Abstractions in Power-Writing Essays - American Enlightenment

Abstractions in Power-Writing There are many abstractions in the Declaration of Independence. These abstractions such as: rights, freedom, liberty and happiness have become the foundations of American society and have helped to shape the "American Identity." Power, another abstraction that reoccurs in all the major parts of the Declaration of Independence plays an equally important role in shaping "America identity." One forgets the abstraction of power, because it appears in relation to other institutions: the legislature, the King, the earth, and the military. The abstraction of power sets the tone of the Declaration, and shapes the colonists conception of government and society. Power in the Declaration of Independence flows from distinct bodies within society such as the King, the legislature, the military, and the colonists. The Oxford English Dictionary defines power as, "the ability to do or effect something or anything, or to act upon a person or thing" (OED 2536). Throughout the ages according to the dictionary the word power has connoted similar meanings. In 1470 the word power meant to have strength and the ability to do something, "With all thair strang *poweir" (OED 2536) Nearly three hundred years later in 1785 the word power carried the same meaning of control, strength, and force, "power to produce an effect, supposes power not to produce it; otherwise it is not power but necessity" (OED 2536). This definition explains how the power government or social institutions rests in their ability to command people, rocks, colonies to do something they otherwise would not do. To make the people pay taxes. To make the rocks form into a fence. To make the colonists honor the King. The colonialists adopt this interpretation of power. They see power as a cruel force that has wedded them to a King who has "a history of repeated injuries and usurptions." The framers of the Declaration of Independence also believe powers given by God to the people must not be usurped. The conflict between these spheres of power the colonists believe, justifies their rebellion. The uses of the word power set the tone of the Declaration of Independence. In the first sentence of the Declaration colonists condemn the King's violation of powers given by god to all men. When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of natures God Entitle them (Wills 375). In this passage the writers of the Declaration of Independence are explaining their moral claim to rebel. This right finds its foundation on their interpretation of the abstraction of power. Colonists perceive power as bifurcated, a force the King uses to oppress them, and a force given to them by God allowing them to rebel. In the Declaration of Independence the colonists also write about power as a negative force. In the following quote power takes on a negative meaning because power rests in the hands of the King and not the people, "to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned" (Wills 376). Power when mentioned in association with the power of the people to make their own laws has a positive connotation, "He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to Civil power" (Wills 377). These two different uses of the word power transform the meaning and tone of the Declaration of Independence. The meaning changes from just a Declaration of independence from Britain because of various violations of tax laws, military expenditures, and colonists' rights; to a fundamental disagreement about power. Whether the King or civil authorities have a right to power. The colonists believe in the decentralization of power. The British support a centralized monarchy. The colonists believe power should flow up from the people to the rulers. The British believe power should flow down from the King to the subjects. The two different uses of the world power also change the tone of the document. The colonist's definition of power as coercive in the hands of the King and good in the hands of civil authorities identifies the King as the

Statistics Help Summarize Data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Statistics Help Summarize Data - Essay Example This information will assist them in making decisions relating to the best time to advertise or provide information to the public – weekdays or weekends and holidays. STATISTICS Rampell (2012) points out that on average men spent more time watching television than women. However, the main focus was on categories such as: education level; age of children; weekly income; employment (part-time, full-time or unemployed); race; and age group of the respondents. The graph shows that with the exception of the 15 to 19 years age group, the average number of hours spent watching television increases with age. This group spent more hours watching television on weekends and holidays than the 20 to 24 years and the 25 to 35 years age groups. The information in the graph also indicates the following: i. On average Black/African-Americans spent more hours watching television in 2011 than the White and Hispanic/Latino groups; ii. People who are employed full-time spent more hours in 2011 on weekends and holidays watching television than those who were employed on a part-time basis; iii. In terms of income, individuals earning between $521 and $810 weekly watched television for a little over 3 hours per day on weekends and holidays in 2011. This accounts for the most hours spent viewing television on weekends and holidays. ... cle provides a clear picture of the number of hours spent per day watching television by different groups of individuals within the various categories. The graph summarizes a lot of information which if written in words would take comparatively more pages. When information is presented in this way it is easier to grasp by those who understand how to read graphs. However, there are those who do not know how to analyze this type of information and so a tabular form might have been more appropriate. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS The article could have been improved by describing the categories and providing information on whether categories are correlated. Some persons in the age groups 65 to 74 and 75 and older would most likely not be employed or be employed on a part-time basis since they would have achieved retirement age. Rampell (2012) could have established whether a relationship exist between various categories. Most of these individuals might not have gone past high school based on the ir individual circumstances and the time period in which they were born. Older people are the ones who are least likely to have children in their households that are under the age of 18, unless they are living in households with grandchildren. Additionally, Rampell could have carried out tests to determine if the differences that exist, especially between the income groups are statistically significant. Rampell (2012) could also include additional statistics on the following: i. Male and female viewers within the different categories; ii. Occupational groups; and iii. Types of programs people watch most. Even though the average number of hours men spend watching television is higher than that for women, it is not clear whether this is so for all the categories shown in the graph presented.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF S.E.A. OLYMPUS Dissertation - 1

