Khalifa Ali

IntroductionAli was born to Abu Talib himself a renowned Quraish chief and custodian of the Holy Kaaba. Abu Talib’s father, Abdul Muttalib was the son of the great Hashim. Ali’s mother was Fatima, daughter of Asad who too was a son of Hashim. Fatima was a cousin of Abu Talib. Thus both of Ali’s parents were Hashemite, which was considered quite prestigious.Ancestry of AliThe Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was Abdul Muttalib’s grandson. His father Abdullah was Abu Talib’s brother, which therefore made Abu Talib the prophet’s uncle and Ali his first cousin.Birth of AliAlthough his exact date of birth is not confirmed tradition says, Ali was born on the thirteenth of â€Å"Rajab† in the 28th year of the Elephant Era (whose commencement is marked by Yemen’s ruler Abraha’s failed attempt to invade Makkah and destroy the Kaaba) The Holy Prophet of Islam was born in the Year of the Elephant which according to scholars corresponds to the year 571 A.D. If we calculate then, Ali must have been born around 599 or 600 C.E.His birth was quite an unusual one. That day, his mother Fatima visited the Kaaba for pilgrimage. It was during her pilgrimage that she felt maternal pains and retired to a corner of the Kaaba and that is where Ali was born. Thus, Ali had the unparalleled honor of being born in the House of Allah bestowed upon him.The NameLegend goes that when Ali was born the Holy prophet and his wife Khadija came to see the infant. That the little boy had not yet opened his eyes was a matter of great worry for everyone. But when the prophet Muhammad held him in his hands young Ali opened his eyes, making the prophet the first person he saw after birth. The Holy Prophet named him ‘Ali’ the derivative of Allah, since he was born the Ka’aba.Physical AppearanceAli was of a moderate height. He held a gracious face which reflected his personality. His facial features were striking wi th a straight nose and a beautifully formed mouth. He possessed commanding eyes, full of light and luster.   It was as if rays of spirituality   beamed through him , and there was a certain sense of personal magnetism that attracted people towards him. As a young man, Ali was handsome, while in his later age, he became bulky with his gray hair of the head giving way to baldness. His beard, which was often dyed red, remained thick and luxuriant.Marriage of AliInitially when the Holy Prophet migrated to Yathrib he went alone but later Yathrib was named ‘Medina’ in his honor and he called his family and other Muslims there as well. At that time the prophet’s beloved wife Khadija had expired and he had married a woman called Sauda. A year later, he married Abu Bakr’s ( Islam’s first Caliph’s)daughter Ayesha. The Holy Prophet’s youngest daughter Fatima was also old enough to be married by that time. Abu Bakr and Omar both asked for her hand in marriage but there was no answer on the part of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.In those simpler times, age differences were not a concern in marriage. Khadija had been fifteen years older to Muhammad and he himself was much older to Ayesha at the time of marriage. It is thus important to note that this was not the reason the Prophet Muhammad remained silent to these proposals but it is reasonable to conclude that he was waiting for God’s approval and guidance in making this decision. After the Battle of Badr, it was Ali’s turn to ask for Fatima’s hand in marriage and he did so. The Holy Prophet replied that he needed Fatima’s consent. When he consulted Fatima she remained silent, a   sign of approval. The prophet also received a revelation signifying Allah’s approval of the marriage. Both families also mutually agreed.The marriage of Ali and Fatima is said to be the perfect one. Indeed two pure and blessed souls unified and bonded together. Ha fsa, a daughter of Omar and later a wife of the Holy Prophet described Fatima as an exemplary woman, one who’s face shone like the moon and who married a man with a superior personality.Induction of Ali as a member of the family of the Holy ProphetWhen Ali visited the Holy Prophet from the desert where he had been living, the occasion was also attended by a close few including Abu Talib and his family. The Holy Prophet loved Ali very much so much so that he requested Abu Talib to place Ali under his care. Abu Talib agreed to entrust Ali with the prophet because he knew he would care for him better than anyone else could.It is believed that the Holy Prophet did this to relieve Abu Talib’s increasing financial worries. However, this view seems to be untrue because Abu Talib was a Quraish chief and a trader. And had he been in any financial trouble the trouble he prophet would surely have helped him. Therefore it seems that it was because of the prophet’s fondness of Ali that he took him under his responsibility. Abu Talib would often visit and Ali would meet his parents everyday. The Holy Prophet kept Ali as a younger brother with much affection.Companionship of the Holy Prophet:The period of Ali's life which was spent with the Holy Prophet can be termed as the period of education and action. It was during these 32 years, from Ali's birth till the demise of the Holy Prophet, that Ali received his education under the loving care of the Last Prophet of Allah; embedded in himself the values of Islam; and acquired all the attributes that contribute to greatness. After the migration to Medina, he came to be known as a valiant soldier. His spoils in the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch and his awe inspiring success at Khyber earned him the title of â€Å"Lion of God†.   He acted as the Governor of Yemen, and acquired good deal of experience as an administrator and judge, acquiring fame for his wise and well reasoned judgments.The First Three Caliphs and Ali:At the time of the demise of the Holy Prophet, Ali was a young enlightened, experienced, wise and valiant man. Despite all his qualities, Ali was passed over in the election for a caliph, as Abu Bakr took the state of affairs under his control. Ali would have to wait for 24 years before he could hold the office of caliph. During these years, Ali acted as an adviser to the caliphs in office. This was a period of inaction and contemplation, inaction on the political front as Ali kept aloof from politics and contemplation on the spiritual front as this period of Ali’s life was spent mostly in seeking spiritual perfection through prayer and remembrance of God.The Caliphate of Ali:Following Uthman's assassination, Ali took office as the next caliph of the Islamic empire. His term was a short one, marred by political upheaval, defections of close aides and civil war.   Ali was accused of involvement in the assassination of Uthman by Amer Muawiya, who mounte d an anti Ali campaign. The results were the Battles of the Camel, Siffin and Nahrawan. During the course of these battles, many of his closest aides betrayed him and defected. The list of betrayals is long and includes Ali's brother, cousins, mother in law and the whole cities of Medina and Basra. The Kharijites who had originally supported Ali also seceded and Ali was finally martyred by a Kharijite.Ali's concept of GodIn his various sermons, Ali has dwelt upon on the various attributes of God in a skillful way. Extracts from some of his sermons are as follows:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us. No one can be nearer to us than He.His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in com prehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†Father of SufismAli's religious devotion and nearness to God has earned him the title of â€Å"Father of Sufism†. Most of the Sufi orders claim their descent from Ali, and according to Ali Hajjweri, Ali is ranked very high in the line of Sufism.   Ali is considered the Shaykh as regards the principles and practices of Sufism, as stated by Junayd of Baghdad.Communion with GodAt times, Ali would pray the whole night sobbing out of love and fear of God. For Ali, the purpose of knowledge was to awaken the spiritual faculties that every man possesses which in turn enable man to find his true and inner self.   Ali observed that man could only enjoy communion with God if he would stop being proud, embody discipline, overcome his lust and submit to the Will of God.He stressed on the people in his various sermons to lead a simple and pious life and not to indulge blindly in the pleasures of the world as the case was before Islam.. Ali said, â€Å"Man is a wave in the boundless Sea of God. As long as man's vision is clouded by ignorance and sensuality he will consider himself a separate entity, different from God. But when the veil between him and God is lifted, he will then know what he really is, the wave will then merge with the ocean†.Ali on the Spiritual Front:Ali was a wealth of knowledge. Several of the traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet are narrated by him. He was one of those companions of the Holy Prophet who used to learn the verses of the Quran as they were revealed. Later, after the death of the Holy Prophet, Ali also used to give sermons. In one such sermon, he explains the attributes of God with skillf ul oratory. Excerpts â€Å"All praise is due to the creator of the world whose wisdom is hidden. The various subjects of nature openly confirm his existence. He is not surpassed in strength and superiority. He is the nearest to us.No one can be nearer to us than He. His distance height has not segregated Him from His creation, and His nearness has not established His equality with His creation. He is that sublime and matchless Being in comprehending when the intellect cannot reach the bottom of His attributes, yet nothing prevents a person from comprehending Him. He is that being whose existence even an atheist feels in His heart of hearts. Undoubtedly God is free and sublime and bears no comparison with anyone, then how can anyone have the audacity to deny Him.†In another sermon, he reflected on the transitory stature of this world by remarking â€Å"For the wise, the world is a shadow, which may appear at one moment, and soon disappear.† In another sermon he makes pr ofound remarks by stating â€Å"Many men buy clothes, which instead of being worn by them are used in their coffin. Many persons build houses that instead of becoming abodes become their graves. No one has lived forever in this world, and no one has invented such a medicine which may make men immune from the clutches of death†. In another sermon, he discusses heaven and hell, stating his anxiety on man's subservience to lust, the excess of his longings. In yet another sermon, he termed the world as superficial, mortal and perishable.ConclusionShakespeare once remarked â€Å"Some people are born great, some achieve greatness while some have greatness thrust upon them†. As far as Ali goes, he achieved greatness through his excellent education under the watchful eye of the Holy Prophet, his absorption of Islamic teachings and virtues, his thirst for knowledge, bravery on the battlefield and the spiritual perfection that he embodied. Greatness need not be confused with suc cess. From the political point of view Ali may seem like a failure that was unable to quell the civil strife that raged his people and was eventually slay Ed. Instead Ali's greatness is of an unworldly nature for he set out to spiritually perfect those around him, in times of affluence and wealth.Ali was a man of remarkable qualities and principles. His personality embodied an unusual mix of spiritual perfection, bravery, knowledge and humbleness. He was one of those few people of his time, who could stare in the eyes of death so much that even death would start fearing of him He was an administrator, a judge, a philosopher, a statesman, a general and above all an exemplary for those seeking spiritual perfection.

