The Fencing Problem

A farmer has exactly 1000 metres of fencing; with it she wishes to fence off a plot of land. She is not concerned about the shape of the plot, but it must have a perimeter of 1000m. So it could be or anything else with a perimeter (or circumference) of 1000m What she does wish to do is fence off the plot of land which contains the maximum area. Investigate the shape, or shapes of the plot of land which have a maximum area. Throughout this investigation I will check that the perimeter is 1000 meters by finding the total of all the outer sides. Also I will use refining as a way of finding the maximum area. When I talk about using the maximum area of the previous table the maximum area of each table will be highlighted. Rectangles The first shape I will test will be a rectangle. Having been told that the perimeter must be 1000 meters I will find the areas of three rectangles, each with different lengths of sides, making sure that the perimeter is kept the same. To calculate the area I will use the formula LENGTH x WIDTH = AREA or Area = lw. Rectangle A: l = 450m w = 10m Area = 450 x 10 Area = 4500m2 Rectangle B: l = 300m w = 200m Area = 300 x 200 Area = 60000m2 Rectangle C: l = 100m w = 400m Area = 100 x 400 Area = 40000m2 Having carried out the above calculations I will create a spreadsheet with formulae to carry out more calculations. The headings will consist of Length, Width, Perimeter and Area. Under length there will be a variable number (less than 500 and greater than 0). The first formula will be put under the width heading. The width will be calculated by taking the length away from 500. This will guarantee the perimeter to be 1000m. The formula will be =500-B2 where B2 is the cell in which the length is. To double check that the perimeter is 1000m under the perimeter heading there will be another formula. This will be =(B2+C2)*2 where B2 is the length and C2 is the perimeter. It will be multiplied by 2 because the answer in the brackets would be just the total of two sides and not all four. Finally under the area heading there will be a formula. This will be =B2*C2 where B2 is the length and C2 is the width. This formula is the same as the one used previously to calculate the area of a rectangle. The formulas and headings will be entered in as shown in the table below. Length (m) Width (m) Perimeter (m) Area (square m) 490 =500-B2 =(B2+C2)*2 =B2*C2 Having entered the correct information I will be able to calculate the areas of many different sizes of rectangles with a perimeter of 1000m. I can do this in Microsoft Excel by dragging the formula boxes down, thus duplicating them but allowing them to refer to different lengths. (Please see tables and graphs [Fencing Problem for Rectangles]) To start with I used my spreadsheet to find the area of a few rectangles within the range of 1m and 499m.I then plotted a graph showing length against area. It showed a perfect curve. I decided that the line of symmetry of this curve would help to find the length that would give me the maximum area. I found the line of symmetry to be along the 250m mark on the x axis of the graph. Hypothesis I predict that the length of a rectangle that will give me the maximum area will be 250m. I have decided this having found the line of symmetry on the graph. Poof (Please see tables and graphs [Fencing Problem for Rectangles]) To prove my hypothesis I refined my search around the maximum area of the first table and then the second table, followed by the third table and so on. Eventually I found that, even to 1 decimal place above or below 250m that, the maximum area was given by rectangle of sides 250m by 250m. This shows that a square gives the maximum area for a rectangle. Isosceles Triangles The second shape that I will test will be an isosceles triangle. Having carried out tests for a rectangle I am going to see whether the maximum area will be bigger, smaller or the same as that of a rectangle. I am also going to find out whether the number of sides affects the results and whether there are any similarities in results to a triangle. This will help me find the shape that gives the maximum area. As previously for rectangles I will test some different sized isosceles triangles that have an area of 1000m. The formula for the area of a triangle is BASE x HEIGHT divided by 2 or bh/2. I cannot find the area without knowing what the height of the triangle is. To find the height of the triangle I must use Pythagoras. This states that for a right-angled triangle a2+b2=c2 or the square hypotenuse is equal to the sum of square of the other two sides. Therefore to find the height I must split the triangle in half and then use half of the base to help me find the height. The square height will therefore be equal to the square of the hypotenuse minus the square of half the base. In the below examples b = base, s = one equal side of the triangle and h = height. Triangle A: b = 500m s = 250m b/2 = 250m h = 2502-2502 h = 0m Area = 250 x 0 / 2 Area = 0m2 Triangle B: b = 400m s = 300m b/2 = 200m h = 3002-1002 h = ?50000m h = 223.6068m Area = 400 x 223.6068 / 2 Area = 44721.35955m2 Triangle C: b = 200m s = 400m b/2 = 100m h = 4002-1002 h = ?150000m h = 387.29833m Area = 200 x 387.29833 / 2 Area = 38729.38466m2 After completing the above tests I will create a spreadsheet with formulae to carry out more calculations. The headings will consist of Base, 1 equal side, Perimeter, Height and Area. Under the base heading there will be a variable number between 1 and 500. The first formula will be used to calculate the length of one equal side of the isosceles triangle. The formula will be =(1000-B2)/2 where B2 is the base. It will be divided by 2 because 1000-B2 would give the sum of the two equal sides together. As previously , for the rectangles, there will be a formula to check that the perimeter is 1000m. This will be the base plus, one equal side multiplied by two or =B2+(C2*2). The main formula in this spreadsheet will be the one used to find the height. In a spreadsheet there are codes that represent calculations carried out. These are put at the front of the formula and the substitute for square root is SQRT. So my formula will be the square root of 1 equal side squared, minus half the base squared. However before entering my formula I found out that using the power sign (^) doesn't give accurate results and in order to square numbers I must multiply the number by itself instead of using such a sign. Therefore the formula entered into the spreadsheet will be =SQRT((C2*C2)-((B2/2)*(B2/2))) Finally under the area heading there will be a formula. This will be =(B2*E2)/2 where B2 is the base and E2 is the height. This formula is the same as the one used previously to calculate the area of a triangle. The formulas and headings will be entered in as shown in the table below. Base (m) 1 Equal Side (m) Perimeter (m) Height (m) Area (square m) 200 =(1000-B2)/2 =B2+(C2*2) =SQRT((C2*C2)-((B2/2)*(B2/2))) =(B2*E2)/2 Having entered the correct information I will be able to calculate the areas of many different sizes of isosceles triangles with a perimeter of 1000m. I can do this in Microsoft Excel by dragging the formula boxes down, thus duplicating them but allowing them to refer to a different base. (Please see tables and graphs [Fencing Problem for Isosceles Triangles}) As before I entered a range bases between 1m and 499m. I then plotted a graph of base against area and found that unlike the results for a rectangle there wasn't a perfect curve in order to find the line of symmetry, to aid my search. However I could tell that the maximum area would be given by a triangle with a base between 300m and 400m Hypothesis I predict that the maximum area will be given by a triangle with equal sides. I have decided this because the maximum area for a rectangle was given by a square and that my graph shows that the base must be between 300m and 400m. For a triangle with equal sides and a perimeter of 1000m the base would be 333.33†¦meters. Poof (Please see tables [Fencing Problem for Isosceles Triangles}) To prove my hypothesis I refined my search around the maximum area of the first table and then the second table, followed by the third table and so on. Eventually I found that, to 2 decimal places, the maximum area was given by a triangle of equal sides which is 333.33m to every side. This shows that an equilateral triangle gives the maximum area for a triangle and this proves my hypothesis right. Regular Polygons Having tested isosceles triangles and rectangles I found that regular sided shapes give the maximum area. I know this because the maximum area of an isosceles triangle is given when the sides are each 333.33m. The maximum area given by a rectangle is give by a square with 250m sides. I have also that as you increase the number of sides the area increases because the maximum area for a rectangle is 62500m2, and the maximum area for an isosceles triangle is 48112.52243m2. As a result of these findings I am going to test regular sided polygons. Having split the pentagon into isosceles triangles and then into right angled triangles I can now find the area. I know that the base of the triangle is 100m however I do not know the height. Before finding the height I must work out what the internal angle is. To find this I will divide 360 by the number of right-angled triangles (in this case 10). I can now tell the following about the triangle: – I can now use Trigonometry to find the height of the triangle. SOH CAH TOA I know what the opposite is and the angle, and I want to know what the adjacent is. I will therefore use the formula TAN=Opposite/Adjacent. Therefore Adjacent=Opposite/TAN. So the height in metres will be: Height = 100/TAN36 Height = 137.638192m Area of 1 Isosceles Triangle = (200*137.638192)/2 Area of 1 Isosceles Triangle = 13763.819205m2 Area of Pentagon = 13763.819205*5 Area of Pentagon = 68819.09602 m2 After completing the above tests I will create a spreadsheet with formulae to carry out more calculations. The headings will consist of Number of Sides, 1 Equal Side, Perimeter, Internal Angle of 1 Triangle, Half Angle, Height (of internal isosceles triangle), Area of 1 Triangle and Total Area. Under the first heading (Number of Sides) there will be a variable, whole, number between 3 and as higher number as desired (e.g. 30). Under the second heading there will be a formula to calculate the length of one equal side. The formula will be =1000/A3 where A3 is the number of sides. As in all the other tests there will be a formula to check that the perimeter is 1000m. This will tell me if I have made an error in any of the previous cells. So far so good, however before I continue I must point out that a computer spreadsheet doesn't work in degrees to measure angles. It measures in radians where a complete rotation is 2?. Also ? is represented by PI() in a spreadsheet. So instead of using 360 in my formula under the Internal Angle of 1 Triangle heading I will use 2*PI()/A3 where A3 is the number of sides. Under the Half Angle heading there will be a formula that will be =D3/2 where D3 is the internal angle of one triangle. This gives the internal angle of 1 right-angled triangle. My main formula will go under the Height heading and it will use Tan which is substituted by TAN in a spreadsheet. It will be =(B3/2)/TAN(E3) where B3 is 1 equal side and E3 is the angle inside a right-angled triangle. The area of one isosceles triangle will be calculated using the formula =(B3*F3)/2 where B3 is one equal side and F3 is the height. Finally the total area will be calculated by multiplying the area of one isosceles triangle by the number of sides. The formula entered will be =G3*A3 where G3 is the area of one triangle and A3 is the number of sides. The formulas and headings will be entered in as shown in the table below. Number 1 Equal Side Perimeter Internal Angle Half Angle Height Area of 1 Triangle Total Area of Sides (m) (m) of 1 Triangle (rad.) (rad.) (m) (square m) (square m) 5 =1000/A3 =B3*A3 =2*PI()/A3 =D3/2 =(B3/2)/TAN(E3) =(B3*F3)/2 =G3*A3 Having entered the correct information I will be able to calculate the areas of many regular polygons with different numbers of sides and with a perimeter of 1000m. I can do this in Microsoft Excel by dragging the formula boxes down, thus duplicating them but allowing them to refer to a different number of sides. Hypothesis I predict that as you increase the number of sides the area increases because the maximum area for a rectangle is 62500m2, and the maximum area for an isosceles triangle is 48112.52243m2. Proof (Please see graph and table [Fencing Problem for Regular Polygons]) Used my spreadsheet to calculate the areas of polygons with sides ranging from 3 to 30. The polygons with 3 and 4 sides were used to test that my formula worked correctly. I plotted a graph showing the number of sides against the area and found that, as predicted, as the number of sides increased so too did the area. Circle After my findings from carrying out tests on regular polygons I have decided to test circle. I have decided this because as the number of sides of a regular polygon increase so too does the area and a circle is an infinitely sided regular polygon. Hypothesis I predict that a circle will give the largest area because of my tests on regular polygons. I also predict that the maximum area given will be pretty close to that of a regular polygon with 30 sides (79286.37045m2) because of the curve on the graph plotted for the regular polygon section. To find the area of a circle I will be required to use the formulae 2?r and ?r2. The circumference must be 1000m and before finding the area I need to find the radius. Radius = (1000/2)/? r = 500/? r = 159.1549431m Area = ?*159.15494312 Area = 79577.47155m2 To complete this in a spreadsheet under the circumference heading I would enter 1000. Under the radius heading I would use the formula =(C2/2)/PI() where C2 is the circumference. Finally under the Area heading I would enter the formula =PI()*(D2*D2) where D2 is the radius. The headings and formulas will be entered as shown in the table below. Number of Sides Circumference (m) Radius (m) Area (square m) Infinite 1000 =(C2/2)/PI() =PI()*(D2*D2) Formula – 2?r (Circumference/2)/? ?r2 Proof Number of Sides Circumference (m) Radius (m) Area (square m) Infinite 1000 159.1549431 79577.47155 The table above clearly proves my hypothesis correct. The working out also proves my hypothesis correct. Conclusion Having completed the spreadsheet table I can conclude that a circle gives the maximum area and that the result was close to that given by a 30 sided regular polygon. A circle provides the maximum area possible for fencing of length 1000m. The maximum area possible is: – 79577.47155m2

