St. Peters Basilica Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

St. Peters Basilica - Essay Example Famous group of architects in Renaissance times include of Bramante, Peruzzi, Antonio da Sangallo and Michelangelo for the architectural practice that was then imitated throughout Europe. Their masterpieces are made up of their personal artistic skills and preferences. Its interior was compounded of magnificent works of these famous architects in which several structures are brilliantly decorated with mosaics. In order to communicate their design intent, the architects considered the graphical language that is easy to understood and shared to others. Christians were allowed to worship openly, St. Peter's basilica became the prototype of churches today which the Christians built. Little by little, each feature inside of the pagan basilica became suffused with Christian significance. This paper traces the gradual restoration of St. Peters basilica from the first and original plan that grown slowly but steadily adapted place for worship. None of the existing types of building could meet the needs of the fellow Christian worshippers. St Peters Basilica is the center of the flow of western Christendom's political, social, religious and cultural development. Every masterpiece is much appreciated in the history and the essence of this remarkable place. Under the construction of more than 150 years, it's been a witness of spiritual humility. The Vatican is still the most recognized landmarks in Rome.

Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay Plato’s Theaetetus is a dialogue that discusses and attempts to find a definition of knowledge. The two characters, Socrates and Theaetetus, approach the argument with the initial idea that knowledge is the addition of a true judgment and an account. However, Socrates raises some concerns regarding the fundamental aspects that make the definition true. Ultimately, the two characters find that their original definition of knowledge is not as accurate, nor as simple as they once believed. The article opens with Theaetetus recalling a definition of knowledge he once heard, which stated â€Å"true judgment with an account is knowledge [and is therefore knowable], and the kind without an account falls outside the sphere of knowledge [and is therefore unknowable]† (126). Socrates begins to question one’s ability to determine whether something is or is not knowable, and he demonstrates the concept using the relationship between elements and complexes. In doing so, he explains a recent dream of his, which, in turn, is actually an explanation of Dream Theory. Dream Theory states that â€Å"the primary elements, of which we and everything else are composed, have no account. Each of them itself, by itself, can only be named† (126). In other words, as elements cannot be broken down further, elements cannot have an account because that would require the determining of whether or not the said elements exist. The addition of that information onto the original element itself results in something that is no longer in its simplest form. Therefore, no elements can have accounts, nor can they be knowable; elements can only be perceived. Consequently, this poses the question as to whether or not complexes are knowable given that their elements are not. When complexes are viewed as the sum of all their elements, it is safe to conclude that the complexes are unknowable, as their elements are unknowable. This idea allowed Socrates to then consider whether complexes were mere sums or if they should instead be viewed as wholes that cannot be dissected into parts. However, the problem with this idea is that, when viewed as a whole that cannot be separated, the complex is then no different than an element, and therefore cannot have an account. After failing to determine what does and does not have an account, Socrates decides to turn his attention to determining what constitutes an account. First, he defines it as stating one’s judgment through speech. Immediately, this manifests flaws in the sense that any true statement could then be considered an account. If this were the case, there would be no differentiation between an account and a true judgment. Next, he defines an account as listing the elements of the things known. Again, this must be incorrect because the possibility exists that one could simply memorize the elements without actually understanding them. Without understanding, one cannot have knowledge. Finally, he defines an account as differentiating the known thing from everything else. This would require knowledge of the differences, and ultimately would again be a reiteration of the true judgment. Additionally, one would be defining knowledge as true judgment plus knowledge, which would be considered a fallacy. This marks the final turning point in Socrates’s and Theaetetus’s overall definition of knowledge, where the two characters decide that their initial definition could not be considered correct. Through their attempts to dissect the supposed explanation of knowledge, Socrates and Theaetetus finally reach the conclusion that knowledge is â€Å"neither perception, nor true judgment, nor an account added to true judgment† (133).

Femininity in Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad essays

Femininity in Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, predominant feminine presence inspires the events of the poem and the destinies of the men involved. This feminine presence is not a product of the actions and decisions of the women in the poem, but rather a conceptual, creative feminine force without which the poem and even human life would not exist. Homer personifies this presence in nature and maintains it through the voice of the Muse, his inspiration. There is a deeper essence of a feminine presence in the poem, however, which lies in the characteristics of life itself. It is the woman who gives birth to the heroes and therefore she is the first to bring her child to life and to put him on the road to death. This biological phenomenon might seem superficially irrelevant to the fears and concerns of the masculine heroes who are most concerned with death, destiny and honor, the principle themes of the Iliad. These are of great importance to these heroes because these aspects of life will determine whethe r or not the world will remember them. Furthermore, as fame is their only path to immortality, the desire for fame after death motivates them to live honorably. It is the feminine role in nature that introduces the men to the life of the hero which instills this longing to be remembered after death, and it is, therefore, the feminine role in nature that gives purpose to human life. Homer acknowledges this effect and uses poetic devices to maintain a powerful presence of femininity throughout the poem. The feminine presence in the Iliad carries the poem like a pregnant woman carries a fetus in its final stages in the womb. Homer hints at this phenomenon through the many details of his poem that involve units of nine. As th... ...en will grow while another / dies† (6.146-149). Glaukos, the â€Å"shining son of Hippolochos,† (6. 145) makes this declaration in Book Six. The fact that Homer describes him as â€Å"the shining son of Hippolochos† indicates that his ancestors were virtuous and fortunate to have an honorable descendent to tell their stories to respectful listeners. Without a decent parentage and honorable descendents, a man’s fame will not survive his death. Men do not have the power to ensure that they will have children and grandchildren to continue their lineage; it is the woman who carries the child in her womb. A man can never be sure if his child is legitimately from his or another man’s blood line. This knowledge is a power that nature gave the woman, a power that no man can ever control. Work Cited Homer, Iliad, trans. Richard Lattimore New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1965. Femininity in Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad essays Femininity in Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, predominant feminine presence inspires the events of the poem and the destinies of the men involved. This feminine presence is not a product of the actions and decisions of the women in the poem, but rather a conceptual, creative feminine force without which the poem and even human life would not exist. Homer personifies this presence in nature and maintains it through the voice of the Muse, his inspiration. There is a deeper essence of a feminine presence in the poem, however, which lies in the characteristics of life itself. It is the woman who gives birth to the heroes and therefore she is the first to bring her child to life and to put him on the road to death. This biological phenomenon might seem superficially irrelevant to the fears and concerns of the masculine heroes who are most concerned with death, destiny and honor, the principle themes of the Iliad. These are of great importance to these heroes because these aspects of life will determine whethe r or not the world will remember them. Furthermore, as fame is their only path to immortality, the desire for fame after death motivates them to live honorably. It is the feminine role in nature that introduces the men to the life of the hero which instills this longing to be remembered after death, and it is, therefore, the feminine role in nature that gives purpose to human life. Homer acknowledges this effect and uses poetic devices to maintain a powerful presence of femininity throughout the poem. The feminine presence in the Iliad carries the poem like a pregnant woman carries a fetus in its final stages in the womb. Homer hints at this phenomenon through the many details of his poem that involve units of nine. As th... ...en will grow while another / dies† (6.146-149). Glaukos, the â€Å"shining son of Hippolochos,† (6. 145) makes this declaration in Book Six. The fact that Homer describes him as â€Å"the shining son of Hippolochos† indicates that his ancestors were virtuous and fortunate to have an honorable descendent to tell their stories to respectful listeners. Without a decent parentage and honorable descendents, a man’s fame will not survive his death. Men do not have the power to ensure that they will have children and grandchildren to continue their lineage; it is the woman who carries the child in her womb. A man can never be sure if his child is legitimately from his or another man’s blood line. This knowledge is a power that nature gave the woman, a power that no man can ever control. Work Cited Homer, Iliad, trans. Richard Lattimore New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1965.