Effects on Relationships Among Adolescents Essay

Chyril Lou T. Caià ±a February 6, 2013 BSAC-I-ACA 9:21AM Area Exposure I interviewed a woman whose age is 43, single, from Isla Puntod Balulang. She survived the Sendong tragedy with the help of God as well as other people around her. She has many relatives as well as cousins who survived the sending tragedy and luckily no one died in her family when the tragedy occurred. The basic information she gave was that because of the hanging bridge many of her cousins as well as herself survived the occurring tragedy while her clothes as well as the others were already wet and dirty. The tragedy started at about 9:00 in the evening she said when water levels were increasing up to the calves and were at a safety zone at 2:00 AM and there she and the group of survivors were taken to Xavier heights for immediate recovery as well as shelter. Her life before the tragedy was easier she said as well as the way she will cope up in order to forget the tragedy is to work hard and start a new life with the blessings God gave her as well as the help that was given to her as well. She also said that if it had not been for the dog that was scratching her face she would’ve been dead because she was asleep sadly the dog died in the tragedy that saved her. Now that I have heard her story as well as understood what she experienced I now have the insight that the cause of grief and sadness is not because of God but the way we act according to our ways as people living right now because we people take for granted what God has given as such as nature and the living things living in and with nature. We people corrupt because of greed and other vices and sins and because of this some suffer and if not all of us. While it is unbecoming for us to be more and more undisciplined because of today’s present situation as well as continuing distress and poverty of our country’s people we must shed light to the truth in order of us to be saved as well as learn how to become more humanly as well as more understanding and caring for each individuals needs as well as our environment by starting to be more aware of what will happen if we don’t pick up our trashes and garbage’s and recycle them properly. For it has been stated in Isaiah 45:7† I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.† What it means for me is that this correlates to God’s people being obedient thus God rewards them with prosperity and blessings as well as if the people as disobeying God’s commands as well as his teachings then God will give way to disasters and strife if we disobey and continue with our disobedience with him. For we people are the stewards of God’s creation and we must do what we can to save ourselves as well as the world.

The valuation of the National Grid company Assignment

The valuation of the National Grid company - Assignment Example The reason behind the selection of the model can be explained with the help of the following advantages National Grid Company Plc is a multinational company headquartered in London. The primary business includes the supply of electricity and gas utility. The company is listed both in London Stock Exchange and FTSE 100 index. It is categorized under the diversified utilities industry. The company has 20th largest primary listing on London stock exchange. The company also has the secondary listing on NYSE (Hoover, 2011). The market price on October 1st 2012 was  £624.68(closing price of London stock exchange on Oct 1st 2012) (yahoofinance, 2015).Comparing the market price with the intrinsic value calculated using the residual income model above shows that the Stock of National Grid Plc is undervalued as compared to the intrinsic value. The rationale for the stable long term growth rate of 0.05% was that the National Grid is expected to reach the stable level of supply requirement of gas in UK because in the beginning of 2015, which shows minimum shortfall of 15mcm in London, which can be managed easily afterwards through the flows from Norway and Britain with the lingled pipeline. National Grid is in the process to further improve the supply side by the end of 2015, which may lead to the stabilized phase of National Grid Plc (Reuters, 2015). Therefore, after 2015 and onwards the growth in retained earnings are expected to be minimal i.e. around 0.05%. On May 1st 2015, National Grid Stock has reached at the level of 886.30 which is slightly overvalued from the intrinsic value calculated as on 1st October 2012. Therefore, it can be implied that the price of National Grid Stock is mean

Americans Constitutional Rights for Privacy Research Paper

Americans Constitutional Rights for Privacy - Research Paper Example American’s Constitutional Rights for Privacy The â€Å"war on terror† was introduced by George W Bush, which offered more power and authority to US intelligence agencies as the surveillance has become an acknowledged mechanism to assist in thwarting terrorist attacks in the near future. US government claimed that war on terrorism , and the enactment of Patriot Act are mainly intended to safeguard USA and its citizens from the future terrorist attack or to avert another 9/11 type attack. The main aim of the NSA (National Security Agency) of USA is to gather intelligence data and information so as to carryout national operation for foreign intelligence. SIGINT is the signal intelligence which involves collection data from foreign intelligence agencies, for helping missions carried over by the US government which includes narcotic and crime deterrence, military missions, foreign diplomacy, etc. The FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 1978) controls the gathering of foreign intelligence data and it covers wiretapping, electronic eavesdropping, physical ingress by intelligence agents and trap/ pen orders. Before eavesdropping, intelligence agency has to obtain a warrant from the FISA court (Carmen 2012). Whistle blowing against US government is not a new phenomenon. Earlier, in 1971, Daniel Ellsberg exposed how the US public had been hoodwinked about Vietnam War. Julian Assange leaked US documents about US’s engagement of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cymap Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cymap - Coursework Example It measures 8.5 metres going across (east-west) and is 2.5 metres going up and down (north-south). Room B60 is a rectangle, while Room B62 is a bit oddly-shaped. There is a space between the office and the wall of the S/W room of about 6 metres across and 3.5 metres up and down. There are (what can only be assumed to be) marks meaning doorways, in 4 areas of the building. The S/W room has no doorway out except through the backway. Similarly, Rooms B60, B62, and the Office only have one doorway out apiece. Both B60 and B62 have doorways at the back, while the Office doorway is on the side and leads to Room B62 where the fourth doorway is at the back of the building. This could prove to be logistically difficult if one needed to get into or out of any of the rooms but the one doorway in each room were blocked. This would most definitely be a fire hazard. III. Project Wizard Since the building floor plan has been designed, now the process of services design can begin. The Cymap project is going to be defined. Next, the different aspects (stages IV through VI) can be designed in their proper sequence. For our purposes, we are going to develop these stages independently, one after another. However, the same sequence will be followed. On small tasks, only one service might be needed. It is assumed that this project will use the floor plan as given, and one or more types of services. This is contained within the entirety of this single project—which can then be linked to the floor plan in Cymap. In order to start a new project, I went to File, and then clicked on â€Å"New† to open the â€Å"New Project Wizard.† This helped set up my floor plan, and helped define the geometry and profiles of the rooms in the project and provided me... This lab report shows what was designed in Cymap with a hand-drawn drawing what the author actually did when the author was going step-by-step through the automated computer program, which generated several of the necessary defaults. For most places where the author was asked to enter figures, the author usually went with what was the minimum limit because the author didn’t want to stress out the system or use all of my maximum limits with various figures—such as the cable lengths. Many of the figures were variable, but Cymap definitely made the process easier. The wiring program was used to define the inter-connectability of all the rooms, allowing the generation of a list of components required to complete the necessary installations. From the menu, the author selected â€Å"Electrical,† then selected Wiring 17th Edition, then opening the new Wiring file which the author used to incorporate the main incomer and the switchboard. The author selected the IEE BS767 1 Standard, because obviously the Wiring 16th Edition was old (the source used for this paper was actually too old, so the author made sure to choose the 17th Edition as demanded by the UK Wiring Regulations from 2008). When the General Information dialogue box appeared, in the General tab, the author added my own name, Abdullah, as a reference name for the file and selected BS7671_17th + ERA 2008.DBY as the cable database. The author also selected the CPD database. The author included a supply transformer. The author used a 5% impedance and selected an earth type the author thought was appropriate.

Origin on the Cold War in the period 1945 to about 1952 Essay

Origin on the Cold War in the period 1945 to about 1952 - Essay Example First, it is important to note that after World War II, the Big Three met at the Yalta Conference on April 12th, 1945. The Big Three allied leaders included the Soviet Leader, Joseph Stalin, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The purpose of the Yalta Conference was to institute arrangements for a postwar world order, given that the world had just come from World War II. Although the leaders arrived at a contradictory consensus on the need for respect, democracy throughout Europe, and the recognition of a de facto Soviet Union sphere of influence throughout eastern Europe. It is also at this Yalta Conference that these Allies made final touches on plans to divide Germany according to separate zones of occupation. This development portrays the US and the Soviet Union as being in charge of the world affairs, since Britain’s superpower had atrophied, following its heavy involvement in World War I and II. This means th at the US and the Soviet Union had a strong sway on the pattern international relations and global politics would take. Thus, it is impossible to absolve them of the guilt of spreading the East-West conflict. In another wavelength, the events that took place on July 16th, 1945 and August 6th 1945 also helped exacerbate East-West tension. Particularly, on July 16th, 1945, American scientists successfully tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico, Alamogordo. Later on, on August 6th 1945, Enola Gay, a US bomber detonated the atomic bomb, Little Boy in Hiroshima. This event is important since its instant devastation shocked the world and ushered in the nuclear age. Later on August 1945, Bockscar, an American plane dropped an atomic bomb Fat Man, on Nagasaki. This helped embolden the Soviet Union’s resolve to enter the nuclear arms race. Although the US intended to use these incidents as incentives to end World War II and dominance in world politics and foreign policy, yet the S oviet Union followed the act closely by detonating its first atomic bomb at the Semipalatinsk Test Site which is at Kazakhstan. This move by the Soviet Union did not only end America’s monopoly of atomic weapons, but also set off a chain of reactions. In 1952 for instance, this arms race became so intensive, as the US assembled and tested its first thermonuclear bomb. America and the Soviet Union’s culpability is seen in the fact that they acted on the manner they perceived each other, just as the theory of constructivism in international relations posit. In this case, the Soviet Union and the United deemed security as a competitive value and a relative concept wherein the realization of security for a state portended the forfeiture of security for the other state. It is because of this suspicion that the former Secretary of State for the US, John F. Dulles announced the adoption of Massive Retaliation as a foreign policy, on January 1954. The essence of this policy wa s that any significant act of attack or aggression by the Soviet Union was to be met with massive nuclear response. This fuelled the acrimony between the Soviet Union and the US since it is against this backdrop that America and the Soviet Union began to engage in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Wendt points out that the animosity that continued to fester between the US and the Soviet Union may have further been underpinned by the pursuit of ideas that are based on realism.