How Does Shakespeare Present The Witches in ‘Macbeth’ and to what Extent do they influence events? Essay

‘Macbeth’ is a tragic play that focuses on how one man is driven mad with ambition, the play was written in a time of society when witches were greatly feared and believed to exist, so the fact that the witches in the play influence Macbeth’s downfall was scary to them. Did the witches in Macbeth cause him to kill the king? The witches are without doubt evil, they do no good deeds and only perform acts of evil, ‘enter three witches’ there are three of them, which suggests something to do with the unholy trinity, there are a lot of other implications of the trinity in the play, three types of weather and Banquo being murdered by three people. They make potions with disgusting things in, some which are body parts that earlier belonged to human which shows they do not care about the human race which suggests they are not human. They kill a woman’s husband just because she would not share her food and says ‘here I have a pilots thumb’ which shows they are proud ant take it as a prize. They can control the weather but only use it for bad ‘in thunder lightening or in rain?’ Also, they kill livestock as if it was a hobby and they do not really care. They do nothing good for Macbeth’s life and know what they are doing from the start. Without the witches in the play, there would not be a story as they are behind all of the trouble. They influence Macbeth to be exceedingly power hungry and arrogant but one thing they cannot do it control people, they never actually control or give orders to Macbeth, they just ‘guide’ him. They say to him ‘all hail Macbeth that shalt be king’ which then later influences him to kill Duncan so that he himself can become king. They tell him ‘for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’ which makes him believe that he is invincible which influences him to be very big headed and feel that he can get away with anything which then eventually leads to his death. Calling the witches ugly would be a huge understatement, they are worse than that as they cannot even be described as human, they are referred to as the ‘weird sisters’ by Banquo and Macbeth throughout the play but whether they are even girls is questionable, as Banquo even says at one point ‘you should be women and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.’ Banquo also says ‘so withered and wild in their attire’ They are never described as anything but repulsive, Macbeth describes them as an infection ‘infected by the air whereon they ride’ Macbeth calls them ‘filthy hags’ In Polanski’s film of Macbeth one of the witches is deformed and does not have a face, which shows how he interprets how ugly Shakespeare was trying to explain they were. It is clear that they are not your every day women, as Banquo says ‘look not like the inhabitants of the earth’ They are very sinister and mysterious ‘how now you secret, black and midnight hags’ Macbeth says, and with the use of the words black and midnight you can tell that they are associated with night. This brings me on to how the witches in Macbeth fit a stereotype. The fact that the witches are ugly is a stereotype in itself because witches are rarely stereotyped as being beautiful women. ‘Where hast thou been sister?’ ‘Killing swine.’ In the middle ages if a lot of farm animals were getting ill it would be blamed on witchcraft so it is therefore stereotypical that they kill pigs. They can predict the future, which shows they have supernatural powers and are psychic which is what you would expect a witch to be. They often speak in chant, which seems like a spell ‘when the hurlyburly’s done, when the battles lost and won’ and they can fly ‘hover through the fog’ they use cauldrons and make disgusting potions. The witches have a lot of power over many things although they cannot actually kill directly, yet they have other ways to kill. They manage to kill a woman’s husband by creating a storm and doing other awful things ‘sleep shall neither night nor day’ they have the power to stop him from sleeping. The witches have power over the weather and they can conjure up spirits. ‘Show his eyes and grieve his heart; come like shadows, so depart’ and they can predict the future, which shows power. ‘A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come’ and ‘by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.’ They hold a lot of power over Macbeth and he believes most things that they say because they come across as spiritual and all knowing to him. The witches influence Macbeth all throughout the play, they influence him to kill Macduff’s family ‘Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff’ they tell him that he will never be killed until the wood moves to the top of the hill which obviously sounds un-likely to happen at all to him. ‘Macbeth shall never be vanquished be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill’ which is another thing that makes him believe that he is invincible. They influence the weather a lot as well. Everything they influence is for evil but the reason for why they do all of this is unclear. In conclusion Shakespeare presents the witches as evil, ugly old hags and they influence events completely and without them there would not be a story.

