Anthopleura Essays - Actiniidae, Sea Anemone, Aggregating Anemone

Anthopleura Elegantissima The sea anemones that were collected for the "Clone Specific Segregation in the Sea Anemone Anthopleura elegantissima" experiment were collected by Lisbeth Francis in Pacific Grove, California (Biological Bulletin 1973, 144; 64-72). The topic of Francis's report is the particularity of the constant anemone-free areas dividing contiguous accumulations of these anemones and the connection of these areas to the dispersion and manner of these anemones. In her report Francis describes how she did her experiment and the result of each step. Francis also includes a discussion section where she discusses advantages versus disadvantages of segregated aggregations and organisms that are similar to these sea anemones. Francis first explains the materials and methods. One of the first steps in this section is collecting the anemones. Slowly sliding a spatula under the sea anemones, Francis dislodged them from the immense rocks to which they were attached. At the laboratory they were kept in glass bowls containing water from the sea and were fed periodically, exclusive of experimentation time. In case of any impairments from the collection process, the anemones were kept in these bowls for a few weeks before any of the experiments started. Only the most healthy anemones were used in the experiment. To free the anemones, Francis hit the bowl against a solid surface. To determine the sex of the anemones, they were severed and inspected for sex organs. When their sex organs are fully grown the female's are brownish-pink and they male's are yellowish-white. The anemones that contain one or more sex organs including oocytes or spermatocytes were recorded as having developed sex organs. The anemones were then placed in a drying oven for approximately 18 to 24 hours, so they could be dried to a constant weight. The anemones living in clusters isolated from other clusters were inspected to ascertain whether or not the anemones from each cluster were different. The anemones living in the same cluster, Francis noticed, had identical color patterns. There were other color patterns observed, but they always occurred when the cluster was separated by an anemone-free area. In each of the aggregations observed, Francis noticed that the sex of the anemones was the same. There were either all males living together or all females. None of the aggregations were integrated. Francis's conclusion from this is that since they "reproduce asexually by longitudinal fission" (403), each cluster is a clone and the anemone-free areas divide contiguous clones. From studying how size is related to sexual maturity in sea anemones, Francis drew another conclusion. She states that the more the anemones weigh, the more likely they are to be sexually developed. Francis's next experiment was to try to figure out if the anemones could place themselves into segregated groups. She collected anemones from two clones living beside each other and attached them to a plastic ball with a lead weight inside an aquarium. They were crammed together in five horizontal lines with four animals in each line. The anemones were arranged so that they were all mixed together heterogeneously instead of separated into their two separate groups. Three days later the anemones looked as if they were fairly attached to the ball so Francis removed the pins to let them move around so she could observe what kind of groups they formed. Thirteen days later, four of them had fallen off the ball and the other sixteen had organized themselves back into their segregated groups. They moved around some more after thirteen days, but there was not any connection between the two groups. Francis concluded from this experiment that segregation between clones can be established by the anemones themselves. The next experiment Francis conducted was to discover if the anemones would create anemone-free zones in-between clonal groups if there are no other species of animals and no waves. In this experiment the anemones were collected from two different clones but they were not side-by-side. Francis also kept them in the laboratory for an extended period of time (up to a year). A baking dish was lined with foam plastic and on one side, one clone of anemones was attached with insect pins and the other clone was attached to the other side. Microscope slides were lined up and taped together to prevent any contact between the two clones. Sea water was running into one side of the dish. The flow of the water was changed periodically because the anemones are inclined to move upstream and Francis didn't want the flow of the water to affect her experiment. The insect pins and the microscope slides were

How enzyme ripeness in pineapple affects the setting of gelatine Essays

How enzyme ripeness in pineapple affects the setting of gelatine Essays How enzyme ripeness in pineapple affects the setting of gelatine Paper How enzyme ripeness in pineapple affects the setting of gelatine Paper Gelatine, more commonly known as Jelly, is a substance that consists mainly of collagen, a protein found in animal tendons and skin. The gelatine used for cooking purposes is usually in the form of granules. These granules swell when they are re-hydrated in water, but only fully dissolve in hot water. As this solution cools it sets to a moisture holding gel. This gel forms due to the proteins in gelatine joining to form a web like structure. In Module 1 A-level Biology, we learn about the structure of a protein molecule. A protein molecule is formed when amino acids join together by condensation, forming a peptide bond and water as a bi-product. A chain of many amino acids is known as a polypeptide and a protein can consist of one or more of these. The opposite of condensation is hydrolysis. When hydrolysis occurs a peptide bond is broken and water is used up in the reaction. There are specific enzymes called proteases (Module 2), which can be found in fruits such as pineapple, that speed up the hydrolysis reaction that breaks down protein molecules. From research I have found that it is a protease called bromelain found in pineapple, which in the scenario is preventing the gelatine from setting by breaking up the proteins forming the web like structure. It is also in Module 1 that we learn how enzymes perform such tasks, and the conditions that best suit them. Enzymes are proteins which act as catalysts. They have a tertiary structure that provides them with an active site; a groove in the enzyme surface that combines precisely with a substrate of a specific shape and charge. The lock and key hypothesis states that the substrate binds to the active site to form an enzyme substrate complex. The substrate is then altered to form the product of the reaction and is released from the active site. The induced fit hypothesis is a more recent theory which suggests that the active site actually changes shape to mould itself to the substrate. The tertiary structure of enzymes also causes them to be sensitive to temperature and pH, and an enzyme will denature in extremes of these conditions. When an enzyme denatures it is no longer functional because the active site has changed shape and consequently the substrate molecule will not be able to combine with the enzyme. Increasing the temperature gives molecules more kinetic energy, so they collide more frequently and the rate increases. This is also true for enzymes up to a certain point: the optimum temperature. Above this temperature, enzymes vibrate so much that their structure is damaged and the active site altered. A change in pH disrupts the charges; consequently the active site cannot bind to the substrate. Plants produce fruit to acts as a delivery system for seeds. Fruit consist of carbohydrates that make them taste sweet (Module 1), providing attractive food for animals, which will help aid the dispersion of the seeds. Ageing of fruit is known as ripening, and this process is designed to stop animals from eating the fruit before the seeds are fully developed. When under-ripe, pineapples would not be appealing to animals because they are green in colour, tough to eat and acidic. There are enzymes responsible for the ripening of fruit which break down the starch content to produce more sweet sugars and make the fruit softer, making it more edible. Therefore, altering the conditions which effect enzyme rate of reaction, will effect how quickly a pineapple will ripen. Other enzyme activity increases in the fruit during ripening, due to certain hormones (such as ethylene). Applying this rule to pineapple: the bromelain enzyme activity will increase as the pineapple ripens. If I were to put a pineapple in cold conditions, this would slow down the ripening process because the enzymes responsible would have less kinetic energy, and I am therefore indirectly reducing the activity of bromelain. In this investigation scenario, when under-ripe pineapple was used in jelly, it set better than when ripe pineapple was used. Taking in to consideration the information I have found out above, I propose that this could have occurred due to a protease enzyme that breaks down the protein in the jelly, which is more active in the ripe pineapple than the under ripe pineapple. I will now plan a full investigation to prove my proposal by testing pineapples at different stages of ripeness. I will place one pineapple (A) in a freezer for two weeks to stop the ripening process. Another pineapple (B) will be placed in a freezer for one week and kept at room temperature for the second week. The third pineapple (C) will be kept at room temperature for two weeks. I will make sure that any pineapples kept at room temperature will not be placed near a window or radiator where the temperature may fluctuate. The pineapples in the freezer will be kept on the same shelf as each other. I will take the pineapples out of the freezer and place the in the fridge 24 hours before the experiment, to make sure they are all the same temperature at the start. Method I will prepare the jelly, according to instructions on the packet. I will then pour it in to four petri dishes and put it in the fridge to set. Before pouring the jelly in to the dish, I will measure 3/4 of the way up of the dish and make a mark. This mark is where I will pour the jelly up to to make sure that there is the same amount of jelly, which reaches the same height in each dish. To prepare the pineapple, I will remove the top and bottom, stand vertically and remove the skin, cut in to quarters and remove the core. I will not use the core because this is not usually eaten so does not apply to the scenario where the pineapple was being used in food. I will be as consistent as possible with each pineapple to make sure that I am using the same type of tissue. I will then place the quarters in the blender for ten seconds and place in a labelled beaker (labelled A, B or C). Blending the pineapple will break walls of the pineapple tissue, meaning that the enzymes will be more exposed and take effect more quickly than if the pineapple had not been blended. (To take place as soon as possible after step 2) I will take the petri dishes out of the fridge and with a borer make three holes, as far away from each other as possible in the jelly of each of the dishes. I will label the dishes A, B, and C, and measure the diameter of each of the holes made by the borer with a ruler. I will number each of the holes by writing the number on the lid and placing it underneath the dish with numbers in the same place as the corresponding hole. I will use a pipette to place the pineapple pulp in to the holes. Each type of pineapple will be in its own, labelled petri dish. One of the petri dishes will not have any pineapple put in it, and will be used as a control. I will then put the petri dishes back in the fridge and leave them there for seven days. This is enough time for the enzyme, of even the ripest pineapple to take effect. Any longer than this, and the liquefied gel from each hole may join up, making it difficult to take measurements. Putting the dishes back in the fridge will prevent any bacteria or foreign bodies attaching to the jelly which could effect the results. I will start the timer the minute that I have placed the pineapple into the holes, and have a different timer for each petri dish so I know they have had exactly the same amount of time in the fridge. After every 24 hours, I will remove them from the fridge again. From research I have done, I have found that enzymes in the pineapple will turn the gelatine from a gel to a liquid. I will measure the diameter of the area that is liquid and record my results in a table as below.

