Patrilineal Heritage In Homers Iliad - 1482 Words

The narrator of Homer’s Iliad is obsessed with patrilineal heritage. It is embedded in the very DNA of the epic, embodied in epithets concerning the connection between fathers and sons and even influencing the very cultural values around which the epic centers. Through the patrilineal structure of ancestry, the reader gains insight regarding the evolution of generations (or lack thereof) that has led to the institution of certain cultural customs. One such moment is Glaukos’ conversation with Diomedes in Book 6, in which he compares the birth and death cycle of generations to the blooming and dying of leaves throughout the seasons. One can view this metaphor as a synecdoche of sorts, a microcosmic look into the immortally continuous yet†¦show more content†¦The â€Å"leaves on the ground† are that of the men who have gone off to the war, and the â€Å"live timber burgeon[ing] with leaves† is the new generation of sons who will grow up while their fathers die at war. The choice of a ‘tree’ as the center of this metaphor connotes a cyclical nature, the idea that the perpetual blooming and dying of the generations is a natural order and that it has been and will continue to be how succeeding generations grow up. The implications of having a patriarchal society in which children grow up without present fathers from which they can track their lineage is that life takes on a volatile impermanence–the stories of individual bloodlines begin to blur as there become gaps in the family history where generations of young men were dying at war. It is from this necessity of maintaining the patrilineal connection that the reader sees concepts like kleos, where it is the glory obtained through battle and the stories that become passed down by those who return from the war–this is what maintains the family history. Therefore, in order to maintain the patrilineal structure, the manner in which sons secure their plac e in oral history–and therefore their family line–is through achieving the glory in battle that is exemplified by the cultural customs of kleos and aristeia, both of which prioritize the immortality achieved through stories and histories over the long yet obscure existence of domestic life. This idea–the choice between an

