Proportional Representation System

The Canadian electoral system should be changed to ensure democratic expansion. As such, it should be replaced with the proportional representation electoral system. This system demands fair representation of the respective political groups and the voters as well. It allows a number of representatives to be elected from one district as opposed to the current system in which only one person is elected. The number of seats taken depends on the percentage of acquired votes (Altman, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Proportional Representation System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Party List Voting This type of voting is considered to be the most common form of proportional representation. Under the party list voting system, each group produces a number of candidates proportional to the available seats within that district. In addition, each party or group gets a number of seats according to the number of vote s acquired. Individuals are also allowed to vie although they are put on a different list and represented as a party of their own. The two major lists here are the closed and open systems. In the closed system, the party puts forth a list of candidates in a given order and the voters are allowed to vote for that particular party as a whole without showing any preference for a particular candidate. When the party wins, the candidates are selected from that list according to the set order. In the open list system, voters are the ones who decide on the fate of a candidate as they vote for a candidate individually and not as a party. In addition, the person with the highest number of votes is elected. This system is most common in the European democracies (Blais, 1990). The system is ideal for large states or legislatures and it ensures good representation of the districts in a particular state. This would particularly be good for Canada given that it is a large state (Gregson, 2004). A dvantages of Proportional Representation There are a number of advantages associated with this system. For example, the system takes into account such minority groups as women. Representation is diverse and campaigns are not characterized by propaganda as is the case with the other systems. There is also a significant reduction in voter bribery. The system is also characterized by a large voter turnout given that the voters have a large pool of parties to choose their candidates from. The system is characterized by fairness and flexibility, is more modernized in comparison with the other systems whereby the winner takes it all (Grubel 2004).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mixed-Member Proportional Voting This type of voting system is also referred to as compensatory proportional representation. Here, the two systems are combined and the number of candidates from the two systems is e qual: both from the plurality and PR systems. The system is preferred due to its effective in ensuring good representation of the members of a district. The system seems to be a compromise of the two representative systems. People choose the district representative on one side and on the other side they get to choose their party candidate of choice (Franklin, 2005). In this system, there is a set threshold that the party must meet. For instance, a party must get at least 5% of the total party votes across the nation or win three district races so as to get representation into the legislature. In this system, the seats are equally divided among the party contestants and the number is then added to the district representative. This is a good system in ensuring geographic as well as ideological representation. Politically, this system usually results in the formation of coalition governments with representatives from both the district level and party level (Gastil, 2008). In the event that the winner of the constituency seat is on the party list, then the candidate cannot occupy the two seats; instead the candidate who is closely behind replaces him/her in the party list while he/she takes the constituency seat. The regional open-list system was recommended for Canada although it has not yet been adopted. In overhang seats, a particular party acquires more seats than the number of seats allocated. The assembly seats are usually allocated to the parties depending on the number of votes acquired. The system is particularly good for t countries with a large population like Canada. The system ensures that the local as well as the national concerns are addressed. It is particularly of great significance in areas that are known to have geographical, social, economic and cultural diversity (Harvey, 2008). The Potential for Tactical Voting There is always the fear that minor parties stand a high chance of weakening the major ones especially if they do not meet the set th reshold. In tactical voting, party votes are usually considered to be of greater importance than the respective constituency votes in determining the election results. Voters may therefore tend to apply the tactic of splitting their votes so as to have double representation (Henry, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Proportional Representation System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shortfalls The system is likely to be abused especially when a party decides to divide itself into two parts whereby one represents one half of the party and concentrates on the acquisition of constituency seats while the other concentrates on the acquisition of other lesser seats. The result would therefore be an overhang. It has also been proved that the system is complicated and the voters may have difficulty in trying to understand it particularly when it comes to the differentiation between the constituency vote and the part y vote (Golding, 1998). Preference Voting This type of voting is also referred to as the Single Transfer Vote. In this system, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. In the event that his or her preferred candidate is eliminated, the vote cast is automatically transferred to the next candidate. This ensures that no votes are wasted. This system is mainly applicable to non-partisan elections (for example, city council elections). Through this system, a particular voter can cast his or her vote for a number of candidates. Chances are that the most preferred candidate will be the best in terms of performance hence ensuring that the only the most qualified individuals joins the legislature. The system is good as it ensures that the voters have the final word when it comes to making decisions about their candidates. The system therefore helps to minimize the problems associated with dirty politics (Howe, 2000). In this system, when a candidate has reached the appropriate thre shold, the extra votes are transferred to the next candidate of choice. The candidate who is not likely to win is eliminated and his/her the votes given to the one who is likely to win. The process continues until the appropriate candidates are chosen. This system is preferred as it ensures that the votes are not wasted. The system ensures good party representation as opposed to the plurality-majority voting where the elections are not only characterized by misrepresentation but underrepresentation as well (Karp, 1999). Significance of the System The system can be of great importance when dealing with such fundamental issues in Canada as health reforms. The system gives room for the full representation of voters’ ideas and it shows no ideological biases. It ensures that a consensus is reached when handling difficult issues. As much as the policies are made by the majority, the minority are also included in the discussion of very significant issue hence ensuring that all possi bilities are exhausted before a conclusion can be reached (Testa, 2008). With a variety of candidates to choose from, chances are high that one of the candidates voted by a particular voter will be elected as opposed to the system where only one representative is voted in and the rest are left out. The representation is mainly based on political viewpoints rather than geographical representation.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the current Canadian system, only those candidates that are of the winning candidate’s viewpoint are represented while those of the losing candidates have no representation at all. The result is therefore unfairness and biasness. In the current society, people are so mobile and even close neighbors could be holding viewpoints that are completely opposite yet they all need to have their viewpoints represented at the legislature (Kay, 1998). The system gives room for new ideas and solutions given that no idea is ignored, even from the minority group. In the winner-take-it-all system however, the winning side brands the losing side with the negative connotation and there is almost no room for consultation. In such a system, the candidates do all that they can to win the elections including voter bribery. In the proportional representation system however, the campaigns are issue based and not depended on propaganda, corruption and dirty politics. Less money is therefore requir ed for the campaigns hence reducing corruption and promoting democracy. The candidate does not need as much votes in order to win an election. This system is ideal in reducing gender, racial and other forms of discrimination for the minority groups. The adoption of the system will therefore result in equal representation of the Canadian population (Teixeira, 1987). Loser Delegation System In this system, the candidate who has very minimal chances of winning is allowed to delegate his/her vote to the candidate who is likely to win in his/her district or any other district with no regard to the party. The votes that are usually delegated may not necessarily have an effect on whoever enters the legislature but may greatly have an impact on the subsequent votes within the legislature (Loenen, 2002). Change to Proportional Representation The change to this kind of system does not necessarily demand the overhaul of the current constitution. Instead, it requires that the laws be passed by the legislature in favor of the system without necessarily having to amend the constitution. This may also be done through the voter initiative. Through political mobilization, the system could be initiated in the Canadian system by changing some laws that are applicable (McNair, 2007). Canada’s Electoral System Reform The pressing for the Canadian electoral reform started during World War I and was spearheaded by different groups. The recommended system has been the proportional representation system. Reform efforts have however not borne fruits given that the government has always failed to pass the appropriate laws to support such a reform. Most groups like the political parties and farmers associations adopted the system in carrying out their voting activities and this proved successful a good example being the BC’s Liberal Party (Mill, 1861). The current Canadian electoral system has several weaknesses that need to be addressed. The country uses the system of sing le member plurality and which in the real sense does not reflect the voters’ representation to the fullest. There has been a general decline in the voter turnout in the recent years hence prompting the need for a new system that would ensure increased voter turnout. The system majorly represents the majority groups while leaving out