Charismatic leadership style of mahatma gandhi Essay

Introduction Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most important person and charismatic leader in the history of India as he was he only one who is considered as the founder of our nation. He was the self made leader, he was not having any career in his life, no fame was gained by him, he was also not so rich an average looking man but still he was the father of the country. Mahatma Gandhi gave right ways and positive thoughts to many people in the nation, he make them teach what he actually practice in his real life, he was called as the great symbol of truth by the public of our nation. It was due to rule of British in India which made him to fight against them and for this he needed to guide the Indian citizens to fight against them this made him to become the absolute leader and to use evil practices against the British. It was the period during which he was in South Africa working on some legal work their which he was subjected to abuse , but then he realizes how the Indians in their home land were badly treated and beaten by the British which was subjected to cruel abuse. To fight against the British people Gandhi took many ways which he called as practices in all over India which were non violence, truth and bravery. This whole practices were named by Indians as Satyagraha and which was having a big meaning among the Indians. The practice of Satyagraha was done all over Indian was used against corruption, non- violence, civil defense. Mahatma Gandhi thought that doing such practices will only help them to have proper control over social and political rulings. It was because of his charisma that he many Indian were devoted towards Mahatma Gandhi and due to which they were following practice of Satyagraha without any fear. Through the practice of Satyagraha Gandhi Ji followed the fight for independence from British which was considered as a big fight in whole world during that period of time. During his fight for  independence Gandhi Ji advice his Indian to use the non- vio lence fight against the British which generally consists boycotting the practices of British and not accepting the use of British products in India. It was his intelligence, leadership qualities and charm nature which helped many Indians to fight against the British by the use non- violence practice. Since Mahatma Gandhi was very devoted towards his home land and towards its country people that he was ready to die for them anytime that is why he was the main point of attraction among the hearts of Indian people and that’s why people of India were also ready to die for Gandhi Ji anytime anywhere. HELPERT†S DIMENSIONS OF CHARISMA Transformational leadership President of South Africa stated bout Gandhi Ji â€Å"You produce a Lawyer and we produce a Leader out of you†. This first evident that makes him great leader was in South Africa when was thrown out of first class compartment on the basis that he was an Indian and Indians were treated as lower class people in South Africa and this is just because of color of Indian people. This intolerant behavior towards Indians opened his eyes and showed how his country people are treated. This thinking intended him to fight against racism for equal rights of Indian people. This further led him to a great fighter in India and he was also a great leader in the hearts of Indian people. According to Bass (1985) transformational leaders generally consists of distinctive attractive behavior that includes sacrificing personal gains for the advantage of the group setting common example for followers and demonstrating high model standards. Leadership style of Gandhi Ji clearly shows the presence of transformational leadership. As an example his followers were intended by him, have trust in him, love him, were loyal to him and revert him. Transformational leaders also charm to higher values like equality, freedom, right decision and peace. Gandhi Ji was mainly known for these leadership styles and fought for his entire life following these values and taken stand for these values. Gandhi ji leadership styles throughout his life encouraged his followers to follow this practice of non-violence fight and also to fight in unity. During their fight for  freedom thousands of his followers were sent to jail and were also beaten badly and treated brutally. Example: Many of his followers were gathered for the Salt March which was followed by a non- violence practice but then also British officers beat them badly with sticks. Then also they did not follow the path of violence because they had a great respect of Gandhi Ji and his practices of non- violence, equality and unity. 1. Accordi ng to Ferrin and Dirks transformational leadership is strongly associated with trust in the leader. According to Bass, transformational leaders consists the following behaviors: Idealized influence This nature arouses active and powerful follower emotions and identification with the leader. Gandhi was successful in motivating and influencing lots of people as a result he was the person of his words, and continuously practices what he preached. He was a task model for lots of common people and won their respect and trust through his practice. He expressed hg model conducts, non-violence, cooperation (voluntary imporvinshment), commitment and endurance so as to achieve India’s independence. Intellectual Stimulation This behavior will increase follower awareness of issues and forces followers to look at issues from a new view point. Gandhi Ji was perpetually supportive of his believers and inspired them to think broadly as well as frankly, raise queries and solve issues. He was willing to simply accept wrong doing and mistakes and wasn’t ashamed to discard a method that didn’t worked as plan. For example: Gandhi Ji asked for the shut off his non- violence campaign just because sum of his subordinates were using violence methods to fight against British in that case instead of going against them he asked for the closure of the campaign. Individualized Consideration This includes giving support, training and inspiration to followers. Gandhi Ji was very supportive to his followers as an example he with patience listen to the problems and considerations of the poor with regard to their ability to keep our support because of British policies. Gandhi Ji was also very supportive of different leaders like national leader and Vallabhbhai Patel. He nurtures them inspired them to share concepts and even authorized them to create choices, never creating them feel addicted to him. Inspirational Motivation This type of leadership includes human action and appealing vision and making use of symbols to focus subordinates effort. Gandhi Ji stood by his personal values and systematically delivered his vision of independence by openly exchanging his vision and using symbols like the Salt Satyagraha Movement, he guided his believers with the way right meaning that successfully impressed them to stay idealistic and increase their effort. Gandhi’s Power and Influence Tactics 1. Referent Power Referent power is also called as: Charismatic power Personal Power Power of personality When a leader is respect, admired and influentially followed by others. As we have already discussed in transformational leadership Gandhi Ji was respected by his followers and having a two way relationship between him and his followers. An important leader is given respect only when two way communications is followed and Gandhi Ji believed in this way of communication that’s why he was a great leader. Gandhi ji constantly proved to be a role model and is behavior consistent with the moral principles he predicate. Qualities of Mahatma Gandhi as a Referent Leader Honest and considerate to others Unselfish intentions Role model Used the process of internalization to influence his followers Many of the followers of Gandhi Ji were influenced by stimulating their values of self  respect, justice and freedom to fight against British. At certain points personal identification was also considered. For example Jawaharlal Nehru was initially influenced by Gandhi Ji as he used to western wear clothes and looking at the style and dressing sense of Gandhi Ji he also started wearing Khadi clothes. Similarly many followers of Gandhi ji boycotted the western style wearing and opted for khadi dressing like Gandhi Ji. According to (2010) power is the capacity to attract the nature and attitude of people in the direction desired. With an exclusive charming and attractive practices followed by Gandhi Ji empowered him with high referent power. He was able to maintain his power by expressing care towards the needs of the public by showing trust and treating people equally. Due to his high level of personal sincerity and pers istent values allowed him to maintain his referent power. 2. Expert Power Since Gandhi Ji was a good lawyers as he has completed hi law from South Africa and was aware of all the rules and regulations of the government. Due to his expert knowledge also the member of Indian national congress and later join the British Indian community in the Transvaal where he fought against restriction on Indian trade he always follows the rules and regulations in correct direction and his entire practices were legal there were no illegal practices followed by him. Due to his non-violence and expert power his followers were also influenced by his practices and used to follow his path. 3. Job Involvement Gandhi Ji always encouraged for ethical practices during his lifetime which are: Truth and love Self Discipline Abolition of untouchability Dependency(Weaving his own clothes) Gandhi Ji always had a high influence on people because of the above mentioned characteristics of his leadership. Gandhi Ji mainly shows interest  for others rather than focusing on self interest also called altruistic behavior. In order to influence his followers in the direction of non- violence he did fast for several days. During that period he not even thought about his health and food, he suffered a lot till he gets the desired result of his fast. Gandhi Ji become as a leader of masses from the leader of community when Gandhi ji was in South Africa he fought in suit and tie but when he came to India he adopted the situation realizing in India and wore clothes of a peasant, weaved his own clothes and lived in a small house. He was always under control of situations and having effective negotiation skills while dealing with British authorities. Conclusion Gandhi shows the transformation of a standard man into a legendary leader. It shows how conditions will inspire someone to fight against injustice and difference. Gandhi’s style of leadership proves that to attain a required and decent end, suggests that must be equally sensible. Gandhi had a vision that was accepted by his followers. His personal practices led to India to be free from Britishers. His involvement and interest towards the poor people of society is memorable and peerless. His teaching of non violence is extremely abundant relevant even in today’s world. For the contribution and sacrifices he created for the India’s independence, upliftment of poor people, contribution towards woman encouragement and unity among completely different religions, he has been given the title of ‘Mahatma’ by his nation and is named as ‘Bapu’ that’s Father of the nation. References http://www.mahatma.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=9 http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/voices-for-human-rights/champions/mahatma-gandhi.html https://sites.google.com/site/leadershipmasters/powers-of-leadership http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080725175352AAz0Fqu http://www.unpost.org/mahatma-gandhi-soft-leadership/ http://www.etudier.com/dissertations/Gandhi-And-His-Leadership-Style/206087

Leadership Styles and Their Effect on CEOs Essay

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to analyze, compare, and contrast the leadership styles of two influential CEOs. I have collected information from many internet sources that elaborate on the life, achievements, and misfortunes of Jack Welch and Steve Jobs, and how they overcame their obstacles to become the best CEOs of all time. Leadership Styles and Their Effect on CEOs Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive. Jack Welch and Steve Jobs exemplify the true meaning of what a leader is. Their personality traits of being conscientious open to experiences, extroversion, persistent, and passionate has led them to be the most phenomenal visionary leaders of their time. Jack Welch was the chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. During his duration at GE, he managed to introduce a fresh and innovative leadership style. Welch developed a ranking system that put employees in one of three categories. The top 20 percent were â€Å"stars†, the middle 70 percent were the crucial majority, and the bottom 10 percent were weeded out (Bloomberg, 1998). I admire and strongly agree with Welch’s management approach of making employee’s accountable. If you are hired to perform a job, then expecting results of a certain quality is justified. In addition, I believe that Welch’s passion for productivity and results allowed him to achieve effective performance management within his company. Results create success, and I believe most people tend not to raise their standards high enough if there are not serious repercussions that follow, such as being dismissed for not providing results. Welch most notable achievement was increasing the market value of the General Electric firm. As CEO he increased it from approximately $12 billion when he took over, to a colossal $505 at the time of his retirement (Management, 2012). He managed to make GE the world’s second largest company with a market capitalization that was only exceeded by Microsoft. Through hard work and perseverance Welch managed to attain legendary status of being one of the greatest CEOs of all time. Leadership Styles and Their Effect on CEOs Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. As the CEO of the company, Jobs covered the development of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and on the services side the company’s Apple Retail Stores, iTunes store, and the App store. The success of these products under Jobs provided stable years of financial return, and propelled Apple to become the world’s most valuable publically traded company. The reinvigoration of the company is regarded by commentators as one of the greatest turnarounds in business history (Gallo, 2011). Jobs was a â€Å"one-in-a-billion† innovator with a bulldog mentality. He created a vision and relentlessly drove it into completion. Jobs was a demanding perfectionist who always aspired to position his business and products at the forefront of the technology industry by understanding and setting trends with innovation and style. His reputation was built on being a brutal force and often destroyed staff for their â€Å"bozo† ideas and typically shrugged off his associates suggestions in favor of his own gut instinct. Moreover, he only wanted what he called â€Å"A-players†. Meaning that they had to be brilliant and he insisted that under the threat of being fired, that they would never reveal any of Apple’s secrets inside or outside of the organization (Juarez, 2011). In summary, both Welch and Jobs are extraordinary leaders who demonstrate charismatic and transformational leadership styles. They both have very similar qualities in wanting to produce results. However, they differ because Welch’s management style was cut throat in the sense of firing employees who did not perform. Yet, he was still open to the ideas of managers and employees, and empowered them. On the other hand, Jobs leadership style is regarded as unconventional and being a dictator, who only listens to his own intuition. References Bloomberg, L,P. (6/28/2012). How Jack Welch Runs GE. Business Week. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://www.businessweek.com/1998/23/b3581001.htm Gallo, F. (3/17/2012). What Kind of Leader Was Steve Jobs? Calypso Consulting. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://www.chinacalypso.com/content/what-kind-leader-was-steve-jobs Juarez, A. (10/5/2011). A Different Kind of Leader. Studying Systems for a Humane and Sustainable World. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://saybrook.typepad.com/complexity/2011/10/a-different-kind-of-leader-steve-jobs-1955-2011.html Management Strategies From A Top CEO. (4/16/2010). Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/10/manage-business-like-jack-welch.asp#axzz2CpmsLsRK

2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Molecular Machines

2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Molecular Machines The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage (University of Strasbourg, France), Sir J. Fraser Stoddart (Northwestern Univeristy, Illinois, USA), and Bernard L. Feringa (University of Groningen, the Netherlands) for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. What Are Molecular Machines and Why Are They Important? Molecular machines are molecule that move in a certain way or perform a task when given energy. At this point in time, miniscule molecular motors are at the same level of sophistication as electric motors in the 1830s. As scientists refine their understanding of how to get molecules to move in certain way, they pave the future for using the tiny machines to store energy, make new materials, and detect changes or substances. What Do The Nobel Prize Winners Win? The winners of this years Nobel Prize in Chemistry each receive a Nobel Prize medal, an elaborately decorated award, and prize money. The 8 million Swedish krona will be split equally between the laureates. Understand the Achievements Jean-Pierre Sauvage laid the groundwork for the development of molecular machines in 1983 when he formed the molecular chain called catenane. The significance of catenane is that its atoms were linked by mechanical bonds rather than traditional covalent bonds, so the parts of the chain could be more easily opened and closed. In 1991, Fraser Stoddard moved ahead when he developed a molecule called a rotaxane. This was a molecular ring on an axle. The ring could be made to move along the axle, leading to the inventions of molecular computer chips, molecular muscles, and a molecular lift. In 1999, Bernard Feringa was the first person to devise a molecular motor. He formed a rotor blade and demonstrated he could make all of the blades spin in the same direction. From there, he moved on to design a nanocar. Natural Molecules Are Machines Molecular machines have been known in nature. The classic example is a bacterial flagellum, which moves the organism forward. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizes the significance of being able to design tiny functional machines from molecules and the importance of making a molecular toolbox from which humanity can build more intricate miniature machines. Where does the research go from here? Practical applications of nanomachines include smart materials, nanobots that deliver drugs or detect diseased tissue, and high-density memory.