Postmodernism and Feminism Free Essays

Ailene Brukman-Stivi Professor: Haim Deuel Lusky Postmodernism and Feminism The question of what happened to feminism during the postmodern times is not easily encapsulated in one phrase or idea as it is actually an amalgam of often purposely ambiguous and fluid ideas. One would have to start researching about postmodernism and what it means, let alone search about the history of feminism and its development. After one would research a little bit about postmodernism he or she would realize the knowledge about modernism is also extremely crucial to understand fully about postmodernism and feminism. We will write a custom essay sample on Postmodernism and Feminism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Therefore this writing will conclude a few words about modernism. How did we as a culture develop into a postmodernist era? And of course how does this era have to do with feminism? This research paper will include different critiques about the subject of postmodernism and feminism as well. Before starting the writing on reviews, critiques and more in depth research of our subject I would like to give a general description, and background research, I would like to start with the two main terms: Feminism and postmodernism. Feminism Rozen Tali, the writer of the book, What Is Feminism Anyways. Opens her book saying that she never really understood what feminism is exactly. She says people just call her a feminist every time she speaks her opinion about â€Å"differentiating her and a floor rag. † She writes about a sentence that was said in 1913 by a woman, was a British reporter, by the name Rebecca West, saying that if you are waiting for a current and modern definition of feminism, you have nothing to wait for. There is no definition. It is not that a definition does not exist, it exists and that is a for sure thing. It’s just that, there are so many definitions that there is no specific one. (Rozen) Rozen writes that the word ‘feminism’ actually was born about one hundred years ago. In the beginning this word was used as a medical term for a man that has female characteristics. As time passed the word feminism turned in to a term in the psychological world; also got a negative connotation to it, but this time not a male with female characteristics, but as a description of a woman with male character. Examples of a diagnosis for â€Å"feminism† would be like desire to study, courageous, and ambition. Tali Rozen gives a great example of this psychological diagnosis; thirty years ago, people said about the governor of the state of Israel, Golda Meir, that she is â€Å"the only man in the government† and until today the best way to describe a great woman in business is to say â€Å"she got balls. † The reincarnation of the term feminism indicates and highlights the problem of the actual term itself. Not only it was used in negative connotation but also millions in the past and even today have a hard time to define feminism. In the dictionary feminism is written to be the ideology of the emancipation of women. According to this definition, there is something in common to all the definitions and ideas that is, the one important belief that women suffer from injustice because of their sex. Rozen Suggests that instead of getting confused with the actual meaning of the word we can agree on the definition: Feminism is a theory that is based on the point of view of a woman, and that point of view give new light to knowledge that already exist. This knowledge could come from anywhere, film, literature, history, everything. But that does not mean that every woman that analyzes a specific subject, is doing a feministic act. To look and analyze something from a woman’s perspective means to put a woman in the center of the discussion. Bottom line is that, the question of what is feminism is not one answer. Rozen asks and answers: is feminism a woman who stands and fight for their right, yes. And is feminism a movement of freedom? Yes! Is it the history of half humanity? Also yes. And there is much more to what is feminism. Postmodernism Postmodernism represents the converge of three distinct cultural trends. These include an attack on the austerity and functionalism of modern art; the philosophical attack on structuralism, spear-headed in the 1970s by poststructuralist scholars such as Jacque Derrida, Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze; and the economic theories of postindustrial society developed by sociologist such as Daniel Bell and Alain Touraine. Callinicos 1989) In the book of Jean-Francois Lyotard, The Postmodern condition, where he summarized postmodernism as above all maintaining â€Å"an incredulity toward metanarratives† (1984:xxiii-iv, 5). Postmodernists, he argues, questions the assumption of the modern age, particularly the belief that rational thought and technological innovation can guarantee progress and enlightenment to humanity. They doubt the ability of thinkers from the West either to u nderstand the world or to prescribe solutions for it. The grand theories of t past, whether liberal or Marxist, have been dismissed as products of an age when Europeans and North Americans mistakenly believed in their own invincibility. The metanarratives of such thought are no longer seen as â€Å"truth,† but simply as privileged discourses that deny and silence competeing dissident voices. (Merchant Parpart) Michel Foucault, one of the leading postmodernist (and poststructuralist) thinkers, has emphasized the inadequacies of metanarratives and the need to examine the specificities of power and its relation to knowledge and language (discourse. He dismisses â€Å"reason† as a fiction and sees â€Å"truth† as simply a partial, localized version of â€Å"reality† transformed into a fixed form in the long process of history. He argues that discourse- a historical, socially and institutionally specific structure of statements, terms, categories, and beliefs- is the site of where meanings are contested and power relations determined (Scott 1988:36. ) The ability to control knowledge and meaning, not only through writing but also through disciplinary and professional institutions, and in social relations, is the key to understanding and exercising power relations in society. According to Foucault, the false power of hegemonic knowledge can be challenged by counter-hegemonic discourses which offer alternative explanation of â€Å"reality† (Foucault 1972; 1979; 1980. ) The search to understand the construction of social meaning has led postmodernists/ poststructuralist scholars to recognize the contingent of the subject. As Judith Butler points out, â€Å"No subject is its own point of departure† (Butler, 1992; 9) Jacque Derrida (1976) emphasizes the crucial role played by binary opposites. Indeed, he argues that Western philosophy largely rests on opposites, such as truth/falsity, unity/diversity, or man/woman, whereby the nature and primacy of the first term is also superior to the second. These pairs are as embedded in the definition of their opposite as they are I the nature of the object being defined, and they shape our understanding in complex and often unrecognized ways. In order to better understand this process, Derrida and others have alled for the critical deconstruction of texts (both written and oral) and greater attention to the way differences, particularly those embedded in binary thinking, are constructed and maintained (Culler 1982) To conclude, postmodernist thinkers reject universal, simplified definitions of social phenomena, which, they argue, essentialize reality and fail to reveal the complexity of life as a lived experience. Drawing on this critique, postmodernists have rejected the search for broad generalizations. They emphasize the need for local, specific and historically informed analysis, carefully grounded in both spatial and cultural contexts. Above all, they call for the recognition and celebration of differences, the importance of encouraging the recovery of previously silenced voices and an acceptance of the partial nature of all knowledge claims and thus the limits of knowing. (Marchand Papart) Postmodernism/feminism Today in the postmodernism era, the women’s identity is not stable, it changes. Postmodern researchers are against this idea, because the â€Å"I† is an autonomic identity that is disconnected from the social conversation. Also feminists and feminist writers, that identify themselves with the postmodernists, are objecting the enlightenment period; because there is an existent subject and because there is a possibility to reach the objective truth through the â€Å"bina† and the straight mind. (Zaken) Zaken claims that feminism is actually leaning on postmodern values, and it exists today to breakdown and defragment in a new way the idea or word â€Å"the woman. Simone de Beauvoir, a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist, and social theorist. While she did not consider herself a philosopher, de Beauvoir had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory. She had claimed that a woman is not born a woman, she is made a woman. Female traits are built through social influence and not biological destiny. She sees the social construction of femininity, which in it exists the subject; isn’t she a woman, the woman who thinks of herself as a woman, in a specific situation that her environment creates. A great example is the fact that most girls and boys play with their gender’s toys, girls with Barbies and dolls while boys with trucks and cars. From her article, The Ethics Ambiguity, comes up that women have internalized their gender hierarchy, to the point where it is hard for them to disconnect from their hierarchal position. Simone de Beauvoir came to a conclusion, in which the female subject had suffered from suppression- the woman is ‘different,’ lower, inferior in relation to men, and because of this suppression, the independence of a woman is destroyed in social situations. With that, there is an argument between postmodernism and feminism, which due to a postmodern claim, that power does not control and there is no axioms like private/public, or motherhood. If there is no category â€Å"woman,† then woman can be anything. She is free from the stereotype and the coercing. That being said, there is no general and unified identity for women. Feminists have responded to postmodern ideas in a number of ways. The strongest opposition has come from feminists working in the liberal (modern) or Marxist traditions, both of which are embedded in Enlightenment thinking (modern era). Liberal feminists, who have been preoccupied with policy formulation and the improvement of women’s statues within the structures of western thought and society, generally write as if postmodern critiques have little or no applicability for their own work. The possibility of â€Å"modernization† and â€Å"progress† may be unobtainable and undesirable goals in a postmodern world have rarely been considered by liberals working within these structures. (like World Bank, United Nations, and the International Labor Organization) Mackinnon Catherine’s influence on shaping feminism is extremely deep in the 80s and the first years of the 90s, so deep that the different â€Å"post-feministic† currents, in many ways are â€Å"post-Mackinnon,† and to be exact, â€Å"anti-Mackinnon. † Therefore whoever wants to become familiar with the feministic thinking there is no better place to do so with Mackinnon’s variables. The starting point of Mackinnon’s feminism is that the group of women are discriminated against and oppressed by the group of men, which are first and foremost caused by the way sexuality is built by society. According to Mackinnon, sexuality is the subject that its social patriarchal meaning changes the men to be in control and the women to be controlled. Dr Yaakov Gorbitz, in his book, â€Å"Postmodernism- Culture and Literature in the End of The 20th Century,† writes on the issue of feminism that modernism and postmodernism needs to remind us of two main phases: the first, the woman who tries to stand and tries to fortify herself against the en. -This is the model where women rebel against men and say we are not going to take of hair from our legs, we will not give you the pleasure of wanting a â€Å"feminine† woman. In the postmodern stage the woman understands that the seed of the problem is that she is always looking at herself in relation to men, and contr ary to them, and so she says; â€Å"I am allowed to put makeup on and take care of my beauty- and not for the man but for me or for my friends. † When a woman stops being just an opposite model of a man she can internalize some new heterogeneity. Some feminists believe feminist theory has always dealt with postmodern issues and indeed, has more to offer women than male-centric postmodern writers. Feminist anthropologists, Frances Mascia-Lees, Patricia Sharpe and Colleen Cohen (1989), attack postmodern anthropology for it’s profoundly sexists nature, nothing that studies such as George Marcus and Michael Fischer’s Anthropology as Culture Critique, ignore feminist contributions to the discussion of the â€Å"other† and long-standing feminist critiques of Western notions of â€Å"truth. † Michel Foucault Contrary to liberals and Marxists, Foucault did not see the mechanisms of power in society, as something held by groups or institutions in society, and which does not exist for others; distribution that enables the control of a group of other parts of the society. Foucault referred to †political power†, as network relationships, imaginary strings interwoven within the community, and he saw no, one dominant factor, such as the state or economic elite. This means that in a society there are power centers that are not subject to economic relations (such as madhouses, for example). Foucault goes on to argue with the liberals and the Marxists. According to them every relationship, in which forces, is characterized by imposing restrictions and denial of freedoms. He argued that this approach stems from the fact that they recognize the political power with the legal system and enforcement. But for him, it is only one of the forms of expression of political power, embodied throughout history. Foucault examines the relationship between institutions (social) and the body (human). He opposes the very concept of â€Å"sexuality. According to him, in the 19th century, when sexuality was taboo, it increased desire to break the taboo and talk about sex, that also created behaviors which were categorized as social deviance. For example, sex between men, were â€Å"homosexual. † This was a setting, which has reference for those people, people who were born different. This is one of Foucault’s contributions to understanding the relationship between sexual orie ntation and identity. According to Foucault, identity is created as part of a dialogue, in particular power relations in society. He demonstrates the change in sex ratio from permissiveness of the Middle Ages, where words related to sex revealed associations of â€Å"pleasures† and â€Å"alliance†, and the language of the 19th century, which has the sex talk not allowed or shameful to talk about. Hence, definitions of â€Å"heterosexual† and â€Å"homosexuality† are the product of modern times, from the 19th – century. As someone who has studied the sexual discourse in society, Foucault argued that the discourse on sexuality limits and defines the sexual content and created a social pattern. Once we understand how we talk about sex, we understand sexuality. That is, language reflects the thinking and perception also on sex and sexuality. The mechanisms of power in sexuality, expressed the distinction between what and what is not acceptable in society. Namely, that the discourse on sexuality is a society regime (as expressions of political power mechanisms); language created a situation, when the subject of sex is brought up, the person might feel sinful (sexual). Feeling which helps to suppress the desire for sex, because that person did not want to feel a sinner. The goal behind this repression is, to get the â€Å"different† forms of sex out of the people. That is, except for the non-reproductive sex. The society defines normal sexual norms, from early childhood to old age. Whoever goes beyond the norm, is placed under the situation of the â€Å"controlled mechanism† in order to create helpful sexual drive economically and politically beneficial to society. These mechanisms determine what is allowed and what is not right in society and what is wrong. Foucault argued that since the 18th century, the deviation began to violate the law (courts could, not so long ago, to convict homosexuals or partners who betrayed their spouse). By, new sexual settings, to different sexual behaviors (that were always there but never received cultural significance) changed the face of society. This means social definition creates the identity. The new terms â€Å"gay,† â€Å"lesbian† and â€Å"straight†, are the result of modern discourse, which created categorization and sub-categories of conversation. The term â€Å"homosexuality† has two interpretations, one, sexual preference. Second meaning is social labeling. This labeling is the concept of the rule of the person which identifies himself or herself, as †gay†. That is, each character turns shades of defining sexual identity. Experts (such as pedagogues, psychologists and psychiatrists), can be social power, which determine the legitimate content – normal and identify the pathological contents of a person. Their power, according to Foucault, is due to their proximity to the dominant group in society, the bourgeoisie and the political elite. Extreme conclusion is that gender regime serves the interests of those groups, and that by using the institutions of marriage and heterosexuality. (Zaken) Conclusion Society is the cause of sexual identity and what makes the difference between sexual orientation, and how we identify who we are; A woman or a man. But there is change occurring and there could be more change as soon as we, as a society start â€Å"unlabeling† and just living with all types of sexual orientation, genders, and labels that are not labeled. This is all through a social process, of course. A note, it is extremely crucial to know the difference between sex and gender, because then we are giving legitimacy to popular belief, commemorating the situation in which women are subject to male social order. This follows the historical tradition of the patriarchal family and society. This approach considers the biological differences between the sexes, as the distribution of the different roles. In other words, gender inequality is prevailing social perceptions. Ultimately, the goal is to get into a relationship of equality between men and women in society, there would be no more women who are discriminated against on the basis of sex and / or gender. For, as de Beauvoir said, man and woman, depend on each other for sex and continuity of human society. Thus, each and every one will be able to shape their identity in accordance with their wishes and needs, and not according to social codes dictated and dried. ———————————————— Work Cited * Ankersmith, F. R. (1990) â€Å"Reply to Professor Zagorin,† History and Theory 29, 3: 275-96 * Beauvoir de Simone. The Ethics of Ambiguity. 1949. Translated by Bernard Frechten: Citadel Press, 2006 * Beauvoir d e Simone. The Second Sex. 1949. Translated by Parshley, Penguin 1972. * Butler, J. (1992) â€Å"Contingent Foundations: Feminism and the Question of Postmodernism,† in J. Butler and J. W. Scott (eds) Feminists Theorize the Political, New York and London: Routledge. * Collinicos, A. (1989) Against Postmodernism, Oxford: Polity Press. Culler, J. (1982) On Deconstruction: Theory and criticism after structuralism, Ithaca, NY: Cornell university Press. * Evans, Judith. Feminist Theory Today: An Introduction to Second-Wave Feminism. London: SAGE publication, 1995. * Foucault, M. * † (1972) The Archaeology of knowledge and the Discourse on Language, New York: Tavistock Publications Harper Colophon. * â€Å"(1979) (published in French, 1975) Discipline and Punish, Translated by S. Sheridan, New York: Penguin Books. * † (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977, translated by C. Gordon, New York: Harvest Press. Jameson, F. (1990) Postmoder nism or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, Durham, NC: Duke University Press. * Mackinnon A Catherine, â€Å"Sexuality, Pornography and Methods- Pleasure under Patriarchy,† Towards a Feminist Theory of the State, 1990. Translated and Permission of Harvard University Press. Reprinted by Permission of Catherine A Mackinnon, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, Copy Right c 1989 by Catherine Mackinnon. * Marchand H. Marianne and Parpart L. Jane. Feminism/Postmodernism/Development. London: Routledge, 1995. * Mascia-Lees, F. Sharpe, P. and Cohen, C. B (1989) â€Å"The Postmodernist Turn in Anthropology: Cautions from a Feminist Perspective,† Signs 15, 1: 394-408. * Palmer, I (1990) Gender and Population in the Adjustment of African Economics; Planning for Change, Women, Work and Development Series No. 19, Geneva: International Labour Organization. * Rozen, Tali. What is Feminism Anyway? And Why don’t we know anything about it. Tel Aviv: Zmora Bitan, 2000. * Scott, J. W. (1988) â€Å"Deconstructing Equality – versus Differences: Or the Use of Poststructuralist Theory of Feminism,† Feminist Studies14, 1: 33-50. * Sylvester Christine. Feminist Theory and International Relations in a Postmodern Era. Cambridge University Press, 1994. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Some western scholars, most notably Marxist reject postmodernism as dangerous and naive (Callinicos 1989; palmer 1990. ) Others , while sympathetic to Marxism, see Postmodernism as an outgrowth of the culture of late capitalism. Fredrick Jameson, for example, endorses an approach which draws on the strength of postmodernism without abandoning political action (Jameson 1991. ) Some scholars find postmodernism’s emphasis on difference and multiplicity useful for their work and not necessarily inimical to other approaches (Ankersmit 1990; Parkash 1990) How to cite Postmodernism and Feminism, Papers