Language of ‘Abigail’s Party’ Emily Huntley Essay

Mike Leigh used to be one of a kind, famous for creating movies through an unusual process that involves extensive rehearsals and improvisations with his actors; a process that begins weeks before anyone picks up a camera. In each of his plays, he has depicted the often-uneventful lives of ordinary people. The results are always far from conventional. And it is through his success that many directors are now using his techniques to capture the texture of everyday life. Leigh achieves this commonness in the majority through his language, although the whole play is based on naturalism, he uses this technique to capture the essence of each characters persona. I think this technique is particularly successful, as the audience finds it easy to relate themselves to the evening unravelling before them, and manage to put themselves in the situations of the characters. Lawrence My first impression of Lawrence was that he was an well-educated, cultured man, who was simply a good social mixer but this is the aim of Leigh. He wanted the audience to believe the opposite of Lawrence and then have their thoughts ‘dashed’. In a way I believe that this makes the audience feel vulnerable as if they’ve been deceived and they then seek comfort in one of the other characters which seem simple and honest and therefore they find themselves ‘delving’ into the play further. Lawrence speaks in a polite and precise manner ‘Ah, yes-now, when would you be best for you? †¦No, no, I’ll fall in with you, Mrs Cushing.’ (Page 2) this enforces the idea of him being a well brought up man and hopefully in his eyes achieving the idea that his guests consider him of a high social class. Leigh also used the language of the character Lawrence to make him persuasive and condescending, ‘I don’t only like Minis-I like lots of other cars. But I find the Mini economical, efficient and reliable.’ (Page 8) this is a good example of the ‘rule of 3’ a strong persuasive technique, this is how he enforces his ideas on others and appears so domineering and always seems to be right as no one has the courage to object. Generally Lawrence’s speech is direct and focused, he speaks when spoken to and rarely initiates a conversation, unless asking probing questions to prove his wealth and class over the other guests Ã¢â‚¬Ë œYou have a car, do you? (Page 8). Although Lawrence’s vocabulary is relatively simple, he still uses this to his advantage by trying to better himself and prove his supposedly higher social status ‘Macbeth. Part of our heritage’. This also links to Lawrence’s frequent ‘name dropping’ this is in an attempt to try and appear culturally educated, with references to ‘Van Gogh’ ‘Shakespeare’ ‘Lowry’ etc. Lawrence also frequently uses questions in his dialect, this is to distract guests from a previous topic that may be a bit ‘uncomfortable’ for him, and so that he feels as though he is remaining control, he can choose what subject to initiate a conversation with ‘You’ve got footballer’s legs, though, haven’t you? †¦ Talking of Paris, Sue, do you like art?’ Another technique Leigh used in Lawrence’s character, are put-downs. This is achieved by the use of rhetorical questions. ‘What would you know about taste? (Page 48). And also by repetition of the persons name who he’s talking to. ‘I’ve seen to the drinks, thank you, Beverly!’ (Page 42), in this is example it is used as a ‘put down’ to remind Beverly to look around and compose herself. Throughout the play, Leigh rarely uses poetic language or imagery, with few metaphors and no symbolism. Lawrence is a prime example of this as he is a simple dialect character. Beverly When I initially read the play, I thought the whole plot pivoted around Beverly and how bad a hostess she was. I later found this not to be true. After seeing the play I realised that Beverly is actually a very good host, this is proved when she leaves the room, and the conversation withers. She also dominates the play, with her monologues, and comical ‘mickey’ taking of Lawrence. In Abigail’s Party Beverly is the only character to frequently swear with no apparent acknowledgement for her guests. ‘Oh sod off Lawrence’ (Page 49). This although may be offensive to some, shows the extreme contrast between the ‘nouveaux riches’ and the true middle class, such as Sue. Throughout the play Beverly uses a patronising tone, but I feel this isn’t a condescending technique, but rather being too honest ‘Please don’t be offended when I say this, but, you’re wearing a very pretty dress, If I may say so; now, you see that pink ribbon down the front? If you’d chosen, Ang, a colour slightly nearer that pink, I think it would have blended more with your skin tones;’ (Page 10). In this example, I feel that she is trying to make Ang feel better in herself. Although this does prove how materialistic Bev is as she thinks that making yourself look better solves all problems. Beverly babbles incessantly, is garrulous, and uses a lot of personal anecdotes in her dialect. ‘Now my bloke had told me to turn left, right? Now we come to the first give way, and the bloke in front slammed his brakes on. Now, I’m going behind him and I suppose I’m going a little bit too quick with me nerves; so I slam on my brakes and I went slap into the back of him.’ (Page 9). This is a clear example of Beverly’s long and complex sentences, although she also uses short simple sentences ‘Lawrence you’re going to get heartburn’ (Page 2). Beverly is also very colloquial in the way that she speaks, and this makes it easier for the audience to familiarise themselves with her. Similarly to Lawrence, Beverly also ‘name drops’ to appear culturally educated ‘Beaujolais’ (Page 11) although from the quote ‘Oh it’s Beaujolais. Fantastic! Won’t be a sec, I’ll just pop it in the fridge.'(Page 11) You can tell that Bev clearly has no idea about wine etc. like we originally thought. Generally speaking Beverly is the main character to initiate conversation, she keeps everyone involved and the conversation flowing. She also reiterates a lot to confirm and seek approval, assurance and affirmation. Beverly has a few peculiarities of speech, including the adjectives ‘Great’ and ‘Fantastic’. These are character phrases enable the audience to link these certain words to her, and expect them, I feel this makes the audience feel more at ease with Bev, or simply more irritated by her. Similarly to Lawrence, Beverly also never uses imagery, symbolism, metaphors or poetic language. But unsurprisingly for her character there are frequent sexual innuendoes ‘He’s got a firm handshake, hasn’t he?’ (Page 5) ‘Tone, you can’t do much with a bed-head, can you?’ (Page 7). Angela As a person, Ang is a simple and satisfied working class newly wed. Her sentences can be long, but this is purely due to her rambling and not knowing when to stop. ‘Oh, what a lovely table. This is just what we need. It’s the next thing we’re going to get. ‘Cos at the moment we’re eating off our knees. It’s unusual, isn’t it – with the wooden top and modern legs.’ (Page 22) Her conversation seems to be pretty pointless as she doesn’t seem to have anything of any value to add to the discussion. But similarly to Bev she also includes simple sentences to make her dialect feel more naturalistic. When comparing the characters I think it is possible to state that Ang is the most colloquial of all of them, as she is most informal, and although her grammar is a little ‘shakey’ it seems to be easier for the audience to accept her on face value as she is too honest and genuine to be hiding anything. Ang uses questions to seek assurance, and also to encourage people to engage with her, as it provokes a response. ‘Isn’t she?’ Ang uses personal anecdotes to inform the audience of her character, although the comic element that Leigh included was how she seems completely oblivious to her boundaries, and therefore makes herself look foolish. ‘Tony had a bad experience in an Indian restaurant – this was before I knew him†¦He had a nasty dose of gastro-enteritis after he’d had a curry, and you see that put him off. (Page 25). This medical reference shows hoe educated she is and reflects her job as a nurse. I feel it is the fact that Ang is too blunt and open to use any form of innuendoes, or symbolism, that makes it so easy for the audience to accept her. Tony Tony is a very reserved character; he rarely uses full sentences, but rather one-word replies, this makes him appear constrained and unnatural which is why I believe it is not so surprising when he raises his voice at Ang as the audience can see the tension building inside him. He never initiates conversation, as that would mean replies to more questions. He often uses slang, or colloquial language ‘top’ ‘ta’. Leigh also included various imperative or instructive verbs ‘leave it’ ‘stand up’ ‘turn that fucking record off’ (Page 51), but these are only ever commanded at Ang, and explains why the audience and guests never agree with Ang when she seems to find him domineering. Tony’s humour seems to be very ‘dry’ in that he finds his own things funny, rather than sharing a universal joke. Tony is the only character to use silence as a defence and attack mechanism. As we’ve seen with Bev and Lawren ce they’d rather shout at each other to resolve problems. Tony uses silence to create a tension and most often with Ang and therefore making her look stupid, in front of their company, clearly showing an imbalance in their relationship. Sue It is clear from the beginning of the play that Sue is of the highest social class in the group. Originally I though Sue was a well brought up and highly well mannered person, but when studying the play I realised the opposite. I felt that Sue is very rude and off-putting to the people around her as she has a lack of curiosity, she doesn’t seem to show any interest in them and clearly doesn’t want them to show any in her. She only speaks when spoken to, and never repays the question. When she does answer questions it’s always unexpansive, short; clipt one-word answers ‘Yes’. It is clear from her dialect that she is uncomfortable and intimidated by the other characters. Her language is very unnatural and similar to that of a guide book. Her vocabulary is old fashioned, formal, and grammar school style. ‘Daren’t’ ‘Aren’t’. Otherwise it’s quite simple and easily understood so it doesn’t require any explanations. She never uses colloquial or slang vocabulary. She rarely uses questions in her dialogue as this would initiate conversation. She keeps herself to herself and doesn’t want to probe or get involved into either of the troublesome marriages in front of her. Her character phrases seem to be reliant on her politeness ‘Yes please’ ‘No thank you’. It is possible to say that she is trapped by her own politeness, She doesn’t have the nerve to leave the party, which she clearly doesn’t want to be at. Throughout the play she remains completely unassertive right until the end when her guard drops, and she tells Bev to ‘Shut up’ (Page 53). Language is a key tool that all playwrights use to distinguish the differences and similarities between each of the characters. The character phrases and accents help the audience to realise the different backgrounds and diversity of the characters. Contributing to the visual aspects, lines give a sense of place and person and how the characters interact with one another.

International entrepreneurship 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International entrepreneurship 2 - Essay Example Provision of Managerial Advice Governments have often found it necessary to intervene in SME operations as they play a crucial role in economic development. If the SMEs are of strategic importance to the nation; therefore, the government cannot risk them collapsing due to the competitiveness of the international free markets (Carter and Evans 2012, p.50). Governments can intervene by use of the financial systems put in place in order to ensure that the small businesses’ managers are properly trained on financial and managerial operations. This would have the effect of increasing small businesses in the nation due to increase in expertise available and improved quality of service. In Germany after the destruction of the economy during World War II, small businesses were almost non-existent and the erection of the Berlin wall resulted in Eastern Germany lagging behind the West. As the two sides united in 1991, Eastern Germany’s small businesses stood at 80000 private craf tsmanship firms with the largest employers having up to 1000 (Welter and Smallbone 2002, p.23). Due to the risks of lending money to such clients, German banks were instructed by the federal government to take an active role in the operations of clients businesses. This included offering the clients advice this was to prevent the loss of their loans but also led to better security for the bank, as they were sure of how their investments were spent. Cross Border Entrepreneurship Cross border entrepreneurship can occur through partnership agreements between neighbouring countries. Cross border entrepreneurship (CBE) is when two or more countries will initiate business activities to meet the needs of the trading country. Therefore, with cross border trade, specialisation occurs on a national scale as SMEs begin to produce goods tailor made for the trading partner. Cross border entrepreneurship requires good regional relationships to take place and governments to initiate the activities before small businesses can start producing subsidiary goods. The governments of the trading countries will have to have lower custom standards for goods from the selected countries. It has been observed that one unplanned advantage that does result from CBE is an increase in tourism from the trading countries (Welter, Smallbone and Xheneti 2012, p.203). These includes Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria, which have implemented a cross border entrepreneurial policy that has seen Greece invest over 1.5 billion dollars in Bulgaria between 1995 and 2005 (Welter Smallbone and Xheneti 2012, p.90), which has led to an exponential increase in trade volumes. Albania was recently included and combined its agricultural resources with Bulgaria for Albania and Greece. The governments of the four countries have offered subsidies to their partnering countries while removing the trade barriers and protectionist policies other countries receive when trading. The unemployment problem in Greece has been a barrier to effective trading and until it is resolved, cross border trading will not be fully implemented. Subsidies Subsidies are incentives given by governments to various industries in order to promote growth and development in various fields. Small businesses do not enjoy economies of scale and during the formative years, they will find themselves lacking in many facilities that larger

