U of P / Eth 316 / Ethics Essay

ETH 316 August 22, 2011 Ethics Essay Utilitarianism Utilitarianism ethics emphasize that action should be morally beneficial to a group. This course of ethics is often known as â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number† or simply put, â€Å"the greater good† (Boylan, 2009). In other words, the consequence of any ethical action should be beneficial for all by mass appeal. This is a common underlying theme for ethics in capitalist economies and business as well as in democratic governments (Boylan, 2009). Virtue Theory Virtue theory, also known as virtue ethics, focuses more so on the character of a person rather than the rules and consequences of specific acts. What this essentially means is that the primary focus is whether or not the person acting ethically is a person who upholds high morals and virtues, in turn expressing â€Å"good character† (Garrett, 2005). Rules, intent, consequences and outcome are not necessarily irrelevant; however, the emphasis of virtue theory is primarily on a person’s character, their virtues, and their expression of good intentions (Garrett, 2005). Deontology Unlike virtue theory, deontology has a heavy emphasis on duty in action, in adherence to rules. The right action is important here, where upon completion, should bring about the greatest good for all involved. This is somewhat similar to utilitarianism, which does focus on the consequence of the greatest good. However, deontology does not lean on the consequence itself, but more so the principle behind committing the right action. (Boylan, 2009). In turn, the ethics behind deontology is about principle and following rules. Similarity Between Theories All three of these ethical practices have tangible similarities. The primary similarity is consequence of action. Even though consequence is not always the primary focus of the action, it is expected in all three theories that the consequence should have a beneficial result as an outcome of the action. Whether the action is based on principle, values or virtues, the end should justify the means. Difference Between Theories The best way to express the differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism and deontological ethics is to take a common scenario and analyze from these three different perspectives. A good example to use would be a person having car trouble and has pulled their car on the side of the road. They are in obvious need of help. In committing the action of helping the person, an individual is acting on a moral or ethical duty. An individual who practices virtue theory ethics would point out that by helping the person, doing so would be a charitable act and would express good character of the person assisting the one in need. One who practices utilitarianism would say that by helping the person, doing so would be good for both the person in need and the person helping. A deontologist would say that by helping, it would be so in accordance to a moral rule, such as karma, or what you do to others will come back to you. (Hursthouse, 2010). As the example shows, virtue theory focuses on a person’s moral ethics, and not on any specific outcome or rule. Utilitarianism has an emphasis on the greater good, focusing on a beneficial outcome for all persons involved, where the consequences of acting are beneficial to a community. Finally, deontology emphasizes duty as specific action being done in completion of following a specific moral code, rule or command. In a previous job position, I had an ethical dilemma that required making a fair decision for all parties involved. It involved a quality assurance process for outbound marketing in a call center. There was a Spanish speaking division where the manager wanted a special call monitoring process just for the Spanish speakers. I decided against the process for the simple fact that the Spanish speakers did not say anything different or offer anything different than the non-Spanish speakers. The reason I chose to do this was to make the quality assurance process fair for all the call agents. If I had done the opposite, the non-Spanish speakers would have sought similar treatment. I consider this to be a utilitarian action for my ethical dilemma. References: Boylan, M. 2009. Basic Ethics. 2nd Edition. Pp. 153, 171 Garrett, J. (2005, November 28). Virtue ethics. Retrieved fromhttp://www. wku. edu/~jan. garrett/ethics/virtthry. htm Hursthouse, Rosalind, â€Å"Virtue Ethics†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta  (ed. ),http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/win2010/entries/ethics-virtue

Compare And Contrast Songs Essay

The two songs â€Å"Indian Reservation† by Paul Revere and The Raiders, and â€Å"Seminole Wind† by John Anderson expressed emotion, culture, and religion. â€Å"Indian Reservation† song has more of an ‘upbeat’ tempo, and the lyrics that the band sang are a personal view of a Native American or Cherokee tribe. The lyrics seemed angry as they sang about how the Cherokee tribe turned into a mess by becoming â€Å"Americans†. For example: when the song said , â€Å"and all the beads we made by hand, are nowadays made in Japan,† The song shows that the Cherokee tribe’s hard work was importantÍ ¾ but, the â€Å"American† people took over the Cherokee’s work and did not appreciate what they once created by hand. The Cherokee people are proud of what they accomplished in their way of life. The song â€Å"Seminole Wind† by John Anderson has a very country vibe to it. The song has a less ‘upbeat’ toneÍ ¾ however, the rhythm of the song flows well. The lyrics to this song have a more descriptive language to it. When John Anderson was singing, one can easily picture what he was singing about. â€Å"Seminole Wind† has many metaphors and they all have special meanings. Another metaphor is that, the song talks about having destroyed land rather than looking as if their tribe turned into ‘Americans’.

How to Discover Your Life Dreams

How To Discover Your Life Dreams I have an assignment for you Do you want to know why you were born? What your sacred mission In life Is? Here's what you do: Schedule a few hours for a personal retreat; a whole day is even better. Get your calendar and cross out that special day with a fat red pen. No one touches that day, It's your date where you discuss your life with God. Take that extended time of personal reflection and bring these questions with you. Here are some â€Å"heart questions† for you to answer†¦ Questions To Answer: What are your greatest strengths?What Is the primary gift that has been given to you to bless the world? What do you enjoy doing the most? What were the happiest moments of your life? What were you doing during those moments? If given an opportunity to live In anyway and do anything?no matter how crazy your choice would be?what kind of life would you choose to live? Imagine yourself on your 75th birthday: What kind of person would you want to be by that time? If family members were to honor you on your 75th birthday party, and thank you and speak about the good things that you have done,what would you want them to ay to you? Ђ Write down a tentative Personal Mission Statement: From your answers above, write a tentative Personal Mission Statement. This one sentence should express what you most deeply believe your life should attain at the end of your days. It should be inspiring and moving as well. And don't worry if it won't be perfect. Your Personal Mission Statement should undergo much revision and editing as the weeks, months, and years go by. You should review your Personal Mission Statement in prayer regularly.Finally, write down your Life-Dreams Now that eve written down a Personal Mission Statement, write down a description of your life twenty years down the road. Picture yourself, your schedule, your work, your house, your relationships, your projects, your character in vivid detail. Don't worry if you fill a few pages for your Life-Dreams. Let your heart speak as you paint in the canvas of your imagination. Create Your Financial Plan Based On Your Life-Dreams After writing your Life-Dreams document, write your financial plan: How much you should be earning next year. Writing down a financial goal is an exercise in faith.And an exercise in personal commitment. Your mind will be forced to open up and think of ways how those goals would be met. When I did this, it was as though power was being released as I wrote my financial goals. But as I scribbled on paper every crazy idea that came to my mind, I repeatedly kept going back to my divinely appointed mission in life? because that was how God was going to provide for me. Let me explain. I believe that when we're faithful to our mission and give ourselves to the world and genuinely help people live a better life, we see the world repaying back.When we give, we receive?and we Just don't receive, but we receive much more than what we have gi ven. Why? Because God has written the Law of reciprocity in the fabric of the universe. Naturally, for this Law of Reciprocity to work, you need to charge what you are worth and not undersell yourself. Earning money doesn't make you less spiritual. If the money that you're going to earn is to support your God-appointed Life-Dreams, it is very spiritual. (It's another issue altogether to be working for a religious ministry or a rather to pick up non-monetary rewards in the after life.So far, Vive been able to attain my financial goals?enough to support my family and more than enough to be generous to those in need? the second part being an intrinsic part of my mission. But more importantly, by creating a financial plan based on my Life-Dreams, I live deliberately, and money is still connected to my mission?not something apart from it. Because success for me isn't having the greatest wealth but the fulfillment of my life-dreams?ninety percent of which aren't financial. May your dreams come true, Boo Sanchez

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Management - Essay Example As the Plant Manager and with my style of leadership, I am confident that this can be improved and the issues among the management and the employees can be sorted out in an amicable manner. One of my biggest strengths is the ability to negotiate and to create a working environment where the employees and management can work in accordance with each other. The need for a sensitive, understanding, and a good negotiator will assist in solving the current issue. As the plant manager, my aim is to ensure that the change process within the organization is as smooth as possible and it has a complete win – win situation for both sides, i.e. employees and management. The next weekly managers meeting could bring out the implementation of a knowledge management system within the organization along with managers being made responsible to let the employees know of the current changes and plans of the management. This will allow the employees to be sure that the dealings and changes are all transparent and the employees will have a basic idea of what can be expected. Also, the development of the knowledge management systems will allow the employees to manage and leverage information and knowledge within the organization so as to improve decision-making and gain competitive advantage. In addition, knowledge management activities have tried to capture the tacit knowledge that people carry around with them, what they learn and observe from experience rather than what is explicitly stated in different forms. People have to be recognized as valuable assets and is much more than merely capturing data or manipulating it to obtain information. Managing intellectual capital requires a change in mindset. Use of this along with being transformational leaders will help the company grow to a great extent and will reduce the employee issues. This type of leadership is a case where the one or more people together with the others

