Divine Comedy and the Odyssey as Epics

The poems ‘Divine Comedy’ and ‘The Odyssey’ have characteristics of an epic piece of literature. Epic poems have distinct features that separate them from other poems. To start with, they are lengthy and usually in a narrative style. Their themes are grand and the main characters are heroic figures. The protagonists face many challenges in the course of the poems, culminating into victory or failure. Some epics have supernatural figures or powers, while others have physical combats exemplary displayed by one or two characters.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Divine Comedy and the Odyssey as Epics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, epics tackle the daily routine of life not just entertaining or glorifying some characters. Instead, they capture events that transpired in a given period. This paper will demonstrate that ‘Divine Comedy’ and ‘The Odyssey’ are classic epics depicting the events happening in their respective periods. It will also compare and contrast the two poems under consideration. In ‘The Odyssey’, by Homer, Odysseus is the heroic figure, who has fought in the Trojan War and achieved victory. He struggles to get back to his homeland, Ithaca, but his journey is full of tribulations. Odysseus is constantly under the danger of attack and dodging death, giving him ample time to think about his life, in particular, the spiritual life. However, he has to go home to Ithaca and save his people. The fact that Odysseus is a hero in a mission to save his nation distinguishes the poem as an epic. ‘Divine Comedy’ by Dante Alighieri reflects on life after death. The poet pens down his imagination of how hell would look like. It is a poem about the supernatural more than about a hero, which is the first difference between the current poem and ‘The Odyssey’. ‘Divine Comedy’ has 14, 2 33 lines, the number that is almost equal to ‘The Odyssey’ (Dante 43). Dante makes himself the main character in the work that can be viewed as an aspect that distinguishes it from other epics. In spite of these differences in main characters, the two poems fit perfectly within the definition of an epic. The beginning and setting of the two poems epitomize the writings as well. ‘The Odyssey’ starts by invoking a muse. Then, Homer follows this by extrapolating on the themes in the poem, which is a characteristic of an epic. The setting covers a vast distance as Odysseus travels back to Ithaca across the Mediterranean Sea after the Trojan War. Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ also begins in medias res. There are three different settings in the poem: the inferno, purgatorio, and paradise. The many settings afford epic poets an opportunity to develop their themes without space constraints.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It should be outlined that a major characteristic of epics is the use of heroic figures. Odysseus is the hero in Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’, who is venerated and fondly sobriquet the â€Å"Odyssey, master mariner and solder† (Homer 436). Odysseus undergoes numerous trials and tribulations but he emerges stronger each time. In the poem, the main hero and his men run into Cyclops. Facing imminent defeat, the brave leader intelligently fools Cyclops and blindfolds him. Thus, Odysseus secures his men’s safety. In another episode, the king of Ithaca encounters Circle, the Greek goddess with powers to turn men into animals. Again, he secures the safety of his men by defeating the mighty woman. In the third encounter, visiting the underworld and meets his mother and other fallen heroes. Notably, the interaction between dead and living men is a distinct feature of epics. ‘D ivine Comedy’ is different because it does not have a human hero who excels in war. Instead, the author enters into the afterlife and presents it to his audience. Thirty-five-year-old Dante makes entrance into a dark forest where he sees a light from a distance and attempts to reach it. However, a ferocious and angry lion stands on his way. A spirit comes to rescue him but not without a price. The main character will have to go through hell, purgatory, and then get his way to heaven. Dante is ready to take the journey because of his desire to escape from a sinful world. In this poem, the author makes extensive use of supernatural beings, animals, and dead people, which can qualify the writing piece as an epic poem. Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ extensively applies supernatural forces, an aspect of an epic. Gods and goddess appear in the poem in many instances. Some of the supernatural forces help the hero while others are viewed as a hindrance to the hero’s progress. Poseidon hinders Odysseus’ progress by putting him through Calypso, a very dangerous island. Goddess Circle opposes Oedipus’ trespass and threatens to kill his men. However, other gods and goddess facilitate Oedipus’ journey back to Ithaca. Athena, for instance, helps Oedipus escape from goddess Circle in Calypso. Hermes too facilitates Oedipus’ sojourn by offering protection against Calypso. As mentioned earlier, the use of superpowers is one characteristic of epics. Calypso, Hermes, Poseidon, and Circle elevate Homer’s poem epic stature. Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ uses supernatural powers and unreal settings extensively. As mentioned before, Dante makes his poem unique by presenting himself as the main character. In his epic, he narrates his afterlife in hell and finally the journey to heaven. He also describes Virgil as the other main character in his poem, who was a Roman poet widely acclaimed for his Christian ways and moral rectitude. Capturing war escapades of the man who founded Rome, Virgil redeems Dante by offering him the way to heaven.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Divine Comedy and the Odyssey as Epics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The other deceased character in Dante’s poem is Beatrice, the author’s first love, who guides him in heaven. There are other mythological personages and creatures in the poem, including Arachne and Harpies, supernatural figures like demons, angels, and the devil. Just like in Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’, the use of mythological and supernatural figures enhances the poem’s epic nature. One should bear in mind that the epic poems do not merely entertain or detail lives of heroes for their own sake. Instead, they pass across a message that resonates with what was happening at the particular period. Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ captures the materialism and moral decadence that plagued his society. The poem employs deep allegory to depict the consequences of sin. Thus, it begins on the eve of Good Friday with the setting in the thick of dark woodland. On the opposite side, allure of the sun beckons but a ferocious lion stands on the way. It could be considered that the dark forest symbolizes sin. The sun, however, represents salvation. The lion embodies all the things that hold human beings back from heaven. By timing his death on a Good Friday, Dante captures how Jesus died to save humanity. He argues that peoples’ greed and self-seeking pursuit set them apart from God. Homer’s ‘ The Odyssey’ captures Odysseus’ trials and challenges as he attempts to get back to his people. The theme of homecoming runs through the poem. Temptation as a theme is also recurrent. Thus, Odysseus resists numerous temptations as he makes his way to Ithaca. However, some of his solders suffer psychologica l peril because of falling into temptations. At a symbolic level, the poem shows how weakness makes human beings vulnerable. Identity and exile also run through the poem where Odysseus is in a foreign country to fight for his homeland. After winning the war, he has to go through hostile land to his people back at home that also need him. At a symbolic level, this journey represents human pursuit of identity. In conclusion, the paper has extrapolated some characteristics of epics that are genres of long poetry, often classical. They are narratives with the elevated themes usually focusing on success and failures of heroes. Additionally, they may have supernatural characters that interact with mortals. The poems ‘Divine Comedy’ by Dante and Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ are epics. They start in medias res and invoke a muse in the beginning. Homer’s poem concentrates on extraordinary acts of king of Ithaca who is returning home after a successful war in a foreign land.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Throughout his journey, he encounters stiff resistance from some gods and goddess but manages to arrive home at the end. Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ focuses on afterlife where the author imagines the life after death and commits himself to investigate it for the audience. His poem is a protestation against materialism and decadence that rocked his society. The two poems fit perfectly within the characteristics of an epic. Works Cited Dante, Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. London: Laurence King, 2010. Print. Homer. The Odyssey. London: Penguin Classics, 2009. Print. This essay on Divine Comedy and the Odyssey as Epics was written and submitted by user Blaze G. 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.