Methanol A Future Fuel essays

Methanol A Future Fuel essays This section is about methanol fuel cells for our future. Since I have done this research I have never realized how important future fuels are. Methanol is a liquid fuel made form natural gas or renewable biomass resources. Methanol is the leading candidate to provide the hydrogen necessary to power fuel cell vehicles. The commercialization of methanol-powered fuel cells will offer practical, affordable, long-range electric vehicles with zero or near zero emissions while retaining the convenience of a liquid fuel. By 2004 they say or even sooner, fuel cells operating on methanol will power a variety of cars and buses in the U.S and worldwide.( www.mehanol.org) Methanol is predoninantly produced by steam reforming of natural gas to dcreate a sythesis gas, which is then dfed into a reactor vessel in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol and water vapor. Although a variety of feedstocks other than natural gas can and have been used, todays economics favor natural gas. Synthesis gas refers to combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen while a large amount of synthesis gas us used to make methanol, most synthesis gas is used to make ammonia. As a result, most methanol plants are adjacent o or are part of ammonia plants. The gas fed into another reactor vessel under high temperatures and pressures, where monoxide and hydrogen are came in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol. Finally, the reactor product is distilled to purify and separate the methanol from the reactor effluent. (wwwadfc.nrel.gov.) (Washington, D.C., January 28) A study by the environmental engineering firm Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. finds far fewer environmental threats from using methanol in fuel cell vehicles, compared to gasoline's use for internal combustion engines. In addition, a video presentation on methanol and the environment produced by the Public Interest Video Network will be premiered at "Th ...

Biography of Renzo Piano, Italian Architect

Biography of Renzo Piano, Italian Architect Renzo Piano (born September 14, 1937) is a Pritzker Prize Laureate, an architect known for his broad range of iconic projects that blend architecture and engineering. From a sports stadium in his native Italy to a cultural center in the south Pacific, Pianos architecture exhibits futuristic design, a sensitivity to the environment, and attention to the user experience. Fast Facts: Renzo Piano Known For:  Pritzker-Prize Laureate, leading-edge and prolific contemporary architectBorn:  September 14, 1937 in Genoa, ItalyParents: Carlo PianoEducation: Polytechnic University of MilanMajor Projects:  Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, the Lingotto Factory restoration in Turin, Italy, the Kansai International Airport, Osaka, the Museum of the Beyeler Foundation, Basel, the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center, Noumà ©a, New Caledonia, the Potsdamer Platz reconstruction, Berlin, The Shard, London, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, The Whitney Museum, New YorkAwards and Honors:  Legion of Honour, the gold medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, Pritzker Architecture PrizeSpouse: Magda Arduino, Emilia (Milly) RossatoChildren: Carlo, Matteo, LiaNotable Quote: Architecture is art. I dont think you should say that too much, but it is art. I mean, architecture is many, many things. Architecture is science, is technology, is geography, is typography , is anthropology, is sociology, is art, is history. You know all this comes together. Architecture is a kind of bouillabaisse, an incredible bouillabaisse. And, by the way, architecture is also a very polluted art in the sense that its polluted by life, and by the complexity of things. Early Years Renzo Piano was born into a family of building contractors, including his grandfather, father, uncles, and brother. Piano honored this tradition when in 1981 he named his architecture firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), as if it were forever to be a small family business. Says Piano: I was born into a family of builders, and this has given me a special relationship with the art of doing. I always loved going to building sites with my father and seeing things grow from nothing, created by the hand of man. Piano studied at the  Polytechnic University of Milan from 1959 to 1964 before returning to work in his fathers business in 1964, working under the guidance of Francis Albini. Early Career and Influences Eking out a living by teaching and building with his familys business, from 1965 to 1970 Piano traveled to the United States to work in the Philadelphia office of Louis I. Kahn. He then went on to London to work with the Polish engineer Zygmunt StanisÅ‚aw Makowski, known for his study and research of spatial structures. Early on, Piano sought out guidance from those who blended architecture and engineering. His mentors included the French-born designer Jean Prouvà © and the brilliant Irish structural engineer Peter Rice. In 1969, Piano received his first major commission to design the Italian Industry Pavilion at Expo ‘70 in Osaka, Japan. His Pavilion garnered international attention, including that of young architect Richard Rogers. The two architects formed a fruitful partnership that lasted from 1971 to 1978. Together they entered and won the international competition for the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. The Centre Pompidou Piano and Rogers spent the better part of the 1970s designing and building the Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg. It remains one of the main cultural centers and attractions in Paris. Completed in 1977, it was career-launching architecture for both men. The radically innovative Centre has often been described as â€Å"high tech.† Piano has objected to this description, offering his own: â€Å"Beaubourg was intended to be a joyful urban machine, a creature that might have come from a Jules Verne book, or an unlikely looking ship in dry dock...Beaubourg is a double provocation: a challenge to academicism, but also a parody of the technological imagery of our time. To see it as high-tech is a misunderstanding.† International Notoriety After their success with the Centre, the two architects went their own way. In 1977, Piano partnered with Peter Rice to form Piano Rice Associates. And in 1981, he founded the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Piano has become the most sought-after museum architect in the world. He is renowned for his ability to harmonize buildings both with their external environment and the art exhibited within them.   Piano is also celebrated for his landmark examples of energy-efficient green design. With a living roof and a four-story tropical rainforest, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco claims to be the worlds greenest museum, thanks to the design of Piano. The Academy writes, It all began with architect Renzo Piano’s idea to lift up a piece of the park and put a building underneath. For Piano, the architecture became part of the landscape. Architectural Style Renzo Pianos work has been called high-tech and bold postmodernism. His 2006 renovation and expansion of the Morgan Library and Museum shows that he has much more than one style. The interior is open, light, modern, natural, old, and new at the same time. Unlike most other architectural stars, writes architecture critic Paul Goldberger, Piano has no signature style. Instead, his work is characterized by a genius for balance and context. The Renzo Piano Building Workshop works with the understanding that architecture is ultimately uno spazio per la gente, a space for people. With attention to detail and maximizing the use of natural light, Pianos many projects exemplify how massive structures can retain a delicateness. Examples include the 1990 sports stadium San Nicola in Bari, Italy, designed to appear to open like petals of a flower. Likewise, in the Lingotto district of Turin, Italy, the 1920s-era car manufacturing factory now has a transparent bubble meeting room on the roof- a light-filled area built for employees in Pianos 1994 building conversion. The exterior facade remains historic; the interior is all new. Variety Piano building exteriors are rarely the same, signature style that cries out the architects name. The 2015 stone-sided New Parliament Building in Valletta, Malta is quite different from the 2010 colorful terracotta facades of Central St. Giles Court in London- and both are different than the 2012 London Bridge Tower, which because of its glass exterior is today known as The Shard. But Renzo Piano does speak of a theme that unites his work: There is one theme that is very important for me: lightness...In my architecture, I try to use immaterial elements like transparency, lightness, the vibration of the light. I believe that they are as much a part of the composition as the shapes and volumes. Finding Spatial Connections The Renzo Piano Building Workshop has developed a reputation for reinventing standing architecture and creating something new. In northern Italy, Piano has done this at the Old Port in Genoa (Porto Antico di Genova) and the brownfield Le Albere district in Trento. In the U.S., he has made modern connections that transformed disparate buildings into a more unified whole. The  Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City went from a city block of separate buildings into a center of research and social gathering under one roof. On the West Coast, Pianos team was asked to fuse the scattered buildings of Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) into a cohesive campus. Their solution was, in part, to bury the parking lots underground, thus creating space for covered pedestrian walkways to connect the present and future architecture. Choosing a top 10 list of Renzo Piano projects to highlight is nearly impossible. Renzo Pianos work, like that of other great architects, is elegantly distinctive and socially responsible. Legacy In 1998, Renzo Piano was awarded what some call architectures highest honor- The Pritzker Architecture Prize. He remains one of the most respected, prolific, and innovative architects of his time. Many people connect Piano with the raucous design of the Centre de Georges Pompidou. Admittedly, it was not easy for him to lose that association. Because of the Centre, Piano has often been labeled high tech, but he is adamant that this does not describe him: [I]t implies that you arent thinking in a poetic way, he says, which is far from his self-conception. Piano considers himself to be a humanist and technologist, which both fit into modernism. Scholars of architecture note, as well, that Pianos work is rooted in the classical traditions of his Italian homeland. Judges for the Pritzker Architecture Prize credit Piano with redefining modern and postmodern architecture. Sources Biography of Renzo Piano. VIPEssays.com.â€Å"An Architects Vision.†Ã‚  California Academy of Sciences.Goldberger, Paul, and Paul Goldberger. â€Å"Molto Piano.†Ã‚  The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 20 June 2017.â€Å"Green Building Operations.†Ã‚  California Academy of Sciences.Piano, Renzo. 1998 Laureate Acceptance Speech. Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony at the White House. The Hyatt Foundation, June 17, 1998.â€Å"Renzo Piano 1998 Laureate Biography.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"RPBW Philosophy.† Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW).