Lecture review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lecture review - Essay Example He was determined to be someone who would help develop the society (Perdue). Dr. James studied hard to become a teacher and coach. The disability did not prevent him from performing his duties because he received the award of the best teacher of the week at the Fox 17 awards. He also became the top teacher during the 2002. He showed great ambition and demonstrated that one should not give up their goals when he received his doctorate degree from Tennessee State University. He still held on to his passion, and this awarded him with the title Coach of the Year for both the years 2000 and 2006. Receiving the Dr. Ramer Award in 1991, and Jo Andrews in 1995 showed that he was able to set aside all challenges and adversities in order to succeed both as a teacher and as a coach. Narrating his life experiences made one realize the scope of the challenges that existed in the world. That all people, in one way or another, faced challenges, but they should not be a reason to back down (Perdue). Dr. James Perdue was very clear about his mission in the society. He would help others in passing through strategies so that they would emerge as survivors of the tragedy. He was very specific that it is everyone’s responsibility to help each other in times of tragedy, and even before it occurs. We should be a source of encouragement and motivation, hence acting as pillars that support the hurting (Perdue). We, who pass through the struggles of life, should find the strength of passing through all the tragedies. This enabled me to realize that as much as our friends are there to support us; we ought to encourage ourselves and uplift our spirits because today’s tragedies should not affect our tomorrow. We, therefore, ought to live each day to our fullest. We should hold on to the hope and the determination that we can beat all odds whatever the tragedy may be, or whenever it may strike (Perdue). Passion should, therefore, be our driving force through the tragic

Exit Zero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exit Zero - Essay Example only means for most people to achieve social mobility and overcome the traditional class divides that characterized America after the downfall of the steel mills in South East Chicago where it did not only transformed the affected families of the steel mills, but also the socio-economic society of America in general. America is no longer a socially mobile society it once pride itself to be but rather a socially stratified society where the economically deprived people can only aspire to better their lot but could no longer break the social and economic barrier. Moreso in 21st century economy where it is knowledge based and more and more jobs now requires a college education. The new glass ceiling in work are the educational certifications which now solwoly becoming exclusive to those who can afford it making it more difficult for people to transcend class barriers. The situation is now aggravated by the fact that college education is becoming economically prohibitive due to its high cost. It is no longer accessible nor affordable to those families whose source of income are based on factories and mills such as depicted in Christine J. Walley’s â€Å"Exit Zero: Family and Class in Postindustrial Chicago†. Along with the closure of those mills is also the figurative closure of opportunity to those people whose source of income comes from blue collar jobs such as those in the factories of South Eastern Chicago. They are unable to go to college and as a result, the only jobs available to them are those menial jobs that do not pay well. So they are stuck in the lower economic strata without any hope for social mobility and thus, the vicious cycle begun. The poor remains poor because they no longer have access to means that would improve their economic and social status. Nice paying jobs are shut to them because they do not have colleg e education. College education is inaccessible to them because of its high cost. So the 21st century economy became

The Automobile in American History and Culture Essay

The Automobile in American History and Culture - Essay Example Cars operate on the four-stroke combustion cycle to convert the gasoline into motion (Gottlieb, 1997). The four-stroke combustion cycle is also known as the Otto cycle a name that honors Nikolaus Otto who invented the technology in 1867. Successive improvements on both the technology and other features of a car have resulted in the near perfect modern car that boasts of increased efficiency. Â  Development of the car engine readily manifests in the features of the contemporary car engine most of which portray dedicated technological improvements that succeeded in the modern day engine from the traditional engine invented hundreds of years ago. Among the features that prove the difference are engine sizes, efficiency, power and supporting components among many others. Efficiency in the modern car engines arises from the completeness of combustion. Engines emit smoke through the exhaust pipes depicting the incompleteness of the combustion (Brain, 2014). Old engines, for example, emitted more smoke and thus consumed more gasoline per mile. This arose from particular features of the engine that inventors improved progressively thereby resulting in the modern day engine. Direct injection, for example, is a major invention that has increased the efficiency of combustion thereby reducing the fuel consumption of cars while increasing the power that engines produce. Additionally , the reduced amount of smoke that modern engines emit has reduced the amount of pollution, which was a major concern with the traditional engines (Norman, 1902). Â  Other features of the modern engine that improves its efficiency include mechanisms of compressing air and cylinder deactivation. Air compression ensures that the gasoline receives adequate air to sustain efficient combustion of the fuel.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example One such country is China or officially named as The People’s Republic of China. China is one of the most populous countries of the world. It is also considered to be a communist state among five other communist states still found in the world. In fact China is both a communist state as well as a socialist state, having being ruled by The Communist Party as well as the Working class. China, in the recent decades, has been able to develop a perception of a country that excels in manufacturing, be it electronics or textiles. Having a population of more than 1.3 billion people, this country has the advantage of providing cheap labor for businesses around the world; and thus China is considered to be the chief option of organizations wanting to open up business units outside their home country. In this paper, an attempt would be made to evaluate the political, economic and technological factors that have led to the consideration of China as an emerging economy. Based on this evalu ation, recommendations would also be made in this paper. Since China is an emerging economy, it is safe to assume that the political, economic and technological aspects of China are far from perfect, thus recommendations developed in this paper would provide a better way forward for the country. Background of People’s Republic of China China, the most populous country in the world, is located in Eastern Asia which a population exceeding 1.3 billion people. The capital city of China is Beijing, known for its trading. After China adopted is economic reforms in 1978, it became the fastest growing economy in the world. However, due to the large population of China, this growth has still not allowed the country to enjoy the position of a developed nation (LeFleur, 2003). China is known for its manufacturing around the world and thus is the biggest exporter of all kinds of goods to the world. Since the population of China is very high, imports also form a substantial part of the ec onomy. This results in China being the second largest importer of products from all over the world (Lardy, 2001). Having a rapidly growing economy, China is often considered as a threat to the United States. This is because China has been able to exercise considerable power over the rest of the world as foreign investment flows heavily in the country and this country also invests in other countries. Thus, this country is a potential super world in the coming times. Despite its growing economy, China is ruled by the Communist Party which has immense control over the economic and other affairs of the country. This to a certain extent has hampered the growth of the economy. Evaluation of Political Factors In terms of political factors, this paper would refer to the political parties ruling the country and their impact on the overall economy of the country. China is a country ruled by the Communist Party, with interference from the working class on some levels. Thus the country is ruled on the basis of both socialist and communist forms of government. These two opposing powers form the two main parties within the China, namely the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Business and Project Management , in a format of Questions-Answers Essay

Business and Project Management , in a format of Questions-Answers - Essay Example In this regard, Supportive PMO can be implemented in the Green Bull company. Moreover, Directive PMO main duty is to manage the personnel in a directive manner, establish the project in such a manner that the quality of the project can be maintained for long time. Encouraging the work force and direct them in a consistent manner is the part of directive. Maintaining high professional standard for sustainability in the future is another important aspect that can be implemented by the company. Controlling is another important characteristic of PMO. To control the projects, PMO have to adopt some methodology, rules for the betterment of current project, which makes the project more successful than previous. Through controlling PMO has lodged triumph for the future (Cavallaro, 2013). Therefore, Green Bull has been implementing PMO who have these three characteristics. Notably, these three characteristics generate a successful PMO. PMO is the ultimate person who can assure quality for overall products. As per the information, Green Bull has already completed five years in the market, and it has chain of known consumers who consume its products (Codling, 1995; Week 5, B_PM_Lecture_Slides_05_Part_2_2013). In the organization PMO is the only person who interacts with both higher authority as well as bottom level employees. In the matrix organizational structure PMO is positioned after the top-level management, and connects all departments of the organization. Therefore, Broad of Directors has been considered that recruiting PMO in the organization might create a risk for the overall process. Top-level managers have been considering different kind of risks due to this aspect. These are that PMO may increase the total head count and increase head counts misbalance in the work level. Decreased head counts are more suitable for quality production management. Part time PMO is more useful

DESCRIBE A RESTAURANT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DESCRIBE A RESTAURANT - Essay Example As is shown consistently by the Esquire Tavern, in order to succeed in hotel business, five values are principal and indispensible: harmonious coexistence with serene environment, hygiene, high value customer care and exemplary culinary skills. One of the factors that made me fall in irrevocable love with the Esquire Tavern is its close touch with serene environment. The perpetually popular restaurant is marooned in a tacky stretch of River Walk. Impeccably pruned trees and flowers, a large swimming pool and well kept lawn grace the restaurant’s surroundings. The aforementioned beautiful trees and flowers aerate the Esquire Tavern’s environment and gentle breeze help pleasantly soothe client’s sense of smell. The restaurant is located at least 400 meters from traffic, thereby guaranteeing clients serenity while rendering Esquire Tavern an oasis in the desert of the noise and the rough and tumble of the outside world. Inside the restaurant, the large swimming pool which is compartmentalized in its own yard easily complements the usefulness of the scorching high noon sun. The vastness of the Esquire Tavern provides customers with the power to choose between eating from the many spacious hotel rooms or from outside. Any client who has visited the Esquire Tavern will often testify of having been confused like a termite in a yo-yo when it comes to choosing a table. This is because, contrary to popular opinion that open air tables are more comfortable, the Esquire Tavern’s hotel rooms are equally appealing. Aesthetically stamped tin ceilings, an evocative wallpaper and 100ft-long wooden bar greet all clients who walk into the Esquire Tavern reception and hotel rooms (Trip Advisor, 1). In a closely related wavelength, the Esquire Tavern has constantly and consistently endeared itself to its customers by serving them with cuisine tasty enough to tickle anyone’s taste buds. At the Esquire Tavern, devilled eggs get studded with flowery pink peppercorns, while

