The Benefits of Using a Curriculum Within the Outdoor Environment Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Using a Curriculum Within the Outdoor Environment Essay If education is a voyage of discovery, why not explore the opportunities to take learning outside? Chiara Pannozzo The Early Years are a time of unrivalled personal discovery, in which each day holds the potential for adventure for a child – and nowhere offers greater potential for adventure than the great outdoors. The benefits of outdoor play are really very basic, says Harry Harbottle, a consultant in play and risk management, who was formerly appointed by the EU as a child safety expert to the European Standards Organisation. If children arent allowed to engage with the elements – mud, water, air, even fire – how can they begin to understand the world that they live in? Harry argues that there is a need to move away from a culture of reluctance to let children explore outdoors. We are at last realising the consequences of children spending most of their time indoors, says Harry. There are too many children who have been adversely affected by a lack of exercise and stimulation. The outdoor environment is a rich, dynamic and natural space to enhance the school curriculum and stimulates quality learning and development in children of all ages. Its value as an essential learning resource has been recognized by many pieces of research and more recently with the ‘Eraly Uears Foundation Stage (EYFS), particularly within the principle of ‘ Enabling Environments’. Outdoor activities, whether they be core National Curriculum core subject or foundation based, can always be adapted, if necessary, for children with additional learning needs/physical disabilities by the teacher doing a reckie of the area outside which is to be used and then assessing how circumstances can be adapted for pupils with such difficulties. Also, a buddy can be placed with a child who has additional needs and assistance given when necessary. It is imperative that restrictions are only placed for health and safety reasons; otherwise, one should always endeavour to give children ownership to encourage a sense of independence and success. To give an example of how an activity could be adapted for children with additional learning needs/physical disability: Making hot chocolate drinks in Kelly Kettle †¢Children collect kindling in areas accessible to them †¢Children stay at base position to help build the waffle raft for fire †¢Children organize kindling into different sizes When the curriculum is taken into the outdoor environment, children have been observed having confidence and independence with activities they have pursued, providing them with a sense of success and raised self esteem. Children will develop relationships (PSHE) with their peers and adults. As confidence grows, children will begin to consider the needs of others (disabled/additional learning needs), as well as individually. Practitioners in the woodland have reflected that children in this environment had gained confidence in adapting to new situations and in trying new experiences. This also impacted on their ability to choose activities independently and their confidence in self initiating tasks was seen to develop dramatically. To give an example of an obvious benefit of bringing the curriculum into the outdoor environment: Child X enjoyed making shelters and would often enlist the aid of one his/her peers by sayon, â€Å"Oh – this log is heavy, can you help me ? † The other children present would the all work as a team by holding onto the large log and assist moving it into position. Child X had acquired more skill in making and strengthening friendships , the art of consideration and compromise – â€Å"Can I help you? instead of â€Å"That’s mine! †. Though these changes may be maturational, children’s experiences gave them real opportunities for practising these elementary life skills. ‘ Through their comments (the significant other), practitioners should see their role as very varied and should include: ensuring the environment is safe, allowing the children choice of equipment such as, ropes, trowels and buckets, observing and valuing their self initiated learning. Practitioners should feel by questioning, suggesting and providing propts/props, they can extend children’s self-initiated development. Dowling describes self-initiated play as spontaneous, where the practitioner can choose to be involved by participating alongside and offering a reassuring presence. Such an important aspect needs to be adopted by all adults who work with children involved in bringing the curriculum into the outdoor environment, if this is to be a successful element for children’s potential learning. â€Å"The adult needs to be aware of the potential for learning in children’s play, but this is a very different matter from predetermining the play. ’ – Dowling (1992)

Merger And Acquisition Joint Ventures

Merger And Acquisition Joint Ventures Mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are becoming a strategy of choice for organizations attempting to maintain a competitive advantage. This paper reviews related literature to identify some underlying issues related to the success rate of MAs. It also discusses critical issues of joint ventures and also the problems and benefits of them. In addition, there has been an increased focus on the use of inter-firm relationships or strategic alliances in todays business. This paper also argues the factors which lead to successful strategic alliances. When firms are dealing with negative earnings and/or economic downturns, operational restructuring and consolidation are initiated as a rescue tool. Some firms recover, while the others fail to survive. Restructring and consolidation are the next issues which discuss generally. Introduction and Background Mergers and Acquisitions Acquisitions and mergers are a national as well as global trend. They occur everywhere in organizations, administrative units and businesses in all industries and of all sizes. Many people are at stake and a great deal of money as well (Balle, N. 2008). Mergers and acquisitions are becoming an increasingly popular strategic option for organizations (McEntire and Bentley, 1996). In fact, recent stimates indicate that the annual price tag of mergers and acquisitions consummated in the USA exceeds $1 trillion (Stanwick, 