4.How do the Homeric epics, the Illiad and the Odyssey differ from Essay

4.How do the Homeric epics, the Illiad and the Odyssey differ from each other in their depiction of Greek culture and values - Essay Example n of vices and goodness, strength and weakness, and betrayals and friendships yet all these aspects of human life amalgamate in a manner that each aspect provides the readers with a variety of moral lessons to be learned. Homer in both of his works applies the same phenomenon and deals with two paradoxical situations and presents the readers with two highly contrasting scenarios although both the works project the some good and bad values and culture of the same Greek society. Homer utilizes the plot, setting, character and their actions as a tool in order to depict two different personal interpretations of the Greek society and its culture and values. Homer’s epic Iliad is based on the War of Troy. This piece of literature deals with warfare, bloodshed and revenge. The poem depicts a tale of a war that is fought between Greek King Agamemnon and the Trojans. Homer in his depiction of the whole scenario of the war incorporates and explores a variety of aspects of Greek values and culture. These aspects include greed, pride and deception. Greed and lust are two of the major seven sins that exist in this world. Consequently the Greek society was also engulfed in these sins and a common practice of these vices was also observed amongst portrayal of various characters in Greek Literature. Homer also assimilates this concept in his poem and presents the adverse and fatalistic affects of practicing such vices through the condition of the Greek troops when Achilles refuses to fight for Agamemnon. The reason behind this was because of Agamemnon’s desire to Briseis who was awarded to Achilles. Hence the greed and desire of Agamemnon leads to Achilles refusal and consequently the Greeks lose a large number of their warriors in the beginning. Through Achilles character Homer depicts another vice that was common in Greek Society i.e. Pride. So it can be perceived that the reason for the loss of a large number of The Achaean men and the death of Achilles closest friend

The Reigh Of Louis XVII Essay Example for Free

The Reigh Of Louis XVII Essay Louis XVII came to the throne in 1814 as the rightful heir. After the defeat of Napoleon there were two possible branches of the Bourbon family. The elder branch, which was Louis XVIII (brother to guillotined Louis XVII) and the younger branch, which was Louis Phillippe, duc dOrleons. It was left to the allies to choose who should rule, and they did not want France to be a republic. However Europe could no establish who should be the new ruler of France. They therefore decided to let France choose for herself. This was just a way of covering up the fact that they couldnt choose a ruler themselves. However there was no intention of consulting the people of France through any system of voting. Talleyrand, once Napoleons legal servant, was in favour of the Bourbons returning. It was therefore him who convinced the allies that there was widespread support in France for the restoration of the Bourbons, and when Wellington entered Bordeaux to be met by crowds of people shouting vive le roi (long live the king) it convinced the allies that the restoration was stood a good chance of success. Therefore in April 1814 Louis XVIII returned as king. Louis XVIII, at the time he came to the throne, was aged fifty-nine years old. He was over weight and walked with difficulty. His personality was dull and uninspiring. He was known to be a firm believer in the divine right of kings. His character was such that he lacked charm and the truth was, that he was wanted for what he stood for, rather than what we really was. When Louis XVIII came to power, the economy was strong, and this was therefore good and positive for his reign. Louis XVIII did not squander the advantages he possessed. By supporting capable ministers, especially his favourite, Elie Decazes, he ensured the governments finance was on a firm footing. With the war fees paid off by 1818 foreign troops withdrawn, the country was able to settle down after the costly glory of Napoleonic era. In fact under Louis XVIII an effective system for controlling government spending was developed that was to last with out any major adjustment for more than a hundred years. The allies feared because they thought French people grown use to national glory would soon get bored of a dull monarchy. They need not to worry. It seems that although most French people were pleased to bask in the glory, they did not immediately miss the pleasure when it was no longer available. Louis XVIIIs greatest success was managing to convince the pays legal that he intended to make the charter if 1814 a working reality. He did this by restraining those supporters who wanted to undermine the charter, or even do away with it altogether. Also by communicating a general belief that in it as providing the basis for political life in France in the future. These Ultra-Royalist, known as the Ultras, were even more Royalist than the King himself. They hoped to day with the charter as soon as possible. However Louis XVIII was in sympathy with some of their views. Yet because he did not possess great strength of character, he was unable to resist all their demands. The Ultras, however, did gain some success. When the law to compensate the ÃÆ' ©migrÃÆ' ©s was passed in 1825, the reaction of the pays legal was very hostile. For ten years the ÃÆ' ©migrÃÆ' ©s felt discontent that their loyalty to the royal family and the ancien regime, which had lost them their lands and fortunes, had received scant reward. Many of them had been given official positions to fill and their ranks recognised. However most of them still lacked financial security and they would therefore have liked their lands restored back to them. But even Charles X saw that to attempt this would be such a basic attack on the revolutionary settlement that it would probably have been resisted by force So the law of 1825 confirmed the rights of present owners of the market value of any land that had been confiscated in the 1790s, and by compensating the ÃÆ' ©migrÃÆ' ©s by making them an annual grant of money. Louis XVIII success also included the Charter. As stated above, Louis managed to convince the pays legal that he intended to make the charter a working reality. Th Charter of 1814 stated that there would be freedom for the press, although there would be laws passed to check the abuse of this freedom. It had been assumed by most of the pays legal that this meant that people would be free to publish what they wanted although they would be liable for legal action after the events if they had printed anything  contrary to the law. This was not how the Charter was interpreted by Louis XVIII, and he made efforts to prevent the publication of anything they regarded as hostile to the regime. Between 1814 and 1822 the government generally tried to control the press by insisting that no political news or comment was published until it had been passed by the censor. Despite Louiss age, his immobility, his belief in the divine rights of the king, his heavily influence by Madam du Cayla and his failure to compensate the ÃÆ' ©migrÃÆ' ©s, I strongly believe that his strengthens and successes out weighed these. Among his successes, he managed to convince the pays legal that he intended to make the Charter a working reality, keep his throne while managing to suppress opponents, acted according to the Charter and did not allow the Ultras to get much power and dominate. He also did not allow himself in party politics, which meant he could be neutral and not favour one party over another. This meant a downfall of a minister would not bring him down. Lastly, Louis XVIII was the rightful king in France and therefore he could diminish opposition.

Social Promotion Essay -- essays research papers

Social Promotion: An Excuse for Not Educating a Child   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When it comes to students failing a grade level there has always been two options, either a student can be socially promoted or they can be retained. The choices for a failing child are limited and both situations have stigmas attached. Both options have positive and negative effects this I concur. While, presenting both sides of the argument I will note that retention is not always the solution to a failing child’s future, however, promoting a student without the skills or knowledge to proceed to the next grade level only paves a future of destruction. What is Social Promotion?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Social promotion is the practice of promoting students to the next grade when they have failed to master part or all of the grade-level curriculum.† Social promotion is considered to keep a student’s social and psychological well being intact by allowing them to stay with their peers (social promotion). Social promotion reinforces failure, ignores students’ problems, and sends a message to every student that achievement and effort do not matter. (#1 pg. 1) The Alternative†¦Retention   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retention is often viewed as the only alternative to social promotion, it is a policy that holds back students who have failing grades at the end of a school year (#2 pg. 3). Retention allows students to have an additional year to repeat a grade and to master the core curriculum for that grade level. However, when a child repeats a grade level they are often taught the same skills in the exact same manner from the previous year, thus leading them through another unsuccessful year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While most teachers know that educational research indicates that retention can be ineffective, if not harmful, they feel there are insufficient educational alternatives (#2 pg. 4). It is estimated that between 15 and 19 percent of students are retained each year and as many as 50 percent of students in large urban areas are usually retained at least once before they graduate or decide to drop out of school (Starr pg.1). The American Federation of Teachers reports that very few studies have ever documented any appreciable long-term academic gains with retention (Starr pg. 1). The AFT also notes that with retention come problems such as, student alien... ...ly intervention, and a determine and well prepared staff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is so easy to pass a child off by just promoting them to the next level. One might think it is not my problem anymore. By socially promoting children by just one grade level can effect that student’s performance for a lifetime. Students are in school to learn not to be passed off. They have right to a proper education and they must master all skills before being promoted. There is no hope for a child who has not met the standards or mastered the skills to be constantly promoted from one grade to the next. A student with an immeasurable amount of unmet skills and standards will never be able to function on â€Å"normal† level within society. If school systems, teachers, and parents do not hold each child responsible for the set standards then they are depriving these students of an education and a chance to ever have a successful future. When the question asked what is to be done with a failing student the answer is not social promotion. Social pro motion is an excuse, a scapegoat, or a way out of taking the time, extra effort, and responsibility of educating a child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Plastic Production Essay -- Environment, Fossil Fuels