Ensuring Social Responsibility in Entreoreneurial Ventures Essay

Ensuring Social Responsibility in Entreoreneurial Ventures - Essay Example In fact, lately, the corporate world has been under so much pressure, criticism and scrutiny that being socially responsible, at least on paper, has become vital for the survival of almost all large and medium sized corporations. On the other hand, entrepreneurs who start a new company are less likely to have role models, well-defined principles, historical stories, and other such elements, which could help them, determine the ethical courses of action (Steyaert & Hjorth, 2004). It would be a huge mistake for the entrepreneur to assume that his or her social responsibility only is to maximize his or her own profits to the utmost level as dictated by Milton Freidman, Adam Smith and others. By focusing on the business, the entrepreneur would be able to produce more and sell more thus stimulating the local economy (Ziegler, 2011). The basic concepts of economics dictate that this will gradually increase the employment opportunities and any excess cash in the hands of the entrepreneur or its employees would be used for investment thus creating an upwards spiral of growth (Steyaert & Hjorth, 2006). ... The entire premise of entrepreneurial ventures is because entrepreneurs always find their window of opportunity when they fell that some stakeholder of the existing company is being exploited by the existing businesses (London & Morfopoulos, 2009; Ziegler, 2011). Therefore, the entrepreneur would decide to fill in gap to provide value and relief to those stakeholders and would make that particular aspect the competitive advantage of the business. The point here is that by having an unethical conduct or exploitation by the entrepreneur of any of the stakeholders of the business, whether its investors, suppliers, customers, distributors or others, the entrepreneur himself or herself will open up an opportunity for other risk takers to step up and fill that gap (Davidsson, 2005). For example, if an entrepreneur’s production and packaging of the product were harmful to the environment then it would be exploitation of the customers and the society. A bold risk taker who witnesses t he same will see this as on opportunity and jump in the business with the logo and mission of being more environmentally responsible and green (Steyaert & Hjorth, 2004). Obviously, he would charge a little premium for the same and take away all the customers, which are concerned with the environment thus putting a serious dent on the business of the first entrepreneur. Therefore, the point here is that any attempt towards being socially irresponsible or of the exploitation of the stakeholders will appear as an opportunity for other entrepreneurs who would quickly jump in and fill in the gap (Nicholls, 2006). As mentioned earlier that entrepreneurs usually operate under great stress and

Annotation - The Tale of Genji Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Annotation - The Tale of Genji - Article Example The novel shows how the Lotus Sutra entered Japan on her way from China in the early 9th century thus becomes tied to the courts nobles (Murasaki 67). Tale of Genji is a thrilling novel, which follows the life of a charming and handsome courtier from his childhood numerous adventures to renewed success and exile. It focuses on the painful death of his dearest companion called Murasaki and his son’s closest friend Kashiwagi betrayal. At long run, the novel shifts its attention to Genji’s descendants after his death caused by the devastation after his new wife becoming a nun. The novel revolves around certain themes, which emanates from the characters such as Genji in the novel. The novel depicts the theme of society from the elite group of aristocrats who are more interested in their own leisure because of the location of the emperor at their centre, thus creating a vast society. The aristocrats after obsessions by the breeding and rankings they would sensitized on nature’s beauty through the music pleasures and warm clothing (Murasaki 102). This depicts by Heian courtiers who knew little about the outside world form their capital and less cared. They considered as common people almost becoming sub humans because they rarely or never travelled at all. In the novel, there existed five court ranks with the top three ranks being high court nobles while the fourth and the fifth ranks being the provincial governor class. These classes often sneered at because of its courtified behavior and its lower rank. This depicted the theme of society existed with Murasaki being a Fujiwara and the governor of Echizen daughter. The provincial governors in the novel did well financially, but they considered the three-year duty tour to the provinces to be virtual exile. The Heian trips to the provincial capitals and the religious pilgrimages were the only undertaken travel by the Aristocrats. This act of the Heian Aristocrats lack of

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - Essay Example Based on this particular understanding, the objective of this study is to reflect the importance of the European Union (EU), SCM and Reverse Logistics in maintaining and managing the international operations with the advent of globalisation process. European Union The EU is commonly recognised as a governmental and commercial union that comprises of 27 member states from the European continent (Paquet, 2003). It reflects and provides insights about inter-governmentalism, convergence criteria, supranationalism and other common policies for integration which further shapes the business operations in the global context within the periphery of EU. The EU controls and frames strategies related to problems such as budgetary contributions of the member countries that is reflected through legal membership. For instance, some of the common policies performed by the EU, such as the fisheries policies reflect about the norms and the regulations fixed for member countries concerning with the per mit to catch various types of fishes till a given quantity in a controlled manner, restricting the probable inhibition of biodiversity (Paquet, 2003). Additionally, the EU enacted common policies to restrict the Treaty of Lisbon which was allegedly hampering the national sovereignty of the member states in lieu to the integration process of the union (BBC, 2013). Irrespective of the risk of national sovereignty, EU member states avail the benefits of structural fund, trade liaisons outside Europe, and single market opportunities among others (Paquet, 2003). However, the role and the position of every member state is certainly not the same in the EU. For instance, it has often been argued that UK, being a prominent member state of EU has been benefitted by the common policies in terms of international trade relationships. Correspondingly, the nation has also been credited for its tactful measures to protect its national sovereignty. Nevertheless, in the recent political and economic debates, the UK has been witnessed to be suffering in terms of its national sovereignty (BBC, 2013). Supply Chain Management The effective SCM within an organisation helps in managing the upstream as well as the downstream relationships with respect to customers and the suppliers. In this context, it is further admitted that SCM comprises of series of events that are responsible for framing the entire lifecycle of products from conception to their consumption. Additionally, the SCM contributes towards better understanding of the competitive market for an organisation focusing on issues related to its long term sustainability (Ilyas & et. al., 2006). With reference to modern SCM approaches, the application of IT reflects upon the inter-organisational system that helps in the flow of information and the processes crosswise the organisational boundaries. The advent of IT in the global market has resulted in positive impacts over the information sharing among the supply chain partners. The efficient application of SCM has further led towards greater organisational success. For instance, for couple of years, Nokia Company was facing problems with respect to

Saudi Arabia's geography offers more opportunities than constraints Essay

Saudi Arabia's geography offers more opportunities than constraints - Essay Example The vast coastline offers potentials for transport, and the unique geographic features are untapped tourist attraction sites that can significantly develop the country. The paper, therefore, analyzes the positives of the location of Saudi Arabia in world geography as opposed to the perceived hindrances. It aims to instill information that Saudi Arabia is a land of opportunities, and the location is a blessing in disguise. As highlighted, Saudi Arabia is a big country in the Middle East. It borders seven countries some of which are Iraq, Oman, United Arabs Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Peoples Republic of Yemen. The exceptional topographical location provides Saudi Arabia with opportunities for becoming the accessible and strategic market for west and east. The extensive boundaries also enhance the nation’s capacity to accommodate many products and the population is an ideal market for commodities from this nations. Therefore, the positioning is an excellent opportunity for market development and subsequent growth into an economic powerhouse of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia borders large continental water masses. Particularly, it has a vast coastline on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The exclusive feature offers magnificent control in shipping and water transport. Specifically, the nation can benefit more by establishing structures for shipping crude oil from the region to other parts of the world. Likewise, the positioning makes it a transit route for export and import goods for other nations in the area. Utilizing the sea and developing sophisticated transport channels are some of the opportunities at the disposal of the Saudi Government. Hence, the coastline has great potentials of making Saudi Arabia a prominent logistic and transport center if well managed. Saudi Arabia has assorted geographic structures that include grasslands, ranges forests, mountain, and deserts. Most of Saudi Arabia landmass comprises of desert. In addition, the country

The Specific Powers Vested in the Federal Government by the U.S Essay

The Specific Powers Vested in the Federal Government by the U.S Constitution - Essay Example Some of the powers vested in the federal government by the U.S Constitution outlined in Article 1, Section 8 include the power to collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises uniformly throughout the United States and these will assist in paying the debts. According to the constitution, the federal government has the authority to control money and collect taxes but this should be done uniformly, that is, no state should be charged more for imports than the other. Another power vested in the federal government by the constitution is the power to borrow money on the credit of the United States, that is, the Congress is allowed to go into debts in order to pay for government programs and services. More so, the American constitution states that the federal government has the authority to control commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states as well as the Indian tribes and this implies that the federal government has the authority to regulate both interstate and international business activities. Therefore, the constitution allows the government to regulate all kinds of economic activities within states. In addition, the constitution states that the federal government has the authority to launch a uniform rule of naturalization so that no one is discriminated or prevented from becoming American citizens because of their nationalities. More so, the Congress has the power to set uniform laws on the matter of bankruptcies all over the United States and this allows the Congress to come up with a process that enables immigrants to become American citizens. More so, this clause allows the Congress to establish rules for indebted individuals and various firms to declare  bankruptcy.

Saudi Arabia's geography offers more opportunities than constraints Essay

Saudi Arabia's geography offers more opportunities than constraints - Essay Example The vast coastline offers potentials for transport, and the unique geographic features are untapped tourist attraction sites that can significantly develop the country. The paper, therefore, analyzes the positives of the location of Saudi Arabia in world geography as opposed to the perceived hindrances. It aims to instill information that Saudi Arabia is a land of opportunities, and the location is a blessing in disguise. As highlighted, Saudi Arabia is a big country in the Middle East. It borders seven countries some of which are Iraq, Oman, United Arabs Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Peoples Republic of Yemen. The exceptional topographical location provides Saudi Arabia with opportunities for becoming the accessible and strategic market for west and east. The extensive boundaries also enhance the nation’s capacity to accommodate many products and the population is an ideal market for commodities from this nations. Therefore, the positioning is an excellent opportunity for market development and subsequent growth into an economic powerhouse of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia borders large continental water masses. Particularly, it has a vast coastline on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The exclusive feature offers magnificent control in shipping and water transport. Specifically, the nation can benefit more by establishing structures for shipping crude oil from the region to other parts of the world. Likewise, the positioning makes it a transit route for export and import goods for other nations in the area. Utilizing the sea and developing sophisticated transport channels are some of the opportunities at the disposal of the Saudi Government. Hence, the coastline has great potentials of making Saudi Arabia a prominent logistic and transport center if well managed. Saudi Arabia has assorted geographic structures that include grasslands, ranges forests, mountain, and deserts. Most of Saudi Arabia landmass comprises of desert. In addition, the country