Strategies and Processes for Successful ERP Implementation

Question: Discuss about theStrategies and Processes for Successful ERP Implementation. Answer: Introduction Today, most organizations in private sector are profit oriented. If that is not the case, they are focusing on utilizing available resources efficiently in delivering services to clients and/or customers. This can only be achieved through streamlining the organization processes to improve workflow and flow of information between departments as well as with clients/customers and other external stakeholders. Luckily for them, innovation in technology has made achieving efficiency in business processes and realizing profits an easy task, if the technology is used well. The introduction of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has been hugely welcomed by organizations. ERP system is management software used in collecting, processing, reporting, storage, and management of information from various departments/sources. The system simplifies business processes, integrate different departments, and ensure real-time information can be shared by all for informed and timely decision-making. Even though this has proved to be useful, implementation of ERP has become a challenge for both private sector and public administration. This report in form of answers to questions highlights some of the critical success factors in implementation of ERP systems. Both private and public institutions stand a chance to benefit from the ERP systems if well implemented. From the case study, Ziemba and Oblak (2013) point out that when it comes to use of ERP system in public administration, most government agencies aim to use it in centralizing, automating, and supporting human resource, inventory, accounting, fixed assets, and payroll management processes. Besides, use of ERP system is meant to bring about efficiency and transparency in services provided by the government in addition to increasing access to information and public participation. This is a right move in public administration given that most governments are rated in terms of efficiency in provision of services, transparency, and access to information besides other development activities that improves the economy and living standards of the people. Aside from that, there are more benefits that can be realized from using ERP in management of business processes in government departments or private institutions. In reference to efficiency, it is common that in public administration there ar e a lot of bureaucracies and processes which stretches the time of decision making as most personnel are involved in the entire process. But with the implementation of the ERP system, according to Cordella and Bonina (2012), these processes are shortened as information are provided in real time to facilitate decision making. Cordella and Bonina further notes that with easy access to relevant, timely, and accurate information for all decision makers, there is assured quality of decision-making process with the adoption of information systems like ERPs. This in turn will go a long way in cost saving. It is also of importance to note that ERP systems can help or make it easy for public administration to redesign, integrate, and standardize its processes in line with the regulations or laws set out. The benefit with this standardization is that the different organization units from human resource, finance and accounting, to inventory management among others can share information easily with standardized formats that can be interpreted by all concerned parties. This can as well reduce redundancy in processes and personnel responsibilities from one department to another. Bhuiyan (2011) also notes that with transparency in government services and easy access of information and increased public participation in the decisions making processes, the adoption of electronic communication or systems can as well reduce cases of corruption and improve management of public resources. In conclusion, as Ziemba and Oblak point out in the case study, process management in public administration translates to the development and establishment of transparency and accountability in services. ERP system implementation and e-government services or processes are one way of achieving this. This is highlighted in the case study conducted by Bhuiyan on the modernization of public administration in the Bangladesh government through e-government services that has gone a long way in reducing incidences of corruption while uplifting the living standards of the people through poverty reduction. With efficiency brought about by ERP systems, costs saved and efficient use of resources contribute to development, thus it is right to have these objectives in use of ERP system in public administration. Ziemba and Oblak (2013) have categorized critical success factors for implementation of ERP systems in public administration into four groups namely, public procurement related factors, factors related to management of government processes, the competence of the project, and project management related factors. When it comes to procurement, the manner and factors considered during the procurement will determine the success of the implementation of ERP. The procurement team must ensure that all the functional requirements among other requirements must be met by the vendor. The procurement procedure should also set realistic implementation deadlines, goals, and objectives. However, this will be determined by the experience and knowledge of the team on ERP systems. Government processes should be re-engineered and all information requirements defined to fit it with the ERP system. Ziemba and Oblak further notes that for successful ERP system implementation, project team members from both the ERP vendor and government should constitute of experienced, knowledgeable, and competent members in ERP systems implementation. The technical knowledge and understanding of government processes can help in establishing the ERP components that meet all the functional requirements. Motiwalla and Thompson add that this team needs to work together from the start during the identification of implementation components, defining project scope, and requirements to the end in order to succeed. The fourth category of factors identified by Ziemba and Oblak relates to the project management practices and essential support during the implementation of the ERP system. The roles and responsibilities of each project member should be well defined. In addition, the support from top management is vital in implementing the system. Furthermore, use of a proven project management methodology is recommended. Motiwalla and Thompson (2011) are in support of this by asserting that with a well-defined methodology, we can bale to meet the implementation timeline, set budget, and the functionality required to realize system stabilization. End user involvement is recommended to start as soon as possible during and post implementation through organizing user training (Frimpon, 2012). Havin g end users familiarize themselves with the systems and how to use will significantly contribute to the effectiveness of the ERP system. In comparison to the implementation in a private sector, according to Ziemba and Oblak, all though the critical success factors are almost the same, public procurement related factors and process management practices in governments do not apply with private sector. This has been contributed by differences in procurement and business processes. The private sectors have more experience and expertise in procurement of ERP systems which makes the process short thus not infringing on implementation timeline. Besides, more ERP systems are more aligned with the business process management in private sectors which calls for little or no process engineering at all. Implementation of an ERP system in public administration requires a high level of commitment from the management and responsible departments or personnel for successful implementation. The call for this high level commitment can be attributed to various reasons or factors which make the adoption of an ERP in public administration a complex and long-term process in some instances. Besides, public projects are always under scrutiny from a lot of people, media, and private institutions on how the public resources are utilized. Cost overruns and late delivery of projects without measurable or concrete benefits will always attract a lot of criticism. As a result, the institution management has to exercise and show a lot of commitment to ensure successful implementation of a project. As seen from the case study by Ziemba and Oblak (2013), public administration processes are more complex based on the organizational structure and formalized processes which make decision-making process slow. When an action is initiated, the chain or number of personnel who are going to oversee, handle, and authorize certain actions is high which elongates the processes. That aside, most departments have independent decision making structures and goals which are likely to slows down or bring about conflicts during the implementation of an ERP system. As already mentioned, business processes in private sectors are more streamlined to most ERP systems than government processes. Standardization of processes in public administration to suit the ERP will therefore take long. The focus of the management in public administration will be directed in process re-engineering to ease the adoption of the ERP systems. In such an instance, it will take a lot of effort, meetings, and commitment from head of each department in order to come up with a neutral ground and team that can be used in establishing requirements and functionalities to be incorporated in the system to be introduced. This commitment should not be avoided as Motiwalla and Thompson points that besides the program manager and project manager, executive management support and commitment of the entire organization is essential through the project in order to achieve the desired success. This is one of the critical success factors in the implementation of ERP systems. Furthermore, management in public institutions are governed by laws which are not that flexible and whenever a change is initiated in order to accommodate new systems or features, the procedure and time for changing the law usually takes longs. Youll find that in order to avoid violation of setup laws or regulations, the management must work with legal department to check that all legal requirements are met, and where possible find a way to streamline the activity with existing laws if not changing them. Zouine and Fenies (2014) advices that top management, information managers as well as ERP system end users should be aware of their commitment and implication on the success of implementation of ERP systems. This can help guarantee the execution of the project within the set timeline for project delivery, budget, and resources allocated to the project. According to Motiwalla and Thompson(2011), an organization that lacks a proper implementation strategy of the ERP systems can lead to failure to meet implementation deadlines, cost overrun, and failure to meet all the functionality requirements. It is therefore vital to choose an implementation strategy that fits an organization to avoid such risks. In the case study, Ziemba and Oblak notes that business processes and organizational structure in public and private sector varies thus there is likely to be a difference on the implementation strategy. According to Mabert, Soni, and Venkataramanan (2003), a phased implementation strategy involves rolling out modules of an ERP system unit by unit for a considerable period of time. Given the complex processes, organizational structure with multiple departments, and elongated decision-making process along with legal requirements in public administration or sector, a phased out implementation strategy is more suitable for the public sector. This will ensure that the project team has more time for business process re-engineering in line with the ERP systems. On the hand, private sectors which are more profit oriented and have more experience with business process management can adopt the big bang implementation strategy. In a big bang strategy, all ERP modules are rolled out in an organization at once (Mabert, Soni and Venkataramanan, 2003). With this strategy, the private sector can save a lot from the resources required to implement the project. However, the success of this strategy requires extensive planning as well as the fall back plan or contingency plan in case the system encounters failures. The management should take adequate time, analyze all the organization requirements, and set up a competent project team with required skills to implement the ERP system. From the case study, Ziemba and Oblak points out that change management is equally an important critical success factor besides other project management activities. This view is also expressed by Motiwalla and Thompson (2011) who recommend that an ERP implementation team should as well have a change management team. According to Motiwalla and Thompson, change management is critical success factor and the project manager is responsible for communicating the importance of this change throughout the organization. Normally, it is the responsibility of the project manager to set up this change management team. In the implementation of ERP systems, change management is considered as those processes, methodologies, and activities that prepare the organization and the employees in accepting, supporting, and use of the introduced system. It should be noted that most organization processes have over a long period of time developed into a culture. Changing or convincing the employees to shift t o the new system and modifying the business processes is therefore likely to be a difficult task. Besides, the change management team can help in establishing potential obstacles during the implementation and the possible ways of dealing with them. According to Al-Shamlan and Al-Mudimigh (2011), leadership roles, effective communication, plan, and end user training are critical tools in change management. Frequent communication and training in advance prepares the employees to accept the system and learn how to use it. Furthermore, communication should involve outlining to the employees the benefits that can be realized by adopting the new system. In general, a change management can incorporate risk management to help prepare the organization and ensure smooth transition of new system. Conclusion ERP implementation remains a challenge in both private and public institutions. For successful implementation, organizations project managers must first understand critical success factors that will determine the success and benefits to be realized from the ERP systems. Even though these factors may vary from private to public sectors, most of them are the same. From procurement of systems that meets all requirements, business process reengineering, management support, competent project team members to change management plan, the project manger must first address these issues before kicking off ERP implementation. The choice of implementation strategy has to be done careful after analyzing the above factors. It would be recommended to adopt the phased strategy instead of rushing the implementation. In the end, with a well implemented ERP system, there are more benefits to be realized than sticking with the manual way of conducting business activities. References Al-Shamlan, H. and Al-Mudimigh, A. (2011). The Change Management Strategies and Processes for Successful ERP Implementation: A Case Study of MADAR. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues,, 8(2), pp.399-407. Bhuiyan, S. (2011). Modernizing Bangladesh public administration through e-governance: Benefits and challenges. Government Information Quarterly, 28(1), pp.54-65. Cordella, A. and Bonina, C. (2012). A public value perspective for ICT enabled public sector reforms: A theoretical reflection. Government Information Quarterly, 29(4), pp.512-520. Frimpon, M. (2012). A RE-STRUCTURING OF THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(1), pp.231-243. Mabert, V., Soni, A. and Venkataramanan, M. (2003). Enterprise resource planning: Managing the implementation process. European Journal of Operational Research, 146(2), pp.302-314. Motiwalla, L. and Thompson, J. (2011). Enterprise Systems for Management. 2nd ed. Pearson Education. Ziemba, E. and Ob?ak, I. (2013). Critical Success Factors for ERP Systems Implementation in Public Administration. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 8, pp.1-19. Zouine, A. and Fenies, P. (2014). The Critical Success Factors Of The ERP System Project: A Meta-Analysis Methodology. JABR, 30(5), pp.1407-1448.