the minority who also need to be represented. Most of the wishes of the minority groups are therefore left out. There has been a call for the change of the current electoral system and the adoption of a system that can be relied upon like the mixed member system which increases chances of equal representation between the majority and minority groups (Newman, 2006). Canada’s law commission has recommended electoral reforms although the breakthrough has not been much. In 2005, the citizens were allowed to vote on a referendum concerning the need to change the current electoral system. The percentage needed for the electoral reform was only le ss by 2% given that the motion of electoral reform needed 60% of the votes across the provinces. The total vote count amounted to 58% of the total vote count hence falling short of what was required. Shortfalls of the current electoral system were manifested when the present liberal government managed to come to power even after getting lesser votes across the provinces, in comparison with the conservatives (Wolfinger, 1991). Several debates have been held in and effort to resolve the issue of electoral system restructuring. In addition, different recommendations have also been given although very little has been done to the same effect. The Mix-Member proportional system was suggested by a set secretariat although this was overruled by the Ontarian voters who rejected it in a referendum that was held in 2007 (Odenwald, 2008). Advantages of the Single Member Plurality System This system seems to be the most preferred over the proposed system due to a number of factors. This system i s particularly significant in democracies with multiple parties as the majority government is likely to be produced in such a case in such a competitive system. Such a government is usually stable and more accountable to the voters. Coalition governments on the other hand are characterized by squabbles and finger pointing. Leaders always want to take credit for the positive happenings but avoid cannot shoulder the blame for the wrong happenings. The system also allows the voters and views and interests to be represented by their own single representative and no conflict of interests (Phillips, 1975). Disadvantages of the System In this system, the number of wasted votes is enormous. A candidate only needs one vote ahead of his opponent in order to be declared a winner and the rest of the extra votes are just wasted. In the real sense, the party seats are never the exact representation of the number of votes acquired. There is no full representation of the electorate given that only those ascribing to the view of the winning candidate or party are fully represented while the rest are not represented (Douglas, 2005). Is Proportionality Relative? In assessing the two systems, the question of relative proportionality has to be considered. While comparing different systems, it has always been thought that one system offers greater representation than the other. The proportional representation system in particular has been compared to other systems like the plurality system where the winner takes it all. The plurality system is thought of as being disproportional and that it does not fully represent the voters’ interests. Canada for instance still employs the plurality system although many people are dissatisfied with it and are pressing for the appropriate voting system reforms (Pinto, 1991). Problems of Party Proportionality Proportional systems often use party proportionality to measure their representation and hence proving to be limited in some way. Some systems have in fact been proved to be so much obsessed with the issues of party proportionality hence resulting in the balance of power being left to small parties that are idiosyncratically governed hence forming governments that are unstable. The Canadian case has particularly been worsened by the fact that most of those parties that come to power do not even get the 40%of the required total vote so as to form the government. This results in weaker governments and weaker legislature characterized by a weaker judiciary (Brooker, 2008). PR system’s overdependence on political parties makes the system inefficient in a way, given that political parties are slowly losing their influence on the people. Voters are slowly becoming independent of the political parties and hence they require an alternative system that does not excessively depend on the political parties. The closed list system is disadvantageous given that the voters are allowed to vote for a party as a block and n ot necessarily individuals hence the voters’ freedom to choose the candidate of their freedom of choice is curtailed (Courtney, 1991). The PR system has been adopted by many nations as compared to the plurality system. The system is particularly common in most European countries with German being included. The system was also adopted by France when the Second World War ended although it was later discarded in 1958. At one point, the system had been recommended for adoption by parliamentary assembly of the United Nations so as to enable the Indian lower casts to be included or be represented (Chowdhury, 1997). Partial Proportionality Some countries usually have only one electoral district where only one candidate is expected to win while others have different candidates being elected from one given district or constituency. The proportion of representation is therefore measured per the number of representatives or candidates from that particular district. In the case of a Mult i-member District, the winning candidate is expected to have majority of the votes in comparison to the other candidates. Some quotas may for instance demand that a candidate get at least 50% of the total votes in that district and have more votes than the rest although the quotas may vary (Smith, 1991). The issue of gerrymandering is therefore significantly reduced in the PR system. Proportionality in an electoral system is not necessarily made possible by the employment of Multi-Member Districts. In some cases, a party can win a certain number of seats and yet fail to raise the whole number of candidates required to fill them hence resulting in an under-hang (Choe, 1997). A lot of resources have been channeled towards ensuring that Canada gets a new electoral system and several referenda held in trying to get the country a new electoral system most of which have borne no fruit (Seligson, 1995). However, the current plurality system has very many shortfalls and it needs to be repla ced by a more appropriate system. The PR system seems to be the best option for country given its large size and population. The system will ensure greater representation of peoples’ interests across the wider geographical area (Carty, 1991). Canadians only get to exercise their democratic rights during the time of an election. It is however surprising that most of their votes are wasted given that their favorite candidates at times lose by a very small margin (Rose, 1997). This has led to the frustration of many individuals who opt to stay at home on the elections day given that their candidates are likely to lose in the election. Voter dissatisfaction seems to be playing a big role in the lower voter turnout. The voter system therefore needs to be rethought so as to ensure that the voters exercise their democracy to the fullest (Carroll, 1995). Reference List Altman, D. (2000). The Politics of Coalition Formation and Survival in Multiparty Presidential Democracies: The Case of Uruguay, 1989-1999. Party Politics, 6(3), 259-283. Blais, A., Carty, R. K. (1990). Does proportional representation foster voter turnout?  European Journal of Political Research, 18(2), 167-181. Brooker, K. (2008). Another election, another wasted vote. September 8th 2008.  Calgary Herald. Carroll, D. et al.(1995) Civil and Voter Registration and Identification System: Proposed Implementation System. Washington: Microsoft Corporation. Carty, R. K. (1991) Registering Voters: Comparative Perspectives, Massachusetts: Harvard University. Choe, Y. (1997) How to Manage Free and Fair Elections: A Comparison of Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Goteborg: Goteborg University. Chowdhury, J. A. (1997). Voter Registration and Identity Cards in South Asian Countries. London: Macmillan. Courtney, J. C. (1991) Registering Voters: Comparative Perspectives. Massachusetts: Harvard University. Courtney, J. C., David Smith. (1991).Registering Voters: Canada in Comparative Context.† Democratic Rights and Electoral Reform in Canada. Toronto: Dundurn. Douglas J. A. (2005).Proportional Representation: The Case for a Better Election  System.   New York: Routledge. Franklin, B., Einstein, A., Brown, R. M. (1985). Insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly  again and expecting different results.   Ontario: Broadview Press Gastil, J. (2008). Political Communication and Deliberation. Sage Publications. Golding, P., Elliott, P. (1999). Media Studies: a Reader (second edition). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Gregson, I. (2004). Overhauling our electoral process. SFU News Online. March 18th 2004. Grubel, H. (2004). The Case against Proportional Representation. Toronto Star. November 14th 2004. Harvey, J. (2008). Canada needs electoral reform. Telegraph-Journal. October 22nd 2008. Henry M. (2000), Making Every Vote Count: Reassessing Canada’s Electoral  System.  Ontario: Broadview Press. Howe, P., Northrup, D. (2000). Strengthening Canadian Demo cracy. Policy Matters, 1(5). July 2000. Karp, J. A., Banducci, S. A. (1999). The Impact of Proportional Representation on Turnout: Evidence from New Zealand. Australian Journal of Political Science, 34(3), 363-377. Kay, A. F. (1998). Locating Consensus for Democracy. St Augustine: American Talk  Issues Foundation. Loenen, N. (2002), Citizenship and Democracy:   A Case for Proportional  Representation. Ontario: Dundurn Press. McNair, B. (2007). An Introduction to Political Communication. New York: Routledge. Mill, J. S. (1861). Representative Government. Newman, G. (2006). Electoral system.  London: Macmillan Odenwald, B. (2008). Newly-wed Odenwald decries swapping and its causes. Fair Vote  Canada, Press Release. September 15, 2008. Phillips, K. P., Blackman, P. (1975). Electoral Reform and Voter Participation: Federal Registration, a False Remedy for Voter Apathy. California: Hoover Institute. Pinto D. M. (1991) Electoral Registration in Britain: Is There a Case for   Reform? Massachusetts: Cambridge. Rose, R. (1997). Evaluating Election Turnout. A Global Report on Political Participation. Stockholm: International IDEA. Seligson, M. et al. (1995). Who Votes in Central America? A Comparative  Analysis. Elections and Democracy in Central America, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Smith, D. E. (1991). Federal Voter Enumeration in Canada: An Assessment. Registering Voters: Comparative Perspectives, Massachusetts: Harvard University. Teixeira, R. A. (1987). Why Americans Don’t Vote: Turnout Decline in the United States, 1960–1984. New York: Greenwood. Testa, R. (2008). Proportional Representation vs. First-Past-The-Post Wolfinger, R. E. (1991) The Politics of Voter Registration Reform. Registering Voters: Comparative Perspectives. Massachusetts: Harvard University. This essay on Proportional Representation System was written and submitted by user Jaelynn Irwin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The representatin of the Gauch essays