UK and US Financial Reporting Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UK and US Financial Reporting Ethics - Essay Example There are several reasons that strongly support this argument. For sometime now, the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and its international counterpart (IASB), have made progress in reducing these disparities between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. (IFRS) accounting rules are set to be followed by all public companies falling under the European Union but about 100 other countries are either already applying or weighing them up. In light of the changing nature of the international market, it is important that comparable transactions between competing companies in different regions be reported in the same way or the differences be understood by these companies so as to be able to understand the financial performance of a competitor. â€Å"Ethical values provide the foundation on which a civilized society exists.† (Smith K, 2003). Managers are faced almost on a daily basis a multitude of decisions that have to take into account variables such as profitability, personal advant age and overall benefits to the community, in the overall context of the correctness of these decisions. However, if integrity is allowed to become one of the possible variables, then it is most likely that it will be the first to be sacrificed at the altar of expediency. The purpose of ethics therefore, is to encourage, " [persons] to abide by a code of conduct that facilitatespublic services" (Smith, K 2003). To that end, there are many accounting organizations that have come to realize the need to establish a practical set of ethical guidelines. The Institute of Management Accountants for example, have established an ethics hotline'. As part of the services offered, "ethics counselors offer confidential advice, solace and comfort to management accountants who may have no other place to turn to for help"(Smith, K 2003). It is not known whether there is are any similar arrangements within the United Kingdom, but there have been attempts to address the issue. This is evident from th e response of the United Kingdom Share Holders Association's response to the ' Ethics Standards Board Consultation Paper' of May 2002. In this response, it clarifies the inter-se relationship between professional and corporate responsibilities. The report highlights that, "professional status is an implied contract: to serve society over and beyond all specific duty to client or employee in consideration of the privileges and protection society extends to that profession" (Setting the Agenda for Ethics, 2002). Moreover, many companies are now appointing ethics officers, charged with monitoring the ethical standards of their company as well as for uncovering fraudulent activities. This trend is also partly due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in the United States in the wake of the Enron, WorldCom and other scandals. Scope for malpractice exists because accounting practices differ considerably from country to country and the nature of these practices can, and are, exploited through 'creative accounting'. The United States follows to concept of 'substance over form, while the European Union believes in giving a ' true and fair view' of a company's financial status. However, both concepts though in vogue, are subjective in nature and offer considerable scope for manipulation of figures. Depreciation in the United Kingdom for example, is determined according to custom, with "convention and pragmatism, rather than exact rules [determining methods of

Noscomial Urinary Tract Infection Research Paper - 2

Noscomial Urinary Tract Infection - Research Paper Example The danger of the situation is that with the repeated emptying of the urinary bag and handling of the catheters, there is risk of a rise of the infection causing microorganisms from the environments, beddings and contaminated hands of the patient or the caregiver (Temiz et al., 2012). Besides the indwelling catheter, however, nosocomial urinary tract infections can result from contaminated beddings that cause direct entry of microorganisms, and inappropriate insertion of contaminated hands as in vaginal examination (Nakamura & Tompkins, 2012). Nosocomial urinary tract infection has direct effects on the health of the patient as well as on the healthcare provision process. First, acquiring an infection during treatment is emotionally stressing to the patient. This is because an extended hospitalization time implies that the patient spends more time and money on medication and care. Secondly, the reputation of the hospital can be risked by cases of nosocomial infections (HÃ ¤lleb erg Nyman et al., 2011). This is because acquiring an infection in the course of treatment amounts to negligence and a breach of the code of ethics. The implication of this to the involved nurses can be sued for failure to ensure non-maleficence on the side of the patient. Besides, the extended hospitalization increases the risk for further infections and increased workload for the nurses and other healthcare professionals. Solving the problem has therefore become a serious focus in healthcare research and the search for answers. Different measures have been studies, among them are the reduction of catheterization time and the use of bladder scanner (Nakamura & Tompkins, 2012). As I dwell and ponder upon many topics of interest to me in the health care setting, one that stands out beyond most is nosocomial urinary tract infection. In the hospital setting, the reason for seeking treatment for every patient is recovery.