My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essays

My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essays My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay After analyzing Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1979; Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994), I used it to interpret my development.   At the microscopic level (the child’s genetic characteristics, e.g., genetic sex, and predispositions), a probable predisposition towards being athletic interacted positively with my relationships with peers and involvement in team sports (mesosystem influences).   Another mesosystem influence, responsibilities in caring for my younger brothers and sister, influenced my values about children and career goals. Exosystem influences worked to my advantage since, for example, the mass media has glorified athletic success, and macrosystem influences, the general culture and its subgroups, led to a football scholarship, making it possible to attend college.   These influences led to enrolling in a Master’s program to prepare me for working with children having adjustment difficulties. At the time Bronfenbrenner was developing an ecological theory of development (1979), the social learning theory that development was a function of the environment acting on a passive child was dominant (Bandura, 1977).  Ã‚   Bronfenbrenner recognized that the child actively influenced environmental responses (1979).   As examples, happy babies elicit more responsive behaviors from caretakers than babies with more difficult temperaments (e.g., Keller Scholmerich, 1987) and sociable children receive more positive attention than shy children from their peers (e.g., Adler Adler, 1998).   Also contrary to social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), Bronfenbrenner recognized that while controlled experiments were important, we also needed to study children in their natural contexts, as they actually behaved in their homes, schools, playgrounds, etc., and that parents were only one of the important influences on development (1979).   His theory has been an important influence on curr ent theories, which have â€Å"moved beyond a focus on main effects of parenting to efforts to understand complex interactions between individuals and their environments† (Vandell, 2000, p. 700). Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1979) was that development began with the child, prior to environmental influences (the microsystem), then expanded to relationships in the mesosystem, i.e., early environmental influences children experienced directly, typically in their own neighborhoods, e.g., their immediate families, peers, schools.   Development also included indirect influences, the exosystem, e.g., public health services, school policies.   Contrary to Bronfenbrenner’s earlier observations (1970) and also to current research findings (e.g., Werner Smith, 1992), examples of indirect influences also included adults such as neighbors and extended family (1979).   Interactions with adults outside of one’s immediate family (e.g., neighbors, aunts, uncles) have positively influenced the development of children (e.g., Werner Smith, 1992).   The broadest influences, the macrosystem, were both the dominant culture and groups within this culture (e.g., socioeconom ic status, SES). Science is impersonal, and new empirical evidence should result in the modification of existing theory.   As Bandura was influenced by findings inconsistent with social learning theory and developed social-cognitive theory (1989), Bronfenbrenner revised his theory based on findings of behavioral-genetic researchers that there are inherited predispositions for a wide variety of personality characteristics (e.g., depression, Behar, 1980; attitudes, Tesser, 1993; alcoholism, Hill, 1990; shyness, Kagan, Reznick, Snidman, 1988).   In Bronfenbrenner’s revised bioecological theory, the microsystem, the child’s initial state, has been expanded in order to understand the extent to which these predispositions become manifested (i.e., how genotypes become phenotypes) by interacting with the influences in the other systems described above (2005; Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994). Influences on my development After my birth, my young mother worked and also returned to high school.   We lived in an urban lower SES environment, with a high crime rate, gangs, and easy access to drugs.   According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), the microsystem (i.e., me) would be interacting with less than favorable influences, beginning with the macrosystem’s (lower SES) influence on the exosystem (e.g., under-funding of schools and community services) and mesosystem (e.g., too little access to parents, too much access to drug-using, gang-member peers).   In an interview (Addison, 1992), Bronfenbrenner remained critical of our society’s failure to establish conditions where work and other settings were designed to incorporate the needs of families:   â€Å"We have to have social policies that enable family life and work to be carried on simultaneously†¦our country is far behind in   making the necessary rearrangements† (p. 17). Based on Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994), the genetic predispositions of the child, i.e., the microsystem, interacted with influences from the other levels.   I can make inferences about my own predispositions, based on autobiographical memories of events that occurred after the age of two or three (the ages most of us believe we were at the time of our reported earliest memories, Mullen, 1994).  Ã‚   Since childhood, I remember enjoying and excelling at sports, thus I probably was predisposed to being athletic.   This was a most fortunate predisposition because even in childhood, consistent with research (Adler Adler, 1998), being athletic resulted in high status among my peers, in turn increasing my confidence, and possibly a reason why I was sociable and made friends easily. Untangling predispositions is difficult because, for example, a predisposition for being athletic certainly could have contributed to my becoming sociable, but there also is a genetic predisposition for being sociable (i.e., extroversion,   Owen Sines, 1970), which, in turn, is a reason why children find it easy to make friends (Adler Adler, 1998).   In my case, as in most families, my relatives range from being highly extraverted to being highly introverted, with most being at neither extreme on the introversion-extraversion personality dimension.   Nonetheless, it is likely that a genetic predisposition for being athletic was a reason for being in a favorable position in terms of my mesosystem. Sports also led me to join church-sponsored teams and then middle- and high-school teams.   Despite the TV ads and despite the delusions of some parents, kids from all SES groups are involved, to varying extents, with drugs, especially marijuana (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, 1998).   Usage in my neighborhood was lower among team members than among other groups.   