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF S.E.A. OLYMPUS - Dissertation Example In order to justify this further, the actual survey and interview with customers and the staffs of the chosen organisation was initiated. The study’s conclusions are based on both the findings of literature review and the actual survey and interview and out from them come the general recommendation of how an organisation should meet the customers’ perceived services and actual received services. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My heartfelt gratitude goes to my parents who were able to provide me financially for the success of this study. Without them, I would not be able to gather data and other related information because such activity would require extensive time and substantial financial resource. During my sleepless nights, I would like to thank all my friends who were able to impart their time and provide me with their important suggestions in order to improve my paper. I would also like to personally thank my supervisor who was able to give her time and effort for my study. My he artfelt gratitude is also for her. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Every organisation requires substantial management in order to succeed. Thus, strategic management tools are necessary in order to evaluate performance in great detail. Performance should be of high quality. Thus a management with exceedingly high quality especially if it is in a progressive approach is said to help organisations achieve their best performance especially on meeting high level of customer satisfaction and eventually obtaining their profit (Yeung and Chan, 1998). In line with this, it is not only important to consider improving internal operations but a considerable amount of quality management system should be implemented both inside and outside of an organisation. At some point, management strategic tools are necessary (Mol and Birkinshaw, 2009; Smith, 2007; Nonala and Kenny, 1991). This is to ensure that the entire business operation is obtaining corporate object ives. This may take time though. However, the right response on the process is necessary in order that the entire business operations both internally and externally are working together for the entire benefit of the whole organisation. However, there are some cases in which an organisation attempts to move forward and ensure its growth and competitive advantage. At this point, it is important that various aspects need to be substantially considered. One of the most highly considered aspects in the present time involves a high consideration for customers. Customer satisfaction in particular is considered tantamount to the success of an organization (Muller, 1991). This means that in order for an organisation to be a success in an industry where it belongs, giving enough time on how to satisfy customers and meet their expectations is necessary. Today, as commonly observed, this is most common in modern profit organisations (Kotler et al, 1999; Boone and Kurtz, 2006). However, it is im portant to find out how an organisation should build up its competitive advantage knowing that everyone seems to be trying to be a cut above the other. Addressing customer satisfaction is necessary, but there must be a concrete understanding how should it be achieved to ensure competitive advantage (Boone and Kurtz, 2006). 1.2 Background of the Problem With respect to this,

Health Disparities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 75

Health Disparities - Assignment Example For example, health statistics indicate that African Americans experience the highest mortality rates from cerebrovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer and heart disease more than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Most of the American Indians die from unintentional injuries, cirrhosis, liver disease and diabetes. The reasons for these health disparities among racial and ethnic groups is complex and clearly not understood, but they largely relate to socioeconomic differences, environmental degradation, differences in health-related risk factors, and direct and indirect impacts of racial and ethnic discrimination (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). This paper, therefore, reflects on two articles and establishes whether the information and data presented hold true in addressing health disparities among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., and further recommends solutions to practices or beliefs that seem to support these biased patterns. Jack Geiger, in his article â€Å"Racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis and treatment: a review of the evidence and a consideration of causes,† reviewed a number of researched works addressing health disparities issues in the United States. He established that the fundamental explanations of disparities and the key determinants of population health status among American racial and ethnic groups lie in physical, social, and economic environment, which are, in turn, influenced by the larger society’s values, norms, political economy, and social stratification systems (Geiger, 2003). He further identifies that the two variables that most studies frequently cited as the leading cause of disparities reflected beliefs and values which are common in the larger society. The first is biological differences (racial) as a significant contributor to health disparities. I agree with the author that, in spite of the current understanding of race as a social concept, the notion of the significance of racial grouping, in terms of medical grounds, continues to appear even in the current societies.  Ã‚  

