Motivating Employees in the Hospitality Industry

Motivating Employees in the Hospitality Industry

Alls Quiet on the Western Fro essays

All's Quiet on the Western Fro essays Alls Quiet on the Western Front Lewis Milestones Alls Quiet on the Western Front, based on Erich Remarques novel, is an incredibly disturbing and effective anti-war film. The grainy black and white film is still not outdated and carries a breathtaking initial impact. The prologue that introduces the film gives its anti-war intentions immediately and beautifully. This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war... Alls Quiet on the Western Front includes a series of vignettes and scenes that portray the senselessness and futility of war from the point of view of young German soldiers in the trenches in the Great War who found no glory on the battlefield, meeting only death and disillusionment. The film brilliantly portrays the war with no enemys, just people and relationships. It is the story of friends, Paul Baumer (Lew Ayres) and his friends joining the war through propaganda, and leaving through death. The most unforgettable scene is the final moments of the film, just before the "all quiet on the western front" armistice and with all of his comrades gone, soldiers are bailing water out of a dilapidated trench. The faint sound of a harmonica can be heard. Paul is sitting alone, daydreaming inside the trench on a seemingly peaceful, bright day. He is exhausted by terror and boredom. Through the gunhole of his trench, he sees a beautiful lone butterfly that has landed just beyond his reach next to a discarded tin can outside the parapet. He begins to carefully reach out over the protection of his bunker with his hand to grasp it, momentarily forgetting the danger that is ever-present. As he stretches hi ...

Financial Information Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Information Course work - Essay Example Q2: The auditor’s report of Tesco Plc. has shown the company in a positive manner by endorsing the accounts of the company as complied with the applicable requirements of Section 428 of the Companies Act 2006. It also shows that the company is not involved in any fraudulent activities and a ‘clean opinion’ is given by the independent auditors which will create positive sentiments for its shareholders. It is clear that auditors have carefully examined every financial recording and notes presented in the Consolidated Income Statement and Balance Sheet and have read all notes attached to be completely sure of the accounting being done in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Auditor’s report acts as a guarantee that the company is not involved in any deceptive practices which may harm the company in the long run and its shareholders. Auditor’s report generates satisfaction among its stakeholders about the financial strength of the company. Also it helps increase the accuracy of investors’ perceptions by reducing investors’ overconfidence. When investors’ perceptions are more accurate, their prediction of asset worth is closer to economic predictions and the profits get evenly distributed. Q3: Ratio Expression 2010 2009 2010 result 2009 result Industry Average ROE 16.9% 17.2% 19% Gross Profit margin 8.1% 7.8% 10% Net Profit Margin 4.1% 4.0% 3% Current Ratio 0.7 times 0.8 times 1.7 times Inventory Turnover Period 18.8 days 18.7 days 50 days Payables’ turnover period 18.3days 19.4 days 20 days Gearing Ratio 54% 74.4% 4% P/E Ratio 14.3 x 12.3 x 9.0 x Note: Purchases for the year are calculated as: Cost of goods sold + closing stock – opening stock. Q4 2010 (in million $) 2009 (in million $) change Sales $56910 $53898 5.58% increase Operating Profit $3457 $3169 9.1% increase Share price $419.7 $333.2 26% increase Note: (only share price at 27th February is considered.) Q5: A nalysis: Return on equity shows the return gained by shareholder by investing $1 in the organization. ROE of Tesco Plc. fell marginally from 17.2% in 2009 to 16.9% in 2010. Although the net income increased during this period, the fall in ROE is due to Tesco Plc’s focus on equity rather than on debt to finance its operations. Compared to the industry average it is below par but looking at the future growth prospects and the scale of operations which Tesco has expanded into, the company’s return would move up in the future. It is evident from the fact that the sales have climbed up by 5.58% from $53,898m to $56,910m. It is notable that Tesco Plc.’s sales have significantly increased internationally as the percentage of international sales to the total sales have increased from 24% in 2005 to 31% in 2009. This will continue to do so and would reflect with a higher percentage increase in the upcoming years. However, the gross profit margin is mere 8% of the sales w hich means that a higher proportion of the sales are cancelled out by the cost of goods sold. There has been an increase in the Gross Profit Margin from 7.76% last year to 8.09% in 2010 which is complimentary to the increase in Sales. Comparing it to the industry the ratio is lower, however compared to previous year the margin has increased and therefore would come up to the industry average in due time. The Net profit margin of Tesco Plc has increased to 4.1% in 2010