In lower SES neighborhoods (the macrosystem) similar to where I grew up, there was status associated with being in a gang.   The gang members were heavy users of drugs such as crack cocaine, cheaper than the cocaine available in higher SES groups, but nonetheless requiring money that could be made by dealing. Since poverty is a good predictor of criminal behavior (Bjerk, 2007), it isn’t surprising that low SES youth are over-represented, relative to middle-class youth, in the juvenile (so-called) justice system.   In my neighborhood, it wasn’t unusual for a preteen boy with a reputation for using crack to experience his first encounter with the long arm of the law, an influence from the macrosystem.   Contrary to exosystem influences on middle-class youth, the legal services available to low SES youth and the greater penalties given to offenses involving the less expensive crack cocaine probably would result in this preteen boy from my neighborhood winding up in a mesosystem consisting of young future criminals, AKA Juvenile Detention.   Many people are fond of theories of between-group genetic differences (not part of Bronfenbrenner’s theory), which often become best-selling junk psychology books (e.g., Herrnstein Murray, 1994).   Thus it is important to note that early (e.g., Dobzhansky Montagu, 1947, cited in Montagu, 1974) and continued consistent evidence (reviewed in Neisser, 1997) has disconfirmed theories of between-group genetic differences, and whatever genetic predispositions the preteen boy I described had were not a result of his low SES. My own involvement and talent in sports resulted in a football scholarship that made it possible for me to go to college.   There have been newspaper debates about what scholarships in high-profile sports imply about our culture’s values, but, for me, the macrosystem’s interaction with other systems was a blessing.   I had some thoughts about professional football, but my football-playing days ended after a knee injury.   Because of experiences with children, described below, I majored in criminal justice, hoping to find a job working with youthful offenders. My mesosystem includes five younger brothers and a younger sister.   My mom needed to work and she counted on me to care for my brothers and sister in her absence. My relationship with my mom has always been positive, and I did not resent having grown-up responsibilities.   In fact, I felt proud that my mom trusted me (a positive contribution to my mesosystem) and I began to learn that our society devalues the worth of caring for children.   I didn’t and don’t believe that the jobs older children in my neighborhood had – delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, etc. – were as rewarding as caring for my younger siblings.   In the world of adult work, daycare-center teachers and aides are among the most poorly paid workers, suggesting a cultural lack of concern (a macrosystem influence) about where we leave our children (influencing their microsystems). My own positive experiences with my siblings influenced my desire to work with children.   However, after I graduated from college, with a major in criminal justice, I wasn’t able to find such a job.   I became certified as an emergency medical technician, and, in this capacity, work as a firefighter, a job that is satisfying, but does not provide the rewards I had hoped to find in my work.   I enjoy being the father of two children, being involved in their lives and the lives of their friends, and I also enjoy coaching little-league football.   These activities, an important part of my mesosystem, are rewarding and have helped in convincing me to return to my earlier goal of working with children.   Thus, as described above, Bronfenbrenner’s levels of influence ultimately led to my enrollment in a Master’s program in General Human Services, a degree that will qualify me for jobs that involve working with children who are having difficulties in adjustin g to traumatic life events, such as child abuse.

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Personal statement - Essay Example Yet, despite the adversities that I encounter, I resolve to keep my head high and bravely face the challenges that come along my way. My dream is to finish the program Electrical Engineering in your reputable institution. Just knowing that your institution have accomplished alumni and outstanding teachers makes me very excited knowing that this is the best possible place to get educated. I hope that I would be given the privilege to finish my studies at your amazing institution. I am Betelhem, a migrant from Ethiopia where I finished my high school studies. My dream is to become an Electrical Engineer one day. Behind every dream is a story of which I would detail so this institution would understand my desire to pursue my dream. Because of my transfer to the United States, I was unable to finish my college degree at my country. Also, I was compelled to go out of my country because very few universities have an Electrical Engineering program. Besides, that program required a 4.0 GPA o f which I was unable to meet during my high school days. As a consequence, I had to pursue either Marketing or Accounting which were really not my interest at all. This was very upsetting for me since I could not accept anything less than becoming an Electrical Engineer someday. My dream to become an Electrical Engineer was an influence of my father. ... The buildings that were erected contributed to the infrastructural growth of the country. There was no way to compromise my dream so I convinced my family that I have to pursue my studies in this country. Leaving my mother and sister behind was heart breaking but I have more to look forward to. I know one day that I would come back as an Electrical Engineer. All the knowledge and experience I have gained would be shared to my fellowmen so I can be a productive member of my beloved Ethiopia. Looking back, more than five years has passed since I moved here. Currently, I am working on my transfer from Edmonds Community College. However, academic life is just one part of the struggles that I had to overcome when I moved in this country. There were far deeper concerns that I have to attend such as adjusting to the culture and language which really surprised me. Back in Ethiopia, I was excited to come to America since the media always portray this country as full of opportunities. Later, t he reality set in as gradually experienced what is it like to live in the United States and interact with members of this society. The language, the culture, the new sights and sounds seemed attractive yet frightening at the same time. After a few more years, I finally adjusted to my new environment clutching tightly to my dream. I resolved to pursue the dream whatever it takes. Another challenge took its place that almost quenched my desire to fulfill my dream is financial hardship. Going to college was quite complicated on my part since I have to work full time and squeeze in extra hours required by the job. Presently, I work as a sales associate at Macy’s department store. This has been my first job since I moved here.

