Confucianism and Taoism Two contrasting views of life essay

Confucianism and Taoism Two contrasting views of life essay Confucianism and Taoism: Two contrasting views of life? essay Confucianism and Taoism: Two contrasting views of life? essayAny cultural factor should be considered as part of the system that gave rise to it. A single factor which is torn from a socio-historical context can be easily understood wrongly. It is impossible to speak on Taoism out of socio-cultural context in which it is originated. This context is Confucianism, without which, perhaps, there would not be Taoism. These two religions have common roots, but they are still two contrasting vies of life.Taoism emerged in 5-4 centuries BC and it seemed to be an â€Å"opponent† of the dominant ethical system of Confucianism (Yu, 2008). The postulates of these studies often seem to be diametrically opposed (in this case, the philosophical Taoism is discussed as social and philosophical teachings, not as the methods of psycho-physical training and alchemical practice).The main difference between the Confucian and Taoist cultures is the attitudes toward human nature, from which â€Å"di stribution of roles†, established between them in the traditional Chinese culture, implies. Both scholars have suggested the need for change in order to get closer to the â€Å"true essence of a man† but the question is what was invested in this concept and methods of updating the true nature?Confucians believed that the true essence of man is humanity (jen), the good, true human beginning. Self-education, the development of a â€Å"humane† beginning (the carrier of high moral and psychological qualities) and the suppression of a â€Å"wild†, â€Å"evil† were understood under the self-improvement. At the time of Taoism appearance Confucianism was the official doctrine, the foundation of the state structure. â€Å"The central figure†, the ideal of Confucianism chun-tzu is a â€Å"noble man†, the support of the Confucian mind. Its virtues: self-control, justice, piety, and social responsibility. Its goal is public service; personality i n Confucian ethics is subjected to the society (Chen, 2010).Confucian culture is elite; the basic medium of its distribution is the noble people (mostly government officials whose main activity consists in the administration of the state). Hence the desire to order governing and ritualizing all possible spheres of life is. Similar to the psychological sphere, the changes achieved by limiting the adverse factors, mainly through the acquisition of behavior norms, the control (first external and then internal). A permanent control over own mental sphere and the preservation of permanent self-control were considered as virtue of the â€Å"noble man†. The most important method on self-improvement is also related with self-observation, designed to identify â€Å"wrong† that should be eliminated.On the other hand, Taoists, condemning the â€Å"barbarism†, wildness, susceptibility to passion, understood a true human nature initially under inherent to every phenomenon co smic principle, which embodies the same laws of nature for all the universal. The highest goal of Taoism is the identification and ultimate actualization of the â€Å"true beginning† in a man and the complete submission to it, â€Å"merging† with a single flow of the universe movement.There is originally no question about morality and the public wellbeing. Taoism focuses on individual improvement. The moral growth comes naturally as the union of the adept with Tao, but it is not imposed from outside. Hence, the behavior of the Taoist is less constrained by the conventional rules. Their place is taken by the natural rules that come with a deep transformation of the individual and, therefore, they are not perceived as a constraint. Thus, Taoism is more humanistic comparing to Confucianism, which is initially focused on the education of the decent member of society and the maintenance of public order.Assessing the vulnerability to passions as negative as the Confucians di d, Taoists were opposed to the forcible suppression of unwanted aspects of human nature. Instead of fighting with him, the cultivation of a state of rest, detachment including alienation from man’s own passions was practiced in the Taoist tradition. â€Å"Self† takes the position of an observer providing a stream of consciousness opportunity to flow itself:â€Å"Having reached the limit of emptiness, observing peace and tranquility, looking at the mutual origination of things, Ill contemplate only its permanent return† (Tao Te Ching) (Kirkland, 1998).Different ways of perceiving themselves and world Taoists and Confucians have different â€Å"views† on life perception. Confucian thinking is necessarily binary, dichotomic, based on learning the phenomena in terms of their opposition, on the opposition of pairs such as â€Å"natural – cultural†, â€Å"tranquility – movement†, â€Å"good – evil†, â€Å"subject â₠¬â€œ object†, etc. In human nature Confucians clearly separated and opposed the â€Å"natural† (passions) and â€Å"cultural†, designed to restrain these passions. Such an approach, which opens the way to the analytical knowledge of the world, allows ordering a picture of the world, at the same time â€Å"splits† the world in the oppositions, depriving it of its integrity. In this case everything what does not fit into this artificial model of the world is distorted or ignored. Confucian upbringing also contributed to the internal confrontation, leading to intrapersonal conflicts.For the Taoist life’s view, the social rules and norms are perceived as: 1) violence against the person, 2) convention, artificial formation, thus, preventing the appearance of the true nature of man, and 3) a factor that increases the separation of a man from the world (Dickerson, 2006).Taoist view of life is holistic, so-called â€Å"contradictions† are combined, p resented as inseparable interacting poles of the whole, and this interaction is the source of movement and development. Unity with Tao blurs the line between object and subject, â€Å"self† and â€Å"non-self†, the man and the world.Confucius sees the main task of the philosophy in the preservation and transmission of the ancient culture to the descendants. The person as a member of society is in the center of his teaching. The main human quality, according to Confucius, is the humanity, or â€Å"love to people† (jen). Humanity is also a universal law, the meaning of which Confucius formulated in the form of â€Å"golden rule† of morality, â€Å"Do not wish anyone anything what you don’t want for yourself† (Nuyen, 2001).Confucius devoted much attention to issues of state governance. In his view, the relationship between citizens and subordinates should be regulated by analogy to the relationship in the family. Everyone must adhere to his res ponsibilities and do not deviate from them. In this case, he becomes a â€Å"noble man† and is guided by justice, rather than petty personal gain, as the â€Å"low men† do. In contrast to Confucianism, focusing on the social aspects of reality, Taoism addressed exclusively to the inner world of a man. Only in himself, in the depths of his mind and soul, a person can open Tao the mystical essence of the life, its underlying cause, meaning and ultimate goal. The main principle of Taoism is â€Å"Everything comes from Tao; Tao is in and returns to Tao†. Being on the path of self-contemplation and opening Tao, a person can attain physical immortality by going to a higher level of existence.While Taoism and Confucianism have some similarities, they still have contrasting views of life. Taoism, with its concept of non-action, traditionally in opposition to Confucianism, preached the service to the emperor and public. This opposition was so deep that it was even refle cted in the work of Jesuit missionaries: for instance, Matteo Ricci was in a close contact with the Confucian elite and rejected Taoism as a pagan practice while his opponent Michele Ruggieri argued the similarities between the concepts of Tao and the Logos. However, the explicit opposition of these traditions existed mostly on the surface. In reality, in full accordance with the Taoist life view, both doctrines are inseparable poles of a single socio-cultural phenomenon. Their interaction leads to interpenetration enriching equally both traditions.

