Woodstock Research Paper free essay sample

Danielle Krum May 30, 2011 Research Final Woodstock 1969 Every memory of the summer of 1969 is connected to, in one way or another, the historical event, Woodstock. The festival could not have left more of an impact on the â€Å"hippie† generation anymore than it did those three days of music and peace. The generation of the time wanted nothing more than what they got out of Woodstock. Today, people still look back on the festival and think of how well it made history without the expectance of doing so.Woodstock, one of the most important cultural events of the 20th century, combined iconic musical acts with interesting social behavior. In 1969, a group of men set up a music festival, known as Woodstock, which lasted for three, long, peaceful, and music oriented days that involved an abundant amount of sex, drugs, and poor management. â€Å"Many remember Woodstock primarily as a disaster, as it was officially pronounced, a monument to faulty planning, a testament to the limitations and hypocrisies of hippie idealism, a nightmare of absurdities, ironies, and incongruities† (Cooke 177). We will write a custom essay sample on Woodstock Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Woodstock was originally planned to be a moneymaking event by John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfirld, and Michael Lang, but due to the poor planning, the event brought forth no money and a lot of debt. The event took place in Bethel, New York from August 15th to August 17th. â€Å"Attended by 450,000 people, it is remembered as the high point of the ‘peace and love’ ethos of the period, largely because of the disaster that the over-crowding, bad weather, feed shortages, supposed ‘bad acid’ (LSD), and poor facilities presaged was somehow avoided† (Dodgson 523).The percentage of drug induced fans was well over the amount assumed to be present, as was the actual amount of fans. â€Å"Poor planning and happenstance forced them to admit most attendees for free. They were left with a debt of $1. 3 million and a site that cost $100,000 to restore† (Dodgson 523). Woodstock was an event that many wouldn’t have thought to of made history until the actual event happened. The festival is even brought up in history classes during the teaching of the Vietnam War due to the mass amount of fans that were against the war. Many commentators have since claimed that peace and good will arose not in spite of disaster, but because of it. The hunger, rain, mud, and unserviced toilets conspired to create an adversity against which people could unite and bond† (Cooke 178). Most of the fans present expressed how they felt about the war in riots and violence. â€Å"Woodstock Ventures retained its exclusive rights, but the memory of Woodstock Nation belongs to the world; it is irrevocably imbedded in American culture† (Cooke 179). Not only was the war an influence, but the gathering itself influenced the historical outcome. â€Å"The most common feeling among all parties-producers, musicians, audience, town, and nation-was the sense of history in the making. It was the largest group of people ever gathered, and the greatest roster of musicians ever assembled, and it became the defining moment of a generation† (Cooke 178). At the time, teens and young adults were looking for ways to rebel against their religious and strict parents, but in a way that would affect the world in a positive way. Woodstock was, in many ways, a symbolic high point for the 1960s generation, proving that peace and love were possible in the world, if only for a moment† (Berg 863). The war in Vietnam was a huge event that was taking place at the time of Woodstock. Many of the fans that were present, were there to express how the felt about the war. â€Å"The musicians and fans expressed support for social justice and intense opposition to the Vietnam War† (Darity 120). The festival was a way for people to gather and express similar opinions and accept each other.The importance of Woodstock has left a lasting effect on many people from then until now. â€Å"Although in the early 1970s many experts predicted the end of the ‘hippie’ movement, the spirit of Woodstock has both disappeared from the American cultural scene† (Darity 120). The event showed America that as a group, people can bond peacefully and appropriately. â€Å"It wasn’t just the audience of hippies who bonded together in the face of disaster. Community and nation also rushed to their aid. The Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts all donated food and supplies to the starving hoards.Even local townspeople pardoned the havoc wrought upon their town and made sandwiches for the infiltrators† (Cooke 178). The festival included many artist of the century that weren’t famous at the time, but now can be found in the Rock Hall of Fame. Some of the artists that were present at the festival were, Joan Baez, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Grateful Dead, Arlo Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Ravi Shankar, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Who.The music artists from Woodstock not only left an impact on the fans that attended the event, but effects people from this century and earlier too. â€Å"During the 1990s a second generation of musicians and fans maintained the Woodstock spirit. † â€Å"Since 2002, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival have occurred every June in Mancheste r, Tennessee† (Darity 120). The music of Woodstock is still played on radios in today’s century and will continue to live on. All in all, Woodstock will always be remembered as those â€Å"three days of peace and music. The event brought together people in a way that none could imagine and taught the world that even for a split second we can all work together peacefully. The musical influences still live on today, and will continue to for more generations to come. Woodstock combined music with peace, love and togetherness in just three days and will always be a part of history. Works Cited 1. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr.. Vol. 9. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008.