The representatin of the Gauch essays During the 1820s there was no national government in Argentina, at least not one which survived for long. In the year 1820, the year of anarchy, the province of Buenos Aires itself had at least twenty-four governors. In the rest of the country government was in the hands of the local gaucho leaders - caudillos. The gauchos are a mixture of Spanish and Indian blood who roam the pampa, their every want is provided by the catlle and the horses of the pampa. The national character of the Argentine people was already distinctive and had pronounced that it had aquired its special quality from the gauchos themselves e.g. persoanl independance and personal rule. In the 1920s a number of regionalist novels written in Latin America attracted international attention. Don Segundo Sombra, written by Ricardo Guiraldes and published in 1926, was amongst the first Latin American novels to be translated into the European languages and to be read by a public which had no first-hand knowldge of the areas which the author describes. The commited write tended to think of the modernist or post-modernist as decadent, too interested in aesthetic problems and not interested enough in I the problems of his society. With the 1920s and the acctive engagement of many writers in the political struggle these differences were accentuated. Roughness, documentary truth and realism were assumed to be marks of a greater sincerity, a higher regard for the sufferings of the poor. Ricardo Guraldes was exceptional in his peroccupation both with style and with the expression of national values in literature. Guiraldes referred to the importance of the gaucho on various occasions, in essays and studies, always speaking of his noble qualities, his freedom and his self-sufficiency.The first refernces to the gauchos that Guiraldes made in his work were in El cencerro de cristal. Here, the gaucho is a symbol of the pampas and and ...