2000). Mergers are commonly characterized as the consolidation of two organizations into a single organization. Acquisitions, by contrast, are commonly characterized as the purchase of one organization from another where the buyer or acquirer maintains control (Borys and Jemison, 1989). Mergers and acquisitions (MAs) have been a very popular strategic maneuver for global businesses, attaining growth, diversification, or profitability (Fowler and Schmidt, 1988). In fact, the merger mania that started in the 1980s, continued throughout the 1990s and is still vigorous (Houghton et al., 2003). MAs are nothing but extreme forms of organizational change, and change is often perceived by employees as threatening, due to their feeling of vulnerability and fear of losing security (Saunders and Thronhill, 2003). Under these circumstances, they have become increasingly important in helping to redefine employment relationships (Anderson and Schalk, 1998; Cartwright and Cooper, 1993; Guest, 1998; Herriot and Pemberton, 1995, 1996; Hiltrop, 1995; McLean Parks and Kidder, 1994; Turnley et al., 2003). Joint Ventures Joint ventures (JVs) occur when two or more legally separate bodies form a jointly owned entity in which they invest and engage in various decision making activities (Geringer, 1988; 1991). A joint venture may be termed International (IJV) where at least one of the parties (or parents) is based outside the country where the venture is taking place or if the joint venture is being administered on a wide level in more than one country (Geringer and Hebert, 1989). JVs are now seen in terms of weaponry employed by companies within the context of their business networks to facilitate competition in relation to firms core markets and technologies (Beamish and Banks, 1987; Harrigan, 1987; Buckley and Casson, 1996); they are thus of vital strategic importance for international business and their significance is growing. It has been argued that various features of culture might affect the development of joint ventures. In their article Swierczek and Hirsch (1994) concluded that it is important that future partners understand the impact of differences in culture before they begin to joint venture. They added that JVs are often characterized by problems of misunderstanding and limited effectiveness because of the lack of compatibility of the cultures represented in the joint ventures. Similarly Beamish and Inkpen (1995) found that MNEs could benefit equally well from local market knowledge which their partners could provide. They also stated that the life cycles of many manufacturing subsidiaries are short because the MNE is unable to understand the knowledge of local culture, economy and politics. Strategic Alliances A strategic alliance is an agreement between two or more partners to share knowledge or resources which could be beneficial to all parties involved. Strategic alliances can be as simple as two companies sharing their technological and/or marketing resources. In contrast, they can be highly complex, involving several companies, located in different countries. These firms may in turn be linked with other organizations in separate alliances. The result is a maze of intertwined companies which may be competing with each other in several product areas. (Niren M. Vyas, William L. Shelburn and Dennis C. Rogers 1999). A few years ago strategic alliances were perceived as an option reserved only for corporate giants. Today, however, for many companies, a go-it-alone strategy no longer seems to be a viable alternative. As a result of the maturation of several trends of the 1980s intensified foreign competition, shortened product cycles, soaring capital investment costs, and the evergrowing demand for new technologies alliances are becoming an attractive strategy for the future (Niren M. Vyas, William L. Shelburn and Dennis C. Rogers 1999). Restructuring and Consolidation It is rare to find a single product company. Most have diversified their interests into related or unrelated areas. Some companies are known as restructuring companies, The latter acquire other companies essentially for the purpose of reorganizationing or streamlining and selling them off subsequently to other owners at a profit. Restructuring companies also have the function of aiding the process of restructuring an industry (Proctor, T. 2001). Operational restructuring involves making decisions about appropriate workforce size and skill requirements, plant capacity and location, functions consolidation, and possible shifts in production focus. More specifically, operational restructuring can be considered a program: that is planned and controlled by management, and materially changes either: the scope of a business undertaken by an enterprise; or the manner in which the business is conducted (Lin and Lee and Gibbs, 2007). Focusing is on operational restructurings for two primary reasons. First, such events often affect a companys business strategies, operations, organizational functions, and existing management structures. Second, operational restructurings entail controversial corporate accounting practices of restructuring charges (Lin and Lee and Gibbs, 2007). Corporate consolidation is a topic of active debate among academics and practitioneres alike. Academic reserches emphasis the importance role corporate consolidation play in disciplining under-performing management and imposing operating efficiences (Healy 1992; Jarrel et al., 1988), practitioners view it as a tool of market share expansion and an effective response to a plethora of competitive challenges (Read, 1999; Howell, 2002). In its most visible form, M As, corporate consolidation is a sizable business run in Europe by established national players operating, increasingly, on a cross-border basis (Berg, 2002). Merger and Acquisitions Several researchers have suggested that in most cases MAs fail to meet initial financial expectations (i.e. Bruner and Spekman, 1998; Haveman, 1992; Very and Schweiger, 2001; Zollo, 2003). Back in the 1980s, Lubatkin insisted that although MAs had been a very important and popular means for executing organizational strategies, less than 20 percent actually achieved its expected financial or strategic objectives. Almost a decade later, Cartwright and Cooper (1992) quoted nearly 40 per cent failure rates for change efforts and a few years later, 1996, nearly 50 percent