Leadership and Supervision Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Supervision - Research Paper Example From the discussion it is clear that the University of Houston tailored the course under the name Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Supervision (OLS) but the University of South Carolina offers the course under the name Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership.   In the University of the South Carolina (USC), the course markets itself in the community as basing on the Human side of commerce management process. It provides Organizational leadership for people in various industries focusing on encouraging and motivating employees in execution and implementation of the organizational change. These two courses are vital in the development of the management personnel in the in the oil and gas industry thus enhancing profitability, maximizing outputs and creating standard operational mechanisms.This paper highlights that  the USC leadership degree aims at enhancing human leadership through motivation of the employees and facilitation of organizational change. In contrast, HUOLS aims at availing trainees or students with a competitive edge while undertaking leadership and enhanced supervisory responsibilities, especially in technology grounded  Ã‚   organizations. The HUOLS degree deals with the consistently growing and changing complex of engaged leadership in various organizations that mostly base on relying on technology on the daily basis. HUOLS degree is characterized by the provision of empowering approach to the practice to leaders in various firms.  Ã‚  

Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competition - Essay Example Competition can serve as a driving force that motivates children to work harder. In a school setting, competition can be a driving force towards better performance. When children recognize that they have rivals at a similar level, they face the compulsion of moving beyond their comfort zone. If there were no rivals, children would remain in their comfort zone without any additional efforts. For this reason, teachers should promote healthy competition within the school setting. In sports, competition can help children improve their talent and become more successful. When children are aware that there is always a winner in sports, they are more likely to nurture their talent. In addition, competition in sports makes children more excited a factor that makes them look forward to participating. Many children who have won in sports recognize the value of hard work and are willing to exert more efforts in other sectors of their lives. In different games, children require competition so that they may find the find the games exciting. Competition in games introduces children to the realities of life, which is defined by different levels of competition. Games that do not encourage competition are less thrilling for children. Many children prefer games that have a winner so that they can have more fun. Introducing children to competition helps them learn how to address losing, which is a common aspect of life. For this reason, healthy competition should be promoted in different aspects of children’s

Making reference to appropriate theories and using examples from Essay

Making reference to appropriate theories and using examples from organisation(s) of your choice, evaluate on the role of the HR - Essay Example The HR function is therefore mandatory to have because this shall makes the lives of the employees easier and they would know who to contact in case of a problem or query that arises within their realms. This paper shall discuss the basis of the HR function and how this helps shape up the line managers within an organization in this day and age. Moving ahead with the discussion, the organization’s HR department has a huge role to play whilst dictating the organizational culture to the employees, both old and new. It makes new laws and amends the old ones in order to have uniformity within the norms and procedures that are applicable at the workplace domains (Taylor, 1999). It is important to ascertain the exact gravity of these procedures in order to have a complete mesh between the already accepted norms and behaviors coming directly under the aegis of the HR department, as well as the ones which are being chalked up by the HR department for the sake of the entire organizatio n (Boddy, 2005). It is quintessential that the organization’s HR department clearly understands its role because then only would it be able to decipher the purpose of having a sound organizational culture. ... Furthermore, it is important that the HR department inculcates feelings of oneness and understanding within the contexts of the organization itself. What is needed now is a good measure on the part of the employees to have a proper feel of the cultural manifestations and representations at the workplace. Without this, there could be serious issues arising every now and then (Lee, 2004). An adequately sound organizational culture will bring out sound results on the part of the organization as the employees would very easily relate with the actions and behaviors that are asked of them by the organization courtesy the HR department. Also the HR department could issue circulars and conduct training sessions and seminars in order to properly detail the employees as to how they would go about doing their respective work regimes, keeping in line with the prevalent organizational culture, the values that are taught and the different representations which are usually practiced from time to ti me (Egan, 2001). The HR department within Wal-Mart makes sure that its employees develop an organizational culture where feelings and sentiments could be shared about in a mutual manner. This is the reason why Wal-Mart is renowned for its sophisticated organizational culture developed from the HR domains, all over the world. There is a very significant need to be on board as far as the understanding of the organizational values and principles is concerned. The organizational culture takes all these elements in due consideration and thus provides for a more advanced understanding of all such facets. It is the duty of the HR department to be