1.0 Research Background The term of plastic has attracted more attention in the literature for the past 100 years since the introduction of the first industrial plastic at the latter part of the 19th century. John Wesley Hyatt, an American, finally came upon the solution in year 1869 with celluloid which makes its debut in plastic industry (McCord, 1964). Ever since after, there have been several milestones in the history of material science as the invention of plastic has, arguably, touched more lives than any other technological breakthrough. Plastics play a significant role across the environmental, societal and economic dimensions of sustainable development. Our modern lifestyle would not be possible without plastics. Plastics have proliferated so readily throughout the modern world because of their inherent properties such as lightweight, versatility and durability (Fortelnà ½ et. al., 2004). By possessing these advantageous characteristics, plastics has become a good candidate for replacement of other materials that range from simple plastic parts such as household storage containers, to sophisticated devices such as heart replacement valves. It is this range of properties together with their low cost that has driven the annual worldwide demand for plastics to reach at least 308 million tonnes by 2010 (Andrady and Neal, 2009). 1.1 Impacts of Plastic Production Although plastics have had a remarkable impact on our culture and lifestyle, the production and use of plastics pose increasing threat to environment. Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and thus plastics production has an impact on oil consumption, both as a raw material and to deliver energy for the manufacturing process (van der Voet et al, 2003). The proce... ...is chapter. The literature review of the related subjects has been outlined in Chapter 2. The main objectives of this chapter are to present the latest knowledge and studies from other researchers relating to the feasibility of performing reprocessing operations in the plastic industry particularly in recycling of plastic and the implementation of Taguchi method in optimizing the injection moulding processing parameters to enhance the mechanical properties of the recycled plastic products. The following Chapter 3 delineates the methodology used in this research wherein every procedure of the experiments is explained in details. Chapter 4 analyzes and discusses the results obtained from the experiments based on the Taguchi method and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Chapter 5 highlights the conclusion on this research work and ends with the future work continuation.