The women used their voice as power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The women used their voice as power - Essay Example The paper pursues to comprehend the power of the female voice and sexuality as demonstrated by Miranda in â€Å"The Tempest† and Cunegonde in â€Å"Candide.† Miranda and Cunegonde have demonstrated that women should not remain quiet and submissive within the background. The two personalities mirror the mentalities of the men who court them, and to a level, create them. Miranda’s marriage to Ferdinand aids Prospero to regain his dukedom in The Tempest. Throughout both works, Cunegonde and Miranda come out as markedly florid and romanticized terms that imply the women are not what the protagonists identify them to be (Nelson 2). Voice is power filled with truth and love and can be regarded as an embodiment of the women’s strong spirit within the society. In the play, â€Å"The Tempest,† Miranda is the daughter of Prospero who falls in love with the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand. Miranda comes out as gentle and compassionate, but also passive and a heroi ne. Initially, Miranda displays meek and emotional nature; however, in the play final scene, Miranda she surprisingly comes out as forthright and powerful to the extent of complicating the reader’s constructions of her as naive. In The Tempest, a father isolates his daughter with the aim of protecting her from the terrible realities the world. Miranda enjoys all the privileges of her father’s reign over the island. ... Miranda’s relationship with a shipwrecked prince contributes to the reconciliation of the exiled Duke with the Milanese court. The romantic aspect of the play highlighted by the inclusion of most of the dialogue between Miranda and Ferdinand within the play-text, especially in Act 3. Miranda delivers a powerful speech to Ferdinand in Act III, Scene I in which she declares her undying love for him. Miranda uses this speech to propose marriage, but also practically insist on it. The demonstrates the power of her voice  in which Miranda appears to break out of her predictable self as she has established under the influence of her father’s magic. The first instance features in Act I, scene 2, in which Miranda appears to arrive to a point at which she can no longer contain what she thinks. This does not arise from the fact that her desires are getting better, but rather Miranda realizes the requisite of expressing her desires. As a result, the naive girl who could hardly h old still long enough to listen to her father’s a long story in Act I, Scene 2 is replaced by an assertive, more mature woman at this moment. In the powerful speech Miranda proclaims her sexual independence by employing a metaphor that implies both a pregnancy and an erection, which appears to transform her all at once from a girl into a woman. Miranda in â€Å"The Tempest† uses her voice to carry the plot forward, whereby she pledges to be with Ferdinand regardless of the cost to herself (Shakespeare, Jonathan, and Eric 7). The power of Miranda’s voice features in Act II, Scene I, in which Miranda makes a marriage proposal to Ferdinand can be regarded Miranda’s second surprising moment. Miranda’s proposal follows her resolve to remember her

Jewish art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jewish art history - Essay Example The Dura Europas Temple started as a simple private home. The Jews converted the home to a synagogue during the 2nd Century. The Jews are a religious people. As religious individuals, the people often go to pray in their temples. The Dura Europus is one of the famous temples of the Jews. However, the temple was reduced to sand starting in 244 CE. The Jews filled the temple with wall paintings. The paintings included the famous Tanakh stories. The people’s lives revolve around the temple’s teachings. The priests impart the religious rules on how to live life by implementing the religious teachings. The images on the temple walls add to the religious fervor of the people. Several individuals did not believe that the decorative cycle paintings reflected didactic images. The images include stories of the Ark located in the land of the Philistines. The images include the important story of the Tabernacle’s consecration. The Dura Europas’ ceiling was filled with majestic images. The images had Roman themes. The temple included the Torah Shrine image, the Menorah Image, and the Akedat Yizchak (binding Isaac as he is prepared for the Sacrifice). The Paintings located inside the Dura Europas had Eastern, Roman, and Hellenic themes. The Lower East side of New York Movie shows how the Jews lived (Riis 1). The Jews were poor people. Consequently, they lived tightly packed like sardines under one roof. In some homes, six persons slept on one bed, tightly embracing one another. Some Jews lived together under one small room in Shtelt and other communities. Consequently, the rooms were congested with people. Tightly packed, the Jews, especially the children, often played together on the streets and within their residences or communities. When the Jews come out of their temples, they are either smiling or crying. They are smiling because they are happy to hear the priests’ new

