Define formalization and mention its advantages and disadvantages for leaders and followers essay

Define formalization and mention its advantages and disadvantages for leaders and followers essay Define formalization and mention its advantages and disadvantages for leaders and followers essay Define formalization and mention its advantages and disadvantages for leaders and followers essayFormalization is the strict organizational structure and set of rules and regulations that determine relationships within the organization. Formalization aims at the establishment of highly formal relationships between the leader and followers based on their professional relations. Formalization does not admit the establishment of close personal relationships, including friendly relations, between the leader and followers. Formalization is a bureaucratic process, in a way, because leaders set clear, concise rules, which the organization and followers have to respect.At first glance, formalization is absolutely positive. At any rate, formalization enhances consistently the leadership because formalization introduces comprehensible and concise rules, which the organization has to follow. More important, the leader becomes the authority and can take decisions that will have consequences for the entire organization, which the leader heads on the ground of the rules established due to the formalization (Madsen Shafritz, 2010). The maintenance of formal relationships between the leader and his/her followers allows the leader to exercise his/her authority to the full extent because there remains little room for personal relations. For example, if a follower violates existing rules, the leader should not just forgive the issue because the follower is his/her friend. Instead, the leader applies the established procedure of punishment or certain sanctions to discourage followers from braking rules of the organization. At the same time, formalization helps to establish clear and comprehensive rules and regulate relationships between the leader and followers effectively without wasting time on the establishment of positive interpersonal relations. Instead, the leader and subordinates just follow established rules and norms.On the other hand, there are disadvantages of formaliz ation because formal leaders bear the full responsibility for their organization. Formalization contributes to the establishment of highly formal relations between the leader and followers. However, such relations are quite challenging for followers because they cannot feel the personal support from the part of the leader. Instead, they feel being a part of the rigid machine, where their relations are highly formalized and there is no room for more personal, friendly relations. In such a way, formalization widens gap between the leader and followers. As a result, formalization makes organizational relations very rigid and highly formal.Formalization raises the problem of the low flexibility of interpersonal relations between the leader and his/her followers. The leader and followers have to operate only within the framework of organizational rules and norms. These rules are essential but they prevent any changes in interpersonal relations, which may be essential, when the leader att empts to motivate followers by providing them with positive feedback, for example, because such motivation is rather informal than formal.Thus, formalization brings not only benefits to the leader and his/her followers but also responsibilities. The formal leader bears the lion share of responsibilities for outcomes of the organizational performance and, therefore, has to come prepared to perform at his/her best all the time.

Examples of Gapping in English Grammar

Examples of Gapping in English Grammar A construction in which part of a sentence is omitted rather than repeated. The missing grammatical unit is called a gap. The term gapping was coined by linguist John R. Ross in his dissertation, Constraints on Variables in Syntax (1967), and discussed in his article Gapping and the Order of Constituents, in Progress in Linguistics, edited by M. Bierwisch and K. E. Heidolph (Mouton, 1970). Examples and Observations: The cars were old-fashioned; the buses, too.(Bill Bryson, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Broadway Books, 2006)Arnaud was his closest friend; Peter, his oldest.(James Salter, Light Years. Random House, 1975)Forwards and BackwardsGapping ... describe[s] a transformation which creates gaps in a sentence after a conjunction by deleting a verb which would otherwise reappear, e.g. Caroline plays the flute and Louise (plays) the piano. Gapping can work forwards, as above, or backwards as in the deletion of the first mention of the word. According to Ross the direction of the gapping depends on the constituent branching in the deep structure, and provides insight into the underlying word order of a language.(Hadumod Bussmann, Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics. Taylor Francis, 1996)Verb DeletionConsider the pattern in (154):a. John likes coffee and Susan likes tea.b. John likes coffee and Susan -   tea.(154) illustrates a pattern known as gapping. Gapping is an o peration which deletes a constituent in one sentence under identity with a constituent of the same type in a preceding sentence. More particularly, gapping in (154b) deletes the second verb of two co-ordinated clauses; this is possible because the deleted verb is identical to the verb of the first sentence. In (154b) the verb is gapped but, crucially, its NP [Noun Phrase] complement is left behind.(Liliane M. V. Haegeman and Jacqueline Guà ©ron, English Grammar: A Generative Perspective. Wiley-Blackwell, 1999) Gapping in Written EnglishCertainly, some constructions are overwhelmingly found in written language. An example is the English Gapping construction, as in John ate an apple and Mary a peach, where an implicit ate is omitted from the second clause, understood as Mary ate a peach. Tao and Meyer (2006) found, after an extensive search of corpora, that gapping is confined to writing rather than speech. In the Elia Kazan movie The Last Tycoon, a powerful film director rejects a scene in which a French actress is given the line Nor I you, on the grounds that this is unnatural speech. But his colleague, with earthier instincts, comments on this line with Those foreign women really have class. This rings true. The gapping construction is classy, and restricted to quite elevated registers, though it is not lacking entirely from spoken English.(James R. Hurford, The Origins of Grammar: Language in the Light of Evolution. Oxford University Press, 2012)