Corporate social responsibility Essay

Social responsibility is an ethical theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the ecosystems. Businesses can use ethical decision making to secure their businesses by making decisions that allow for government agencies to minimize their involvement with the corporation. Critics argue that Corporate social responsibility (CSR) distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful corporations though there is no systematic evidence to support these criticisms. A significant number of studies have shown no negative influence on shareholder results from CSR but rather a slightly negative correlation with improved shareholder returns. Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. In some models, a firm’s implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance and engages in â€Å"actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law. CSR is a process with the aim to embrace responsibility for the company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. FUNCTIONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The function of corporate social responsibility is for corporations to hold themselves accountable for the ethical, legal, societal and ecological impacts of their business practices. Corporate social responsibility practices are self-monitoring, meaning there aren’t laws requiring corporations to behave in a socially responsible manner. Rules regarding corporate responsibility practices are generally written into the corporate bylaws, mission statements and employee handbooks. Ethical Function Ethics are one of the most important aspects in corporate governance and therefore have an important function in corporate social responsibility. A company must have internal controls regarding the expected ethical behavior and consequences of unethical business practices of its top executives and employees. Behaving ethically makes the company as a whole accountable to its investors, shareholders and consumers. The ethical function of corporate social responsibility helps to prevent conflicts of interest between earning corporate profits and maintaining the integrity of the company and the goods and services it produces. Legal Function The legal function of corporate social responsibility is to encourage transparency in a company’s business practices and financial reporting. Maintaining high levels of legal business practices, such as adhering to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations promotes goodwill toward employees. Maintaining high levels of legal financial practices maintains good will among investors, stakeholders and government financial-reporting regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Societal Function The societal function of corporate social responsibility is to respect and invest in the communities in which the company operates. Companies are aware of how the production of their products affects the local community. These companies take necessary actions to diminish the negative impacts of factors such as increased traffic, noise and pollution for the communities in which they operate. The societal function of corporate social responsibility also includes companies reinvesting in the communities in which they operate, such as donating money to local charities. Ecological Function The ecological function of corporate social responsibility is to not only respect the immediate environment in which the company operates but also to respect the company’s effect on the global environment. Companies are aware of the environmental impact the production of their products have on their local communities. In corporate social responsibility, these companies adhere to strict standards in an effort to diminish the negative impact of the environmental byproducts such as air and water pollution from the production of their products. Having such standards impacts both the local and global environments. CHARACTERISTICS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The idea of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, first appeared in the late 1960s in response to the need for businesses to address the effect of their pursuits on the environment and society, in addition to the interests of their shareholders. CSR attempts to portray corporations as responsible citizens who are concerned with issues of social and environmental welfare. The Public CSR argues that corporations bear responsibility for the effect they have on other sectors of society. The activities of corporations have an impact on individuals who don’t work for them and don’t buy their products, through, for example, secondary economic impacts and degradation of the natural environment. CSR acknowledges this, and attempts to make the interactions between corporations and society positive and productive. This can be done by consulting with neighbors and citizens who are affected by corporate activities and by striving for transparency in corporate pursuits so that the public knows what is going on. The Environment Increased knowledge on the part of the public about declining resources, toxic waste and global warming is compelling companies to make more efforts to be more environmentally benign. The traditional view that the natural world is merely a source of materials and an equally convenient dump for waste is being challenged from many quarters, and CSR is an attempt by corporations to respond to these concerns. The sincerity of changes being made on the part of corporations includes some serious efforts to achieve sustainability and other efforts that are essentially â€Å"greenwashing,† activities in which corporations put more effort into appearing green than into actually being green. Clients CSR challenges the traditional wisdom that the interests and needs of the clients of a corporation will be adequately protected by the market itself. Because the free market has been severely compromised by a combination of government subsidies and manipulative marketing practices, CSR attempts to remedy this situation by installing practices into corporate life that will monitor the interaction between corporations and their clients in an attempt to ensure that nobody is being exploited or cheated. Consumer protection can be enforced by the government or voluntarily pursued by companies, the latter course have clear advantages for the public relations of the company. Staff Staff and employees of corporations have a right to expect fair pay, safe working conditions and meaningful work. CSR is one aspect of a transformation in the corporate world that attempts to overcome archaic views of workers as mere means to an end on the part of shareholders. Particularly in less developed countries that are often the sites of intensive resource extraction, the treatment of labor is frequently substandard. CSR is intended to promote the rights of all workers and to ensure that corporations respect these rights and make whatever changes are required to prevent the exploitation and mistreatment of labor. FOUR TYPES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As large corporations begin to dominate the world economy, it raises questions about the importance of corporate social responsibility in business. A variety of types of corporate social responsibilities have emerged in public discussions, and understanding their implications is important. Environmental Responsibility People expect businesses to exhibit environmentally responsible behavior, as evidenced by a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey that found that the No. 1 issue for companies in the future, according to U. S. respondents, is carbon emissions reductions. Specific environmental issues that affect businesses include global warming, sustainable resources and pollution. Businesses are being urged by environmental groups and governments to reduce their carbon footprint, to obtain their materials from sustainable sources and to reduce their pollution. Human Rights Responsibility The 21st-century marketplace is highly global. This means that when a product is purchased in the United States, for example, it may have been produced in China, or have components from South America. The ethical issue for corporations is ensuring that human rights are respected throughout all levels of the supply chain. Major companies have received criticism for their use of sweat shops and for sourcing resources that are harvested by unfairly treated workers. This has lead to a push for the use of strict labor standards to be applied to suppliers, and a demand for fair trade products such as chocolate and coffee. Financial Responsibility Financial responsibility is an important issue in corporate social responsibility. In the wake of the accounting fraud perpetrated by Enron and Arthur Andersen and Ponzi schemes orchestrated by the likes of Bernie Madoff, businesses are questioned about the accuracy of their financial reporting by increasingly skeptical shareholders and government officials, as evidenced by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Employees are expected to act as whistle blowers in such situations, and white collar crime is seeing high-profile prosecutions like that of Martha Stewart or former Worldcom CEO Bernie Ebbers. Political Responsibility Trading with repressive regimes is a difficult issue in corporate social responsibility. Some businesses argue that working with these regimes will help to advance them and bring rights to the countries. People and governments have demanded that businesses stop trading with repressive regimes, which was most notably observed when several western governments launched an embargo against the Apartheid government in South Africa during the 1980s. Shell Oil received considerable consumer backlash during the 1990s for its complicit involvement with the Nigerian government that murdered anti-oil activists. These issues make doing business with certain governments an important consideration for corporate social responsibility. PROS & CONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate social responsibility is generally perceived as a positive business ideology in the 21st century, despite some challenges. A significant expansion of basic business ethics, CSR establishes guidelines for ethical and socially responsible behavior. It addresses how companies that want to satisfy government and societal requirements should treat key stakeholder groups, including customers, suppliers, employees and the community. Pro 1: Social Responsibility and Customer Relationships One of the foundational elements of CSR is that it causes companies to reason beyond basic ethics to consider the benefits of active involvement in communities. In his article â€Å"The 7 Principles of Business Integrity,† business strategist Robert Moment argues that 21st-century companies must prove themselves to customers to build long-term, trusting relationships. They must also get involved in the community to give back. This community connection endears your company to the local markets in which you operate. Pro 2: Motivated Employees Employees are a company’s most valued asset. This is the premise of a company’s obligation to this key stakeholder group with regard to CSR compliance. This means treating employees with respect and offering fair working conditions. It also means establishing fair hiring practices and promoting a non-discriminatory workplace. This improves morale within the workplace and encourages teamwork. Additionally, a writer on the As You Sow website stresses the importance of managing a diverse workplace so that you can benefit from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Con 1: Expenses The main reason any company would object to participating in CSR is the associated costs. With CSR, you pay for environmental programs, more employee training and efficient waste management programs. Proponents of CSR agree that any expenses to businesses are ultimately covered by stronger relationships with key customers. However, David Vogel indicates in his Forbes article â€Å"CSR Doesn’t Pay† that investment in CSR programs may not necessary result in measurable financial results. Con 2: Shareholder Expectations Another challenge for companies when considering CSR is the possible negative perception of shareholders. Historically, publicly-owned companies had a primary focus of maximizing shareholder value. Now, they must balance the financial expectations of company owners with the social and environmental requirements of other stakeholder groups. Some shareholders are happy to invest in companies that operate with high integrity. Others may not approve of the aforementioned expenses of operating under CSR guidelines. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Social responsibility is so important to current and long-term business success that corporate social responsibility, CSR, has become a widely recognized business process in the early 21st century. An entrepreneur point out that CSR is an evolution of corporate ethics because it involves balancing the social expectations of all stakeholders, including shareholders, citizens, providers and customers, along with environmental responsibility. Basic Integrity Most experts and CSR analysts agree that this broad business concept is an evolution of basic business ethics and integrity. Entrepreneur and business strategist Robert Moment â€Å"The 7 Princes of Business Integrity† agree that treating stakeholders with respect and earning trust of customers through ethical business operations is the CSR foundation. Leading advocate of corporate accountability, the As You Sow Foundation, also stresses the importance of internal business controls that mandated ethics from corporate leaders and employees. Community Relations The word â€Å"social† is key to understanding how CSR goes beyond basic integrity. Moment states in one of his seven principles that as a CSR adherent, you must â€Å"remain involved in community-related issues and activities thereby demonstrating that your business is a responsible community contributor. † This community involvement and participation shows your marketplace that you are interested in more than just taking money from their pockets. In the long run, this strategy leads to a stronger public reputation and more profitable business relationships. The Environment Another reason CSR is much broader than conventional business ethics is its necessary inclusion of environmental responsibility. Once an opportunity for companies to add value and enhance their brand image, green-friendly operations are now a societal requirement with CSR. As You Sow discusses the importance of preserving the environment, optimizing efficient use of natural resources, such as renew, reuse and recycle, and reduction of waste as important to the environmental component of CSR. Companies that do not consider these initiatives draw the ire of the government, public and consumer watch groups. Bottom Line The underlying question is whether CSR operations improve a company’s bottom line performance. David Vogel argues in his 2008 Forbes article that â€Å"CSR Doesn’t Pay. † Vogel argues that operating under CSR guidelines is not likely to produce higher tangible profits for a company throughout time. Now that socially responsible behavior is expected, it goes largely unnoticed, argues Vogel. He does agree, though, that companies that ignore CSR may experience public backlash and negative business consequences. Still, many advocates of CSR believe that companies can still profit in the long run through stronger business and customer relationships. PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The main principles involving corporate social responsibility involve economic, legal, ethical and discretionary aspects. A corporation needs to generate profits, while operating within the laws of the state. The corporation also needs to be ethical, but has the right to be discretional about the decisions it makes. Levels of corporate social responsiveness to an issue include being reactive, defensive, responsive and interactive. All terms are useful in issues management. Selecting when and how to act can make a difference in the outcome of the action taken. CSR has inspired national governments to include CSR issues into their national public policy agendas. The increased importance driven by CSR has prompted governments to promote socially and environmentally responsible corporate practices. Over the past decade governments have considered CSR as a public issue that requires national governmental involvement to address the very issues relevant to CSR. The heightened role of government in CSR has facilitated the development of numerous CSR programs and policies. Increasingly, corporations are motivated to become more socially responsible because their most important stakeholders expect them to understand and address the social and community issues that are relevant to them. Understanding what causes are important to employees is usually the first priority because of the many interrelated business benefits that can be derived from increased employee engagement (i. e. more loyalty, improved recruitment, increased retention, higher productivity, and so on). Key external stakeholders include customers, consumers, investors (particularly institutional investors), and communities in the areas where the corporation operates its facilities, regulators, academics, and the media. The debate, on whether responsibility of a business enterprise is only to its shareholders (owners) or to all stakeholders, including environment and the society at large, is an on going one and continues. In received literature â€Å"Stakeholder†, as an expression is fairly recent in origin, reportedly appearing first in an internal memorandum of the Stanford Research Institute in the year 1963. According to a definition given by Edward Freeman â€Å"A stakeholder is any group or individual who can effect, or is affected by the activities and achievements of an organization. † Friedrich Neubauer and Ada Demb in â€Å"The Legitimate Corporation† identify six groups of distinguishable stakeholders (not necessarily in this order) as follows a) Providers of funds b) Employees c) General public d) Government e) Customers and f) Suppliers An increasing number of companies are reporting publicly on their social, environmental and ethical performance, both as a communication to stakeholders, and as a management tool. However, as this practice has only become more widespread since the mid 1990s, there is as yet no standard format to address the type of information companies choose to report, or how that information is collected, analyzed and presented. At the same time, many stakeholders are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the type and quality of information they are demanding from companies. In an effort to meet these demands – as well as to strengthen the credibility of their social and environmental reports – some companies are choosing to have their reports externally verified. In doing so, companies recognize that verification by a third party can add value to the overall social and environmental reporting process by enhancing relationships with stakeholders, improving business performance and decision-making, aligning practice with organizational values, and strengthening reputation risk management. Social Responsibility Principles The Corporate Social Responsibility is based on the following principles: Legal Compliance Principle: The enterprise shall comply with and understand all applicable, local, international, written, declared, and effected laws and regulations, in accordance with fixed, specific procedures. Adherence to Customary International Laws Principle: The enterprise shall adhere to international and governmental agreements, executive regulations, declarations, covenants, decisions, and guidelines, when setting its policies and practices pertinent to Social Responsibility. Respecting Related Stakeholders lefts Principle: The enterprise shall acknowledge and accept the diversity of related stakeholders’ lefts and interests, and the diversity of the major and minor enterprises’ activities and products, among other elements, which may affect such related stakeholders. Transparency Principle: the enterprise shall clearly, accurately, and comprehensively declare its policy, decisions, and activities, including known and potential effects on environment and society. Moreover, such information shall be available to affected persons, or those who are likely to be affected materially by the enterprise. Respect for Human lefts Principle: the enterprise shall execute policies and practices which shall result in respecting existent human lefts in the Universal Declaration of Human lefts. Because CSR can influence economic, environmental and social factors in a variety of ways, there is no â€Å"one size fits all† approach. An effective CSR strategy must consider alignment with the organization’s business strategy, commercial added value, and sustainability of impact. The benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organization can include: Stronger performance and profitability Improved relations with the investment community and access to capital Enhanced employee relations and company culture Risk management and access to social opportunities Stronger relationships with communities and legal regulators CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT RELIANCE POWER LTD Reliance Power Limited is part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, one of India’s largest business houses. It was established to develop, construct and operate power projects in the Indian and international markets. Reliance Energy Limited, an Indian private sector power utility company and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group promote Reliance Power. With its subsidiaries, it is developing 13 medium and large-sized power projects with a combined planned installed capacity of 33,480 MW. Reliance Natural Resources merged with Reliance Power in 2010, shortly after its initial public offering. The group operates across multiple sectors, including telecommunications, financial services, media and entertainment, infrastructure and energy. The energy sector companies include Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Power. Reliance Power has been established to develop, construct and operate power projects both in India as well as internationally. The Company on its own and through its subsidiaries has a portfolio of over 35,000 MW of power generation capacity, both in operation as well as capacity under development. The power projects are going to be diverse in terms of geographic location, fuel type, fuel source and off-take, and each project is planned to be strategically located near an available fuel supply or load centre. The company has 1,540 MW of operational power generation assets. The projects under development include seven coal-fired projects to be fueled by reserves from captive mines and supplies from India and elsewhere; two gas-fired projects; and twelve hydroelectric projects, six of them in Arunachal Pradesh, five in Himachal Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand. Reliance Power has won three of the four Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) awarded by the Indian Government so far. These include UMPPs in Sasan( Madhya Pradesh),Krishnapatnam( Andhra Pradesh) & Tilaiya(Jharkhand). UMPPs are a significant part of the Indian government’s initiative to collaborate with power generation companies to set up 4,000 MW projects to ease the country’s power deficit situation. Besides these, Reliance Power is also developing coal bed methane (CBM) blocks to fuel gas based power generation. The company is registering projects with the Clean Development Mechanism executive board for issuance of Certified Emission Reduction (CER) certificates to augment its revenues. Reliance Power in its continuous efforts to positively impact the society, especially the areas around its sites and offices, has formulated policies for social development that are based on the following guiding principles: Adopt an approach that aims at achieving a greater balance between social development and economic development. Adopt new measures to accelerate and ensure the basic needs of all people. Work towards elimination of all barriers for the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups- such as the poor and the disabled Give unfailing attention to children for in their hands lies the country’s future. It is for their sake that health, education and environment get topmost priority in our programs and investments. In areas around its power plant sites in Sasan,Rosa,Krishnapatnam,Butibori,Chitrangi and others, Reliance Power has been actively involved in various social and environmental organizations to address the issue of sustainable development and social uplift. The Company in discharge of its responsibility as a corporate citizen actively contributes to community welfare measures and takes up several social initiatives every year. Reliance Power Ltd. has been closely working with institutions and social organizations and supporting their programs for social development, adult literacy, adoption of village, tree plantation schemes etc. HEALTH Health and safety are of universal concern across the spectrum of communities. As a company, we are not only committed to compliance with legal norms but its is our endeavour to voluntarily go beyond that and provide quality healthcare facilities in the regions around our site. We are committed to providing all possible support to create awareness on various health related issues impacting the local people. We believe in a multidimensional approach that considers the needs of the area leading to an effective plan to address all issues in consultation with the local administration, community workers and NGOs working in the area. At its various project sites, Reliance Power sites runs medical facility center, physiotherapy center, and mobile medical vans that dispenses free medicines and provide free health check-ups. Also periodically we come up with health camps like general health check up camps, gynecology camps, eye check up camps and corrective surgery camps for disabled children. EDUCATION Education is a basic tool to bring development to an area and its people. We aim to create an awareness pool of human resource both within and across our area of operations. We are committed to bridging the digital divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in educational infrastructure and facilities. Exposure to technology along with a sustainable education model could be strengthened through partnership with government and quasi-government agencies. Reliance Power is involved in a surfeit of activities that have changed the lives of the people residing at the sites or the PAFs (Project Affected Families). Education is the main thrust of these activities. Major contributions made in the area include building of a DAV school at the site for the children of the PAFs and the children of the villages around the sites, free school bus facility for the students, stipend to every child who attends school (a boy child gets Rs. 250 per month while a girl child gets a stipend of Rs. 300 per month), free uniforms, study tours for children, teaching aids to the teachers, training of teachers, as well as night schools for uneducated adults etc. EMPLOYMENT Community is an integral part of the business environment and the basic commitment lies towards augmenting the overall economic and social development of local communities by discharging our social responsibilities in a sustainable manner. Reliance Power invests significantly in skill up gradation of people around the sites. The trained manpower available for construction will ensure quality and accident free working. CIDC, a Government of India initiative has been engaged and has trained about 300 project affected youths as electricians, welders, carpenters and masons and bar benders in batches of 40 each. To further encourage them we paid them, a monthly stipend of Rs. 1000 per month. In addition efforts are on to enroll the oustees in short term courses at the ITI operating in the region. Apart from these, training is also provided are: Computer coaching centre English speaking classes Personality development classes Physiotherapy training center Training by NAC (National Academy of Construction) and use them for future requirement of the construction. For the women folk of the villages, in an effort to empower them the company trains them in soft skills like tailoring and poultry farming etc. Reliance Power provides assistance to women keen on starting their own businesses. THE HUMAN TOUCH BEYOND POLICY IMPERATIVES Although the main thrust of Reliance Power’s CSR lies in providing quality education, health care and livelihood, we don’t restrict ourselves to it. In order to better lives around our areas of interest and business, we strive to provide basic amenities like electrification in the villages, augmentation and development of roads connecting the village to the main roads, old age support for senior citizens of the project affect families, development of the grazing lands for the cattle of the villagers, afforestation and veterinary camps for domestic cattle. Moral and financial support is extended during social occasions like marriages, community prayers, funerals and other such occasions.