of MAs failure rate to achieve initial objectives. Along the same lines, Weber (1996) found that 35 per cent of those MAs that fail in their first three years of life are a result of poor employee relations. Over the years, several researchers have raised that percent again, advocating that more than two-thirds of MAs fail to create meaningful shareholder value (Ashkenas et al., 1998; Carr et al., 2004; Marks and Mirvis, 1998). As for the main reasons for such failure rates, there is a dispute among researchers. Existing literature has identified among the main reasons for not fulfilling initial goals both hard and soft factors. Specifically, there are researchers suggesting that paying the wrong price, buying for the wrong reason, selecting the wrong partner, and buying at the wrong time are some of the most prominent ones (i.e. Armenakis, 1999; Haleblian, 1999). However, others insist that underestimation of depth of the problems related to the human factor during a M or A condemns the projects success, and thus, more attention has to be given on employees needs (i.e. Bijlsma-Frankema, 2001; De Cock and Rickards, 1996; Houghton et al., 2003; Lesowitz and Knauff, 2003; Seibert, 1995; Stahl et al., 2003). Focus on value creation, not just integration Many companies organize their post-merger integration activities on a functional basis rather than a value-added basis. While many functional activities must be consolidated (such as bringing databases together and rationalizing policies, procedures and IT systems), not all integration activities yield equal benefits. Blindly and aggressively integrating various functions and businesses without regard to a value-creating hierarchy can actually destroy value (Chanmugam, Shill, Mann, Ficery and Pursche, 2005). Use culture as a value-creation tool The most successful acquirers of the future will see culture as a tool in three ways. First, they will look at cultural differences during the target identification and bidding phases, assess the potential impact of those differences, and incorporate their analysis into the valuation and bid. Second, they will try to avoid the pitfalls common during pre- and post-merger planning, and actively incorporate the elements of each companys culture that best support the desired combination. Finally, they will proactively use culture to create value through the use of high-visibility retention, promotion, termination and structural organizational design decisions (Chanmugam, Shill, Mann, Ficery and Pursche, 2005). Joint Ventures Critical Issues for IJVs An IJV is defined as an equity sharing arrangement in which a foreign corporation and a local firm (either private or government owned) pool their resources, sharing risks and operational control to operate an independent business unit on a continuous basis for profit and/or to attain some strategic objective (Geringer and Hebert, 1991). Broadly viewed, the IJV market entry mode represents two opposing trends. First, judged by the number of entries, it is becoming increasingly popular as a mode of market entry and expansion (Makino and Beamish, 1998; Vanhonacker and Pan, 1997). In recent years an increasing number of global corporations have become involved in IJVs at home and overseas, covering many sectors, industries, and product groups (Griffith, Zeybek and OBrien, 2001). The second issue relates to the fragile nature of IJVs, and it has been repeatedly argued that the failure rate or instability rate of IJVs is above thirty percent, and it is often markedly higher compared to other alternative forms of market entry and operation (Makino and Beamish, 1998). Gomes-Casseres (1989) offered two explanations for reasons of instability in any JV, arguing that the partners simply made a mistake; forming a JV when it may not have been the best thing to do, or they joined up with the wrong partner. Further, that their ini tial decision was right, but conditions changed so that the JV was no longer useful (Cullen, Johnson, and Sakano, 1995). Problems with Joint Ventures Some of the main problems with Joint Ventures include: Significant differences in the major goals of the parties, Details of the joint venture contract, The foreign corporations global integration and the local partners national orientation, Differences between the partners concerning marketing, Desire for control, Transfer pricing conflicts, Conflict over decision making, managerial processes and style (Julian and OCass, 2003). Benefits of Joint Ventures Joint ventures provide companies with the opportunity to obtain new capacity and expertise. They allow companies to enter into related businesses or new geographic markets or obtain new technological knowledge. Joint ventures have a relatively short life span (5-7 years) and therefore do not represent a long-term commitment. In the era of divesture and consolidation, they offer a creative way for companies to exit from non-core businesses (companies can gradually separate a business from the rest of the organization, and ultimately, sell it to the other parent company (appr. 80% of all joint ventures end in a sale by one partner to the other) (Trafford and Proctor 2006). Succe of a Joint Venture success of a joint venture may be influenced by five important characteristics. These characteristics are illustrated as building blocks in a model which Trafford and Proctor(2006), have termed the COPED model. COPED Model (Trafford and Proctor, 2006) Communication Many business alliances fail to meet expectations because little attention is given to nurturing the close working relationships and interpersonal connections that unite the partnering organisations (Weitz and Jap, 1995). An awareness of communication processes is essential within alliances if maximum efforts are to be coordinated and directed towards the success of strategic alliances. Ineffective communication can reduce the effectiveness of a strategic alliance and thus lead to conflict between partners (Jain, 1987). There is an assumption that organisations will function better if communication is open, if relationships are based on mutual understanding and trust, if relationships are co-operative rather than competitive, if people work together in teams, and if decisions are reached in a participative way. These conditions, however, are not observed in many organisational situations. Main barriers to communication concern are