriers are also at risk. These women are known as asymptomatic carriers and may suffer excessive menstrual bleeding, bruising, nosebleeds, and problems during childbirth. One serious problem with hemophilia is joint bleeds. When a joint bleeds, a small amount of blood leaks into joint space and can not escape the joint because it is covered by a capsule of tissue. If the bleeding is not discovered by this stage, blood will continue to fill up the joint space. The joint begins to swell and become uncomfortable. Eventually, the pressure inside will be greater than outside and the bleeding stops. Fortunately, the blood makes digestive enzymes that eats up the trapped blood. Unfortunately, the digestive enzymes will also attack the cartilage that covers the bones. After several bleeds, the cartilage can become worn out and the enzymes can eat away at the bone. Hemophilia is either treated each time an internal bleed

Problems and Solutions in the Fight Against Urban Poverty Essay

Problems and solutions in the fight against urban poverty Introduction – the advent of capitalism and the resultant economic inequality There can be no talk of modern poverty without talking first of capitalism, and as such, the capitalist model of production and the exploitation of labor is where I will begin my paper. Capitalism evolved from the feudal system, which was incorporated into western European societies hundreds of years ago. Under the feudal system, serfs worked the land and handed the surplus of their production over to the nobles, who owned the land and accumulated the surplus. This surplus was visible, occurring literally in the form of produced goods, and the feudal system was linked to the control of the state, which is how it was sustained - through the threat of force from the armies at the disposal of the nobles. The economic system later evolved into pure capitalism similar to the modern form that we are now familiar with, which involves the ownership of private property. That is, there is no longer any semblance of a communal institution and the state has been shut out from any influence on the development of this property. What this means is that the state now exists for the sake of private property, and the result is that self-interest (the interest of the individual property holder) takes precedence over communal interest. The bottom line is that those who own the most capital then have the largest amount of influence over the state, and since the state is dependent on the commercial economy, economic and institutional power now go hand in hand. The effects of this system on the worker (as opposed to the capitalist) are overwhelmingly negative. Since most workers will never accumula... ...e, Wilbert The Functional Theory of Social Stratification in Bendix, R and Lipset, S (eds) Class, Status and Power, 2nd edition, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1967 Tumin, Melvin Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis. American Sociological Review, Vol. 18, No. 4. (Aug., 1953) Marable, Manning. How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race, Political Economy and Society. Cambridge: South End Press, 2000. Ofari, Earl, The Myth of Black Capitalism. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1970 Tucker, ed, The Marx-Engels reader. New York: Norton, 1978. 2nd ed. Wilson, William J. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, The Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Woodson, Robert L., ed. On the Road to Economic Freedom: An Agenda for Black Progress. Washington, D.C.: Regenery Gateway, 1987.

Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella Essay In the book, â€Å"Chinese Cinderella,’ by Adeline Yen Mah, there are many things that happen to Adeline throughout her life. The book is based on the original Chinese Cinderella, had a similar life to Adeline. Both were maltreated by their stepmothers, both original mothers die and both gradually become more powerful and renowned throughout their lives. The two girls were severely maltreated by their stepmothers throughout their childhood years. Chinese Cinderella, Ye Xian, was bullied by her stepmother.In the letter from Aunt Baba about the Chinese Cinderella, it said, â€Å"Her stepmother maltreated her, showing preference for her own daughter. † So what Ye Xian’s stepmother did was, she ate Ye Xian’s only friend, her goldfish, then she hid it but then Ye Xian found out. Adeline Yen Mah was also maltreated by her stepmother. Her stepmother was always biased and only treated her own children and the elder children (siblings of A deline) well. For example, Niang never gave her any tram money but she gave it to the other children.Also, Niang and her father never cared for her when she was young. What Adeline’s parents did affected her a lot in life. Adeline would strive to achieve more throughout her time at school to show what she could do, which made her more confident to work harder and have a better future. Both of the girls’ mothers die when the girls were very young. Ye Xian’s mother died first, and then her dad passed away a short time later. So the only carer for Ye Xian was her father’s other wife, her stepmother. She had her own child and didn’t care much for her, leaving Ye Xian on her own.Adeline’s mother died when Adeline wasn’t even in kindergarten yet. But Adeline wasn’t told much about her mother, even how her mother looked. On