Effects of economic and political climates on current higher education Essay

Effects of economic and political climates on current higher education - Essay Example Various factors of politics, economy and regulatory developments do have an impact on institutions of higher learning. Most issues are above the control of the national higher education community and the individual institutions. In response to these changes, institution budgeters must respond accordingly to the anticipatory changes in political and economic conditions that may have an effect on the amount of revenue that is available. In addition, of equal importance, they must put into consideration the pressures that are being exerted by the external forces on the institution of higher learning before its survival is put in jeopardy. Economic climate Institutions dealing with higher education are stable partly due to the mission and role that they have in the society and the way they are operated their activities and management. Despite this, the current financial issues in various ways are affecting the institutions of higher learning (Solt 2008, pp.48–60). Economic changes have significantly affected the higher institutions of learning since the beginning of 1990’s. In respect to this, changes seen in the national government support for higher education have been accompanying the turmoil of the economy. Today, the institutions of higher learning are no longer enjoying the high ranking that they used to on the societal agendas, local, state and national talks. Resources that were previously directed to higher education are captured by other sectors of the government.

Economics Essay, applying Porter's Diamond to the construction Essay

Economics , applying Porter's Diamond to the construction industry - Essay Example The work includes building of roads, bridges and other major infrastructures. The real estate business is also urban based; so the constructions companies need to base all their business activity in urban areas in order to compliment the real estate industry. The repair and maintenance of existing buildings and other infrastructures also falls under the domain of construction industry and its major business comes from the densely populated urban areas. This is due to the fact that the more usage of infrastructure in densely populated urban areas results in higher damages and hence is subject to repair. There are mainly three categories in which the construction industry is divided. First, being the heavy constructions that require high civil engineering; in this category we have the construction of roads, bridges and other big infrastructures. In this category the big guns of construction industry come into function for all major commitments. The second category is the general constr uction of buildings of real estate; in this category the construction companies operate in housing development works. The small construction companies mainly operate in this category, as it requires small budgetary involvements. The third and final category comprise of special constructive work, which is done in small scale. Specialized areas of construction fall in this category like the construction work on wood, electric related works, etc. In this category very specific construction companies operate as it require specialization in specific field of work. (Economy watch, n.d). It is seen that the contractor may be an individual or any organization; contractors definitely fall in any of the above categories in construction business. A construction firm, of any size can fall under these three categories of the construction business. The scope of growth of construction industry is favorable in the developing countries where the trend of