Planned Approach to Change Essay Example for Free

Planned Approach to Change Essay The work of Kurt Lewin dominated the theory and practice of change management for over 40 years. However, in the past 20 years, Lewin’s approach to change, particularly the 3-Step model, has attracted major criticisms. The key ones are that his work: assumed organizations operate in a stable state; was only suitable for small-scale change projects; ignored organizational power and politics; and was top-down and management-driven. This article seeks to re-appraise Lewin’s work and challenge the validity of these views. It begins by describing Lewin’s background and beliefs, especially his commitment to resolving social conï ¬â€šict. The article then moves on to examine the main elements of his Planned approach to change: Field Theory; Group Dynamics; Action Research; and the 3-Step model. This is followed by a brief summary of the major developments in the ï ¬ eld of organizational change since Lewin’s death which, in turn, leads to an examination of the main criticisms levelled at Lewin’s work. The article concludes by arguing that rather than being outdated or redundant, Lewin’s approach is still relevant to the modern world. INTRODUCTION Freud the clinician and Lewin the experimentalist – these are the two men whose names will stand out before all others in the history of our psychological era.  The above quotation is taken from Edward C Tolman’s memorial address for Kurt Lewin delivered at the 1947 Convention of the American Psychological Association (quoted in Marrow, 1969, p. ix). To many people today it will seem strange that Lewin should have been given equal status with Freud. Some 50 years after his death, Lewin is now mainly remembered as the originator of the 3-Step model of change USA. Address for reprints: Bernard Burnes, Manchester School of Management, UMIST, Manchester M60 1QD, UK ([emailprotected]).dismissed as outdated (Burnes, 2000; Dawson, 1994; Dent and Goldberg, 1999; Hatch, 1997; Kanter et al., 1992; Marshak, 1993). Yet, as this article will argue, his contribution to our understanding of individual and group behaviour and the role these play in organizations and society was enormous and is still relevant. In today’s turbulent and changing world, one might expect Lewin’s pioneering work on change to be seized upon with gratitude, especially given the high failure rate of many change programmes (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2001; Kearney, 1989; Kotter, 1996; Stickland, 1998; Waclawski, 2002; Wastell et al., 1994; Watcher, 1993; Whyte and Watcher, 1992; Zairi et al., 1994). Unfortunately, his commitment to extending democratic values in society and his work on Field Theory, Group Dynamics and Action Research which, together with his 3-Step model, formed an inter-linked, elaborate and robust approach to Planned change, have received less and less attention (Ash, 1992; Bargal et al., 1992; Cooke, 1999). Indeed, from the 1980s, even Lewin’s work on change was increasingly criticized as relevant only to small-scale changes in stable conditions, and for ignoring issues such as organizational politics and conï ¬â€šict. In its place, writers sought to promote a view of change as being constant, and as a political process within organizations (Dawson, 1994; Pettigrew et al., 1992; Wilson, 1992). The purpose of this article is to re-appraise Lewin and his work.. The article begins by describing Lewin’s background, especially the origins of his commitment to resolving social conï ¬â€šict. It then moves on to examine the main elements of his Planned approach to change. This is followed by a description of developments in the ï ¬ eld of organizational change since Lewin’s death, and an evaluation of the criticisms levelled against his work. The article concludes by arguing that rather than being outdated, Lewin’s Planned approach is still very relevant to the needs of the modern world. LEWIN’S BACKGROUND Few social scientists can have received the level of praise and admiration  that has been heaped upon Kurt Lewin (Ash, 1992; Bargal et al., 1992; Dent and Goldberg, 1999; Dickens and Watkins, 1999; Tobach, 1994). As Edgar Schein (1988, p. 239) enthusiastically commented: There is little question that the intellectual father of contemporary theories of applied behavioural science, action research and planned change is Kurt Lewin. His seminal work on leadership style and the experiments on planned change which took place in World War II in an effort to change consumer behaviour launched a whole generation of research in group dynamics and the implementation of change programs. 978 B. Burnes  © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004For most of his life, Lewin’s main preoccupation was the resolution of social con- ï ¬â€šict and, in particular, the problems of minority or disadvantaged groups. Underpinning this preoccupation was a strong belief that only the permeation of democratic values into all facets of society could prevent the worst extremes of social conï ¬â€šict. As his wife wrote in the Preface to a volume of his collected work published after his death: Kurt Lewin was so constantly and predominantly preoccupied with the task of advancing the conceptual representation of the social-psychological world, and at the same time he was so ï ¬ lled with the urgent desire to use his theoretical insight for the building of a better world, that it is difï ¬ cult to decide which of these two sources of motivation ï ¬â€šowed with greater energy or vigour. (Lewin, 1948b) To a large extent, his interests and beliefs stemmed from his background as a German Jew. Lewin was born in 1890 and, for a Jew growing up in Germany, at this time, ofï ¬ cially-approved anti-Semitism was a fact of life. Few Jews could expect to achieve a responsible post in the civil service or universities. Despite this, Lewin was awarded a doctorate at the University of Berlin in 1916 and went on to teach there. Though he was never awarded tenured status, Lewin achieved a growing international reputation in the 1920s as a leader in his ï ¬ eld (Lewin, 1992). However, with the rise of the Nazi Party, Lewin recognized that the position of Jews in Germany was  increasingly threatened. The election of Hitler as Chancellor in 1933 was the ï ¬ nal straw for him; he resigned from the University and moved to America (Marrow, 1969). In America, Lewin found a job ï ¬ rst as a ‘refugee scholar’ at Cornell University and then, from 1935 to 1945, at the University of Iowa. Here he was to embark on an ambitious programme of research which covered topics such as child-parent relations, conï ¬â€šict in marriage, styles of leadership, worker motivation and performance, conï ¬â€šict in industry, group problem-solving, communication and attitude change, racism, anti-Semitism, anti-racism, discrimination and prejudice, integration-segregation, peace, war and poverty (Bargal et al., 1992; Cartwright, 1952; Lewin, 1948a). As Cooke (1999) notes, given the prevalence of racism and antiSemitism in America at the time, much of this work, especially his increasingly public advocacy in support of disadvantaged groups, put Lewin on the political left. During the years of the Second World War, Lewin did much work for the American war effort. This included studies of the morale of front-line troops and psychological warfare, and his famous study aimed at persuading American housewives to buy cheaper cuts of meat (Lewin, 1943a; Marrow, 1969). He was also much in demand as a speaker on minority and inter-group relations Kurt Lewin 979  © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004(Smith, 2001). These activities chimed with one of his central preoccupations, which was how Germany’s authoritarian and racist culture could be replaced with one imbued with democratic values. He saw democracy, and the spread of democratic values throughout society, as the central bastion against authoritarianism and despotism. That he viewed the establishment of democracy as a major task, and avoided simplistic and structural recipes, can be gleaned from the following extracts from his article on ‘The special case of Germany’ (Lewin, 1943b): Nazi culture . . . is deeply rooted, particularly in the youth on whom the . . . future depends. It is a culture which is centred around power as the supreme value and which denounces justice and equality . . . (p. 43) To be  stable, a cultural change has to penetrate all aspects of a nation’s life. The change must, in short, be a change in the ‘cultural atmosphere,’ not merely a change of a single item. (p. 46) Change in culture requires the change of leadership forms in every walk of life. At the start, particularly important is leadership in those social areas which are fundamental from the point of view of power. (p. 55) With the end of the War, Lewin established the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The aim of the Center was to investigate all aspects of group behaviour, especially how it could be changed. At the same time, he was also chief architect of the Commission on Community Interrelations (CCI). Founded and funded by the American Jewish Congress, its aim was the eradication of discrimination against all minority groups. As Lewin wrote at the time, ‘We Jews will have to ï ¬ ght for ourselves and we will do so strongly and with good conscience. We also know that the ï ¬ ght of the Jews is part of the ï ¬ ght of all minorities for democratic equality of rights and opportunities . . .’ (quoted in Marrow, 1969, p. 175). In pursuing this objective, Lewin believed that his work on Group Dynamics and Action Research would provide the key tools for the CCI. Lewin was also inï ¬â€šuential in establishing the Tavistock Institute in the UK and its Journal, Human Relations ( Jaques, 1998; Marrow, 1969). In addition, in 1946, the Connecticut State Inter-Racial Commission asked Lewin to help train leaders and conduct research on the most effective means of combating racial and religious prejudice in communities. This led to the development of sensitivity training and the creation, in 1947, of the now famous National Training Laboratories. However, his huge workload took its toll on his health, and on 11 February 1947 he died of a heart attack (Lewin, 1992). 980 B. Burnes  © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004LEWIN’S WORK Lewin was a humanitarian who believed that only by resolving social conï ¬â€šict, whether it be religious, racial, marital or industrial, could the human condition be improved. Lewin believed that the key to resolving social  conï ¬â€šict was to facilitate learning and so enable individuals to understand and restructure their perceptions of the world around them. In this he was much inï ¬â€šuenced by the Gestalt psychologists he had worked with in Berlin (Smith, 2001). A unifying theme of much of his work is the view that ‘. . . the group to which an individual belongs is the ground for his perceptions, his feelings and his actions’ (Allport, 1948, p. vii). Though Field Theory, Group Dynamics, Action Research and the 3-Step model of change are often treated as separate themes of his work, Lewin saw them as a uniï ¬ ed whole with each element supporting and reinforcing the others and all of them necessary to understand and bring about Planned change, whether it be at the level of the individual, group, organization or even society (Bargal and Bar, 1992; Kippenberger, 1998a, 1998b; Smith, 2001). As Allport (1948, p. ix) states: ‘All of his concepts, whatever root-metaphor they employ, comprise a single wellintegrated system’. This can be seen from examining these four aspects of his work in turn. Field Theory This is an approach to understanding group behaviour by trying to map out the totality and complexity of the ï ¬ eld in which the behaviour takes place (Back, 1992). Lewin maintained that to understand any situation it was necessary that: ‘One should view the present situation – the status quo – as being maintained by certain conditions or forces’ (Lewin, 1943a, p. 172). Lewin (1947b) postulated that group behaviour is an intricate set of symbolic interactions and forces that not only affect group structures, but also modify individual behaviour. Therefore, individual behaviour is a function of the group environment or ‘ï ¬ eld’, as he termed it. Consequently, any changes in behaviour stem from changes, be they small or large, in the forces within the ï ¬ eld (Lewin, 1947a). Lewin deï ¬ ned a ï ¬ eld as ‘a totality of coexisting facts which are conceived of as mutually interdependent . . .’ (Lewin, 1946, p. 240). Lewin believed that a ï ¬ eld was in a continuous state of adaptation and that ‘Change and constancy are relative concepts; group life is never without change, merely differences in the amount and type of change exist’ (Lewin, 1947a, p. 199). This is why Lewin used the term ‘quasi-stationary equilibrium’ to indicate that whilst there might be a rhythm and pattern to the behaviour and processes of a group, these tended  to ï ¬â€šuctuate constantly owing to changes in the forces or circumstances that impinge on the group. Lewin’s view was that if one could identify, plot and establish the potency of these forces, then it would be possible not only to understand why individuals, Kurt Lewin 981  Ã‚ © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004groups and organizations act as they do, but also what forces would need to be diminished or strengthened in order to bring about change. In the main, Lewin saw behavioural change as a slow process; however, he did recognize that under certain circumstances, such as a personal, organizational or societal crisis, the various forces in the ï ¬ eld can shift quickly and radically. In such situations, established routines and behaviours break down and the status quo is no longer viable; new patterns of activity can rapidly emerge and a new equilibrium (or quasistationary equilibrium) is formed (Kippenberger, 1998a; Lewin, 1947a). Despite its obvious value as a vehicle for understanding and changing group behaviour, with Lewin’s death, the general interest in Field Theory waned (Back, 1992; Gold, 1992; Hendry, 1996). However, in recent years, with the work of Argyris (1990) and Hirschhorn (1988) on understanding and overcoming resistance to change, Lewin’s work on Field Theory has once again begun to attract interest. According to Hendry (1996), even critics of Lewin’s work have drawn on Field Theory to develop their own models of change (see Pettigrew et al., 1989, 1992). Indeed, parallels have even been drawn between Lewin’s work and the work of complexity theorists (Kippenberger, 1998a). Back (1992), for example, argued that the formulation and behaviour of complex systems as described by Chaos and Catastrophe theorists bear striking similarities to Lewin’s conceptualization of Field Theory. Nevertheless, Field Theory is now probably the least understood element of Lewin’s work, yet, because of its potential to map the forces impinging on an individual, group or organization, it underpinned the other elements of his work. Group Dynamics the word ‘dynamics’ . . . comes from a Greek word meaning force . . . ‘group . . . dynamics’ refers to the forces operating in groups . . . it is a  study of these forces: what gives rise to them, what conditions modify them, what consequences they have, etc. (Cartwright, 1951, p. 382) Lewin was the ï ¬ rst psychologist to write about ‘group dynamics’ and the importance of the group in shaping the behaviour of its members (Allport, 1948; Bargal et al., 1992). Indeed, Lewin’s (1939, p. 165) deï ¬ nition of a ‘group’ is still generally accepted: ‘. . . it is not the similarity or dissimilarity of individuals that constitutes a group, but interdependence of fate’. As Kippenberger (1998a) notes, Lewin was addressing two questions: What is it about the nature and characteristics of a particular group which causes it to respond (behave) as it does to the forces which impinge on it, and how can these forces be changed in order to elicit a more desirable form of behaviour? It was to address these questions that Lewin began to develop the concept of Group Dynamics. Group Dynamics stresses that group behaviour, rather than that of individuals, should be the main focus of change (Bernstein, 1968; Dent and Goldberg, 1999). Lewin (1947b) maintained that it is fruitless to concentrate on changing the behaviour of individuals because the individual in isolation is constrained by group pressures to conform. Consequently, the focus of change must be at the group level and should concentrate on factors such as group norms, roles, interactions and socialization processes to create ‘disequilibrium’ and change (Schein, 1988). Lewin’s pioneering work on Group Dynamics not only laid the foundations for our understanding of groups (Cooke, 1999; Dent and Goldberg, 1999; French and Bell, 1984; Marrow, 1969; Schein, 1988) but has also been linked to complexity theories by researchers examining self-organizing theory and non-linear systems (Tschacher and Brunner, 1995). However, understanding the internal dynamics of a group is not sufï ¬ cient by itself to bring about change. Lewin also recognized the need to provide a process whereby the members could be engaged in and committed to changing their behaviour. This led Lewin to develop Action Research and the 3-Step model of change. Action Research This term was coined by Lewin (1946) in an article entitled ‘Action research and minority problems’. Lewin stated in the article: In the last year and a half I have had occasion to have contact with a great variety of organizations, institutions, and individuals who came for help in the ï ¬ eld of group relations. (Lewin, 1946, p. 201) However, though these people exhibited . . .  a great amount of good-will, of readiness to face the problem squarely and . . . really do something about it . . . These eager people feel themselves to be in a fog. They feel in a fog on three counts: 1. What is the present situation? 2. What are the dangers? 3. And most importantly of all, what shall we do? (Lewin, 1946, p. 201) Lewin conceived of Action Research as a two-pronged process which would allow groups to address these three questions. Firstly, it emphasizes that change requires action, and is directed at achieving this. Secondly, it recognizes that successful action is based on analysing the situation correctly, identifying all the possible alternative solutions and choosing the one most appropriate to the situation at hand (Bennett, 1983). To be successful, though, there has also to be a ‘felt-need’. FeltKurt Lewin 983  © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004need is an individual’s inner realization that change is necessary. If felt-need is low in the group or organization, introducing change becomes problematic. The theoretical foundations of Action Research lie in Gestalt psychology, which stresses that change can only successfully be achieved by helping individuals to reï ¬â€šect on and gain new insights into the totality of their situation. Lewin (1946, p. 206) stated that Action Research ‘. . . proceeds in a spiral of steps each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action, and fact-ï ¬ nding about the results of the action.’ It is an iterative process whereby research leads to action and action leads to evaluation and further research. As Schein (1996, p. 64) comments, it was Lewin’s view that ‘. . . one cannot understand an organization without trying to change it . . .’ Indeed, Lewin’s view was very much that the understanding and learning which this process produces for the individuals and groups concerned, which then feeds into changed  behaviour, is more important than any resulting change as such (Lewin, 1946). To this end, Action Research draws on Lewin’s work on Field Theory to identify the forces that focus on the group to which the individual belongs. It also draws on Group Dynamics to understand why group members behave in the way they do when subjected to these forces. Lewin stressed that the routines and patterns of behaviour in a group are more than just the outcome of opposing forces in a forceï ¬ eld. They have a value in themselves and have a positive role to play in enforcing group norms (Lewin, 1947a). Action Research stresses that for change to be effective, it must take place at the group level, and must be a participative and collaborative process which involves all of those concerned (Allport, 1948; Bargal et al., 1992; French and Bell, 1984; Lewin, 1947b).