Conflict of Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conflict of Interest - Essay Example The biasness he will show at that point will give rise to conflicts. Moreover, an example may be, if there is some kind of affection between the boss and the employee and as a result the boss gives advantage to that specific employee. In this process unintentionally or intentionally other employees will suffer and this is what conflict of interests is all about. Now there are actually two types of conflicts; potential conflicts and actual conflicts. The potential conflict occurs when there is a divergence between the personal and professional interests of an individual. The above examples are potential conflict based. The actual conflict depends on the situation not on the actions of the individuals. Nowadays actual conflicts are not as common as potential conflicts are. Potential conflict can be considered as a red flag, which means that the person involved in the conflict must be careful with whatever he is doing before it turns out to transform into an actual conflict. As the pote ntial conflict can take the shape of an actual conflict that is why the officials should remain vigilant and they should keep a keen eye on whatever is happening in the organization (Campbell and Keith, 122-126). Conflict of interest has always been an indicator of moral wrongness. Moral wrongness refers to the act of doing something that is morally wrong. It is prohibited and prevented at all cost but if it happens then the consequences are devastating. There are two reasons on the basis of which conflict of interest are considered as an indicator of moral wrongness; 1. If a person who is involved in the conflict of interest does not know what he is doing, this negligent behavior has an adverse effect on the people he is being biased for and for those whom he is not being bias as well. This is morally wrong because every employee should be treated equally according to his rank and any kind of biasness among the employees will be considered morally wrong. 2. If the people who are su ffering don’t know at the moment that a conflict is taking place and the person who is involved in the conflict also doesn’t reveal this to them, then this whole act will be termed as deception. Deceiving someone is also morally wrong. It not only hurts the person but it also disappoints him. If equal effort is being made then what is the reason of this conflict of interest. Let us take the same example given above. It is related to an organization in which an employer hires his wife for a job. Their personal relation will obviously affect their professional life. The husband will obviously be bias for his wife. He will not consider her as an employee and as a result other employees will suffer. The amount of bonuses and promotions she will get will be much more then the amount given to other employees. Apart from this she will also not be fired for her lousy performance but she will be given many chances to improve herself while other employees will be fired at the in stant no matter how hardworking and efficient they are. This act will sometimes be noticed by the other employees and sometimes they will not be able to note that conflict is taking place. The moment they know that their boss is involved in a conflict they will definitely be disappointed and if in some cases they do not get to know then also the boss will be involved in a case of deception. This act of biasness and deception shows that conflict of interest is always an indicator of

Critically consider the role of insurance law and practice in the Essay - 1

Critically consider the role of insurance law and practice in the regulation of international business transactions - Essay Example However, this investigation identifies the implication of such other dissimilarities; in which some are genuine, financial and social while others pertain to areas of the law diverse with contract law, especially to commonsensical regulation besides taxation. These dissimilarities comprise of: knowing your customer, language, consideration for the real risk suggested for cover, culture, plus prospects of the native policyholder, the prerequisite to handle local claims, the procedure and occurrence of scams, tax law environment, labor law environment, the lawful, monitoring and managerial environment, and international compensation options. This paper draws its arguments on expert knowledge and know-how by referring to statistical data except where unambiguously stated. Insurance is a universally known model that pronounces the act of protecting against risk that may befall the insured. The individual in quest of an insurance policy is called the insured while the firm that receives the insurance premium from the individual to cover a risk is referred to as the insurer. The price is referred to as an insurance premium which can be used by the insured to cover many risks. Insurance reinforces a healthy and successful society, empowering businesses and people to safeguard themselves against risk1. It is is not only essential for a distinct customer or entrepreneur but also has implications for the general economy, reinstating businesses to better conditions after natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and floods. In addition, insurance products and services are also vital in international business. Insurance undertakings include insurance, reinsurance and coinsurance, in addition to undertakings unswervingly related to insurance. These undertakings of insurance are well-thought-out to include insurance contracts, implementing insurance contract requirements and going through the procedures for prevention and reducing the risks involved