Macbook Evaluation Essay Example

Macbook Evaluation Essay tion Kristen Dunn ENG 101 Mr. Thaxton September 23, 2012 â€Å"Are you a Mac or PC? † Are you a Mac or PC? That is the question. I’m a Mac, all the way! I will stick by my Mac till death do us part. Out of the thousands of laptops produced by today’s technology companies, I have yet to come across a laptop that even comes close to competing with the Mac book Pro that is generated by Apple. The speed and reliability of the Mac book is phenomenal, along with the thousands of application software programs that can be downloaded on this computer. Although there are many reasons the Mac book Pro is a one of a kind, award winning laptop; I love it simply for its performance and software. The Mac book Pro will give you more performance than you will know what to do with. If you are looking for a computer that is fast a lightening (literally), then there is no other option I have been having my laptop for about three years now, and it runs just like the first day I got it. Now that is amazing, thanks to Mac’s Intel Core i5 processor! Considering PC’s like to crash on you are run slower than your grandmother walks after the first year of ownership. We will write a custom essay sample on Macbook Evaluation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Macbook Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Macbook Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Its extra long battery life of up to 7. 5 hours is excellent, because wants the point of having a portable computer if you have to keep it plugged in all the time. It defeats the purpose and you might as well buy a desktop. The hardware on the Mac is built to last, and if you need a buddy you can rely on, I wouldn’t choose any other option, but this laptop. The Mac has an endless option of software applications that can be downloaded on to your computer and with 4 GB of memory feel free to download away! With the applications offered to you, you can personalize your computer to meet you every need, from photo editing apps, to music producing apps and my personal favorite the educational apps. There are millions of applications for everyone and your software can always be up to date to the latest and greatest that Apple comes out with, your only one click away. Most consumers are hesitant to buy a Mac because they are a bit on the pricey side, but I always say you get what you pay for. That 1,199. 00 was the best-invested money I have ever spent and well worth every penny. I know anything I need, there is an application just waiting to be downloaded to help me. The price may seem high, but I know I paid for a computer that will stand up to it and continue to perform the way it is supposed to, and to me, in the end I think I will be saving a lot of money, due to the fact PC’s constantly have to be repaired or buying the software I may need and even purchasing more memory. Who wants to buy a back up hard drive to store your memory when you can just buy a computer that already has it installed? That is why I will stand by my Mac will death do us part and never go with a PC ever again.

Kabbalah, Assagioli And Transpersonal Psychology

Kabbalah, Assagioli And Transpersonal Psychology Free Online Research Papers Kabbalah, Assagioli And Transpersonal Psychology I have been reading several most interesting chapters on the thinking of Roberto Assagioli, the father of Transpersonal Psychology, as related to Kabbalah. These appear in Opening the Inner Gates: New Paths in Kabbalah and Psychology edited by Edward Hoffman. One chapter entitled Psychosynthesis and Kabbalah is a comparative study between Assagiolis Egg diagram and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is certainly most interesting with lots of practical information, but it is in another chapter entitled Jewish Meditation: Healing Ourselves and Our Relationship that one realizes the influence of Kabbalistic thinking had on Assagioli. Here is a quote for your interest and perusal from that very exciting chapter written by Sheldon Z. Kramer. The Zohar, a major Kabbalistic text, states that the soul has three strands. These three strands are compared to a candle flame. The first part of the candle flame is located near the wick and reflects a black and blue light that is always changing. This lower light is considered the nefesh, or animal soul. The nefesh may be likened to Sigmund Freuds idea of the id, ego, and superego: it is those parts of the personality that are always in flux, owing to inner or outer reactivity based on internal and external desires. Contained within the animal soul is also a variety of different ego identifications based on early childhood experiences that forms ones personality, such as the ambitious one, the procrastinator, or the frightened child. Located directly above the black and blue light is a steady yellow glow in the center of the flame; this section is called the ruach, the divine wind, breath, or spirit. Separate from the nefesh, the ruach has the ability to stand outside all of the inner and outer turbulance with a degree of calm or stability. The ruach state of consciousness can be compared to the eye of the hurricane, which stays calm amid the turbulent winds. It is interesting to note that in all meditation traditions, the breath is a major vehicle of centring oneself for the purpose of refinement of consciousness. Directly above the ruach is the filmy portion of light on top of the candle flame, the neshamah, suprasoul or higher self. The neshamah is the center of unity and bridges all the other parts of the soul into a collective field. The neshamah can be viewed as a catalyst: it participates in all the reactions of the lower two strands, but stands outside them. Another metaphor for the neshamah is that of a prism, which reflects light. As pure white light moves through a prism, a rainbow of colors can be seen. Each of these color qualities, according to the Kabbalah, is reflective of divine attributes such as love, strength, harmony, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, victory, receptivity, stability, and groundedness. The goal in Jewish meditation is to be able to separate oneself from the identification of the nefesh and attach oneself to ruach with the possibility of bridging with neshamah. Through the refinement of ones attention, one can enter into the ruach state of conscio usness and decrease ones reactivity. By training of ones mind/body to realize this goal, one can have a taste of higher centers of consciousness. It is interesting to note that the above description of the three strands of the soul found in the Zohar reflects the foundation of the core ideas of Roberto Assagioli the father of transpersonal psychology in the development of psychosynthesis. Roberto Assagioli was of definite Jewish origin. When I visited his library in Florence in 1988 I saw scholarly, philosophical, and modern texts on Jewish mysticism. Through my research, I found Assagiolis papers on Judaism and had them translated from Italian in English. It was clear from his writings that he was involved with his own roots because one of these papers was an address he delivered in July 1953 at the International Camp Youth Section of the World Union for Progressive Judaism in Boulogne/Seine. In these writings Assagioli mentions a couple of times the psycho-spiritual parts of the psyche found in Kabbalah: The base of the spiritual psychology of which I am a supporter..is constituted by the biblical affirmations according to which man was made from the image and resembling God..from this basis comes the traditional Jewish teaching of the human psychological constitution consisting of three elements: nefesh [animal soul], ruach [divine wind], and neshamah [supersoul]. This represents spiritual elements..my main endeavor has been to give scientific proof of the evidence and activity of the spiritual soul (neshamah) with the psyche [ruach] as an inspiring and unifying factor. Assagiolis major map of the psyche, which he calls the egg diagram, reflects the image of the oval shape of the candle flame. The bottom of the flame (nefesh) he called the lower unconscious including some parts of the ego which he labeled subpersonalities. The middle flame (ruach), he called the personal I, which was the part of the psyche that could stay objective and aware of the variety of identifications found in the lower unconscious. The upper flame (neshamah) Assagioli divided into a general region that he called the Higher Unconscious. This part of the psyche contained pure sacred attributes or what he called higher qualities, including love, compassion, understanding, patience, humility, tolerance, unity, forgiveness, and joy. The other region of the upper flame was the apex, and the Hebrew correlation corresponded directly to Assagiolis term of the Higher Self, which he also considered in overall unifying center of consciousness.. ..Much of practical meditative work found in psychosynthesis reflects that of practical Kabbalah. Assagioli was careful not to identify his system of psychosynthesis with any one religious or mystical tradition. However, it is clear as we can see from the above descriptions in the Zohar with the main body of his work that some of his main ideas came from the Jewish mystical tradition. It would be interesting to see a complete study of Assagiolis thinking as compared to that of Kabbalah. Maybe some of our Companions on this list are able to enlighten us more on this most exciting subject. Amongst the many incomplete and forthcoming Series on this list, I have been preparing one on the Soul in Man, which, time permitting, I will start to post soon. It certainly is a most important subject, which I had to pay a lot of attention to because of past personal life behaviour due to the influence (or control) of my different selves opposing each other, and manifesting this most aggressively. I realized at the time that marrying opposing principles inside myself was of the utmost importance, if I was to survive in this world. So I dedicated an enormous amount of time to the achievement of that Sacred Marriage inside my own being. I suppose that however much you study and learn, you can eventually only speak from personal experience. In any case, no amount of bookwork has ev er made anybody advanced. Of course, words are valid symbols, but only insofar as they can push you to live out what they represent on paper. No more than that! Research Papers on Kabbalah, Assagioli And Transpersonal PsychologyThree Concepts of PsychodynamicHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Spring and AutumnHip-Hop is ArtHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Mixing Regular and Synthetic Motor Oils