Video game and violent movies Essay Example for Free

Video game and violent movies Essay Patel 2 Many teenagers watch under age T. V. that is violent. These children are too young to be watching violent T. V. or the little kids are watching their parents watching violent T. V. Much of this violent T. V. affects the children by the way they act and the way they think. After watching violent T. V. shows most children develop terrible social skills, poor grades, and aggression towards others. The children that are allowed to watch these shows don’t view it as bad. By watching violent T. V. shows they forget what is right and wrong in the world and don’t know what is good for them or what is bad for them. These violent T. V. shows emerged with the new technology unknown to viewers, but the children take it as if it is good for them. Some of the positive effects are it helps kids learn by watching educational television programs. When the parents watching violent movies in front of their kids the parents don’t realize that this is affecting the children. â€Å" Media is the most ubiquitous source of violence encountered by the majority of children. (Erwin, Pg. 105). † The government had created a strengthen the reflexes of military personnel. The creators of video games base their games on the violent movies and TV shows. Many third party game inventors came out with poor quality games. In the 1990’s home video game use had increased and arcade play had decreased, the release of violent games had also begun. The professional teams trained coders who watch samples from the recorded television and they try to see if it is violent or not. All violence tends to be treated in the same way by a content analysis. (Gunter, Harrison Pg. 76)† More and more parents begin to see that these violent games aren’t just bad for their children, but are causing problems in the community. â€Å"Before young children even enter kindergarten they are exposed to over 4,000 hours of television viewing and by the time they Patel 3 leave elementary school children will have witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on just television alone. (Erwin, Levin Pg. 105). † By looking at these numbers the amount of violent the T. V. channels produce I think they need to make kids show a little less violent than they do. When the kids get older they will have gone through a lot more violence than anyone so there are chances that through out there life time they will do something violent. The kids learn to fight from violent video games or by watching violent T. V. shows. â€Å"In a study examining violence in over 2,700 television programs across 23 channels of broadcast networks, public broadcasting, and cable, Wilson et al found that nearly 7 out of 10 children’s shows contain some type of physical aggression. (Erwin Pg. 501)†. As Erwin said in the last research in 2002 nearly 2,700 T. V. programs have some sort of violent most of them were seen by kids and their family. The kids show have some violence as well and out of that 7 out of 10 children’s show contain physical aggression. Violent video games are a very large problem with many generations today. Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way to settling conflicts. By watching all the violent stuff not only will the children act differently but when they begin to see real violent actions they will appear emotionless and unfazed because of all the built up viewing time. The children that play teen rated video games see many things in these violent world of movie industries: Intense violence, Sexual Content, Use if drugs and illegal substances, and lots of blood. In many video games today violence is viewed from a first person point of view. â€Å"Courts have refused to hold media corporations liable for the violent content of child-entertainment products, but many legal commentators have argued for an expansion of the law. Patel 4 (Proman Pg. 427-28)† The decision taken by the court is not accurate because the violence that the children learn is from the T. V. shows so they should be charged or fined for making violent shows for little kids.