page 3, it said, â€Å"Do you have a picture of my dead mama? † But her aunt hesitated a bit and said no. This changed Adeline’s life because this could have made her work a lot harder at school so she could get a good job and try to recover her mother’s history. The two girls were afraid and weak when they were young but proved they could do well and become powerful when they got mature. Ye Xian was a professional at being a potter.She made many pots once and traded them for a pair of golden shoes. She wore them to a festival but lost one. A warlord found out it was Ye Xian’s shoe and married her. This is how Ye Xian was successful at the end. Adeline Yen Mah also became powerful at the end after all the years of suffering. She got very good marks at school and entered a writing contest once and won first prize. Her father was proud of her for one time and let her go to university in England. She was successful and got married and became a mother, which was a very big responsibility for her.How they became powerful was a big step for the two girls because they cou ld have courage in themselves, giving them more opportunities they had never done before and not be afraid to encounter problems. I think that Aunt Baba sent her this story because she wanted to tell Adeline she wasn’t the only person that was treated that way and wanted to give her more faith in herself. In conclusion, Chinese Cinderella and Adeline Yen Mah had pretty much the same life, but just different people in their stories. Chinese Cinderella Adeline Yen Mah’s novel Chinese Cinderella is an autobiographical novel about ‘the secret story of an unwanted daughter. ’ The novel is memorable because the story is intriguing and it is also historical as it depicts the chaos of China in the early 1940s. The novel is also remarkable for its strong depiction of characters. The novel is based on a girl called Adeline who is neglected and unloved by her family members. There are few people who love her. Adeline’s family considers her bad luck because they believe she killed her mother. Big Sister [tells] me, ‘†¦ Mama died giving birth to you. If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck. † (Yen Mah, 1999:3). Chinese Cinderella is the story of Adeline’s struggle for acceptance and how she overcomes the odds to prove she is worth a chance. She does this by excelling in her studies at school. She is born the fifth child to a wealthy Chine se family where her life began tragically due to her mother’s death. She then struggles to find a place where she feels she belongs.With no love given from her parents, she finds a special relationship with her grandfather and Aunt Baba, who she is later separated from. She is then sent to a convent boarding school in Tianjin where the communists enter under their leader Mao Ze-Dong. Soon she is the only child left in the convent due to communism. After many months she is collected by Aunt Reine Schilling who is Niang’s sister. â€Å"Adeline! ’ she smiled and greeted me in English. ‘†¦ Do you remember me? I am Aunt Reine Schilling, your Niang’s older sister. ’†¦ ‘Come here! Don’t be afraid! †¦ (Yen Mah, 1999:154). Adeline was then taken to Hong Kong. The characters in Chinese Cinderella are portrayed very well. Every character is three dimensional. The horror of Adeline’s life is depicted vividly in the nov el. The characters in this novel vary in personalities. The aspect of the story that impacts on the reader is the terrible treatment Adeline endured. Niang, who is the stepmother, has a particular hatred towards Adeline. Her father, who is a mysterious character loves her at times and at others uncaring towards Adeline. â€Å"Is this medal for topping your class? he asked. I nodded eagerly, too excited to speak. † (Yen Mah, 1999:11). This was the only time he congratulated Adeline. Adeline has three brothers and one sister. She is attached to Aunt Baba most who is a loving character. She shows great love and affection towards Adeline unlike her other family members. Her grandfather (Ye Ye) is one of her most passionate supporters throughout the story. Her grandfather believed in her so much that Adeline said â€Å"And if I should be so lucky as to succeed one day, it [is] only be because you [believe] in me. † (Yen Mah, 1999:208).This proves the influence her grandfath er had on her. Chinese Cinderella is so well written that one could envisage what China was like in the early 1940s. In the late 1930s to the early 1940s China was a strict society. People expect you to be obedient and respectful. Adeline’s life starts in Tianjin where she is born. She studies kindergarten with her older sister Lydia at St Joseph’s French Convent School. As soon as she starts school she shows her talent and skills. â€Å"What’s that hanging on your dress? † â€Å"It’s something special that Mother Agnes gave me in front of the whole class this afternoon.She called it an award. † My aunt looked thrilled. â€Å"So soon? You only started kindergarten one week ago. What is it for? † â€Å"It’s for topping my class this week†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Yen Mah, 1999:1) Adeline continues her success at school. A few months later in early 1942 Adeline’s Nai Nai dies of a massive stroke. Adeline’s family is planning to move to Shanghai due to the Japanese communists but waited six weeks till after Nai Nai’s funeral. Then Adeline, Big Sister, Big Brother and Second Brother