The Information Technology skills Essay Example for Free

The Information Technology skills Essay It is clear to me how University of Phoenix’ convenient and efficient educational program designed for working professionals, has helped me grow. I see tremendous change and development in myself. I have not only matured personally and professionally, but have also grown to believe in orderly goals and motives with respect to my existence. My life has been organized and I see greater potential for my progress. The outlook of the entire university, dedicated to the success of its students, may be viewed now in who I am as compared to who I was before joining the BS of Information Technology program. When I started the program at University of Phoenix, my professional attitude was unseasoned. I was an unsure person, someone who had not matured. My humble and uninformed self did not allow me to think much of my career. I had briefly dreamt of becoming a graphic designer. However, I had wrongly imagined that I would not go too far. My mind was set at thinking that I might have to do with unsuitable jobs. What else are high school graduates supposed to do? I did not aspire to be great or hold lofty goals for my career. My goals were in fact, not many. I only desired to keep myself employed. My knowledge base was limited. I was raw. To that end, I am absolutely honest to claim that I knew little or nothing about the things I have learned at the University of Phoenix. Knowledge has been added on to my life at a rapid pace with this great program. Before this, life could seem sluggish to me as an unaware person. At work, I did not consider myself a professional. I did not even present myself as such. I was simply working; holding a job because one has to do that in this uncertain world. I would describe my writing skills before the program as ranging from bad to good. This is one of the areas where I have experienced drastic change. Besides, I now have extremely different views about myself and my career. My verbal communication skills before the program may also be described as varying from bad to good. With less confidence, the way I presented myself was obviously poor. I did not grasp at the time that professionally, one must appear assertive and proficient to get the work done. At present, I like to view myself as a thorough professional. My critical thinking skills before the program were good. All the same, my â€Å"Critical Thinking† (PHL/251) general education course worked wonders to polish my skills. It was for this reason that I had chosen the course. I believe that my decision was absolutely correct. After all, critical thinking is crucial in both personal and professional life. My interpersonal skills were always excellent, according to my opinion. This is because I believe in people, trust them, and wish to know more about them in order to be of assistance to them. I chose the general education course called â€Å"U. S. History to 1865† (HIS/110) because I was deeply interested in understanding the mechanics of human relationships, as well as the causes and effects of human decisions. Learning about U. S. history was essential, seeing that the people I share my space with do also share the same history. Hence, I believed unconsciously that I would be able to improve myself in my relations with others if I studied human history. Once again, my decision to opt for this general education course was correct, seeing that I now deal even more effectively in my personal and professional relationships. The most important core courses with respect to my employment were â€Å"Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making† (MGT/350) and â€Å"Project Planning and Implementation† (CMGT/410). I opted for these courses because I believe that professionals who know the functions of management are always more successful than the rest. Furthermore, these courses helped me to assimilate my ideas about team projects as well as leadership. I further believe that all professionals must be armed with knowledge of management, even if this knowledge is specialized in terms of Information Technology. What is more, decision makers, project planners and implementers must always bear in mind the people connected with the decisions and projects. Indeed, this idea connected with my love for people and interest in human relations. Moreover, I now connect better with the people at my workplace, and truly understand more about the mechanics of decision making and project planning as well as implementation. One of the terminal objectives of my program was, of course, for me to mature into a successful individual in my professional life. Even at my current organization – General Mills, where I presently work as a Network Engineer – development and innovation are priorities as well as major targets. Hence, both the University of Phoenix and General Mills have contributed to my current upsurge or growth. But the job without the education at University of Phoenix would definitely not be as good as it is at present. At this time, however, my job is a huge part of who I am and who I want to be. The program at University of Phoenix has really been a great source of inspiration for me. Employment may have helped me go on living. But the education here has helped me to live life fully, to enjoy my work and to be proper in all respects. It has shown me the way to live life in a way that is better, not just to live as I may have heard others living. Life does not just drag on anymore. It is full of enthusiasm and anticipation for a bright present and future. I am applying the tools that I have learned through the University of Phoenix, and there is hope to use them in better ways to achieve higher goals. I am eager to learn even more of that which would help me along. Learning should be a life-long process so that one’s intellectual powers do not rust. Before the program, it was as though I, as a resource, was