Leadership Performance Of Marks and Spencer And Tesco

Leadership Performance Of Marks and Spencer And Tesco Leadership is the process of influencing other people to accomplish an objective and direct them, as individual or as a group, which makes it more cohesive and coherent. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership. Authoritarian or Autocratic This management style is used when manager or leader sets objectives and tells employees what to be done, how it is to be accomplished without getting any advice or feedback from them and strongly encourages obedience. In this case the group becomes dependent on the leader which often leads to frustration with the management often resulting in high supervision, micro-management, and loss of cohesion. This style should be used only on rare occasions like on a new employee who has just started the job. A dynamic leader would prefer this style of management when he has all the information to deal with the problems, he is running short of time and his employers are well motivated. Illustration by Author Participative or Democratic As the name suggests this style encourages the participation of staff and employees in the decision making process. Being asked for their ideas makes employees feel they are important part of the organisation and encourages them to put in extra effort. The final decision of making authority rests with the leader. This style of management is a positive sign of strength and trust which will make employees respect you. Dynamic leader will use this management style when he only has part of information and needs input from his employees. Leader might know more than most of his employees but still he does not know everything and that is the reason for employing experienced and skilful people to help him. Delegative or Laissez-faire In this management style the leader allows employees to make the decisions freely within broad limits. This results in relaxed atmosphere as there are very few guidelines to adhere to which may lead to lack of motivation and low productivity. This style is to be used when the employees are capable of analysing the problems and are experienced enough to know what is to be done and how. This style should not be used as a tool to blame others when things go wrong. The best leader is the one who does not follow one particular style but tries to achieve a balance between these three styles depending upon the situation. Leadership And Change Management The most important factor during the process of change is the ability, competence and skill of leader to manage the whole process. Kurt Lewin identified stages of change viz. unfreeze, transition, and refreeze (Strategies for managing change). Refreeze Transition Unfreeze Illustration by Author Unfreeze or Preparation For The Change What we mean by preparing for change is creating the right environment, preparing resources and processes that might take place in future. Just like a healthy individual is more capable of coping with diseases and infections similarly a well prepared organisation is in better position to cope with effects of changes. The leadership will play an important role by means of sensible planning and decision making abilities. Transition or Implementation Process This is the middle period from the announcement of the change complete to the successful installation of the change. This is the most critical point during the change process marked by the instability, lack of direction and low motivation of employees due to fear of their instable future. An effective leadership during this period will be focused on helping employees understand the future direction of the organisation after change and secondly by making the change meaningful. People will go to extraordinary length for causes they believe in and a powerful leader will convince the employees on the importance of change to get maximum out of them. Refreeze Or Conclusion Of The Change Process This is the period that comes after the initial phases of instability and insecurity, which has now subsided and due to effective role of leadership the employees have become more focused towards the new direction of the organisation. An efficient leadership will during this process work towards improving the work life of the employees and assuring them about the positive direction that the organisation is moving in. Strategies And Policies At MS And Tesco The major general strategy available to leaders of all major organisation including Tesco and MS is that they either choose to be the lowest cost retailer and become market leader or differentiate products and services so that it is valued by customers to the extent that they are willing to pay a premium price. When it comes to MS in their core products (food and clothing), they attempt to achieve differentiation from others. Tesco on the other hand has focused to attract more customers by being low cost retailer. Both Tesco and MS are most successful organisation in UK and both of them consider training and development of their employees as very crucial for their business. Training and development forms important part of organisational strategy of Tesco and MS mostly because their success has been characterised by their expansion. Moreover to ensure that they remain ahead of competition they place high importance on training and development. Management realized that there is no better way to achieve this rather than through the use of training and development. (Paisley, 1999). The initiative of Lead to succeed by the MS leadership is an example of the importance they attach to identify and train future leaders. This programme is being heralded as the flagship development programme and is considered to be a key component in its future people strategy. (Verity Gough, training zone,08/11/2010) Tescos slogan every little helps which shows their commitment to reduce prices and increase customer service is now used in their staff training as well. Tescos leadership believes that any intervention by them will lead to an increase in the knowledge and expertise of their workforce. In 2007 when Sir Stuart Rose, was leading MS he announced a policy document to strengthen the green credentials of MS. According to the policy document presented by Sir Stuart Rose MS would commit to a range of actions at the cost of  £200 million over the period of next five years. The aim of this hundred-point five year plan was to reengineer the companys activities to meet a range of socially responsible goals including ethical trading, health promotion products, sustainable sourcing, and carbon neutrality thus making MS green leader in retail market. This initiative by Sir Stuart Rose was widely seen as an example of creative leadership skill. (Leaders We Deserve,2008). Again in April 2007 there was an episode which presented a leadership dilemma for Sir Stuart Rose. Bryan Ferry who was at that time modelling clothes for MS was embroiled in a controversy regarding his admiration for Nazi iconography. Following Ferrys apology over the matter MS distanced itself from singer and officially released a statement that it did not give its opinions on views that were expressed by people in other situations and refused to comment further on this issue. (Leaders We Deserve,2007). Present chief executive of MS is Marc Bolland. He served as chief executive of supermarket chain Wm Morrison and beat MSs internal candidates to bag this post in 2009. In November 2010, he announced a large number of changes to the policy and strategies followed by his predecessor Sir Stuart Rose by stating that MSs goal is now to become an international retailer. In a multibillion pound revamp he announced scaling back of his predecessor plans of retailing various branded groceries like Marmite and Coca Cola and also axing portfolio fashion-for-fifty somethings. He also planned to open more simply food stores less than two years after Sir Stuart close 25 of them, scrapping retailing of household gadgets like TVs and iPods. He also announced plans to spend  £300 million a year for next three years on revamping UK stores which recently under Sir Stuart had  £3bn makeover. Bolland used expertise of management consultants from McKinsey to come up with this grand plan. His research picked that among other things the customers struggled to navigate MS stores( he tested 30 colleagues to find five items in one hour, only eight succeeded), customer had problems understanding in-house brands like Per Una, Limited and Autograph, and that only one in five shopped in homewares department -thereby making sales improvement in that area key focus. During this analysis he also talked to surviving members of the founding families of MS and concluded that MS should do things that other brands dont do. In 2008 MS annual profits reached a  £1bn but due to recession it was down to  £700m. New leadership has not made any promises but Mr. Bolland is confident of his plans. (guardian.co.uk, 2010). Tesco, before Sir Terry Leahy took control, was just a market follower with the strategy catch-up. It was Sir Terry Leahy who directed Tesco towards leading through market knowledge and in process making it largest in the UK. He transformed Tesco into a customer-centric organisation. His strategies including diversification into non-food retail moves into clothing, banking, and its international expansion helped Tesco become the biggest and most profitable in the UK. He was responsible for the Tesco Clubcard. It was because of his successful strategies and policies that he was voted most admired leader eight times in the past decade. Recent announcement that Sir Terry Leahy will step down saw Tesco shares drop by 2.4% this gives an idea of importance of Sir Terry Leahy to Tesco as an organisation. He will be succeeded by Philip Clarke who will be brining his own brand of leadership. In case of Tesco this change may have various implications as at the end of such a long and successful tenure of Sir Terry Leahy its not just the investors who are liable to anxiety. He was strongly associated with Tesco brand so effective succession planning will be critical and its going to be tricky for his successor. Board members who missed this top position will be major problem for Philip.( Personneltoday, Beth Holmes, June 2010). There are various situations where the leadership skills of Tescos management have played a significant role in overcoming hurdles. One such incident can be recalled in their joint venture case in 1999. At that same time the French hypermarket named Carrefour had tried to enter Korean markets but it failed miserably. However, in the same year Tesco entered into a joint venture with Samsung under the name of Samsung Tesco Homeplus. The Korean population have preference for local supermarkets chains. This fact was ignored by Carrefour but Tescos management took this localization factor seriously and tried to give this joint venture a local outlook resulting in its success. This joint venture faced difficulty in 1999 just after the merger. The main reason behind this was the low morale of the employees because of various cultural differences arising out of the merger. However to avoid the mistakes which resulted in Carrefours failure and to tackle this issue the leaders at Tescos and Sa msung started the Shinbaration task force initiative. This initiative went a long way in balancing out the major differences between the work forces of these two organisations. As a result of this positive approach of Tesco leadership it was able to get a strong foothold in Korean markets and had recently announced it expansion plans by opening eight additional outlets in the country (ISN, March 2010). CONCLUSION Thus we note that the tremendous success of both MS and Tesco can be to a large extent attributed to the effective and competent leadership skills demonstrated by their leaders whether be it in terms of dealing with their competitor, changing business environments, or internal troubles. The new leadership of both these organisations has so far been able to cope well with the handover process.