Mixing Regular and Synthetic Motor Oils Heres a practical chemistry question for you: Do you know what happens if you mix regular and synthetic motor oil? Lets say the mechanic put synthetic oil in your car when you got your oil changed. You stop at a gas station and see you are running about a quart low, but all you can get is regular motor oil. Is it alright to use the regular oil or will you risk harming your engine by doing so? Mixing Motor Oil According to Mobil Oil, it should be fine to mix oils. This manufacturer states it would be unlikely anything bad would happen, such as a gel-forming from an interaction of the chemicals (a common fear), because the oils are compatible with each other. Many oils are a blend of natural and synthetic oils. So, if you are low on oil, dont be afraid to add a quart or two of synthetic oil if you are using regular oil or even regular oil if you are using a synthetic. You dont need to rush right out and get an oil change so youll have pure oil. Possible Negative Effects It is not recommended to routinely mix oils because the additives in different products may interact or the oils may become destabilized by the mixture. You may reduce or negate the properties of the additives. You could lose the benefits of the more expensive synthetic oil. So, adding regular oil to your special synthetic oil will mean youll need to get your oil changed sooner than you would have otherwise. If you have a high-performance engine, its possible it will be displeased if the (expensive) additives cant work the way they are supposed to. This may not damage your engine, but it wont help its performance. The Difference Between Regular and Synthetic Oil Both conventional and synthetic motor oils are derived from petroleum, but they can be very different products. Conventional oil is refined from crude oil. It circulates through the engine to keep it cool and prevent wear by acting as a lubricant. It helps prevent corrosion, keeps surfaces clean, and seals the engine. Synthetic oil serves the same purpose, but its tailored for higher temperature and pressure. Synthetic oil is also refined, but then its distilled and purified so that it contains fewer impurities and a smaller, select set of molecules. Synthetic oil also contains additives intended to help keep an engine cleaner and protect it from damage. The main difference between regular and synthetic oil is the temperature at which it undergoes thermal degradation. In a high-performance engine, regular oil is more apt to pick up deposits and form sludge. Cars that run hot do better with synthetic oil. For most automobiles, the only real difference youll see is that synthetic costs more initially but lasts longer between oil changes.

In Freud's view what is the difference between the ego, id and Essay

In Freud's view what is the difference between the ego, id and superego, and how do they interact - Essay Example The Id Freud conceptualizes the id in terms of uncoordinated instincts, and as the unorganized part of the personality structure, the id only contains basic instinctual drives, and is present from the time individuals are born (McLeod). The id is the origin of human needs, wants, desires, and impulses, especially the sexual and aggressiveness-related drives, and it is governed by the pleasure principle, which is the psychic force that arouses the tendency to seek the immediate gratification of impulses as soon as they emerge. The id encompasses the libido, the primary source of the instinctual force, and it seeks to avoid pain or un-pleasure aroused by the rise in instinctual forces; in this respect, the id demands immediate satisfaction. When individuals satisfy their needs or drives, they experience pleasure; however, since the id does not care about reality or the needs of other people but its own satisfaction, it is not a stable personality. The fact that the id is present right from birth implies that it encompasses all the inherited traits, and the minds of babies being purely id-oriented, it implies that the id is important in babies since it contains the life instincts that are very important for pleasurable survival. For instance, when babies are hungry, they cry to be fed, and when they are wet, they also cry for their diapers to be changed; in this respect, the id enables the babies to seek immediate gratification. This explains why babies have no sense of wrong or right as the id knows no judgment of value, of what is wrong or right; in that respect, so long as there is a need it must be satisfied immediately. The Ego The ego, unlike the id, is the organized, realistic component of the psyche, which only acts according to the reality principle, and seeks to grant the id satisfaction in realistic ways that are beneficial in the long term rather than only in the short term. In this regard, Freud perceives the ego to be an individual’s conscienc e that makes them understand that their own desires may vary considerably from those of other people around them. In that sense, the ego will try to meet an individual’s needs but at the same time, it will consider the reality in the surrounding world since it understands that actions have consequences or effects, which may be positive or negative. The ego, therefore, plays a very fundamental function in individuals since it tries to balance thinking before carrying out decisions or before taking actions, to ensure that they bring benefits in the end rather than pain. The reality principle governing the ego is the regulating mechanism, which enables individuals to delay satisfying their immediate needs and drives until the appropriate time. For instance, the ego will enable individuals to wait patiently at a restaurant for their food, rather than grab food off other people’s plates; without the ego, individuals would be grabbing things from people as soon as they have felt a need that needs to be satisfied immediately. The Super Ego Unlike the id and the ego, the super ego plays a very fundamental moralizing role in the psyche since it aims for nothing short of perfection by incorporating ego’s ideals and punishing misbehavior with guilt feelings (Eugenes). According to Freud, the super-ego incorporates the learnt values and morals of society, which are gained from interactions within family and

Criminal Profiling Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Profiling - Term Paper Example The origin of criminal profiling can be traced back to the 19th century where researchers such as Alphonse Bertillon and Hans gross realized the potential of criminal profiling (Turvey 3). In the 1880s, the Metropolitan Police made the first examination in the murder of prostitutes. They were successful because they found Jack the Ripper guilty of the offence through the evidence gathered from the crime scene. To come up with a criminal profile the following approaches are followed. The first approach is the geographical approach whereby the patterns in relation to the location and timing of the scene of the crime are analyzed, which then helps in identifying the location of the offender. Second is investigative psychology that uses the theory of psychology in analyzing and identifying the true characteristics of the criminal. This is achieved through looking at the analyzed offending style and behavior of the crime. Third is the typological approach, which focuses on the specific characteristics, portrayed by the scene of the crime and then the offender is categorized according to ‘typical’ characteristics identified. Finally is the clinical approach that is useful in identifying whether the criminal is suffering from psychological abnormalities. In the case of a homicide, the FBI gathers the information about the offender(s) through four phases. The first phase is the antecedent, which involves investigating the fantasy or plan of the murderer before the act. The second phase is method and manner, which tries to determine the type of victim the murderer chose and the manner and method used in the murder such as stabbing, shooting, and strangulation. The third phase is the body disposal, which tries to identify if the murder and disposal of the body took place at multiple or one scene. The fourth and final phase is the post-offence behavior, which investigates whether the murderer is trying to inject himself

The Major Factors That Led Rome and the Hellenistic Kingdom to Clash Essay Example for Free