power differences; gender differences; physical surroundings; language; and cultural diversity (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2001). Openness Trust is considered a prerequisite for alliance success (Byrne, 1993) and lack of trust is a major reason for alliance failures (Peng and Shenkar, 2002). There is evidence to point to the fact that strategic alliances may be unstable and their success rate poor (Gant, 1995). Partner firms need to manage this risk adequately by understanding the conjoint roles of trust and control. The establishment of a new relationship between members of the organisation at all levels a relationship based on trust is an issue that is becoming increasingly important to organisations (Handy, 1995). Planning Many strategic alliances lack alliance strategies. A coherent alliance strategy has four elements: (1) a business strategy to shape the logic and design of the alliance; (2) a dynamic view to guide the management and evolution of the alliance; (3) a portfolio approach to enable co-ordination among the alliance to enhance flexibility; and (4) an internal infrastructure that supports and strives to maximise the value of external collaboration (Gomes-Casseres, 2000). When managed well, the above elements can create tremendous value. At the wrong time and when managed poorly, they can be costly distractions (Gomes-Casseres, 2000). According to Hill and Jones (2001), the strategic planning process can be broken down into five main steps: (1) mission and objectives; (2) environmental scanning; (3) strategy formation; (4) strategy implementation; and (5) evaluation and control. Ethos Ethos is the characteristic spirit or attitudes of a community, or people (Webster, 1992). It comes very much to the fore in strategic alliances when the co-operating firms continue to be independent organisations and a new situation appears in which an interaction is established between two firms with different organisational cultures. This usually implies different leadership styles and different objectives, which may lead to lack of trust between the parties and to conflicts which may arise when the time comes to make decisions (Buono, 1991). Similarly, cultural conflicts are more common in joint ventures, where a closer contact between the partners is required, than in contractual alliances (Schultz, 1998). Direction The public sector is under pressure to improve service delivery and cooperate more effectively (Cabinet Office, 2003). There is a growing demand for leaders able to carry out these tasks, and to see through fundamental processes of change. The appointment, monitoring, reward and accountability structures and processes all play some part in inhibiting and/or encouraging certain forms of leadership which give the correct direction. Strategic Alliances Parkhe (1993) defined a strategic alliance as a: relatively enduring interfirm co-operative agreement, involving flows and linkages that use resources and/or governance structures from autonomous organizations, for the joint accomplishment of individual goals linked to the corporate mission of each sponsoring firm. Following from this definition, it can be seen that an alliance must be a formal part of business strategy (Johnson, 1999), meaning that an agreement between two partners must be formalised into a contract, as opposed to a handshake deal or a verbal agreement. Second, alliances must be mutually beneficial; that is, they must result in a win-win situation. Koza and Lewin (1998) argued that one of the many reasons that strategic alliances were formed was to seek out new knowledge by acquiring new technology and skills. In this type of alliance they argued that the partners would seek to reduce information asymmetry between the partners. This may involve the standardization of service delivery of production processes, joint strategic planning, sharing of databases and knowledge transfer through staff exchanges. A second and related motivation for forming an alliance was to explore for new market opportunities. This involved innovation, basic research, invention, risk taking, building new capabilities, entering new lines of business, and investments in the firms absorptive capacity. Barriers to successful Strategic Alliances Barriers to successful strategic alliances must also be recognized. The three major barriers are: (1) Failure to understand and adapt to new style of management. The adaptation of a new style of management requires a change in corporate culture which must be initiated and nurtured from the top. (2) Failure to learn and understand the cultural differences. Not only do the cultural differences exist among international firms seeking alliances, but corporate cultures may be different among firms from the same country. Flexibility and learning are the greatest tools in overcoming this barrier. (3) Lack of iron-clad commitment to succeed. Individuals who negotiated or implemented the initial alliance agreement may change due to promotions, transfers, retirement, or terminations. Continuity of total commitment for the alliance is needed at all levels in the organization without which the alliance will fail to reach its full potential (Vyas, Shelburn and Rogers, 1995). Importance of Knowledge in Strategic Alliances Inter-firm cooperative initiatives are one of the precious ways for firms to identify, transfer and internalize external knowledge. Koguts review of literature addressing joint ventures found that one of the firms main motivations for entering into collaborative agreements was to transfer organizational knowledge (Kogut, 1988). Berg and Friedman, in a study of over 300 JVs at the 2-digit SIC level showed that in many cases, joint ventures did not in fact enhance the market power of the parent firm, but rather functioned as a means of knowledge acquisition (Berg and Friedman, 1981). Thus the issues of knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and learning have attracted researchers and have been examined several times in academic research and management consulting applied studies. Restructuring and Consolidation Why and how to Restructure an Ailing Business A number of typical situations that a firm with declining performance may encounter and could cause this firm to go through an operational restructuring are stated in this section. -Needs for operational restructuring The decision to restructure