underutilized. Now I feel fully functional. Just as General Mills thrives on research and development, I see myself flourishing with an increase in my knowledge base and the utilization of my mental resources to their fullest capacity. The Information Technology skills learned by me through the program at University of Phoenix are incomparable to anything I have ever been taught. I feel more grown-up now because of what this program has done for me. I have been shown much of my potential. It seems that I have learned a lot and there is excitement in me now to know more. Life does not seem like dreary employment anymore. I enjoy my personal and professional life much more now that I have been a part of the University of Phoenix. As far as my ethical outlook is concerned, I see no change between the past and the present, and I do not see it changing either. My values have not changed. My self-esteem has increased because the way I see myself has changed. Whereas I may have been covered by darkness in my mind, I now see myself in the light, capable of doing much, maintaining goals, and wanting to do all that is good. I certainly have become advanced in my professional attitude. With regards to my personal attitude, I even walk more confidently now and that has a serious affect upon my professionalism too. At work, I have to be responsible, knowing and showing that I can make it right and to the top. It is as though I have been cultivated and I know what I am doing now. My career views have changed so much that whereas I had seen myself doing basic jobs and not going too far in my professional life before I joined University of Phoenix, now I feel confident and able to be the leader at work. I feel that the axiom ‘the sky is the limit’ is working in my life now. Earlier I may have thought that it is impossible to have such an attitude unless one’s performance was really marvelous. But this program has been about trying to do one’s best and fulfilling one’s potential. It has made me open my eyes and view the world out there full of possibilities for a bright human being wanting to do more and wanting to do what is excellent. I feel capable of reaching the top of my company now. Furthermore, now that I have had a glimpse of my highest potential, I also feel self-assured and competent enough to be at the top of another organization, if not my present company. A part of this newly found confidence in me is a result of observation. Even so, the knowledge that has been imparted to me with the wonderful Information Technology program takes most of the credit for my motivation today. Resonant with my new goals is the fact that my knowledge base has grown impressively. I now know not only that which is taught at undergraduate level in my field, but I am also seen by others as a better professional. My professional sense is increasing, signaling that I must continue trying to do better. I do not see the way down now. What is more, I am now able to hold professional presentations and meetings with high level professionals at General Mills. I am also more interested in my work at present. Over the next five years, my professional and personal attitudes may become more refined. I hope to become more mature and confident. I now understand how learning more can make one grow. I do not only want to continue learning, but I also want to continue growing until I can become a self-actualized individual. I wish to develop my ability to move to higher levels in my career through greater productivity. My goal is to be my best and also to be the very best in others’ opinion. I would like to attend a graduate program. I have so greatly and positively been influenced by the undergraduate program at University of Phoenix that I hunger for more of education. I understand to an extent how much it can do for me. Before the program, I did not think much of education besides the fact that it is necessary to a certain level. But because I have been working and noticing the changes that education brings into my professional life, I long to gather more knowledge. Education is directly related to success. I love the changes higher education has brought to my life and I welcome this fantastic transformation on an ongoing basis. Thinking is the basis of our actions, and if the undergraduate program at University of Phoenix could do so much for my life and attitudes, I cannot yet imagine where a graduate program might put me with regards to my professional position. I need more guidance for the future though, to be specific about what I would really do. I see the possibilities laid open before me, but which way do I really go? Many ways seem important. Perhaps I would settle for an MBA. In any case, I would have liked the University of Phoenix to better assist me in getting to the right place at the right time in future. To get a clearer sense of my educational goal at present, I may have to go for education counseling. I would like to recommend at this point that the University of Phoenix should incorporate an extensive education counseling program for its students. Over the next five years, I wish to grow to have more business sense. This may happen through higher education and additional years of experience at work. In point of fact, I would like to improve in all spheres of my life, and in the areas of my being that are good now, I would like to keep a balance whereby I do not drift to the low side of things. With my new outlook, I feel ready to take responsibility to add value to the world, even if it is solely by way of doing my job well and showing others that honesty, hard work and learning can go a long way. I feel worthwhile now and am prepared to continue struggling through life with zeal. When life gets slothful, I know what I must do to change that and to be promoted learn. I must continue learning.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam: The Three Oldest Religions are Based