B-24 Liberator Bomber in World War II

B-24 Liberator Bomber in World War II The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. By the end of the conflict, over 18,500 B-24s had been constructed making it the most-produced heavy bomber in history. Employed in all theaters by the US Army Air Forces and US Navy, the Liberator routinely served alongside the more rugged Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. In addition to service as heavy bomber, the B-24 played a critical role as a maritime patrol aircraft and aided in closing the air gap during the Battle of the Atlantic. The type was later evolved into the PB4Y Privateer maritime patrol aircraft. Liberators also served as long-range transports under the designation C-87 Liberator Express. Origins In 1938, the United State Army Air Corps approached Consolidated Aircraft about producing the new Boeing B-17 bomber under license as part of the Project A program to expand American industrial capacity. Visiting the Boeing plant in Seattle, Consolidated president Reuben Fleet assessed the B-17 and decided that a more modern aircraft could be designed using existing technology. Subsequent discussions led to the issuing of USAAC Specification C-212. Intended from the outset to be fulfilled by Consolidateds new effort, the specification called for a bomber with a higher speed and ceiling, as well as a greater range than the B-17. Responding in January 1939, the company incorporated several innovations from other projects into the final design which it designated the Model 32. Design Development Assigning the project to chief designer Isaac M. Laddon, Consolidated created a high-wing monoplane that featured a deep fuselage with large bomb-bays and retracting bomb-bay doors. Powered by four Pratt Whitney R1830 twin Wasp engines turning three-bladed variable-pitch propellers, the new aircraft featured long wings to improve performance at high altitude and increase payload. The high aspect ratio Davis wing employed in the design also allowed it to have a relatively high speed and extended range. This latter trait was gained due to wings thickness which provided additional space for fuel tanks. In addition, the wings possessed other technological improvements such as laminated leading edges. Impressed with the design, the USAAC awarded Consolidated a contract to build a prototype on March 30, 1939. Dubbed the XB-24, the prototype first flew on December 29, 1939. Pleased with the prototypes performance, the USAAC moved the B-24 into production the following year. A distinctive aircraft, the B-24 featured a twin tail and rudder assembly as well as flat, slab-sided fuselage. This latter characteristic earned it the name Flying Boxcar with many of its crews. The B-24 was also the first American heavy bomber to utilize tricycle landing gear. Like the B-17, the B-24 possessed a wide array of defensive guns mounted in top, nose, tail, and belly turrets. Capable of carrying 8,000 lbs. of bombs, the bomb-bay was divided in two by a narrow catwalk that was universally disliked by air crews but served as the fuselages structural keel beam. B-24 Liberator - Specifications (B-24J): General Length: 67 ft. 8 in.Wingspan: 110 ft.Height: 18 ft.Wing Area: 1,048 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 36,500 lbs.Loaded Weight: 55,000 lbs.Crew: 7-10 Performance Power Plant: 4 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney R-1830 turbo-supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp eachCombat Radius: 2,100 milesMax Speed: 290 mphCeiling: 28,000 ft. Armament Guns: 10 Ãâ€" .50 in. M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 2,700-8,000 lbs. depending on range An Evolving Airframe An anticipated aircraft, both the Royal and French Air Forces placed orders through the Anglo-French Purchasing Board before the prototype had even flown. The initial production batch of B-24As was completed in 1941, with many being sold directly to the Royal Air Force including those originally meant for France. Sent to Britain, where the bomber was dubbed Liberator, the RAF soon found that they were unsuitable for combat over Europe as they had insufficient defensive armament and lacked self-sealing fuel tanks. Due to the aircrafts heavy payload and long range, the British converted these aircraft for use in maritime patrols and as long range transports. Learning from these issues, Consolidated improved the design and the first major American production model was the B-24C which also included improved Pratt Whitney engines. In 1940, Consolidated again revised the aircraft and produced the B-24D. The first major variant of the Liberator, the B-24D quickly amassed orders for 2,738 aircraft. Overwhelming Consolidateds production capabilities, the company vastly expanded its San Diego, CA factory and built a new facility outside of Fort Worth, TX. At maximum production, the aircraft was built at five different plans across the United States and under license by North American (Grand