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 18

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Eni is a company that has diversified its operations to different parts of the world. As a result, it requires employees who have the necessary skills and experience to handle clients emanating from different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, through the recruitment process, the panel is able to identify the right candidates who can work with different groups of people. Furthermore, teamwork is a critical aspect towards the overall success of the organization. As a result, the human resource department has a role of recruiting employees that can easily integrate with the rest of the subordinates. This is to ensure that there are no constant conflicts that can affect the overall performance of the business. On the other hand, the customer demands keeps on the changing. With the modern technology, they are able to get reviews from different sources concerning different products in the market. Therefore, in order for the company to keep up with these changes, it keeps on training its wor kforce in order to meet the demand in the market. This has been critical in enabling the company to meet the varying interests of its expanding market (Grieves, 2003). Besides recruiting and training, the human resource department in Eni formulates the specific objectives and the scope of the tasks that will be assigned to the employees. Based on these two factors, the contract that will govern the relationship between the employer and the employee is prepared. The working environment has become challenging with subordinates required to meet strict deadlines.

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Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example It is expected that not any kind of people, but only a few with certain work personalities can become effective in particular kinds of jobs. This fact about employee types is attributed to five major personality types or characteristics found to be predominant among workers, namely: extroversion/introversion; emotional stability/instability; agreeableness/hostility; conscientiousness/heedlessness; and open-mindedness/closed-mindedness (Barrick and Mount, 1991). Depending on the line of work, there may be observed imbalances between the levels of each personality type, and this accounts for the predominating personality type among individuals in a particular work setting, which in turn dictates their success or failure in particular work settings or careers. ... ality types in each individual could affect the relative success or failure in each kind of job or work, thus it is important that aside from knowing the personal strengths and weaknesses of each individual, it is also relevant that the company’s goals be clear and concise enough to be understood (Bruck and Allen, 2003). With this in mind, the workplace must be able to create an environment that cultivates the individual’s skills in various levels and areas while at the same time relying on each person’s predominating work personality type. Different personality types go well with certain kinds of work. Person-job (PJ) fitting and person-organisation (PO) fitting has been used to assess what kind of work would make particular types of people excel, as well as predicting those that may prove to be difficult for them (Ryan and Kristof-Brown, 2003). People rating high in extroversion levels are reported to be suitable to careers with greater public exposure such as sales, those which rate high in emotional stability are more suited to law-enforcement work lie in security or police work, conscientiousness is linked with meticulous and detailed work such as engineering and architecture, agreeableness goes well with public service work such as foundations or public health work, and openness is one trait that is lauded in the academics or in research work (Mullins, 2005; Touze, 2005). When the PJ or the PO rating is good, this implies that the person is able to reconcile personal beliefs, attitudes and work goals with the organisation’s own objectives, which increases the person’s chances of staying in the organisation and achieving personal satisfaction. However, when the PJ or PO rating is bad or low, chances are that the individual’s personal preferences simply