Forgo vs. Forego

Forgo vs. Forego Forgo vs. Forego Forgo vs. Forego By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between forgo and forego? It’s a foregone conclusion that there’ll be some confusion, but I’ll forgo further digression to get to the discussion. To forgo is to do without, or relinquish: â€Å"He will forgo the pleasure of her company†; â€Å"I’ll forgo the formality of requiring a co-signer.† The present participle is forgoing (â€Å"She is forgoing the procedure†), the past-tense form can be forwent (â€Å"She forwent the procedure†) or forgone (â€Å"She had forgone the procedure†), and one who forgoes is a forgoer. Only the basic verb form, however, is common. To forego, by contrast, is to go before, to precede. Forego is much less common in usage than forgo, and it generally has a figurative sense, often used in such statements as â€Å"Her reputation will forego her† or â€Å"Her reputation foregoes her,† meaning that others will have heard about the subject before they meet her. However, although the past-tense form forewent is rare, the form foregone, and the present participle foregoing are more common than the root word. A phrase I used in the first paragraph, â€Å"foregone conclusion,† is applied frequently to indicate that something is implicitly understood to be true; foregoing refers to something that has previously been encountered, as a passage in a document: â€Å"The foregoing statement should not be construed as an endorsement.† To maintain the distinction between the words forgo and forego in your mind, remember these basics: Use forgo or forgoing in the sense of â€Å"doing without†; past-tense usage is rare. And though use of forego is unlikely, foregone and foregoing are common terms for reference to something already done. Or, most simply, think of -fore in before to remind yourself that forego and its variants refer to sequence and that forgo resembles forget, which is often the reason something is left undone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?10 Types of TransitionsMay Have vs. Might Have