Cost Management in Construction

Cost Management in Construction Client expect from the project manager to manage costs in a precise and responsive approach. It is essential, during the design progress, the project manager to have the ability to supervise a projects scope and costs. Budget control is a requirement for a successful project. For a successful budget control variances must be identified and informed actions must be taken at main design milestones. In order to ensure the client that the project will be on budget and on time, meeting the owners objectives, an efficient cost management and budget control program must be established from the conceptual phase to the bid phase. Cost management and control budget, during the design phase, is not a difficult goal but is a worthwhile goal. It is important because changes because it is easier, during the design phase, to accommodate changes and the cost of such modifications is lower compared to later phases. In order to achieve an effective cost management and budget control an organized metho dology and approach must be established. Furthermore, team members must understand their roles and responsibilities, and good estimating techniques must be used (Sundaram, 2008). The first typical objective of design phase cost management is to estimate a sufficient and accurate budget. The second objective is to ensure that bids are in budget. Then make sure alignment of budget, scope and owners requirements. The last typical objective is to reduce risks because of cost overruns. During the design phase, all the design team members must show a cost conscious approach. All members of the design team must use cost control, as a design tool, to reduce the risks of cost overruns (Sundaram, 2008). In order to approach an effective cost management design, team members must demonstrate a strong commitment to the project budget and target costs. A cost model must be established for the cost estimate in aid of managing the cost effectively and tracked easily variances to support decision-making (Sundaram, 2008). Requirements must be manage in order to balance requirements with owners affordability. Scope creeps must be monitored and controlled (Macaluso J., et al, 2004).Cost drivers must be considered in aid of establishing product specifications. Cost must be considered, during development, as an essential design parameter (Crow, 2000). Exploration of design alternatives to develop lower cost design approaches. Value engineering and value analysis must be used in order to improve product value at minimised cost (Crow, 2000). Use of constructability review in order to ensure, that the project will be finished in realistic, programmed cost parameters. Finally, documentation of revi ew meetings discussions and confirmations of design decisions must be done (Sundaram, 2008). The above mentioned objectives and approaches of cost management in design phase will result the following benefits. More precise estimates would be achieved and they have as a result to improve business decisions. Budget cost control would be improved. Change control would be improved and there will be less likelihood of unplanned scope creep. Finally it will improve the timely identification of problem areas (Sundaram, 2008). Methodology of budget control In a phased plan development with design milestones, the estimated cost is organized at each milestone. Furthermore, the cost is reconciled with budget at each milestone (Figure 1). The budget for the project is refined all the way through the different design phases. All elements of the budget must be plainly defined, captured and developed during each phase (Sundaram, 2008). According to Sundaram (2008) the recommended steps for a successful budget control are the following. First, the project scope and the project baselines details must be understand. At every design stage, schematic, design development and construction document phase must be prepared an updated estimate and track the updated estimate against the previous stage budget for any variations. In order to get the project back on track budget/scope alignment must be checked. The variances or scope creep must be identified and make right trade-offs between scope, quality and scope to contain the project on budget. A confirmation must be done that the differences among previous and current design costs are reconciled, in order to ensure that needless changes and costs have not take place, before proceeding to the next stage until the final stage. (Sundaram, 2008). Roles/Responsibilities of the architect, the estimator, owners and stakeholders for effective cost management and budget control Furthermore, for effective cost management and budget control, it is necessary that the estimator and the architect understand their roles and responsibilities (Sundaram, 2008). The role of the contractors estimator is vital to the success of the organization. The estimator is responsible for predicting the most economic costs for construction in a way that is both clear and consistent. Although an estimator will have a feel for the prices in the marketplace, it is the responsibility of management to add an amount for general overheads, assess the risks and turn the estimate into a tender (Brook, 2004). Estimator must understand that he plays an important role in the whole process of budget control. During the design phase the estimator must coordinate with the design team. The role of the estimator does not end in producing an estimate. It is essential the estimator to be involved from the early stages in the design process because things can be changed without great difficulty. The estimator must observe design decisions that influence cost and inform the design team, at the earliest achievable time, of the impact of design decisions. The estimator must make effort to understand the design aim in aim to predict cost implications. He must be able to offer the best potential construction information to the design team (Sundaram, 2008). Sundaram 2008 also state that estimator should convey to the design team, that in addition to the design factors, final cost is governed by other variables such escalation, union and non-union wages, and the nature of construction (Sundaram, 2008). A simplistic view of the role of the architects is that they create architectures, and their responsibilities encompass all that is involved in doing so. This would include articulating the architectural vision, conceptualizing and experimenting with alternative architectural approaches, creating models and component and interface specification documents, and validating the architecture against requirements and assumptions. However, any experienced architect knows that the role involves not just these technical activities, but others that are more political and strategic in nature on the one hand, and more like those of a consultant, on the other (Bredemeyer Malan, 2006). The architect, during the schematic stage, is bound by three constraints quality, cost and size requirements (Figure 2). The architect is responsible to assist the owner in choosing the priorities and also making the correct trade-offs. For example, if cost is the primary concern for the owner must try to contain costs and make the owner to realize the amount of size requirements and quality he will obtain to suit the budget. Furthermore, architect must also assist the owner to determine his second and third priorities (Sundaram, 2008). During the design stage architect can make adjustments to the materials, the quality or architectural effect and size requirements. Value engineering sessions, including a multidiscipline team, will make sure that owners functions are offered in the most cost-effective approach without reducing quality. At this stage, before going on to the construction stage, the architect and the owner must be sure of the cost. Architect must realize that except reflecting the design also determines the cost (Sherwin, D. 2009). A review of the design, specifications and contract documents before the bidding stage will have as a result competitive bids and fewer changes later on (Sundaram, 2008). The owner is a component of the design team and his decisions can influence the final bid value. The owner, before confirming the bid package, must think about the following considerations. According to Sundaram (2008) is better the bid package to be simple without confusing documents. Unreasonable requirements must be avoided and is wise to follow proven type of contracts. In order not to limit competition, the unnecessary use bidding limitations and the persistence on nominated suppliers and subcontractors, must be avoided. The risk considerations and the adequacy of contingency must be checked. For example, unit price items should be better for items of work which are difficult to quantify. The risk to contractor is removed and the owner has to pay for the work actually executed (Sundaram, 2008). An essential aspect of a successful project is the relationship with stakeholders. Freeman defined stakeholders as all those who can influence the objectives of the firm, or are influenced by the fir, in attaining their own objectives. The set of actors identified is extensive, and includes consumers and suppliers, employees, shareholders, environmentalist groups, trade unions, local communities and governmental bodies (Keijzers, 2005). Therefore, dealing with stakeholders is an issue of choosing the stakeholders that really matter. Mitchell et al. state that for this selection process there are three criteria. The first criterion is the power a stakeholder has over the company (Mitchell et al, 1997). Power focuses on the question of how much the company needs the resources provided by that stakeholder only (Keijzers, 2005). The second criterion is legitimacy. This criterion concerns legitimate claims of a stakeholder on the firm. (Mitchell et al, 1997). For example, governmental bod ies are essential in this respect, because they have the legitimacy to build up rules for companies (Keijzers, 2005). The last criterion is urgency. The claims of stakeholders can differ with respect to the urgency of a response of the firm. (Keijzers, 2005). Rowley states that stakeholders might have connections, and that company works in a network of stakeholders (Rowley, 1997). This implies that a stakeholder may not be crucial given the variables of legitimacy, power or urgency, but it still should be selected because it influences other stakeholders that are important to the firm. An example of this would be the local community of a crucial supplier of the firm. (Keijzers, 2005).