The Role Motivation of Motivation in Curiosity and Creativity Essay

The Role Motivation of Motivation in Curiosity and Creativity - Essay Example In the classroom, motivation plays a significant role in learning in which in order for a student to attain its maximum, he must be an active participant in the learning process. He should focus his attention on the learning tasks and perceive it as a meaningful whole. He should be able to see the significance, meanings, implications, and applications that will make a given experience understandable leading to the reinterpretation of his behavior when they are not attained. All these can be possibly undertaken if the individual possesses a strong level of motivation. Again, curiosity plays the role of a buffer object to motivation. In the teaching-learning process, the learner needs to be motivated in order to undertake all academic tasks successfully. The most effective learning takes place when there is a maximum level of mental activity, which is attained through strong motivation; hence, motivation is basic to learning. Motivation is said to be a process in which the individual's attention and interest are aroused and directed toward definite goals (Gawel 2006), to the extent that his basic and acquired needs are involved. An individual is born with certain basic needs that seek expression and the extent to which he seeks these needs is conditioned by environmental influences and experiences. These experientially modified needs become the motivators of the individual, alongside stimuli that capture his curiosity and interests. Man possesses a built-in mechanism that pushes him to move forward, accomplish a certain task, and achieve a goal. By doing so, he intrinsically feels a certain degree of sense of achievement and a self-validation that erases self-doubts. Curiosity is the starting point of this, trailing the individual towards the path of motivation, which in turn, leads him to the attainment of his goals. Maslow's hierarchy of needs gives comprehensive scrutiny of how a felt need motivates an individual to accomplish it and satisfy the next levels thereafter. His theory clearly shows that the felt need is the element that makes the individual become motivated in acting upon certain tasks. The learning environment should always foster a felt need, commonly through creativity and curiosity, that the learners would, in turn, be motivated to satisfy it.  

Risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Risk management - Essay Example This can be done by quick and speedy detection of the errors so as to alleviate adverse effects that may result from the menace. The quantity of errors reported from the healthcare setting has resulted to high numerical counts of deaths. In this situation, Joint Commission Resources (2001) shows that the matter of medical safety must not be approached carelessly, but a group effort of all the involved stakeholders in tackling the issues. This can be achieved by the administration of the affected healthcare institution by establishing a plan whereby the health practitioners can find means of reporting any form of errors that take place in the health institution. In this case, the institution will be better positioned in terms of risk management that may arise due to medical errors, an added benefit to the patients. Risk management, according to Cohen (2007), requires collective effort, the health providers have to feel comfortable and always report errors that emanate from dispensing duties. This will create a situation whereby the health practitioners will accept their mistakes and actually learn a great deal from them. This fear-free culture will indeed allow the health practitioners to be comfortable with their bosses. Risk management of medical errors, in one way or another allows the health practitioners to devise measures of dealing with factors that may lead to packing the wrong medicine to the patients, labeling or even give the wrong information regarding consumption of the medicine. No matter how experienced medical practitioners may be, chances are that they may get involved in medical errors. Strategic Objectives At Risk (SOAR) process and risk management This leads to the development of the risk management methodology that endeavors to identify the types of risks in the healthcare setting, and devising the best means of dealing with the risk. Monahan (2008) indicates that for risk management to be effective, the Strategic Objectives at Risk (SOAR) p rocess has to be applied. This, according to Monahan’s research refers to the process in which the risk managers can have a better understanding of the risks involved; thus, devise the best methodologies that can influence positive outcomes to deal with the risks. In the course of applying the Strategic Objectives At Risk (SOAR) methodology, the health practitioners will have a better opportunity to gain an understanding of the factors underlying the actions that are applied in the case of dealing with medical errors. Therefore, the managers are well guided on what policies to apply if they have to manage risks objectively. Through systematically laying out of the factors that deal with medical errors- the SOAR methodology-risks can be well assessed and managed (Monahan, 2008). Risk identification and analysis Medical errors can be categorized in a number of groups. One of the errors that may take place while dispensing medical care includes the prescribing error. This error involves giving the patients the wrong medicine either by mistaking the types of products present in the store or by not being certain the implications of a particular drug on the patients. As a result, Cohen (2007) indicates that there is a great likelihood that the patients

Differences in Insurance Policies Between American Airlines, Delta Research Paper

Differences in Insurance Policies Between American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines - Research Paper Example In reciprocation, the insurance companies are expected to compensate for damages to the insured. The insurance policies are for meeting certain well defined purposes and have very complicated features and conditions which should be well understood by the person taking insurance cover. In airline transportation, there are various insurance policies which are available to protect the travelers as well as their properties. Nevertheless, difference airline companies have different policies to their customers. Differences in Insurance Policies between American Airline, Delta Airline and United Airline Introduction The airline insurance policies are also referred to as aviation insurance policies. They are insurance policies or insurance covers aimed at enhancing operations in the aircraft as well as protection of the possible risks that accompanies the aviation activities (Lesley and Karl, 2007). There are laws which govern and regulate the policies in the airline operations. The airline policies are always distinct from other protection policies. They are enriched with airline and aviation ideologies, limitation, clauses, and terminologies. The airline companies have several insurance covers to their customers. The policies are identified and defined depending on the frequency of risk in the past. The cost depends on the departure and destination terminals of the customer, the implication of the insured risk, and the distance to be covered by the customer (Lesley and Karl, 2007). The time of travel is also another factor which is important in deciding on the premium to the policy. The luggage’s commuted through airlines are also insured against destruction or loss. Various airline companies have different insurance policies to their customers and also differences protocol for claiming the compensation. The differences are as a result of competition in the airline transportation sector (Lesley and Karl, 2007). The essay below will address various insurance po licies to the customer among American airline, Delta airline and United America airline and the liabilities covered. American Airline insurance cover The company insures the customers who are traveling through the policy called the travel insurance policy. It’s a unique combination of insurance benefits that insures the customer when they are away from home (Lesley and Karl, 2007). The cost of the policy varies depending on the cost and the length of the trip, the customer’s age, and health. The company charges between 5% and 10% of the total vacation cost. The company responsible of granting the insurance policies on behalf of the American airline company is Allianz global assistance (Lesley and Karl, 2007). The travel insurance policy also ensures that, the America airline customers’ valuable products are protected from unexpected circumstances through the liability of baggage protection. Some of the unpredicted situation that the insurances policy covers enta ils; bad weather which can destroy the good in transit, job loss before the return journey, and illness within the vocational period. The liabilities covered by the America airline for its customer under the following insurance policy include strip cancellation liability, trip interruption, baggage’s liabilities, emergency medical transportation, emergency medical and dental liabilities, and loss and damages liabilities (Lesley and Karl,

Trilateral Commission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trilateral Commission - Essay Example Since its establishment in 1973, the Trilateral Commission has been promoting closer relations among three major global economic powers; Europe, the United States and Japan. The organization was set up by some individual Europeans, Japanese, and citizens of the United States to help find solutions to the general challenges facing the countries and offer governance on the pertinent issues of these egalitarian industrialized economies in the broader global spectrum. The leadership responsibilities of the member states are often executed out in a joint manner and with regard to a developing extent. Fortunately, the recent past has witnessed the organization tailor its scope to mirror this transforming scenario and the prospects it offers. Overview of Tri-lateral Commission Coming to terms with a deep dissension between the major economic regions of the world, the Trilateral Commission has its scope clearly cut out to promote more political and economic discourse among the partners. The mission of the Trilateral Commission revolves around promoting ties among the three major economic regions of the world. In light of this, the organization witnesses the contemporary world superseding the national influences and looks at the world as a common arena for finding solutions to political and economic challenges facing the individual states. Even though, it is vital to nurture greater integration among all the world states, Japan, and Western countries, in light of their immense significance to the global economy and their remarkable international ties, bears an exceptional responsibility for cultivating effective collaboration, both in regard to achieving the national goals and in pursuit of the general world. These goals include; poverty eradication and maintaining security in the three regions1. The Commission brings together knowledgeable leaders to chart the way forward on most pressing issues that the world was facing, in which time, effective communication and international relations between Europe, North American region, and Asia were missing. The organization has developed since its formation to incorporate different countries from other regions in the three continents, and it persists with its intent to confirm that researches and trilateral discourse on the significant challenges facing the planet remain, thus should be treated with the weight they deserve as was the case in 1973. Although, the economic challenges facing the member states have undergone evolution, their significance has only worsened, thanks to the increasingly interconnected nature of the world economies and sovereignty of different world states of the contemporary world. Although, the organization incorporates only a few states, and organizes infrequent meetings, it sees immense value in its formation and hopes to expand and become more proactive in extending its scope2. The Trilateral Commission is working toward the effective search for solutions to the challenges facing the member countries. This has enabled Japan, North America, and Western Europe to foster dialogue, embrace consultative culture and work together more directly, on the principle of equal opportunity, to formulate and implement significant policies on issue affecting their citizens. The organization also seeks to avoid chances of the states embracing unilateral approaches to the issues that not only face them, but the world in general. These include actions that are not in line with their close relations and from decisions that are disadvantageous to the rest of the world and to enable the member countries to benefit from existing global and regional bodies and further enhance their input. The Commission intends to con tribute more significantly as a forum of open dialogue with other states and regions; promote development processes of the â€Å"overburdened states† and greater enhancement European and Asian countries economically, and politically. Impacts of Trilateral