Brandon Beaver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Brandon Beaver - Essay Example The effect of the ERG in any firm can only be secondary, compared to the situations in the workplace which principally defines employee sentiment towards the corporate leadership. Therefore, where the underlying working relationship is essentially adversarial, any management-sponsored ERG initiative will be perceived with suspicion as a ploy by management to take advantage of the employees (Ashton & Sung, 2002). The post’s identification of possible drawbacks to the ERG is perceptive. Because the ERG, in order to be effective, will tend to focus on particular minority groups or their specific situations, their members tend to stand out more distinctly rather than blend in with the majority. This is, I think, the paradox of most diversity and inclusion efforts. The effort to more effectively create inclusion tends to deepen the demarcations. The challenge to management is how to sponsor the creation of ERGs in such a manner that employees come to view the ERG as more closely id entified with the needs and aspirations of the employees, rather than with the desires of management. If the ERG is identified more closely with management than it is with the workers, it may be seen as just another means of manipulating and controlling the work force to comply with managerial designs against their better interests. References Ashton, D N & Sung, J (2002) Supporting Workplace Learning for High Performance Working. Geneva: International Labour Organization Catalyst (2008). Employee resource groups: valuable to employees; valuable to business. www.catalyst.org. Response to post of student 2: Christopher Gilbert The post mentions, strangely enough, the matter of the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. I believe this has little bearing on the matter of diversity and inclusion in the workplace towards its employees, or in the company’s dealings with its customers and the public at large. The Chick-Fil-A issue was more about the inclusion working the other way around, th at of the right of a person to express an opinion and the guarantee attached to that right. The ERG cannot be empowered to dictate changes from above, or from external movements and elements that have little relevance to what happens in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion involves unity of action and goals, not necessarily unity of beliefs and the core principles of individuals (Herek, 2000). The ERG’s goal is to pave the way for tolerance and respect for the diversity of beliefs and opinions that are present in any group at any time. There is a difference between inclusion and uniformity. Inclusion allows for variety and amiable co-existence while retaining people’s innate individuality. Uniformity is intolerant of differences, and wishes to create a single likeness among people, therefore denying them their individuality. The use of employee reference groups should be clear on its objectives, which is to address the diversity and inclusion needs of the employee gr oup while maintaining strategic relevance to the firm’s business goals and objectives (Catalyst, 2008). The Chic-Fil-A issue does not have anything to do with the acceptance of people with different sexual orientations at the workplace and among consumers, it is about the political issue of the legalization of same-sex marriage. In actuality, ERGs should avoid getting themselves embroiled n political contests because they are divisive and have little bearing upon the form’s operations. For ERGs to be effective as tools of the organization, they must be careful not

See order instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See order instructions - Essay Example Within Delaware, alimony is usually not granted in marriages of less than a decade. In Kansas, spousal support awards cannot exceed 10 years. In Utah, on the other hand, the duration of spousal support cannot go beyond the duration of the marriage (Bureau of the Census 5). In Mississippi, Maine, as well as Tennessee, alimony is granted in civil unions or marriages of one to two decades and the length is half the duration of the marriage barring explanatory circumstances. Other states, such as California, Massachusetts, Nevada, as well as New York, offer relatively blurred statutes, which only list the "factors" judges are supposed to consider when deciding alimony. These factors include: gender of the recipient, as well as health of the parties. According to gender, females are more likely to be offered alimony than males as, historically, males made more earnings than females. Poor health also goes towards the need (Bureau of the Census 3). Poor health is a potential sign of incapacity to sustain oneself. Hence, the courts do not desire to leave one party impoverished. Other factors are also relative income of the parties, age of the spouses at the time of break up, and future financial prospects of the spouses. According to relative income, both parties have the right to live according the life they were habituated. Also, with regards to age, a youthful couple will get short periods of alimony since they still have a chance to rebuild their

Write a 1,000-word essay about the value and limitations of the

Write a 1,000-word about the value and limitations of the document in understanding American foreign policy-making and US relations with China (both Natio - Essay Example It reflects some clear thinking in the US State Department in its understanding of issues related to China. Broadly put, the proposed policy aims to build a calibrated relationship with China but at the same time have a strong upper hand in this relationship. This paper provides a wider perspective to the ‘draft document’ and contextualizes the policy of the US government towards China to the prevailing national and international political scenarios of the time. The proposed policy rightly aims to assist the Chinese people by providing them with food stocks. The ‘Great Leap Forward’ beginning 1958 which was about simultaneous development of agricultural and industrial sectors, turned out to be a major economic disaster for China, leaving, by some estimates around 20 million dead. Providing China with much needed food relief and other humanitarian aid such as medical information and advanced warnings about natural disasters, in this scenario, would have indeed helped Chinese people (if not the Chinese Government) warm up to the Americans. What the proposed policy fails to take into account is that China has always been a ‘closed’ State. Even in 2008, in an era of internet and mobile phones, the Chinese people are largely dependent on government filtered sources of information (Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman). Attempting to influence opinions of Chinese people in the 1960s would have only been tougher. By attempting to reward the Japanese and Indians, the proposed policy rightly aims to strengthen the nuclear capabilities, albeit for peaceful purposes, of China’s neighbours, and in turn, build a perception that China’s military capabilities are neither unique nor so strong as to push the smaller neighbours into China’s fold. The US strategy of containment of China is envisages the willingness of the smaller players such as Japan or larger ones such as India to become a pawn in