Religion in all aspects is based on faith and commitment. It starts with a faith that people have in something that they have not seen. I have always wondered about the faith people show for their religion. No matter what is happening they stay strong in whatever it is that they believe in. Humans have come a long way from the beginning of time when it comes to forming religions. There are so many different kinds of religions out there in this world right now. And all those religions come from some kind of faith and are based on a faith that emerged through something or someone. There are people out there in this time that are dying and killing for their faith. There are some religions that are based on the same roots but are called known as different religions because of their differences in faith. Although they have similar background and roots they are very different from each other. Judaism, Christianity and Islam for example are three religions that have similar background and a re branches of the same roots, but are very much different from each other because of the differences in their faith and belief. Faith, the word by which people base their afterlife, has become the foundation of every religion. The three religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam are one of the oldest religions of the world. They have always been known for the strong faith they hold for their religion. Although the three religions are somewhat similar to each other they have their differences and beliefs. All three started with the same creator and got split to become their own religion. All of these religions started with Abraham and they still to this date hold Abraham in high position. Even with being almost the same religion they base everything o... ... same God, that is Abraham’s God, but they differ when it comes to other things that make up their religion. The disbelief of Jews in Jesus differ them from Christians, the concept of all three religions have about the coming of Messiah also differs them from each other. Jews believe the messiah is yet to come and is coming to revive the Jews, Christians believe in the second coming of the messiah and believe that he is going to take all the believers of Christ with him, and the Muslims believe that Jesus is coming again to fight as warrior for the Muslims against the world. From doing the study on the three religions, I have learned that they all have the same concept to which it started with, but no longer are the same because their faith changed along the way. And they broke off from one to another and formed the three strongest religions in the world presently.