Credit and Collection Corporation :: essays research papers

Case Study: Credit and Collection Corporation Credit and Collection Corporation (CCC) is looking to offer stocks to a group of private investors. CCC manages and collects accounts receivables for three different types of customers. CCC uses a local CPA firm to prepare and given an opinion on its financial statements. To improve the favorability of the equity offer CCC has determined it needs an opinion on its financial statements from one of the Big Six CPA firms. The first type of accounts receivable CCC purchases are delinquent accounts. CCC reviews a company’s delinquent accounts receivables, removes problem and bankrupt accounts from the list and then assumes collection responsibility for the collection for a management fee of 30 percent. The second type of accounts receivables are current and delinquent accounts receivable. CCC reviews a company’s accounts receivables then pays the company 95 percent of the value of the receivables selected. Any uncollectible accounts are exchanged with the company for new receivables or are purchased back from CCC by the company. The third type of account receivables are payments due to hospitals, clinics and doctors from third party payers. CCC reviews the accounts receivables to determine the amount that the third party payer will actually be paying. The provider is then paid 95 percent of the determined value and CCC collects from the third party payor. For each type of accounts receivab le CCC generates dun letters and does follow-up collection calls. The first Big Six CPA firm spend several days interviewing CCC personnel and studying the financial data. The CPA firm determined they has serious reservations about revenue recognition. The CPA firm stated CCC was in the collections business and should recognize revenue only after accounts had been collected. The firm based its findings on concept statement number 5. Concept statement number 5 states an item must meet the definition of a financial statement element, the item must have a relevant attribute measurable with sufficient reliability, the item must contain information capable of marking a difference in user decisions, and the information must be verifiable, representationally faithful and neutral. Therefore, revenue should be recognized when realizable and earned. The firm compared CCC’s business to â€Å"real estate accounting rules required the deferral of revenue from a real estate sale, so long as the seller had any continuing involvement with the development o f the property sold.†(Corporate, 99) The firm did not think CCC earned its revenue until after it had sent out the dun letters, made the follow up calls and collected on the account.