The Film Camila Essay -- Maria Luisa Bemberg Movies essays papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film â€Å"Camila† was produced in 1984 and directed by Maria Luisa Bemberg (1922-1955). Based on the true story of Camila O’Gorman, an Argentine woman who falls in love with a priest in 1840’s Buenos Aires, this story dealt with the terrifying reign of Juan Manuel de Rosas. Camila is from an influential family and is betrothed to a Rosas loyalist. She is passionate and daring, just like her grandmother, and reads books that have been censored by the ruthless Rosas. When she falls in love with Father Ladislao, the two flee Buenos Aires and assume new identities as school teachers in a small village. During a party, a priest from Ladislao’s old church recognizes Ladislao and turns them both in. They are both executed by firing squad even though Camila is pregnant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The director, Maria Luisa Bemberg was a famous director known for attracting actors like Imanol Arias who were already established in their careers. Her most famous films are â€Å"Camila† (1984), â€Å"I, Worst of All† (1990), and â€Å"I Don’t Want to Talk About It† (1990) (McClennon). Many of her films, including â€Å"Camila† had similar themes. She often criticized patriarchies and authoritarianism by telling stories of courageous women who dealt with historical events that had direct effects on women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Camila’s father, Aldolfo O’Gorman, represents a more intimate version of Rosas. He brings the terror of the government into her home, reminding her daily that she should do only as a respectful and loyal socialite woman is expected. He is obsessed with moral obligations as outlined by the Catholic Church, and also loyalty to family, church, and state. However, the family’s loyalty is meant for the male head of the house. The first scenes of the film show Camila playing with kittens, then cuts to the servant who is carrying out her orders to drown the kittens. This scene immediately develops the cruelty the film will display within the O’Gorman family and the terror of the Rosas regime. Later, he scolds her at the dinner table, in front of guests, for questioning Rosas’s laws and ideals. Taken to extremes, he even turns her unto Rosas when she elopes. d also represents the order of repression in the movie. Rosas oppresses the men unfairly, and then they go home and do the same to their wives and daughters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Camila is also inspired by her grandmother, Ana Perichon. La Perichona was known to be... ...t loved ones decapitated heads on spikes in the square. Red was indeed the color of the ruling party, and obsessive adherence to the mandate to always wear read was not optional, but mandatory for life (Wilson). Other details like the lace scarves worn to mass, the banned books, the frequency of mass, and the clothes were customary for the time period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because â€Å"Camila† was released shortly after the end of the Argentine Proceso, it was clearly a timely criticism of dictatorship in Argentina. The real story of Camila occurred in a time following a brief bout with democracy. This film could be seen as a cautionary tale in terms of warning against ever returning to that form of government. If this, indeed, was Bemberg’s intentions, she was a brave, courageous woman that would have made a great character in one of her own films. Works Cited Barrera, Adriana, et al. Cinergia Movie File: Camila. 10 Apr. 2001. 15 Feb. 2005 . Cagliani, Martin. Argentine Women. University of Buenos Aires. 15 Feb. 2005 . McClennen, Sophia. Bemberg, Maria Luisa. 15 Feb. 2005 . Wilson, Bobbie. Camila O'Gorman. 2003. 15 Feb. 2005 . Wilson, Bobbie. Styles of Camila. 2002. 15 Feb. 2005 .