Polish Culture.Doc Essays

Polish Culture.Doc Essays Polish Culture.Doc Essay Polish Culture.Doc Essay The Family cultures tend to be hierarchical and power-oriented. Furthermore, they are high context and the relationship Is diffuse. * The Eiffel Tower cultures are role-oriented, the rules and procedures are clear and very strict. What Is more. Order and predictability are very important. (Trampers and Williams, 2003). * The Guided Missile cultures tend to be task-oriented and low centralized. Achievement and effectiveness are weighed above the demands of authority, procedures, or people (ibid). This culture is individualistic, people often change teams and tasks ND are very enthusiastic about their work. * The Incubator cultures are highly individualistic, flexible with commitment to oneself and professional recognition (ibid). This culture is person-oriented. 2. 3. 1. Relationship with others Second set of dimensions outlined by Trampers is mainly based on people s relationships with each other and includes: 1. Universalism 2. Specific 3. Individualism 4. Achievement 5. Neutral Particulars Defuse relationships Collectivism Ascription Affective Relationships 3. Analysis of Polish culture 4. 2. Introduction unfortunately there are no clear evidence showing the affinity of the Polish culture to any of the dimensions mentioned above and therefore the following analysis will be mostly based on my personal experience and supported by additional data. 1 . 3. 4. 1. 4. 2. Corporate Culture It could be suggested that Poland is a Family Culture with some features centralists Tort ten I lower cultures. Hearst all tenure Is a clear annularly In most of the Polish companies as well as in families, typical for the Eiffel Tower cultures. It is usual in Polish schools to emphasize the importance of parents in their childrens education. For example I remember my parents receiving congratulation letter for my personal achievements. 4. 3. Relationship with others To move on to the second set of dimensions distinguished by Trampers I assume that Poles tend to be more particularistic. It means that they often put relationships above rules and regulations. This dimension is common amongst rural (catholic) cultures like Poland. For example Polish president, Lech Sacking, has recently forgiven a group of young people who murdered a man tormenting local citizens. It shows that Poland has deep-rooted particularistic. On the other hand, I have observed an increasing popularity in contract signing recently which is characteristic for universalistic cultures. Secondly, Poles tend to be more diffuse in relationships, which means that they often link work with private lives. Use of titles is obligatory, calling someone older by his/her first name is often seen as an insult. Thirdly, based on my personal experience I would say that Polish citizens tend to be more individualistic. As Trampers suggested 74 % of Polish interviewee preferred to be left alone to get the Job done. Personally, I feel more motivated working on my own and often receive better results. It may be surprising that a previously communist country, where collectivism was the main philosophy has changed so dramatically. In my opinion Poles were not able to communicate their authentic values and behaviors and were perceived through the eyes of its invaders. Moreover, Polish culture characterizes ascription. The status depends on age, gender and social position. Poles often use titles and value hierarchy. For example almost every application form in Poland requires specific address titles such as doctor, professor and engineer. On the other hand, I would say that young generation is becoming ore achievable, which means that they prefer to be valued by what they do instead of who they are. Apart from that Poland is certainly an affective culture, a culture where expressing emotions is perceived as a norm . According to Wickerworks and Karakas 85 % of interviewee answered that emotions should be expressed immediately by verbal and non-verbal communication. Interrupting each other in Poland is sometimes perceived as a sign of interest. 4. 4. Working with different cultures To move on, I think that it is always difficult to work with people from different ultras, especially if you do not know them well. First of all, Japan is a neutral and collectivist culture with high Power-Distance and therefore it may cause some significant problems for Poles to work effectively with Japanese. Personally, I find silence very frustrating and often feel ignored by Japanese people. Apart from that, I expect people to present and exchange ideas, however Japanese cultures tend to listen and do not interact with others. Moreover, France is a specific culture in contrast to Poland, more collectivist and achievable which may also bring about some difficulties in cooperation .

Free Essays on A Raisin In Time

A Life’s Dream In thinking of the Lanston Hughes poem from which the title of this play was taken, the key concept of dreams deferred comes to mind. The characters in this play all had a dream about their life. They all wanted something that would benefit them or others. The cherished dreams of Mama, Walter Lee and Beneatha reveal a great deal about the nature of the characters’ longings which unjust societal expectations cannot destroy. Walter Lee is the man of the Younger family. He runs the feelings and actions of his household. His dream is one that he has wanted for a long time. He has always wanted something he could be proud of calling it himself. He wants a change in his boring job and life and feels his dream can accomplish that. He dreams of running his own business along with his two friends, Bobo and Willy. He has little to worry about in life and he does what he can do to aggravate his wife, Ruth. The Younger family is not one that has loads of money, they live of what they have and cherish what life has brought them. Ruth is a very cautious wife, and Walter ignores it and brings tension to their marage by teasing her. One day their son Travis needed money for school and Ruth said they don’t have it but Walter said something different, â€Å"In fact, here’s another fifty cents†¦Buy yourself some fruit today-or take a taxicab to school or something.† (9) Walter gave away his own money to his son because his dream of his business is something that is sure to help his family. However, no one else believes in his dream. They all don’t want a part in his liquor business. His dream was eventually destroyed when his partner stole his money. Walter then had a break down and lost all faith in life. Mama is a totally different character then Walter Lee. She is very active and appreciative of what they have. She lost her husband and she inherits his money, $10,000. She too has a dream that relates to the money. The ... Free Essays on A Raisin In Time Free Essays on A Raisin In Time A Life’s Dream In thinking of the Lanston Hughes poem from which the title of this play was taken, the key concept of dreams deferred comes to mind. The characters in this play all had a dream about their life. They all wanted something that would benefit them or others. The cherished dreams of Mama, Walter Lee and Beneatha reveal a great deal about the nature of the characters’ longings which unjust societal expectations cannot destroy. Walter Lee is the man of the Younger family. He runs the feelings and actions of his household. His dream is one that he has wanted for a long time. He has always wanted something he could be proud of calling it himself. He wants a change in his boring job and life and feels his dream can accomplish that. He dreams of running his own business along with his two friends, Bobo and Willy. He has little to worry about in life and he does what he can do to aggravate his wife, Ruth. The Younger family is not one that has loads of money, they live of what they have and cherish what life has brought them. Ruth is a very cautious wife, and Walter ignores it and brings tension to their marage by teasing her. One day their son Travis needed money for school and Ruth said they don’t have it but Walter said something different, â€Å"In fact, here’s another fifty cents†¦Buy yourself some fruit today-or take a taxicab to school or something.† (9) Walter gave away his own money to his son because his dream of his business is something that is sure to help his family. However, no one else believes in his dream. They all don’t want a part in his liquor business. His dream was eventually destroyed when his partner stole his money. Walter then had a break down and lost all faith in life. Mama is a totally different character then Walter Lee. She is very active and appreciative of what they have. She lost her husband and she inherits his money, $10,000. She too has a dream that relates to the money. The ...