Theories used when setting up a new business Essay Example for Free

Theories used when setting up a new business Essay When setting up a new business many business theories have to be considered and thought about. To enable a successful business set up, many features must be pre planned and thought over carefully. These features are such as:   Business plan   Cash flow forecast   Break-even figure   Entrepreneur skills Business reasons why set up the business?   Success how will they succeed in the market?   Finance where will it come from?   Government how can they help?   Setting up how will they set up the business? Who will run the business? All of the above 10 business theories are vital and must be considered and thought out carefully in order for business success. Businesss that start up without consideration of the above are less likely to survive in their market than those who are set up properly with all the above theories planned and worked out. The listed theories will need to be developed and will each contain high levels of detail. It is therefore necessary for me to know exactly what information will be required for when applying these theories to my business proposal planning. Theories Explained: Business Plan: The business for which I am planning and making a proposal for will need a business plan. This will state the company name, where it will be (planned to be) situated, its aims and objectives, what type of business it will be and other important information about the company. Cash Flow Forecast: The business will also need this document which will state a general figure of the estimated figures of the amount of money that will be needed to be spent for various matters for a given time period. This is so that it can be seen when cash will be short so that appropriate loans can be taken. Break-Even: The business will require funding and money invested into it before it can begin trading/operating. For this money to be redeemed the amount spent/invested firstly has to be gained back in the form of revenue. The break even point is when the total amount of revenue equals the total amount of money spent. After this point, the revenue will be profit. Entrepreneur Skills: The entrepreneur creates the business idea, and then hires others to carry out the activity. The may also wish to invest some of their personnel money in hope to gain profit out of the business after establishment. They will need skills to ensure that they make the right plans, and hire the right people/organizations to help them. Any wrong actions taken can lead to failure of the business. Reasons to set up: There has to be some reasons as to why a business should be started. Many people start business because they want to be their own boss, they want full control over everything, they want a fresh start, and they have enough experience and want to run their own business. Success: Before setting up the business, a strategy must be available to help keep the business stable and in the market. Once this is ensured the businessperson needs to make a strategy to help the business succeed in its aims and objectives. Its aims are most likely to be: to survive, break-even, make profit, gain/increase market share etc. Finance: Before the business can start operating it needs some finance. Money will be required to establish the business as well as keep it going. Finance will be required to buy stock, advertise the business, hire staff etc. Also if the business wishes to be a limited company, then the procedure also costs. Usually a bank loan or personnel investment by the businessperson is used however shareholders can also invest into the business. It is vital to know how much money is required to establish the business and keeps it going for a certain period of time so that adequate loans/investments can take place. Government: Sometimes the government can also provide support for a new business. The government may get involved for one of 3 reasons; to control areas of high business congestion, encourage firms to locate in high unemployment areas, or to attract foreign business to UK. The government does this with various schemes such as enterprise zones where taxes are exempt (for a given period) in order to attract business into the area. Setting Up: Before setting up the business the businessperson needs to know and decide how they are going to set up the business. Therefore, they would need a business idea, business plan etc. When setting up they can then either decide to set up on their own by taking a loan or investing their personnel money, or setting up the business with a partner. Running the Business: The businessperson must also understand what is required for running a business. He must have adequate staff, enough money to buy stock and pay staff, enough stock to sell, business/product advertising etc. The businessperson must have enough resources (Land, Labour and Capital) to meet all the above needs to keep the business running smoothly.

Teachers Are Leaders Essay Example for Free

Teachers Are Leaders Essay Touching more lives, affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style, their way of motivating their students, also plays an important part in a students success. Spending more time with our children then most parents do, a teacher is fundamental in shaping our children. If they are poor leaders our children suffer. When they shine as leaders our children blossom and the universe is wide open to them. As a teacher it is of utmost importance that you tune your leadership skills and find the best style of teaching for the students you are teaching. In finding resources for this paper it was interesting to note that all the information fell under the category of leadership and not teacher qualities. It was also interesting to note that the principle the US Army teaches on leadership are included in an overwhelming number of corporations as well taught mostly by retired military themselves. The intrinsic characteristics of a teacher can be categorized into a few main teaching styles or leadership styles. Directing, Participating, Delegating, and Combined styles are the main forms of teaching and leading. The qualities associated with these styles are imperative to any teacher. The purpose as teachers is fundamentally the same as leaders, to provide purpose, direction and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission in this case to educate. All four of these actions must be present in order for a student to benefit. A leader or teacher is not born but cultivated through his/her upbringing and environment. In my experience as a leader, teaching in Educational Psychology, being a parent, I have learned that what you as a leader or teacher bring to your students or audience is imperative to their development and learning. A teachers personal characteristics are also crucial factor in students development and motivation. The first principle is purpose, which has to be conveyed to the student. Why do I need to learn Math? How will studying History benefit me? Without the whys we as students are lost. A teacher must give the purpose. It is important to you because? If this question is left unanswered the student will not consider the value of the topic being discussed. To move from purely acceptance to questioning and understanding denotes a higher level of learning. This is the main objective of teaching. Moving the students from regurgitation to higher realization is the ultimate goal. Teachers need to take the time to explain the whys and in the long run it will benefit both the teacher and student. Direction is tied to purpose. Direction is the steps we are going to take to get to that important purpose. Without steps or direction, we lack the framework in which to learn. By prioritizing small tasks (you must teach numbers before adding them) your lessons will be more effective. By conveying the direction or path to your students you are setting up the checklist for them to follow on to higher learning. Purpose and direction are essential aspects to convey to your students. Without motivation however these factors will not be effective. The motivation will give your students the will and desire to do things. You can tell a student the purpose of a task and the direction in which to go but without the internal motivation of that student, sparked by your personality and learned tactics in dealing with students, these will be meaningless. Motivation is the drive and will to do what needs to be done to accomplish the mission. To instill motivation a teacher has to know his/her students and their capabilities. A teacher must know what the students can relate to, what tasks the student are capable of, and what method of teaching will relate to the students. If a student can handle not being supervised on a task, then the teacher doesnt baby-sit them. Some students need a teacher looking over their shoulder at all times; its important to know which student you have. To instill positive motivation when they succeed praise them; when they fail show them how to succeed next time. If this is done properly it will be a teachers strongest tool! Motivation is not just the words you say to your students, it is the actions that you do and the example you set for them. I have found that no matter what I tell my subordinates, or my son, the best way to teach them is by setting the example for them to follow. We all have someone watching and emulating our actions. If you want to convey hard work, proficiency, and the desire for learning to your students, then you must first emulate those qualities. The best teachers and leaders in my life have made me want to take some of their personality traits and copy them. In front of the classroom, who is looked at more than a teacher is! All of these factors combine to make a somewhat effective teacher or leader, but without the right combination of teaching the leadership will be ineffective. Effective leaders are flexible enough to adjust their leadership styles and techniques to the people they lead. Some students will respond best to coaxing, suggestions, or prodding while others may need a chewing out. If you treat all students the same you are probably being unfair because all students are not the same. You must use the directive, participating, delegating, and combined approaches to teaching. Obviously every situation dictates common sense and some adjusting, but you would not want to use a purely free and laid back approach with a group in a juvenile prison. The directive style of teaching is purely lecture which puts most students and myself to sleep. This is teacher centered with detailed instructions and no input from the class. Now this can be done effectively with students who have an innate interest in the subject but for the majority of those who have no choice but to take this class this becomes boring. Without the lecture or instruction part of teaching, however, most students would not be given the instruction for proficiency and understanding that the subjects may require. When students dont have the expertise in a subject, a crucial aspect of the subject is the introduction itself. In certain subjects like math it is imperative that formal instruction takes place. The do this to get this approach must exist. However too purely drown your students with facts and tedious instructions will turn off the students motivation. On the opposite extreme of teaching, the delegating style would be employed. The delegating style involves giving students the power to solve problems and make decisions themselves, without checking with the teacher in most circumstances. This can be effective with very mature students in whom a teacher wants to create independence and expand their thinking. This simply stated is the teacher giving a problem, minimal instructions, and expecting the student to find the solution. In some aspects this can be effective only if the students have a basic understanding and the fore knowledge of how to solve the problem. With too little amount of instruction this will be a disaster! The participating style centers on both the students and the teacher. The teacher gives the students a problem, gives instruction and possible solutions, and asks the students for input. The teacher, although dependent on recommendations from the students, makes the final solution however. This is most effective for teachers who have time as their advantage, which many do not. When this style is used, the students feel as though they are at least a part of the discovery process and it gives them a sense of ownership of the final plan. Again the factor here is time, so this can be ineffective when there are strict time constraints and many lessons to accomplish. The most effective teaching style is the combined approach. Just as the name implies it uses all of the benefits of the delegating, participating, and directive approaches. It is a flexible and transformational tool for any given situation. To become an effective teacher you must learn when, to what degree, and how to use this approach. This approach is best used when you have students with a conglomeration of experiences, knowledge, motivations, and maturity. This may sound like common sense, but too often do when have those pure lecture teachers, or those who are on the other extreme and let the students learn on their own. With all the styles of teaching and leading, who the teacher is plays a significannot role in what the student learns. As I sat in the first day of Educational Psychology I noted how many times the teacher looked at the clock. She noted when there was one minute until the class was to start and has promptly kept the same attention to time since that first day. This shows two of the characteristics awareness and perception that a teacher needs to bring to the classroom. Other characteristics include: listening receptively to what others have to say, accepting others and having empathy for them, foresight and intuition, awareness and perception, highly developed powers of persuasion, an ability to conceptualize and to communicate concepts as well as establish goals, empowering people, using multiple options thinking, and being passionate about what they are teaching. These are forged by our personal beliefs, and just as important our life experiences. Having these combined with the right approach; purpose, direction, and motivation are the key to effective teaching and leading. Leaders cant be trained, but they can be developed. Development needs to be ongoing and highly personalized in its nature. Teachers, true leaders, are so strategically important that schools cannot afford not to provide them with the support and developmental resources they need to grow. But not everybody is capable of being an outstanding leader. However, it is going to be the key to better education in a world of change, complexity and uncertainty. As I look back on the semester, I remember how it started. Never have I been in a class where the classroom students taught the instruction. What a weird, bizarre, and radical way of teaching. I have to admit, I hate to work in-groups and I didnt like this idea at all. In light of my stubbornness and repulsion I see why this had to happen. To me the process was not really about learning the material but bluntly seeing how you can be inspired put to sleep, or appalled at other students, or yourself. The fundamental concept is not really about what you are teaching, but how. The with-it-ness of the teacher makes the student learn or care about the subject. The lack of enthusiasm in an instructors voice, the laziness as they slouch on the podium or smack their gum, or the sheer brilliance of their presentation is what inspires and motivates a student to learn. The Army is the same way with winning wars and making heroes. Many civilian corporations have emulated the leadership principles applied in the Army doctrine and regulations. This is what I have applied this course to. As a supervisor in the Army in charge of those many years younger than me or twice as old as me this course has shown me in a less obvious way to adapt and be flexible to the situation. Also I feel that beyond the regular courses that teachers take they should be shown how to develop their leadership skills. They need to be shown which style to teach which students and how to be flexible. Teachers also need to have and develop some personal qualities that will make them successful. Without the characteristics mentioned they will not be successful teachers. The leaders of the most powerful army of the future need to be shown how to lead. They need to know how to give to their students meaning by showing the purpose, providing the direction and the motivation while they accomplish their mission, to educate. Teachers need to use different approaches to teaching based on the students and they need to be flexible in their approach. Sometimes it is okay to think (teach) in the box and sometimes we need to think (teach) out of the box but I believe we can think both ways at the same time. Sources Blanchard, Kenneth, Patricia Zigarmi, and Drea Zigarmi. Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership. William Morrow Company. 1985. Hesselbein, Frances, Goldsmith, M. , Beckhard, R. , Eds. The Leader of the Future: New Visions, Strategies, and Practices for the Next Era. Jossey-Bass Publication. 1996. Covey, Stephen J. The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Reprint Edition. Fireside. 1990. Covey Leadership Center US Army Field Manual FM 22-100 Army Leadership. U. S. Government Printing Office: 1999.