is driven by a number of considerations. At times, restructuring is in response to significant sea changes in the business environment while in other cases it is done to address poor operating/stock performance. Both internal (e.g. financial distress) and external (e.g. recessions) economic and financial conditions can drive the decision to restructure. Additionally, votes of no confidence in management will likely lead to corporate restructuring (Lin and Lee and Gibbs, 2007). -Typical activities of operational restructuring and consolidation Restructuring and consolidation efforts can take on a couple of forms. Often times management takes steps to contain costs, but in at other times drastic changes such as a refocusing of business direction occurs. For a firm that incurs losses, cost control is often the first step to return to profitability. Slashing labor costs, production costs, selling and administrative expenses, RD expenditures, and financing costs are common measures of corporate restructurings (Denis and Kruse, 2000). Downsizing and employee layoffs are the restructuring actions that are typically taken to cope with poor operating performance, especially within contracting economies(Lin and Lee and Gibbs, 2007). Other Issues Operational restructuring and consolidation has been considered as one important turnaround strategy for a firm in a bad situation, especially during an economic recession. Lin and Lee and Gibbs (2007), stated that delisting risk increases when firms undertake repetitive restructurings, massive workforce reduction, and large-scale asset downsizing. Moreover, firms with high levels of debt and failure to cut costs and/or narrowing its focus on core competencies are also more likely to delist. Conclusion As more and more companies opt to supplement organic growth with mergers and acquisitions, the earlier stages of MA transactions are becoming relatively mature, commoditized processes. According to Galpin and Herndon (2008), in order to build replicable MA integration, MA integration must be managed as an end-to-end business process. MA integration is a competency set with specific skills that must be built throughout the organization. The organizations MA integration process and capabilities must be in place before the train leaves the station that is, before the deal gets done. The organizations MA integration process must be continually improved by learning from previous mistakes and successes. The researches indicate the existence of five helpful characteristics identified under the heading of Communication, Openness, Planning, Ethos and Direction, which may be present in a successful partnership (joint) venture. The COPED model, is for building more comprehensive and productive relationships between public sector organisations and private sector companies which lead them to a successful joint venture. Strategic alliances are in the age of business without boundaries. A strategic objective aimed at expanding the competitive knowledge resource, and clearly there are special skills in bringing these arrangements to fruition. Professional managers recognize that in the age of business without boundaries it is essential that they provide learning opportunities and the necessary knowledge that will enable their employees to effectively and securely collaborate internally and externally. So there is a need for knowledge and learning regarding to strategicalliances (Dealtry, 2008). Operational restructuring has been considered as one important turnaround strategy for a firm in a bad situation, especially during an economic recession. Moreover, firms with high levels of debt and failure to cut costs and/or narrowing its focus on core competencies are also more likely to delist. So considering and learning about restructuring and consolidation is another important isuue to take account for managers.

Analysis Paper :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have read two particular articles that are about the topic I chose for my analysis. Both articles identify facts that support their beliefs. One true fact from one of the articles states â€Å"The basic is simple: Life begins not at birth, but at conception. It is a scientific and biological one†. Another fact about a different article states, â€Å"In order for it to be a human being it needs an internal organization, organs, and especially a human brain to be considered fully human†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I read both articles to understand each perspective there were two opposites one pro one con. On the Pro side of the argument, I found that the person who wrote the article had a moralistic approach about the topic. The topic that I chose to analyze was Abortion. Abortion always has two sides of a story, which is a very interesting topic to discuss because as you discuss this topic with others you will find that everyone has a different approach to what their beliefs are. I for one am I believer of Pro-Life. The woman that wrote this article has a lot of pro side to her argument. She talked about how chromosomes and eggs come together to form an embryo. She talks about the risk factors when having an abortion that is voluntary. She believed that even though there may be life, or potential life, or however one wants to refer to the fetus, that by denying a woman the right to an abortion is denying her control of her body. Being a woman myself, I am obviously aga inst people trying to control women or their bodies. But the fetus is a completely separate life from the woman. She brought up great ideas to support her belief, which is why this particular topic is very, very intriguing. Now, the other side of the topic is Pro-choice. The ability to decide for yourself that you can have an abortion, the pro-choice philosophy maintains that the availability of good medical abortions protects the health and fertility of women and allows children to be born into homes where they can receive love, care, affection, and respect for their unique individuality, so that these children grow up to be joyful, loving, caring, responsible members of the community, able to enter into meaningful relationships with others. This article talks great opinions to support their debate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many unique tactics that each of the article uses to lure one into believing the way they do.