left to Shanghai to live with Niang. On the way to Shanghai â€Å"[They] were delighted and astonished†¦ (Yen Mah, 1999:24) when they came face to face with their father. Even in Shanghai Adeline continues to succeed at school. The reader can imagine the conditions to which Adeline was subjected. One could imagine the misery of having to walk home from kindergarten. One afternoon, â€Å"Not long after Father and Niang [return] from Tianjin, Mr and Mrs Huang [come] to visit. They [bring] gifts for all seven of us children in a large cardboard box with several holes punched in the lid†¦When we [open] the gift from the Huangs, we [are] delighted to find seven little baby ducklings. (Yen Mah, 1999: 83). Adeline names her duckling PLT (Precious Little Treasure). After a few days Adeline’s father suggests t esting Jackie’s, the pet dog’s obedience after dinner. He orders fourth brother to fetch a duckling and he came down with PLT. That night is PLT’s death. Fourth brother has been with Adeline during PLT’s funeral. Soon Niang decides to get Lydia married. After the wedding Niang moves Adeline into Tianjin and sends her to a convent boarding school. By December that year she is the only student left due to the communists.Aunt Jeane Schilling comes to pick her up and take her to Hong Kong where she studies secondary school. Later Adeline studies medicine in England. The language in Chinese Cinderella successfully describes Adeline’s life, particularly the hardships. Upon hearing that Adeline wins the writing competition and her father being pleased she imagines, â€Å"[Her] whole being [vibrates] with all the joy in the world. I only [have] to stretch out my hand to reach the stars. † (Yen Mah, 1999:220). This quotation means that Adeline feels as though all the joy is inside her.She had so much joy she is vibrating. She thought the joy lied in the stars, which she obtains by stretching towards the sky. The language is also very emotive because the novel describes the feelings of every character, such as the scene when Adeline’s little duckling PLT is killed by their dog. â€Å"I [am] overwhelmed with horror. My whole world [turns] desolate. † (Yen Mah, 1999: 96). Adeline says this in a very small amount of words, but it is so descriptive you can feel the emotion.This quotation means that she is suffering through too much horror and sadness to cope with. Adeline felt that the whole world was deserted, nothing but grief. Through the language the reader is able to resonate with the hardships Adeline endured. Chinese Cinderella is a novel which depicts the chaos of China in the early 1940s. It is an autobiographical novel telling the story of an unwanted daughter. The novel is memorable because the language is c aptivating. Chinese Cinderella is remarkable for its strong interpretation of the characters.

Civil Rights of African Americans Essay

Intro This essay will show how these two presidents tackled the problem of Civil rights of African Americans and it will demonstrate the extent of improvements and what remained the same. When one compares the extent of improvements which these two presidents make, the immediate reaction would be one praise towards President Kennedy because of his ultimate death while one would demonise President Johnson cause of Vietnam. This essay will show how little Kennedy actually accomplished as president but how much Johnson and the civil rights movement achieved thanks To be able to compare and objectively see the extent to which these two presidents improved civil rights for African Americans, we must first ascertain what their goals were and if they accomplished them or not; establish the extent of what they did with president each of the surrounding circumstances. In the early 1960S, the drive for voting rights became a central part of the major southern-based civil rights organizations’ strategy — the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), headed by Martin Luther King Jr., and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), led by Bob Moses, John Lewis and James Forman. Argument for Kennedy What did Kennedy do to advance the cause of civil rights? 1) He put pressure on federal government organisations to employ more African Americans. Any who were employed were usually in the lowest paid posts and in jobs that had little prospect of professional progress. The FBI only employed 48 African Americans out of a total of 13,649 and these 48 were nearly all chauffeurs. Kennedy did more than any president before him to have more African Americans appointed to federal government posts. In total, he appointed 40 to senior federal positions including five as federal judges 2) Kennedy appointed his brother (Robert) as Attorney General which put him at the head of the Justice Department. Their tactic was to use the law courts as a way of enforcing already passed civil rights legislation. The Justice Department brought 57 law suits against local officials for obstructing African Americans who wished to register their right to vote. Local officials from Louisiana were threatened with prison for contempt when they refused to hand over money to newly desegregated schools. Such a threat prompted others in Atlanta, Memphis and New Orleans to hand over finance without too many problems – few if any were willing to experience the American penal system which had a policy of punishment then as opposed to reforming prisoners. 