Media Violence In The West And In Pakistan Media Essay

Media Violence In The West And In Pakistan Media Essay Media violence is not confined to any one medium. Decades ago, violent content was as limited as the reach of media itself. Today, the audiences have increased by more than a triple-fold. With the advent of advanced technology, media violence creates even a greater risk of possible harm to the society, especially children. To understand media violence, or mediated violence, one needs to understand both its theoretical and practical approaches. Our main concern in this chapter will be the forms of media violence in the West and in Pakistan in particular. Theoretical Perspective Mediated violence has been in the limelight since a long, long time. The effect of such media content has been termed negative by a heavy majority. But there have been researchers who would think otherwise. Mediated violence, in their perspective, have both good and bad possible effects and ofcourse, it varies differently in different people. Aristotle introduced catharsis theory in his play Poetics. He suggested that people experience an emotional release when they view tragedy plays. Any sort of negative feelings that they arouse emotion such as fear or anger were eliminated when they watch characters experiencing tragic events. This release of emotions during viewing media content is also known as vicarious  participation. It helps to release tensions which trigger aggression or aggressive behavior. Feelings of audience or the viewer are presumably cleansed when they watch characters in the play involved in tragic events. This emotional cleansing was assumed to be positive to both the individual and society. This theory has been carried over into modern day mass media. It is used to defend the increase in the amount of violence in media content. Sigmund Freud and other scholars revived the concept of catharsis. Brill was the psychiatrist who suggested the psychoanalytic techniques of Freud to the US. He asked his patients to watch a prize fight once a month to let go of their angry, aggressive feelings into harmless channels. The psychoanalytic theory states that such type of emotional release is linked to a need to release unconscious conflicts. For example, stress and frustration related to work and job situation tends one to act inappropriately. These feelings can be vented out through a physical activity or any activity that helps them to release stress. Aristotles idea of catharsis is used as a justification for many directors and producers of today. They claim that media content is cathartic and beneficial for individuals. For example, Alfred Hitchcock, director of the movie Psycho, said, One of televisions greatest contributions is that it brought murder back into the home where it belongs. Seeing a murder on television can be good therapy. It can help work off ones antagonism. More recently, in 1992, Paul Verhoeven, director of the movie Total Recall, said, I think its a kind of purifying experience to see violence. Violent computer games are also considered cathartic just like violent movies and dramas. Killing enemies and being deeply involved in the game environment is thought to be a useful outlet for the primal human urge to kill. An imaginary founder, Dr Bartha, in promotional materials for fictional CyberDivision movement says, We kill. Its OK. Its not our fault any more than breathing or urinating. Its a marketing campaign, said a SegaSoft spokesperson, but there is some validity to the concept that you need an outlet for aggressive urges. People who play violent video games share same views. Dr Abdul Rahim, a 24 year old dentist by profession, spends his free time playing games like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and Aliens vs Predators. All three of them are banned in various countries by their respective censor boards. Everytime our exams ended, all us friends went for gaming, chose such games like Counterstrike and GTA. We named the characters after our professors and shot them. In the stressful medical schooling period, it was very stress relieving. But dont get me wrong, I am not a violent person by nature. We just had fun playing such games together. It actually does give you a leeway to vent out your aggression and gives one a reason to take of from frustration. Ofcourse, its entertainment too, says Raheel Yousaf, a young mechanical engineer. When asked if such form of violence increases ones level of aggression in reality, he replied, Yes it promotes aggression but provides mean to le go the frustrations. It is kind of a double edged sword. Depends how you use it. The second theory concerning media violence is that even if it provides catharsis to the viewer it also makes him indifferent to the violence in real. This phenomenon is known as desensitization. It states that when individuals watch large amounts of violence tend to become less sensitive to real-life violence compared to those who watch less violence. Psychologists have studied this phenomenon to a great deal and proposed that people who watch more violence become less aroused, physiologically and emotionally. Cline, Croft and Courrier (1973), in an experiment, showed violent content to two groups of children: light viewer and heavy viewer of television. They found out children who watched more television (violent content) were less aroused physiologically than those children who were light television viewers. In a different study, Thomas, Horton, Lippincott, and Drabman (1977) made two groups of 8-10 year-old children watch two different film clips. First clip was of a aggressive police drama. The second was of a volleyball game. After the first two clips, both groups were individually shown a TV clip of violence in real-life. Researchers studied that the children who had watched the violent police drama were considerably less provoked by the following violent clip as compared to the children who had watched the non-violent volleyball game. Same experiment was repeated with college students and similar results were obtained. Moreover, the flourishing of hate speech in new media platforms, such as YouTube, can be explained using desensitization theory. This theory states that exposure to violence through media channels leads to desensitization to violence in real life, as well as a decrease in feelings of empathy or sympathy towards actual victims (Encyclopedia of Communication, 2006). Exposure to violence on the Internet, in video games, and in other new media platforms potentially desensitizes users to violent acts, which could make them more likely to commit such acts, such as the cyberbullying evident in many YouTube comments. Bushmen and Anderson (2008) used the theory of desensitization in order prove it reduces helping behavior. In Study 1, violent video games known to desensitize people caused decreases in helping-related behavior, perceptions, and cognitions. In Study 2, violent movies delayed helping in a wholly naturalistic setting. The person in need of help had an injured ankle in both studies. In Study 1, the injury resulted from interpersonal violence, whereas in Study 2, the cause of injury was unknown. The similar results across very different studies suggest that desensitization caused by media violence generalizes beyond failure to help victims of violence. Theoretically, we expect such generalization; one factor in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uencing helping behavior is judged severity of injury, and that judgment is in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uenced by ones own emotional and physiological reaction to the injury. In the Figure 1, Bushmen and Anderson illustrated the process by which the urge to help people in pain and distress reduces. The level and degree of sensitization differs from person to person. The results, as stated, proved that media violence has a negative effect on audiences. In a study by Mullin and Linz (1995), the two researchers demonstrated that audiences who show a degree of desensitization towards the sufferer in non-media framework following experience to violence in media have chances of recovering their sensitivity rather quickly given that they are not experiencing any exposure to other violent representation. The effects of repeated exposure to explicit violent films on emotional desensitization and insensitivity toward domestic violence were studied in an experiment. With repeated film exposure, it was found out, that emotional feedback, self-reported physiological arousal and degree of impact of sexual violence was reduced. Participants in the experiment showed less sympathy for domestic violence victims three days following exposure to the final film, and marked their injuries as being less strict than did a no-exposure control group. Their level of sensitivity to the sufferers of domestic violence returned five days following the final fil m exposure. The new level of sensitivity was same as that by the no-exposure comparison group. As a result it was theorized that exposure to violence in media has tendency to desensitize audience where they experience reduced feelings of concern, understanding, or sympathy toward victims of real-life violence. The study has also shown that people who view large amounts of violent content show less physiological reaction to violence in other circumstances Audience, both male and female, who are exposed to sexual violence in media also are seen to show less sensitivity to sexial violence in other contexts and usually sympathize less with rape victims. This desensitization can be reduced if sufficient rest period is given to the viewer and he or she can find the capability to empathize with victims of violence In a tragic incident, media can be accused for its impact of violence on teenagers. A 15 year old was bullied to death by nine teenagers (three males and six females). The girl, Phoebe Prince was terrorized by these teenager for months and eventually she committed suicide. This is a clear example of how media triggers aggression in teenagers. Moreover, cartoons are held accountable for being violent, no matter what rating it has. It is shown that cartons lead to a notable degree of verbal aggression in school environment. Individual is aware of his/her behavior which is resulted from high exposure to media violence but he can not predict the effects it has on the victim. In the incident above, the verbal aggression used against Phoebe may have been triggered by the high volume violent content from media. In the same study it can be seen that this desensitization leads to irrational behavior which leads to more aggressive behavior. Boys tend to get involved in bullying more whereas gi rls end up in verbal aggression. In both cases, the end can be dangerous for both genders. They may idolize their favorite character of a movie or a cartoon and act accordingly. This can lead to serious damage to the family and society as whole. Vulnerable Audiences Audiences for possible harm by media violence differ from age to age and culture to culture. But in any society in any part of the world, children are the most affected viewers of media. The reason is that at a tender age, child grasps more from media, not able to differentiate between media and reality. Seeing is believing. For adults, violence in media triggers or increases aggression. Due to its cathartic effect, it helps release and reinforce emotions. Violent Sources: News Pakistani news channels are filled with violence and suffering. Political instability, strikes, bomb blasts, military operations, thefts, sexual harassment, and to top it off, talks shows who discuss all this negativity with no constructive solution. The local news is widely used by Pakistanis. Everyone turn to Geo, ARY News and Aaj TV for every latest happening. News channels over emphasize brutal crime, as does Express News, and audiences now rely greatly on the sensational portrayal of violence as shown on TV. In a very tragic incident, two boys from Sialkot were brutually murdered. The entire gruesome footage was shown on every news channel for as long as the story was held its importance. Moreover, flogging of women by Taliban is shown openly on media. Mutilated body parts are shown on screen after a bomb blast. Every channel shows a negative aspect of Pakistan. Audiences are not given any productive news, or if they are, they are shown at off-time. Furthermore, it is noted that major news networks around the world newscasts crime and violence as news features. Africa, Iraq, Palestine and Israel conflict, Afghanistan all are part of international media propaganda. Even though most television news programs are not proposed for a child audience, they depend greatly on news channels for their knowledge about current events and they watch more news channels than their parents can think they do. Most children in the highest grades of elementary school watch the news at least several times a week and even many 3- to 8-year-olds regularly watch television news. Many older elementary school children claim that they watch the news because they find it important to stay informed, but even if children do not choose to watch the news themselves, they still are frequently confronted with it when they are looking for other programs or when their parents are watching. With the rise of television channels and Internet services that broadcast ne ws around the clock and with the growing practice of interrupting other television programming to report on breaking news stories, children of all ages thus may be regularly confronted with highly distressing and violent accounts of murders, catastrophic accidents, war, and other suffering. With Pakistan the situation is much more complex. There is so much bloodshed and violence going on throughout the country, news channels can not ignore it. Few years ago two thieves were burnt alive in Karachi. The picture was printed in the front page of one of the leading English newspapers, The News (Jang Group). Moreover, coverage of natural disasters (flood and earthquakes), national crisis such as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) issue during Swat Operation, drone attacks in FATA region, poverty, load shedding, inflation, unemployment and as a result serious political instability. Repetitive news about all these issues creates frustration in the society. Taliban and military are sadly such big issues in Pakistan, they seem unresolved for years to come. Entertainment gala Media content for entertainment purposes has a massive number of violent content. It includes all sorts of TV shows such as dramas, telefilms, sporting programs (Khatron ke Khiladi, Fear Factor etc), film trailers and misguiding youth shows where young adults are pretending to be bad guys to appear cool to the audience (Aag Tv). According to a survey by a Russian NGO, there is significant impact of on-screen violence on teenagers. About half the teenagers were positive about its demonstration: they enjoyed films, television shows, and computer games containing on-screen violence and they admired the characters including bad guys. Impact on teenagers results in a societal imbalance such as theft, racing on highways, sexual harassment, and so on. 90.23% of the participants held action as their favorite genre for overall entertainment (TV, movies, PC games etc). In the same study, 90.93% of Russian teenagers said that United States produced most of on-screen violence content. 