Klemens Von Metternich

KLEMENS VON METTERNICH Statesman; born at Coblenz, 15 May, 1773; died at Vienna, 11 June, 1859; son of Count Georg, Austrian envoy of the Court of Vienna at Coblenz, and Maria Beatrix, nee Countess von Kageneck. He studied philosophy at the University of Strasburg, and law and diplomacy at Mainz. A journey to England completed his education. Metternich began his public career in 1801 as Austrian ambassador to the Court of Dresden. Though he had for several years prepared himself for a diplomatic career, he was especially fortunate in being immediately appointed to so prominent a position.Only two years later he was made ambassador to Berlin. The emperor considered it very important to have a minister at Berlin who could gain the favour of the Court and the principal Prussian statesmen, and who knew how to combine â€Å"great powers of observation with a moderate and agreeable manner†. Metternich had already proved that he possessed these qualities. Napoleon was then emperor wi th the new empire at the zenith of its power. The Emperor Francis needed his ablest ambassador at Napoleon's Court, and in May, 1806, he sent Metternich to Paris.Metternich found himself in the difficult position of representing Austria in the face of the overweening threats and ambitious plans of Napoleon at the height of his power. He did so with dignity and firmness, as his report of his important audience with Napoleon on 15 August, 1808, shows. The year 1809 is marked by the great war between Austria and France. The German States were called upon to join her, but only the Tyrol responded. On 13 May Vienna was besieged by the French, but eight days later Napoleon was defeated by the Archduke Charles at Aspern.Metternich, treated as a prisoner of state by Napoleon, was finally released in July in exchange for members of the French embassy. After the battle of Wagram Austria's position was hopeless. Its army was cut off from Hungary and compelled to retreat to Moravia and Bohemia. A great statesman was needed to save the situation. On 4 August the Emperor Francis appointed Metternich as minister of state to confer with Napoleon, and on 8 October, minister of the imperial house and of foreign affairs.By the treaty of Schonbrunn (14 October), Austria was greatly reduced in size, and reached the greatest depths of its humiliation. But the moment of its degradation saw the beginning of its rise. The two-headed eagle soared to the loftiest heights, and it was Metternich who gave it the strength for its flight. For nearly forty years he directed Austria's policy. His first concern was to establish tolerable relations with the French Emperor. Napoleon desired by means of a new marriage to ally himself with one of the old European dynasties in the hope to raise himself and to provide an heir for the imperial throne.He obtained a divorce from Josephine Beauharnais, and through the mediation of Metternich married Maria Louise, daughter of the Emperor Frances of Austri a. Though at present it seems to become more and more probable that Napoleon's union with Josephine was a valid marriage, nevertheless it is certain that when Napoleon wedded Maria Louise (11 March, 1810) the Court of Vienna and the Papal Curia were absolutely convinced of the unlawfulness of Napoleon's first alliance. Napoleon's connexion with the imperial family of Austria had no influence on politics.Fate led the French Emperor, after ruining so many others, to ruin himself. At Schonbrunn he pronounced the temporal sovereignty of the Roman See to be at an end, and in reply to the pope's excommunication he remarked: â€Å"This will not cause the arms to drop from the hands of my grenadiers. † Although he imprisoned the pope, in the Russian campaign on the Beresina the arms did drop from the frozen hands of his grenadiers. As the crisis approached the decision lay with Austria. From a quarter past eleven in the morning until half past eight in the evening Metternich was clos eted with Napoleon (Dresden, 26 June, 1813). Our conference consisted of the strangest farrago of heterogeneous subjects, characterized now by extreme friendliness, now by the most violent outbursts of fury†. Napoleon raged, threatened, and leaped up like a chafed lion. Metternich remained calm. Napoleon let his hat, which he was holding under his arm, drop to the floor. Metternich did not stoop to pick it up. The emperor also tried persuasion. â€Å"Your sovereigns†, he said, â€Å"who were born to their thrones cannot comprehend the feelings that move me.To them it is nothing to return to their capitals defeated. But I am a soldier. I need honour and glory. I cannot reappear among my people devoid of prestige. I must remain great, admired, covered with glory. † For that reason, he said, he could not accept the proposed conditions of peace. Metternich replied, â€Å"But when will this condition of things cease, in which defeat and victory are alike reasons for continuing these dismal wars? If victorious, you insist upon the fruits of your victory; if defeated, you are determined to rise again. Napoleon made various offers for Austria's neutrality, but Metternich declined all bargaining, and Napoleon's oft-repeated threat, â€Å"We shall meet in Vienna†, was his farewell to Metternich. Metternich gave the signal for war, and Schwarzenberg led the decisive battle of Leipzig. The Emperor Francis raised his â€Å"beloved Count Metternich† to the rank of Austrian prince. â€Å"Your able efforts in conducting the department with which I entrusted you in difficult times are now, at a moment highly decisive in the world's destiny, happily crowned with success. Metternich reached the height of his power and renown at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815). No idea can be had of the difficulty of the problems that were to be solved. The very first conference of the representatives of the powers previously allied against France (Austria, Prussia, Russia, and England), held on 19 September, 1814, at Metternich's villa on the Rennweg, ended in a discord over the Polish question. It constantly required all of Metternich's most brilliant qualities to preserve harmony. One of his favourite means was to provide festivities of all sorts.They have often been criticized as if they had been the object of the congress, and not a means to attain its ends. Metternich succeeded finally in bridging over every difficulty. The Emperor Francis expressed his satisfaction with Metternich's services in securing peace and order in Europe, and especially in restoring to Austria its ancient pre-eminence. The rearrangement of German and Italian affairs gave but little satisfaction to either side, but henceforth Metternich was the leading statesman of Europe.For the settlement of questions still pending and other difficulties that arose, the following congresses were held: Aix-la-Chapelle, 1818; Karlsbad (a conference of ministers), 1819; Vi enna, 1820; Troppau, 1820; Laibach, 1821; and Verona, 1822. The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, at which the monarchs of Austria, Prussia, and Russia were personally present, devoted its attention to the adjustment of the relations of the powers to France, though Metternich also emphasized the dangers arising from demagogic agitation, and expressed his suspicions that its focus was in Germany.When, not long after, the Russian councillor, Kotzebue, was assassinated by the student, Sand, Metternich in twenty-four conferences of German ministers at Karlsbad took measures to put an end to the political troubles in Germany. All publications of less than twenty folios were to be subject to censorship; government officers were to be placed at the universities to supervise them; in the several states the constitutions providing for diets in accordance with ancient usage were to be retained; representative constitutions were to be suppressed.Despite England's and Russia's resistance, Metternich at the two succeeding congresses successfully carried his proposition to intervene in behalf of the Italian states, which were threatened and hard pressed by the revolution. This measure brought upon Austria the hatred of the Italian people. Finally Austria and Russia split on the question of freeing Greece from the Turkish yoke, Austria showing herself to be a decided friend of the Turks. The result was a blow to Metternich's policy. He had dropped from the high-water mark of his influence.Thereafter Russia's influence increased. Since the death of Prince Kaunitz (1794) the position of house, court, and state chancellor had been vacant, but in 1821 Metternich was invested with that office. â€Å"Your deserts have been increased by the uninterrupted zeal, the ability and fearlessness with which, especially in the last two years, you devoted yourself to the preservation of general order and the triumph of law over the disorderly doings of disturbers of the peace in the states at ho me and abroad. Under the Emperor Ferdinand I after 1835, the direction of affairs, after the emperor himself, was in the hands of a council consisting of the Archduke Ludwig (uncle of the emperor), the state chancellor Metternich, and the court chancellor Kolowrat. Metternich's influence over Austria's internal affairs was less than is generally supposed. Count Hartig, who was well informed, declares (Geschichte der Revolution, p. 19): â€Å"In matters of internal administration the prince was seldom heard, and was purposely kept away from them. † In this department after 1826, it was the minister Count Kolowrat whose influence was decisive.Many envied Metternich his pre-eminence. The aristocracy always saw the foreigner in him, and others looked with resentment upon the preference shown foreigners in the state chancery (Friedrich Gentz, Adam Muller, Friedrich Schlegel, Jarke). Grillparzer, director of archives in the Hofkammer, expressed himself very harshly on that point in 1839, though it must be noted that Grillparzer had been highly incensed. In all these matters Kolowrat had the advantage of Metternich. He was even considered capable of granting, or, at least, of preparing a constitution, and was thought to be inclined to do so.As time passed â€Å"the Metternich system† came to be held more and more responsible for everything unpleasant, and its author to be hated and attacked. His own acts show the injustice done the prince in this regard. To quote from his â€Å"Political Testament†: â€Å"To me the word freedom has not the value of a starting-point, but of an actual goal to be striven for. The word order designates the starting-point. It is only on order that freedom can be based. Without order as a foundation the cry for freedom is nothing more than the endeavour of some party or other for an end it has in view.When actually carried out in practice, that cry for freedom will inevitably express itself in tyranny. At all times an d in all situations I was a man of order, yet my endeavour was always for true and not for pretended liberty. † These words are the key to the understanding and appreciation of Metternich's actions. Two more passages characteristic of the great statesman's temper of mind may be cited: â€Å"Admirers of the press honour it with the title, ‘representative of public opinion', though everything written in the papers is nothing but the expression of those who write.Will the value of being the expression of public opinion ever be attributed to the publications of a Government, even of a Republican Government? Surely not! Yet every obscure journalist claims this value for his own products. What a confusion of ideas! † No less just and important a remark is the following on state religion: â€Å"The downfall of empires always directly depends upon the spread of unbelief. For this very reason religious belief, the first of virtues, is the strongest power.It alone curbs at tack and makes resistance irresistible. Religion cannot decline in a nation without causing that nation's strength also to decline, and the fall of states does not proceed in arithmetical progression according to the law of falling bodies, but rapidly leads to destruction. † When on 13 March, 1848, the storm of the revolution raged in Vienna, the state chancellor, who preferred to sacrifice himself rather than others, immediately resigned his position. He went to England, Brussels, and Schloss Johannisberg.From the last place he returned to Vienna in 1851, and eight years later died in his palace on the Rennweg at the age of eighty-six. In Europe Napoleon, Metternich, and Bismarck set their stamp upon the nineteenth century. All three of them lived to see their own fall. Metternich remained the longest in the leading position of â€Å"coachman of Europe†. Nothing better characterizes the great statesman than what he repeatedly said, proud and aristocratic as always, to Baron A. von Hubner a few weeks before his death: â€Å"I was a rock of order† (un rocher d'ordre).Metternich married three times: in 1795 Maria Eleonora, granddaughter of Princess Kaunitz, by whom he had seven children; in 1827 Maria Antonia, Baroness von Leykam, by whom he had a son, Richard Klemens; and in 1831 Countess Melanie Zichy, by whom he had three children. What was the Metternich system? The Metternich system depended upon political and religious censorship, espionage, and the suppression of revolutionary and nationalist movements. His name became anathema to liberals, and the revolutions of 1848 (which forced him to seek refuge in England) were in part directed at his repressive system.Metternich returned to Austria in 1851. Prince metternich set out many different small fires of liberalising revolutions. The system depended upon political and religious censorship, and the suppression of revolutionary and nationalist movements.. This became held for everything un pleasant. Concert of Europe 1815: In the aftermath of Napoleon's defeat, the great powers of Europe came together to define the new political order. For fifteen years, the plans devised at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) succeeded in reinstating and maintaining Europe's monarchies, while suppressing the ambitions of liberals, nationalists, and workers.However, in 1830 and again in 1848 the aspirations of these groups exploded in revolutionary action. All of these would-be revolutions were eventually put down, but the message that an expansion of the political sphere was coming could not be denied. In fact, nationalism drove much of the political change in the two decades following the revolts of 1848. Austria-Hungary was reorganized to give special status to large minority groups. The states of Italy were brought together in a unified country in 1861.And finally, the German states were unifed under Prussian leadership in 1871. The unification of Italy and Germany were part of a l arger pattern. Throughout Europe, the power of the state increased at the same time as more and more people were brought into the political process. Between 1848 and 1914, France became a republic again, Britain moved closer to democracy, serfdom was abolished in Russia, and Spain and Portugal moved towards modernization of their governments. By 1914, almost all European men had the right to vote.