Exploring An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Exploring An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge The short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge has received more critical attention than any other single work written by Ambrose Bierce. This is most likely because of the way the story combines into one text the best components distributed among much of Bierces fiction such as narrative, plot, imagery, the exposure of human-deception, and a surprise ending (Stoicheff 1). In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce differentiates between internal and external worlds and illustrates that the mind can create its own realities and escapes. He does not tell the reader that Farquhar is hallucinating, but instead expects the reader to evaluate the story and realize the impossibility of events described in the final events of the story. With such literary techniques, Bierce opposed many of the literary trends of his day in both his journalism and his fiction. He believed any view of life which ignored the unconscious processes of mind could not call itself realistic (Davidson 2). Bierc es works reflect his obsession with ironic, unnecessary, and strange death, as well as his cynical, disillusioned attitude on the meaninglessness of life (Habibi 2). He detested war and saw firsthand the absurdity and insanity of it. This emerges as a connecting theme in several of his writings. His protagonists are usually antiheroes and they make conscious decisions based on flawed thinking, which ultimately lead to tragic predicaments (Habibi 2-3). Bierce is known for his use of literary elements and skillfully uses third person narrative, a quickly paced plot, realistic detail, and blends fantasy and reality to lead the reader into believing in Farquhars escape. Therefore, the reader is unable to interpret Farquhars true fate until the very end of the story. Bierce cleverly chooses to write this story in third person narrative. By using third person narrative, the author is able to do a variety of different things to capture the readers attention and keep them guessing. He most likely chooses this course of action to convey to the reader the main characters feelings and emotions and to conceal his death. This perspective, often called limited omniscience, tells the story from an observers standpoint (Samide 1). By definition, this narrator knows all things important in the story, even a characters own thoughts. Therefore, the reader is able to get a more in depth look into how the main character is feeling, as well as tell the reader the outward world of the story (Samide 1). In this story, the author chooses to focus on the mind of only one main character, Farquhar, and enters it extensively throughout the course of the story. At any given time, the narrator may also move in and out of the chosen characters mind and thoughts, or inform the reader about what is happening in the outer world of the story. Because the author chooses this point of view, it is difficult for the reader to know Farquhars escape is unreal until the last line of the story, when the narrator emerges from his mind to tell the reader Farquhar is dead (Samide 1). Bierce skillfully forces the reader to believe in Farquhars hallucinated escape and therefore, is able to surprise the reader with Farquhars death. It enables Bierce to take the reader inside Farquhars mind to demonstrate how emotional confusion alters not only the way the mind interprets the reality of a situation, but also the way it perceives the passage of time. Bierce also uses a rapidly paced plot to keep the reader from figuring out the surprise ending. He quickly paces the plot in order to distract the reader from closely examining Farquhars unlikely escapes from death. Before the reader has time to consider the likelihood of a broken neck from the rope or some other injury, Bierce has Farquhar struggling not to drown. He sinks deep into the water, his hands still tied together and the noose still wrapped around his neck. So instead of thinking about his broken neck or suffering from another injury, the reader focuses on his new problem of drowning. Then, somehow, Farquhar is able to free his hands from the rope and slips off the noose. But again, the reader is relieved that Farquhar escapes drowning that he does not fully examine the likeliness of this escape. Then, Farquhar bursts to the surface of the water for air and must start dodging bullets, diverting the readers attention once more from the previous escapes from the ropes and dr owning (Samide 3). Therefore, by using a rapid paced plot, Bierce is able to distract the reader from examining the likeliness of the escapes by creating new diversions, making it more believable for the reader. Another literary device Bierce uses in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the element of imagery. Bierce relies heavily upon imagery throughout the story, centering on sight and sounds to make his tale more convincing. Bierce goes to great lengths to describe the opening sequence in terms of its military arrangement. He provides vivid images of group formations and soldier stances such as a single company of infantry in line, the barrels inclining backward against the right shoulder, the hands crossed upon the stock, at parade rest the butts of the rifles on the ground (Bierce 72). These descriptions show Bierces past military experience in various wars and battles, giving the story a sense of realism. Also by using such realistic details, Bierce is able to make Farquhars escape more believable to the reader. After the first round of shots from the soldiers, when he hears the captain give orders to fire, Farquhar dives deep into the water. Some of the bullets, still warm from the g uns, spiral down into the water beside him (Samide 3). One lodged between his collar and neck; it was uncomfortably warm and he snatched it out. (Bierce 75) These few examples of realism lead the reader to believe that Farquhar is really escaping. When he comes to the surface again, the current has taken Farquhar out of shooting range of personal weapons, but he must now worry about the cannon being used. The first shot misses, but sprays him with water. The second shot is a much better shot that will surely hit him, but suddenly, the current whirls him around a bend in the river and throws him up on the bank, out of aim of the cannon (Samide 3). While the rapid series of dangers has caused the reader to consider the probability of each escape, the authors use of imagery and realistic detail convinces the reader that he is out of danger and is now on his way to finishing his escape by losing himself in the dense forest and getting back home to his wife and family (Samide 3). The res t of the story goes on to describe Farquhars long trip home. He continues on his journey through the forest and finally arrives to the gate of his own home. He sees his wife and she holds out her hands in joyous welcome. As Farquhar reaches out to embrace her, he feels a stunning blow to his neck, sees a blinding white light, hears a sounds like the shock of a cannon-then all is darkness and silence (Bierce76). At this point in the story, the limited narrator moves out of Farquhars mind and returns to the objective world on the bridge, revealing to the reader the shocking last line and revelation that, all along, the escape was Farquhars hallucination (Samide 3-4). Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek Bridge. (Bierce 76) One of the literary elements Bierce uses that he is most known for is his blending of fantasy and reality. Bierce mixes the external world of death with Farquhars internal world, resulting in the success of his hallucination. Farquhar, in his mind, is imagining his incredible escape when he is actually dying. Bierce skillfully uses metaphors and similes in order to secretly describe the true fate of Farquhar. For example, Bierce uses the pendulum not only as a significant metaphor for time, but also as a simile for Farquhars body, which swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek Bridge (Bierce 76). Farquhar is conscious of motionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ of a vast pendulum because his body literally traces, and therefore senses it. Similar intrusions of other objective stimuli into Farquhars experience occur throughout the rest of the story. The sharp report of the firing gun, its slightly later dulled thunder, and the alleged explosion of the cannon that was cracking and smashing the branches in the forest beyond are all Farquhars hallucinated revision of the sound of his own neck breaking. Bierce successfully emphasizes the association, describing the literal event of Farquhars neck breaking as occurring with sound like the shock of a cannon. Farquhars sensation of rising rising toward the surface of the water is the dreamers understanding of the slight bounce the body experiences after reaching the extremity of its flexible rope; the feeling of almost drowning in the creek modifies the fact of strangulation itself; the horribly aching neck and the uncomfortably warm bullet impossibly lodged between his collar and his neck under the water reinterpret the pain of hanging; the counter-swirl that spins him around in the current refers to the twisting at the end of the rope; the projecting point which concealed him from his enemies transforms the bridge now above him; the sensation of his own tongue thrusting forward from between his teeth into the cold air registers its grotesque protrusion during strangulation; the inability to feel the roadway beneath his feet is a similarly accurate feeling, dutifully revised into an understandable fatigue, thirst and numbness near the end of his narrative of escape (Stoicheff 3). Thus, a key element in the story is the distention of time and the blending of fantasy and reality. The reader is left with a range of reactions: the element of surprise, the promise and loss of hope, the tragedy of death, the ultimate coherence of objective reality, and acknowledgment of Bierces carefully constructed deception (Habibi 1). Bierce skillfully blends the third person point of view that conceals Farquhars death until the very end, a rapidly paced plot of narrow escapes from death that distract the reader, concrete details that make the final escape seem real, and the technique of blending fantasy and reality (Samide 4). Bierces usage of narrative, plot, imagery, and blending of fantasy and reality make it hard for the reader to detect Farquhars true fate until the final line of the story. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce distinguishes between the internal and external worlds of Farquhar and shows the reader that the mind can create its own realities and its own escapes. He expects the reader to evaluate the story and realize on his own the impossibility of events described in the final events of the story (Davidson 2). Bierce purposely uses these elements of fiction in order to create a suspenseful ending that connects with the central theme of the human need to escape death. Work Cited Welty Bierce, Ambrose. An Occurrence at Owl Creek. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 9th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009, 71-76. Samide, Daniel E. Anatomy of a Classic: Ambrose Bierce Cleverly Used Some Key Literary Tools in Crafting His Civil War Tale An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. The Writer May 2005:42. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. Habibi, Don Asher. The experience of a lifetime: philosophical reflections on a narrative device of Ambrose Bierce. Studies in the Humanities 29.2 (2002): 83+. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. Davidson, Cathy N. Ambrose (Gwinett) Bierce. American Short-Story Writers Before 1880. Ed. Bobby Ellen Kimbel and William E. Grant. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 74. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Apr. 2010. Stoicheff, Peter. Something Uncanny: The Dream Structure in Ambrose Bierces An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Studies in Short Fiction 30.3 (Summer 1993): 349-357. Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.