Collaboration And Professionalism And There Use In Educational Strategies

Collaboration, audience, engagement ; these are words used within educational schemes and enterprises but what do they all intend? Do they mean the same thing? Collaboration normally means to work with person to accomplish something. Consultation means a treatment between people or groups before they make a determination. Engagement means the procedure of taking portion in something. ( Encarta Dictionary: English ( UK ) ) With mention to their dictionary significances, coaction, audience and engagement are really much linked together, but what has that got to make with instruction? Harmonizing to Head ( 2003 ) , coaction is valuable on a personal degree, it enhances moral support and assurance ; on a professional degree it provides improved effectivity, self-reflection and instructor acquisition, through sharing good pattern. Teachers and schools are all on the job towards the same ends. Effective schools need effectual communicating and coaction amongst staff, other agents, parents and students. ( Head, 2003 ) Christie et Al, ( 2007 ) , suggest it is good documented by ( King, 2002 ; Loughran, 2003 ) , that take parting collaboratively with a scope of other practicians allows cognition to be produced which goes beyond the limitations which affect the professional position. ( Christie, D.et Al, 2007 ) Without effectual communicating and coaction, instructors in schools can be incognizant of the cognition that exists between themselves ; as a consequence, they can non portion and pull upon that cognition. The formation of new cognition and improved patterns for instructors can non be left to opportunity or to establishments of instructor instruction in universities. Knowledge creative activity and airing are embedded in synergistic acquisition, processes which are shaped by structural and institutional agreements. ( Hargreaves. D, 1999 ) Hargreaves argues there are turning attempts to construct an effectual professional ethos of coaction to develop common ends, to get by with ambiguity and complexness. ( Hargreaves. A, 2000 ) In malice of this, if collegial methods merely back up coaction with other instructors and non signifiers of collaborative partnership with other people and professionals, instructors may go stray, which could convey about damaging effects in footings of cut downing their professional cognition and curtailing their ability to objectively knock policy and pattern. ( Christie.et al, 2007 ) Cordingley et Al. ( 2005 ) , cited by Forde et Al. ( 2006 ) , suggest coaction between instructors is about seeking out new thoughts, which helps to alter pattern and secures a instructor ‘s committedness within the school. Barth ( 2001 ) says that the key in learning-rich-schools is about instructors larning together. Some schools are developing professional acquisition communities where leading is seen as whole school instead than led merely by the Headteacher. Schools where this construct is taking topographic point have improved the ability to convey about better public presentation, higher degrees of motive and sustainable development. ( Forde et al. 2006 ) In Scotland, the McCrone Agreement places a duty on instructors to work together with co-workers and other people and professionals to prosecute the overall aims of the service. Teachers besides have a professional committedness to develop their accomplishments and expertness through an in agreement programme of go oning professional development ( CPD ) through an extra contractual 35 hours of CPD per twelvemonth. ( SEED, 2001 ) CPD plays an of import function in determining professional individuality, along with collegiality and coaction ; nevertheless, some award-bearing classs such as the Chartered Teacher ( CT ) can do struggle and bitterness, with some co-workers unwilling to collaborate. ( Forde et al. 2006 ) The traditional position of professionalism Centres on the categorization, organisation and occupational function, nevertheless, the construct is more complex in that, there are peculiar important characteristics which are often referred to. These normally include specialist cognition, liberty and duty. Therefore, Professionalism implies that such features are apparent in an person ‘s work. ( Kennedy, 2007 ) Forde et Al, ( 2006 ) suggest that teacher individuality is non ever closely connected to the function of being a instructor ; a individual ‘s values, beliefs, attitudes, feelings and apprehensions besides play a major portion in organizing professional individuality, as does personal history, ethnicity and civilization, hence, personal individuality besides plays a portion. Collaboration and engagement can intend different things to different people at different times. Williams, et Al ( 2006 ) discusses coaction between kids as a agency of larning and as an indispensable facet of pedagogical quality in educational scenes. Harmonizing to the surveies of Damon and Phelps ( 1989 ) , peer coaction is necessary for several accomplishments such as kids ‘s apprehension of justness, growing of self-pride, willingness to portion and attention, and ability to manage symbolic thought, every bit good as the fosterage of communicating accomplishments and the development of creativeness and critical thought. They besides suggest that coaction motivates kids to larn new accomplishments. Williams, ( 2001 ) found that immature kids collaborated constructively when there was a common job to be solved. This can be related to theories of acquisition ( Piaget, 1959 ; Sa?ljo? , 2000 ; Vygotskij, 1978, 1986 ) which show that kids learn and develop through coaction and togetherness. ( Williams. P, et Al, 2006 )

Free Essays on Pop-up Adds

Pop-up Ads: The Most Annoying Advertisement Ever In today’s electronic market, new ways to get potential customers’ attention have become of utmost importance. Some internet sites, it seems, will stop at nothing to get you to come to their site. This ruthless advertising frenzy has birthed an abomination: the pop-up ad. What better way to get a person to come to a specific site than to put a big advertisement right in their face whether they want it or not? Many of these pop-ups don’t even have the name of the site on them, merely some game or offer of a â€Å"special prize† for those unwitting dupes that click on them. In fact, some don’t even require you to click on them. They merely need you to â€Å"mouse† over them.1 One site with such a pop-up ad is Orbitz.com, a major proponent of this style of advertisement. In one month, they delivered more than 400 million pop-ups or pop-unders. This form of advertisement continues annoy me. Whenever I get onto a site and receive 3 more open sites that I really didn’t want to go to, it never fails to make me leave the site posthaste. However, on the flipside of things, it has proved to me to be an effective form of advertising. I will occasionally see a site promoted in one of these ads and be intrigued by it. From a profit-seeking point of view, using pop-up ads is a good idea. If a company gets more â€Å"hits,† than they can sell more ads, and thus make more money. From a customer loyalty point of view however, I believe that pop-up ads are detrimental. If a person goes to a site, and each time he does so is bombarded by a flurry of new windows advertising for things he doesn’t want, the less likely he is to come back to that site.... Free Essays on Pop-up Adds Free Essays on Pop-up Adds Pop-up Ads: The Most Annoying Advertisement Ever In today’s electronic market, new ways to get potential customers’ attention have become of utmost importance. Some internet sites, it seems, will stop at nothing to get you to come to their site. This ruthless advertising frenzy has birthed an abomination: the pop-up ad. What better way to get a person to come to a specific site than to put a big advertisement right in their face whether they want it or not? Many of these pop-ups don’t even have the name of the site on them, merely some game or offer of a â€Å"special prize† for those unwitting dupes that click on them. In fact, some don’t even require you to click on them. They merely need you to â€Å"mouse† over them.1 One site with such a pop-up ad is Orbitz.com, a major proponent of this style of advertisement. In one month, they delivered more than 400 million pop-ups or pop-unders. This form of advertisement continues annoy me. Whenever I get onto a site and receive 3 more open sites that I really didn’t want to go to, it never fails to make me leave the site posthaste. However, on the flipside of things, it has proved to me to be an effective form of advertising. I will occasionally see a site promoted in one of these ads and be intrigued by it. From a profit-seeking point of view, using pop-up ads is a good idea. If a company gets more â€Å"hits,† than they can sell more ads, and thus make more money. From a customer loyalty point of view however, I believe that pop-up ads are detrimental. If a person goes to a site, and each time he does so is bombarded by a flurry of new windows advertising for things he doesn’t want, the less likely he is to come back to that site....