Violence Against Nursing Workplace Health And Social Care Essay

Violence Against Nursing Workplace Health And Social Care Essay Nurses are on the front lines and the back bones in the health sectors . Workplace violence is becoming an important issue that all organizations, these behaviours , especially that of bullying are detrimental and effect staff , patients , and outcome. Violence are defined as ( an incident that results in physical injury).(Duncan, Hyndan 2001 as cited in Denise,2009). Regarding to many research I found that nurses in emergency department and in mental health sectors are the most high risk staff who are facing violence form patients , their families and visitors because of many factors that I will discussed on my paper . The aim of my research is review background of workplace violence . In addition to, identify situations and specific patient groups susceptible to being involved .Furthermore , identify the most health care sectors that are more susceptible to violence and factors leading to violence in these sectors depend on research articles to support my paper .Besides, identify the best nursing practice in the management of patient hostile behaviour and violence because nurses play a major role and the most staff dealing with different type of patient and cases. Finally, identify the role of health sector to minimize the risk of violence against nurses and the recommendation need it to prevent violence in health sectors . Violence against Nursing in Health sectors Work place violence is a serious occupational risk towards nursing.(International Council of nurses 2002 , Mc paul and Moore 2004 as cited in Jessica, Altair ,Lara, Cathy, Linda and Susan,2009).In hospital violence occurs most frequently in psychiatric wards, emergency departments ,waiting room ,and geriatric units.(Sofield and Salmond 2003 as cited in Jessica et al., 2009) they conducted studies and found that 35% to 80% of hospital staff suffering from violence either if its verbally or physically.. The causes of work site violence are multifaceted and diverse .In hospitals ,clinics, health home setting, co-workers ,family members, patients or visitors may cause or contribute to violent events.(MaggieTerriy,2005).The escalating risk in emergency department environment are reflective of patient under influence of drugs and alcohol abuse are often associated factors in patient-initiated violence on nursing staff , miscommunication and low staff levels leads to anger and long waiting times for patient.( Chalermrat , Virasakdi ,Suparnee ,Teem Rassamee,2008 ).Beside, related to emergency situation and increasing number of patient with dementia and psychosis .Other risk factors are prevalence of guns and weapons that being carried by patients and their family or friends. (Gordan,Donna,MargretPatricia,2010).In addition , lack of staff training or visible security ward. For instance, patients illnesses and unpleasant feeling ,as well as, the anxious and stress by patients and their fami ly member and also visitors are often escalated by not enough space All these factors contributing and may incite physical and verbal abuse against emergency department staff. On the other hand, nurses working in psychiatric setting have a higher risk for becoming victims of violence too. According to Gordon and Donna and Margared and Patricia,2010 was conducted a research about Workplace Violence in Health care Setting : Risk factors and protective Strategies and identify the risk factors in to perpetrator ,worker and setting environment risk factors. The perpetrator risk factors such as patient with mental health disorder like dementia, schizophrenia and alcohol and drug abuse have been associated with risk for workplace violence .However, setting and environmental factors that were related to increase risk for violence included day time versus evening and nighttimes hours .Equally important, work factors that were associated with violence include workers gender , the research show that women experienced a higher risk of verbal violence ,in contrast, men experienced physical violence.Besides,other characteristics of worker factors are number of hours wor ked per week and marital status. Employees in health care settings cant prevent all violent events,however,they can use vary strategies to protect themselves against consequence of workplace violence. Management of patient violence Nurses Violence against nurses can be dangerous aspect of ones nursing career. By providing the greatest amount of direct services to patients. nurses play a very great degree valuable role in the quality and efficiency of care and curative services.(Myduc,Stephen,Jay,Carri,Kenneth,2009). Violence can be prevented and avoided by nurses who are aware ,well trained and in control .Nursing care should be in corporate activities within the domains of providing physical, psychological and emotional support through assess physical and emotional and psychological needs for violent .In addition to maintain privacy and personal safety. Besides physical and emotional support , the nurses should enhance safety of the patient and their family by focusing on the needs of family as a whole ,also full assessment for patient and family . In addition , a calm environment and greeting can stop noisy arguments ..(Maggie and Terry,2005). Moreover, good communication skills and proper intervention are more important to reduce the effects on mental health people and performance because some patient who are violence under the influence of drugs and alcohol even the visitors of patient.(Chalermrat et al.,2008). Finally, promote self efficacy by provide patient care plan ,health education and provide information about local and national help and support and available opinion. Further-more ,encourage safety planning and recognizing the patients experience regarding their situation and respecting and support patient and their family decision.(Gordon,2008). Violence preventing training for hospital is one step in reducing the incidence of violence in hospital emergency rooms. Potentially, violence patients and visitors can be recognized by the hospital staff by attending training in violence prevention .Also, alert supervisors to any concerns about safety and report all incident immediately in writting.(Tessa,Sue,Maureen,John,Martha,Sabina,Sandra,Greg,2010). Staffs work together or with a professionally trained individual to provide an open atmosphere in which to discuss the critical violent incident and need to learn donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t meet aggression with aggression. Role of health care sector All of the government initiatives in arrangement in light fixture and making the manager responsible to ensure well-being of their staff and put place reporting and monitoring systems ,but more emphasis is need in identity of the trigger factors to patient behaviour and appropriate management. Similarly, the nurse play major role with violent patient ,of course the health sector play a major role to protect their staff and preventing violence .Facility administrator should provide a culture of support to those person who experience violence exposures in the work. In addition , can use a conventional and a credible system data to develop programs that increase staff safety and reduce the occurrence of violence exposure. To prevent and avoid violence , staff need to understand both violent activities and their development in the workplace . Education the staff regarding the function , role and responsibilities of the emergency nurse and the department may reduce the tension between staff. Also, education and training staff in the administration regarding the appropriate response to aggression behaviour if necessary. Moreover, close relationship with the police to tackle violence against staff to deal with the abuse behaviour once occurs.(Magie,2005). Equally important, provide enough staff member including nursing, medical officer support and security staff , besides , reduction of waiting time and the development policies and procedures to deal with the situation in case of emergency. Finally, provide video camera in emergency department to be used as evidence if necessary.(Ontario Nurses association,2008). Conclusion Nursing is a hard profession its physically and intellectually demanding. It requires patience and ability to relate to diverse types of patients ,communication skills and flexibility. Violence at work place is a complex problem which demand multifunctional actions and cooperation even with safety policies and procedures in place ,hospital and other health care setting can be dangerous places ,filled with individuals who are under stress .Part of nurses job to raise awareness in the health and aged care sectors and the community about the incidence of violence and its unacceptability as a workplace hazard are beginning to empower nurses to report violent incidents, to act to minimize risk , and to ensure their employers accept their legal obligations to provide a safe place for nurses to work and to provide care for the community. Work place violence is unacceptable not only in nursing place ,but also in all workplace . An important planning ,systematic assessment and effective responses strategies are necessary to deal with mental health illness and violent patient in any sectors ,some times its difficult, but by training sessions and copying strategies it could help to prepare nurses for violence in workplace. Failure to prevent workplace violence , it could result in prosecution , loss of valuable employees , productivity and efficiency. (Stella,MalcolmJan,2008).