Residential Real estate property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Residential Real estate property - Essay Example In the first quarter of 2013, the appreciation of the property was 7% in Jakarta, which the author believes that it will stay the same until the next four years. The property growth of Jakarta is in the bubble right now. He states, â€Å"My financial analysis that is based on discounted cash flow and direct capitalization, I forecast that in the next 4 years the appreciation will stay the same and in the third year, the property value of one condominium will be around $ 482,765 USD - $ 495,363.† If the condominiums investors decide to sell property, they will gain $ 577580.81 USD net sale price. Thus, investors need to sell their condominiums at maximum in the next 3 years.According to the above financial analysis, it is reasonable to take 7% appreciation for the next four years because from a rational perspective, more lower class people will upgrade to middle class. When they receive their pay role for the first time they receive their money, these group of people would want to purchase a place to live, and they would not think for the property value and others’ perspectives on behalf of the property value. Even though the price is going up, the GDP will support it. Thus, from the author’s perspectives, the demand is still high until the third year. However, after the above analysis, the author believes that Jakarta residential real estate price could go down when people start to realize that the price is not worth the property value. There is a high possibility that more people will start to think to live outside Jakarta.

Compare and Contrast Meiosis vs Mitosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Meiosis vs Mitosis - Essay Example The chromosomes that are created in the meiotic process contain dual copies of chromosomes that come from mother parent cell as well as father parent cell. In the end, in place of two cells, four cells are created having different chromosomes. The cells are not identical to the parent cells. The division in mitosis results in two pair of cells that are same as the parent cells while the four pair of cells created in meiotic process are not similar to the parent cells2. In mitotic process of cell division, the number of chromosomes produced in daughter cells is also similar to the number of chromosomes of parent cells. Mitotic cell division comes under the category of asexual reproduction while meiotic cell division comes under the category of sexual category. The mitotic asexual reproduction permits an organism to have duplicated versions of the original cell. Because of similarity of the offspring, the result of asexual reproduction is not diversified in asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction through meiosis results in gametes or spores found in animals and plants on earth3. The process of meiosis results in created of two copies of chromosomes, one from each father cell and mother cell resulting in four cells with one chromosomal copy of the parent cells. The results are diverse as the parental DNA get mixed and result in variety of cells. The offspring are diversified as compared to the parent cells through which, dissimilarity and variety can be found within the inhabitants4. The process of mitosis is responsible for cellular reproduction. It also enables general development and restoration of the body and cells. On the other hand, the process of meiosis is responsible for sexual reproduction5. The cell division in all organisms occurs through the process of mitosis while cell division in human beings, animals, plants and fungi occurs through the process of meiosis. Mitosis occurs in the somatic cells of the body that are accountable for constructing the body while meiosis occurs in the sex cells of the body responsible for reproduction. Mitosis cell division has one round of cell development while meiotic cell division has two rounds of cell development called Meiosis I and Meiosis II. The phases that occur stepwise in cell division are prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase in mitosis while in meiosis, the phases are double, following the same sequence as in Mitosis. The mitosis cell division produces two similar daughter cells identical to the parent cells while the meiosis cell division produces four diverse daughter cells dissimilar to the parent cells6. The daughter cells in meiosis are called haploid gametes. In mitosis cell division, the chromosomes are not able to get muddled up while in meiosis cell division, the chromosomes get combined resulting in diverse cells. The number of chromosomes in the mitotic cell division is the same as in parent cells while the number of chromosomes in the meiotic cell division is chan ged and is half as compared to parental cells. The parental cell that is able to divide in mitosis can be haploid or diploid while the parental cell that is able to divide in meiosis can be diploid only. The events known as crossing over and synapsis occur in meiosis I while these events do not happen in mitosis. There is genetic identity in mitotic division while genetic variation can be seen in meiotic division7. Vegetative

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay 1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because in the long run it affects the bottom line. By being socially responsible, the business is also showing that they care about more than their profits. Caring about more than just profits allows for greater employee commitment, investor loyalty, as well as higher customer satisfaction. Research has also shown that social responsibility and good business ethics contributes to higher profits. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? â€Å"No, Starbucks is not unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees. Business ethics has become more important in the business world and it has been found that if a company is dedicated to taking care of its employees, the more dedicated the employees will be. If an employee sees that the company is acting and treats them in an ethical manner, the employee is more likely to act in an ethical manner. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible activities or because it provides products and an environment that customers want? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because it has combined a product and environment that people want with great business ethics and social responsibility. This combination has allowed the company to expand exponentially during a good economy and maintain in a bad economy. By being socially responsible and treating their employee’s right, the company has less of a turnover rate and in the long run has been able to avoid large layoffs and shutting down a large amount of stores. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 4) In what other ways does this case relate to the concepts that we have learned in the chapters so far? â€Å"This first chapter has shown that ethics is a big part of business. It can basically make or break a company. In the case of Starbucks, it has made them. They have based their business around social responsibility and ethics and have been able to maintain in an economy that has tanked because they treat their employees and customers right. According to our textbook, being ethical pays off with better employee performance, and higher employee honesty and integrity. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† Bibliography Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2013). The Importance of Business Ethics. In O. C. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, L. Ferrell, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 17-22). Mason: South-Westen.