The American Civil War, first war photographed essays

The American Civil War, first war photographed essays Seeing a picture makes one feel as if he or she knows what is happening. When a person sees a familiar face suffering, it shocks them. Someone may feel as if they are experiencing, or at least comprehending better, what the image in the picture is going through. If the photograph is of people laughing, for a brief second, the person looking at it, thinks that they are a part of the inside joke going on. When the images in the pictures are hurting, the person looking will feel the pain slicing through their flash as well. When the civil war broke, photography had existed in the United States for almost 20 years. The new technology was quickly catching on, and many photographers at the time took it as a challenge to bring the truth about war out to the public. Pictures of lost battles started showing up in newspapers. Images of hurting soldiers fighting for their lives startled the country. The public was able to see the awful reality of war for the first time. Most people did not lik e it. The old myth of an honorable war was somewhat broken, and the battles were no longer a question of imagination. People saw their kids dying, families saw pictures of others loved ones hurting, and thought of their own suffering in the same way. The option to see, and for a second feel, what soldiers were experiencing daily during the way, shocked the public. Other than shocked, the public was interested. When the Harpers Weekly first published pictures of the Bull Run battlefields, its popularity increased so much that even today, one can subscribe to the original copies it has printed in the civil war (ipeters.de/photography.html#intro). Peoples new perspective that war is not a glorious act but rather dreadful and deadly brought rivals to seek and appreciate unity, and helped end the war. A war usually breaks over disagreements on specific ideologies parties may have. The American Civil War broke mainly over the conce...

Analysis of Art at the Beginning of the 20th Century Assignment

Analysis of Art at the Beginning of the 20th Century - Assignment Example The analytical deconstruction of form began by the artists at the end of the 19th –most notably the cubists century was taken further and forms were exploded or simplified. Artists were searching for a truth beyond a mere visual representation of a scene. Wassily Kandinsky had painted among the German Expressionists and pushed his work to an extreme that could be seen as no longer representational He came back to Russia IN 1914 when the second world war broke out, and later returned to Germany and the Bauhaus when the tension in Russia became too much. In his six-year period, he had a profound influence on Russian modernism, where a certain clean and pared down style came to the fore-a fresh and individual voice encompassed by artists such as Kasimir Malevich and Rodchenko. Form became so minimal that the canvas itself and the negative space took on importance. There was a distinct flattening of form, a move away from texture and simplification. Malevich had created a movement called Suprematism, in which the elements within a work became the most important aspects of the painting. He was clear and logical-his work has the purity of a mathematical equation. His works, Morning in the Village after a Snowstorm1912 and Black Square 1913 show firstly his links to the Russian countryside and his move towards absolute abstraction. The Russian revolution of 1917 meant that Russia was reborn in a sense and was ready to throw off the Rococo finery of the tsars and develop an artistic identity that was representative of the proletariat. This was one point of view apparent in Russia.     

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 49

Discussion - Essay Example An accountant must consider the unique aspects of the two classifications in order to capture all the expenses and revenues in order to enhance the accuracy of the balance sheets among other financial documents in an organization. Adjusting entries is an important undertaking in bookkeeping since it helps document every event that takes place in the organization. They help consolidate the accounts balances and bring them to the last day of the financial period. Such is a vital undertaking that helps in reconciling the financial books. Additionally, adjusting entries helps record the cost of doing business. Through adjusting entries, the financial records will show the activities that occurred instead of the transfer of money. This helps present the activities associated with doing business since they influence the cost of doing business in an economy (Warren, James and Jonathan 67). Such accounts as Accounts receivable and the income account are always adjusted depending on the movement of money in the business. Such are the adjusted entries since the movement of money in the company influences their outlook. Unadjusted entries, on the other hand, refer to money that remains unchanged despite the movement of money in the financial period. Such accounts as starting capital inherited from the closing accounts. The amount remains unchanged by the movement of money in the fiscal period. Adjusting entries is a hectic process that requires an accountant to pay close attention to the movement of money in a business. The fact that the process occurs at the end of a financial period makes it confusing and difficult since an account must refer to all the financial books within the period in order to understand the movement of cash. This makes the process hectic. While the relationship between debit and credit is natural, it remains difficult to identify the accounts to either