Workaholism, Leisure And Pleasure Essay -- essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites The official working week is being reduced to 35 hours a week. In most countries in the world, it is limited to 45 hours a week. The trend during the last century seems to be unequivocal : less work, more play. Yet, what may be true for blue collar workers or state employees – is not necessarily so for white collar members of the liberal professions. It is not rare for these people – lawyers, accountants, consultants, managers, academics – to put in 80 hour weeks. The phenomenon is so widespread and its social consequences so damaging that it acquired the unflattering nickname workaholism, a combination of the words â€Å"work† and â€Å"alcoholism†. Family life is disrupted, intellectual horizons narrow, the consequences to the workaholic’s health are severe : fat, lack of exercise, stress take their toll. Classified as â€Å"alpha† types, workaholics suffer three times as many heart attacks as their peers. But what are the social and economic roots of this phenomenon ? Put succinctly, it is the result of the blurring borders and differences between work and leisure. The distinction between these two types of time – the one dedicated to labour and the one spent in the pursuit of one’s interests – was so clear for thousands of years that its gradual disappearance is one of the most important and profound social changes in human history. A host of other shifts in the character of the work and domestic environments of humans converged to produce this momentous change. Arguably the most important was the increase in labour mobility and the fluid nature of the very concept of work and the workplace. The transitions from agricultural to industrial, then to the services and now to the information and knowledge societies, each, in turn, increased the mobility of the workforce. A farmer is the least mobile. His means of production are fixed, his produce was mostly consumed locally because of lack of proper refrigeration, preservation and transportation methods. A marginal group of people became nomad-traders. This group exploded in size with the advent of the industrial revolution. True, the bulk of the workforce was still immobile and affixed to the production floor. But raw materials and the finished products travelled long distances ... ...eneurs, the managers, the businessmen. They are the movers, the shakers, the pushers, the energy. Without them, we have socialist economies, where everything belongs to everyone and, actually to none. In these economies of â€Å"collective ownership† people go to work because they have to, they try to avoid it, to sabotage the workplace, they harbour negative feelings. Slowly, they wither and die (professionally) – because no one can live long in hatred and deceit. Joy is an essential ingredient. And this is the true meaning of capitalism : the abolition of work and leisure and the pursuit of both with the same zeal and satisfaction. Above all, the (increasing) liberty to do it whenever, wherever, with whomever you choose. Unless and until the Homo East Europeansis changes his set of mind – there will be no real transition. Because transition happens in the human mind much before it takes form in reality. It is no use to dictate, to legislate, to finance, to cajole, to offer – the human being must change first. It was Marx (a devout non-capitalist) who said : it is consciousness that determines reality. How right was he. Witness the USA and witness the miserable failure of communism.