FAR Small-Business Preference Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FAR Small-Business Preference - Research Paper Example These programs are specifically designed to help the veteran owned as well as service disabled veteran owned small business to gain from the federal contracts The congress has established key legislations that outline the important programs to assist service veterans in federal contract markets. The first legislation to be passed by the congress was done in the year 1999 (McFetridge, 2012). The veteran entrepreneurship and small business development act would assist me as a veteran by giving me an edge in securing annual government –wide procurement. This law stipulates that approximately three percent of the government procurement contracts would be awarded to service disabled veteran owned small businesses (Calibre Systems, 2013). This includes the total annual value of all subcontract and prime awards thus I stand a higher chance of getting contracts. This is because am shielded from competition from other multinational organizations and companies thus I compete only with my fellow service disabled veterans for the three percent allocations who are also small business owners. The public law 109-461 outlines the veterans’ first contracting program and applies to VA acquisitions. This law permits the department of veteran Affairs to sole source and restricted set-aside to both VOSBs and SDVOSBs. This law also establishes contracting goals that are unique to veteran affairs. This provides for 10% and 7% target for SDVOB and veteran owned businesses respectively (Calibre Systems, 2013). However, this law also provides for the verification of the status of veterans to be done by the department of veteran affairs. This makes the key element differentiating this program from SDVOSB procurement program. In this regard, the status of the veterans cannot be self represented but must be verified by the department of veteran

A Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

A Christmas Carol Essay In the time Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol life was tough. Poverty was common and for most people food was scarce. Many people were forced to move to the already overpopulated, crowded cities and due to the lack of housing many of these people were living in horrible conditions on the streets. Dickens tried to point out some of the social issues of the time through his literature in the hope that something could be done to make conditions for the poorer people better. One issue Dickens points out is how money could change peoples lives dramatically. In A Christmas Carol Scrooge represents a rich snob. He is stubborn, selfish and self-centred. He appears to be ignorant to all the poverty around him and doesnt acknowledge the impact it has on peoples lives. Scrooge is the type of person many of us would purposely avoid meeting, talking to or even catching eye contact with. It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance (Page 35). It seems Scrooge makes a conscious effort to be seen as a loner and perhaps even enjoys it. The Cratchits represent the other side of the story and many of the poor families living at the time, they are poor and have so many hardships they have to cope with they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbrokers. But they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time (Page 84). This shows how, even though they didnt have very many things going for them, they were happy with what they had been blessed with. In stave 3 Scrooge is taken by the ghost of Christmas present to see the Cratchits Christmas dinner. The dinner is not very big at all, as they all know, but Mrs Cratchit refuses to believe that they had eaten it all and everyone had enough to fill their starving stomachs. Mrs Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadnt ate it all at last! (Page 81) we are seeing her mothering instincts here as she tries to persuade herself, and anyone else listening to her that she has managed feed her family adequately and shes not stinting them despite the situation. Tiny Tim is a cripple, and represents the Cratchits unending struggle to cope with life. This doesnt upset the family though, because they treat him in the same way they treat each other. Before Scrooge met the family he was callous and uncaring, so when he asks the ghost if Tiny Tim will survive, the ghost quotes Scrooges words If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population Scrooge then realises how horrid he had been in the past about cripples and other less fortunate people than himself so he was overcome with penitence and grief, feelings he hadnt felt for a long time. The Cratchit family are certainly not as rich as Scrooge but they are so much happier. They believe family and friends are so much more important than work and money. Mrs Cratchit doesnt worry about not having very much food, she worries more about her family and if anyone is late on Christmas day. What has ever got your precious father then, said Mrs Cratchit Page 79. This shows how loving Mrs Cratchit and the rest of the family are to each other, and they would rather have a smaller portion of food than some of the family missing out and having more food to themselves. Scrooge has a very different view on life to the Cratchits, he believes he doesnt needs friends, family and happiness because he is rich, has a successful job and works hard. What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? Youre poor enough. (Page 36) Scrooge believed this until he met the Cratchit family.

South African Forced Removals History Essay

South African Forced Removals History Essay In South Africa, apartheid was an important factor in the forced removal of many innocent South Africans, due to the color of their skin. Throughout the 1900s the struggle between segregation and equality was brought to attention, affecting almost every aspect of a black South Africans life. Equality was a struggle starting as far back as the 1600s, when white settlers first came to Africa establishing white supremacy over the black majority, rendering them helpless. From the causes, to the effects upon the civilians, the forced removals majorly affected the present day South Africa. There are many causes as to why the forced resettlement of blacks was conveyed by the government. The apartheid more or less originated back in 1652 when white settlers first arrived in South Africa. This history did impact the way the laws and policies were enforced later on 1948 on by the nationalist party. In 1910, the Union was formed. After this, the territorial segregation the white settlers had impressed was put in law with the 1913 Black Land Act. The Black Land Act limited the areas black Africans could occupy through ownership or rent, basically to the Bantustans reserves, which made up 7% of the total land area of South Africa. This act would become the basic land policy of South Africa up until the end of the resettlement. The Act also made the number of migrant laborers increase, since most of the industries and mines, which was and still is the main source of income for Africans, were occupied by black workers, but were located on white land. In 1936, due to the large a mount of blacks enforced into the reserves, the Development Trust and Black Land Act added land to the reserves. The total land area increased from 7% to 13% land area for blacks, and 87% owned by whites (Henard). During the 1930s and 40s, the amount of money blacks were paid in urban areas was considerably better than that of rural, and this began a migration of black Africans into urban areas. This countered the wants of the dominant agricultural capitalists, who needed a good, cheap work force during the agricultural boom of the 1950s. Thus began the move towards forced removals, to keep blacks out of white urban areas. This need for the removal was the implementation of the Bantustan (Homeland) Policy. The Bantustans consisted of a set of ten tribes, known as homelands. Bantustans were territories set aside for the black inhabitants of South Africa that were unofficially independent. The Bantustan Policy was directed towards rural, urban, and Bantustan resettlement. These resett lements were to direct blacks from designated white urban land and areas, which led to a superfluous amount of farm laborers. In 1950, the Group Area Act was put into action. The Group Area Act mandated residential segregation throughout South Africa. Over 860,000 Africans were forcibly moved to divide and control racially-separate communities. Multiple multi-racial communities were destroyed by the government using things such as bulldozers, and other machinery. To further enforce the eviction of blacks to the Bantustan reserves, the white government created the Prevention of illegal Squatting Act in 1951. An illegal squatter by definition was someone living illegally on land without permission from the land owner. They also extended that to even with permission from the owner; they could still be convicted and ejected by the authority. Illegal squatters were removed to the Bantustans. As time progressed, black political organizations such as the African National Congress and Pan A frican Congress were banned from interference. Whites dominated in politics and economy, strategically dividing black majority into small townships with separate political structures. Having them divided kept them from coming together and forming their own ideologies and political ideas. This also prevented them from doing any type of resistance against the white dominated government. Overall there were many events leading up to the forced removals. By the beginning of the 1980s, almost 60% of the African population was based in the Bantustans (source 2). The black spots, or communities the blacks were forced into, were overcrowded and unsanitary. These communities more or less became the dumping grounds for unwanted blacks, namely the elderly, women and children. By forcing these Africans into overcrowded settlements, they prevented them from having political or economic advantage over the whites. As a result of the enforced removal of blacks from white urban and most rural areas, the black majority (87% of the total population) was refocused into the 13% of Bantustan land reserves, by white authoritative (MSU). Places such as Sophiatown in Johannesburg (1955-63), and District 6 in Cape Town (beginning in 1958) were evicted from their homes. If blacks were to rebel or resist movement, they were forcibly moved, as demonstrated in 1985 over a period of four days, in Crossroads, South Africa. Blacks were being removed to a new tow nship that was government run called Khayelitsha. Their peaceful demonstration turned violent, causing 18 civilians to be killed, and 230 injured. Between the periods of 1960 to 1983, 3 million black Africans were moved. After the institution of the Bantustan Policy, places such as Dimbaza, Illinge, and Saba on the Eastern Cape became overcrowded and infertile. At first the Africans did nothing, but beginning in the 1980s popular resistance to the removals was widespread amongst the migrated. The resistance was massively influenced by Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who both stood for the end of apartheid and segregation. Gandhi represented peaceful movement and protest, while Nelson Mandela rooted strongly for changing the type of government and the people controlling it, allowing blacks into the political loop. By the 1980s, the crumble of forced removals began to take place. There was widespread resistance, along with massive amounts of unemployed blacks living largely in poverty. In 1990, the African National Congress was finally unbanned, along with Nelson Mandela freedom. Working together, they were able to hold the first multiracial democratic elections in 1994. Upon this success, the African Nation Congress dominated with 62% majority of the vote. Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa after 28 long years in prison by the parliament, therefore actively ending apartheid and bringing back equality to South Africa. The Bantustan reserves were later incorporated back into the country of South Africa as a whole. Even after it ended, a great amount of the blacks that were forced into small townships remained there, out of the result that they had no work or money to leave for or with. Bantustan reserves are ridden with poverty and crime, due to the forced removals. South African forced removals had a large effect on the current state of South Africa. Starting as early as the first white settlers in Africa from Europe, blacks were faced with apartheid and white supremacy for many long years. Over three million Africans were forced from their homes, having to move to overcrowded, infertile, and unsanitary areas so that the white and blacks would stay separated. This separation was made legal through a series of laws, policies, and acts by the white dominated government. The struggle for equality and erosion of apartheid was a long and continuous process, but finally came to an end in the early 1990s.

The Poems of William Blake Essay -- William Blake English Romantic Poe

The Poems of William Blake What have you understood, from reading the poems of William Blake? William Blake, a late 18th century English Romantic poet uses traditional forms for his poetry in that he blends the ballad, the nursery rhyme and the hymn. The meaning he constructs from these forms however is far from traditional. His style was to express very complex ideas in very simple language and compressing a lot of deep meaning into often very short poems. Blake was a rebel and was over enjoyed when the French revolution liberated the repressed underclass. He wanted social equality but the industrial revolution just widened the gap between the rich and the poor. He often criticised the Establishment, especially the Church, for its hypocrisy and he was against things that prevented the human spirit from being free, therefore he disliked the rulings of kings and priests. All that surrounded him had an influence on his poetry. His poems are separated into innocence and experience, both opposites as Innocence has the sounds of laughter and joy the images of simplicity, children being protected, unthreatening animals like the birds and the lamb also beauty of nature, the roses and the non scary daylight, brightness and sunshine reflecting the creator's warm love. Next, experience which is something which you bring to yourself as time passes; here we hear sounds of crying, weeping, sighing and cursing. We see frightening animals like the tiger also the night which we associate with darkness, evil and sin. Blake compares innocence and experience by using; happiness and sadness, health and sickness, day and night, positive and negative emotions, beautiful nature and scary nature also the peaceful country a... ...in. I have learnt about the two opposite natures and the different states of being, it shows you how the times have changed and today's children have many more rights, but nature in all its excellence and beauty is still there and will never change. It portrays realism and the hardship that not only the children of that time had to face but all the poor, under privileged people. He captured his time using realism and the drudgery. He shows us unspoilt innocence and its saddening and moving how innocence can never last! Although Blake was not very well known throughout his life, he became a part of history creating some of the most passionate poetry of all time. He was an artist of great ability creating amazing pieces of work with profound simplicity encouraging and inspiring people around the world. Exercising the minds of many of us still to this day!