Absolutism and Democracy Essays

Absolutism and Democracy Essays Absolutism and Democracy Essay Absolutism and Democracy Essay What would happen if you got two different governments going head to head, fighting to see who is better? What if those two governments were Democracy and Absolutism? In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries, they were both used, and one was more effective; But which one? In this time period, Absolutism was the best form of government, because it was effective and worked for the people. In an Absolutism government, or a Monarchy, it was believed the Kings worked with God, and He bestowed them with the power to be King. In Document Two, King James said, â€Å"Kings are not only God’s lieutenants upon earth†¦ But even by God himself they are called gods†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is because the people believed Kings have powers similar to God’s. Kings can create and destroy; Can judge, but are not judged; Give life or send death. The people honestly believed because of this, they worked together with God. Their teamwork with God is why Kings were accepted by the people, and why Absolutism was accepted as well. Kings used fear to gain control over the people, which is why they didn’t fight against it. Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that a prince needs to be feared by the people; Not loved and well liked. He would be incapable of being able to hold power over the people. If there wasn’t a King, then there would be no control in the government. People would be deciding everything for themselves, and it would end in disaster. The King/ Prince kept them in line, and the people didn’t revolt. â€Å"The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions of all the other members consist only in carrying out the commands given to them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Louis XIV said that the King is the only person able to give the right orders, and make the right decisions. Everyone else was there to follow through on what he said. The interest of the state must come before the individual. The King was the only person capable of making sure the right decisions were made, and that the other members carried out the commands. So as you can see, Absolutism would win against Democracy in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. It was more efficient, and worked well for them. The Kings had the power, and everyone was content with how things were set up. The people felt like this was how it ought to be, and it was. That is why Absolutism is the best form of government in this time period.

Describing the morphology and behavior of gorilla, white-handed gibbon Essay

Describing the morphology and behavior of gorilla, white-handed gibbon and bolivian grey titi monkey - Essay Example Most gorillas are diurnal and forage mostly on ground from sunrise to nightfall. They usually feed in the mornings and afternoons with a long mid-day break and rest in between. There is little aggression amongst members of the same family. Western gorilla shows visual signs through facial expressions. They exhibit around 22 distinct sounds; barks, grunts, hoots and screams. Hoots could be contact call to tell forest location. Gorillas displays quadrupedal knuckle walking. Mountain gorillas are totally folivorous whereas wild gorillas are vegetarians but captive gorillas readily eat meat. This is a primate whose fur coloring varies from dark-brown and light-brown to black, sandy colours. The feet and hands are white; likewise there is a ring of white hair surrounding the black face. They are literally aerial acrobats.Gibbbons are predominantly brachiators, moving through the forest by swinging from one branch to another by the use of their arms. It has curved fingers, very long arms, elongated hands, short legs. Although they rarely come to the ground, while down they walk bipedally raising their arms above their heads. Gibbons have got tough, bony padding on their buttocks called ischial callosities. Gibbons are frugivorous.The white handed gibbons are arboreal and diurnal. White handed gibbons protect their family groups by warding off the rest of the gibbons by their calls. Every morning each family gathers on the territorial edge and starts a â€Å"great call†, which is a duet between the mating pair.This is their way of communication. The Bolivian titi is a species of titi. It is from eastern Bolivia and a tiny territory of Brazil. The Bolivian titi is diurnal, cryptic and lives in small groups of families. It is monogamous in nature and mates for life and stays in groups that are made up of 2 to 7 members; some 5 young ones and 2 adults. There

Market Microstructure Approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market Microstructure Approach - Essay Example The above factors will therefore be important in answering the discussing whether the market microstructure to exchange rate has been a radical departure from the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's international macroeconomic models. This will involve assessing ach factor against a certain model thus noting the development undergone. For example, the economic growth under the monetary model of the 1960's was slow compared to the economic growth in the recent market microstructure approach. Combining these factors with the market exchange rate expectations will give us the current change value. According to the monetary model argues that relative price levels of any given two countries will provide the determinant to exchange rate. ( Obstfeld, M. and Kenneth, R, 1996) The real output level in a given country will also be a very important factor in assessing the models development; this is because it directly affects the price levels of certain goods and services. For instance, a rise in the United States output level with the other factors remaining constant will lead to a fall in the average prices in the US this will in return lead to the dollar appreciation. Past and future fundamental economic factors will matter a lot since the plays an important role of determining the future market expectations rate. Some of the traditional model of exchange rate includes asset market approach, mundell Fleming model orgarch model among others. They all had a shortcoming of failing to explain exchange rate movement's ion the long run. Mundell Fleming Model This theory was developed by Marcus Fleming and Robert Mundell in the 1960's. It was an extension of the LM model describing a small open economy. It gives the relationship between the nominal exchange rate and output of an economy in the short run. The model assures that under fixed rate regime an increase in government expenditure will shift the cure to the right. (Hamilton, 1994) This shift will increase the interest rate with the resultant effect being an appreciation of the exchange rate. In the fixed system framework the exchange will be controlled by the local momentary authority. The momentary authority stabilizes the exchange rate by using local currencies to purchase foreign currencies. This will in turn shift the LM curve in line with the direction of the IS shift, a thing that helps in lowering the exchange rate by increasing the supply of local currency in the market. However, a decrease in the government expenditure will shift the IS curve to the right. The shift will lead to a decline in the level of interest rate resulting to a depreciation of the exchange rate. (Hamilton, 1994) The central bank or relevant monetary authority will vary the money supply so as to realize a constant exchange rate level. Local authority adds its foreign reserves through increased purchase of foreign currencies using the local currency. this will lead to exchange rate appreciation.Incase it wants to depreciate the exchange rate the authority will use the foreign reserves to purchase its own currency to

Utilitarianism and morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Utilitarianism and morality - Essay Example This theoretical standpoint was reiterated by Jeremy Bentham who made the proposition that an action is right in proportion as it tends to promote pleasure or happiness, and (an action is also) wrong as it tends to produce the reverse of the happiness. Taking a Position on whether Utilitarianism Is Correct to Condone These Actions, Given the Circumstances It is not agreeable that utilitarianism is right to condone these actions, depending on circumstances. One of the reasons why one may disagree with utilitarian’s act of condoning some actions is because, fundamentally, utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism. This is seen in the utilitarians’ postulation which states that pleasure and freedom from pain are the only things that are desirable as ends. In this light, an action is regarded as morally wrong or right, depending entirely on its consequences. In this light, an action is considered morally right if it produces the best outcome of choices that have been ava iled. The flipside of this is that if an action does not produce the best outcome, then it is not right. According to Sedaris, the import of the foregoing is that actions are regarded as morally right if the greatest number benefit from it, yet there are instances where morally right standards or values may not be popular among the masses but among a few. An apt example which repudiates utilitarians’ consequentialist approach is democracy.... This is because the ethics and morality have fundamentals that surpass the concept of gain. An action is right not because it benefits the greatest number but because it is, in its essence, legitimate. It is not, for instance, ethically or morally right for an organization to whimsically decide to punctiliously trim employees’ emoluments on the mere account that such a move will increase the organization’s profit margin and shareholders’ dividend. Even if the employees being shortchanged may be few and too weak to defend themselves or resist the move and the organization have accrued increased profits, the move remains intrinsically immoral since it amounts to the betrayal of an already operational agreement or contract between the employee and the employer. Similarly, the move remains immoral simply because it amounts to the exploitation of the weak and not because it merely does not benefit the greatest number. Again, utilitarians’ act of condoning an ac tion based on the fact that it benefits the greatest number is unacceptable,simply because it reduces human beings and the concept of morality to a matter of statistics. As long as the beneficiaries outweigh the number of the shortchanged, then that action is regarded as legitimate, and the shortchanged minority is bypassed as collateral damage. Again, by saying that an act is ethically legitimate depending on its ability to benefit the greatest number of people is to reduce moral duties to a matter of popularity. This means that (the observation of) moral duty such as telling the truth and doing honest business is no longer an absolute or really necessary. Even though Emanuel Kant advances that people