Comparing Evidence of Both Norse and African Presence

In pre- Columbian America there is evidence to show that there were both Norse and African presence present before the arrival of Christopher Columbus’ maiden voyage in 1492. The presence of the Africans was first stated by Christopher Columbus himself in his voyage diaries, which he claimed was told to him by an Indian on his second voyage. This was later solidified by Portuguese seamen who also told of African navigation to Columbus. On the other hand the Nordic Movement into pre- Columbian America was stimulated by the adventurous and nomadic nature of the Norsemen.The men hailed from Northern Britain, Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the Netherlands. They were also known as Northman which was interchangeable with the term ‘Viking’. This essay will assess the botanical, archaeological and oceanography evidence along with the African and Egyptian Cultural history of the African presence along with the botanical, metallurgical, archaeological, cartographical, or al and written evidence of the Nordic presence in the pre- Columbian America.To prove that African presence existed in pre-Colombian America before Columbus’ arrival Professor Van Sertima presented archaeological evidence in many forms. The first piece of archaeological evidence was the Guanine. The Italian account Raccolta of the voyages reads â€Å"there were pieces of gua-nin as large as carvel’s poop. †1 This alloy existed predominantly with Africans who were outside of the Atlantic World. It was generally found on the tips of spears and other weapons making this an important component for the indigenous societies.The trading of this alloy was extensive between the Africans and the Indigenous people. â€Å"†¦ and he (Columbus) wanted to find out what the Indians of Hispaniola had told him, that there had come to it from the south and southwest Negro people, who brought those spear points made of a metal which they called guanine, of which he had sent t o the king and queen for assaying, and which was found to have thirty two arts, eighteen of gold, six of silver, and eight of copper. † – Raccolta, PARTE , VOL. This piece of archaeological evidence helps Van Sertima to show that before Columbus arrived there was interaction between the Africans and the people of the Atlantic World via the form of trade. â€Å"The Negroid element is well proven by the large Olmec stone monuments as well as the terracotta items and therefore cannot be excluded from the pre-Columbian history of the Americas. †- ALEXANDER VON WUTHENAU2. The most important of all the archaeological findings of African presence were that of the Negroid Olmec heads found in La Venta, Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo, between the period of 1939-1940.This piece of evidence was the most concrete of all that Van Sertima collected to explain pre-Columbian African contact. These were large carved stone heads reaching six to nine feet high, weighing up to forty t ons each3 and were carved out of basalt stone. When they were unearthed in both central and south America it was declared by Van Sertima â€Å"There is no denying their negroness either, the features are not only nergo African in type but individual in their facial particulars cancelling out the possibility of ritual stereotypes of an unknown race produced by some quirk of the sculptor’s imagination. Not only did these heads have the facial features of that of an African but on one of the stone heads dug up was found to have Ethiopian braids These Olmec heads were the most convincing pieces of evidence of African presence in the pre-Columbian presence that Van Sertima presented in his theory.As much as archaeological evidence is important so is oral history and traditions, as quoted â€Å"We are vessels of speech, we are the repositories which harbour secrets many centuries old without us the names of kings would vanish from oblivion, we are the memory of mankind; by the sp oken word we bring to life the deeds and exploits of kings of younger generations†4. There are oral records within African societies giving parallel accounts and evidence to substantiate the findings presented in Van Sertima’s theory. The story of king Abubakari of the ancient Mali kingdom was passed down orally from generation to generations.King Abubakari set sail in 1311 with a well equipped naval fleet to cross the Atlantic although he failed within the evidence that is presented now of his arrival around the time that links African presence in south America. It also highlights the fact that it was more than just a mere coincidence thus showing a direct link and connection between two civilizations. Professor Van Sertima also present evidence in oceanography to verify historical reports and accounts the journey from West Africa to the Americas was possible.Geographical research shows that there are three major current off the coast of Africa leading automatically to the Americas. Perhaps Heyerdahl’s greatest contribution has been shown by example that long voyages in â€Å"primitive† craft were not impossible. This may have been necessary for some Amercanists; it was not for those who knew the sea5. Thor Heyerdahl; a Norwegian writer and explorer made more than an academic study of these ships used. Heyerdahl put the ship building ideas and designs of the ancient Egyptians to a practical test to make it across the Atlantic to the Americas from Africa.Using the most primitive of the boats; built from the papyrus reed Heyerdahl conducted two experiments with the vessels Ra and Ra which visualized the Trans Atlantic Current. The Ra set out from Safi, on the Atlantic coast of North Africa, on May 25, 1969. It sailed to within a few days of the New World before it got into serious trouble. The Heyerdahl expedition had made one mistake†¦ A smaller model, Ra, built on the identical Egyptian pattern†¦ made it across the Atlanti c from Africa successfully6.This experiment proved to be successful crediting the theory that the Africans may have used the sea route to reach the Atlantic World. The adoption of a new plant is no simple matter. It requires the adoption of a whole complex of knowledge about the plant’s ecological requirements, and often also about the human usage of the plant. The presence of even one transferred plant means that a quite effective contact has been made between two people7. In traditional Africa their main form of currency was the use of shells and cocoa beans as currency rather than other symbolic items.This factor could be seen translated in the currency of the Mesoamericans as Botanical continuities was presented by the presence of African species found in the Americas for example the Jack bean is believed to be a crop of African origin that was brought to the Americans before Columbus’ arrival, West African yam has also been found in the America additionally other plants that became a major aspect of the Atlantic World such as banana and maize hints towards African cultural influences in the region. On the other hand now there is the theory that the Vikings were here before Columbus as well.The most prominent source of evidence of pre-Columbian Viking contact with the New World can be found in the Icelandic Annals (chronicles): Islending book, Flateyjar book and Landnama book. Evidently this area which is now the home of the copper Eskimo and other Eskimo, was occupied by the Eskimos in Viking times, for its Icelandic name of the map is Einjoetingidand (Land of the Einfoeting). The story of Einfoeting related in the Icelandic saga of Rarlsefni is declared by Godfrey to be â€Å"wholly impossible. †8 Initially these sagas were passed on orally until Adam of Brehemin also known as Adamus Brenamus of Cleric began transcribing these tories in 1070. These sagas made special reference to the New World described are generally termed ‘Vi nland’ but are found in sections of the Greenlanders saga and Erik â€Å"the Red†. The sagas documented the arrival to three territories: Helluland (flat), Markland (timber) and Vinland (grapes), which were taken to be now Baffin Island, Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada. Correspondence with Newfoundland officials, Lloyd’s explorations in 1873, and preliminary explorations for the author by Alf Budden of Sops Arm, Newfoundland, in 1940 indicated that the Sops Arm area was the site of the first Norse settlement in Vinland9.Most important of these places mentioned in the sagas seemed to have been Vinland as several expeditions were taken to that place. Some of the expeditions were taken by: Lief Erikson, Thorvald Erikson, Thorstein Erikson, Thorfin Karlefin, Freydis Erikson. It was wildly believed that is now present day L’Anse aux Meadows. Other than their sagas the Vikings had more concrete evidence in cartography and mapmaking. The interpretation of th e Viking charts by the author has been verified by the Hydrographic Office of the U. S. Navy10.A world map adated about 1440 was found in 1965, this map clearly showed locations of Vinland. It was found in a book called the Vinland map and â€Å"Tartar relation†. Irrefutable evidence of the Vikings’ discoveries in America is their navigation charts. These were marked in Old Icelandic the names they gave to the areas they discovered. Showing coasts and waterways of ancient America, they belong to a series of more than 35 maps of the ancient world which have been preserved for thousands of years in various parts of the Old World11.We can conclude from this that this piece of evidence supported the theory of Viking presence in pre-Columbian America. â€Å"Two iron shovels were found, one in an Enkieling furnace and one in a hearth-pit furnaces . A. M. Hall, metallurgist of the Battelle Memorial Institute, examined these shovels and reported that they had been made by cla dding two carburized iron sheets together†12. Evidence of Norse style smelting was uncovered at an excavation site in L’Anse aux Meadows. Iron manufacturing was an activity where bogore, which was a form of iron from which bogs was processed in order to make boat nails.This need for boats nails explains the introduction for iron smelting in the Americas. â€Å"Two Enkielings of the pit type, two of the above ground type, and ten hearth-pit furnaces were excavated in the Deer Creek Valley. There were three kinds of hearth-pit furnaces, all types that were used in the Old World before the fourteenth centurary†13. This piece of evidence solidifies the theory of the Vikings’ presence. During the excavation at the site in L’Anse aux Meadows, the Norwegian explorer; Helge Ingstads, found remnants of a Viking settlement in L’Anse aux Meadows in 1960.This was founded in the province of Newfoundland in Canada along with butternut; three to be exact, t hat were preserved. More importantly these bogs found contained tanic acid which can preserve both organic and inorganic materials for centuries. The presence of these butternuts suggests that they were transported to the area rather than grown there. This adds more value to the pre-Columbian Nordic presence theory. Also a burl which is a roundish, warty outgrowth from the trunk and roots of certain trees of butternut wood was also found in the bog.Thus it can be safely concluded that Vikings brought this wood with them. Similarly items made with Scott’s pine also known as pinus Sylvertris were found in the bog. Again this type of wood did not grow in that area and it was common for utensils to be made from it in the Old World. The most impressive evidence of Vikings in the New World comes from L’Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of Newfoundland. In 1960 most of the archaeological evidence was gathered there from excavation by Ingstad. The Ingstads found a Norse sit e one hundred metres from the ocean shore comprising of three complexes.All the buildings were located on a narrow beach terries surrounding a sedge peat bog and a wet sphagnum bog. These houses have usually been circular; if they were rectangular, their width was only slightly less than their length14. The early Scandinavians up to the 12th century lived in dwellings which were different from all other communal houses in the old World because they were long, narrow, one room, one story buildings with two passage ways and a long central hearth extending lengthwise through the building.The only lighting came from the fire on the hearth and through openings left in the roof to permit smoke to escape15. The buildings were made from a timber frame covered in sod and the roofs were steeply peaked. Some items found at this site that were preserved in the bog included wood shavings and chips from the carpentry shop, items of broken wood, tree nails which were used in their ship building, p lank patch for cracked boat stakes, a bow for an auger and pieces of rope made from spruce roots. Also a Viking coin was found at the Goddard site dating to A.D. 1070. The coin was the only Norse artefact found. I t was also determined to be in this place16 because of trade between the Vikings and Native Americans17. In conclusion it can be noted that from all the evidence put forward of both Norse and African presence in the pre-Columbian Americas some out weight the other in being concrete historical evidence. However it can be said that due to all this evidence it can be stated that there was interaction between both groups and the indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Europeans.Sources 1. Leo Wiener, African and the Discovery of America, Philadelphia, Innes and Sons, 1920-1922, Vol. 1. 2. Alexander Von Wuthenau, The Art of Terra-cotta Pottery in Pre-Columbian South and Central America 3. Michael Coe, Mexico, New York, Praeger Publishers, 1962 p. 88 4. The Words of the Mal i Griot Mamadou Kouyate, Quoted in D. T. Niane, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali A. D. 1217- 1237 5. Clinton Edwards, Man Across the Sea 6. Thor Heyerdahl, â€Å"Isolationist or Diffusionist? † in Ashe, op. cit. . G. F. Carter, â€Å"Movement of People and Ideas,† In Plants and Migrations, edited by J. Barrau 8. Godfrey 1955: 36 9. Mallery 1951: 11 10. Walters 1956: 2-5 11. Walters 1956: 2 12. Mallery 1951:134a 13. Mallery 1951: 193, 193d, 194b, 196d 14. â€Å"Vikings in America : Theories and Evidence† (American Anthropologists 7:35-43) 15. Norlwnd 1924: 77ff; Roussell1934: 34ff; Dasent 1861:XCV 16. The Fact and Fiction of Vikings in America, Archaeology of Vikings in the U. S. , Kari L. Springer 17. William 1991:222