Ethics in Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in Research - Essay Example If animals other than man -- what is known to us as the lower form of life -- are defended and fought by animal activists, how much more for the higher form of life! In general, the modern man no longer accepts any type of experiment done to the human race. Lesson from the Experiment In spite of the horrible nature of Zimbardo’s experiment, there are several things that we can get (i.e., as lessons) from such laboratory experiment. Most fundamental to the experiment is the shocking revelation pertaining to truth -- or parcel of truth -- on the nature of man: Is man inherently evil? The participants in the 1971 experiment, especially those who played as jail officers, showed a strange character upon portraying their designated â€Å"role.† Prior to the experiment, these participants -- as University students -- are reasonable and sensible individuals, doing their academic tasks in order to attain an honorable degree. In the course of the experiment, however, good guys be came bad guys. The â€Å"jail officers† exhibited sadistic behavior towards their â€Å"prisoners.† In essence, this is surprising because of their inhumane or, if you may, â€Å"uncivilized† action or reaction against the perplexed prisoners. End and Means To a modern mind, the end does not justify the means.

IB Interesting Facts Essay Example for Free

IB Interesting Facts Essay 1968, IB, standing for the International Baccalaureate, has been founded as a non-profit educational organization at the International School of Geneva. It was created by teachers at the school, in addition to help from teachers from all over the world. Today, the International Baccalaureate has grown into a university preparatory program that has been divided, in most schools, into three programs for students as young as 3 years old to students 19 years old. †¢It was first created to accommodate English and French. †¢It is aimed at developing a global awareness for its students. In other words, students learn how to accept global cultures, perspectives. †¢IB first originated in private schools. Over the years, this changed so that nearly fifty-percent of all schools providing the International Baccalaureate would be government owned and thus free of tuition. †¢The fact that many governments all over the world have adopted the International Baccalaureate shows the confidence that they have that their future generations will truly be better off in this type of curriculum. †¢It was through the efforts of Alec Peterson (director of the Department of Educational Studies, Oxford University) that universities recognized the International Baccalaureate. †¢At first, in the beginning of the 1980s, the International Baccalaureate was viewed as a threat from some governments all over. Governments believed that the International Baccalaureate would draw their children away from their national educational systems. †¢However, this idea was later refuted and the International Baccalaureate was viewed as a enhancement to their educational systems and was later adopted at a very rapid rate. †¢Today, people who acquire the International Baccalaureate get accepted to the top universities all over the globe (in North America, Europe, UK, etc) †¢IBO, in 1994 founded the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program for students aged eleven to sixteen. †¢In 1997, IBO created the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, which is aimed at creating well-rounded and cultured students whom are three to eleven years old. Works Cited IB Timeline. IBO. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. .