The Major Factors That Led Rome and the Hellenistic Kingdom to Clash Essay 6. What were the major factors that led to clashes between Rome and the Hellenistic kingdoms, down to 146 B.C.? Can one decide what proportion of the responsibility for these clashes belongs to Rome, to the Hellenistic great powers (the Antigonids, Seleucids and Ptolemies) and to the minor players? This essay will what were the major factors that led to clashes between Rome and the Hellenistic kingdom, down to 146 B.C. A brief history of Rome’s increasing involvement in the Hellenistic area starting with its wars with Hannibal of Carthage and how the Hellenistic Kingdoms of Antigonids, the Seleucids and the Ptolemies and several other minor powers in the area came to be after the death of Alexander. The essay will focus on the factors that the writer believes contributed to the clashes. These being, Philips alliance with Hannibal and the Carthaginian empire, the results of ambassadors from Rhodes and Pergamum being received in Rome and telling of an appending alliance between Philip of Macedon and Antiochus of the Seleucids Kingdom, the third factor is that Rome was simply coming to the aid of its ‘friends’, various smaller powers in the area with which it had formed alliances. The essay will then focus on to whom the responsibility for the clashes between Rome and the Hellenistic Kingdoms lies with and what proportion of responsibility can apportioned to each party. This will focus on the major players of the Hellenistic Kingdoms, the Antigonids, Seleucids and Ptolemies and other smaller players. After the death of Alexander in 323B.C. the empire which he had created began to be broken up into different kingdoms and satraps amid bitter infighting by his generals, including Ptolemy, Cassander, Antigonus, Parmenion and Seleucus. â€Å"the ultimate fragmentation of Alexander’s empire was likelihood from the start, and the history of the following generation was to see the emergence of several separate kingdoms and dynasties out of his once unified empire.† Out of these generals three emerged to take control of large pieces of Alexander’s empire, these were, Ptolemy, Antigonus and Seleucus. Ptolemy Soter had campaigned with Alexander from the beginning and had gained Alexanders trust, and had become one of his personal bodyguards as well as one of Alexander’s generals. After Alexanders death Ptolemy was given the satrapy of Egypt and soon used his new found authority to start claiming some of the surrounding areas, including, the region around Cyrene. His first challenge to the authority of the other satrapies and kingdoms was the claiming of Alexanders remains as his funeral procession toured through his empire. Ptolemy later won the lands of Palestine and Cyprus to further secure Egypt’s borders. The Ptolemy dynasty lasted many centuries until it also came under Roman rule. Antigonus was another one of Alexander’s successors and created the Antigonid dynasty which was to rule Macedonia and parts of Greece. Antigonus had ambitions to recreate Alexanders empire and this was recognized by the other successors who formed an alliance against him, that was fought over many battle but reached no real conclusion, but prevented him from expanding his kingdom any further. Antigonus was constantly under attack from all sides and finally fell in battle and his kingdom now came under the control of his son. Seleucus was another of Alexanders general and after his death was given the satrapy of Babylonia and after first being ou sted by Antigonus, he fled to Egypt to seek refuge with Ptolemy, after a number of years in Egypt, Seleucus returned to take over much of Persia. The lands that he had gained were ethnically diverse and used different parts of each culture to administer his lands. Seleucus managed to gain back much of Alexander’s former empire until he was assassinated and his son took over his leadership. These three successors of Alexander along with the more minor satrap of Lysimachus and Cassander inherited an empire but through almost constant warfare between themselves were not able to resurrect Alexander’s empire either singularly or as an alliance. The three main successors forged dynasties that lasted a couple of centuries until they all were defeated or came under the sway of Rome. Rome fought three wars with Carthage called the Punic wars, these wars were fought between 264B.C. and 146B.C. (First 264-241B.C., Second 218-202B.C., Third 149-146B.C.) The first two Punic wars were essentially defensive wars for Rome especially the second where Hannibal in command of the Carthaginian forces crossed the Alps and attacked mainland Italy, the Romans were able to repel Hannibal and his army, Hannibal was eventually defeated by the famous General Publius Cornelius Scipio and pushed back to North Africa and Carthage. The second war reduced Carthage to nothing but a city state, but Rome still feared that Carthage could rise once again to its former military might and with the third Punic war; Rome razed Carthage to the ground, slaughtering or enslaving its inhabitants. â€Å"At the sight of the city utterly perishing amidst the flames Scipio burst into tears, and stood long reflecting on the inevitable change which awaits cities, nations, and dynasties.† Rome and the Hellenistic kingdoms fought four wars called the Macedonian wars between 215B.C. and 146B.C. and wars signalled the first clashes between Rome and the Hellenistic kingdoms. The first Macedonian war was fought between Rome and Philip V of Macedon of the Antigonid kingdom and was brought about as a cause of revenge. In 216B.C. Philip V thought that with Hannibal’s continuous victories over the Roman forces that the Italian peninsula would fall and that the time was right to form an alliance with Hannibal, with the ambition of expanding his own domains. This was a war that Rome did not want to be involved in as they were already stretched militarily in their fight against Carthage, and sent only a small force to deal with Philip V and the Macedon kingdom. According to Livy, Rome made an alliance with the Aetolians to fight against Philip V and sent a larger force to wage war, but on arriving found the Aetolians had made peace with Philip V and it was easier for Rome to seek peace with Philip V than fight alone, and thus the first Macedonian war ended. The Second Macedonian was fought between 200-196B.C. and was started after an apparent secret deal between Philip V of Macedon and Antiochus III of the Seleucid kingdom to attack and divide up the Egyptian kingdom under Ptolemy rule. Ambassadors from Rhodes and Pergamum had sent diplomatic missions to Rome with these reports with the intent of gaining Roman support against Philip V and the threats he posed to their kingdoms. Philip’s aggression towards the Greek city states, some who had alliances with Rome, caused Rome to issue an ultimatum to Philip, to remove his forces back into Macedon, Philip refused and on the pretext of helping its ‘friends’ Rome started t mov e its forces against Macedon. It is possible that Rome also feared if Philip and Antiochus gained further footholds in the Eastern Mediterranean, they could at some point threaten Italy, also of note is the ambition of Roman commanders to gain personal advancement and public prestige through the triumphs of winning wars. Philip was defeated in the battle of Cynoscephalae in 196B.C. and was forced to give up all territories outside of Macedonia and become an ally of Rome. At this point Rome proclaimed that all Greek was ‘free’ and essentially Greece came under Rome’s political and military sway. ‘The Senate of the Romans and Titus Quibctius the proconsul having defeated king Philip and the Macedonians in war, allow (Greece) to be free, ungarrisoned, not subject to tribute and using their ancestral laws.† In 192B.C. Antiochus III invaded Greece seemingly at the request of some Greek states to liberate Greece from the Roman’s, Antiochus found little support in Greece for his en deavours, for many of the Greek states had regained independence after the Roman occupation and had no desire to be ruled over by another king. Rome retaliated and Antiochus was defeated in battles at Thermopylae, Myonnesos and Magnesia-by-Sipylos, these were crushing defeats and forced Antiochus back to Syria and what was left of the Seleucid kingdom and thrust Rome deeper into the affairs of the region. The third Macedonian war fought between 172-167B.C. and was caused by accusation by King Eumenes of Pergamum of Macedonian violations of its territory and an assassination attempt on Eumenes that were both attributed to king Perseus, who had now taken the throne after the death of his father. Perseus tried diplomatic negotiations with Rome who had an alliance with Pergamum, but these only served to give Rome more time to prepare an invasion force. Perseus managed to win a few minor battles, but was crushed in the battle Pydna in 168B.C. and this signalled the ended of the Antigonid kingdom as it was split up into four republics by Rome. In the period between 168-146B.C. Rome consolidated its power in the region with calling on Antiochus to withdraw his troops from Egypt and further decimated the Seleucid kingdom by burning its ships and hamstringing its elephants which effectively brought an end to any resistance. The so-called forth Macedonian war consisted of local anti-Roman uprisings and invasion from Thrace in 149B.C. by Andriscus who managed to defeats the Macedonian resistance crowned himself Philip VI, but his reign was short-lived and after being handed over to the Romans in 146B.C., Macedon was made a Roman province, thus signalling the end of the Antigonid kingdom. To attribute a proportion of responsibility for the clashes between Rome and the Hellenistic kingdoms cannot be clearly defined as both parties during this era had ideas of expansion and each conflict could potentially be blamed on the other party. An example of this is the second Macedonian war where the responsibility could be split because Philip had been moving forward in taking land off the Greek city states, while Rhodes and Pergamum had been trying to entice the Romans to attack Philip through sending ambassadors to Rome with their grievances and it could be argued that the senators and commanders in Rome wanted to attack Philip for reasons of personal advancement and prestige. Whilst in many of the other wars Rome could be seen as the aggressor as their seemed to very little provocation or reasoning in some of their attacks, shown by the third Macedonian war. In conclusion this essay has given a history of Roman military movements up until their entry into the Hellenistic realms, along with histories of the major Hellenistic kingdoms and how they ended up clashing with Rome. The major factors which led to these clashes have been identified along with what proportion of responsibility should be given to each party for the clashes. It is possible that the downfall of the Hellenistic kingdoms was inevitable and it was only a matter of time before Rome conquered them all. â€Å"the Romans in less than fifty-three years have succeeded in subjecting nearly the whole inhabit ted world to their sole government—a unique thing in history?† Bibliography: Austin M.M. The Hellenistic World: From Alexander to the Roman Conquest. 2nd Ed Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 2006 Balsdon, J. P. V. D. Rome and Macedon, 205-200 B.C. Journal of Roman Studies , 44: , 1954 Billows. R.A.. Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State. University of California Press, Berkley. 1990 Dorey T.A. Rome Against Carthage. Seeker and Warburg, London, 1971. Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Salem Press, 2004 Gruen. E.S. Rome and the Seleucids in the aftermath of Pydna Chiron, 6, 1976 Livy The History of Rome trans. Rev. C. Roberts, EP Dutton and Co. New York. 1912 McDonald A.H. Rome and Greece 196-146 B.C. Auckland University Press. 1970 Polybius The Histories of Polybius, trans. Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, Macmillan, London, 1889 Shipley. G The Greek World: After Alexander 323-30B.C. Routledge, London 2000 Walbank F.W. The causes of the Third Macedonian War: recent views The in Ancient Macedonia II: Papers Read at the Second Inte rnational Symposium Held in Thessaloniki, 1973 , Metsakes, K. , 1977 [ 1 ]. M.M. Austin The Hellenistic World: From Alexander to the Roman Conquest 2nd Ed Cambridge University Press Cambridge. 2006 pp. 63 [ 2 ]. Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Salem Press, 2004 pp 25-28 [ 3 ]. Billows. R.A. Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State. University of California Press, Berkley. 1990 [ 4 ]. G. Shipley The Greek World: After Alexander 323-30B.C. Routledge, London 2000 pp. 286-287 [ 5 ]. T.A. Dorey Rome Against Carthage Seeker and Warburg, London, 1971. Pp.37-51 [ 6 ]. Polybius 39.51The Histories of Polybius, trans. Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, London Macmillan, 1889 [ 7 ]. J.P.V.D. Balsdon Rome and Macedon, 205-200 B.C. Journal of Roman Studies , 44: , 1954 pp:31-33 [ 8 ]. Livy 31.1-31.4 The History of Rome trans. Rev. C. Roberts, EP Dutton and Co. New York. 1912 [ 9 ]. Livy 31.2 The History of Rome [ 10 ]. G. Shipley The Greek World: After Alexander 323-30B.C. pp:374-375 [ 11 ]. A.H. McDonald. Rome and Greece 196-146 B.C. Auckland University Press. 1970, 113-114 [ 12 ]. Polybius 18.46 The Histories of Polybius [ 13 ]. Livy 37.41-37.45 The History of Rome [ 14 ]. F.W. Walbank The causes of the Third Macedonian War: recent views The in Ancient Macedonia II: Papers Read at the Second International Symposium Held in Thessaloniki, 1973 , Metsakes, K. , 1977 pp. 84-86 [ 15 ]. E.S. Gruen. Rome and the Seleucids in the aftermath of Pydna Chiron, 6, 1976 pp. 74 [ 16 ]. Polybius 1.1 The Histories of Polybius