AFGANISTAN essays

AFGANISTAN essays Beginning on September 27, 1996, an extremist militia group known as the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Upon seizing control, the Taliban has instituted a system of gender apartheid, which has placed women into a state of virtual house arrest. Since that time the women and girls of Afghanistan have been stripped of all human rights including their voice, visibility and their mobility. The Campaign to stop Gender Apartheid, led by the Feminist Majority Foundation, has brought together numerous human right and womens organizations around the world to demand an end to the abuses of the women in Afghanistan. In the 1980s when the Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan, the United States gave billions of dollars, through a secret CIA operation, to revolutionary militia forces called the mujahideen (soldiers of God). Unfortunately, in 1989 when the Soviet Union pulled out, groups of the mujahideen entered into a civil war and in 1996 the Taliban emerged as the controlling force. The Taliban is actually made up of young men and boys who were raised in refugee camps and trained in ultraconservative religious schools in Pakistan. The primary support system of the Taliban is from Pakistan, they provide military aid and personnel, Saudi Arabia provides the financial support. In addition, Afghanistan is one of the worlds two largest producers of opium, which in turn makes it a huge drug-processing center. Finally, the biggest potential for financial support comes from the wealth of the petroleum industry. The Taliban claim to follow a pure, fundamental Islamic ideology, except the oppression they place upon women has no foundation in Islam. Within Islam, women can earn, control and spend their own money; they can also participate in public life. Both the Organizations of the Islamic Conference and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have refused to recognize the Taliban as an official governmen...

Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World

Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World Introduction In the study entailing nationalism, one stumbles upon four major debates that scholars tend to engage in. The first one centers on how â€Å"nation† and â€Å"nationalism† should be defined. Secondly, there is a question of the time during which nations are thought to have first occurred.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third debate tends to explore how nations and nationalism actualized. Finally, most classic works emphasize on European nationalism raising a debate as to whether nationalism began in Europe and spread to other non-western parts of the world or whether it developed on its own in non-western countries (Eschenhagen 2 ). This work will not attempt to exhaust all these debates but will rather concentrate on the various definitions of nationalism and its negative effects in the modern wo rld. Definition of Nationalism Nationalism can be understood in diverse perspectives depending on the context. Sociologically, nationalism can first be understood from the word nation, from which it is derived. The nation is Latin in origin – nation whose meaning during the medieval era was devoid of any political connotation. It has a similar meaning with Greek word ethnos that stands for â€Å"people, nation, and country† (Norbu 25). It was until the Middle Ages that the nation began attaining a political interpretation, which was vividly outspoken especially in France and Germany. In these two places, the term nation was used to refer to the ruling cadre in contrast with the word volk, which is synonymous to the common people or populace (Norbu 25). In view of this meaning, the word nation and the nationality concept were closely attributed to both sovereignty and power to imply that this concept was only common among those who were in rulership. Rather than belong to the people who embody it, the word nation rather referred to those in political power that had more say over state related concerns and held the key to the means of production. During the absolute monarchy, the nation was closely associated with the monarch’s state. If for that matter political power’s place of residence is the epitome the nation, then the French revolution was a major protest against the aristocratic class. With the increase in social communication and mass awareness, the idea of nationalism ceased from being cocooned within the aristocrats. It spilled down to the common people as well.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rousseau (1770 -1850) who refused equating nation to the higher political class and instead equating it with the populace (Norbu 25) agitated for the new concept of the nation. The meaning of nationality and that of na tionalism are closely related in that they designate a people rather than a nation per se. Nationalism is therefore a unique type of politically motivated social awareness that is people-derived and people oriented (Norbu 25). Another perspective of understanding nationalism is to look at it from the different kinds of nationalism and then elucidating that one of them can be defended and the other kinds cannot. In this light, the western form of nationality can be contrasted against the eastern form (Miller, 1995). For instance, western nationalization has been perceived as perspicacious and favorable to progress or reform. On the other hand, eastern nationalization has been perceived as unprogressive and cryptic, based on a seeming tribal perspective of nationality (Kohn, 1944, cited in Miller 8). The second contrast suggests that western nationalism was for people with outstanding cultural marks, able to measure up with those of known nation states such as Germany and Italy during the nineteenth century. On the other hand, Eastern nationalism was for people whose ancient culture was primitive and hence they had to curve an identity for themselves to able to fit competently in the modern world (Arnold 1976, cited in Miller 8). Another difference suggests that in Eastern nationalism, people who within the same territory are governed by common laws and take part in similar civic culture while Eastern nationalism is genealogically- based suggesting the notion of individuals bound together by shared ancestry. In each case, the contrast is used to draw the fact that Western nationalism is friendly to a liberal state whereas eastern nationalism tends towards dictatorship and cultural constraint (Miller 9). Another way of understanding nationality is looking at it from the standpoint of political philosophy. This is the difference between a nationalism of a nation that interferes with the rights of other nations as it strives to uphold its own objectives and a natio nalism that is sensitive to the rights of other nations and aims at enhancing equality among all nations. For example, MacCormick differentiates between acknowledging moral tussles while striving for national concerns from an egocentric drive of desiring that one’s nation should outdo others (Nathanson, 1993, cited in Miller 9).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nationalism and its Negative Effects in the Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, succinctly put, nationalism can be termed as opposition to foreign control, consciousness of being part of a certain nation and pride in the nation’s culture, norms, infrastructure, and achievements, awareness of shared political roles and a demand for self –motivated national governance (Okoth 1). How nationalism has been a negative force in our modern world The 1962 Indian border war Although the Indian border war in 1962 was not directly influenced by a western power, it elicited a rise in Chinese various nationalistic elements such as the sovereignty and legitimacy of China. When the raw over the border emerged within the mid nineteenth century, Apart from fear of losing its territorial loss, China hardened its position due to two other reasons. This was both the Tibet question and India’s non-negotiable attitude towards the borderline. Despite the known fact that Tibet has been within the Chinese territory since 1950, the Indian prime minister negated the fact that China had sovereignty over the territory. This really soured the relationship between India and China. China interpreted the Indian prime minister’s challenge of their own sovereignty over Tibet as purely imperialistic. China then resolved to respond to this through a strike of equal magnitude. The borderline war between India and China was not only fueled by India’s imperialistic approach, but also by India’s hard-line atti tude regarding the McMahon line. Due to collective opinion from the Chinese republic and Taiwanian support, China finally got victory. Although the Chinese government had achieved its objectives, the war tainted China’s international position and was a major cause of a deadlock in bilateral associations for many years thereafter (Eschenhagen 6). The eight islands dispute Besides the past borderline dispute between India and China, there is also a recent nationalistic dispute between Japan, China, and Taiwan regarding the ownership of eight islands found in the East Asia Sea. Although none of the three parties would like the issue to cripple their bilateral agreements, the conflict is motivated by both domestic and international politics. Although ownership of resources found in the islands is the major cause of dispute, nationalistic claims have blown out of proportion. Although conflict among the three parties was improbable, resolution and shared exploitation of the resourc es was also elusive (Huang, 1997, cited in Eschenhagen 6). A series of international conflicts then arose leading to protests from Chinese students. This was after a bomb attack in China that was thought to have been of western origin. The students’ protests led not only to the bombing of an American officer’s residents but also to the vandalism of other U.S related premises within the Chinese streets.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The protests moved from street-based to online-based and with this, the Chinese national leadership had to intervene since the move would have jeopardized the relations between China and the U.S. The western world was greatly baffled by the protests and the U.S media apportioned blame to the Chinese government for fueling the mayhem by misleading the masses with incorrect nationalistic information (Eschenhagen 8). The U.S surveillance plane incident In a separate incidence, an American spy plane collided with a Chinese jet over the sea located in the southern part of China. This was after the American plane penetrating into the Chinese airspace without verbal clearance. This came at a time when other issues like human rights and support of Taiwan by the U.S had strained the relationship between Beijing and Washington. Although the U.S ambassador to China brought a message of apology to the Chinese people after a long impasse, the Chinese jet had been destroyed and its pilot killed i n the collision. Extreme Right wing voting The reasons behind the popularity of extreme right wing in some countries of the European Union and their absence and low influence in other parts have been of much debate (Gijsberts 157). However, they have been attributed to a diversity of country-specific features. Factors leading to these variances in the extreme rightwing voting are three-fold: sociological, economic, and political (Gijsberts 157). Sociologically, variances in the population of different countries affect the voter turnout in the extreme right wing voting. This is determined by both the public opinion and social structure of country. Economically, the economic doldrums and rivalry between the country’s main group and the immigrants could also explain the differences in extreme right wing voting. Politically, specific factors that characterize a party and the system of its operation influences voter turnout (Gijsberts 157). Nationalism as a cause of major world co nflicts and genocide Xenophobia and chauvinism are both regarded as products of extreme nationalism (Auer 19). This is perceived in the sense that xenophobic nationalism being the fear and rejection of a stranger is an extension of any aspect of national identity. Additionally, even though patriotism is closely related to nationalism, critics of nationalism find it quite detrimental in its extreme manifestation (Kegley 408). Extreme patriots tend to gauge their patriotism via the level of hatred and protest extended towards alien nations. Patriotism also makes them to blindly endorse all policies and practices of their own nation. In this vein, nationalism negates the aspect of universal values that elevates the values of all above those of individual nations. This is seen as an impediment to human rights and the harmony that exists among all nations in a world without borders. Nationalism further contradicts Christian, Islamic, and Judaistic teachings that love should be manifested even towards one’s enemies. Looked at from this perspective, nationalism is therefore perceived as a cause for armed world conflicts. Nationalism’s double-faced character is believed to be the main cause armed conflict. First, it is a common force that bonds nations with similar nationalities together and secondly, it does not only bring divisions among but it also divides nationalities and this is what justifies armed conflicts with other nations (Kegley 408). Genocide is normally explained as state organized killings that targets a given political, religious, national, or ethical group (Scherrer 69). The Bosnia genocide is believed to have its causes embedded in nationalism. Although the concentration camps were used to carry out genocidal activities, other acts entailed not just mass rape but also destruction of both Islamic and Croatian symbols (Delanty and Kumar 327). Such acts partly involve death but also involve annihilation either fully or partly, of a given national group. For instance, the mass rape psychologically torments and destroys the reproductive potential of all the groups (Delanty and Kumar 327). Apart from the Bosnia genocide, both world wars were direct full-scale genocides. For example during the Second World War, Hitler ordered mass murder against many ethnic groups such as the European Jews and Russians among others (Scherrer, p. 76). There were also organized killings against millions of prisoners and slave workers. The Nazi terror took away of 50 million the lives and Fascist Germany war eliminated the lives of millions of the Roma and Sinti, Russian civilians, Serbs among others (Scherrer 76). Conclusion Nationalism is the social consciousness of the people in a particular nation that causes them to protest alien control as they pride in their own national traditions, achievements and political rights. The extreme manifestations of nationalism have had negative impacts in the world especially manifested through armed conflicts and genocides. Auer, Stefan. Liberalism in Central Europe. London, Routledge. 2004. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=b2IRot3UaQ0Cpg=PA19dq=negative+effects+of+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=Fm3ATP_UGZ-V4gawiqTnCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepageqf=false. Delanty, Gerard and Kumar, Krishan. The SAGE handbook of nations and nationalism. London, Routledge. 2006. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=3Y3zK_jyagQCpg=PA327dq=nationalism+as+the+cause+of+genocide+in+bosniahl=enei=ozXBTN2dGYaVswa74P2WCAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Eschenhagen, Paul. Nationalism in China: Implications for Chinese International Relations. Norderstedt, GRIN Verlag. 2006. October 21, 2010. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=XxW92MeKABECpg=PA2dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true . Gijsberts, Merove I. Nationalism and exclusion of migrants: cross national comparisons. VT, Ashgate Publishing. 2004. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=6iW3lXAj5BQCpg=PA160dq=negative+effects+of+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=Fm3ATP_UGZ-V4gawiqTnCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Kegley, Charles. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. CA, Cengage Learning. 2009. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=JFVlaSN6CwsCpg=PA408dq=conflicts+resulting+from+extreme+nationalismhl=enei=GybBTNeNOYfEswab2pDSCAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CFMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageqf=true. Norbu, Dawa. Culture, and the Politics of Third World Nationalism. London, SAGE Publications Ltd. 1992. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=DhZk6aOAWbsCpg=PA25dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true. Okoth. Assa. A History of Afri ca. Kampala, East African Publishers Ltd. 2006. 21 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=suMvEWjK-OcCpg=PA1dq=Definition+of+nationalismhl=enei=fALATOsSh_ngBrjCyLYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=Definition%20of%20nationalismf=true. Scherrer, Christian. Ethnicity, nationalism, and violence. London, Ashgate Publishing Limited. 2003. 22 October 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=6NnchlGT3nECpg=PA69dq=nationalism+as+a+cause+for+genocidehl=enei=GTzBTP7WM8_tsga__pXHCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=nationalism%20as%20a%20cause%20for%20genocidef=false.