The Service Culture At Ritz Carlton

The Service Culture At Ritz Carlton This paper mainly presents the service culture at Ritz Carlton. The paper discusses the service culture in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. This paper covers some background history of the hotel as stated on the corporate website, service strategies golden rules incorporated by the hotel chain. With real life examples taken from interviews by professionals the service culture is illustrated and explained. The purpose of this is to inform and educate what the service culture includes and how Ritz Carlton maintains outstanding service atmosphere in all its branches across the world. This paper also states how Ritz -Carlton executes the service offered as stated in an interview taken by Jankowski. The line-up for which the hotel is known for is also discussed along with employee feedback, empowerment and their focus on service. The heritage of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. started with The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The service standard set by this Boston landmark provided a standard for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts across the world. In 1927, Mayor Curley requested Edward N. Wyner, who was a Boston real estate developer, to construct a world-class hotel. During this time, Wyner was constructing an apartment building. He agreed to change the apartment building into a hotel. Wyner was aware both of Ritzs reputation in Europe and Bostons cosmopolitan society and knew that the name would definitely bring success. After getting authorization from The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company and The Ritz Paris for using their name, he started work on the luxury hotel in Boston. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston opened its doors on May 19, 1927 charging $15 per room. As was the tradition of Cesar Ritz, Wyner maintained the privacy of his guests that attracted the elite. This policy is followed till today at all Ritz-Carlton hotels. Considered a private club for rich people, until 1960s the hotel was very formal and hotel guests had to be in the social register or admirable. It was believed that the hotel sometimes checked the quality of writing paper used by the guests when requesting reservations, having refused a few for having used inferior quality. As Boston society was formal, strict dress code was specified for all guests. Even the restaurants were strict regarding who they chose to entertain. The Cafà © did not allow women to lunch alone and until 1970, the Ritz Bar did not allow unescorted women. The hotel had its own upholstery, print shop and an in-house craftsman who was assigned to color gold stripes on the hotels furniture. Many guests were pampered and every care was taken to make them feel special. For Winston Churchill, the rooms fabric on the furniture was redone in red, as it was his favorite color. After Edward Wyner death in 1961, Cabot, Cabot Forbes (land developers) with their chairman and majority stakeholder, Gerald W. Blakely, took over the hotel. To continue with the Ritz legacy, Charles Ritz, son of legendary Cesar Ritz, was appointed on the board of The Ritz-Carlton until his death in 1977. In 1983, Blakely sold the hotel and the rights to William B. Johnson, who then established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The Ritz-Carlton logo created by Cesar Ritz is a combination of the British royal seal (the crown) and the logo of a financial backer (the lion). In 1965, Cabot, Cabot and Forbes revised the logo which is used till date. In many Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts tables are set with the signature cobalt blue glasses which were considered a status symbol in 1920s Boston. These glasses were originally made to go with the blue Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers present in the original Dining Room in The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The window glasses which were imported from Europe chemically reacted with Bostons climate and turned blue. Having blue glass windows meant the owners could afford imported glass so Ritz ordered them in blue color (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010). Discussion Gold Standards This is the base on what The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. stands. They cover the values and philosophy on what the hotel bases its operation: The Credo The Motto The Three Steps of Service Service Values The 6th Diamond The Employee Promise 1. The Credo At Ritz-Carlton Hotel genuine care and comfort of guests is of highest importance. Emphasis on providing the finest personal service and facilities for guests is important. Guests are offered a refined ambience which they can experience while relaxing. In their words The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010). 2. Motto At The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen. This motto exemplifies the anticipatory service provided by all staff members (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010). 3. Three Steps of Service A warm and sincere greeting. Use the guests name. Anticipation and fulfillment of each guests needs. Fond farewell. Give a warm good-bye and use the guests name. (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010) Service Values: I Am Proud To Be Ritz-Carlton. These include: I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life. I am always responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests. I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests. I understand my role in achieving the Key Success Factors, embracing Community Footprints and creating The Ritz-Carlton Mystique. I continuously seek opportunities to innovate and improve The Ritz-Carlton experience. I own and immediately resolve guest problems. I create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met. I have the opportunity to continuously learn and grow. I am involved in the planning of the work that affects me. I am proud of my professional appearance, language and behavior. I protect the privacy and security of our guests, my fellow employees and the companys confidential information and assets. I am responsible for uncompromising levels of cleanliness and creating a safe and accident-free environment. (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010) The 6th Diamond Mystique (service value 1 to 3), Emotional Engagement (service value 4 to 9) and Functional (service value 10 to 12) (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010) According to Coffman (2006), who led the Ritz Carlton team to define new service value, the middle piece of the Sixth Diamond is reviving the emotions and memories of guests by genuinely caring and making them feel recognized, important and unique. Creating the Mystique happens when we hear guests requests even before the guest knows them, going so above and beyond the call that folklore (wow moments) spreads throughout guests and hotels. The Employee Promise At The Ritz-Carlton, our Ladies and Gentlemen are the most important resource in our service commitment to our guests. By applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity and commitment, we nurture and maximize talent to the benefit of each individual and the company. The Ritz-Carlton fosters a work environment where diversity is valued, quality of life is enhanced, individual aspirations are fulfilled, and The Ritz-Carlton Mystique is strengthened. (Ritz Carlton Hotel Company LLC, 2010) The Lineup In Ritz-Carlton new employees learn the Golden Rules and they spend every day of their employment discussing one of the 20 Basics. This is done during The Lineup which is considered as the hotels most important tool. To illustrate the working of this tool we can imagine an employee who works with the kitchen staff and for initial 10-15 minutes of the day speaks with their team. They like others in the hotel, discuss one of the 20 Basics. A days discussion could center on Basic 10 which states that each employee is empowered. Therefore, when a guest needs help or suggestion, employees should break away from regular duties, address and resolve the issue immediately. Similarly, senior management meets with their top executives and respective teams. Dishwashers, doormen, and maintenance staff meet their groups respectively and discuss the meaning of Basic 10. The discussion revolves around situations, both hypothetically and in present reality. All 25,000 Ritz-Carlton employees act similar in their respective locations. So when the discussion cycle is completed with all Basic 20, the next day, everyone starts all over again, with Basic 1 (Lamton, 2003). Employee Empowerment The word empowerment is believed to be originally thought by the Ritz-Carlton. An amount is fixed on the employees resources for solving a problem immediately, without checking with a supervisor. An employee can use up to $2,000 to find an instant solution to a guests problem. An employee cannot avoid difficult situations by saying that its not their job. One cannot be limited with ones job descriptions when guest satisfaction is at stake. Employees need to step outside job boundaries, and no one questions them when they do so because it is more important to solve the issue (Lamton, 2003). Ongoing Employee Feedback Employees are empowered when occasional problems comeup and the hotels executives support, and reward continuous employee input. The hotel believes that employees are aware of what is happening, and the management must listen to them. The new employees might be asked about their opinion on improving service several times a month. Decisions are made by a small number of management staff and their reports are put into practice without any difficulty. The selection of employees is a team effort too. A supervisor does not hire an employee without taking opinions of candidates potential colleagues nor does Human Resources hire a new employee without group consultation (Lamton, 2003). Telling Wow Stories Stories can be used promote the culture and values of a company. In Ritz Carlton during the lineup, someone reads a wow story of the day. A story is communicated to all hotels in different countries. An employee in New York will hear the same story as an employee in Bali; same for one in Shanghai. These stories focus on a staff person who performs beyond his/her job description and offers a perfect service which creates an aura that alters luxury one time guests into repeat guests. There is a wow story of a family which stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, Bali. This family had carried with them special eggs and milk for their son who was suffering from food allergies. When they arrived they noticed that the eggs were broken and the milk had gone bad. The Ritz-Carlton manager and dining staff tried to look for alternatives in the local market could not find the any suitable items. Luckily the executive chef at this particular resort knew of a store in Singapore that sold them. He immediately got in touch with his mother-in-law, and asked her to buy the products and fly to Bali to give it to him at the hotel. The family was extremely happy. After such an experience, this particular family was definitely converted into a repeat customer. These stories have two functions. The first is to identify an employees dedication in front of colleagues and second is to emphasize a service value. In the above story of a family in Bali the intension was to reinstate service value No. 7: Use teamwork to meet the individual needs of our guests. This can be considered as an ideal way to express what is expected from the employees. Each story restates the way Ritz expects employees to act and shows how each employee contributes to the service values. Gallo compared two lineups; first a general one and second a more specific meeting for the housekeeping staff on the morning shift. Gallo noticed about both meetings that there was a keen interest these employees showed had outshined the enthusiasm that was observed in other companies. Employees were enthusiastic to share. The stories served as teaching tools. Two, 15-minute lineups across 61 hotels, 365 days a year. The hotel offered many hours of training to its employees but it all will not result in anything concrete unless employees were connected on an emotional level. Sharing stories helps in this matter (Gallo, 2007). Focus on Service Every single Ritz-Carlton staff member is entrusted to use up to $2,000 on a guest. Thats not per year but per incident. It is not used often, but it shows a deep trust in the staffs decision. They could use more than the designated amount after the general managers permission. The notion is to create an extremely amazing stay for a guest. It is not necessary that there is a problem, it could be something as simple as a guests birthday, an employee arranging champagne and cake in the room. Many times $2000 is to create an outstanding experience. The stories include instances of a carpenter being hired to construct a shoe tree for a guest; a laundry manager who when not being able get a stain out of a dress after trying two times took a flight from Puerto Rico to New York and returns back the dress personally; or in Dubai when a server overhears a guest speaking to his wife, on a wheelchair, that he felt bad that he was not able to take her to the beach. The waiter informs the maintenance, and the next afternoon a wooden walkway was created down the beach leading to a tent set up for dinner for them. The general manager was not made aware of this until it was complete (Reiss, 2009). Listening to customers makes it easier to personlize the service. Computers make it easier today. Ritz has a guest recognition system that has data on clients individual preferences (Janelle Maul, 2000, p.225). In an interview conducted with Diana Oreck, Vice President Ritz Carlton Leadership Centre, she throws light on how Ritz Carlton executes service culture. Following are the points made by her: Determine Culture The credo has to be clear and easy to understand. The hotel has steps of service that shows the attitudes toward interactions between employees and customers. The Ritz-Carltons three steps are: Greet guests warmly and sincerely, and use their names. Anticipate and fulfill the guests requests. Bid guests a fond farewell, and use their names. From the above, the most difficult is the second point. One can easily provide service if asked directly. It gets challenging when one has to develop an attitude that enables one to be sensitive enough to clients to foresee their needs (Jankowski, 2008). Surprise and Delight Wanda Jankowski states that recently she had stayed at a Ritz-Carlton to give her presentation. She was losing her voice and was surprised to notice that within five minutes of her arrival, the front desk person who received her during check-in sent to her room a handwritten note and a tea bag in the envelope. The note stated that hot water, lemon, and honey was coming. Hotels can train employees to anticipate clients needs. It can range from being able to sense whether a client needs more information or a suggestion regarding a storage facility while their house is being remodeled. The key is to surprise and delight customers. Employees are not expected to be on autopilot when clients needs are to be anticipated. It is important management and owner of the company to practice what they preach. If theyre not practicing service-centric values, they cant expect it from their employees (Jankowski, 2008). Reinforce Values Daily Ritz Carlton has a two-day formal orientation for its employees. 15 minute meeting are then held daily so that employees can register the cultural values. The companys values and ways to apply them in different situations are discussed. The attendances for these meetings are nonnegotiable. Every Monday and Friday, outstanding examples of customer service are discussed. These examples help in motivating employees and help them absorb service values. These examples include how each employee can treat another employee and guests. An example stated in Ritz -Carlton Atlanta, is of a guest who was asked his preference in a newspaper he would like in the morning. The guest replied that he did not need a paper, but desired a pizza right that moment. Within half an hour a sizzling hot pizza was delivered in his room. Ritz-Carlton has been able to measure through research that satisfied customers spend more money. On average employees have 40 hours to find a solution and make an impact on the customer (Jankowski, 2008). Conclusion Ritz Carlton is a hotel chain that signifies excellence. The service culture that was created in the first hotel in Boston was used as a model to replicate in other branches. Going beyond their call of duty is what Ritz Carltons employees pride themself on. The Gold Standards created by the hotel is followed in all its branches and any one is expected to be discussed every single day. The execution of service culture as stated by the Diana shows how the hotel chain considers it as an integral part of the hotel. Ritz-Carltons success has be in effectively using the information provided by its customers. Treating customers like guests and providing an unforgettable experience is what Ritz-Carlton believes in.