Resources in market and command economies Essay

In a market economy, decisions on how resources are to be allocated are usually taken by millions of households and thousands of firms the exact number depends on the size of the economy. They interact as buyers and sellers in the market for goods and services. The government has a very restricted part to play. However, in a Command economy the government has a central role in all decisions that are made and unlike the market economy, the emphasis is on centralization. Decision making is taken by central planning boards and organizations to enterprises that are state-owned or under state regulation and control. Whereas in a market economy consumer sovereignty influences resource allocation, in a command economy it is central planners who have to determine the collective preferences of consumers and manufacturing enterprises. In a market economy, prices and the operation of the price system underpin this interaction; in turn prices act to indicate the likely market value or particular resources. For example, a commodity in short supply but which has a high demand attached to it will have a high price. Alternatively, one which has a high supply and low demand will have a much lower price attached to it. Prices and the self-interest of people and businesses therefore act as a guide to the decisions that have to be taken. The self interest which drives suppliers to allocate resources is called the invisible hand. This invisible hand brings together private and social interests in a harmonious way: this is the fundamental philosophy underpinning the workings of the market economy. Central planning tends to set numerous goals for the economy that differ from those in a market economy. In a command economy, the scarce resource of human labour in employment is generally greater in proportion when compared to humans employed in market economies. This is because central planning institutions opt for the even distribution of wealth. This is in high contrast to the phenomenon of self-interest of suppliers in a market economy.

Universal Children Day

Universal Children's Day Saturday, Nov. 20, is Universal Children’s Day, as declared by the United Nations, and a new survey of children illuminates the wants and needs of kids living in poverty. Children's Day is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, to honor children globally. It was established in 1954 to protect children working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allow all children access to an education. The UN General Assembly recommended that all countries should establish a Universal Children's Day on an â€Å"appropriate† day.Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation. Children's Day is often celebrated on other days as well. International Day for Protection of Children, observed in many countries as Children's Day on June 1 since 1950, is said to have been established by the Women's International Democratic Federation on its November 1949 congress in Paris. The Small Vo ices, Big Dreams survey questioned children ages 10 to 12 in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas.Conducted by ChildFund Alliance, which is comprised of global child development organizations, the survey found that one in three children goes to bed hungry at least once a week; more than 25% spend half of every day working, including household chores and other work but not counting school or homework. Regardless of where they live, the children spoke of bootstrapping themselves up through education. In the fortunate yet unlikely event they end up as president of their country, 57% said they would make sure to offer all children an education, improve existing schools and build more. If I were the president of India,† responds one Indian child, â€Å"I would provide good education and study materials such as pen, copies, pencils, uniforms, etc. to children. † (Of U. S. kids, 31% said education would be their top presidential priority. Perhaps, say those wh o’ve analyzed the study, the lower number doesn’t indicate a lack of interest in education but acknowledgement that U. S. children can attend school for free. ) What do you need most? the children were asked; one in three answered food, with 45% saying they’d spend a spare dollar on food or water. One motherless child from Cape Verde said, â€Å"I need food. My father is a fisherman, but he can’t get enough money to buy food. † â€Å"This survey serves to amplify [children's] voices so that we can direct our work in the most appropriate way,† said Anne Lynam Goddard. In countries such as Ecuador and Zambia, for example, ChildFund is trying to figure out how to enroll more children in school and keep them there longer.Interestingly, when polled about fears, snakes took first place, followed by death and disease, then falling victim to war or violence. â€Å"I am mostly afraid of death,† responded a Sierra Leone child. â€Å"I don†™t want to dream of dead people. The muddy water†¦is dangerous for children because muddy water has germs. † The survey was administered individually from July through September 2010 to about 100 children in 30 developing nations and 318 children in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Done By : Mahdi AL-Dailati Grade:10-F Submitted to: Ms. Hanaa Eid

Interagency disaster management Essay

Introduction The term â€Å"disaster† has only transient significance. It is a set off, a flag to signal a meaning, a spur to produce a specific reaction. Yet it has almost no significance for the activities that are carried out under the marque of a disastrous event. Disasters do not cause effects. The effects are what we call a disaster (Dombrowsky 1998, 21). No disaster â€Å"works† and an earthquake is not anything more than shock waves, never a fist that hits a city. The term that â€Å"a disaster strikes† is as wrong as saying â€Å"the winds blow,† as there is no separate process that swells the cheeks to rage. Wind is air in explicit motion, not a separate being that makes the air move. In a definite way, it is the same with disasters: there is no difference between a disaster and its effects. And to cope with disaster, Disaster Management came into existence. Crozier and Friedberg characterize a Disaster Management organization as a â€Å"merger of human beings with the aim to solve their vital problems† (1979:12). The capabilities of the organization for problem-solving, however, develop step by step from those solutions that have been successful in the first place. Read more:  Sharing Responsibility During Disaster Disaster Management, as Crozier and Friedberg put it, and then lean to organize themselves around their success. In the long run, the successful solutions particularly have to be defended against competitors and envy. Thus, the operation of organizations leans to turn into a hedgehog position. Progressively, the operation of the organization is transferred into the centre of the efforts of its members. at that time, an organization has turned to selfishness. Its only interests are self-preservation; the organization is controlling itself, with the original reason for its establishment being turned into a subordinate, accessory matter. Simultaneously, the discernment of reality changes from a creative, problem-oriented awareness, toward a cynical, solution-oriented persistence. Instead of scanning for upcoming problems, the self-preserving organization describes reality within the framework of its available resolutions. The interest is less in focusing on potential solutions for upcoming problems, but more on the applicability of the available solutions. This shift is significant because it marks a difference in the ways of perceiving the world. The primary way is analyzing the problem in favour of finding a passable solution. Thus, basic aim of interagency disaster management is not to focus on the fundamental problems of the victims, but on the solutions they have at hand or can offer. Reality then is completely seen from one approach; the solution defines the problem, and deductively, reality. â€Å"Disaster management † are mainly defined this way. The cases where warm clothing was sent to African famines or thousands of tons of contraceptives or cough mixtures were sent to mass victim situations are not only mistakes, but the rational outcome of the inner dynamics of self-preserving organizations. The concept is characteristically used in disaster medicine and in emergency planning for nuclear accidents. Also directly influenced by practice are those conceptualizations of disaster that are built along the distinctive planning and action systems of emergency management. Successful community-based and participatory approaches to disaster management often distinguish local human capacity as well as susceptibility. Empowering those most pretentious by disaster through a role in management, planning and response can have psychosocial and practical gains. People exposed to disaster might have come close to death, which might shake their belief in themselves and their principles to the foundations. Life might be perceived as chaos, diminishing their ability to respond adequately to the new situation, manage their lives and meet basic needs. Rebuilding the foundation will form meaning from chaos, and much of the foundation in life is build on human relations.

Principles and trends in curriculum development Essay

Principles and trends in curriculum development - Essay Example Children naturally express such creativity in their natural communication. Their communications may be expressed in various forms or â€Å"languages†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ in words, drawing, artwork, three-dimensional constructions, music and movement. Young children do not express their ideas in just one form but move naturally and easily between â€Å"languages†. They may vacillate from drawing, speaking, singing and moving (Fawcett & Hay, 2004). A more holistic perspective of learning that likewise entails creativity development is now being supported by many educators, as it threads segregated learning into a more integrated one. Littledyke (2008) has defined integrated curriculum as such: Integrated curriculum thus refers to the use of several different strategies across several different domains and encompassing project and process approaches for holistic learning and development designed to support meaningful learning for children† (pp. 21-22). Curriculum integration hel ps students recognize connections between curriculum areas. These connections are essential to the brain in order to learn effectively. Integration changes the emphasis from the instruction of discrete academic subjects to activities that promote learning through real-life tasks. It blends academic disciplines into integrated topic studies which support creative thinking and problem solving, as opposed to rote memorization and teacher-directed instruction of isolated skills and bits of information (Krogh, 1995). An integrated curriculum consists of a number of strategies that can be applied to deepen meaningfulness and support conceptual development (Bredekamp and Rosegrant, 1992). The initiative to integrate curriculum began when John Dewey (1938) proposed that curriculum be linked to real-life experiences and organized around activities that interest and engage children actively. Dewey asserted that children’s interests naturally progress into appropriate learning activitie s and extend to various areas of study. As implied by the guidelines for appropriate curriculum, the concept of integration can also be attributed to the integrated nature of development; that is, development in the different domains does not occur in isolation; rather they influence one another (Bredekamp and Rosegrant, 1992). An integrated curriculum allows the young child to perceive the world around him more clearly. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for in-depth exploration of a topic and learning that has a thorough coverage; more choices and therefore more motivation to learn and greater satisfaction with the results; more active learning; an opportunity for the teacher to learn along with the children and model lifelong learning; and a more efficient use of student and teacher time (Brewer, 2001). For the teacher, an integrated curriculum is a good planning device that offers much flexibility. If the children lean toward another way other than what the teacher had expec ted, the integrated curriculum quickly guides her as to how to integrate it to a related concept so the flow of learning is not disrupted. At one glance, the integrated curriculum shows the coverage of what the children learn in school. It advocates natural learning, as it follows children’s interests and not impose the concepts that they need to learn. It follows that the skills they learn become meaningful to them, as it sprouts from their own interests. It also gets to touch on