The Lottery :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Lottery† Shirley Jackson wrote â€Å"The Lottery† in 1948, not long after the second World War. The horror of the Holocaust was still fresh in everyone’s mind’s. Jackson wrote this story to remind everyone that we are not so far from this world of sadistic human sacrifice. She created a town, very much like any American town, with the gathering of the towns people to celebrate some annual event. She wanted to shine a mirror on contemporary society, a reflection of humanity, or rather, inhumanity. One would think that she was protesting against the shallow hypocrites that rule the world. The town sets up this lottery in a very practical way, there were several things that were a part of the ritual that the town allowed to fade from practice. But the town still saw it necessary to stone a citizen to death once a year just because that was the way it was always done. Shirley Jackson wanted the world to try and find another way, to break away from traditions and be more humane human beings. Once the heads of household have drawn, everyone looks at the slip of paper in their hands and at the same time everyone is praying that it is not their family. Once again the family members draw and each one is praying it is not them, at the same time they know that they are about to lose a loved one. Everyone has felt these same feelings. A friend loses her husband or child and we say a little prayer of thanks to what ever power each of us believes in , thank goodness it was not me. When Tessie Hutchinson realizes that her family has been chosen she says, ‘ I tell you it wasn ’t fair. You didn’t give him time enough to choose. Everybody saw that.†(233) â€Å"The Lottery† makes one feel guilty for desiring one’s own survival.

Hagia Sophia

In chapter twelve the remarkable church known as The Hagia Sophia was discussed briefly and I find it fascinating. I first learned about the Hagia Sophia in my art history class in high school. I have always been interested in the fact that it started as a basilica, was then a mosque and is now a museum that functions as both a mosque and a cathedral. I think that this amazing structure is proof that different religions can coexist and come together to create things that we all can cherish. Hagia Sophia is in Istanbul, turkey which was part of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.It was originally built under the rule of Justinian to function as a church in 532 A. D. Justinian had material brought over from all over his empire. Large stones were brought from far-away quarries: porphyry from Egypt, green marble from Thessaly, black stone from the Bosporus region and yellow stone from Syria (â€Å"The Annotated Mona Lisa†). More than ten thousand peo ple were employed during this construction. This new church was immediately recognized as a major work of architecture, showcasing the creative insights of the architects. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.The church’s decorated interior of mosaics and marble pillars and coverings is massive and takes ones breath away. The dome seems weightless as if held up by the unbroken row of 40 arched windows under it, which help flood the colorful interior with light. All interior surfaces are covered over with polychrome marbles, green and white with purple porphyry and gold mosaics, encrusted upon the brick. This covering hid the large pillars, giving them a brighter look. In 1453, the ottoman turks took over and the Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque.The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the original beautiful mosaics that Justinian put in were plastered over. T he Islamic features — such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of the Ottomans rule. It was used as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey. For almost 500 years the Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Sehzade Mosque, the Suleymaniye Mosque, and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. However the Hagia Sophia is still the most awe inspiring.I believe that if the ottomans had never converted the church or if the church hadn’t been built under Justinian we wouldn’t have the beautiful mix of architectural aspects that we have today. The fact that the church contains the beautiful gold inlayed mosaics of Justinian, the depictions of Christ, and the large medallions with the names of Muhammad and Islam's first caliphs and that they all coexist beautifully is a perfect example of the harmony between the religions. People from all over the world from all backgrounds come to worship or just visit the beautiful structure.