Causes and Effects of the War of 1812

Causes and Effects of The War of 1812 The nineteenth century brought major change to The United States turning it from a developing country into a world power. The addition of Alaska, Oregon, Texas, and Florida, the Mexican Cession and The Louisiana Purchase made The United States a world power. The War of 1812 catalyzed this great expansion. There were four main concerns that led to The War of 1812. Maritime and trade issues, the Embargo Act, territorial expansion, and War Hawks. Although they were major concerns, one alone did not start up the war. â€Å"On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain.In what is often called America's second revolution, the countries were locked in a series of battles for more than two years, which led to few gains on either side. It was one of the most unpopular wars in American history; when its treaty was signed on December 24, 1814, diplomats agreed that the countries should return to the situations they were in before t he start of hostilities. † The troubles with maritime and trade issues on the high seas could have been the biggest concern. As America increased in it’s foreign affairs it began to effect Great Britain and France and their on going quarrel.So President Jefferson declared The United States a neutral power. However this tactic did not work because Britain felt anyone trading with France was an enemy. So from 1803 until 1812 Britain impressed approximately 10,000 Americans, forcing them to work on British ships. And in 1805 Britain decided in The Essex Case that any American commercial ship traveling between enemy or neutral ports will be seized. When word of this British interference and impressments of sailors came back to America citizens were outraged and anti-British feelings began to rise.The Embargo Act was signed on December 22,1807 by Congress under President Jefferson. As a result of tension between Great Britain and France and the risk of losing American ships to either side this act was passed to ban all foreign trade. There was talk of amending the Non-Importation Act and The Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin even suggested going into a full out war, but Jefferson failed to see the benefit of a restrictive economic policy like the Non-Importation Act and preferred a peaceful end.Although it was a noble idea to end the tension with a peaceful means, the act failed to make Great Britain and France respect American rights. The Embargo Act ended up affecting everyone at home more than it did Great Britain or France. The economy of The United States started spiraling downward since the act passed, and the smuggling trade began to increase. â€Å"Although it was successful in averting war, news of evasions and other such negative consequences of the Embargo forced Thomas Jefferson and Congress to consider repealing the measure.The American economy was suffering and the American public opinion was not in support of its continuation. U ltimately, the embargo failed to have a significant effect on the British. Goods still reached Great Britain through illegal shipments; British trade was not suffering as much as the framers of the embargo had intended†. The act only had a major effect at home; making Americans furious Britain would not open up free trade. Britain began to see the increasing tension between themselves and the United States, so British officers in Canada began making friends with Indians residing in the Northwest region of The United States.It was easy for Britain to befriend the Native Americans because they felt threatened by Americans and their desire to push westward, and take their land. One of the greatest Indian chiefs in North American history, a Shawnee chief, Tecumseh, prepared to protect their land. He began by traveling the Mississippi valley as far south as Tennessee looking for assistance to create an Indian confederacy strong enough to fight the Americans. He enlisted his brother , Prophet, to begin to unite the tribes of the west to fight against Americans.A disagreement broke out over an American purchase of three million acres of land in Indian Territory. In a battle outside of Prophet’s town of Tippecanoe River, Prophet foolishly decided to attack American militiamen while they were sleeping. The town was torched in the battle that followed, and years of planning and organization was wasted. After this incident in June 1812, Tecumseh and a small company of Native Americans joined the British at Amherstburg. During the war, American’s called for an invasion of Canada mainly because the support the British gave to American Indians.In the Battle of Thames, Tecumseh died and an American victory is gained. The War Hawks were a number of young representatives voted into the twelfth congress. They were typically people from southern and western states like Henry Clay, Speaker of the House at the time, John Calhoun of Kentucky and Langdon Cheves of South Carolina who spoke in Congress advocating going to war with Great Britain. They believed it was our right to expansion, and declared that a thousand Kentucky riflemen could take on Canada alone. They expected the war to be short, considering the British were in Europe fighting Napoleon.Although opposed by the Federalist of New York, New Jersey, and most of New England, on June 18, 1812 James Madison declared war on Great Britain. â€Å"However the War Hawks had displayed much more energy in talking about war than in planning and preparing for war. At the beginning of hostilities there were about 7,000 men in the regular forces and these were commanded by senior officers who were old, incompetent or lacking in experience. Congress had voted for war, but seemed reluctant to spend the necessary funds upon equipment and supplies.A bill introduced into Congress with the purpose of increasing the size of the American Navy was turned down by the members. Volunteer soldiers were bad ly fed and disgracefully clothed. In winter, the unfortunate sentries who patrolled the Canadian-American border shivered and shook on duty because they lacked overcoats. † Some historians say the war hawks are the ones to blame for the war, because they wanted to wage a war knowing the United States military was inadequate at the time. The war ended December 24,1814 with The Treaty of Ghent. Not a single senator voted against peace.Although the war did not have much effect at the time, besides gaining land conquered during battle, the effect of the War of 1812 would become grate. After the war, America gained international respect for resisting Great Britain’s control for the second time in less than forty years. Also, marking the last armed conflict between the two countries. Not only did the war prove the United States military, but also it’s army. It gave The United States battle tested leaders, and the opportunity to train servicemen; which proves to be need ed to expand by land acquisitions from the Spanish-American and Mexican-American Wars.The British blockade leading up to the War of 1812 strengthened the United States economy by requiring workers to manufacture most goods normally imported, diminishing foreign dependence. After the federalist did not support the war and were considered traitors for attempting to secede at the Hartford Convention, the party was destroyed. The end to this party marked an era of Good Feeling for the United States, since they did not have to deal with inter-party disputes. â€Å"Manifest Destiny†, America’s destiny to span from the Atlantic to the Pacific, would not be possible without the courage and wisdom The War of 1812 gave America.The military would not have be what it is today without taking off the way it did after the war, or the nationalism Americans felt and have been able to span the difference between the oceans. Many nations saw how The United States struggled but kept holdi ng on throughout the war to come to a peaceful agreement. By showing this, America became a force to be reckoned with and would prove to be a world power. Bibliography â€Å"American History Timeline- War of 1812. † Accessed November 20, 2011. http://americanhistory. about. om/od/warof1812/a/war-of-1812-timeline. htm Dooley, Patricia L. â€Å"The Declaration of the War of 1812. † The Early Republic: Primary Documents on Events from 1799 to 1820. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2004. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. Web. 27 Nov 2011 â€Å"Embargo of 1807,† Accessed November 20, 2011, http://www. monticello. org/site/research-and-collections/embargo-1807. Volo, Dorothy Denneen, James M. Volo. â€Å"WAR HAWKS. † Encyclopedia of the Antebellum South. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2000. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. Web. 28 Nov 2011. â€Å"War of 1812, 1807. Accessed November 20, 2011. http://www. u-s-history. com/pages/h2621. html â€Å"War of 1812. † Accessed N ovember 20, 2011, http://www. warof1812. ca/intro. html â€Å"War of 1812: Battle of the Thames. † Accessed November 20, 2011, http://www. historynet. com/war-of-1812-battle-of-the-thames. htm ——————————————– [ 1 ]. â€Å"Embargo of 1807,† accessed November 20,2011, http://www. monticello. org/site/research-and-collections/embargo-1807. [ 2 ]. â€Å"War of 1812. † Accessed November 20, 2011, http://www. warof1812. ca/intro. html