62.32% of teenagers who watched violence said they had nothing else to do so hence they watched violence to pass time. Violence in entertainment has been glamorized repeatedly. Explicit images of bullets coming out of a mans chest in a slow motion, and dead bodies piled up in pool of blood, are now everyday routine. Millions of viewers worldwide, many of them children, watch female World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers try to tear out each others hair and rip off each others clothing. And one of the top-selling video games in the world, Grand Theft Auto, is programmed so players can beat prostitutes to death with baseball bats after having sex with them. One of the recent violent TV shows, Prison Break, had the highest ratings, not only in the US but all over the world. Fans were glued to every episode just to see a handsome guy devising a plan to break out of a penitentiary and having a love affair with the doctor of the infirmary of the same prison. The plot no doubt was very interesting but violence sells and it has a bad impact. Cutting of limbs, psychopathic behavior of some characters and running away from the FBI, all was glamorized till the very end. Childrens cartoons Violence in childrens cartoons is one of the most neglected, ignored yet threatening form of violence. With media booming and life getting on faster track by the day, parents leave their children to the sole entertainment of Cartoon Network, Nickelodian and Disney Channel. What they do not realize is the kind of impact some cartoons have on children. According to American Psychological Association, an average twelve-year- old has seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on network television. According to Dr. Aletha Hustons 1992 study titled Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society, by the time a child is eighteen years old, he or she will witness on television (with average viewing time) 200,000 acts of violence including 40,000 murders. According to researches, it has a deep impact on a childs aggressive behavior. Violence in cartoons also increases fear in children, the mean-world syndrome. It also desensitizes children to real-life violence because the violent content is depicted as humorous with no realistic consequences. Dr. Dimitri Christakis of Seattle Childrens Hospital Research in a December 8, 2008 interview, says, Watching violent cartoons increases real life aggression. Decades of research have proven that children imitate what they see on screen this includes both undesirable and desirable behaviors According to Dr. Christakis, cartoon violence has two central messages that tend to boost a childs aggressive behavior. The first is that cartoon aggression occurs without penalties no one REALLY get hurts. This has a lot of parents believing cartoons are safe whereas the actuality is the opposite. The second is that they often portray violence as something that is entertaining or pleasurable which for adults seems harmless since it is not factual after all. The reality is that children less than 7 years of age do not differentiate between fantasy and real life. Cartoons are in fact quite real to children and once again, repetitive research has shown that commingling violence and humor enhances its potency, cautions Dr. Christakis. Study shows a strong link between media violence and the manner in which children behave. Experience with TV violence raises real world aggression. Also, children regularly exposed to sadism on television are indifferent towards real life violent experiences. Children become resistant to the pain and anguish of others. Children dont have much understanding of the real world; that is why it is hard for them to tell apart between fantasy and reality. Consequently, they copy what they see in cartoons. Children who see aggressive content in TV do become desensitized to violence and aggression. This desensitization to media violence has been studied in trial situations, as in study by Drabman and Thomas (1974). In this study named Does Watching Violence on Television Cause Apathy?, children who view a violent film later took considerably longer to seek adult support to stop what they considered was an altercation between younger children, as compared to the children who did not watch the film. In a more recent reproduction using modern video resources, Molitor and Hirsch (1994) studied childrens toleration of actual reality violence after exposure to media violence. The study reassured the original findings: viewing violence increases acceptance for violent behavior. Children today are inspired by heroics of Ben Ten, Powerpuff Girls, Sylvester and Tweety, Pokemon, Scooby Doo and The Simpson to name a few. These shows show characters fighting or escaping from violence, jubilating in violent acts, and showing more violence than a child would usually see. Christakis particularly called out Looney Tunes cartoons in his research, by encouraging them to view such aggressive cartoons, You are actually teaching [children] that violence is funny. Moreover, interestingly, those classic Looney Tunes cartoons were never initially proposed for a childrens audience. They were at first placed in front of feature films in movie theatres that had mainstream movies like Captain Blood or Casablanca. Children do copy their heroes, hopeful to imitate them and be to stand as strong and influential as they do. The TV acts like a babysitter for the parents and they allow their children to sit in front it, taking in everything they get out from that LCD screen, mindlessly. Meanwhile parents are busy doing their everyday chores diligently, making sure their child do not distract them. While they are busy with their work, the children are getting maximum violence from the media content in shape of cartoons, ads, music, films and what not. The studies carried out have shown that children either copy their heroes or let the actions of these heroes persuade their later, more aggressive actions. A research conducted by Albert Bandura with some groups of children, each viewing a different form of violence, concurs with this and recommends that the type of violence a child executes is shaped by the sort that he or she sees on TV; a person displaying violence on film is as influential as one d isplaying it in real life.televised models are important sources of social behavior (Bandura, 126). TV has a strong impact on children from a juvenile age, specially if adults give them many chances to watch and do not step in to repeat to their children that this is all fake, or to switch the channel should the matter is inappropriate for children. According to the CNN, the Cartoon Network had the highest number of violent incidents with 1,330, or 5 incidents per episode. The ABC Family Channel had only 318 violent happenings, but had an average of almost 11 per episode, the top of the networks surveyed. The report said the WB cartoon Teen Titans had maximum amount of violence with 21.7 incidents per episode. Too often we dismiss violence in childrens programming as inconsequential, the study said. It also cleared out that even though cartoons have been historically aggressive, whats altered is the level of violence, and it called the outcome ubiquitous, often sinister, and in many cases frighteningly realistic. The Disney Channel had the lowest number of violent incidents at 0.95 per episode, the report said. The report also disapproved of the networks for airing childrens shows with unethical language such as stupid, loser and butt as well as sexual intimation, insults and bullying. With little to none animation produced in Pakistan, younger audiences rely solely on western media. Recently, Tetra Pak and Safeguard created animated short documentary-cum-advertisements to promote their products and services. Both ads targeted the children and contained violent content to a notable degree. Films Films contain maximum amount of threatening violence. A storys two main components: Heroes and villains are used to glamorize and sell violence. And that what makes it to the top of box office. The Dark Knight, sequel of Batman Series, one of the most highly appreciated films of all times, contains gruesome acts of violence. The actor, Heath Ledger, is supposedly believed to have committed suicide as a result of psychotic acting he did in the movie as Joker. The movie broke all time records and is one of the best critically acclaimed movies. Tom Cruises Knight and Day (2010) alongside Cameron Diaz is another example of violent films. The hero, the very handsome Mr Cruise, shoots people and runs. But ofcourse he is the good guy. There is a lot of blood spilled and cars burnt. But in the midst of such violence, the two stars find time to have a sexual attraction and the inevitable love making starts. Theres nothing to sweat about if you kill about a dozen people, at least you get a pretty girl at hand. A particularly prominent example of such violence was the movie Payback, in which the Mel Gibson, the murders a lot of people for payback, with a wink and a smile, and gets away with it. The examples of such kind of non-serious violence attitude is literally in thousands from James Bond movies to Schwarzenegger and Stallone. From these movies we get the idea that violence is not serious, killing dozens to hundreds of people is an everyday thing and it is okay to feel good about it. But yes there are instances where violence is dealt with responsibility, only that I cant remember any. Thats the impact of justified violence. It is so less glamorous that it is equally forgettable. Film violence can be seen as an particularly telling phases of hardships of popular cinema to counter attack the forces at any given time in the dynamic society and those who control it. Sklar and Jowett, in mid 70s, revised previous accounts of film history and Hollywoods development over the period of time. Instead of simply being a controversial subject for censor board or industry regulators, these pictures betrayed wider social antagonisms. Sklar (1994), in his memoir, wrote about Mack Sennetts slapstick films produced during World War I and the exodus of immigrants that changed Americas cities, Sklar observes, Sennetts comedies, appearing in an era of strife and official violence, gave audiences their first glimpses of a social perspective that was to become one of the most emotionally powerful of Hollywood formulas the anarchic individual pitted against disordered violent authority-which reemerged in later periods of upheaval in the early 1930s and late 1960s (1994, 109). He viewed violence as a expression of deeply ingrained cultural conflicts and, significantly, suggests the proceedings of social authorityin Sennetts films, the police-can be construed as violent just as readily as those of individuals. When this happens, according to Sklar, it is possible to examine the cinema as a medium where it out-dos social authority and prestige. As producers and directors were trying to get their product acceptable to the masses, they used the First World War as an event to increase their international distribution, overcoming the European cinema and expanding their domestic role. Still a hatchling industry relatively new to southern California, Hollywoodwhich, by 1918, was a everyday generic title for the American film industrybecame an significant section of the U.S. governments propaganda promotion aimed at influencing public opinion that was favorable to conflicts and war efforts. Violence in film and television definitely seems to be a contributing contributory factor in the growing crime rate, even though there are people who declare it isnt. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Roger Ebert is amongst them. In his 1971 appraisal of the film Dirty Harry, he writes: I think films are more often a mirror of society than an agent of change, and that when we blame the movies for the evils around us we are getting things backward. If there arent mentalities like Dirty Harrys at loose in the land, then the movie is irrelevant. If there are, we should not blame the bearer of the bad news. Bruder, in her paper, Aestheticizing Violence, or How To Do Things with Style, deconstructs some films, including Hard Target, Posse and True Romance. Bruder disagree and says that highly glamorized violence in films like these can be viewed as a explanation of the new ways of thinking about the multifaceted cultural communications in our world. Furthmore, she says that those who disapprove of such violence in movies basically dont understand violence as this new language of film and the way audiences relate to it. For instance, Hard Target, is directed by John Woo, a longtime fixture in Hong Kong-based action films. Woo, director of Mission Impossible 2, is representative of a new wave of directors portraying highly glamorized violence in films. Critiques have also defended violence in movies by stating it to be part of catharsis. Other people argue that it desensitizes audience to actual real-life violence, making them indifferent to violence. It is to be noted that the level of impact of violence has changed over the years. Previously a movie was shown in cinema halls and then was locked up into stores or if lucky enough, it came up for rent. Today all media content, especially movies, are available online. From the first movie ever made to the movie released today, all movies are available on the internet. One can download them legally through registered sites or download them free though torrent files and torrent software. To make viewing easy, some sites also provide online streaming of various content. Any movie which was banned previously can be found online. Any part of the movie which was banned by the censor board is available on Youtube. So when you are watching your favorite action movie, you can watch it over and over again. This might increase the degree of impact of media violence by triple fold. The easy convenience of media content online just makes it easier for younger audiences to access it. Parents seldom check what their children are surfing online. The internet cannot say no to the user and there is no rating system, unless parents are too concerned and have put virtual locks on sites. In Pakistan, this is rare. Young audiences have viewed both violent and sexual contact by the age 15 in Pakistan. Every other child knows about the new cool game and the new sexy item girl. Its no secret that the biggest movie production house, Hollywood produces many R rated films for young viewers. Starship Troopers is a good example. A work of youthful fiction written by Robert Heinlein, the book was made into an R-rated movie particularly intended for teenage boys with a naked shower scene (which was not part of the original book), tons of violence and, on the surface at least, engaging poster simplicity for its fascist biased angle The deeper satirical degree of the film are so thi n and weakly worked out, they probably go right over the heads of most of the target audience. People saw the film to see the nude women in the shower. Sex and violence sells in film industry. One of Hollywoods favorite combination of all time. This could be seen in Sharon Stones reason to stardom in Basic Instinct. Old, classic movies seem dull when it comes to glamorizing life as in movies today. The lead female character has to lose her dignity in movies today to make a movie a success. As seen in Bollywood movies, previously item girls and heroines were clearly distinct from each other. Today every leading actoress has an popular item song to her name such Aishwariya Rai (Kajra Re) and Katrina Kaif (Sheila badnaam hui) to name a few. Film not only informs us what to think but they tell us how to think in a certain way and how to feel and express about the experience we had with media exposure. This seems very powerful way to control thinking and persuading process. If this was not true, large corporations would not spend millions of dollars on product placement. In December 2010, United Kingdom allowed product placement in their media content too. Previously it was heavily done by United States. TV ads are like very short films produced to sell products or services and when made properly they work. . Gangster films, War films, western films, martial arts films, several of these come under the broad category of action films.