Spartan Women

Spartan women were given great privileges as they Involved their prominent sections In society In regards to education, family, religion and the economy, which soon became desired by women all over ancient Greece. Ancient historians such as Plutarch, Xenophobe, Aristotle, Plato, Euripides, Herodotus, Discusses and Aristotelian provide valuable insight to the girls, women and mothers of Sparta, as they left no records themselves. Plutarch famous Sayings of Spartan Women alms to promote a Spartan society where females play an essential role in the Indoctrination of their sons and where mothers are painted has brutal patriots.Women were perhaps the most important eater of Spartan society for many reasons and even so their most important role was to give birth to healthy sons for Sparta. They weren't allowed to spin or weave like women from other parts of Greece; such menial tasks were meant for the helots – state owned slaves. Source 2 (Plutarch on Sparta, p. 1 60) â€Å"When an Ionian woman was priding herself on one of the tapestries she had made (which was Indeed of great value), a Spartan woman showed off her four most dutiful sons and said they were the kind of thing a noble and good woman ought to produce, and should boast of them and take pride in them.This quote illustrates that for Spartan women, skills in handicrafts were not essential, and were not regarded as important as bearing healthier, stronger sons for the army. Xenophobe stated, â€Å"For free women the most important Job was to bear children. † In order to Inculcate the offspring with patriotism, the mother had to have the correct attitude herself. Spartan mother did rear their sons according to the customs and expectations of their state and society.They were proud of their role in shaping new generations of citizens as cited in Source 2, women who produce strong offspring's (sons) should feel superior to other omen and should be proud of their self righteousness. It implies tha t women with strong sons were strong themselves because it is believed that strong Spartan women and men create a strong offspring. ‘Great value' also suggests that sons were worth more than daughters, as sons are the only ones that can achieve the greatest honor in Sparta.Women were encouraged to display patriotism by sacrificing the men whom they loved and so highly did they prize the warriors med, that they are said to have said tears of Joy over the bleeding bodies of their wounded sons. Source 1 (Plutarch on Sparta, p. 60) â€Å"As a woman was burying her son, a worthless old crone came up to her and said: ‘You poor woman, what a misfortune! ‘ ‘No, by the two gods, a piece of good fortune,' she replied, teacake I bore him so that he might die for sons, they took pride in the bravery that had led to that fate.The women were ordered not to mourn, to suffer in silence during their son or husband's death. The character of Spartan women is marked with uncomm on firmness. At the shrine of patriotism they immolated nature. Undaunted bravery and impeached honor was, in their estimation far beyond affection. If a son came home from Sparta without his shield the mothers wouldn't tolerate a son's act of cowardice and dishonor to Sparta. Sources tell us that a Spartan woman killed her son, who had deserted his post because he was unworthy of Sparta. She declared: â€Å"He was not my offspring†¦ Or I did not bear one unworthy of Sparta. † The education of women was a uniquely Spartan concept within the polis, Spartan women were well educated and brought up in an orderly fashion to become proper mothers for the state, manage killer (state-owned property) and partake in religious festivals. As Spartan boys were surrendered to the agog (Expatriate training program) Spartan girls remained at home with their mothers to get educated, learn reading and writing, as well as being organized into bands for team games and choral singing.In thes e bands they were taught, and had to regularly perform, choral lyrics of myths that had been immoralities through ancient songs and poems. Many of these poems would have come from the Parthian (a collection of work composed by Spartan poet Oilcan). Girls also learned the basis (a form of dancing/exercise where the girls do rump Jumps). Whilst in these bands the Spartan women also trained in gymnastics and athletics, such as running, wrestling and Javelin throwing. Spartan women of all ages were encouraged to mix and train with the Spartan men and enter sporting competitions to get fit and strong.Plato commented on the Spartan women's education: â€Å"there are not only men but women also who pride themselves on their education; you can tell that what I say is true and that the Spartan have the best education in philosophy. † The reasoning behind this idea of physical training is that while Spartan women trained with Spartan men, the men old choose the strongest woman and marr y her because if both parents were strong and healthy then they are more likely to give birth to a strong and healthy child, which was of great importance to the Spartan men and especially women as demonstrated in source 2.Spartan women had a great deal of influence and power on Sprat's economy. They were the ‘men' of Sparta when their husband and sons were at war or at the agog. The Management of killer was an essential skill for Spartan women. As each expatriate owned a killer, the killer would be inherited by the wives and mothers of Sparta to raise their sons who would eventually inherit the killer. This means that they controlled the family wealth which affected the entire Spartan agricultural economy which there fore shows there power on the economy and therefore on Sparta.Spartan male citizens were dependent on their wife's efficiency to pay their â€Å"dues† to the cystitis. The management of the killer was not Just a responsibility which separated them from wom en from other Greek cities, this role was a crucial element in the Spartan economy. In Athens and Greece poorer women worked on Sparta, as manual labor and handcrafting was seen as an act for the helots only and his is also exemplified in source 2 as the Spartan women doesn't have time to do low acts like handcrafting and manual labor. Her main goal is to produce healthy and fit children and manage the Spartan economy.Aristotle disapproved of the power women wielded in Sparta, especially in the economy, and felt it contributed strongly to the downfall of the once mighty polis. In his writing he frequently mentioned that the trend to give women economic power could lead to a contrariety, a government controlled by women. Growth in economic prestige and immense power is apparent wrought the story of Princess Kinas, the daughter of King Archaisms and champion of two Olympic chariot team races. This wealthy equestrian expert was the owner of a twice Olympic champion chariot team (396 an d 392 SC).She dedicated a statue to herself at the Olympic sanctuary in Olympus. Which according to historians indicates that, â€Å"To compete was a mark of wealth, since horses require a great deal of grass and grazing land is not plentiful in Greece† and this tells us that as a result â€Å"women had effective control of plentiful wealth. † Archaeological evidence provides us with a deep understanding of how important he role of religion was in Sparta and to Spartan women. Evidence comes from the sanctuary of Artemisia Orator, here hundreds of votive offerings were found and the majority of them were lead figurines in the shape of women.Theories suggest that it is linked to childbirth. This theory suggests that pregnant women would make these offerings for three purposes: either to ask for a successful childbirth as many women died from giving birth in antiquity, to ask that they bear a strong and healthy son, fit to become a warrior of Sparta or to make offerings t o the goddess Aphrodite Hear, when their daughters were married. According to Plutarch, Ulcerous stated that only women who had died giving birth would be allowed to have a marked grave – further archaeological evidence reinforces this custom.This shows how important childbirth was to the Spartan in that â€Å"only women who lost their lives to perpetuate the state were honored as heroes. † Yet it is also possible that the female-shaped figurines represented the understanding of importance and deep respect for the ‘maternal figure' in Spartan religion – as the Spartan took up many female gods from Greek mythology. At the temple of Athena of the Bronze House there are numerous bronze tastes of Athena and Aphrodite, typifying the importance of matriarchal figures in Spartan religion.