Cultural report on workplace bullying in Israel Essay

Cultural report on workplace bullying in Israel - Essay Example The problem Ayoko et al (2003) states that lack of proper employee and multicultural management leads to workplace bullies. This is normally characterized by name-calling, taunting, teasing or even sexual harassment. The situation is much worse if the company or organization’s management is involved in the bullying of employees because the affected employees have no one to run to for help. It also reduces the chances of such a vice fading away. Such a case of management involvement in bullying employee has been reported in this textile company. Employees especially those of Australian origin have reported that they are being bullied by the company management. Some of the employees have reported that they have been called names while some of them have reported constant taunting and teasing. According to Brodsky (1976), bullying makes the workplace unbearable for bullied workers. It also impacts negatively on their productivity. This is to say that bullying kills their morale an d motivation. Bullying of employees by company management makes workers to develop a negative attitude towards the company and hence they put little or no efforts to see to it that its production levels increase. Wiedmer (2011) explains that when bullied, workers who are innovative in nature and those who are good at identifying new markets go mute. This means the company is directly loosing a lot as a result of its discriminative management. Apart from affecting employees, the negative culture has also impacts negatively on the management practice. For example, it makes the management to loose the respect of employees. This means that the rate of taking instructions reduces because the employees are no longer willing to co-operate with the management. Some could also be on a revenge mission to see to it that the company records poor performance so as to taint the image of the oppressive management. Bullying taints the credibility of the management. Crawford (1997) explains that emp loyees loose usually confidence in a management that participates in jokes that are racially and even sexually offensive. According to De Dreu (2007), bullying of employees by management can divide the management along racial lines. For example though this textile company is Australian based, not all its management is of Australian or Israeli origin. Some of its members therefore feel bad to see their fellow citizens being bullied or discriminated by a section of the management. Alternative Solutions Alternative solutions to bullying as an evil culture of bullying touch on the management as well as the employees. Such measures will ensure that the culture does not simply shift from the management to the employees or become a collaboration between sections of the two. First, the company should create a company culture that not only accepts but also appreciates the variations that every employee brings to the workplace. Ashforth (1994) states that the new culture should enable the man agement as well as the employees to recognize, appreciate and most importantly, to respect variations between cultures. The company should also develop an amalgamated culture from all the cultures represented in the company. Saam (2010) explains that such a unifying culture will form a common basis of conduct for all the employees irrespective of their cultural backgrounds. The company also should develop employment policies then

The War on Terror U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan Essay

The War on Terror U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan - Essay Example Thesis statement: The U.S. initiated War on Terror and invasion of Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) is helpful to obstruct the rapid spread of terrorism, restoration of democracy in Afghanistan, and peace in the Middle East. The War on Terror The War on Terror, a military campaign initiated by the U.S. and its allied nations, primarily aims to resist rapid spread of terrorism, especially the terrorist plots like 9/11. Duffy (2005), an eminent human rights activist, writer, and the director of the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights points out that, â€Å"In the immediate wake of the attacks of 11 September 2001, the United States committed itself to a sustained ‘war on terror’, a significant component of which has involved the use of military force by the United States and its allies in several countries, notably Afghanistan and Iraq† (p.186). One can see that the origin of terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and Taliban is inte rconnected with the growth of militant nationalism in the Middle East. On the other side, the War on Terror never hindered counter-terrorism measures adopted by the world nations. To be specific, the War on Terror aims to reduce the influence of terrorism among the world nations. ... The origin of the War on Terror is interconnected with the growth of al-Qaeda and Taliban in the Middle East. The end result of the creation of al-Qaeda by Osama bin Laden in 1980s was the rapid spread of terrorism and the origin of Taliban in Afghanistan. Gradually, Bin Laden began to control Afghani Taliban. This eventually led to the origin of terrorist networks in the Middle East and in the African continent. On the other side, the U.S. interest and influence among the oil rich Middle Eastern nations was an imminent threat to the terrorist networks. So, Bin Laden decided to intimidate the U.S. and other Western nations by attacking the officials and civilians. Soros (2007), who is the chief of the Soros Fund Management, supporter of open societies and an important critic on the War on Terror, opines that, â€Å"Bin Laden correctly identified the one aspect in which military Islam is superior to Western civilization: the fear of death† (p.108). The millennium attack in the year 2000 proves that Bin Laden was ready to challenge the U.S. and its allied nations. The immediate cause behind the War on Terrorism and the attack on al-Qaeda and Taliban is the 9/11 attack, formulated by Bin Laden. This attack infuriated the U.S. and it eventually led to the extension of the War on Terrorism to new levels. The War on Terrorism aimed to destroy the mastermind behind the rapid spread of terrorism. Soros (2007), opines that, â€Å"My emphasis on the role of the United States as the source of stability in the world and the protector of our civilization is somewhat exaggerated on account of personal considerations† (p.xviii). But, Bin Laden and other leaders of Al-Qaeda and Taliban like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were in Afghanistan. So, the warfront gradually shifted to