Poems :: Poems

Poems Change Certain things vary everyday, tides lap various portions of sandy gold and land is illuminated and darkened with clock like accuracy. Like cammilions, hills and land periodically display their transient colors with no regard to its inhabitants needs, preferences or even life. Everyday change, insignificant, expected and unshoking when it occurs, no emotional distress or even flickers of eye lids. Those firecrackers of life, however, sting with flaming relentless pain as if being attached by legions of jelly fish intent on wreaking havoc. Like all wounds, the stings heal, but not without hours upon hours of termites gnawing on the brain, infesting every thought with the jelly fish stings. One asks, why must they experience firecrackers, they didn't light the fuse, why should they endure the relentless stings And mind gouging termites? Left or Right? Crime, or right of choice disdained by others- From different eyes, colors change and evils shift. On the right stand pillars, stern, intrenched in dogma drilled in from the crib, etched like the Grand Canyon. In which evil is evil and good is good, it is written, it is said and so it shall proceed- What isn't broken in some eyes doesn't require fixing- Apposed, left winged donkeys flying for an utopian dream existing only in books fashioned by scholars, where right is that which causes no harm, choices aren't made illegal based on perspective and not adversity. As long as grey haired tablets continue to decree antiquated perceptions, no person, of any soil, con revel in the exalted presence of true Liberty. Reality If ever there was an ambiguous word, one which is entirely defined individually it would be reality. Where one person sees pleasure and serenity, another sees blatant sin and sloth and yet another is completely indifferent. One hears the mention of god and falls to his knees in obedient fear, while someone else grimaces at the mindless dogma. Viewing a santa figuring evokes good memories for one and rips through another with recollections of a traumatic, life altering winter experience. For everyone, different events and feelings lead to a separate reality for all, one's revulsion will always be another's pleasures. Sentience How grand a thing it would be, Poems :: Poems Poems Change Certain things vary everyday, tides lap various portions of sandy gold and land is illuminated and darkened with clock like accuracy. Like cammilions, hills and land periodically display their transient colors with no regard to its inhabitants needs, preferences or even life. Everyday change, insignificant, expected and unshoking when it occurs, no emotional distress or even flickers of eye lids. Those firecrackers of life, however, sting with flaming relentless pain as if being attached by legions of jelly fish intent on wreaking havoc. Like all wounds, the stings heal, but not without hours upon hours of termites gnawing on the brain, infesting every thought with the jelly fish stings. One asks, why must they experience firecrackers, they didn't light the fuse, why should they endure the relentless stings And mind gouging termites? Left or Right? Crime, or right of choice disdained by others- From different eyes, colors change and evils shift. On the right stand pillars, stern, intrenched in dogma drilled in from the crib, etched like the Grand Canyon. In which evil is evil and good is good, it is written, it is said and so it shall proceed- What isn't broken in some eyes doesn't require fixing- Apposed, left winged donkeys flying for an utopian dream existing only in books fashioned by scholars, where right is that which causes no harm, choices aren't made illegal based on perspective and not adversity. As long as grey haired tablets continue to decree antiquated perceptions, no person, of any soil, con revel in the exalted presence of true Liberty. Reality If ever there was an ambiguous word, one which is entirely defined individually it would be reality. Where one person sees pleasure and serenity, another sees blatant sin and sloth and yet another is completely indifferent. One hears the mention of god and falls to his knees in obedient fear, while someone else grimaces at the mindless dogma. Viewing a santa figuring evokes good memories for one and rips through another with recollections of a traumatic, life altering winter experience. For everyone, different events and feelings lead to a separate reality for all, one's revulsion will always be another's pleasures. Sentience How grand a thing it would be,