National Identity and Language Rights Research Paper

National Identity and Language Rights - Research Paper Example The official thinking goes that one language is necessary for the inherent unity of the country. However, the unofficial reason for these laws, according to many, is racist at its core – because language is not just an abstraction or way to communicate, but also is vital to one's culture and place in society, deeming one's language as inferior is akin to deeming one's culture as also inferior. Another issue is that these laws are probably unconstitutional, as they disenfranchise potential voters who do not know the language. As voting is a right for all citizens, forcing a citizen to vote without knowing what he is voting for, or forcing this citizen to stay home, is unconstitutional. These are just some of the reasons why English only or official English laws are unworkable. But still, legislatures and the people try to make them work, as evidenced by the different movements that have sprung up in this milieu. There are a variety of reasons for the movement to make English the official language. Citrin et al. (1990) identified some of these reasons in their study of the municipalities and states where English only or English as the Official language have been adopted. One of these reasons is historical in nature. English-only in public opinion began in earnest around the turn of the century, as people immigrating from Southern and Eastern Europe stirred xenophobic feelings among Americans, culminating in the â€Å"Americanization† movement that â€Å"insisted that national unity depended upon cultural homogeneity and a common language† (Auerbach, 1993, p. 10).

Multicultural Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Multicultural Education - Research Paper Example This definition is a way of adding prospective and diverse material to make it more inclusive in traditionally underrepresented groups. Other people talk about classroom teaching styles or climatic issues that serve certain people while presenting obstacles for them. Still, others insist on education change as part of the larger societal transformation, in which humans closely explore and criticize the oppressive foundations of the society and how education serves in maintaining the status quo foundations, such as capitalism, white supremacy, exploitation and global socioeconomic situations. Despite the existence of multiple conceptualization of multicultural education, shared ideals provided a basis for its understanding. Some shared ideals focus on individual teachers or students while some are much more macro in scope and are about transformation. Multicultural education is a progressive approach that transforms education that holistically critiques and addresses current failings, short comings, and practices in education that are discriminatory (Nieto 67). It is brought up in ideals of, social justice, education equality and dedication to facilitating educational experiences, in which all students participate to their fullest potential as learners and as socially aware and active beings, nationally, locally and globally. Multicultural education agrees to the fact that that schooling is essential in laying the foundation for the transformation of society and elimination of injustice and oppression. Every child goes to school with an ethnic identity (Arel and Ruble 77). The ethnic identity might be conscious or unconscious. The identification must be recognized and respected by the teacher since it forms the basis for learning activities in the classroom. The point is to acknowledge differences rather than ignoring them. It is equally critical that the students recognize and show appreciation to their own ethnicity and also learn to appreciate those of the ot her students in the class. The recognition of individual ethnic identities forms the beginning point of learning (Draper 211). It is the connector of both student to student and teacher to student. Ethnicity appreciation is the basic building block in the learning process, which requires knowing where the student id relative to him/herself and content to be put under consideration. Ethnic identification forms are continual points of focus throughout the process of education and it is also the basis for developing the next level of identification. The next level understanding is the national identification. The national identity of a people requires their understanding and commitment to the democratic ideals such as human equality, justice and dignity. In the national identity of an individual, the focus is put on becoming effective members of the demographic society. The strong national identification of an individual is essential to his/ her development of global identification. Mu lticultural education has had five dimensions, which include; the knowledge construction process, content integration, prejudice reduction, empowering school culture and social structure and equality pedagogy. The dimensions are widely used by schools in conceptualizing and developing programs, course and projects in multicultural education. The dimensions are interrelated. Content integration explains the acts in which accidents examples and content from a variety of groups and cultures to demonstrate key

National Identity and Language Rights Research Paper

National Identity and Language Rights - Research Paper Example The official thinking goes that one language is necessary for the inherent unity of the country. However, the unofficial reason for these laws, according to many, is racist at its core – because language is not just an abstraction or way to communicate, but also is vital to one's culture and place in society, deeming one's language as inferior is akin to deeming one's culture as also inferior. Another issue is that these laws are probably unconstitutional, as they disenfranchise potential voters who do not know the language. As voting is a right for all citizens, forcing a citizen to vote without knowing what he is voting for, or forcing this citizen to stay home, is unconstitutional. These are just some of the reasons why English only or official English laws are unworkable. But still, legislatures and the people try to make them work, as evidenced by the different movements that have sprung up in this milieu. There are a variety of reasons for the movement to make English the official language. Citrin et al. (1990) identified some of these reasons in their study of the municipalities and states where English only or English as the Official language have been adopted. One of these reasons is historical in nature. English-only in public opinion began in earnest around the turn of the century, as people immigrating from Southern and Eastern Europe stirred xenophobic feelings among Americans, culminating in the â€Å"Americanization† movement that â€Å"insisted that national unity depended upon cultural homogeneity and a common language† (Auerbach, 1993, p. 10).

The Portable Thoreau Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Portable Thoreau - Personal Statement Example Drifting purposelessly seems an utter waste of the wonderful faculties that man is endowed with, and the stick itself may be symbolic of a man’s life that has to be shaped with the loving care and devotion that an artist gives to his creation. To me the story seems to be a parable espousing the virtues of single minded purpose in going about what one has set out to achieve. It tells of how everything else takes second place to the one goal one has set out for one’s self. It is a tale of devotion to the task in hand, completely disregarding everything else, without which perfection is not possible. If the intentions are right and the devotion to achieving them exists then the result must be great success. As Thoreau himself points out what he learned as the result of his experiment at Walden â€Å"if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.† (Thoreau, Walden) I agree with this theory. I think if one can identify one’s goal and pursue it without being distracted by other issues, the only outcome will be success. This has been proven by many great people in different fields whether they were scientists or sportsmen, freedom fighters or people born with physical disabilities, such people have overcome mighty odds by the strength of their determination.

James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” Essay Example for Free

James Hurst’s short story â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis† Essay People with pride always do the right things. Sometimes they can make they pride better, but they are cover with a sorrow in their mind for what they have done. These people often have a happy life, but they are holding sadness. In James Hurst’s short story â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis† Brother helps Doodle because it makes Brother feel good about himself. Helping Doodle makes Brother feel good because he was embarrass for having a handicap brother. For instance, bother was ashamed for â€Å"having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk. †(557).This shows that brother hates Doodle because Doodle cannot walk. This also shows that brother did not want Doodle to be alive because he was embarrassed for having a cripple brother. An example of Brother embarrassed because of Doodle was when he â€Å"having a cripple brother.†(559).This show that Brother was mad about Doodle could not walk. This also shows that people could kill someone for their pride. Another example of Brother was embarrass for having a handicap brother was when Brother taught Doodle how to walk and saying that the people â€Å" did not know that I did it for myself.†(558). This shows that brother was helping Doodle to walk. When Doodle started walking, he was not embarrassed anymore because he having a normal brother now. This also shows that Brother take his own hand to help Doodle, but he did it for his pride. Brother was a bad person for what he had done for his pride, but not for Doodle. Brother was selfish for what he had done for himself. This visualized how Doodle had trying hard to learn to walk for Brother pride. Brother help Doodle to do thing and it makes him feel good because the other people were happy for what he had done. For instance, the family was happy because Brother â€Å" had taught him how to walk.†(559).This shows that Doodle start walking makes the family and Brother really happy. This also shows that Doodle was not thinks that Brother taught him how to walk because of Brother pride. Another example about the family was happy about what brother had done was when the family hugs Brother, so he â€Å"began to cry.†(559).this shows that brother was happy to have a normal brother, he was happy because everyone thought he was a hero. This also show that Brother was ashamed because of what he did it for himself, but not for Doodle, so he cried. Furthermore, the family was happy about What brother had done, and the family â€Å" Dance together quite well†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (559). This show that the family is celebrating for Doodle and cheering for Brother, so brother was really happy. This also shows that Bother is proud of himself, he realize that Doodle is really special for him because Doodle make him happy. Brother was happy and also sad for what he had done for Doodle Helping Doodle makes Brother feel good because he wants Doodle to be normal like other kids. For instance, Bother was happy to teach Doodle â€Å"to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight.†(559). This shows that brother have faith in Doodle to do other things beside walking. This also shows that brother believed himself and Doodle ability. He knows that he could done more for Doodle. In the same way, Brother wants Doodle to be normal so he gave Doodle â€Å"swimming lesson or showed him how to row a boat.†(560). This shows that Brother begin to teach Doodle how to do things, so Doodle does not have any problem later. This also shows that Brother cares more about Doodle more than his pride. He pushed Doodle to be normal like other kids. Furthermore, Brother wants Doodle to be normal and Brother made Doodle to â€Å"swim until he turned blue and row until he couldn’t lift an oar.†(560).This shows that Brother pushes Doodle over the limit to make him to do things. This also shows that Brother makes Doodle tired even if Doodle has physical problem. It is too much for Doodle to handle. Brother was pushing Doodle too much to learn stuff even if Doodle is tired. Doodle could be dead because he was sick. Pride makes life meaningful for people, but sometime their pride can be bad because of what people did I life. Like Brother, people can take advantage to make their pride better. Sometime these people care about their pride, but not the other.