Prairie, TX), Douglas (Tulsa, OK), and Ford (Willow Run, MI). The latter built a massive plant at Willow Run, MI that, at its peak (August 1944), was producing one aircraft per hour and ultimately built around half of all Liberators. Revised and improved several times throughout World War II, the final variant, the B-24M, ended production on May 31, 1945. Other Uses In addition to its use as a bomber, the B-24 airframe was also the basis for the C-87 Liberator Express cargo plane and the PB4Y Privateer maritime patrol aircraft. Though based on the B-24, the PBY4 featured a single tail fin as opposed to the distinctive twin tail arrangement. This design was later tested on the B-24N variant and engineers found that it improved handling. Though an order for 5,000 B-24Ns was placed in 1945, it was cancelled a short time later when the war ended. Due to the B-24s range and payload capabilities, it was able to perform well in the maritime role, however the C-87 proved less successful as the aircraft had difficulty landing with heavy loads. As a result, it was phased out as the C-54 Skymaster became available. Though less effective in this role, the C-87 fulfilled a vital need early in the war for transports capable of flying long distances at high altitude and saw service in many theaters including flying the Hump from India to China. All told, 18,188 B-24s of all types were built making it the most produced bomber of World War II. Operational History The Liberator first saw combat action with the RAF in 1941, however due to their unsuitability they were reassigned to RAF Coastal Command and transport duty. Improved RAF Liberator IIs, featuring self-sealing fuel tanks and powered turrets, flew the types first bombing missions in early 1942, launching from bases in the Middle East. Though Liberators continued to fly for the RAF throughout the war, they were not employed for strategic bombing over Europe. With the US entry into World War II, the B-24 began to see extensive combat service. The first US bombing mission was a failed attack on Wake Island on June 6, 1942. Six days later, a small raid from Egypt was launched against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. As US bomber squadrons deployed, the B-24 became the standard American heavy bomber in the Pacific Theater due to its longer range, while a mix of B-17 and B-24 units were sent to Europe. Operating over Europe, the B-24 became one of the principal aircraft employed in the Allies Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany. Flying as part of the Eighth Air Force in England and the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Forces in the Mediterranean, B-24s repeated pounded targets across Axis-controlled Europe. On August 1, 1943, 177 B-24s launched a famous raid against Ploesti as part of Operation Tidal Wave. Departing from bases in Africa, the B-24s struck the oil fields from low altitude but lost 53 aircraft in the process. Battle of the Atlantic While many B-24s were hitting targets in Europe, others were playing a key role in winning the Battle of the Atlantic. Flying initially from bases in Britain and Iceland, and later the Azores and the Caribbean, VLR (Very Long Range) Liberators played a decisive role in closing the air gap in the middle of the Atlantic and defeating the German U-boat threat. Utilizing radar and Leigh lights to locate the enemy, B-24s were credited in the sinking of 93 U-boats. The aircraft also saw extensive maritime service in the Pacific where B-24s and its derivative, the PB4Y-1, wreaked havoc on Japanese shipping. During the course of the conflict, modified B-24s also service as electronic warfare platforms as well as flew clandestine missions for the Office of Strategic Services.   Crew Issues While a workhorse of the Allied bombing effort, the B-24 was not hugely popular with American air crews who preferred the more rugged B-17. Among the issues with the B-24 was its inability to sustain heavy damage and remain aloft. The wings in particular proved vulnerable to enemy fire and if hit in critical areas could give way completely. It was not uncommon to see a B-24 falling from the sky with its wings folded upwards like a butterfly. Also, the aircraft proved highly susceptible to fires as many of the fuel tanks were mounted in the upper parts of the fuselage. In addition, crews nicknamed the B-24 the Flying Coffin as it possessed only one exit which was located near the tail of the aircraft. This made it difficult to impossible for the flight crew to escape a crippled B-24. It was due to these issues and the emergence of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in 1944, that the B-24 Liberator was retired as a bomber at the end of hostilities. The PB4Y-2 Privateer, a fully navalized derivative of the B-24, remained in service with the US Navy until 1952 and with the US Coast Guard until 1958. The aircraft was also used in aerial firefighting through 2002 when a crash led to all remaining Privateers being grounded.