Dickens And Eliots Critiques On Industrialization English Literature Essay

Dickens And Eliots Critiques On Industrialization English Literature Essay Charles Dickens and George Eliot are both writers whose novels had a very significant impact on nineteenth century Victorian readers. Dickens A Christmas Carol and Eliots Silas Marner were written during the time of the Industrial Revolution in England and it opened peoples eyes to the negative effects that the revolution was having on common society. The authors saw industrialization as a loss of individualism and a time where people were being treated like machines by the cruelty of utilitarianism. It was destroying the nature and the human values that rural Victorian communities once held. Through these novels, Dickens and Eliot exemplify how the Victorian instance on industry and the greed of money hardens the hearts of the wealthy and physically and emotionally oppresses the less wealthy; thus, shattering the human spirit, threatening relationships, and breaking the bonds of community. Dickens passionately portrays his opposition to the Industrial Revolution in A Christmas Carol. He exposes and makes others aware of the inhumane environments and nature that the poor were subject to during the industrial phase of the nation. The novel begins with an introduction to Scrooge and describes him as a tight-fisted hand at the grindstoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and  sharp  as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. (Dickens 40) This description of Scrooge sets up the reader to understand the characteristics of some the wealthy people of the time. He is compared to physical objects which are not capable of any emotion or feeling, and therefore illustrates him as being very inhuman. Scrooge is portrayed as very capable of breaking peoples spirits with his cruel words and actions. When the portly gentlemen approach Scrooge to ask him for a donation for the poor, he responds by saying that he cant afford to make idle people merry and that its not his business to help the unfortunate (Dickens 45). There is great irony in his words as he can very well afford to do anything he wants, being the very wealthy man and creditor he was. The fact that he states that the matter has nothing to do with his business is very untrue as he would not even be in business were it not for the lower class citizens making him all the money he was accumulating. This dialogue shows that Scrooge is almost feared in society  due to his status and the unkindness that comes with it. Dickens portrays the harsh reality of Scrooge and those of his class early in the novel to cause readers to react and to look forward to seeing how the character changes throughout the novel; thus exemplifying h ow they can change as well. Scrooge destroys any attempt by his nephew to build a relationship with him. He is so preoccupied with his greed for money that he doesnt realize that it is the very thing that is making him miserable. Although Scrooges nephew is poorer than him, he pleads with his uncle saying, I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of  you; why cannot we be friends? (Dickens 43). Dickens illustrates here that people are not even after Scrooge for his money, but merely want him to be open to the idea interpersonal relationships and happiness. Clearly, industry makes the rich richer, however, it also destroys their ability to be truly content with what they have. It makes them ignore the need for human relationships and begins to transform the wealthy into heartless people. The character of Scrooge denies any ties to the community and strives to live for himself alone. The spirits remind Scrooge that he used to be full of joy before he let industry in his way of happiness.  At the thought of the poor dying due to lack of necessities, Scrooge replies, If they would rather dieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population (Dickens 45). This attitude towards community did not exist before industrialization as people worked together and depended on each other for support. Here, Dickens exemplifies the selfishness that comes along with industry. It all comes down to self accomplishment, and the wealthy continue to strive for more wealth at the cost of the lives and happiness of others. Dickens mentions the Poor Law and requests for people to recognize the difficulty of those whom the law has put out of place and driven into poverty. He expresses the responsibility that society has to provide for them compassionately. In his novel , Dickens puts forward that this materialistic, cruel society driven by industry can be reformed by becoming a more generous society that values the human life more than material wealth. As he proves with the character of Scrooge, it ultimately results in the joy and success of the society as a whole rather than the depression of the wealthy and the oppression of the poor. Eliot presents her Silas Marner and critiques industrialization similar to the ways in which Dickens opposes it with his novel. She is drawn to the pre-industrial values and attempts to prove that love of others is ultimately more rewarding than love of money. She does this through the character of Silas Marner, who becomes obsessed with the wealth he earns for his work and begins hoarding it, using it as little of it as possible. Just as Dickens does with his description of Scrooge, Eliot describes Marner using physical objects that are incapable of any feeling or emotion: Strangely Marners face and figure shrank and bent themselves into a constant mechanical relation to the objects of his life, so that he produced the same sort of impression as a handle or a crooked tube, which has no meaning standing apart. The prominent eyes that used to look trusting and dreamy, now looked as if they had been made to see only one kind of thing that was very small, like tiny grain, for which they hunted everywhere; and he was so withered and yellowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Eliot 25) Here, Silas is described as looking like a handle or a crooked tube. It is difficult to imagine someones physique as looking like this and it therefore, shows how much he has let his body degrade because of his love for money. Silas also serves an indicator of industry in the rural village of Raveloe as his life is degraded to the status of a machine. His ability to see only one kind of thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for which they hunted everywhere shows that Silas can only see one thing in his life-money. His work and his wealth is the only thing that drives him in life. Although it is costing him his health and is prematurely aging him, he is blinded by industry to seeing anything but his profit. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he had five bright guineas put into his hand; no man expected a share of them, and he loved no man that he should offer him a shareà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it was pleasant to him to feel them in his palm, and look at their bright faces, which were all his own: it was another element of life, like the weaving and the satisfaction of hungerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Eliot 23) Silas sees his wealth as gratifying as satisfying his hunger. Comparing the accumulation of wealth to a necessity such as food shows that money is what his whole life is about and nothing, including his health, matters as much. This portrays the machine-like lifestyle that comes along with industrialization. Just as machines are only seen for the labour they produce and need nothing in return, some people such as Silas feel the same way as they dont care for their physical needs but only look to increase their material wealth. Eliot uses the characters Godfrey and Dunstan to portray the way in which industrialization and the greed for money can corrupt and break relationships. These two wealthy brothers use each other and others to take advantage of any selfish wish they can claim. Dustan blackmails and bribes Godfrey to accumulate more wealth from him for his own selfish love of gambling and drinking. Godfrey on the other hand, allows his first wife and daughter to suffer due to his ignorance and moral cowardice. Although they have more wealth than most in Raveloe could ever dream of, that craving for an infinite amount of wealth that comes with industrialization corrupts all the relationships these brothers have with others. Dunstan ends up dying without experiencing his saved wealth and Godfrey is left to live a life of regret as he is unable to have children with his second wife and unable to get back his real daughter Eppie. Eliot demonstrates that these relationships are more valuable than wealth but those that ignorant to it, end up losing the relationships. Silas is shown as choosing his relationship to Eppie over his loss of wealth. This however, brings about joy that wealth can never accomplish: Eh, my precious child, the blessing was mine. If you hadnt been sent to save me, I should ha gone to the grave in my misery. The money was taken away from me in time; and you see its been kept-kept till it was wanted for you. Its wonderful-our life is wonderful (Eliot 158). Silas dehumanized being is restored once Eppie enters his life and shows him what real happiness is. The gold had kept his thoughts in an ever-repeated circle, leading to nothing beyond itself; but Eppie was an object compacted of changes and hopes that forced his thoughts onwardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The gold had asked that he should sit weaving longer and longer, deafened and blinded more and more to all things except the monotony of his loom and the repetition of his web; but Eppie called him away from his weaving, and made him think all its pauses a holiday, reawakening his senses with her fresh life, even to the old winter-flies that came crawling forth in the early spring sunshine, and warming him into joy because  she  had joy. (123) This passage demonstrates the never-ending pattern of industrialization. It pulls people into a cycle that forces them to go around and around without any real purpose or gain. As they follow this cyclical pattern, they allow the physical body and their emotions to deteriorate. They continue to be deafened and blinded to the destruction that industry is causing in their lives and community. Life becomes a dark place without any sunshine or the warmth of love, as people become immune and ignorant to such things unless they pull out of the cycle. Eppie, in this case, pulls Silas out of this never-ending cycle into the light, where he can see properly again. The sense of community portrayed in the rural Raveloe is completely opposite to the industrialized place where Silas is originally from. In Raveloes trade-based community, every person plays a vital role in the success of the village. However, Silas and Eppie return to Lantern Yard, he finds that his entire community has vanished and that a large factory has been placed where the chapel one was. This is very significant because the chapel is the place where all different types of people gathered as one community. This sense of community is destroyed by the power of industrialization and completely gets rid of all the tradition, memories, and values the place once held. Eliots Victorian readers would have understood what Eliot was trying to accomplish through her novel. As Victorian society was already experiencing the impacts of industry during the time of the novel, they may have looked upon Raveloe and its sense of community as the image of what they had lost. The industrial landscape that came into existence with the revolution was frightening, destructive, and dehumanizing; destroying all the memories of the better past. Both Dickens A Christmas Carol and Eliots Silas Marner present industrialization as the inevitable leader to the dehumanization of labour, as workers are reduced to nothing more than machines and the amount of money that their work is worth. By presenting these novels to Victorian society, these authors attempted to educate and make aware the tremendous negative effects industry was having on the poors welfare, the happiness of the wealthy, and community bonds as a whole. An interesting aspect of both novels is that children are used in the redemption process of both characters: Scrooge says, It is good to be children sometimesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in regards to their reaction to Christmas (Dickens 229). Silas states, But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little childs (Eliot 128). This is significant because although children a re exposed to industrialization in a different way, they choose to love, build relationships, and uplift the human spirit by default. And so, both authors present the idea that it is better to be like them. By presenting the reformation of Scrooge and Silas, these authors attempt to demonstrate that restoration is possible if people are willing to get out of the cyclical pattern of industrialization and return to the pre-industrial values of society.

Essay --

.. Manny Pacquiao is one of the most famous and highest paid boxer of our generation. He is a modern day Rocky Balboa except he is actually the real deal. It is only fitting that he represents some of the today’s top companies in their ads. Even more so for what I would consider the biggest company of them all, Nike. It is only fitting as that is what all of this generation’s sports stars do if they are elite athletes. The top portion has a black background with a beam of light coming in from the top as if it’s all eyes on him where you see that the beam is hitting a boxer grasping the ropes as he is on his knees. The ropes were colored red, white, and blue with a red turnbuckle. The boxer acts almost as if he is praying with an invisible â€Å"audience† is surrounded around him. He was ripped with muscles from head to toe showing how strong and well off this elite boxer is. He wore red Nike shoes and white trunks with a golden eagle design and â€Å"pacman† written on the sash of his trunks. The bottom of the ad reveals â€Å"MP† with a crown or sun on top of the â€Å"M†, the Nike logo, a quote that says â€Å"Give Us This Day† and the date â€Å"12.06.08.† The boxer was the only thing that really catches your attention. Unless you are an avid boxing fan you would not recognize who the man is, but thanks to his nickname on his trunks and the â€Å"MP†, almost any person could get the idea. It looks as if he is in prayer, but that is because he always prays before and after he fights. How he is situated in the picture with his arms and legs spread like they appear as if he is creating a picture of himself Jesus was when he was crucified. This could imply Pacquiao as being a savior and that he is going to save the hopes of all the ... ...also a disadvantage due to him not actually fighting in the Philippines When the fight was announced many said that de la Hoya would win because he was a much more experience boxer. This ad shows Pacquiao’s hidden fears because knew he couldn’t underestimate de la Hoya, so to bring â€Å"his heat† he wears Nike shoes. The advertisement reveals, even when you face a big threat, with Nike you will be unstoppable. An advertisement can mean or stand for anything, whether it is simple or complicated. It can have famous people, animals, be various colors or be black and white. The reason why one picture becomes an ad is because it represents something exactly what the company wants. And that is for you to want to buy and wear Nike products. This Nike ad with Manny Pacquiao is a very enjoyable ad that is a great example of such a simple picture being effective.

Marxist Perspective on Education Essay -- Education

Education system is seen as an important part of the superstructure in society. This statement was written in a Marxism perspective by individuals who see education not just an important part of the superstructure but as well an important aspect in a child life. Even though Karl Marx himself did not widely write about education, many of his followers did. This paper will look at how class and alienation which is a theory that Karl Marx wrote, plays a part in education and a general look at the perspective and how it relates to education. Secondly this essay will look at how other perspective not only relates to Marxism but as well as education. Lastly, this paper will look at how Marxism perspective can play an important role in the future of education. Class and Alienation is one of the theories that Marx’s came up with, which can also be used when looking at education. This is a theory that shows how a Marx’s perspective critiques the function of schooling society. According to Marxists, education does not give everybody a fair chance and that it uses the â€Å"alienation of schoolwork† (idea that children will do the work if they are rewarding for doing it), to socially control people until they are ready for ‘exploitation’ in the world of work (Functions of Education According to Functionalists and Marxists , 2009). Alienation for Marx was based on work where to alienated labour there was two steps, the first one was to alienate nature from man and second was to alienate man from himself from his own active function, his life activity so it alienates him from the species (Grusky, 2001). When looking at this statement and comparing it to education, one can see the similarities between the two. Marxist claim that alienation bein... ...rom http://socyberty.com/education/the-functions-of-education-according-to-functionalists-and-marxists/ Cole, M. (2004). US Imperialism, Transmodernism and Education: a Marxist critique. Policy Futures in Education, 633-643. Fekete, P. (2002). Perspectives on Education. 1-6. Grusky, D. B. (2001). Alienation and Social Classes . Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective , 87-105. Kellner, D. (n.d.). Marxian Perspectives on Educational Philosophy: From Classical Marxism to Critical Pedagogy . 1-19. Nathaila, P. M. (2010). Not Neo-Marxist, Not Post-Marxist, Not Marxian, Not Autonomist Marxism: Reflections on a Revolutionary (Marxist) Critical Pedagogy. Cultural Studies , 251-262. Small, R. (2005). Marx and Education . Hampshire : Ashgate Publishing Limited . tubbs, N. (1999). Marx. Encyclopaedia of Philosophy of Education, 1-6.