Cultural Enlightenment

They have access to large listening libraries, state-of-the-art recording studios, Instrumental combos, and regular master classes given by a variety of highly successful, working Jazz musicians. Graduates find work In a variety of settings as arrangers, ensemble directors, vocal coaches, recording engineers and producers, jingle singers, jazz artists, educators, theme-park and cruise-line entertainers, contemporary Christian singers, pop/rock singers, cabaret and club performers, back- p singers, and even arts administrators and managers.I thought about attending my first concert as an audience member, as I watched choir members Join their ranks. I was not sure what my reaction would be. Would I feel moved by the music? Would it put me in that fantastic trance of both energy and peace? As I watched the choir file on stage as part of their Vocal Jazz Ensemble Concert, I noticed many new faces mixed In with the familiar. I thought fondly back to my first weeks in the church choir as I was growing up. The music began before I knew If I was ready.After Just a few notes, though, I began to relax. I was still In the sanctuary. The experience was different. My nerves were running high, but the music still took me n TTS nana, Ana gently lea me to Tanat place AT Inner peace. Can song was an exploration of different texture and flavor of music. The music was introspective and thought provoking, bold and inspiring. Most importantly, the music was an escape. Music creates a wall of protection from those concerns. That is its power.I Joyously left the peaceful sanctuary so beautifully created by the choir on Friday night. Yet, I continue to hold that reminder of God's presence in my heart. It's a place I can go to when I need strength or peace. The music continues to live through this choir, and I know that their witness has inspired me. It is my hope and prayer that everyone who is a part of this wonderful process-director, choir members, and audience alike-will continue to carry this purpose and message with them. â€Å"The music lives! † Praise the LORD! [pick]

Protagonist vs. Antagonist Understanding a Storys Main Characters

Protagonist vs. Antagonist Understanding a Storys Main Characters Protagonist vs. Antagonist: Understanding a Story's Main Characters If there’s one thing every story needs, it’s conflict. And while conflict can take many forms (Self vs. Nature, Technology vs. Humanity, Character vs. Self, etc.), some of literature’s most beloved stories include conflict in the classic form of the protagonist and antagonist.Without the white whale, Moby Dick is just a book about a guy who goes sailing and then returns home. If there were no Harry Potter, then J.K. Rowling would have written a series about Voldemort taking over the world, unopposed. Without Sauron and the Ring, the Fellowship would have merely been an odd sight-seeing group touring Middle-earth. And as enjoyable as that may have been for  them,  it wouldn't have made a very good story for the rest of us.In this article, we will look at what protagonists and antagonists are, how these age-old character archetypes can help you craft memorable stories, and what famous rivalries look like in both literature and film.With that in mind, let's firs t go back to basics to figure out what exactly protagonists and antagonists are.What is a Protagonist?The protagonist is the main character whose story is being told. The term derives from classical Greek drama and literally means â€Å"first actor.† Though often referred to as the hero of the story, the main character isn’t necessarily virtuous, and also may be just one of many protagonists in the narrative.Because protagonists can take many forms, let's take a look at four common types of protagonists in action.4 Types of Protagonists1. The Lonely HeroThe Lonely Hero is the standard strain of protagonist, probably because it's seen as the most "heroic" type. As the name implies, the Lonely Hero is the one and only person who can stop evil from triumphing and save the day. Though they’re almost always helped by a team of supporting characters, the ultimate burden of the quest falls squarely on the shoulders of the Lonely Hero. They are the one who must sacrific e the most in order to accomplish their goal.Examples of Lonely Hero protagonists:Harry from  Harry PotterKatniss Everdeen from  The Hunger GamesFrodo Baggins from  Lord of the RingsMatilda from MatildaCooper from Interstellar So evil that all the heroes in the galaxy have to band together against him. (Image: Walt Disney Studios)Whether you have the traditional hero-villain character dynamic, or a non-traditional character rivalry, remember to make full use of the conflict their interactions generate in order to move your story along. By creating complex characters, you will find it much easier to develop an interesting plot and bring your story to life.SummaryIn any story, how can you tell if someone is a protagonist or an antagonist? They are both significant characters, but the easy distinction is that:The protagonist is always the main character, regardless of they are heroic.The antagonist isn't always evil or a villain, simply the character who is in opposition to the protagonist.With that distinction in mind, why not go ahead and create your own characters who are worthy of joining Frodo and Thanos in the pantheon of great protagonists and antagonists?Do you have a favorite protagonist? A favorite antagonist? What are your favorite protagonist vs. antagonist rivalries? Let us know in the comments below!