Isaac Newton by James Gleick | Review

Isaac Newton by James Gleick | Review Trusha Patel Isaac Newton by James Gleick Opinion Isaac Newton was the most famous scientist of his generation and one of the most recognizable physicists of all time. He accomplished amazing feats; he â€Å"pushed open a door that led to a new universe† (8). Some of his major achievements include the application of the law of gravity to the motion of planets, the path of comets, and the influence of the moon on ocean tides. Gleick’s biography attempts to clearly portray for the reader the entirety of Newton’s life – his successes, his shortcomings, his obsession with both science and the non-scientific, and his good as well as bad mixture of qualities. Gleick successfully presents Newtons life about as well as one could conceive it being presented in 191 pages. One of Gleick’s greatest successes is his emphasis on Newton’s true characteristics. Students are taught that Newton was some sagacious man who believed in the welfare of humanity. Gleick, on the other hand, portrays Newton as how he thought Newton truly was: solitary, selfish, and paranoid even though he was extremely brilliant. The author states, â€Å"Isaac Newton said he had seen farther by standing on the shoulders of giants, but he did not believe it. He was born into a world of darkness, obscurity, and magic; led a strangely pure and obsessive life, lacking parents, lovers, and friends; quarreled bitterly with great men crossed his path; veered at least once to the brink of madness†¦and yet discovered more the of the essential core of human knowledge than anyone before or after† (3). These insightful descriptions of Newton’s state of mind widen the reader’s perspective on his life. They make the reader think of Newton beyond his scientif ic thoughts. Gleick describes Newton’s scientific and non-scientific pursuits. He specifically points out that Newton did not discover the entirety of motion with the falling of the apple. It took a long time with complex thinking and developments before Newton theorized gravitation. Newton had spent time learning about other concepts like optics as well. The author also sheds light on Newton’s obsession with the occult alchemy as well as with his repudiation of Trinitarianism. Furthermore, Gleick mentions Newton’s participation in Parliament and his control of the British mint. These actions help the reader understand Newton’s motivations. Gleick also does not refine the language from back in the day to make it modernized. Instead, he presents quotations in the original English from which they came. This becomes increasingly important when readers reach the section on the Principia because it would greatly connect to their physics studies if they were to read the original form of Newton’s laws and their implications. Gleick quotes, â€Å"Absolute, true, and mathematical time, in and of itself, and of its own nature†¦flows uniformly† (125). Gleick portrays Newton’s standardization of the term time. Through reading the seventeenth century language, science students become aware of the importance of precise language in physics. Gleick’s biography provides a complete portrayal of Newton from his peculiarities to his perseverance. The reader can readily perceive the change that occurred after Newton’s renovation of science. Gleick tells the reader, â€Å"What Newton learned remains the essence of what we know†¦We are Newtonians† (6). Through this book, we learn the origin of Newton’s thoughts which led to such a revolution in scientific thought. Biographical Analysis Newton’s life was shaped significantly by the world he lived in, and this molded the science that was churned out of his brilliant mind. Newton was born in the Woolsthorpe farm in England. Newton’s mother was widowed when Newton was only three years old. She married the wealthy Barnabas Smith, who did not want any kids. Newton ended up being raised by his grandmother. He grew up to be a shy schoolboy; â€Å"he was small, lonely, and abandoned† (11). Newton’s solitude would later lead to his incredible theories of the natural world. As a young boy, Newton spent his time learning about the workings of sundials and the movement of the night sky, noting observations that would later lead to his theory of gravitation. When Newton’s step-father died, his mother Hannah returned and sent the ten-year-old Newton to another school. In Newton’s new school, he was taught Latin and mathematics by Henry Stokes. He lived with the apothecary Clarke who furthered his scientific curiosity. All of these things along with his personal studies of light were inscribed in a notebook. Newton had learned the roots of scientific inquiry at an early age: he was classifying and analyzing at a very young age. When Newton was sixteen, his mother called him home to be a farmer, but he failed. As a result, Newton attended the prestigious University of Cambridge in Trinity College where he would later become famous. During his first three years at Cambridge, Newton was taught the standard curriculum but was fascinated with the more advanced science. All his spare time was spent reading from the modern philosophers. Even though he was a top student, Newton was reprimanded for religious negligence in a remarkably Anglican institution. Newton studied the Aristotelian worldview in which a force was necessary to keep an object in motion. He absorbed himself in the Trinity College library and â€Å"found his way to new ideas and polemics: from the French philosopher Renà © Descartes, and the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei† (25). Both philosophers defied Aristotle explicitly; Descartes proposed geometrical and mechanical philosophy, while Galileo claimed that all bodies are made of the same stuff, which is heavy, and therefore fall at the same rate. In Newton’s second year, he started a new section about philosophical questions he had. The first was if atoms exist. Was matter continuous and infinitely divisible, or discontinuous and discrete? Is space finite or infinite? What is the nature of motion and light? Why do objects fall? From matter to motion, to light, to the structure of cosmos, Newton had ideas about everything. Newton concluded that force causes motion. He also occupied himself with the concepts sound, memory, magnetism, heat, and the tides. In 1664, Newton learned about Euclid’s Elements, from Cambridge University’s first professor of mathematics, Isaac Barrow. Unfortunately, in 1665, the Great Plague that was ravaging Europe had come to Cambridge, forcing the university to close. Newton was sent home but he still constantly had his attention focused on mathematics. Gleick writes, â€Å"he computed obsessively†¦ to conceive of infinite series and then learn to manipulate them was to transform the state of mathematics† (39). Newton formulated the Binomial theorem in the same year. It was a method to expand a sum to any power. Furthermore, Newton began to discover a method to determine the slope of a tangent line to a curve, which we call the â€Å"derivative.† Newton’s concern with all of this would become the foundation for calculus and physics. He chose not to publish, and decided to keep to himself. In 1666, Newton was trying to figure out how the attractive power between masses would diminish, and he learned that it lessens with the square of the distance. He questioned the movement of celestial bodies, such as the moon and earth wondering why they proceeded in a circular path. He needed precise terminology with definite units to facilitate his hypotheses, but â€Å"Writing in English, he was constrained by the language at hand† (59). The imprecise language was not sufficient enough to describe motion. Newton also explored optics and experiment with prisms. When the plague subsided in 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge. Newton and Barrow attacked the subject of cubic equations. He tried to sort all the curves into different groups. Barrow showed him a book by Nicholas Mercator called Logarithmotechnia. Mercator had a method of calculating logarithms from infinite series and this discovery shocked Newton. So Newton wrote a paper called â€Å"On Analysis by Infinite Series† and gave it to Barrow to post this to another Royal Society colleague. Although he wanted anonymity, his name was revealed. â€Å"It was the first transmission of Newton’s name south of Cambridge† (68). Even though Newton preferred solitude, people began to recognize his mathematical expertise. When Barrow retired, Newton took the position of the Lucasian Professor at the age of twenty-seven. Newton lectured his students on the mathematics of light refraction â€Å"with none of the romance or metaphor that usually ornamented the philosophy of ligh t† (71). The invention of telescopes had spurred intense interest in the properties of light. He then realized that the common refracting telescopes were inferior to reflecting telescopes because the seven colors of light created glare, so he spent a lot of his time constructing a powerful reflecting telescope, which Barrow gave to the Royal Society after two years. Soon after, Secretary Oldenburg urged Newton to let the Royal Society publish his findings on the reflecting telescope. He made Newton think foreigners might steal his ideas, so Newton became a member of the Royal Society. Newton wrote to Oldenburg that within three years, he would make a great philosophical discovery, and then he would formally join. His focus was optics at this time. He wrote to Oldenburg that white light was composed of seven colors as evidenced by the prism experiments. By now, Newton’s rivalry with Robert Hooke grew strong as Hooke proposed a wave theory of light, whereas Newton promoted a corpuscular theory. Not only Hooke, but also Huygens, â€Å"the great Dutch mathematician and astronomer, also favored the wave theory of light† (88). Newton became frustrated because he attempted to show that the particle nature of light followed from mathematics, whereas the others contended that this was wishful thinking on Newton’s part. Hooke and Newt on lashed at each other, claiming that the other was guilty of plagiarism. Oldenburg was adding to his paranoia; he used the discoveries of foreigners such as Wilhelm Gottfried Leibniz to make Newton reveal more and more of his secret studies, until Newton finally stopped all communication for two years. Around 1675, Oldenburg died and Hooke became the secretary of the Royal Society. Newton’s fears grew. Newton had another disagreement with Hooke over the relationship between orbits and falling objects. They were explaining the planet’s motion and both had come to believe in a body’s inherent force. Hooke proposed an inverse square explanation for elliptical orbits, and Newton possessed the mathematical ability to explain this. At this Hooke, â€Å"acknowledged Newton’s superior powers† (121). In 1684, astronomer Edmond Halley posed the question to Newton of elliptical orbits implying an inverse square relationship between gravity and distance. Newton sent him what he had already finished, but to continue, Newton needed to standardize the definitions of space and time. Such standardization led to Newton’s Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The totality of Newton’s studies of motion was in three volumes, with the only assumption being a gravitational force that diminishes with the square of the distance. His famous three laws of motion were in Principia: that an object in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by a net force, an object accelerates in the direction of that force, and if two bodies exert a force on one another, the forces are equal in magnitude, but opposite in direction. In Newton’s later years, he attempted to calculate the position of the moon. He then became the member of Parliament as well as Warden of the British mint. Following Hooke’s death, Newton became the President of the Royal Society as well as published Opticks, a piece on his experiments with light. On March 20, 1727, Newton died of a stone in his bladder. Newtonianism had profound influences on the world. His achievements revolutionized physics and mathematics and he has been recognized as an undisputed genius. Newton’s years of hard work resulted in a successfully description of this world. He played a major role in the advancement of the scientific community of his time and of today. Are Vitamin Supplements Effective? Are Vitamin Supplements Effective? Vitamins are organic compounds that are required in very little amounts for us to grow and live in and maintain good health, although they are a critical requirement for our body in order to survive; they are not compulsory but vitally important, According to Stanton, [1] implied[s] amine meaning life. But an inadequate amount of vitamin may cause disease and in some cases are highly detrimental. Vitamins help to protect against many diseases, it is estimated that theres 13 essentials vitamins which 4 is classified as fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) and 9 as water-soluble (8 Vitamin B and Vitamin C). The vitamins that are fat soluble are hydrophobic which ultimately to be soluble in fats; the fat globules (referred as chylomicrons) which are consistently absorbing this vitamins, that travels the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. These vitamins are proclaimed as Vitamin E and A which then is stored in the tissue. Where in star k contrast the water-soluble are required as enzymes cofactors in a much wider variety of metabolic reactions, each of this water soluble vitamin are often seen to have its own membrane transport to help it process for absorption across enterocyte. [4] Vitamins are found in its natural forms are meat, fruit, dairy, vegetables and many other substances, but an advancement of science, scientist has revealed an alternative pathway for those who can take their vitamins in a form of tablets, gums, drops and capsules. This has been mixed with many other forms of compounds which include trace elements, electrolytes, spinach and/or broccoli extract. Not being able to undertake the recommended dosage of vitamins can lead to serious disease. There is a strong correlation between the rates of chronic disease and the increase level of vitamin D. The most common disease which has a strong positive relationship is rickets; which often can be reduced or cured by undertaking liver oil during the 20th century. Rickets cause weakens and soften the bones in children which could impact in skeletal abnormalities, defective growth, delicate bones and dental problems. While in adults, the deficiency of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia and osteoporosis which weaken the bones. [4]. the insufficiency of any form of vitamins can have led to a serious health issue from CVD (cardiovascular disease),[3] Alzheimers [4] fat malabsorption, immunity, stomach and many more. [3]. by undertaking vitamins in its natural form (food; vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat etc.) it can help to limit the possibility of overdosing. Although theres a series of experime nts that has been conducted theres no ultimate answer that antioxidants helps to decrease or remove the risk of diseases such as CVD. [4] Both increase and decrease of vitamins can lead to health problems; possibly overdosing in vitamin supplement such as B3 may potentially lead to nausea, liver/nerve toxicity and jaundice. Dr. Weil [5] specifically states that most customers or patients often take supplements as they have just heard it advertised. An excessive amount of iron supplements can lead to risk of cancer and heart disease, as iron is an oxidizing agent [5] Although vitamins have contributed as an alternative for those who cant consume it natural forms, the epidemiological studies has concluded that those whose diet are high in vegetable consumption may lower the incidence of cancer and other vitamin deficiency, this helps to decrease the expenditure of meat and feat while increasing the dosage of fiber content. [2]. However some research has proven that Vitamin E supplementation helps to lower the CVD; but generally this is often reflected in an individuals lifestyle. [6][4]. There is several of data that demonstrate that vitamin supplementation on regular basis did not justify the routine of antioxidant supplements for the preventive and treatment of CVD or lowering it. [8] Supplementation carries out several of chemicals that may trigger the mind and the body of an individual which can have a detrimental effect on them. Based on several experiments it is evaluated that vitamins contain a vegetable extract and other compounds such as having an adverse effect and may interact with warfarin and aluminum. [9]. There is significant amount of data, experiment that analysis that justifies that using antioxidant vitamin supplements for CVD, and other disease does not necessarily reduces the risk of reduction. A great healthy lifestyle by consuming the right amount of vegetable and fruits will help decrease the risk of immune deficiency etc. Multi-vitamins can be used as an alternative pathway for those who are not able to consume them, but should not be used on regular basis which is a dangerous practice.