Essay examples --

The tenet of international relations study is the question of why wars occur. Political theorists have tackled this question with heated debate throughout history and in the post-World War II era the theories of democratic peace and realism have come to the forefront of international relations study. These two theories offer contrasting explanations for the reasons nations fight one another, and also seek to predict the likelihood of future conflict. The democratic peace theory, which concludes that democratic regimes do not go to war with one another as a result of their democratic nature, has attained the status of a law of international relations in some circles (Owen 1994, Doyle 1983). Utilizing an absence of conflict between democratic nations as the basis for the theory, Spiro identifies that proponents of Democratic Peace assert two aspects of the theory (Spiro, 1994). One is an institutional or structural belief, whereby such factors as public opinion, or checks and balances amongst the government constrain the likelihood of war. The other, is an ideological belief, whereby the liberal values of such regimes strive for peaceful interactions and constrain conflict. Democratic Peace Theory would therefore discredit the realist perspectives for interstate conflict which focus upon a sovereign state’s strategic interest within an anarchic world sphere. The theory has achieved status of dogma in many circles, but nevert heless has its share of critics who subscribe to the realist theory such as David Spiro and Bruce Russett. Realists challenge the relevance of the statistics on which democratic peace is founded, advocating a renewal of interest in realist international relations theory. Realists argue that world politics is dri... ... infrequent to deliver an empirical foundation for his conclusion. Likewise, the limitations placed upon the categories of war and democracy ignore that liberal states have disregarded mutual respect for democratic institutions and norms and authorized the use of force against another likeminded state. Doyle is cognizant of the limitations of his Democratic Peace Theory, stressing that protection of liberalism’s heritage of democratization may in fact ensure the adverse consequence of stimulating illiberal practices (Doyle, 1983). The significance of a peace theory which concludes its own underlying principles may actually engender belligerent behavior is questionable. Doyle’s Democratic Peace Theory offers an interesting starting point in the study of the relationship between democratic nations and conflict; however, his suppositions should not to be valued as law.

Animal farm Essay -- Character Analysis, Mr. Jones, Snowball

I. SUBJECT Animal farm is a novel about animals that develop their own society and the abuses of power that result. The story takes place at an imaginary farm in England, Manor Farm. The novel begins as the owner of the farm, Mr. Jones, is falling into a drunken sleep. The animals then gather in the barn where a boar, Old Major, delivers a speech to his fellow animals about a dream he has that one day all animals will be free from the tyranny of man and in perfect comradeship. Two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball plot to drive Mr. Jones off the farm. They along with the other barnyard animals succeed but the bigger conflict is revealed, when Snowball and Napoleon struggle over the power distribution. Over the years, Napoleon and Snowball engage in many disputes regarding the management of a successful farm. Snowball establishes committees to educate the other farm animals while Napoleon takes no interest, he thought training the young should take priority over an adult animal’s education. He secures a group of nine puppies and takes them under his wing. As years went on Napoleon and snowball continued to butt heads. Their most explosive argument occurred over Snowball’s idea to construct a windmill. When the time arose for a vote to approve the windmill’s construction, Napoleon gave a strange whimper and the nine dogs he trained came out of hiding. The ferocious attack dogs chased Snowball off the farm. With Snowball gone, Napoleon attained what he had always desired complete control of Animal Farm. Under Napoleon’s leadership he and the remaining pigs became more and more like humans. At the end of the novel, Napoleon is playing cards with a group of humans in Mr. Jones’ former house. As the common animals gazed through the windo... ... two legs it is referring to a human and in the case of four legs it is referring to an animal. This reification is saying that all animals had rebellion built up within them â€Å"Rebelliousness ran through the country side† (46.) IV GENRE The main genre in Animal Farm is a fable. A fable is â€Å"A brief tale told to point a moral. The characters are frequently animals, but people an inanimate are sometimes central† (Harmon 467 68). In Orwell’s Animal Farm the main characters are animals and the reader learns that when there is one leader with an excessive amount of it will lead to corruption. Animal Farm can also be classified as an Allegory sub genre. An allegory is â€Å"A form of extended METAPHOR in which objects, persons and actions in a NARRATIVE are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself† (14.) In Animal Farm everything symbolizes something.

Negative effects of video games Essay

Claim: Negative effects of video games and results of overuse leading to many side effects I. Major idea: Video games promote unhealthy activity A. Opposing view: Video games may help children in following instructions, problem solving and logic Source: Raise Smart Kid. (2014). The positive and negative effects of video games. B. Refute: Children playing aggressive video games tend to have aggression programmed in their minds Counter-argument: Violent and aggressive video games users may connect violence to entertainment and pursue it as a solution in reality Source: Layton, J. (2014). Howstuffworks â€Å"do violent video games lead to real violence?†. II. Major idea: Fierce incidents are happening with children and teenagers and adolescence who have been proved to be putting a lot of hours playing video games affect. A. Opposing view: Not all incidents are connected to video games which means video games are not the sole contributor violence Source: LiveScience.com. (2014). Video games not to blame for violence. III. Major idea: Video games are bad  capable of confusing reality and fantasy for the  user A. Opposing view: Children playing video games may improve their inductive reasoning, logic and concentration in real life Source: Raise Smart Kid. (2014). The positive and negative effects of video games. Video Games Shaping the World’s Youth Humans are constantly on the pursuit of happiness, we have a habit of fulfilling this happiness with entertainment. People will do basically anything to satisfy this need, if its television, the internet or any kind of gaming, we will do it to entertain ourselves. However these come with consequences that may alter our life. While technology is evolving more and more video games are becoming more complicated, violent, and very realistic its are bad for you. Teens are caught in the middle of these new generation violent games which tend to influence them one way or another. Video games stand as natural educators; they provide a lot of practice and have rewards for success in the required action, meaning violent games include a lot of killing and being rewarded for it. These days it is hard to find a game that doesn’t contain violence, aggression or bad language. So overuse of video games is leading to mild and serious negative effects in children and adolescence. Video games promote unhealthy activity Addiction to video games really contributes to unhealthy activities. Bit by bit the gamer will stop putting hours into exercising and taking care of his priorities at his age and indulge in more and more gaming. (As cited in â€Å"The Harmful Effects of Video Games on Children†.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), obesity rates for adults have doubled and the rates for children have tripled since 1980. Although we must admit that we cannot blame this fact on video games alone, however it isn’t just a coincidence that these rates are during the same years the market for video games began to boom†. Not to mention video-induced seizures; which are relatively common in children with past experiences with this condition. Additionally, although not as major, postural disorders may happen from all the time put into gaming, which turn into a problem into that persons future. Confusing Reality and Fantasy Our brain is like clay; we mold it and evolve it by the stimulus we give it. So if we expose our brains to constant fantasy, role-playing, and game violence it will definitely be embedded in the way we see the outside world. Today’s video gamers are so instilled in their games that they may even mistake fantasy with reality and vice versa. (As cited in John Walker’s ‘Fantasy and Reality: Can Gamers Tell?’) â€Å"Repeating a task many times in a game means your brain flickers on the idea of doing it in real life†. In my experience, I have seen many of friends get so attached and obsessive about a game that everything they talk about is connected to it. Adventure games that have many cut scenes and events happening have a habit of blurring out the users mind and making him/her eager to finish it as soon as possible. When I play a new game on my PlayStation I get so excited that I spend hours and hours without budging from my place, I obsess about it an d it becomes all I think about in reality. As a person gets addicted and plays hours consecutively he/she will eventually skip anything that comes their way to play another hour, it may lead to sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation is a serious problem since almost anything we do in our lives requires a certain amount of concentration. Without concentration, the simplest achievements could turn into a complicated situation. Children and adolescence will start falling back in their school work, missing deadlines, and might even end up failing a certain subject. A decline in school achievements is inevitable since the main focus of the child is now their favorite video game. Author Andrea Norcia stated in her article (as cited in Parents and Teachers: The  Impact of Video Games) ‘students who play excessive video games are more likely to be more aggressive, more prone to confrontation with their teachers and may engage fights with their peers. Although some scientific tests done on gamers suggesting and enhancement in cognitive abilities and the capability to concentrate, other studies showed that games are harmful to the mind, can help children’s attention issues and damage long term concentration spans. Violent Incidents Regarding Video Games Violence is the main theme of many video games if not most, if you succeed in killing perfectly you will eventually receive awards and in the end finishing the game wanting so much more. Teens averaging 13 hours per week of continuous video games are really expected to display many aggressive behaviors. Game designers might or might not intend these large effects but both ways the children are caught in between. Basically violent games demonstrate aggressive behavior on repeat; humans tend to take in information clearer in a repetitive and continuous lesson. It’s not a surprise youths exhibit more aggressive behaviors and attitudes. Decrease in empathy for victims lead to a higher possibility of people to become more violent individuals. Aggressive delinquency is very common among students who play intense video games since authority is absent in video games, meaning a player is not punished for his action as in real life. Several incidents that were reported in the United Sta tes have been linked one way or another with the overuse of video games effecting teen’s minds. As Julia Layton specified in her article, â€Å"On April 20, 1999, two seniors walked into their Colorado high school carrying assault rifles, and they opened fire. They shot dozens of people, killing 12 students and one teacher, and the nation was floored. School shootings had happened before, but this was a new scope of carnage, and in the ensuing search for answers it came out the shooters had spent a lot of time playing violent video games.† (As cited in ‘Do Violent Video Games Lead to Real Violence?’). These incidents are the fatal ones, ones that hit from nowhere and cause great damage, and it is this problem that leads us to dig more and more about what these aggressive and violent games are doing to young minds. The miracle and importance of life is now taken for granted thanks to games which render the idea of someone losing his/her life and making a fun and entertaining storyline filled with aggression and gore. Video game users are more likely to feature hostile and aggressive behavior to others, exhibiting actions such as bullying, gender and other kinds of stereotyping, and reduction of understanding others. While not all incidents of violence are directly connected to video games, it is definitely worth taking a way one factor of violence and especially this factor since it starts so soon in children and teens. The disruption of the mind of players is numerous. Some video games teach the wrong values and undermine the worth of a person’s life being taken; which consequently takes a toll on teens and give them tenancies to deal aggressively in minor conflicts. Conclusion To conclude, video games have had a reputation of negative effects such as obesity, lack of social skills, addiction, aggressive and violent behavior, sleep deprivation, increase in possibility of hurting others, confusion between reality and fantasy, decline in academic achievements, and picking up bad language. To enhance the positive effects of video games while reducing the negative effects, we must limit the hours we play, and also take good care in choosing the right games for the right age groups. The content of the game is the major issue. Reports of Bullying, 1999-2005 (Rate per 1,000 Students) References Education.com. (2013). Negative potential of video games | education.com. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/negative-potential-video-games/ [Accessed: 16 Dec 2013]. OverBlog. (2013). The harmful effects of video

Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Leadership Essay

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is one of the world’s wealthiest investor and businessman. He has been able to gain connection in politics through entrepreneurship and international investments as an entrepreneur. He is a citizen of Lebanon and a member of the royal family, House of Saudi, in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Though not a member of the executive charged with ruling, he usually gets involved in politics of Lebanon for instance in the case of President Emile Lahoud against claims assassinating Lebanese billionaire Rafik Hariri and usually criticizes both local and international political issues in the media. He has so far been unsuccessful in his efforts to lead the Lebanese Sunni community. During Alwaleed’s early ages, his Father Prince Talal Abd al-Aziz, a known activist and modernizer, actively engaged in matters concerning the political issues that existed in the traditional governing system in Saudi Arabia in the early 1960s. He opposed Modern pan-Arabism that was led by the then leader of the United Arab Repulic, Jamal Gamal Abdel Nasser, which resulted to the suspension of his passport. He was forced to seek exile in Egypt. During this period, Alwaleed lived with his mother, Princess Muna al-Sulh who was the daughter of Riyadh al- Sulh, the first Prime Minister of the Independent Lebanon. In his early education, he attended elementary and middle schools in Beirut and returned to Lebanon in 1973 to attend King Abdul Aziz Military Academy to gain more discipline skills. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business administration from Menlo College California in 1979 and later enrolled for a masters Degree in Political Science from Syracuse University (Khan 2005). He rose to international fame in the early 1990s by purchasing a substantial amount of Citicorp shares when then firm was undergoing financial difficulties. He is an established investor and owns a chain of investments worldwide in the major industries such as banking, building and construction companies, telecommunications, broadcasting and media, entertainment, hospitality and involvement in charitable activities across many regions of the world. He also owns a lot of luxurious assets (Khan 2005). According to Machiavelli (2005) leadership qualities must be practical and not ideological in their application. In chapter 15 of The Prince, that leadership quality should be determined through consideration of personality traits, character and how a person conducts himself. A successful ruler must know when, where and in what way an upright person will act when confronted with different situations. Alwaleed has been able to demonstrate all these leadership qualities which are evident in the different criteria’s he employed in his investment activities throughout his life. He invested in shares of America’s Citicorp at the time when every investor was pulling out their capital from the firm and at a time when it neared its collapse due to bankruptcy, a decision that elicited mixed reactions across the world. Machiavelli talks of qualities that a leader must posses on those things which politicians or Princes must do that might either be praised or blamed in the end. He clearly differentiates the two categories in which a leader must apply specific ideologies. Machiavelli identifies the world that we live in as a kind of world of forms and which contains imperfect alternatives that are required in the world of ideas. Alwaleed seemed to recognize the world of ideas and did things that other people in the world of forms thought that they were impossible to happen. Upon his return after completion of his Master’s degree, he invested in the banking sector by purchasing shares in the United Saudi Commercial Bank. This move enabled the bank to gain enormous returns in terms of market value and also enabled the Bank to merge with Saudi Cairo Bank. His fortunes increased immensely through these risky but strategic business ventures. These elicited admirations from financial strategists across Asia and other parts of the world. Economic observers in the Saudi Kingdom and from other parts of the globe recognized his efforts and Alwaleed was thus chosen by the King as an advisor on economic matters. This enabled him improve on his unique strategic approaches to expansion of his business empire (Khan 2005). Â  Alwaleed’s character has been influenced through his grand father King Abd al-Aziz and the first prime minister of independent Lebanon who were all honest, upright and generous in their actions. They got a lot of respect and loyalty from the entire kingdom. All these characters can be displayed through his successful ventures and the ways in which he related to the people. His sudden amassment of wealth in a short period of time has led certain institutions to question the source of his wealth. According to the Economist online, Alwaleed is suspected to be a front man of other investors in the Saudi Arabian kingdom. All his sources of income are questioned and an account of his possible worth is calculated and the conclusion is that the source of his wealth is unquestionable because his business could not be in a position to accumulate such volume of wealth in a short period of time. Machiavelli’s leadership principle requires that a leader must engage in activities that may seem inappropriate, eliciting malicious interests and those that will require him to commit unethical ethics so long as it leads him to obtain success and power. What matters is the end result, the means doesn’t apply. Alwaleed was able to achieve success and power irrespective of the means he employed to achieve his success. His experience from the risky venture has enabled him to acquire riches and build business empires in addition to gaining international respect and recognition through investing in long-term projects (Machiavelli 17). Machiavelli on chapter 13 and 14 in the Online Literature Library the character of a Prince on matters concerning mercenaries and armies is discussed. They should be loyal to the ruler in fighting for the battle. In chapter 14, Machiavelli advises the prince to focus on the war and avoid other issues that pertains military matters. He should gain knowledge to enable him to maintain power stronghold throughout the battle. Prince Alwaleed was prepared in military matters after having attended King Abdul Aziz Military Academy and was prepared to lead incase he found his chance to the throne. He was therefore armed to be safe lest he is threatened by opposing forces to his power. This enabled him to gain trust from the King and thus he found a position in the cabinet and became the Kings Economic advisor. Bridging the East and Western Worlds Alwaleed fame is recognized internationally through his involvement in bridging the Arab world and the Western worlds. He has been involved in Islamic studies programs across Universities in the United States and other parts of the Globe. According to Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, prince Alwaleed is committed to the fostering the importance of peace and tolerance. They assert that the best way to achieve this is through the bridging of the understanding between the East and the West. He is also committed in making the world a better place. He is the champion representative of UNESCO and also supports charities for children. Â  He engages in cultural activities aimed at promoting mutual understanding. The prince also has funded an educational centre at Georgetown University that aims at improving understanding between Islamic and Christian religions. Other initiatives include cross cultural educational institutions in Europe, Africa and the Middle-East. This shows a connection with the qualities of a leader cited by Machiavelli. On generosity and miserliness, a leader is supposed to spend excess amounts of his fortune on things that will improve or heighten his publicity but by doing so keep in mind the consequences that might befall him in the event that his fortune dwindles (Machiavelli 14). Chapter 18 tells the things that a politician must do which concerns his faith. Alwaleed has been able to extend his religion to the western world through funding foundations that touch on his Islamic religion. In this chapter Machiavelli asserts that private morality should prevail over public life and in order to be successful, praise must come from other human beings even if it means doing things are wrong in different perspectives. Rulers must therefore be generous in utilizing their wealth and appear tough on running their businesses even if it means using cruelty. He has stood strong on his word of Bridging the east and west and has stood strong in his faith.