Defining The Concept Of Terrorism

Defining The Concept Of Terrorism The phenomenon of terrorism has become a major concern of the international community. It is elevated to the foremost foreign policy problem of the states. The terrorists power is growing day by day. The new and faster modes of transportation and communication technologies have made it easier for the terrorists to reach their targets and strike them without any difficulty. This has magnified the threat of terrorism and made it more sinister than it has been in the past. Although the menace is very dangerous and terribly affecting our daily lives, the states and even the academics have so far failed to comprehensively define and build a consensus on the term terrorism. The analysts face difficulty when it is considered that some forms and classes of terrorism are justifiable whereas others are not.  [1]   This article is an effort to highlight the complexities in defining terrorism, and to find out some ways to reach at least a partial consensus among states. The article is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on the definitional problems as far as the term terrorism is concerned. In the second part an attempt has been made to distinguish between terrorism and freedom fighting. The third part deals with the changing meaning and nature of terrorism over a period of time. And the last part discusses some practical approaches to reach a partial consensus over the definition of terrorism. II. PROBLEMS IN DEFINING TERRORISM Who will define terrorism? A victim state or a society, a stronger state, any international or regional organization, or the Super Power? Terrorism is a relative term and expresses different meanings to different people. To Israel terrorism means when a suicide bomber blows himself up in a market place. To Palestinians, it means when Israeli troops bulldoze a house or shoot stone-throwing kids. India views Pakistan sponsored militancy in Kashmir as terrorism. On the other hand, overwhelming majority of the Kashmiris calls it freedom fighting and resorts to the use of brutal force by the Indian troops as state terrorism. Terrorism is sometimes properly or sometimes improperly used as a synonym of rebellion, insurrection, guerrilla warfare, coup detat, civil strife, or any of many other related terms that produces fear or terror. Most of the times, such lackadaisical and random use of the term may make the understanding of the specific meaning and nature of terrorism more murky and intricate. Although the literature on terrorism offers plenty of definitions, most of them give a very narrow vision of the concept of terrorism. While some view terrorism in political terms, others insist that it should be defined in legal terms. Still some believe that it is related with morality. Undoubtedly, academics works on terrorism have helped understand the problem, but their contributions have not even materialized to create a consensus among the political circles. The academics themselves are divided on the very particulars of the concept. Experts on terrorism, such as, E.V. Walter  [2]  , Grant Wardlaw  [3]  , Leonard Weinberg  [4]  , Steven Spiegel  [5]  , Thomas Mathieseu  [6]  and Richard Overy  [7]  have all defined terrorism in the political context. (See Box 1). For them, terrorism is mainly a sophisticated violence, politically exploited by a group or organization with a religious, ideological or ethnic appeal. Box 1: Definitions on terrorism Terrorism is a process of terror having three elements: the act or threat of violence, the emotional reaction to extreme fear on the part of the victims or potential victims, and the social effects that follow the violence (or its threat) and the consequent fear. (E.V. Walter: 1969) Political terrorism is a sustained policy involving the waging of organized terror either on the part of the state, a movement or faction, or by a small group of individuals. (Grant Wardlaw: 1982) Terrorism is a politically motivated crime intended to modify the behavior of a target audience. (Leonard Weinberg: 1989) Terrorism is the use of violence by an individual or group, designed to create extreme anxiety in a target group larger than the immediate victims, with the purpose of coercing that group into meeting certain political demands. (Steven Spiegel: 1995) Terrorism is violent and arbitrary action consciously directed towards civilians, with a political or ideological goal more or less clearly in mind. (Thomas Mathieseu: 2002) Terror is not an organization or a single force. It is related to a variety of political confrontations, each of which has to be understood in its own terms. (Richard Overy: 2004) However, political biases increase difficulties in defining the term because of its subjective nature. The subjectivism is captured in a popular saying that one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter, for whom terrorism is a calculated tactic of the weak against the strong and established authority. The problem is how can one get out of this relativist enmesh? Similarly, the US State Department in its annual document, called, Patterns of Global terrorism, defines terrorism as politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.  [8]  The problem with this definition is that it does not clearly explain non-combatants, and the perpetrators, according to the definition, are non-state actors (sub-national groups and clandestine agents), while exclude the state terrorism. Moreover, the interpretation of political motivations is very broad. Some intellectuals have tried to define terrorism in legal terms and consider it a criminal act. J. Dugard notes that when a person commits an act which threatens the stability of other states or undermines the international order, he ceases to be a political offender and becomes a criminal under international law, like the pirate or hijacker.  [9]   But the problem with legal definitions is that they completely ignore the political aspects of violence. Treating a terrorist as a criminal undermines the legitimacy of political violence. In other words, the political notion in any terrorist activity cannot be discarded, which, again, becomes the major source of confrontation to reach an international consensus on the definition of the term terrorism. The moral connotations of terrorism have further divided the experts between right and wrong. Do all the nations take moral values uniformly or there are different patterns and orders of priority? Moreover, in this world of power politics, where states give priority to their national interests, what will be the extent of relationship between moral values and power? The common observation is that states are unwilling to give equal status to non-state actors which challenge their authority, and try to deal with them sternly by using brutal force. There are five major problems in defining the term terrorism and building a consensus. The first major problem faced by the academics and even the nations in defining terrorism is the relativist enmesh of the concept. For one it is a freedom fighting, while for the other it is terrorism. This aspect in defining the term has made the task more difficult. Second problem is related to the contents of the definition. If it is described as violence against the innocent people or non-combatants for achieving various goals, the application of the term, then, becomes too broad. It is very difficult even to define non-combatants. What if a soldier is not on the battlefield or he is performing peacekeeping duties under the aegis of the UN, attacked by a suicide bomber of a warring faction? Or would the terrorist attack on the U.S. Pentagon Building on September 11, 2001, not qualify as terrorist act? Moreover, the indiscriminate use of violence does not include those who employ terrorism against specific targets, such as, political assassinations. Third, when it is referred to spreading fear among the audience, one cannot distinguish between terrorism carries out by any individual, group or organization, and the state itself. This is also a major problem in defining terrorism that all the definitions portray non-state actors as terrorists, while completely ignore terrorism perpetrated by the state. Instead, it is called as the gross violation of human rights. It is also a fact that the incumbent political regimes have used terrorism as a means of repressing elements in their populations they view as a threat, real or imagined, to the continuation of their rule.  [10]   Amalendu Guha emphasizes that the recent use of power hegemonism by certain global nations, can be regarded as state terrorism, in the sense that its symptoms, behavior and actions as well as effects are, either the same, or, similar to the terrorism launched by fundamentalist beliefs or ideologies. Both are anti-human, anti-social and frightful.  [11]  The history is full of the tragic incidents, where state, instead of protecting its citizens, has unleashed reign of terror and has become responsible for their annihilation. The fact is that the state terrorism has killed more people as compared to terrorism by non-state actors. Fourth problem in defining the term is whether the act of terrorism is seen in terms of historical continuity or every incidence is considered as a unique in history and dealt with separately. Those who believe in the historical continuity, analyze this phenomenon since the French Revolution. They insist on the unity of terrorism throughout ages.  [12]  Others view each act a unique and absolutely different from the previous one.  [13]  So the rivalry is between the two extremes. Fifth problem in defining terrorism is: whether any act of violence should be analyzed by considering means or ends. As all ideologies sanctify the ends for which every mean is justified. The ideological indoctrination compels the terrorists to the righteousness of their cause and to justify any violent means to accomplish it. On the other hand, many researchers believe that the unethical means may also question the legitimacy of the cause. It is because of the above-mentioned problems in defining the term terrorism, that making distinction between terrorism and freedom fighting has become very difficult. However, there are some aspects which help differentiate between a terrorist and a freedom fighter. III. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TERRORISM AND FREEDOM FIGHTING It is a well-known fact that the subjectivity of the term terrorism has made it very difficult to distinguish it from freedom fighting. In this process, another difficulty is which forms of violence should be recognized as legitimate and which should not. Martha Crenshaw  [14]  opines that revolutionary violence and terrorism are two different phenomena and should not be confused with each other. The activities of freedom fighters cannot always be termed as terrorism, because their target is the repressive government. John Gearson raises some pertinent questions: What, if anything, is legitimate dissent using violent means? When is being a freedom fighter acceptable?  [15]  Labeling any group terrorist is very difficult particularly when the same group becomes the part of the negotiation process, and the governments have to sign peace deals with them. Nelson Mandela himself has provided perhaps the most satisfying answer to this perennial question. Pointing out that many people once described as terrorists are leading governments today, Mandela says: When you succeed people are prepared to accept you and have dealings with you as head of state. You become a terrorist if your aims and objectives fail.  [16]   In my opinion, the distinction between freedom fighting and terrorism must be made on the grounds of the legitimacy of the movement for independence, recognized by the UN. Article 1(2) of the UN Charter recognizes the right of self-determination of the peoples. It emphasizes the respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of the peoplesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [17]   Article 7 of the Definition of Aggression adopted by the General Assembly in 1974 authenticates the right of self-determination. It states: Nothing in this definition, and in particular Article 3 (which gives an inventory of the acts that are regarded as aggression) could in any way prejudice the right of self-determination, freedom, and independence, as derived from the Charter, of peoples forcibly deprived of that right and referred to in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, particularly peoples under colonial and racist regimes or other forms of alien domination; or the right of these peoples to struggle to that end and seek and receive supportà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [18]   Similarly, Article 12 of the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages (1979), which came into force on June 3, 1983, clearly recognizes the means used by the people for their right of self-determination. It states: [The] Convention shall not apply to an act of hostage-taking committed in the course of armed conflicts as defined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Protocols thereto, including armed conflicts mentioned in article 1, paragraph 4, of Additional Protocol of 1977, in which peoples are fighting against colonial domination and alien occupation and against racist regimes in the exercise of their right of self-determination, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.  [19]   The liberation movements are deprecated as terrorists by the governments against which the struggles for independence are conducted. While analyzing the independent movements in Kashmir and Palestine, one may disagree over the means; it is beyond any doubt that both the movements are recognized by the UN. Terming these movements terrorist may also undermine and question the legitimacy of the UN itself. So, one can say, here, that the movements for freedom fighting are those movements whose legitimacy is recognized by the UN. Besides this, in both the cases, the role of state is very repressive and brutal. Both India and Israel have illegitimately occupied the land of the Kashmiris and the Palestinians respectively. Moreover, both states, since the inception of disputes, have been continuously denying the right of self-determination to these people. For this, they have also completely ignored the UN resolutions. So, if anyone calls struggle movements in Kashmir and Palestine as terrorists, it not only refutes the UN resolutions, which give right of self-determinations to the oppressed nations, but also legitimizes the power of the strong over the weak. According to Moulaye el-Hassen, the former Mauritanian Ambassador, The term terrorist could hardly be held to apply to persons who were denied the most elementary human rights, dignity, freedom and independence, and whose countries objected to foreign occupation.  [20]   Now the question arises why is there no consensus on the definition of terrorism? The most convincing reason is that the meaning and nature of terrorism have frequently been changed over a period of time. IV. CHANGING NATURE / MEANING OF TERRORISM The lack of consensus among the nations on the definition of terrorism has caused a continuous change in its nature and meaning. According to Jonathan White, the rise of modern terrorism in the West is linked to the struggle for freedom in the Western World in the 1700s and early 1800s when most Europeans did not enjoy freedom, and America was still only an experiment. A change in social perceptions and actions, however, revolutionized the system and structure of Western governments. Many forms of violence accompanied the struggle for democracy; terrorism was one of them.  [21]   The popular use of the term terrorism occurred during the French Revolution. Contrary to todays usage, terrorism at that time was seen in a positive context. The Jacobins reign of terror was purely a political in nature, which was a deviation from the old sacred terrorism. Also, that terrorism was unleashed by the State to protect the Revolution on the basis of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. The terrorism during French revolution provided a model to the other revolutionary groups in Europe to use it as a strategy to transform their societies as they wished. But the failure of the 1830 and 1848 revolutions compelled the revolutionaries to change their strategy. However, the use of force to bring any revolution remained the main weapon at the hands of revolutionaries. The 19th century witnessed the rise of nationalist movements, which struggled against the colonial powers for the self-government. Although the nationalists adopted violent means to achieve their objectives, unlike anarchists, they considered themselves freedom fighters. Anarchists were socially isolated, but the nationalists could hope for the possibility of greater support. Governments labeled them terrorists, but nationalists saw themselves rather as unconventional soldiers fighting in a patriotic war. They opted only the tactics of anarchists.  [22]   During the inter-war period, a new form of terrorism emerged in Europe, known as Right-wing terrorism. The purpose of this terrorism was to preserve the status quo. There were two important factors, which contributed to the surfacing of Right-wing terrorism in Europe. First, the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which gave confidence to the socialist movements in other European countries to bring a possible change in their societies as well. So, such movements were considered a great threat by the respective governments and the elements which wanted to maintain status-quo. A second factor was the establishment of fascist governments in Italy and Germany during the same period. They justified violence by uprooting the communists and anti-nationalist elements in their societies. The dominant form of violence in the post-War period, aimed at either de-colonization or social revolution, was rural-based guerrilla warfare.  [23]  The major success stories were those of Mao-Tse-tung in China, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, and Fidel Castro in Cuba. But there were also less publicized failures. Guerrilla insurgencies were defeated in Greece, Malaya, and the Philippines. In some of these instances, both the successful and unsuccessful, terrorism was used by those groups pursuing national liberation (Vietnam) or social revolution (Greece).  [24]   During 1960s and 1970s, the world witnessed this sudden upsurge in the form of Left-wing terrorism. This confused the experts on political terrorism, who saw terrorism as a new and unprecedented phenomenon, something that was essentially a response to injustice.  [25]  This meant that the focus was on to address the root causes of terrorism, which could be political, economic, social or religious grievances. The end of Cold War was followed by an eruption of religious terrorism in a large number of countries, particularly in the Middle East, South and Central Asia. The Soviet disintegration provided an inspiration to the Islamic movements particularly in South and Central Asian regions to launch an organized offense against their respective states to: 1) seek freedom; 2) capture the state apparatus; and 3) replace the old communist system with the new Islamic order. The vacuum, which was created because of the Soviet disappearance, also provided a great amount of solidarity among the Muslims all over the world as it gave them a confidence that they were the main force behind the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, the American neglect to Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, added to the already existing political chaos. Out of this situation, the Taliban emerged as an organized political force with the support of Pakistan and to some extent Saudi Arabia. Afghanistan under the Taliban proved to be a place for socializing Islamic radicals from all over the world. The Saudi-born millionaire and Afghan war veteran, Osama Bin Laden, was one of them who took refuge in Afghanistan under the Taliban government. He had resentments against the Saudi Royal family for permitting the Americans to stay on the holy soil after the Gulf War in 1991. As his criticism against the Royal family got severe, he was compelled to flee Saudi Arabia. His nationality was cancelled. The stateless Osama then entered Sudan. But under the U.S. pressure, Sudan expelled him in 1996. Then he moved to Afghanistan, where the Taliban government was recently established. To run the state machinery, the new government badly needed financial assistance, which was provided by Osama and his organization, Al-Qaeda. Consequently, Osamas influence on the Taliban leadership increased. In a unique sense, Afghanistan became a terrorist-sponsored state. Taking advantage of his influence, Osama not only established links with other militant groups in Pakistan, Egypt and other Muslim countries, but also posed himself as a highly religious figure, who could issue a fatwa (Islamic ruling). In 1998, he issued a fatwa, stating, To kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty of every Muslimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦until their armies, shattered and broken-winged, depart from all the lands of Islam, incapable of threatening any Muslim.  [26]  Since then, a series of terrorist attacks can be observed on the U.S. civil and military installations. The September 11 catastrophe could be seen in this connection, though Al-Qaeda did not take the r esponsibility of it. The September 11 incident has further changed the meaning and nature of terrorism. The incident has characterized terrorism as transnational with religious orientation. The purpose of these groups is not only to overthrow their respective governments, but also to establish a worldwide authority on the basis of their own religious interpretation. Today, terrorism has become very lethal and destructive. Technological changes in the fields of transport, military and communication have added to the strength of terrorists. In such a scenario, it is indispensable to evolve a consensus, at least partial one, over the definition of terrorism. V. HOW TO REACH A CONSENSUS: SOME PRACTICAL APPROACHES The world has now entered a New Age of Terrorism.  [27]  Three important factors confirm this hypothesis. First, the terrorists are equipped with deadly weapons and sophisticated technology at their disposal. Second, the religious orientation has compelled them to believe the rightness of their cause. In other words, the ideology and cause of the terrorist group or organization attracts the potential terrorists to join it. Third, the transcendence of national boundaries has further complicated the issue. In the presence of such emerging threats, it is necessary to evolve a working definition with little disagreement. Although it is extremely difficult for the nation states to compromise over their national interests, still there must be some starting point because there is almost a consensus among the states that the modern transnational religious terrorism is the major threat to the world peace and stability. To begin with, it is the responsibility of the academics to provide some basic roadmap which can help the states reach a consensus on the definition of the term terrorism. First, the academics task is not to label any individual or a group as terrorist but to objectively analyze circumstances which compel the weaker to take arms against the stronger. In doing so, we consciously or unconsciously put all the freedom fighters into the category of terrorist, as well as we also question their legitimacy. This must be kept in mind that a freedom fighter can be distinguished from a terrorist on the basis of the legitimacy and mass support to the organization and the cause. If these factors are absent, then a person or a group can be termed as a terrorist. Second, states must stop defining the term on their own, because the problem starts when two rival states or parties define terrorism by themselves and believe in the authenticity of that definition. In contrast, they should discuss and debate this issue in the UN, particularly in the General Assembly, to reach a consensus. It must be noted that there is no universal definition of terrorism that can be applied to every act of political violence. Besides, every act of violence should be analyzed separately, while keeping in view the motivations of the perpetrator. It means that there must not be any generalization. While analyzing any violent act to be qualified as terrorism, following aspects need to be kept in mind: If the motives are abstract, meaning if any individual or a group aims to commit violence with the purpose of achieving goals on the basis of religious interpretation of its own. If the struggle is transnational in character, meaning affecting the political, social and economic life of the other country. If the struggle is not recognized by the UN. If the violence is not aimed at against the repressive government. If the target is innocent people who have nothing to do with the government policies. So, if any violent activity fulfills any one or all the five aspects, should be considered as terrorism. VI. CONCLUSION As discussed above, todays terrorism is distinct from the past terrorist activities and tactics. The emergence of transnational religious terrorism, coupled with the advancement in military, communication and transportation technologies, has enhanced the power of the terrorists and intensified their brutalities. Despite all such known threats and hazards, the world community is still far from reaching a consensus on the definition of terrorism. The disagreement between one mans terrorism, another mans freedom fighting is still there. A collective and mechanized effort on the part of the international community is needed to overcome this relativist entangle. A genuine understanding of the phenomenon can only be achieved if it is considered beyond the propaganda purposes, and concerted efforts are made to discuss and analyze this menace at international forums, with the consideration that terrorism is equally threatening the peace and stability of the whole world.