The Role of the Individual: A look inside the Galactic World of Star Wa

Star Wars takes place a long time ago in a galaxy that is unlike anything modern society could conceive as being authentic. It exists in a time before Earth was even thought of. At the start of the movie, a civil war is occurring between the Rebel Alliance and The Galactic Empire. A leader of the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia, stole plans from the Galactic Empire (also known as the Imperial forces) for the Death Star. The Death Star was a very heavily armed space station with weapons capable of destroying an entire planet. After stealing the plans, Princess Leia sent two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, to the planet Tatooine with a copy of the plans in R2-D2's memory bank. The droids are then captured and sold to a farming family. The nephew of the farming family was Luke Skywalker. Skywalker decided to clean the droids and triggered a message from Princess Leia requesting assistance from an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Skywalker doesn't know who that is but he does know of a Ben Kenobi. The next day he seeks out Ben Kenobi and Ben introduces himself as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He reveals to Skywalker that he was a former Jedi Knight. A Jedi Knight is a peacekeeper in the Star Wars galaxy. This is the point in the movie where some action begins. Kenobi reveals to Luke that Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, was also a Jedi Knight. Ben and Anakin fought together in the galactic wars. Luke is told his father was killed by Darth Vader. Kenobi gives Luke his father's light saber. Kenobi views the message that the droid R2-D2 contains. In the message, Princess Leia begs Kenobi to take the plans stored in R2-D2's memory bank to the planet of Alderaan. Princess Leia wishes for her father to analyze the Death Star plans. Luke is asked by Kenobi to accompany him on... ...TH 32). The light saber is much more than just a weapon in the Star Wars galaxy. The lightsaber must be used actively. It is not like a magical amulet or talisman that provides passive protection against evil. It is something that must be actively used and the way it is used can be for good or evil. The wielder holds a lot of power when it comes to a light saber. If Luke uses it for good, the light side of the force, then the light saber is a symbol of justice. However, if he uses it for evil, the dark side of the force, then it is a symbol of destruction. The light saber being given to Luke is just one of Kenobi's responsibilities. The other responsibility of Kenobi is to help Luke find his place in society by introducing him to the Force. In order for Luke to understand what the force is about, Kenobi must guide him how it is used for both good and evil (MYTH 36).

Character Analyzation “The guest” Albert camus Essay

Albert Camus’ story â€Å"The Guest,† takes place in the rough terrain of Algeria at the end of World War II. Algeria, under French control at the time, was very tense due to civil unrest of the Arabic people. The protagonist of the story is Daru, a solitary French schoolteacher who lives at a school on a remote plateau that has been deserted due to a freak snowstorm after eight months of drought. Two minor characters, a French policeman, Balducci, and an Arab prisoner arrive at the school. Balducci commands Daru to deliver the prisoner to nearby authorities but Daru has a conflict over the decision of whether or not to take the Arab to prison. In the end, Daru leaves the decision up to the Arab. The Arab, being a flat and seemingly static character, somehow contributes significantly to the existentialistic nature of Daru’s character and his actions. The author, an existentialist, tells the story with an indirect presentation. The central idea appears to be there is an inherent conflict between what different cultures view as morally right. We will analyze how the round/flat and dynamic/static qualities of the characters as well as the presentation affect the story’s central idea. Daru’s character, as the protagonist, is very round. In this story, Daru lives at a remote and solitary schoolhouse plagued by silence. Daru is confronted by the decision of whether or not he should deliver an Arab prisoner to the French authorities. We learn the prisoner is in custody for murdering his cousin over grain owed. The flat character, Balducci, represents the French authority and its moral code; while the Arab’s culture seems to permit this act: â€Å"His village was beginning to stir; they wanted to take him back† (105). Balducci gives his fellow Frenchman Daru an obligation to deliver the prisoner. Daru, who is utterly disgusted by the actions of the Arab, does not want to take him to police headquarters because of his existentialist beliefs: â€Å"Every bit of this disgusts me, and first of all your fellow here. But I won’t hand him over† (106). â€Å"That man’s stupid crime revolted him, but to hand him over was contrary to honor† (110). We can see that Daru is torn between what is actually right or wrong. He wants the Arab to run because he doesn’t want to make the choice himself. â€Å"He was amazed at the unmixed joy he derived from the mere thought that the Arab might have fled and that he would be alone with no decision to make† (107). Daru’s character is very dynamic. At first he refuses to bring the Arab to justice due to his existentialist beliefs. We can tell that Balducci looks down on the Arab while Daru, views him more humanely. Daru insists that the Arab doesn’t need to be tied up. Balducci’s character is static. He claims he doesn’t like putting ropes on prisoners but concludes by saying â€Å"But you can’t let them have their way† (106). Daru insulted Balducci by not wanting to comply with him. Later remembering Balducci’s farewell, he reveals â€Å"He had hurt him, for he had sent him off in a way as if he didn’t want to be associated with him,† and â€Å"he felt strangely empty† (110). The Arab’s character remains somewhat static throughout the story. The Arab got up several times the night before, as if almost wanting to escape, but came back in. With the task of delivering the prisoner at hand, Daru’s final choice is t o let the Arab choose his own fate, which was totally not what Balducci intended. The Arab does what he feels is right, or what he feels the governing society feels is right. He complies with French law, while ironically, Daru didn’t. The presentation is also very important in supporting the central idea of this story. A major revolt against the French colonists was about to take place. French control and law was in question. Should one culture be able to dictate laws upon another culture just because it is temporarily the governing body? In the meantime, Daru cooked for the Arab and ate with him, showing him trust and compassion. The Arab was surprised that Daru was eating with him. We can tell the Arab was scared and wanted Daru to go with him. During bedtime, Daru slept naked near the prisoner. This shows that Daru was letting down his guard: â€Å"Men who share the same rooms, soldiers or prisoners, develop a strange alliance as if, having cast off their armor with their clothing† (109). He watched as the prisoner quietly crept out of bed. The Arab was very nervous and got up several times, but Daru didn’t do anything. He was still hoping the Arab would escape so he wouldn’t have to deal w ith the whole situation. The next day the two hiked down the plateau towards the jailhouse. There, Daru showed the Arab the path to the prison, but also showed him the way towards pasturelands where nomads lived: â€Å"They’ll take you in and shelter you according to their law† (111). The Arab  ultimately chose the fate that French law had dictated. When Daru went back to the schoolhouse, he read a message on the chalkboard, â€Å"you handed over our brother, you will pay for this† (111). Here again, we see a conflict of views. Daru, upon not making a choice, inadvertently committed a crime amongst those people. Throughout the story, Daru referred to the Arab as the â€Å"guest.† The irony of this story is Daru is actually the stranger in a strange land while we might perceive the Arab as the â€Å"guest.† In conclusion, we see that different cultures have conflicting views about what is right and what is wrong. As an existentialist, Daru let the Arab decide his own fate. Daru felt if he took the Arab to jail, it would be wrong. He also felt if he told him to go free, it would be wrong against the French authority. Because Daru acted by not acting, he unintentionally committed a crime against the Algerian people. Ironically, Daru was in a catch 22.