3) Kennedy was very good at what would appear to be small gestures. In American football, the Washington Redskins were the last of the big teams to refuse to sign African Americans. Their stadium was federally funded and Kennedy ordered that they were no longer allowed to use the stadium and would have to find a new one. The team very quickly signed up African American players. 4) Kennedy created the CEEO (Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity). Its job was to ensure that all people employed with the federal government had equal employment opportunities; it also required all those firms that had contracts with the federal government to do the same if they were to win further federal contracts. 5) The 1963 March on Washington was initially opposed by Kennedy as he believed that any march during his presidency would indicate that the leaders of the civil rights campaign were critical of his stance on civil rights. Kennedy also felt that the march could antagonise Congress when it was in the process of discussing his civil rights bill. A march might have been viewed by Congress as external pressure being put on them. Kennedy eventually endorsed the march when it was agreed that the federal government could have an input into it. Malcolm X criticised King’s decision to allow this as he believed that Kennedy was attempting to take over and orchestrate the march. Malcolm X was to nick-name the march â€Å"The Farce on Washington†. Argument against Kennedy 1) Kennedy had to tread a very fine line in the South. His popularity by September 1963 showed that his support had dropped to 44% in the South. It had been 60% in March 1963. At this time, the South was a traditional stronghold of the Democrats. Was Kennedy a keen civil rights man? 2) In the immediate aftermath of his death, only praise was heaped on the murdered president. To do otherwise would have been considered highly unpatriotic. However, in recent years there has been a re-evaluation of Kennedy and what he did in his presidency. For a man who claimed that poor housing could be ended with the signing of the president’s name, Kennedy did nothing. His Department of Urban Affairs bill was rejected by Congress and eventually only a weak housing act was passed which applied only to future federal housing projects. 3) The CEEO was only concerned with those already employed (though it did encourage firms to employ African Americans) and it did nothing to actively get employment opportunities for African Americans. The CEEO was concerned with those in employment within the federal government not the unemployed. 4) Kennedy was also aware that southern Democrats were still powerful in the party and their wishes could not be totally ignored if the party was not to be split apart – or if Kennedy was not to get the party’s nomination for the 1964 election. However, there is no doubt that the violence that occurred in the South during his presidency horrified and angered him. Argument for LBJ 1) Lyndon Baines Johnson has been credited with being one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement. Johnson does have some distracters who believe that he was merely an unprincipled politician who  used the civil rights issue when he realised the worth of the â€Å"Black Vote†. However Johnson himself claimed to be an idealist who dreamed of making America a â€Å"Great Society†. It was Johnson who put the presidential signature to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Conclusion I recon that, it doesn’t actually matter if Kennedy was a genuine supporter of civil rights or not, as long as he was doing something to improve it. People tend to forget all other pressures that were on Kennedy at the same time as the civil rights crisis, such as the Cuban crisis which potentially threatened world peace. From my point of view that would become subsequently much more important than civil rights. However I do understand and take into account the view that civil rights was a serious problem, which definitely had to be addressed, especially when the united states were claiming that they were the perpetrators of peace and liberty. Considering JFK’s premature death, the general world situation, (Vietnam, Cuban Missile Crisis) I think that the extent of JFK’s civil rights achievements were limited. While President Johnson was able to achieve remarkably a lot, especially when faced with the Vietnam War. One can argue that LBJ’s achievements, such as the passing of the civil rights bill is all thanks to JFK’s death; that he only promoted civil rights to boost his campaign to get to the top; the only reason he pursued the voting rights act was because faced with the Vietnam war, he had to boost moral at home. All this is partly true and has an effect that on what he was doing and had done but it wasn’t the main policy that he was following. LBJ had done what no other President before had ever, could ever or will ever achieve. He single handed managed to pass legislation trough congress that would change every single African Americans life for ever, but not only he also managed to keep at bay the feared white backlash, and the black power movement, considering that it could have escalated, and caused much greater damage. Over all the extent of legislation, appo intments and gestures that President Lindon Johnson did was at a far greater depth and extent that any had done for the civil rights movement in the US.