Literary Experiences essays

Literary Experiences essays Literature can be expressed in many ways. Some people use literature to portray life experiences. In my preference, I enjoy reading novels that I am able to relate to my own life. Most often, I love to read romance novels and poetry. Romance novels give you an understanding of different aspects of love and the realness of having conflict in our lives. Meaning, I believe that romance novels often provide explanations to the mysteries of life this world offers. The last novels Ive read are Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In the early stages of my understanding literature, I didnt really have any literary experiences. As I got older and read more often, I gained more desire and interest to read. I came to a realization that literature is very much needed in our lives. Without it we wouldnt be able to express our emotions in ways that we would understand one another. Human desires, emotions and life experiences are all justified through lit erature. The last novel Ive read was Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In this novel, the undying love of the couple, taught their families a very important lesson. Love, in its many forms, is an important theme in this novel. The Nurse and Mercutio speak in vulgar terms about love, referring to its physical side. Romeo's love for Rosaline is simply superficial, childish infatuation. Paris represents a contractual love. He does not actually know Juliet, just her family and what she represents. He is marrying a name, not a person. Juliet questions Romeo at first as to his intentions, the type of love he has to offer. The love between Romeo and Juliet is a spiritual, romantic love. They alone die for their love. Fate plays an important role in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo feels that he cannot control the course of his life. This novel also portrayed a lot of hatred. Romeo, a Montague meets the...

Statistics for Business Decision Making Term Paper

Statistics for Business Decision Making - Term Paper Example Human beings make tangible decisions which dwarf all sources of competition if more and better information from statistical analysis is available. With statistical knowledge, many researchers have found that it is easier to apply them and make decisions that are satisfying and which fit different scenarios and situations. According to Winthrop, statistics are used as a standard unit which uses historical performance to come up with future targets which drive businesses (p.1). To him further, statistical analyses provide deep understanding into how different business departments (sales, human resources, stocks, marketing etc) are performing in relation to the overall goals and objectives of the business. Also, statistical analysis provides trends which form the backbone in planning purposes (p.1).Statistics are also employed in policy formulation by Governments which carry out studies from time to time to have a sound foundation of the policies and decisions made. Further, businesses use statistical data to evaluate the performance of current strategies and to come up with reliable information onto which strategies are working and which just wastes of resources. Again, new business initiatives are evaluated and changed in order to improve business performance backed by survey/feedback data from statistical marketing surveys. In addition, advertising/marketing bodies use statistics to understand different markets and customer behavior in order to formulate advertising/marketing campaigns.

Business Challenges in the 20th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Challenges in the 20th Century - Essay Example Companies are often channel their efforts in taking overcoming the threats while taking advantage of the opportunities present in their environment. Thus, the proper and thorough assessment of the challenges faced by business entities should start with an adequate audit on their environment. This paper will look at three major challenges faced by business organization. It will accomplish this t ask by making a general assessment of the current business landscape. The paragraph that follows will be a glance at the business arena. This will be followed by the specific issues and challenges revealed and how they can be properly addressed. According to Philip Kotler (2005), one of the "megatrends" which is needed to be considered by business organizations is a major economic force called hypercompetition, which is characterized as "a period where the rate of change in the competitive rules of the game are in such flux that only the most adaptive, fleet, and nimble organizations survive (D'Aveni 1994)." It is irrefutable that this trend is one of the most important factor affecting the performance and strategies of business entities. As they operate in a hypercompetitive environment, they need to cope with its various features such as more intense rivalry, higher buyer leverage, and integration of international market. These three major challenges are further examined in the following sections. Challenge 1. More Intense Rivalry As more and more players recognize that potential markets with high profit gains and acquire technologies for an efficient operation, they intensify their efforts to conquer their target markets. It is apparent how business organizations are currently battling head on for higher market shares. More efficient technology in firms' value chains enable them to drive down prices. Aside from price wars, companies also compete on the quality and features of their specific products. As the world is becoming a global village, this situation is even exacerbated by the threat of competition from foreign firms. More in tense rivalry is becoming a major concern among competing industry players. Higher competition forces firms to develop a more efficient business model and strategy. Sometimes, these may even lead to the failure and bankruptcy of a firm. Higher competition tends to shake off inefficient players leaving only those with sustainable competitive strategies. In the face of more intense rivalry, industry players need to focus on crafting a strategy which will mitigate competition with other companies. It is also important that a firm embark on a stronger effort of defining and enhancing its position in the particular market. For example, a hotel company can further realign its strategy with its goal by looking at what it wants to achieve. The company can pursue a differentiation strategy to differentiate itself from its rivals. It is irrefutable that even though two companies offer the same product, customers often perceive huge differences in the way the companies craft their marketing mix. A hotel company can either focus on offering low priced and convenient accommodation or may opt to adopt a strategy of charging prices justified by excellent customer service. It should also be noted that warding