El Norte Essay

Gregory Nava’s El Norte debuted in the Telluride Film Festival in 1983 and presents the challenges and realities of migration and multiculturalism. Though the film’s settings are not consistent with today’s scenarios, it is still an important work because it provides and periodical anthology of the migrant issues as well as a background to today’s multicultural issues. A study of the film reveals not only the developments in the perceptions regarding immigration but also the development of niche cultural groups from the perspective of both original and adoptive societies. Moreover, El Norte suggests that cultural biases exist in various levels of society even in seemingly homogenous ones and that cultural disambiguation creates social vulnerabilities. Therefore, the movie can provide valuable insights on how multicultural psychology develops and changes in different settings. In turn, the insights that can be developed can help address the issues faced by the Xuncax family, particularly by the Rosa and Enrique in their quest to find their way and to establish a new life in the United States. In all three parts of the movie, cultural differences remain a dominant issue. Tackled closely with social issues, the film’s view is that culture is both a source of strength and a bane for the siblings. At the same time, the change in both Rosa and Enrique’s view of their experience and their prospects undergoes a metamorphosis that challenges them to find their place in the social schema. Immigrants or Refugees One of the major issues that are being explored in the movie is regarding the status of Rosa and Enrique as migrant or refugees. This issue is one that has become an interest in consideration of the political and economic persecution that became prevalent in autocratic and militarists governments in South America. Many countries, in the interest of controlling the influx of transnational established qualifications that can be considered as refugees, eligible for sanctuary and those that are to be considered as migrants. The general consensus seemed to be that political persecution was to be the basis for refugee status while migrants were associated with economic motivations. Furthermore, the status of immigrants requires legality where eligibility is based on an individual’s productive capacity. In the case of the main characters of the movie, they started out more as refugees. The circumstances that motivated them to leave Guatemala were because of persecution against indios their motivation was clearly not economic in nature. Rather, it was because of fear against threats against their life due to their ethnicity. At the same time, one classifies the siblings as refugees because they are not given the choice of staying or going back to Guatemala or to seek the protection of their government. However, they are not given this status but does not either fulfill the tenants of being considered as immigrants recognized by the United States. Considering these, Rosa and Enrique are to be considered as immigrants, however it should be noted that their lack of legal status makes such a classification problematic as well. In more contemporary terms, they are to be considered as illegal migrants, neither of their own country or the one they are currently in. Challenges and Implications It is understandable that there is reluctance to consider them as refugees since such a status, under the international charters, makes them eligible not only for residence in the United States but also makes them eligible for social assistance and placement. In contrast, immigrants are managed by the conditions of their migration or residence programs and there is greater leeway for their ejection when they are proven to be unproductive or detrimental to society. Thus, Rosa and Enrique can only turn to illegal means of entering the country as illustrated by their association with a â€Å"coyote† who smuggles them into the country. Though this bypasses the bureaucracy needed to gain both refugee and immigrant status, it also has left them vulnerable to abuse since they can not seek legal or judicial intervention if they need to. Furthermore, since they already entered the country illegally, the have burned their bridges in gaining legal recognition in the country. The siblings both offer perspectives on the institutions that migrants have to deal with. Rosa’s perspective is that their journey north has only led them from death to greater poverty and questioning if they have a place anywhere in the world except in death. Enrique reflects the sentiment that he is considered simply a factor of production, a â€Å"strong arm†, gaining no greater value than livestock or equipment. In either case, the siblings show that they see themselves apart from society, excluded by their circumstance and history. Acculturation Though the associates of the siblings are generally limited to their own community of migrants, this is not to suggest that they do not make an effort to become part of the general society. However, their efforts are often deterred by cultural and social preconceptions that box them into their roles as illegal immigrants. At the same time, they were being challenged to adjust to their roles within their won community as many of the racism they faced against their indigenous heritage in Guatemala persisted. The irony is that they heritage that they are being persecuted form is also the source of the philosophical perspective that give them the will to survive and bear the conditions and challenges of their journey north. The siblings peg all of their social interactions from their observations as well as each other’s perspectives. The issue of turning back from one’s cultural heritage is an underlying theme of the story since from the very beginning, perceived cultural inferiorities were the crux of the challenges faced by Rosa and Enrique’s family. Thus, within the socially excluded community they are categorized in by mainstream society they remain outsiders. It is then apparent from the observations and interactions of the siblings that their acculturation is always from and externalist’s perspective. Therefore, as