Political Concepts Essay

1) Mass Media as the `Fifth Branch` of government Definition: Mass Media is the fifth branch of government because it can shape public opinion and influence the national agenda. Importance: It is important because today’s media is so assertive and liable to such adversarial, negative reporting that they can be downright obstructive of government policy 2) Agenda Setting Definition: On a national level, this is a role usually reserved for the President, such as when he makes his State of the Union Address. Importance: As the leader of the nation it is his duty to set the Agenda for the coming year. Without a clear vision the nation will drift aimlessly. 3) Electoral College (how does it work?) Definitions: A ‘vote’ that will be counted purposes of electing a president; each state has a set number of electoral colleges.   The term refers to a â€Å"collegium† or assembly of 538 President Electors who meet after the popular vote and cast their votes for President and Vice-President. Importance: A presidential candidate may have technically ‘won’ by getting more of the popular vote overall but if he loses in too many States with a high number of Electors, he can still lose the elections. 4) Who votes (what kind of person is MOST likely to vote)? Why has voter turnout in America declined since 1960? A person who is involved in the campaign of some one running for election is most likely to vote. A charter member of the Republicans or the Democrats because they owe it to their group.   Those at the extremes of political opinion, who feel strongly for or against the candidates in question. Importance of voting: Voting is an essential political right, a chance to speak and be counted and an opportunity to affirm or reject state policy. It is often the only political exercise that the average person will have a say in. 5) Congress: What do they do? The Congress makes laws for the President to sign as well as attend to the needs of their constituency. Importance of what they do: Congress also provides an important check-and-balance to the power of the Executive, the President and the line departments because the framers of our Constitution did not wish the President to act arbitrarily without enabling laws from Congress. For example, he cannot wage war on Iraq without going to Congress to ask for appropriations that will cover soldiers’ salaries, aid to civilians, ammunition, fuel and support services. 6) Congress: What are Standing, Joint, and Conference Committees? A standing committee is an ordinary permanent committee. By U.S. Congress rules, a conference committee is â€Å"A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.† This means differences between the Senate and House versions of a bill.   A â€Å"joint committee† refers to all other bicameral committees convened for some special function or other except reporting legislation.   Examples of the latter are joint committee hearings on controversial matters or on impeaching the President. Importance of committee work: Laws are not made arbitrarily, often there is a need to consult with others before a bill is proposed in the floor. At the same time it is too chaotic present a half-baked bill to the general assembly of congress without refining it first. This is the work of committees. 7) Congress: How does a bill become a law? A bill must be authored, be deliberated on in committee then pass three readings in both houses of Congress. The President then signs the bill to make it law. Importance: On paper a bill must first pass through one house before it is forwarded to the other house for its own three readings there. But in practice a bill is often authored and filed simultaneously in both houses with each version differing little from the other. 8) Presidential Powers: The president is the commander-in-chief of the army. He can mobilize the armed forces even without a formal declaration of war for up to 60 days. Domestically, he has the power to make or break a bill with the stroke of a pen. He can also propose priority legislation to Congress. 9) Presidency: To be a successful leader of Congress, the President must be able to read the pulse of congress well. He must know when to act and push for his agenda. He is important because Congress must be united under strong leadership if it is to be an effective counter balance to the President’s domination. 10) Judiciary: Judicial Activists versus Judicial Restraintists. A Judicial Activist is a radical who tries to pursue social justice in his decisions. While a Judicial Restraintist is a conservative who tries to maintain the status quo. Importance: The judiciary needs a balanced mix of both kinds of Justices in order for it to be a fair and just final adjudicator of legal disputes. If it were made entirely of Restraintists or Activists, decisions would be biased. Section II: Short Essays. Answer ALL parts of each question in as much detail and depth as possible. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mass Media is referred to as the fifth branch of government because of the sway it holds on public opinion. Media can reach into every aspect of our lives and influence us in ways the other branches of governance can only dream off. Regretfully, media is biased these days. It is biased for the highest bidder and for its own overly-liberal agenda. Media is a commercial proposition hence profitability is a concern. Since controversy creates cash, media is known to play up scandals and negative aspects of life because the shock value is known to create high ratings, which then attract more advertising money. As a result news today appears to be a parade of bad news and shocking events because media mercenaries know that by showing these they will get more advertising money and social responsibility be damned. 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2000 George W. Bush won as a result of the disaffection people felt with the Democrats. Bill Clinton’s presidency was rocked by scandal (Monica Lewinsky comes to mind) and economic depression (among other things, the frenzied dot-com bubble burst). People were tired of what they thought was the misrule of the Democrats and were eager to try what the Republicans had to offer. In 2004 Bush was flying high on the euphoria generated by his still successful War on Terror; both Afghanistan and Iraq had fallen in just a few weeks of fighting. His bold fighting stance was still supported by many then.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However Bush, in my humble opinion did not defeat Gore in 2000. Based on the total number of voters, first of all, Gore actually won the elections. He lost in the electoral vote, though. This is another reason why the electoral college system should be abolished, it devalues the principle of one man, one vote. In the extreme example, Gore could have had an overwhelming majority of the total voters but so long as he lost in enough large-college states like California, he would still lose the elections. Therefore, the electoral college system overvalues certain states if they have a large number of Electors. Kerry, for his part, lost during the 2004 elections because he could not present a strong alternative to Bush. 3.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The iron triangle is a corrupting influence in the American political process because it takes away from the sanctity of the political process enshrined in our Constitution. Congressmen are loved by their constituents for the benefits they can provide. A Congressman being a representative of his or her state tends to keep (and vote for) the best interest of the state in mind. After all if he votes or acts in a way detrimental to his constituents he will have to answer to them in the next elections. Also a Congressman’s recommendation is necessary to enter West Point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Congress is hated, almost universally, because of its poor image. Recently, it has been unable to stem Bush’s warmongering. The economy is slowing down and Congress is getting a share of the blame for not doing anything to prevent it. Also, Congress is seen as a breeding pit of vested interests and lobbyists who push their agenda to the detriment of legitimate concerns of the country as a whole.