The Signalman, An Arrest and Napoleon and The Spectre. In this essay

The Signalman, An Arrest and Napoleon and The Spectre. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast them. All three of these stories use gothic techniques; however they have a variety Compare and Contrast Three 19th Century Short Stories The first gothic novel was written in 1764 by Horace Walpole. The novel was called ‘The Castle of Ortranto’. He created the criteria that all gothic writers use today. Gothic literature uses an atmosphere of mystery, shock and suspense to intrigue the reader or audience. The gothic vocabulary consists of words that create an atmosphere of; mystery, hate, tension, fear, sorrow and terror. Gothic novels usually are set in a house or place with a large amount of gothic architecture. Gothic literature has a common involvement with the supernatural. In most gothic stories there is a spectre, ghost or vision that is out of the ordinary. Gothic stories also often contain a mysterious ending. During the gothic phase many authors took to writing in this style. Authors such as Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe all adopted the gothic style and wrote their own stories. Gothic architecture is also included many times to provoke an atmosphere of terror. The gothic style buildings had large arches and gargoyles that looked down from the ceiling, these things gave the image of darkness. The three stories that I have read are; The Signalman, An Arrest and Napoleon and The Spectre. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast them. All three of these stories use gothic techniques; however they have a variety of differences as well as similarities. ‘Napoleon and The Spectre,’ written by Bronte and ‘The Signalman’ written by Dic... ... his wife which acts as a deterrent to them developing their matrimonial relationship. The background information about the ‘ancestral halls’ at which they are staying gives the reader the sense that there is something strange about the house. The woman feels inexplicable draughts and John dismisses it and shuts, ‘the window.’ This implies a ghostliness and again call upon the theme of the supernatural. This contrasts with ‘the signalman’ and ‘napoleon and the spectre’ because the ghosts in those two stories are physically described, whereas here it is only suggested. As days go on the woman becomes obsessed with ‘the yellow wallpaper’ in the corner of her room. The wallpaper was; ‘repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦sulphur tint in others.’ The wallpaper seems to have a power of its own drawing the woman into an unhealthy hobby of following it.

Social Changes Outside Philippines During 19th Century in the Light of Rizal’s Life

The World in Rizal’s Time Political Changes Alferez, Alain Jared Aquino, Angelica Atienza, Aldrin Baluyot, Rencie Bernabe, Venzerie Rose Lomibao, Justine 2CA1 1801 The Act of Union, a legislative agreement which united Ireland and Great Britain (England and Scotland) was enacted on January 1, 1801. On 1798, the Irish Rebellion brought the Irish question to the attention of the British Cabinet, and British Prime Minister, William Pitt, was convinced that the best solution was a union. The 1799 proposal met strong opposition from a number of members and was rejected by majority of the Irish parliament. However, the government pursued in changing the opposition’s view. During the 1800 session of the parliament, the Act of Union was finally passed. In relation to Rizal Rizal crafted a large number of writings that changed many lives of people not only in the Philippines but also in many parts of the world. And one of Rizal’s greatest works, published on the early time of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, is his annotation of Antonio Morga’s â€Å"Successo de las Islas Filipinas†. Dr. Jose Rizal reprinted in Paris Morga’s â€Å"Successo de las Islas Filipinas† with his annotation. It described the history of the Philippines before the Spanish period. Rizal had shown through this work of his that the Filipinos had a civilization worthy to be proud of even long before the Spaniards came the country. 1816 The American Colonization Society was created in an effort to resettle blacks and newly freed slaves. What is ACS? What does it do? Why is it created? What was the issue with the blacks and slaves? Where? When? Who? How? The  American Colonization Society  (in full, The Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America), founded in 1816, was the primary vehicle to support the â€Å"return† of free  African Americans  to what was considered greater freedom in  Africa. It helped to found the  colony  of  Liberia  in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen. Its founders were  Henry Clay,  John Randolph, and  Richard Bland Lee. The colonization effort resulted from a mixture of motives. Free blacks,  freedmen  and their descendants, encountered widespread discrimination in the United States of the early 19th century. In relation to Rizal Rizal evidently disliked the discrimination of rights between black and white. What event? When? Where? How did he show his opposition to discrimination? Any writings? What did he do for the blacks and the slaves? 1837 Queen Victoria becomes Queen at the age of 18. Britain managed to build a huge empire during the Victorian period. It was also a time of tremendous change in the lives of British people. In 1837, most people lived in villages and worked on the land, by 1901, most lived in towns and worked in officers, shops, and factories. In relation to Rizal Rizal arrived in London and in Liverpool on May 24, 1888. For a short time, he stayed as a guest of Dr. Antonio Regidor, an exile and a practising lawyer. By the end of May, he transferred to a new boarding house ran by the Breckett Family. It was here that Rizal met Gertrude Breckett, a true-blooded English woman. Her case with Rizal was quite different from others because it was one-way. She showed sign of being very much in love with our hero. 1861 Criminal Law Coordination Act reduced the number of capital crimes to four: Murder, High Treason, Arson and Piracy. After 1861 capital punishment was only retained for 4 crimes, murder, piracy, arson in the Royal Dockyards and high treason In which country? England, Britain Why was CLCA reduced into four capital crimes? Why were they chosen? More details. In relation to Rizal Rizal was accused of Treason. (Accused as leader of Katipunan/ rebellion) Meaning of Treason betrayal of one's own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies. Why was Rizal guilty with treason? What did he do? When? Where? His writings had helped inspire the Philippine Revolution  against colonial rule. For 4 years Rizal remained in exile in Dapitan, where he practiced ophthalmology, built a school and waterworks, planned town improvements, wrote, and carried out scientific experiments. Then he successfully petitioned the Spanish government to join the Spanish army in Cuba as a surgeon; but on his way to Spain to enlist, the Philippine revolution broke out, and Rizal was returned from Spain, imprisoned, and tried for false charges of treason and complicity with the revolution. Connect to Rizal’s martyrdom. His enemies in the government and Church were operating behind the scenes, and he was convicted. The day before he was executed he wrote to a friend: â€Å"I am innocent of the crime of rebellion. So I am going to die with a tranquil conscience. † 1868 Queen Isabella was dethroned and replaced by Miguel Carlos dela Torre In relation to Rizal This happened in Spain (Conservatives wanted a queen as monarch) Why would the queen be dethroned by the general? In relation to Rizal Miguel Carlos dela Torre gave way to Liberalism and freedom of speech. Element in Spanish society— liberals, reformists (dela Torre) created a Republic Separated state from church. Elected, not appointed. 1869 Suez Canal was opened to the world after 10 years of construction. With collaboration with the French How much time does Suez Canal save? (saved time and effort, goods are transported) (Pwede ata ito sa relation) Everything was transported including IDEAS wherever people go. Ideas from Europe will enter Philippines because of Suez Canal In relation to Rizal Rizal passed through the Suez Canal when he was on his way to the City of Naples. 1874 Former Spanish General Manuel Pavia y Rodriguez dies at Madrid, January 4 at age 67, having ended Spain’s first republic by his coup d’etat of January 1874. More details In relation to Rizal From Barcelona, Rizal moved to Madrid, the capital city of Spain. On November 3, 1882, he enrolled in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters in the Universidad Central de Madrid. He also studies painting and sculpture in the Academy of Arts and took lessons in French, German and English. http://www. capitalpunishmentuk. org/hanging1. html http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/treason http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Colonization_Society