Divorce: A Global Problem Essay -- Informative Essay

In any married couple's relationships there are going to be times when their relationship is put to the test. Some couples make it through their relationships without any and live the rest of their lives happily married, but most can not fix their problems and are forced to get a divorce. Couples marry with the intent of staying together for the rest of their lives, but unfortunately that is not the case for many marriages. In fact, more than 50% of married couples end up getting a divorce. Divorce is the dissolution of marriage by a court. Since the married couple is getting a divorce they do not only have to handle the stress of the divorce, but also the financial problems it brings. Divorce affects everyone differently, and there are many different types and laws that influence divorce. Divorce is looked at differently by every state. Not all of the states have the same laws for divorce. There are two ways that states look at divorce they are called â€Å"community property† and â€Å"equitable distribution.† â€Å"Community property.† This is when all property that was bought during the marriage is owned by both people involved in the divorce, and there are many states that look at divorce like this. The states are: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Washington. The community property rule does not count inheritances or gifts the couple received during the marriage. â€Å"People facing divorce sometimes do not get what they deserve, because they are anxious to get it over with, or they hope to reconcile and do not want to alienate their spouse, or they want to get back at their spouse for real or imagined wrongs† (Fowles 5). The other way that states divide up the married couples possess ions... ... people emotionally, financially, and it can be very stressful for anyone to handle. The laws around divorce can be very confusing and if the couples do not know their way around the laws. They could end up spending a lot more on the divorce than they needed to. Annotated bibliography Beech, Hannah. â€Å"Breaking Up is Easy to do.† Time World Magazine. Time, 30 Oct. 2006.Web. 17 Oct. 2011. D'antonio, William. â€Å"Walking the Walk on Family Values.† Boston News. The Boston Globe, 31 Oct. 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. Didi, Tatlow. â€Å"Chinese Law Could Make Divorce Women Homeless.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. Divorce Staff. â€Å"Divorce Law and Separation Advice.† Free Divorce Information. 2011. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. Flowers, Deborah. â€Å"Dealing With the Financial Impact of Divorce.† About.com. About.com, 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Anwar Chowdhury

The bishop tells a few returning soldiers â€Å"When the boys come back, they will not be the same; for they fought in a just cause: they lead the last attack on Anti-Christ. † The freshly-returned-home soldiers respond in what can almost be described as an angry tone ‘Vale's none of us the same! † The boys then continue on saying the various predicaments that they ran into throughout the terrors of the war and the nightmarish situations that presented homeless to the lads through various battles.The boys continue on saying â€Å"George lost both legs, bill is stone blind! † The Bishop, in an ironic response to the boys explanation of why they re changed the way they are, quickly remarks â€Å"The ways of God are strange! † With how this poem started off, the bishop claiming these boys will be different, the reader can only assume he would sympathize with the boys after hearing their struggles. Instead, the bishop simply exclaims â€Å"The ways of Go d are strange! This is irony.Another device used is the rhyme scheme which is seen throughout the poem. â€Å"New right to breed an honorable race, they have challenged death and dared him face to face. † The rhyme scheme strengthens the overwhelming emotion that Swanson is trying to heavily convey onto the readers. Both of these devices are used in great ways that very clearly bring forward the theme of â€Å"How war takes a toll on someone. † Caisson's poetry starts off with an excerpt of speech from a church bishop.