Background and Needs of the Program

Background and Needs of the Program Many adult educational programs exist for the undeserved populations, the programs offer an extensive variety of educational opportunities as well as personal benefits for the individuals who utilize the programs. Additionally the programs strives to enhance educational opportunities for the adults who may exist with challenges In reference to his or her education level, Income level, possesses a disability status, or resides in an unfavorable geographic location. It is not uncommon for foundations to primarily exist from the support of grants and private contributions. The JP Foundation, Inc. Not an exception to the previous statement. The following paragraphs will serve as documentation In reference to providing a background of The JP Foundation, Inc. To Include the organizations history, structure. Additionally, the following paragraphs will serve as documentation in reference to key characteristics of the program. The key characteristics will i nclude the organizations primary activities and services. The latter paragraphs will serve as documentation in reference to the needs of the organizations program to Include diversity and how the organization will meet the needs with the assistance of grants. Organizational BackgroundThe JP Foundation, Inc. , founded in 1985 as a private not for profit organization. The organization maintains a website and individuals can view the foundations information itself. Org. The JP Foundation utilizes the organizations financial resources to assist the improvement of the library's facilities, obtaining books, computers, and supports the library's Center for Adult Learning. According to the foundations website, the foundations mission statements exists as simple, The JP Foundation's mission â€Å"Is to provide the resources that enhance and enrich the Jacksonville Public Library' Jacksonville Public Library, 2013, Para. ). The structure of the program falls under the City of Jacksonville, F lorida. The mayor of Jacksonville oversees the program, however, guided by the board of trustees, city council members, and the board officers. Key Characteristics The Center of Adult Learning, an adult educational program offered by the JP Foundation, offers adults free educational classes to individuals who may exists as educationally undeserved. The adult education classes assist students In four areas. The areas of Instruction consist of reading, math. Life skills. And English as a second language.The Center for Adult Learning will evaluate his or her educational needs ND reading levels. The Instructors will utilize a variety of tools for the facilitation of the classes. The instructors may use computers, audio, and video tapes for avenues for the students to receive Instruction. According to Jackals, â€Å"Center for Adult Learning first began providing reading instruction to adult learners in 1985. They currently offer small group and computer-assisted instruction in reading, math, pre GEED and English language skills to more than 800 adults annually' (2009, Para. 2).The reading program at the Center for Adult Learning helps participants' word abilities, phonics, and Increase participants' vocabulary, Increase his or her reading comprehension, and spelling skills. According to Math, â€Å"adult learning and literacy is adverse ways. It impacts health, crime rates, employment and future generations† (2013, Para. 2). In reference to the math portion of the curriculum offered by the Center for Adult Learning, the center assists adult learners in everyday math skills in reference to balancing a checkbook, unit pricing, and using a calculator.Previously the primary emphasis in reference to adult education has existed in reference to how adults earn and improve adult literacy skills. â€Å"However, since today's decisions are based on data, it is equally important for adult learners to develop and strengthen skills in mathematics, and for educators to identify what works best in developing those skills and create applications for adults† (U. S. Department of Education, 2013, Para. 1).In reference to life skills, the Center for Adult Learning offer skills for participants in reference to filling out applications for employment, filling out other general forms, a driver license, and election ballots. Life skills exists as the everyday skills that an individual need to possess where he or she can â€Å"successfully live in today's world. These include knowing how to work at a Job and be part of a team, manage money, manage time, live as part of a family and learning effective communication skills† (Areas, 2013, Para. ) . The fourth area the Center for Adult Learning offer skills for participants exists as English as a second language. The Center for Adult Learning offers English as a second language to individuals where he or she can communicate in English. This course will assist participants in reference to improving his or hers pronunciation, reading, and conversation in small groups. However, the Center of Adult Learning only offers assistance to individuals who speak Spanish.According to the United States Department of Education, â€Å"adult English Language programs are designed to help immigrants and others who have not yet developed proficiency in English to acquire the basic knowledge and skills they need to function effectively as parent's, workers, and citizens† (2013, Para. 1). Needs of the Program The needs of the adult education program exists as vast. However, the key need exists as financial. The mayor of Jacksonville, recently announced the funding for the city library will decrease by $2. Million dollars for the fiscal year 2014. As a part of the $2. Million budget cut, the funding for materials will also decrease by $173,370 for materials. Additionally, the budget cuts will eliminate 33 full-time positions. The budget cuts will have an adverse effect on the instructors a nd materials for the Center for Adult Learning. As a part of the budget cuts, no library will remain open Sundays, six branches will close, and the remaining libraries will remain open for a 40-hour week Jacksonville Public Library, 2013). A financial need exists in reference to, private funding and grants because of the budget cutbacks in the Jacksonville public library system and the Center for Adult Learning.Where the program can exists as beneficial to the most residents of Devalue County the Center for Adult Learning needs to possess extended hours of operation, have current materials, and have qualified instructor to teach the classes. Currently the Center for Adult Learning hours of operation exists as Monday and Thursday 10:00 a. M. – 6:00 p. M. ; Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 1 a. M. – 7:00 p. M. , and on Fridays 10:00 a. M. – 4:00 p. M. The abbreviated hours of operation exists as difficult to maintain an effective adult learning program.Additionally, t he program employs two full-time instructors one of the full-time instructor and two of the part instructors. To run an effective adult education program for a city with over a million residents the Center for adult learning needs to employ more than one full-time and one part-time instructor. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, â€Å"more than 150,000 adults in Devalue County read below the 5th grade level – nearly 20% of our total population† (2013, Para. 1). Finally, the Center for Adult Learning possesses a mere four computers for students to use. The computers exists as outdated, the computers operate on aWindows 98 base operating system. A need exists to purchase additional personal computers with 21st century technology. If the Center for Adult Learning were to receive grants or private contributions, the program could exists as a more diversified program to expand to languages beyond Spanish. The Center for Adult Learning could employ additional in structors and purchase up-to- date computers to further advance the program. Conclusion The preceding paragraphs serves as documentation in reference to providing a background of the Center of Adult Learning through the JP Foundation.The background will include the organizational history and structure. Additionally, the preceding paragraphs serves as documentation to providing key characteristics of the program. For the Center of Adult Learning the key characteristics exists as, reading skills, basic math skills, basic life skills, and English as a second language. The latter paragraphs will serve as documentation in reference to the needs of the program and advised how the program would branch out to additional languages and purchase up-to-date technology and materials. References Areas, S. (2013).

The Audio Engineer

A vital part in the making of any professionally made album is the production and post-production process. These processes are the responsibility of audio engineers employed by record labels. The engineers are responsible for the recording, mixing, and mastering of audio tracks. To do this, engineers are trained with various technologies in the fields of multi track recording, outboard gear and digital/analog workstations.With their knowledge and tools, engineers help the artists convey their art as best as possible not only to themselves but also to the demographic they wish to express their art to. The job of the engineer can be best described as a presenter in a techno artistic field. The job requires the technical capabilities and instinct to translate the artist’s ideas into a working production. In order to do this, the engineer must be educated in the Audio Industry with a Bachelors Degree in at least one of many Audio Production courses. Associated essay: Advantage Energy Technology Data Center MigrationThe individuals training for this degree must know the fundamentals of proper signal flow, how to work a mixing board, set up microphones, and manipulate outboard equipment that includes time based and dynamic processors. Once the engineer has taken the proper courses for the specific field and has received their commemorative degrees, they can learn more about audio engineering by taking in an internship at a recording studio, music venue, or radio station.A suggestion made by the Audio Engineering Society states that, â€Å"students should complete and internship or apprenticeship to gain hands-on experience, which will make them more marketable to potential employers† (www. aes. org). After receiving the hands on experience from internships, the climb to the top of their field starts and soon they begin to take on more important tasks in the studio, which can include becoming a second engineer or even becomi ng the lead engineer.As an engineer, the skills learned through out the course of ones career can build a high reputation in the industry, which in turn opens a wide range of opportunities to experience. The first phase in the production process of any project is recording. In this phase, the engineer captures one or more sound sources through the use of a wide range microphones and record it directly to one or more of the isolated tracks of a recording system.Through the process of multi track recording however, technologies have added a degree of flexibility by allowing multiple sound sources to be captured onto and played back from isolated tracks. Some of the many types of technology and supplies engineers use in the recording process include microphones, dynamics and time based processors, equalizers, and personal address systems. Personal address systems are made up of three different components that include speakers, amps, and mixers along with a wide variety of backline equi pment.Time Based Processors include effects such as echo which is recognizable, repeat of direct sound and reverb which consists of multiple, blended, random echoes. Dynamic based processors deal with compressors that reduce the dynamic range of a signal by making the loud signals softer and the soft signals louder or vice versa; a gate, which utilizes a threshold knob, that tells the processor when to start the process by cutting out certain frequency ratios. The microphones for each instrument are selected by experience or by experimentation and are then connected to the desired console.They then place the microphone in the desired position in order to get the best possible sound without distortion. Once that is processed, the microphone and track selection should be noted onto a track sheet for easy input and track assignment in the studio. After all the assignments and labeling have been applied, the engineer can begin the process of setting levels for each instrument and mic in put by communicating with each musician to play in solo mode or by asking for a complete run through of the song and listening to one input at a time.With the new age of pro studios, project studios, and digital audio workstations, engineers have a wide variety of tools and options for different types of productions, causing the approach to the projects to vary in many different ways. According to an interview of noted audio engineer Simon Kasprowicz â€Å"what makes a good engineer from a bad is totally subjective and depends upon individual desire because what may sound fantastic to someone, others will find fault in† (Kasprowicz, about. com).When all of the tracks of a project have been recorded, assembled, and edited onto the digital audio workstation or tape deck, the next step would be to individually mix the elements of their work in their final edited forms. The mix down process occurs by routing the various tracks of a digital audio workstation or tape based recorder through a hardware virtual mixing console to alter the overall session’s program, all which include getting relative level, spatial positioning, using equalizers, and effects. Once these measures are taken care of, the engineer can then set up a rough mix of the song by adjusting evels and the spatial pan positions. The producer who is mostly provides feedback to the artist and the engineer during the session, listens to the mix and may ask the engineer to make specific changes such as amplitude adjustments. Instruments in their isolated tracks are often soloed for equalized changes to be made. The usual compression and limiting can be used in the mixing process to make individual tracks sound fuller and more consistent in level or to prevent them from overloading the mix when searching for a desired level.Finally, the team consisting of the artists, producers and engineers in the session can now begin the cooperative process of building the mix in its final form. When the m ix begins to take its form, signal processors, such as effects like reverb and echo, can be added to shape the ambience of the recording in order to help blend with instruments and give a more live feeling to the mix. It’s very important for levels to be as consistent as possible between the various takes. Very often, good judgment is needed to monitor compatible listening levels on speakers or headphones.The reasoning behind this technique is due to the variations in human ear frequency response at different sound pressure level will result in inconsistencies between song balances. Once the final mix is made, the engineer will listen to the mix over different speaker systems for flaws that may have been missed. Making copies of the final mix and sending them out to the producer and artists to listen to is also an ideal way to discover any changes that may be necessary before sending out the final mix to the mastering engineer.Mastering is the process that uses specialized hi gh quality audio gear together with one or more sets of critical ears to help artists and producers attain the desired sound. This has to be done before the recording is made into a finished product. Bob Katz, author of Mastering Audio states that, â€Å"Mastering is the last creative step in the audio production process, the bridge between mixing and distribution† (Katz, 13). It is the last opportunity to enhance sound or repair problems within a studio under an audio microscopic spectrum.Once the final mix is completed, the edited mix down project is sent to the mastering engineers who then fine-tune the overall project. These engineers lend their well-trained ears to help determine what can go wrong technically or aesthetically. With this in mind, mastering too can be considered a techno-artistic field; when applying the rules that one mastering engineer can have a different approach to the sound and overall feel of the project than a different engineer. Mastering can have an important impact on the final project and the assignment of finding the right engineer should never be taken lightly.At times, the mastering engineer may not need to adjust the final mix at all and just give the track the seal of approvable for press. Most of the time, however, the engineer still aids the producer in the track they could not get right during the mix down process by adding their final touch to it. With the audio industry’s constant evolution due to new artists, technologies and recording techniques, labels and production companies are constantly seeking the services of professionally trained engineers.The importance of audio engineers in the hypercompetitive world of entertainment will only increase as new media become more prevalent. Whether its recording tracks at the beginning of the project, assembling and implementing sound effects during the mixing process, or finalizing the project to a desired standard, the audio engineer will continue to be an int egral member in the creation of mass distributed records.