Race Essay Essay

In our society, racial inequality has always been a concerning issue for past decades, but certain parents’ state their opinions on the open discussions of our history and present with racism. The question of whether or not they should speak to their children about the racism that certain individuals receive has caused controversy in our society. There are parents who claim that they have unbiased judgments on the topic while others strongly commit to reminding the children that racism should be an important topic that should be talked over. Parents differ when it comes to the message they project towards children about race, but the message changes with children’s capacity to understand it. So the actual importance is if children should be introduced to the racial madness at such a young age like we have been doing in schools and in society or should the parents stand up and eliminate the racial topic for good. Although with the parents that are not overly racist, there is multiple concerns of whether or not to speak to their children about how their own race discriminates certain people in our society. Furthermore, there are numerous people in our society, especially parents, who believe we should consider not bringing up racism to future generations and instead take the step into a post racial era since we have improved tremendously in race relations. On the contrary, some parents believe the discussion of racism is important for children to be aware of the outcome it has produced and the background of why racism occurs, and in this case, I do strongly agree with the parents. There are a few parents whom have decided not to speak about racism. They believe the media nor did neighbors and friends play a crucial part in their decision making. They consider Reyna 2 themselves unbiased to all the controversy that occurs in their community over the racism topic, especially when it comes from a white individual. Without the society’s ideas swirled up in their mind, the parents are able to describe every perspective that can be observed of the racism. The importance of being able to see every angle of the racism that the minority group receives will help eliminate the bias judgment that we witness in the media or what we are told by others. With this in mind, the decision to consider the topic of racism in family conversations becomes easier to either bring up or shut down. It becomes easier because parents are able to discuss and inform their children that there is more than just one perspective that society defines as racism against the minority ethnicity. White parents can defend themselves from the ignorant comments and stories that people tell about their racial comments towards the African Americans. It is easier to speak about racism than to keep quiet in today’s society, but that seems to be the problem. On the contrary, white parents can also choose not to speak about the racial topic by ignoring it completely. Shutting down the media and any outside influence can assist furtherly with the unbiased decision to choose not to speak to their children about it. In today’s society, it is difficult to say that parents are not influenced in some way in their choices in life. Although parents can shut down the influence from the media, it is impossible to do the same to their children without turning them away from society as well. In all truth, once the child steps out of their home and their parent’s view on society and racism, the child is left vulnerable to society biased judgments on racism and everything else. There are parents who allow the media and any other influential speaker effect their decision on whether they, as not so overly racist yet biased parents, should intensify and enhance to their children about racism in their community and in the society. A majority of the parents are influenced by the media’s portrayal of discrimination on African Americans. Parents who choose to speak about racism to Reyna 3 their children after hearing and witnessing stories and racist acts throughout the country, will either help stop discrimination or unintentionally influence further acts of racism. In reference to the book of â€Å"The Color of the Water†, racial equality was shown to be unbalanced through the society and the effect it had on people since they witnessed it in their own family. In the book, James, one of the Ruth’s 12 kids, had taken it upon himself to write down every single detail that flooded back from his mother’s past. Throughout this James discovered how strong his mother was due to all the things she had to go through and the protection she enhanced for her kids. She protected them because she knew racism would be their biggest trouble and the consequences it would lead to. Society has a lot to do with the influence of racism. Future parents should remind their children of the horror of racism that occurred decades past, or should they just ignore it and try to move past it? In my opinion, speaking about racism seems to be the best way to go. Usually the second most influential people in parents’ decision making are neighbors and friends. They communicate with each other and speak of all their experiences which leads to further leverage on racism itself. Lastly, parents’ own assumption on racial inequality will influence their manner of discussing it to their children. Once parents decide to speak to their children about racism, question rise that become too difficult to answer and the biggest issue is parents’ own prejudice. If the answers aren’t well understood by the children it might lead to trouble and further racism. Sometimes children witness their parent’s unintentional discriminations towards other adults even when it is taught to be moral and caring for others which can also lead to further racism. This is why parents should try to educate their children of racism in order to avoid any misjudgments of their parent’s or anybody else’s actions, and this will help avoid their children’s own unintentional racism towards African Americans. Nelson Mandela inspired people with a few words that would better understand this topic, â€Å"No one is Reyna 4 born hating another person because of the color of their skin. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can learn to love†¦ † In reference to all the parent decision on whether they, as white parents, should talk to their children about racism. In my opinion as well as most people, believe that the more parents talk about the racism the easier it will become to educate future generations of what they should not do in society. Our goal as a society, and the reason behind the social experiment that the United States is experiencing, is to create a post racial era. There is a fear that if people don’t remind their children about racial history then it is likely to cause racial discrimination to occur once again and have history repeat itself. As true as that might be, it is also more likely to be wrong. In many cases, the children might begin to get ideas of past discriminations to inflict on current black children. The stereotype about the minority group will keep at stand which will eventually lead to the continuation of the racism. Therefore, the parents and society as well are pressured to continue speaking to their children about racism in order to help them understand the meaning and the harm it does on the victims. [African Americans] Although the future may not be predicted, parents whom decide not to speak about racism, all because it doesn’t seem important to address it anymore, are probably causing our society more harm than good. Some parents do not intend to speak about the racial discrimination because it draws negative attention to the society, and even if all their reasons seem logical, education has always proved to be far more successful than any other option. The parents who refuse to bring up the topic of racism in their family have very strong views about it that should be considered by others. There was once a research program done in 2011 where a few psychologist wanted to ask questions to white parents about their communication with their children about racism. At first the parents didn’t know what the topic Reyna 5 of the questions would be during the research, but as soon as they were told the topic, many parent withdrew from the experiment due to it discussing racism with their children. The parents strongly believed that there shouldn’t be an open discussion with their offspring about race and the discrimination among the minority group. It came as a shock to the psychologists and scientist over the outcome that was displayed before the research was even done. Without even knowing, the research team developed new results on the topic of race without successfully completing their research on their primary experiment and questionnaire. The simple answer was that the white parents that were supposed to participate didn’t want their children to be aware of the inhumane discrimination over skin complexity. They, also, didn’t want to expose them to the violence that arises from racial discrimination such as the hate crimes, the segregation, and the bullying of children their same age. Although many won’t comprehend the reason behind the racism, discussing it will only seem to promote racism in the eyes of the children even when many parents disagree. The parents should not speak about racism because there is a fear, naivete and denial from the white parent’s own thoughts that if they do speak about it to their children the whole truth can become misinterpreted or in many cases, biased. There is an article by Dr. Harris-Britt that goes over the reasons why white parents should not speak about race. Dr. Harris-Britt speaks about the fear, denial, and naivete that parents encounter as being a negative decision. By them discussing to their children the increasing issue of racial discrimination, the attention that racism is receiving becomes unbearable. The point of view that the article feeds to the reader goes hand in hand with the section of this essay where the racism discussion in families and the white population should avoid each other. Parents may fear their own thoughts and the truth of their judgments towards African Americans. Parents can deny the color discrimination that happens in Reyna 6 their own home, or community. Many will believe that we are already in the post racial era, and will use this belief in order to not openly discuss the subject with their children. Although we do not yet live in a post racial era, we can soon get there if racial discussions can be eliminated. If people would stop dividing them self by race, and focused on their own unintentional discrimination that they might give off, the white race parents won’t find it necessary to warn or inform their children of the racial discrimination that will probably occur to their African American friends, acquaintances, or classmates. In my opinion, these should be used as examples to enhance and persuade other parents that it is far much better to inform all children of racism before they receive or misinterpret other information given to them by someone else, like the media. Some parents will argue that racial ignorance erases the history and experiences that led up to the freedom from racism, hence why those as parents should speak of other race’s experiences and hardships in order to prevent them from happening again. In reference to an article titled 5 Reasons We Need To Talk to Kids about Race in America by Bree Ervin, it states that parents of the white race should consider speaking to their children about race, especially by beginning at the youngest age where they can understand what they’re being told. With all the reasons given, Bree Ervin has sided with the parents who strongly suggest it is the right choice to speak out to our children about racial history and the changes that must be done to prevent history repeating itself. The strong argument is that when we are â€Å"color-blind,† we also tend to discount or dismiss other people’s experiences of race, racism, and bigotry. Parents should not only speak about racism, but should educate their children as well because educating their children about race helps them fight racism and create change. A good example of childhood education about racism would be a TED video of a woman named Chimamanda. Chimamanda Reyna 7 was a Nigerian woman that was well thought and informed at such a young age. In the TED video about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she spoke of a childhood story where her parents educated her about the African Americans racial history and that how their own black race was a part of our country’s history, not just the perspective of the whites that most books mention. They wanted her to have more than one view on what the people of our country have gone through. Although Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s parents were not of the white race, it was still necessary for them to teach and have discuss the topic with an open mind. By informing of the past to the next generation, parents will be able to prevent racism of African Americans. It is always a difficult decision on what is right or wrong for a child to know. No matter what decision the parents end up making at the end of the day, every parent thinks they are doing what is best for their child. Some parents are worried that by not informing their children about the active racism that is and has been going on for so long in the United States, the children will only end up falling into the black hole of the negative racism attention that is occurring. Although they may have a point, the rest of the parents aren’t prejudiced nor biased nor are they influenced by any other media source or individual and have concluded that is safer not to mention or allow children to discuss racism among the family or anywhere else because it only feeds on the negative attention that it promotes. It is hard to say which is the right choice that the white parents should make about racism, but they both do indeed have good reasons behind their view on it. We have to be armed with the fact to give our kids what they are owed which is honest conversations about the reality of the world that they are inheriting, but that can only be accomplished by allowing ourselves to acknowledge that racism and issues of race and bias are still present. Just as parents were informed of racism, in my opinion, children should be educated about what is going on in our Reyna 8 country about the racism against the African American race. The best way to solve a problem like this has always been through education. Although many parents believe that the racism will never end because we continue to bring it up, the future generations [the children] will end up never understanding the past racism if it fades away with time. Parents of the white race should consider communicating with their children about racism towards African Americans, but should keep in mind about any social media influence, such as the news, that the children will encounter. The children will hear about racism, but its best that it first comes from the parents in order to prevent any further incidents of it or negative promotion. Reyna 9 Work Cited Bree Ervin. â€Å"5 Reasons We All Need to Talk to Kids about Race in America. † August 2014. Web. Journal. Magazine Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: â€Å"The Danger of a Single Story. † TED Global. July 2009. Dr. April Harris-Britt. â€Å"Why White Parents Don’t Talk About Race. † October 7, 2013. Web. McBride, James. The Color of Water. New York. The Berkley Publishing Group. 2006 Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Ph. D. Psychology Today: â€Å"Should we talk to young children about race? † April 2011. Article.