Politics :: essays research papers

MINNESOTA’S 4TH U.S. HOUSE ELECTION There are three candidates running for Minnesota’s 4th U.S. House; Democrat, Betty McCollum; Republican, Linda Runbeck; and Independent, Tom Foley. The issues at hand are; Healthcare, prescription drugs, and education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Betty McCollum graduated with a B.S. degree out of Cathrine College. She taught grade school and was a sales manager for twenty- five years up until her political career began in 1986. She served on St. Paul’s City Council from1986 through 1992. In 1992 Betty was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and was the only legislator to defeat two incumbents in a single year. Her Legislative accomplishments include the passing of Minnesota’s most comprehensive school bus safety laws and two constitutional amendments which; a) allows citizens to recall elected officials for wrong doing , b) provides bonuses to veterans of the Persian Gulf War. She currently serves on the Mississippi Parkway Commission, a ten state joint commission to protect the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Betty McCollum wants to invest over half of non-social security surplus to insure a long-term solvency of Medicare that can be extended to prescription drugs and other medical necessities for seniors and people with disabilities as a means of getting quality, affordable health care. She also wants to hold drug companies accountable drug pricing policies in order to make prescription drugs more available for seniors. Finally McCollum wants to reduce class size improve teacher quality, modernize school buildings and expand available technology to better education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Republican, Linda Runbeck graduated Bethel College with a B.A. in sociology/ social work. Her political career consists of being the state senator in district 53, from 1993 to the present; state representative 52A from 1989- 1992; and council member of City of Circle Pines from 1984- 1987. Her professional career began as a caseworker for Ramsy County social servicesbetween1968-69. Later, Runbeck was an advertising executive for County Seat Stores & Dahlberg Inc., and owned a Miracle Ear franchise from1991-1995. Today she is the co- owner of Braham Monument Co.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McCollum supports state standards on local school implementation and encourages a zero tolerance for violence within the schools. Also, she wants to allow kids to transfer school districts if their current school is too dangerous. McCollum wants to make the government less influential in health care. She feels through individual responsibility in the form of co- pays and deductibles. She supports Minnesota’s Senior Prescription Drug Program, which offers financial help to senior living on a fixed income and whose said income largely goes to prescription drugs.

Art Analysis Paper :: essays research papers

Art Analysis Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first painting analyzed was North Country Idyll by Arthur Bowen Davis. The focal point was the white naked woman. The white was used to bring her out and focus on the four actual colored males surrounding her. The woman appears to be blowing a kiss. There is use of stumato along with atmospheric perspective. There is excellent use of color for the setting. It is almost a life like painting. This painting has smooth brush strokes. The sailing ship is the focal point because of the bright blue with extravagant large sails. The painting is a dry textured flat paint. The painting is evenly balanced. When I look at this painting, it reminds me of settlers coming to a new world that is be founded by its beauty. It seems as if they swam from the ship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second painting was by George W. Bellows and named Shoghead. This painting brought a sense of ease and relaxation. I can picture myself on the top of the mountain listening to the waves crash on the sides. The open countryside topped by the clouds give the painting a sense of realism. The extremely bright blue water stands out the most, though the focal point is not clear. There is not an excessive use of paint. It is as if Bellows caked it on his brush and made quick short strokes. The use of such dark colors on the hill is a mystery. The terrain has a roughness that makes the painting come to life. The artist did a great job of showing the depth. If I had to guess, he was influenced by Picasso’s work because of the extensive use of thick point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third painting was by Julian Story and it was called American Born in England. It was a battle painting. The black prince stands out as the focal point. It is the center of the painting and brings notice to the way the other knights are dressed. The Black Knight (the Prince of Wales) stands overlooking King John, who is blind. King John wanted to be in the battle for his country. The background (depth) is shown in the distance by atmospheric perspective. There is a sense of honor in the knight for the king. There is a great use of color. The painting is very life like. The picture seems to come to life, making me feel as if I were part of the painting!