Developing Business Processes and Operations Essay - 1

Developing Business Processes and Operations - Essay Example The organisation implemented a philosophy and culture which they called The Corus Way in order to sustain competitiveness, productivity and profitability. Along with this philosophy is the practice of continuous improvement programmes across the company. Specifically, this paper explores the problems at the Port Talbot Strip Products site. The site was experiencing lost, damaged and stolen equipments in their depot operations. Using quality tools and techniques, this paper arrives at a proposal for using an online computer based material resource programme as well as four recommendations for the improvement of the depot operations in accordance to the Corus Way. Corus Group is an international metals organization. The core competence of the company is providing steel and aluminium products and service to different market sectors. It is one of the top ten steel producers in the world. The customer base of Corus mostly comprises of businesses in the automotive, aerospace, packaging, engineering, building and construction markets (Datamonitor, 2008). Corus Group has operations in thirty different countries reaching over Europe, Asia and other international markets. In Europe, UK is the major market of the organization. The company is headquartered in London and employs 21,300 people in UK. (Datamonitor, 2008) Corus implemented a quality programme to create real value in steel. The programme was named – The Corus Way. Part and parcel of the programme is aiming at adopting world-class processes based on Continuous Improvement. The objective of continuous improvement is to eliminate and prevent waste. The continuous improvement programme focuses on making small improvements across all function. This paper aims at exploring and evaluating a selected business process and operations in Corus, particularly in the Port Talbot Strip

Emigration in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emigration in USA - Essay Example Individual immigrants will win in the sense that after being employed in the formal or informal sectors their disposable income will increase. Additionally, individual immigrants will be covered by the government in terms of provision of health care as well as security. Based on their skills and experience, immigrants will acquire well paying jobs as well as political positions. One of the notable implications of the immigration is that it will create stiff competition between domestic workers and immigrant workers thus making the domestic workers to be losers. A major result of the immigration is that racism is likely to emerge between various groups. For instance, there have been cases of social conflicts between Korean immigrants and the black. This occurred during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. Similarly, non-white Latino and African American group have been involved in conflicts that not only affect their economic productivity but also their social life. As a nation, US will benefit in various ways for example economic growth, technology advancement and adequate market for goods among others. According to Smith and Barry 26, immigrants significantly contribute to the US economy. For example, each year $10 billion is contributed to the US economy by immigrants. Based on the fact that US heavily rely on its own resources, immigrants act as a major source of labor as well as market for locally produced goods. To address the issue of racism and social conflicts that affect various groups, it is imperative to create forums that will entail interaction of various groups with an aim of preaching peace. Additionally, it is fundamental for government to streamline employment policies that will enable equal employment opportunities for domestic workers as well as immigrants. It is necessary to reduce the number of losers and increase the number of winners for example by providing equal economic opportunities for

Abraham Maslow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Abraham Maslow - Research Paper Example Though he focused on political and religious material, but worked thru issues about senses, imagination, knowledge, language, and passions. Other contemporary philosophers (Munger, 2003) like Rene Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and G.W. Leibinz contributed in this progress by studying human mind’s relation to the body. Further development in psychology stressed interaction of physiology to psychology. Later development established psychology as science, and concluded that mental activity could be quantified thru research. Charles Darwin using the concept of principles of natural selection brought further development in psychology. Contribution of principles of the unconscious mind by Sigmund Freud laid the foundation of psychoanalytical model. Different fields of sciences, like education, anthropology, and medicine borrowed this model in their disciplines. In the 1920s and 30s American Psychologist