Successful International Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Successful International - Assignment Example By knowing their culture, their mindset can be according to the traditions and culture of the place they are relocated. This allows the individual to adjust better and refine their adjustments to be more accurate. In this case, Fred Bailey seems to be very excited about his shift, thus showing his interest. Cross-culture training is vital to ensure that the individual knows exactly how to react and behave in the given situation which also improves the adjustment to a job (Eschbach, Parker& Stoeberl). This training includes not only the procedures of the job but also how to interact with the nationals of the host country and the environment in general. But the problem during this pre-departure preparation is the individual's concentration on logistical problems which prevents them from paying attention to any form of training. Fred Bailey Previous experience in the international arena is considered as an asset to help in adjusting to a new atmosphere. However, many individuals lack this knowledge. Thus, there ability to the deep culture is greatly reduced. Without any pre-departure training, many individuals face culture shock and find it difficult to adjust to the new environment. The organization should also ensure that their employees are aware of the degree of difference between the organization in their own country and the one they are changing to. If the foreign institute has a different operational method then it will be harder for the expatriate to fit into the organizational structure. For instance, Bailey does not understand the Japanese inability to hold proper communication with the head of the organization. All of them hold are unable to hold a interactive discussion with Bailey which leads to frustration on his side. Also, it is very hard for an employee with a family to move to a new country, especially if the logistics include a family. By providing support to the individual, the organization can remove problems like finding housing and schooling. In this way non-work problems can be easily solved, allowing the expatriate to adjust easily to the general environment. In this case Fred Bailey is prevented from being too happy about the move because of the wife and children that will accompany him. Not only does this curtail the interest in the new job but the children's shift in schools and environment will be an added burden on the parents' minds. Along with this, Fred's wife finds the move to be difficult and eventually ends up wanting to leave instead of adjust. This is especially important when the native and host culture are greatly different. Adjustment for the employee and their partner's interaction with the environment is difficult because of their inability to behave appropriately. The greater the cultural difference between the environments, the easier it is to make cultural mistakes which can lead to immense frustration about the errors (Lowe, Downes & Kroeck). The co-workers in the host organization play a vital role in allowing the new member to fit into the environment. They provide emotional support to the new employee with their acceptance and also teach them how to follow the ropes. In this case, Bailey hardly gets any feedback from his fellow employees. Instead he feels alienated and different from the

Effects Of Media On The UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Effects Of Media On The UAE - Essay Example Now in this era of increasing media penetration how children are brought up is a lot different; their childhoods are spend playing with toy guns (no wonder this is where all the violence stems in) and as they grow up they become cruel young men who believe life is nothing but a war zone which can be conquered with their â€Å"toy guns† (Wellisch 2000). Television is that source of the media which affects our society most strongly. When I say strongly, I mean it because of a research by Emerson Statistics, 2000, show that on average a person who subscribes to cable in Dubai watches television more than 6 hours a day! Everyone knows of the success story of Dubai; it used to be a desert not until long ago, till the Sheikhs invested some money in developing this city and what you see now is one of the megacities of the world! Foreign media played an important change in this development of Dubai from a desert to a city, then a mega city and now eventually a media and fashion hub! T he effects foreign media has on the UAE are countless. It has changed peoples’ lifestyle, how to perceive things, what they study and how they study and even more their aspect towards life! Bryant, J., & Thompson, S. (2002). Fundamentals of media effects give this situation: An Arab wife, previously she used to sit in the home and settle all the household chores so that when her family came home in the afternoon, they could all spend quality time. As time passed, American television channels opened in UAE and that made the Arab women know about the American culture (where husband and wife both go to work). And now If you see an Arab wife in this era, they don’t perceive life as to staying at home and waiting for their family to come back while they settle their chores.

Historical sites in UAE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Historical sites in UAE - Research Paper Example The long history of human habitation of the area has brought about a situation where a number of historical sites show evidence of the different eras that have taken place. These have mainly been as a result of the human ability to adapt to their environment and to express themselves through the construction of significant monuments that have ended up becoming significant historical sites. In this paper, there will be a discussion of three important historical sites of the UAE that include Qasr al-Hosn, the Al Badiyah Mosque, and finally, the Al Hili Archeological Park. The Qasr al-Hosn is located in the city of Abu Dhabi and it is considered the oldest stone building in the city. Located in the Sheikh Zayed the First Street, it was constructed in 1761 as a conical tower designed to ensure that the only fresh water well in the area was protected. Seeing the advantage of this site, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan, in 1793 decided to expand this tower into a small fort who also established it into his permanent residence (Maitra 262). As the official seat of the Abu Dhabi sheikhs for centuries, Qasr al-Hosn gained significant value within the emirate because it came to be associated with government. This historical landmark has seen various renovations over its long history, which went according to the taste of the various rulers who occupied it. Following the discovery of oil in the UAE, this site was given a major extension and it took on its current shape as a result of the oil revenues which allowed the Abu Dhabi emirate to have the funds necessary to expand the residence of the emir. As the official seat of the Abu Dhabi government until 1966, this fort has also become the home of the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation whose purpose is to preserve the rich cultural history of the emirate. The Qasr al-Hosn has become a major tourist attraction for those who visit the UAE because it

Foreign Direct Investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Assignment Example In other words, FDI inflows might supplement the limited financial resources which retard the growth of an economy. Moreover, FDI inflows could assist in technology transfers that could prove to be more efficient in terms of production and thus, be of high assistance to the developing economies especially in case of LDCs (Assadourian, 2005). On the other hand, too much dependence upon FDIs for economic development, from a particular host nation might turn detrimental in case that the latter exploits the former on such grounds. In addition, the recipient country also suffers if FDI inflows invigorate production processes which ultimately injure the environment. Moreover, in case the benefits of FDI inflows trickle down to any particular segment of the economy only, possibilities of social uprisings grow intense among those who are not directly benefitted out of the same (OECD, 2002). FDI outflows could be turn to be beneficial for the source economy through boosting its current accoun t position in terms of profit returns from sales made in the host economy. Moreover, prospects of rise in employment are also multiplied in the source economy when the raw materials produced in the host nation are brought in for manufacture of final goods. Lastly, technology and skill from the host nation are also passed into the home country, thus benefitting the latter. One of the highest costs incurred in FDI outflows is that of capital account deficits owing to a massive outflow in the initial phase. Secondly, the home country suffers from a current account deficit if the purpose of FDI outflow is to import low-cost raw materials (Vaidya, 2006). Determinants of FDI The primary factors which determine the flow of... The primary factors which determine the flow of FDI within an economy are – †¢ At the face of competition, the foreign investors often consider foreign investment to be beneficial for their long run growths against their rivals. Such a measure could help them in securing their foothold in a non-domestic market. †¢ Such measures are often adopted in order to maintain a long term relationship which might prove to be profitable in the future, either in terms of a sustained flow of cost efficient inputs or technology. Moreover, a long term commitment could be advantageous at times of bargain as well. †¢ In addition, involvement in new product in a foreign market is associated with economies of moving in first (Moosa, 2002). Answer to Question 2 The association between openness to trade and economic growth of an economy is a highly debatable topic. There exist theories as well as empirical evidences supporting and opposing the facts, so that the applicability of any one of them cannot be asserted in the true sense of the term. One robust theory which could be raised in support of the hypothesis is that lower the degree of trade restrictions in an economy, higher will be the inflow of export revenues in the nation which in turn boosts the national income of the economy. Moreover, abolition of restrictions over trade such as import tariffs or export quotas could help in extracting the benefits of comparative advantage which is beneficial in lowering the cost of production.

Voltaires Impact from the Enlightenment to Todays Time Essay Example for Free

Voltaires Impact from the Enlightenment to Todays Time Essay Like so many of his peers, including a number of the founding fathers of the United States, Voltaire was a deist who believed that God had created everything but then let it evolve on its own. Although educated by the Jesuits, Voltaire hated the Catholic Church. He is famously quoted to have said Ecrasez linfame ‘Crush the horrible thing!’ referring to the Church. He had written most of his life on religious tolerance but the Jean Calas affair gave him the focus he needed and in 1763 he published A Treatise on Tolerance that focused entirely on the case. Making a powerful case for religious and intellectual freedom gave the fledgling Scientific Revolution in France a much needed boost. The Roman Catholic Church which in France had become the only official state-sanctioned religion thanks to King Louis XIV. Voltaire in a tireless campaign argued that people should be permitted to worship as they pleased or not at all. Just as well, his tireless efforts to promote the empirical methods of Francis Bacon and John Locke of England as the only legitimate way to practice science were a direct challenge to the French rationalist tradition of, for example, Renà © Descartes. Both traditions, religious and rationalist, proved difficult to dislodge, but change was in the air and intellectual freedom especially, became a rallying point. Voltaire spurred the third estates people into revolting along with many others. As a political theorist, he believed that the world is governed by natural laws which are discernible by human reason. Natural laws are good and reasonable and man will be happy if they live by them. He would criticize the government, such as he did both England and France which made people realize the rights of which they did not have and gave them more reason to overthrow. He helped clarify the peasants, city workers, and middle classmens reasons why to revolt against the over taxing, controlling, unjust, unfair and wealthy owned government that still resembled Feudalism in class structure and working conditions. This is in itself why governing institutions feared his word and rejected his theories very often. Voltaire had a great impact on his time and these ideas and theories are very relevant with today’s time. He created many satire plays, poems, and books of which were best sellers. He also inspired a revolutionary perspective to inspire an enlightenment of new thinking amongst the political and societal order. Voltaire’s Enlightenment impact will continue to fade in and out of societal cycles shaping the world we live in, even in its small impacts. Works Cited Ecrasez Linfame PANGEA PROGRESS. PANGEA PROGRESS. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

Why Does Gender Pay Inequality Persist?