Other Causes Involved in the S essays

Other Causes Involved in the S essays Other Causes Involved in the Sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic On the night of April 14,1912 the luxury line R.M.S. Titanic sank in to the cold North Atlanic ocean. Although the collison with an iceburg was the main cause of ships sinking, a closer examanation of the events that lead up to the historic tragedy revealed that other factors were involves. Crew neglegienc, construction oversights, inspection errors, and even the unpreventable played parts in the most famous shipwerck in history. The Titanic was built by Harland and Wolfe shipyards and owned by the White Star Line Company, of Liverpool, England whose owner was American millionaire J. Pierpont Morgan. The main reason that the Titanic was built was to beat out the other large luxury liner competition. Its main purpose was to be the biggest and the best. Ironically, this goal turned out to be one of the Titanics downfalls. The Titanic weighed approximately 46,328 tons, was 882.5 feet long, measured 60.5 feet from the waterline to her boat deck, 175 feet from keel to the top of her four massive funnels, and was 92.5 feet wide. Capable of achieving 22 knots Titanic was not only the fastest moving man made object in the world, but also one of the largest. The Titanic disaster may have been foreshadowed by a struggling young author in 1898 (Lord, 97). It was that year when Morgan Robertson wrote of a large luxury liner called the Titan in a book called Futitlity. The Titan was a vast, luxurious ship that sank after a collision with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and had less than enough life boats for its passengers. The similarities between Robertsons Titan and the Titanic are uncanny. In fact, every detail of the fictional Titan matched with the real Titanic, including the amount of lifeboats, the iceberg in the North Atlantic and the size of the boat itself (Robertson, n.p.). Besides the iceberg there were other factors involved in the s...

Free Essays on Legal

Kelley v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Kelley v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois is a court case pertaining to the cut of the men’s swim team at the University of Illinois in regards to Title IX. Some men on the swim team felt that by their team being cut and not the women’s swim team also being cut that it was a violation of Title IX. Those men then took legal actions against the University. Female participation at the University of Illinois has always been disproportionate to the female undergraduate enrollment. So, when the school was faced with a $600,000 athletic budget deficit the school decided to cut some sports programs. The school cut four teams- men’s swimming, men’s fencing, and men’s and women’s diving. While the University’s decision to cut athletic programs was motivated by budget considerations, other considerations- including the need to comply with Title IX- influenced the selection of particular programs to be terminated. The men on the swim team argued that â€Å"if a university is required by Title IX to eliminate men from varsity competition†¦, then the same Title IX should require the university to eliminate women from the academic departments where they are over-represented and men from departments where they have been over-represented. Such a result would be ridiculous.† The plaintiffs believe that the substantial proportionality test contained in the agency’s policy interpretation of that regulation establishes a gender-based quota system. The plaintiffs also argued that the university’s decision to eliminate the men’s swimming program while retaining the women’s program denied them equal protection of the law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Plaintiffs contend that the applicable rules allow â€Å"the University to†¦ improve its statistics without adding any opportunities for women†¦,† an outcome they suggest is unconstitut... Free Essays on Legal Free Essays on Legal Identity is socially constructed in contemporary American society, it’s important to establish the clear meaning for constructionism to understand it. Identity is constructed through social, political, legal, scientific, and other practices. From this traditional perspective, differences and stereotypes among people are created through social processes. Identity is a very important part of today’s society. For example, in the school environment, if we humanize the students to find common threads that bind us together, and respect the differences in each of our cultures, students will feel empowered to continue exploring their own identities and weave it on. Traditional notions of identity are explained in depth in Jorge Duany’s article entitled, â€Å"On Borders and Boundaries: Contemporary Thinking in Cultural Identity.† He talks about the intense ideological and emotional overtones of the question of national identity in Puerto Rico and elsewhere. In the reading there is a quote that talks about identity being derived from history, culture, and language. This is what is thought to be the traditional way of seeing identity. Identities are constructed in a certain formation rather than fixed from birth or through an individual’s life cycle. This notion is challenged, and I believe that â€Å"structuralist thinkers view the construction of cultural identities as a process of erecting symbolic boundaries and narrating stories to represent the self and the other.† A perfect illustration of identity as a social construction is with the artist Shakira. She just crossed over into mainstream American entertainment, this is a business where you have to look a certain way all the time and act a certain way. There are many people that will argue that they preferred Shakira when she just sang in Spanish and had her dark hair with red streaks. Now that she crossed into the mainstream, her image has changed completely; s he is the d... Free Essays on Legal Kelley v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Kelley v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois is a court case pertaining to the cut of the men’s swim team at the University of Illinois in regards to Title IX. Some men on the swim team felt that by their team being cut and not the women’s swim team also being cut that it was a violation of Title IX. Those men then took legal actions against the University. Female participation at the University of Illinois has always been disproportionate to the female undergraduate enrollment. So, when the school was faced with a $600,000 athletic budget deficit the school decided to cut some sports programs. The school cut four teams- men’s swimming, men’s fencing, and men’s and women’s diving. While the University’s decision to cut athletic programs was motivated by budget considerations, other considerations- including the need to comply with Title IX- influenced the selection of particular programs to be terminated. The men on the swim team argued that â€Å"if a university is required by Title IX to eliminate men from varsity competition†¦, then the same Title IX should require the university to eliminate women from the academic departments where they are over-represented and men from departments where they have been over-represented. Such a result would be ridiculous.† The plaintiffs believe that the substantial proportionality test contained in the agency’s policy interpretation of that regulation establishes a gender-based quota system. The plaintiffs also argued that the university’s decision to eliminate the men’s swimming program while retaining the women’s program denied them equal protection of the law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Plaintiffs contend that the applicable rules allow â€Å"the University to†¦ improve its statistics without adding any opportunities for women†¦,† an outcome they suggest is unconstitut...

Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conflict Resolution - Essay Example   My main means of relieving stress is through singing. Therefore, during tense situations, I sing, thus engaging my mind in an activity. b). Recognize and manage emotions- when faced with a conflict, I recognize and understand my emotions as well as emotions from other people. This assists me in ensuring I communicate effectively and appropriately thereby, smoothing over disagreements (Segal, Boose, & Smith, 2013). Moreover, I am strongly connected to my feelings and therefore, have the ability to face and tackle differences arising at home, work, or any social place. c) Improvement on nonverbal skills - when faced with conflict, I do pay close attention to the nonverbal signals of the other individual. This assists me in understanding statements from the person and thus, able me to respond in a suitable manner while getting to the base of the problem (Segal, Boose, & Smith, 2013). Moreover, I use a calm tone and show a concerned facial expression, which facilitates tension diffusion. d). Use of humor and play – during a conflict situation, I normally communicate in a humorous and playful manner and this minimizes confrontations, and thus resolve disagreements. Moreover, humor ensures that I communicate feelings and ideas that otherwise would be hard to express (Segal, Boose, & Smith, 2013). I agree to disagree with someone by first recognizing similar viewpoints and listening to his or her reasons for the viewpoints. Afterwards, I proceed to the points we disagree on. We engage in constructive arguments where both parties defend their views and perceptions and try to convince one another (Segal, Boose, & Smith, 2013). In case the person lacks strong and convincing points to defend his perception, I disagree with him and terminate the argument.   

Iraq invasion 2003 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Iraq invasion 2003 - Essay Example American invasion of Iraq has been assessed and reassessed by intellectuals both inside and outside America. Though different people put forward different factors as the reasons behind the invasion, all agree on the fact that America failed to achieve any of its objectives in Iraq. Also, it becomes evident from the circumstances that America was in the dire need of strengthening its geopolitical dominance in the Middle East, and considering the situation of the time, Iraq was the most vulnerable victim. There were three main factors which can prove that the American invasion of Iraq was inevitability. They are the US global grand strategy, the US strategic position in the Middle East, and the ruling coalition in the Bush administration. The motivating factors – the war was inevitable In order to understand the American desire to use coercion as a weapon to ensure American dominance in the world, one has to read The Project for a New American Century. The Project’s State ment of Principles declares that America has a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Also, it is pointed out that it is important to act before crises emerge, and to face threats before they grow stronger (New American Century, 2000: 4-5). Very similar are the claims in the 2002 National Security Strategy which clearly state that threats to the US would be met using both traditional containment and preventive wars (The White House, 2002: 15). One has to remember the fact that the US global hegemony was, to a great extent, dependent on its protectorate over the oil reserves in the Middle East. Ironically, the biggest threat to American domination also came from the same place; and the best example is the 9/11 attack. Thus, it was clear that America had to reshape the Middle East. In fact, American hegemony over the Middle East oil was getting questioned. In the opinion of Hinnebusch (2007: 213), US and other capitalist countries would im minently face an oil shock as the oil producing Middle Eastern nations were gaining more and more power. First of all, despite the American efforts to impose sanctions on Iraq and Iran, they managed to survive as such sanctions only benefited other nations. To illustrate, Iraq started selling oil concessions to nations like Russia, China and France. Similarly, according to Cramer and Thrall (n.d.: 18), the whole Western Europe wanted to get oil from Iran instead of isolating it; and when America tried to keep its companies away from the so called nations, its rivals were benefiting from the sanctions. Traditionally, Saudi Arabia was playing an important role in providing US with oil help. It moderated oil prices for America throughout the years. However, America was fully concerned about its high degree of dependence on Saudi Arabia for oil needs. Also, the recent years witnessed a decline in the oil pumping capacity of Saudi Arabia making it unable to moderate oil prices anymore (C ommittee on Foreign Affairs House of Representatives 2007: 8). Evidently, al Qaeda and other terrorists were highly dissatisfied with use of American forces to protect Saudi Arabia, and was a motivating factor for Bin Laden to turn against America. As Reno (2012: para. 12-13) points out, it was revealed that Saudi citizens were involved in the 9/11 attack and funding; and this was sufficient for the Zionist lobby in the Bush administration to create an anti-Saudi public opinion in America. Murphy (2011: para. 12) states that, at the same time, Saudi Arabia started looking for alternatives as it felt abandoned by the US. Soon, it reconciled with Iran and Iraq. Thus, as America was losing one swing producer, it wanted to find another one; and Iraq became the primary target (ibid). First of all, it meant that America would again get access to privileged oil, at the same time ensuring its hegemony over its economic rivals like Europe, Asia and the emerging global rival China. Thus, Iraq became a one word solution. The matter can be seen in the military