Bureaucracy & Formal Organizations

Chapter Summary Society is organized â€Å"to get its job done†. It does so through formal organizations and bureaucracies. The same system that can be frustrating and impersonal is also the one on which we rely for our personal welfare and to fulfill our daily needs. The society of today, however is not the society of yesterday, nor will it be the society of tomorrow. The rationalization of society refers to a transformation in people's thinking and behavior over the past 150 years, shifting the focus from personal relationships to efficiency and results.Karl Marx attributed this transformation to capitalism, while Max Weber, who disagreed with Marx, related it to Protestant theology. As a result of rationality, formal organizations, secondary groups designed to achieve specific objectives, have become a central feature of contemporary society. With industrialization, secondary groups have become common. Today, their existence is taken for granted. They become a part of our l ives at birth and seem to get more and more complex as we move through the life course.The larger the formal organization, the more likely it will turn into a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies are defined as formal organizations characterized by five features that help them reach their goals, to grow, and endure. These five features are (1) clear levels, with assignments flowing downward and accountability flowing upward, (2) a division of labor, (3) written rules, (4) written communications with records, and (5) impartiality. Although bureaucracies are the most efficient forms of social organization, they can also be dysfunctional.Dysfunctions of bureaucracies can include red tape, lack of communication between units, and alienation. Examples of these dysfunctions include an overly rigid interpretation of rules and the failure of members of the same organization to communicate among one another. According to Max Weber, the impersonality of bureaucracies tends to produce workers who feel d etached from the organization and each other. According to Karl Marx, workers experience alienation when they lose control over their work and are cut off from the finished product of their labor.To resist alienation, workers form primary groups, banding together in informal settings during the workday to offer each other support and validation. They also personalize their work space with family photographs and personal decorations. Not all workers, however, succeed in resisting alienation. One reason bureaucracies endure and are so resilient is because they tend to take on a life of their own through a process called goal displacement. Once a bureaucracy has achieved its original goals, it adopts new goals in order to perpetuate its existence.A classic example of goal displacement involves the March of Dimes. Originally founded to fight polio, the organization was faced with being phased out after Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine. Rather than disband, it adopted a new missio n, â€Å"fighting birth defects†, which was recently changed to a vaguer goal of â€Å"breakthrough for babies†. In addition to bureaucracies, many people in the United States become involved with voluntary organizations, groups made up of volunteers who organize on the basis of some mutual interest.But even voluntary organizations are not immune from the affect of bureaucratization. Although formal organizations provide numerous beneficial functions, they also tend to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite, a phenomenon Robert Michel referred to as the iron law of oligarchy. Even volunteer and non-profit organizations are affected by the iron law of oligarchy. Sociologists use the term, â€Å"corporate culture† to refer to an organization's traditions, values, and unwritten norms. Much of what goes on in corporate culture, however, is hidden.To ensure that the corporate culture reproduces itself at the top levels, people in positions of power groom ot her people they perceive to be â€Å"just like them† for similar positions of power. In the United States, personal achievement is central; workers are hired on the basis of what they can contribute to the organization that hires them. To counter the negative side of bureaucracies, many corporations have begun taking steps to better humanize work settings. This includes the establishment of work teams, corporate day care, employee stock ownership plans, and the quality circles.There has been a great deal of research directed at comparing the Japanese corporate culture to the American corporate culture. The Japanese corporate model differs significantly from the American corporate model in the way it views work, workers, and work organizations. Although considered as superior to the American corporate culture, more recent inspection shows this to be more of a myth than a reality. Successful Japanese businesses have adopted many of the American methods. The real bottom line is that we live in a global marketplace of ideas as well as products, with no single set of cultural values being universally superior.Key Terms in Chapter Seven alienation: Marx's term for the experience of being cut off from the product of one’s labor that results in a sense of powerlessness and normlessness. (p. 181) bureaucracy: A formal organization with a hierarchy of authority; a clear division of labor; emphasis on written rules, communications, and records; and impersonality of positions. (p. 176) capitalism: An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of producing goods and services, the pursuit of profit, and market competition. (p. 176) corporate culture: The orientations that characterize corporate work settings. p. 186) formal organization: A secondary group designed to achieve explicit objectives. (p. 176) goal displacement: A goal displaced by another; in this context, the adoption of new goals by an organization; also known as goal replace ment. (p. 182) humanizing a work setting: Organizing a workplace in such a way that it develops, rather than impedes, human potential. (p. 188) Peter principle: A bureaucratic â€Å"law† according to which the members of an organization are promoted for good work until they reach their level of incompetence, the level at which they can no longer do good work. p. 182) rationality: The acceptance of rules, efficiency, and practical results as the right way to approach human affairs. (p. 174) rationalization of society: A widespread acceptance of rationality and a social organization largely built around this idea. (p. 174) self-fulfilling prophecy: As applied to corporate culture, predictions that later come true based upon values and stereotypes. (p. 186) the iron law of oligarchy: Robert Michels’ phrase for the tendency of formal organizations to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite. (p. 185) he McDonaldization of society: The process by which ordinary aspe cts of life are rationalized and efficiency comes to rule such things as food preparation. (p. 179) traditional orientation: The idea, characteristic of tribal, peasant, and feudal societies, that the past is the best guide for the present. (p. 174) voluntary association: A group made up of volunteers who have organized on the basis of some mutual interest. (p. 183) Key People in Chapter Seven Alexis de Tocqueville: In his report of his travels across the United States, Democracy in America, Tocqueville observed the tendency of Americans to join voluntary associations. p. 183) Peter Evans and James Rauch: Evans and Rauch found that the most prosperous countries are those with central bureaucracies that hire workers on the basis of merit and offer them rewarding careers. (p. 182) Elaine Fox and George Arquitt: Studying local posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fox and Arquitt found that leadership positions in organizations are typically decided behind the scenes with current lead ers choosing their favorite candidates for other leadership roles. (p. 185)Rosabeth Moss Kanter: In her organizational studies of corporations, Kanter discovered that corporate cultures reproduce themselves at the top levels by selecting workers that they think best match the corporate model; providing those workers with the opportunities and resources to do well; and after they succeed, promoting them to high-level positions. (p. 186). Gary Marx: Noting technology’s role in the control of workers, Gary Marx warned of a maximum-security workplace where computers keep track of every movement workers make on the job. (p. 190)Karl Marx: According to Karl Marx, the rationalization of society was due to the transformation to capitalism, which, in turn, created alienation—workers who lost control of their work and were cut off from the finished product of their labor. (p. 174) Robert Michels: Michels coined the phrase â€Å"the iron law of oligarchy† to describe the t endency of formal organizations to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite. (p. 185) William Ouchi: Ouchi identified five ways that the Japanese corporate model differed from the American corporate model. p. 191) George Ritzer: Ritzer coined the term â€Å"the McDonaldization of society† to describe the process by which ordinary aspects of life are becoming more and more rationalized. (p. 179) David Sills: Sills identified four of the seven functions of voluntary associations. (p. 184) Max Weber: According to Weber, a change in people’s religious orientation and their way of thinking produced capitalism. Weber also argued that the impersonality of bureaucracies tends to produce workers who feel detached from their organizations and each other. (p. 175)