John B. Watson (Munger, 2003) introduced a concept in psychology where he explained animal and human behavior thru environmental stimuli. According to his suggestion, psychology should involve solely with sensory stimuli and behavioral response. Others at the same time suggested that psychology should investigate human thought and behavior as a whole, instead of breaking it down into isolated instances of stimulus and response. The aforementioned discussion points out that psychology is a discipline that studies behavior of humans and other animals in their interaction with the surrounding world. Traditional concept of psychology is perceived thru restoring imbalanced mental activity to a normal condition. Traditional psychology did not pay much attention to the concept of human potential that conceals what humans can become. In other words, traditional psychology paid remarkably little attention to the psychological development of human, how to generalize it, and what mechanisms controls it. In the 1950s and 60s Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers developed a new conc ept of psychology (Boeree) that considered the psychological growth of people who are properly adjusted. This method is named as Humanistic Psychology, which asserts people make rational, conscious decisions regarding their lives and suggests that individuals tend to reach toward their greatest potential only after solving issues related to specific needs. Thus, this theory incorporates the possibility of human actualization into its practice. The aim of this work is to examine the life of Abraham Maslow, his concept of the model of human needs, its interpretation, analysis, and application. Abraham Maslow: Highlights from Biography Abraham Maslow, a son of Jewish Immigrant from Russia was born on April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York and died in California on June 8, 1970 (â€Å"Abraham Maslow†). He passed a lonely childhood in massive studies. He graduated from a prestigious boys school in Brooklyn and continued his education at the College of the City of New York. Later he e nded up at University of Wisconsin and earned;

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan Throughout J.R.R. Tolkiens world renowned blockbuster novel Lord of the Rings, the word ring is mentioned multiple times, however, in Marina Keegans story Cold Pastoral, neither cold nor pastoral appears. Not even once. Pastoral can be a term used to describe the livelihood of shepherds, but in literary terms, it is a lent word to describe the mode of literature which depicts a simple life from its complex content. Similarly, cold can be used to describe the weather or feeling of people, but it can also describe a persons personality as hardhearted, cheerless and cool. The more relevant interpretation of the title together with the story would be the latter of both explanations. The story is about Claire whose boyfriend, Brian, died suddenly and the series of events that followed Brians death. Keegan, the author, through describing Claires uncertainty towards the relationship and the revelation of the reality of the relationship, revealed the cold personality of Claire and her desi re to lead a life that feels pastoral, i.e. a simple life, to highlight the importance of revelations. Commitment to a relationship does not just depend on the passion; in fact, it relies heavily on the confidence of both parties in the relationship. Apparently, Claire is not madly in love with Brian. A lot of time was spent being consciously romanticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we might admit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I like you ,' are comments made by Claire on their relationship, which hint that Claire is uncertain about her relationship with Brian (1, 2). As we observe in the real world, couples at the early stages of their relationships are, more often than not, infatuated with each other. Due to the feeling of uncertainty, Claire lacks faith in her relationship with Brian, thus she is not fully committed. This accounts for, in part, why Claire does not seem extremely depressed after learning of Brians death. It is this sense of uncertainty that lingers in Claires mind, the reason for why not a lot of people know of their relationship. One of the reasons that Claire does not seem too depressed after Brian, her boyfriend, died is that she is uncertain about the relationship, which resulted in her lack of commitment, whilst her personality, cold, also contributes much to her absence of severe depression. Humans are never emotionless beings, which is why our emotions are affected greatly by the surroundings. The only stark difference between individuals is their ability to contain emotions. People who are less capable of containing their emotions are often regarded as moody or emotive, while those who are more capable are often regarded as cool and composed. Claire is definitely one of the latter ones. After Brians death, Claire surprised [herself] that night by