Why Does Gender Pay Inequality Persist? With the increasing trend of the remarkably importance of the gender pay equality during the past few decades, organisations and many commentators have been paying particular attention to the relative trends, legislations, news, economy and global labour market as a whole to address the persistence of the gender pay inequality occurred nowadays. Pay equity is defined as a particular strategy for reducing or eliminating the wage gap between or among groups such as women and men, or various ethnic groups (Thomas 2006). It was mentioned in the CONSAD Research Corporations paper (2009) that there have been significant increase for women to participate in the labour force, to acquire higher education level and to make substantial real earnings. For instance, Lander ONeill (1991) indicated that Australian women participation rate in the labour force has doubled since 1947. Moreover, it was showed in the Education Internationals report (2010) that the average female graduation rate in high er education in OECD countries is 16 percent more than the male graduation rate. Yet the challenge is that women have been earning less than men all through the developed countries around the world even they are well educated and actively participate in the workforce (Hatt1997). Taking an example in Australia, women earn approximately 80 percent of mens wages (Lander ONeill 1991). The persistence of the gender pay gap is puzzling although the gender pay equity ratio has been steadily rising and a wide range of legislations such as Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action were implemented to address the issue (Smith 2009; Lander ONeill 1991). This paper will briefly demonstrate the historical overview with respect to the topic. It will proceed to identify the comprehensive reasons for the existence of gender pay inequality. It will then illustrate the advantages of having pay equality worldwide. Last but not least, the paper will recommend some of the strategies which or ganisations can best address the challenge by utilising appropriate non-discriminatory workplace practices and policies. Historical Overview The ancient time of keeping women staying and working at home while men were responsible for earning a living had passed after the World War II (Amaram 2010). The participation rate of women joining the labour force has greatly boosted due to the establishment of some legislation to remove obstacles of womens employment and to allow women working in certain kinds of work such as metal industry (ODonnell Hall 1988). The booming economy and labour shortage triggered the fact that women were encouraged to replace men, who were resisting in the war, in the labour market (ODonnell Hall 1988). Campaigns were also formed by many womens organisations to fight for the equal pay between men and women (ODonnell Hall 1988). Some supporters advocate the theory of comparable worth that there should be equal pay for jobs entailing similar skill, effort, responsibility and work conditions, and that this parity should occur regardless of respective job market values (Grider Toombs 1993). However, even there were legislation, theories and womens organisations to protect women from getting unequal pay; the gender wage gap has been existed for many years. To explain this gap, there are a couple of complex reasons which directly and indirectly result in the gender differences in pay. Occupational Segregation One of the primary reasons for the gender pay differences is due to occupational segregation. Men and women are not evenly allocated in all occupational categories. Women tend to be distributed in low-paying industries or occupations which directly affect their average earnings (Smith 2009; Hatt 1997; McAuley 1981; Mumford 1989; Lander ONeill 1991; Education International 2010; Curlew Weber 2010). It was pointed out that women were mainly employed in community services, the wholesale and retail trade, clerical work and catering; whereas men were generally employed in mining, electricity, gas and water, manufacturing as well as construction industries where men are more likely to receive well above average pay (ODonnell Hall 1988; Hatt 1997). The consequence of setting women apart in certain occupations with low-status and low-paid partially results in the gender pay gap. Vertical Segregation Rather than constraining women in particular occupations or industries, vertical segregation occurs in both public and private sectors when women are located in lower positions and men are placed in more senior positions such as executive or managerial roles (Mumford 1989). Women are given very few opportunities to engage in promotion to higher positions, and therefore women are constrained their mobility upwards to the organisational hierarchy and they are under-represented at senior positions in all occupations (Hatt 1997). This phenomenon is closely related to the glass ceiling effects for women that refer to those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organisational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organisation into management-level positions (U.S. Department of Labour 1991). Hence, vertical segregation is another factor that leads to the gender pay gap. Family Responsibility As a result of the family obligation to give birth as well as take care of the children and elders at home, there has been a greater percentage for women to participate in more flexible part-time and casual employments than men who tend to have full-time employments (Smith 2009; CONSAD Research Corp 2009; Curlew Weber 2010; Amaram 2010). It was indicated in Amaram (2010)s study that pregnancy leading to the absence of women is 36 percent more than men and married men are more likely to work longer hours to make up the loss of the earnings for the family. Undoubtedly, it was claimed by many reporters that part-time employment pays relatively less than full-time employment, thus the unbalanced participation in part-time works causes women to be classified in lower level of income groups without adequate chances for skill advancement and promotion opportunities (Education International 2010 Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2009). Womens Tendency of Education and Work Choices and Patterns The educational paths that men and women decide for their majors in higher education or universities are different, indirectly affect the real earnings between men and women in the workforce (Amaram 2010). Amaram (2010) showed in his paper that men generally prefer sciences as their majors whilst women prefer humanities and education. The assumption is that men and women are likely to choose their desired majors at colleges or universities that can reflect what they are going to choose for their careers in the future, which leads to the conclusion by Hartmann (2004) that the pay of the male-nominated occupations tends to be higher than female-nominated occupations. One of the explanations can be attributed that women tend to choose a safer work environment such as being a secretary, teacher or receptionist and they are willing to accept less-paid jobs (Education International 2010 Farrell 2005). In addition, based on the GAOs report (2003) showing that women normally work fewer hour s and take more breaks away from work than men, women are therefore less work experience and human capital at work that brings about the consequence of earning less income. Historical and Social Stereotypes of Under-Valuating Womens Work and Skills Based on the historical overview mentioned in the first section, up until the Second World War, women were supposed to stay at home for cleaning and bringing up the children while men were taking the main role to be the breadwinner for the whole family (Amaram 2010; Elias Purcell 1988). According to Press (2006), companies advertised for job vacancies in the newspapers listed separately for men and women, as well as womens pay was greatly lower than men. In no doubt, the historical factors generated the hypothesis that womens works are semi-skilled and unskilled (Smith 2009). This hypothesis was supported by Lander ONeill (1991) and Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2009) that womens skills and works are always under-valuated and unrecognised, which causes the social stereotypes on the perception of females capability to work in certain occupational categories. In other words, women may earn less than men as a result of their skills and works were devaluated by the commu nity and organisations based on the social stereotypes. Direct Gender Discrimination There are many theorists agreed that direct gender discrimination partly account for the gender wage gap (Curlew Weber 2010; Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2009; Hatt 1997 McAuley 1981). It happens when women and men are treated unequally facing the same job requirements with the same educational level and work experience (Education International 2010). Although it is unlawful to discriminate women from being recruited in male-nominated occupations in most of the developed countries, gender discrimination indeed moderately initiates the gender pay differences. It was even reported that gender discrimination and bias comprise half of the gender pay gap (Lander ONeill 1991). Consequently, no matter the organisational and societal sex discrimination is intentional or unintentional, it is clear that gender bias is an essential element of the persistence of wage gap between men and women. Other Reasons Apart from the major factors brought up previously, there are other reasons which should account for the wage gap as well in terms of the problem of the merit-type payment systems, union affiliation, and womens value on non-wage benefits such as health insurance. Firstly, it is important to understand the rise of the individual contracts together with the meaning of less collective bargaining like the decline of trade unions at workplaces (Bamber, Lansbury Wailey 2004). Also, merit-type payment including merit increments and merit bonuses is the most popular individual performance pay plans that are widely used in the USA and many other Western countries today (Shields, 2007). One of the disadvantages of the merit-type payment systems is that it lacks of transparency of the pay structure, hence, it is always up to the managements discretion of any individual performance and pay where there are probably the existence of discriminatory components (Grider Toombs 1993). Secondly, it wa s claimed that the formation of a trade union will bring a wage rate of 17.6 percent up for union members (Hatt 1997, Amaram 2010). With the significant rising trend of women participating in part-time and casual employments stated earlier, it is less possible for women to become union members that they comparatively earn less than men who normally work as full-time employees and are union members. Lastly, research was also done by the CONSAD Research Corporation (2009) that there is a greater probability that women may relatively value more on non-wage benefits and other employee benefits such as childcare, health insurance and advisory services when comparing to men. Accordingly, women may value other aspects of benefits other than wage that may cause the gender wage differences. Advantages of the Existence of Gender Pay Equality Despite the limitations acknowledged which block the way to gender pay equality, there are a series of advantages for individuals, families, organisations and economy as a whole provided that gender pay equity exists. Pay equality increases the empowerment of women and reduces the chances of womens experience to harassment, violence and exploitation at work (Cornish 2008). Additionally, it brings positive effects to the well-being and wealth of the families as a result of the increased income, which ultimately improves the situation of poverty, economy and social justice (Lander ONeill 1991; Education International 2010 Curlew Weber 2010). For the organisations, staff morale and productivity will be increased and absenteeism will be decreased if gender pay equity exists in the workplace because employees feel fairness among others (Curlew Weber 2010). Thus, organisations should proactively take actions to address the problem of the persistence of gender pay inequality in order to benefit itself, employees, community and other stakeholders involved. Organisational Strategies for Tackling the Challenge Although governments intervention of implementing fair pay legislations among male and female employees is indispensable, as Smith (2009) claimed that the legislative reform alone is not enough. Strategic non-discriminatory workplace practices and policies should be carefully planned, designed, implemented and monitored at the organisational level in order to build positive images to the public without violating any relative discriminatory issues, as well as maximise the benefits of balancing the gender pay differences. Therefore, human resource management teams play major roles in making every single decision to align with the organisational strategies. First of all, it is recommended to use objective, systematic and consistent process of job evaluation systems to deal with gender-based inequities in pay (Lander ONeill 1991). De Corte (1993) suggested a model-based approach to job evaluation to calculate the probability to gender bias related to pay at work. Secondly, male and fema le recruiters should be involved in the recruitment and selection stages so that female candidates will not be excluded in a discriminatory way. Thirdly, training and development should be regularly provided to all employees with the intention that women are given chances to promotion in a higher hierarchical level in the organisations. Fourthly, mentoring programs with professional consultants or management should be offered to female employees, who have competent knowledge and capabilities, to encourage them participating in senior positions (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency 2010). Fifthly, flexible workplace arrangements such as home-based assignments as well as childcare services should also be available to allow female employees having work-life balance (ODonnell Hall 1988). Lastly, organisations should conduct a gender pay audit annually, which provides detailed information regarding the gender pay structure and figures of the whole organisation and the per centage of female employees being promoted to the senior positions (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency 2010). The strategies proposed above are only few subtle pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle; beyond doubt organisations should proactively look for other approaches to address the problem of gender pay inequality. Conclusion The condition of gender pay inequality has been steadily improved in the last few decades. However, in reality it does persist due to an array of complex reasons in terms of occupational and vertical segregation, parenthood, womens propensity of education and occupation choices and patterns, historical stereotypes and under-valuation of womens skills and work, direct gender discrimination, the setback of the merit-type payment systems, union affiliation, and different values on wage and non-wage employee benefits between men and women. These factors illustrated are merely the key causes and further research should be done to elaborate the thorough formation of the wage gap. It is clear that the pursuit of gender pay equality brings individuals, families, organisations, community and economy positive effects. Consequently, organisations should better equip themselves and contribute to the attainment of eliminating the gender wage gap. Systematic and appropriate non-discriminatory work place practices and policies should be well implemented to encourage fairness among male and female employees in pay and promotion according to their knowledge, skills and competencies. On account of the increased staff morale and happiness at work, organisations can also build a healthy and positive public image that in turn increasing the organisational attractiveness and competitive advantages in the labour market. In conjunction with the practical support by government, community and unions, it is believed further reduction of the gender wage gap is feasible.