Anne of Hanover, Princess of Orange

Anne of Hanover, Princess of Orange Known for:  Second to bear the British title Princess Royal Dates:  November 2, 1709 -  January 12, 1759Titles Include:  Princess Royal; Princess of Orange; Princess-Regent of FrieslandAlso known as:  Princess Anne of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick and Là ¼neburg Background, Family: Father: George IIMother: Caroline of AnsbachSiblings: Frederick, Prince of Wales; Princess Amelia Sophia; Princess caroline Elizabeth; William of Cumberland; Mary of Hesse-Cassel; Louise, Queen of Denmark Marriage, Children: husband: William IV of Orange-Nassau (married March 25, 1734)childrenCarolina of Orange-Nassau (married Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg, 1760)Princess Anna of Orange-Nassau (died weeks after birth)William V, Prince of Orange (married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, 1767) Princess Royal Anne of Hanover became part of the British royal succession when her grandfather succeeded to the British throne as George I in 1714. When her father succeeded to the throne as George II in 1727, he gave the title Princess Royal to his daughter. Anne was heir apparent to her father from her birth until 1717, when her brother George was born, and then again from his death in 1718 until the birth of her brother William in 1721. The first woman to hold title of Princess Royal was Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I. The eldest daughter of George I, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Prussia, was eligible for the title but was not given it. Queen Sophia was still alive when the title was given to Anne of Hanover. About Anne of Hanover Anne was born in Hanover; her father was at the time electoral prince of Hanover.   He later became George II of Great Britain.   She was brought to England when she was four. She was educated to know English, German and French, to understand history and geography, and in more typical female subjects, such as dance.   Her grandfather supervised her education from 1717, and she added painting, Italian and Latin to her subjects. The composer Handel taught music to Anne. A Protestant successor to the royal family was considered essential, and with her eldest surviving brother being much younger, there was an urgency to find a husband for Anne.   Her cousin Frederick of Prussia (later Frederick the Great) was considered, but her younger sister Amelia married him. In 1734, Princess Anne married the Prince of Orange, William IV, and used the title Princess of Orange instead of Princess Royal.   The marriage won wide political acceptance in both great Britain and the Netherlands.   Anne apparently expected to remain in Britain, but after a month of marriage, William and Anne left for the Netherlands.   She was always treated with some suspicion by the Dutch citizenry. When Anne first became pregnant, she wanted to have the child in London, considering the possible position of the child in the royal succession.   But William and his advisors wanted the child born the Netherlands, and her parents supported his wishes.   The pregnancy turned out to be false.   She had two miscarriages and two stillbirths before she  was pregnant again with her daughter Carolina born in 1743, her brother had finally married and her mother had died, so there was little question but that the child would be born at The Hague. Another daughter, Anna, born in 1746, died a few weeks after birth.   Annes son William was born in 1748. When William died in 1751, Anne became regent for their son, William V, since both children were underage. The power of the ruler had declined under her husband and continued to decline under Annes regency. When a French invasion of Britain was expected, she stood for neutrality of the Dutch, which alienated her British support.   She continued as regent until her death in 1759 of dropsy.  Her mother-in-law became Princess Regent from 1759 until she died in 1765.   Annes daughter Carolina then became regent until 1766 when her brother turned 18. Annes daughter Carolina (1743 - 1787) married Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilberg.   They had fifteen children; eight died in childhood. Anne of Hanovers son William married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia in 1767. They had five children, two of whom died in childhood. Bibliography: Veronica P.M. Baker-Smith  A Life of Anne of Hanover, Princess Royal. 1995. More womens history biographies, by name: More womens history biographies, by name:

US Military Colt M1911 Pistol

US Military Colt M1911 Pistol Colt M1911 Specifications: Cartridge: .45 ACPCapacity: 7 round detachable box magazineMuzzle Velocity: 835 ft./sec.Weight: approx. 2.44 lbs.Length: 8.25 in.Barrel Length: 5.03 in.Action: Short Recoil Operation Colt M911 Design Development In the 1890s, the US Army began searching for an effective semi-automatic pistol to replace the revolvers that were then in service. This culminated in a series of tests in 1899-1900 in which examples from Mauser, Colt, and Steyr Mannlicher were examined. As a result of these tests, the US Army purchased 1,000 Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) Luger pistols which fired a 7.56 mm cartridge. While the mechanics of these pistols were satisfactory, the US Army (and other users) found that the 7.56 mm cartridge lacked sufficient stopping power in the field. A similar complaint was lodged by US troops battling the Philippine Insurrection. Equipped with M1892 Colt revolvers, they found that its .38 cal. round was insufficient to bring down a charging enemy, especially in the close confines of jungle warfare. To temporarily rectify the situation, older .45 cal. M1873 Colt revolvers were sent to the Philippines. The heavier round quickly proved move effective. This along with the results of the 1904 Thompson-LeGarde tests led planners to conclude that a new pistol should, at minimum, fire a .45 cal. cartridge. Seeking a new .45 cal. design, the Chief of Ordnance, Brigadier General William Crozier, ordered a new series of tests. Colt, Bergmann, Webley, DWM, Savage Arms Company, Knoble, and White-Merril all submitted designs. After preliminary testing, the models from Colt, DWM, and Savage were approved for the next round. While Colt and Savage submitted improved designs, DWM elected to withdraw from the competition. Between 1907 and 1911, extensive field testing took place using both the Savage and Colt designs. Constantly improved as the process moved forward, John Brownings Colt design ultimately won the competition. M1911 Design The action of Brownings M1911 design is recoil operation. As combustion gases drive the bullet down the barrel, they also exert a reverse motion on the slide and barrel pushing them backwards. This motion ultimately leads to an extractor expelling the spent casing before a spring reverses the direction and loads a new round from the magazine. As part of the design process, the US Army directed that the new pistol possess both grip and manual safeties. Operational History Dubbed the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 by the US Army, the new pistol entered service in 1911. Assessing the M1911, the US Navy and Marine Corps accepted it for use two years later. The M1911 saw extensive use with American forces during World War I and performed well. As wartime needs exceeded Colts production capabilities, an additional manufacturing line was established at the Springfield Armory. In the wake of the conflict, the US Army began assessing the M1911s performance. This led to several minor modifications and the introduction of the M1911A1 in 1924. Among the changes to Brownings original design were a wider front site, shorter trigger, an extended grip safety spur, and a simplified design on the grips. Production of the M1911 accelerated during the 1930s as tensions around the globe heightened. As a result, the type was the principal sidearm of US forces in World War II. During the conflict, approximately 1.9 million M1911s were produced by several companies including Colt, Remington Rand, and Singer. The US Army obtained so many M1911s that it did not purchase new pistols for several years after the war. A highly successful design, the M1911 remained in use with US forces during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In the late 1970s, the US military came under increasing pressure from Congress to standardize its pistol designs and find a weapon that could utilize the NATO-standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. A variety of testing programs moved forward in the early 1980s which resulted in the selection of the Beretta 92S as the M1911s replacement. Despite this change, the M1911 saw use in the 1991 Gulf War with a variety of specialized units. The M1911 has also remained popular with US Special Forces units which have carried variants during the Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. As a result of their use of the weapon, the Army Marksman Unit began experimenting with improving the M1911 in 2004. Designated the M1911-A2 project, they produced several variants for Special Forces use. The M1911 has been produced under license in other countries and is currently in use with numerous militaries around the world. The weapon is also popular with sportsmen and competitive shooters. In addition, the M1911 and its derivatives are in use with law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations Hostage Rescue Team, numerous local S.W.A.T. units, and many local police forces. Selected Source Browning: History of the M1911 PistolOlive-Drab: M1911/1911A1 PistolWorld Guns: Colt M1911 Pistol