crying alone (2). This revealed that Claire has a composed personality and that she does not express her emotions explicitly that often. As the saying goes, The onlooker sees the best. People involved in incidents are often lost in their thoughts, and it is only through revelations that they reassess and take a clearer view at the situation. Just after Brians death, Claire was preoccupied by a certain degree of sadness and sorrow. Not only once, but many times, did Claire mention her commitment to Brian, this is revealed from her comment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Id underestimated how much I liked him (2). As it turns out, her emotions and view to her relationship drastically alters after reading Brians diary. Contrary to her sadness and sorrow, Claire comments that Im actually feeling great and Fuck Brian, I thought now, which reveals that she, rather than feeling upset, is on the one hand angry with Brian, and on the other hand, feeling relieved for realizing this fact sooner instead of later (8). Had Brian not died, she would not have discovered this painful reality and broke away from feeling blue. Brians death, though sorr owful and pitiful, has given Claire a chance to reveal the truth and free herself from the bondage of the relationship. Keegan successfully portrays Claires personality through her response to Brians death, which also reveals her desire for a simple relationship the direct reverse of the relationship she had with Brian. Actions such as being consciously romantic, waiting too long before responding to texts and [Brian and Claire] took a certain pride in our ambiguity are indications that the relationship involved complications (1, 1, 2). As the title Cold Pastoral suggests, Claire is eager to seek a relationship that is simply simple. Claires request is very simple she likes being liked (1). She wanted her partner to simply love her and take care of her. After the revelation through Brians death, she is crystal clear about the kind of relationship that she pursues more than anything Id ever wanted in my life, I wanted him to love me (11). Claire simply cannot resist the opportunity to begin a simple, committed love affair. Apart from the contents of the story, Keegans manipulation of prose and style conveys strong messages about the characters and the plot. When we read the story, the narration affects our judgment greatly. Since this story is a first person narration, we have to be critical about the emotions of the narrator. Throughout the story, the tale was narrated from the perspective of Claire, the main character, and I and We are mainly used as the pronoun for Claire as the narrator (1). In such narration, the contents of the tale are easily influenced by the emotions of the narrator. Claire, whose boyfriend has just died, is with grief and pain, which indicates that she is at times pathetic and hysterical. This suggests that the narration given by Claire may not be as reliable as regular stories due to her fluctuating moods. Keegan, by using first person narration, is trying to place readers in Claires position. By doing so, readers can easily imagine themselves as Claire, which arouses sympat hy for Claires experience. In many peoples view, literary works should be elegant and profound, but plain and raw descriptions can also be powerful in conveying messages. When one reads the story, one is bound to come across many controversial choices of words, such as fuck, shit and penis, which do not normally exist in conventional novels or essays (7, 6, 2). Furthermore, the story includes many lines of dialogue and often comes with short and incomplete sentences, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). The expressions, straightforward and natural, which are intentionally deployed by Keegan, can fully reveal Claires feelings and the thoughts going through her troubled mind. Since this story is about the events that happened to Claire, this writing style allows readers to have a more in-depth understanding of Claires plight, thus arousing echoes of the idea of revelation. Keegan kept the story compact, which creates a fast pace for the story, to suit the short time-span of the occurrence of events. The events in the story happened within a very limited time-span, despite the complex nature of the story. If all the ideas were explained in details, the story would have a very slow pace, which does not match with the swift happening of events. To achieve fast pacing for the story, Keegan kept the paragraphs of the text relatively short, while ideas within these paragraphs are at times incomplete, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). From the examples, Keegan is providing a very vague image of Claire and a brief lead in of her thoughts. Contrary from giving the whole story, these short fragments allow readers to conceive the situation of Claire slowly but gradually. This allows Keegan to both keep the story concise yet providing sufficient vital information for readers to interpret the setting of the