Free sample - Determinism. translation missing

Determinism. DeterminismFree will is the supposed ability of people to make choices freely from any kind of constraints. Will is usually paired with reason as one of two complementary activities of the human mind. The human will is considered the faculty of making choices and decisions, whereas reason is that of deliberation and argument. Determinism on the other hand is the concept that events within a given standard are bound by relations in such a way that any state of an object or event is, to some large extent, determined by prior states. Hence determinism is the name of a broader philosophical view that hypothesizes that every event, including decision, human behavior, and action is causally determined by previous events. In philosophical arguments, the concept of determinism in the domain of human action is often contrasted with free will. Determinists believe that the universe is entirely governed by causal laws resulting in only one possible state at any point in time. They normally assume that every event has a preceding cause in an endless causal sequence dating from the beginning of the universe. This therefore leads to the position that free will and determinism are logically incompatible, and thus the belief that people do not have free will. The principle of alternate possibilities states that, a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he had an alternate choice. So for someone to be justly praised for keeping his promise to another, he must have been capable of breaking that promise, even if not at all inclined or likely to do so. Conversely, if breaking the promise is genuinely impossible, perhaps due to strong hypnosis, then he warrants no moral praise for keeping it. The principle of Alternate Possibilities thus identifies the availability of alternative actions to the agent as a necessary condition of that agent bearing moral responsibility for his actual actions. Frankfurt’s counterexample infers that a person is not morally responsible for what he has done if he could not have done otherwise a point with which he takes issue. Our theoretical ability to do otherwise, therefore, does not necessarily make it possible for us to do otherwise. These counterexamples are significant because they suggest an alternative way to defend determinism and this it does by using examples of agents who are intuitively responsible for their behavior even though they lack the freedom to act otherwise. To understand Frankfurt’s arguments, it is important to know his conception of free will is based on a major distinction between first order and second order desires. First order desires also known as Highers include the desire to own a new car, to meet the president, or to smoke a cigarette. A second order desire is in essence a desire for a desire. So, for instance, you might have a first order desire to drink alcohol; and a second order desire that you desire not to drink alcohol. A second order desire might be or might not be a desire that its corresponding first order desire be effective. Frankfurt therefore bases freedom on two aspects. Firstly, there is the aspect that a person’s actions are free in so far as they stem from their desires; that is, if they had desired differently, they would have acted differently. According to Frankfurt this is just freedom of action. Also a person has freedom of will. This is the ability by a person to control their desires and bring their first order desires into line with the second order desires. This is in essence means that we do not have free will because our desires are cause by other happenings. Hence the truth of determinism is validated.

Code-switching Among Students in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Code-switching Among Students in the UK - Essay Example This paper has been a pilot study to investigate the code-switching between English and Arabic among the Kuwaiti students in the utterances and construction level in the speech.The respondents of this study were undergraduate and postgraduate Kuwaiti students, studying in one of the UK universities programmes of both genders in different ages. The target population were from different universities, majors, and social status. The graph shows the results of the analysis. Most of the respondents do not find it a reason to code switch from Arabic to English because they want to raise audience and interest of what they are talking about with about 40 per cent said they slightly agree. There was about 25 per cent of those who disagree slightly with this fact while about 15 per cent strongly disagree. The first language of the target and sample population is Arabic, and second language is English where most of them have learned it as a compulsory subject at the age of six in the state schoo ls or earlier if they were in private schools. The quantitative method was used in this research. This was aimed at providing data for meeting the objectives of the study. This report makes a conclusion that this was a pilot study and it was aimed at finding out how the actual research will be conducted. The main aim was to find out the structure of the questions and how well they were understood by the respondents. Based on the results analyzed, most of the research questions were well understood. This is because there was no missing question that the respondents did not answer.