The four management functions in relation to operation management Essay

The four management functions in relation to operation management theory - Essay Example The paper tells that there are four functions that a manager accomplishes in a business organization. These four functions are known as planning, controlling, organizing, and leading. This section of the paper will look at these individual functions closely. Planning involves the "ongoing process of developing the business' mission, and objectives, and how they will be accomplished." The planning process can be used in a broad sense to take into account the whole organization. This will include devising the company's mission and vision. It can also be applied in a specific situation such as the formulation of a strategy to increase the company's market share. Organizing, on the other hand, refers to the creation of the company's organizational structure. This involves determining the functions to be done as well the resources to accomplish them. Organizing also includes how processes will be managed and coordinated. In summary, the organizing function encompasses how managers distrib ute tasks to job holders and focus on division of labor, coordination, control of tasks, and flow of information within the organization. The third managerial function is leading to other writers refer to this function as directing. Leading "is influencing people's behavior through motivation, communication, group dynamics, leadership, and discipline." The real essence of leading is for the manager to equip the employees with their needs to realize the organization's objectives while giving them room to achieve their respective career objectives. Controlling is the managerial function which necessitates the identification of the company's specific goals. Controlling is a "four-step process of establishing performance standards based on the firm's objectives, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective or preventive action as necessary." Put simply, the controlling function of management is the check and balance system which tries to reveal th e inefficiencies in the strategies employed in realizing the goals of the organization. Controlling is very significant as it tells the managers the loopholes and enables them to correct their systems in order to enhance the company's performance. The operation is one of the functional areas of an organization. Operations management is essentially the area which carefully manages the processes of the company's value chain in order to efficiently produce and distribute its products and servicesÃ'Ž Operations management is indispensable in the functioning of any business organization may it be a small start-up entity or a large manufacturing firm. Operations management deals with the management of the company's core activity. Therefore, the functions of operations managers vary with the major activity of a business entity. The operation manager of a company engaged in the manufacture of children’s toys is basically tasked to oversee the firm’s value chain from the procu rement of raw materials, assembly, sales, and after sales services such as handling of complaints and warranties. On the other hand, the operations managers of a service company like a spa handles day to day activities like management of workforce to service the customers.

Understanding Religious Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Understanding Religious Experience - Essay Example In this paper, the role of mystic women in different religious philosophies will be tackled as well as the basic tenets of these religions as to fully understand mysticism as a specific type of religious experience. The etymology of mysticism can be traced from its Greek roots which literally mean â€Å"to conceal.† Revels contends that mysticism is rooted from something deeper which â€Å"goes beyond the senses, intellect, and imagination,† leaving it unexplained. It provides a conscious â€Å"extemporaneous experience† of connecting with the One. Martin stated that mysticism offers a difficult to describe event that often, the mystic would describe it in a negative way (155). According to Woods, mysticism is not a religion in itself, but an essential element of a religion (20). In Catholicism for example, a person is granted sainthood if he or she has lived a holy life, follows the ideals of the Catholic Church earnestly, and has offered at least two miracles after death. Several catholic saints have experienced mysticism during their lifetime, to name a few: there is Saint Joan of Arc, who had a vision of Christ from her childhood; Sister Faustina who had a vision of the abysses of hell; and St. Nicholas, who became a popular Christmas symbol. In contrast with Woods, Professor Caird defined mysticism as an â€Å"exclusive religion† wherein the â€Å"attitude of the mind is swallowed up† in order to reach a full relation to God (qtd. in Fleming 5). The nature of mysticism is constant with that of spirituality and provides a â€Å"revolt against cold formality and religious torpor† (Woods 20). Themes of mysticism are often associated with the presence of the Supreme Being felt by the senses. Underhill quoted the mystic experience as a point of departure into the world of spirituality and â€Å"denying the world in order that it may find reality† (2). A feeling