story and make a great impact on the minds of readers through their imagination. In the story, Keegan deliberately arranged the events in a non-chronological order, which enables readers to think in the minds of Claire. Events of stories are often in chronological order, which enables the reader to easily understand the contents of the story. However, in Cold Pastoral, the events, rather than in chronological order, are following Claires free flow of thought. In the beginning of the story, Claire mentions her relationship with Brian and Brians sudden death (2). After the breaking line, the focus turns to her interaction with her friends (2). After the second breaking line, Claire expresses her views on Lauren, Brians ex-girlfriend (2). Furthermore, after the third breaking line, the narration mentions Claires visit to Brians family (3). If the story is to be in chronological order, Claires comments on Lauren should be excluded from the context. Keegan, intentionally inserts this scene in such a way to reveal the thoughts in Claires mind. The illogical ordering of events provides readers with an in-depth understanding of Claires thoughts, and also allows readers to comprehend the mindset of Claire fragmented thoughts and troubled with disarray. Revelation is ubiquitous, but we often underestimate its effects. People need revelation, and then they need resolution, Damian Lewis once said (Lewis). Just like in Cold Pastoral, Claire, who believed that her relationship with her boyfriend Brian was perfect, realizes that she is actually not as dedicated as she believed to the relationship as well as Brian. We need not evade revelations, for revelation does more good than harm. In fact, revelation not only provides us information about the facts, but also provides a chance for us to step back and reassess our stances. The omnipresence of revelation is bound to amaze those who neglect it. Revelation can be as significant as the death of a person, as shown from the example in the story Cold Pastoral, or it can be as minute as receiving a marked quiz script at school. Events, which one may or may not notice, can often be regarded as revelations, as long as they allow one to introspect. The story, Cold Pastoral, not only successfully portrays Claire, the heroine, but also provokes the minds of readers to face revelations squarely.

Assessment of a Study of Transformational Leadership Essay -- social i

Assessment of a study of the relationship between transformational leadership, empowerment and organizational commitment Introduction and Purpose of Study The implications of transformational leadership on a firm’s employees and the success of the firm overall are areas of ongoing research according to Ismail, Mohamed, Sulaiman, Mohamad, and Yusuf (2011). The authors make the case that in a changing global environment transformational leadership styles, rather than transactional styles, are a means organizations are using to meet their strategies (p. 90). They argue previous research suggests that some aspects of transformational leadership, such as empowerment, may motivate the followers to unite, change their own goals, and even look beyond their own self-interest to achieve the organization’s interest (p. 90). Thus, the use of a transformational style may impact employee outcomes, especially organizational commitment resulting in increased organizational performance. According to Ismail et al. (2011, p. 91), despite studies showing this important relationship, there is insufficient explanation of how and why transf ormational leadership affects organizational commitment. Their study begins to address the shortfall by studying the mediating effects of empowerment on the relationship between the variables Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment. The assessment presented here focuses on the sampling methodologies used by the authors and argues that potential weaknesses in the methodologies limits the conclusions to something less than that which is presented by Ismail et al. (2011, pp. 100-101). This paper will have three following sections. First, there is a methods section to discuss the author... ... approaches rely on random sampling to draw inferences. As the sample drawn from the population becomes less random, the results become skewed, and conclusions become limited and should be viewed with skepticism. Thus, the results reported by Ismail et al. (2011) must be viewed with skepticism. References Burns, R. B., & Burns, R. A. (2008). Business research methods and statistics using SPSS. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Girden, E. R., & Kabacoff, R. I. (2011). Evaluating research articles: From start to finish (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Ismail, A., Mohamed, H. A., Sulaiman, A. Z., Mohamad, M. H., & Yusuf, M. H. (2011). An empirical study of the relationship between transformational leadership, empowerment and organizational commitment. Business & Economics Research Journal, 2(1), 89-106. Retrieved from http://www.berjournal.com