Alexander Graham Bell Essay -- Biography Biographies Bell Essays

Alexander Graham Bell Works Cited Missing The importance of Alexander Graham Bell on today’s society is visible, or rather audible, every day and everywhere. First and foremost, Alexander Graham Bell was a prolific teacher of the deaf. This is what he considered to be his true life’s work, but only one of the many important things he did. Through his research of speech and sound, and his creative mind, he would become one of the most influential inventors in modern history. His own definition of an inventor, â€Å"A man who looks upon the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve whatever he sees, he wants to benefit the world.† suits him well. Every thing that he did had an impact on someone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a family of speech educators. His father, Melville Bell, had invented Visible Speech, a code of symbols for all spoken sounds that was used in teaching deaf people to speak (Clarke 15). His mother was deaf, this lead Melville and Alexander to exploration in the subject. Alexander Bell studied at Edinburgh University in 1864 and assisted his father at University College, London, from 1868-70. During these years he became deeply interested in the study of sound and the mechanics of speech, inspired in part by the acoustic experiments of German physicist Hermann Von Helmholtz, which gave Bell the idea of telegraphing speech (Paschoff 18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When young Bell’s two brothers died of tuberculosis, Melville Bell took his remaining family to the healthier climate of Canada in 1870. From there, Aleck Bell journeyed to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1871 and joined the staff of the Boston School for the Deaf. The following year, Bell opened his own school in Boston for training teachers of the deaf. In 1873 he became a professor of vocal physiology at Boston University, and he also tutored private pupils as a side job (Clarke 15, 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bell’s interest in speech and communication led him to investigate the transmission of sound over wires. In particular, he experimented with development of the harmonic telegraph a device that could send multiple messages at the same time over a single wire. Bell also worked with the possibility of transmitting the human voice, experimenting with vibrating membranes and an actual human ear. Bell even manipulated his dogs vocal cords so that wh... ...ng beeps and sounds through telephone lines to other computers that decode the beeps and sounds into data. This would not be possible if Bell hadn’t figured out how to transmit these sounds. The same thing goes for radios and cell-phones and televisions. The speakers in these devices are all made possible by the understanding that Bell acquired of sounds and transmitting them through electrical devices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander Graham Bell was a man of warmth and human frailty, loved by his wife, children, and grandchildren. His life did seem to demonstrate the oneness of the world. He was cheered at exhibitions, applauded at scientific meetings, and sought out by reporters. He and his wife united two numerous and close-knit families. Children, especially those of his own extended family, loved him. His marriage was a model of devotion throughout its forty-five years. He was nominally a member of more clubs and other organizations than he could recall at any given time, and he was active in a number of them (Allen 70,71). He was much more than one of the most influential inventors of modern history, he was a great Husband, a mentor for youth, a model citizen, and an excellent teacher.