Rosa and Enrique tried to adjust to their circumstance, there seems to be an acceptance that they will neither be able to be part of their community. Immigration Policies and El Norte The conjecture that the illegal immigrant trade is one that is protected and even encouraged is a perspective that is presented in the story. Illegal immigrants provide cheap labor, a blanket against social security requirements and a labor supply for jobs that are unwanted jobs. At the same time, immigrants are able to have livelihoods that allow them to subsist as they try to gain the tenure they need to apply for legitimacy. However, there is credence to Enrique’s sentiment that such a scenario has left them in a continued disadvantage. He points out that their situation has left them not only economically, socially or politically disadvantaged but also has made him question his worth as an individual and cultural heritage. The United States remains to be the preferred country for migration and there is still a great need for migrants particularly to sustain labor forces in jobs that are considered blue-collar in nature, However, the reality is that the country is already facing high unemployment among its citizens and there is a slow down of the economy. Thus, the need to control migration is also justified, if not necessary. At the same time, the persistence of ethnicity or culture as a bias still persists despite the establishment of political institutions that are to protect social diversity. The reality is that the issue is not so much regarding migration but the lack of viable opportunities and the inequitable distribution of wealth within nations and internationally.

The Basic Concepts Of Marxism - 1460 Words

September 17th, 2011, Micah White lead a group of people to protest against capitalist greed in the United States, this was a movement known as Occupy Wall Street (Occupy Solidarity Network, 2016). After the global financial crisis in 2008, the US government had to use taxpayer money in order to bail out big banks and corporations to prevent an economic collapse, despite these large companies chose to gamble at such risks. Many Americans were dissatisfied with financial elitism that governed the American society through economic influences. Karl Marx’s Class antagonism still exists in the present day, but in a different form and scale from antagonism Marx described during his time. Having mentioned Occupy Wall Street, a clear present day example of class antagonism, I would like to argue that Marxism is still very relevant in the 21st century, serving as a crucial political and social idea that shapes our present. To present my arguments, I will first retrace the basic concept s of Marxism, and elaborate on how of some Marxist ideas still apply to the present day. Strong connections can be made between Marxism and our present society, which include our global capitalist social structure, international relations theories, political critiquing and government policies. There’s certainly is a limitation to the extent I can explore the relevance of Marxism in the 21st century in my essay, however I believe my paper will adequately provide strong arguments and examples to back myShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx And Marxism1229 Words   |  5 Pageschanges needed to fit into the country itself. Marx anticipated that his concept would come to carry out a more advanced capitalist state because is where he thought the revolution he talked about would take place. Still, Leninism took place in a country that was not as advanced as Mr. Marx would have imagined. 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A Brief History of Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War by Akira Iriye Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Akira has included some very important and primitive records of the political negotiations in form of proposals, memoranda, the transcripts of the Japanese imperial conferences and different other diplomatic conferences. This part of the book also contains some drafts showing that there were some possibilities of different compromises between the involved parties however, due to some reasons these draft failed to become the formal agreements. There is an important document included in the book that is the declaration of the war that was supposed to be officially sent by Japan to authorities of United States, however, Japan didn t transmitted this draft to US. All of these documents are significant attempt of Akira to invite the readers to review the important official documents and interpret them gain understanding of the situation prevailing at that time. These documents also illustrate several possibilities that hindered the compromise between US and Japan and eventually lead towa rds the Pacific War. The second part of the book consists of ten different essays and research papers that were developed by some of the prominent scholars and world affairs experts. We will write a custom essay sample on A Brief History of Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War by Akira Iriye or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now These articles demonstrate the perceptions and opinions of these experts and scholars regarding the background causes of Pacific war. This part also contains an essay written by Akira himself in which he attempted to examine the role of different countries in the context of Pacific war. Akira explains how different powers like UK, Commonwealth, Germany and USSR etc foster the political negotiation process and made their historical contributions towards the development of Pacific war background by applying pressure or facilitating the negotiation process. Furthermore, the author describes the perspective of US and Japan regarding the outbreak of Pacific War. The other essays focus on different countries and explain their standpoint regarding the war. For instance, Minoru Nomura and Katsumi Usui discussed the entire situation from the Japanese perspective. The article of David Kahn, a US historian, on the other hand, discusses some of the failures of the American military during the Pacific war.