Monday, September 30, 2019

Leadership †Making the Business Successful

Leadership has different meanings to various authors.   Leadership could be defined as influence, that is, the art of process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals (Bass, 1981).   Although their approach to leadership theory is primarily one of analyzing lead ­ership style, Fred E. Fiedler and his associates at the University of Illinois have suggested a contingency theory of leadership (Fiedler, 1967). The theory holds that people become leaders not only because of the attributes of their personalities but also because of various situational factors and the interactions between leaders and group members. On the basis of his studies, Fiedler de ­scribed three critical dimensions of the leadership situation that help determine what style of leadership will be most effective (Miner, 1982): Position power is the degree to which the power of a position, as distinguished from other sources of power, such as personality or expertise, enables a leader to get group members to comply with directions; in the case of managers, this is the power arising from organizational authority. As Fiedler points out, a leader with clear and considerable position power can obtain good followership more easily than one without such power (Bowers, 1975). With the dimension of Task structure, Fiedler had in mind the extent to which tasks can be clearly spelled out and people held responsible for them. If tasks are clear (rather than vague and unstructured), the quality of performance can be more easily controlled and group members can be held more definitely responsible for performance. Fiedler regarded the dimension of Leader-member relations as the most im ­portant from a leader’s point of view, since position power and task structure may be largely under the control of an enterprise. It has to do with the extent to which group members like, trust, and are willing to follow a leader (Yuki, 1981). To approach his study, Fiedler set forth two major styles of leadership. One of these is primarily task-oriented; that is, the leader gains satis ­faction from seeing tasks performed. The other is oriented primarily toward achiev ­ing good interpersonal relations and attaining a position of personal prominence. Favorableness of situation was defined by Fiedler as the degree to which a given situation enables a leader to exert influence over a group. To measure leadership styles and determine whether a leader is chiefly task-oriented, Fiedler used an unusual testing technique (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991). He based his findings on two sources: (1) scores on the least preferred coworker (LPC) scale – these are ratings made by people in a group as to those with whom they would least like to work; and (2) scores on the assumed similarity between opposites (ASO) scale–ratings based on the degree to which leaders see group members as being like themselves, on the assumption that people will like best, and work best with, those who are seen as most like them ­selves. Today the LPC scale is most commonly used in research. In developing this scale, Fiedler asked respondents to identify the traits of a person with whom they could work least well (Fiedler, 1967). Leadership performance depends as much on the organization as it depends on the leader's own attributes. Except perhaps for the unusual case, it is simply not meaningful to speak of an effective leader or an ineffective leader; we can only speak of a leader who tends to be effective in one situation and ineffective in another. If we wish to increase organizational and group effectiveness we must learn not only how to train leaders more effectively but also how to build an organizational environment in which the leader can perform well (Indvik, 1986). In a highly structured situation, such as in the military during a war, where the leader has strong position power and good relations with members, there is a favorable situation in which task orientation is most appropriate. The other ex ­treme, an unfavorable situation with moderately poor relations, an unstructured task, and weak position power, also suggests task orientation by the leader, who may reduce anxiety or ambiguity that could be created by the loosely structured situation. Between the two extremes, the suggested approach emphasizes cooperation and good relations with people. To conclude, leadership is the art or process of influencing people so that they contribute willingly and enthusiastically toward group goals. Leadership requires followership. The approach to leadership, built on the assumption that leaders are the product of given situations, focuses on the study of situations. Fiedler’s contingency approach takes into account the position power of the leader, the structure of the task, and the relations between the leader and group members. This would make the followers to like, trust and follow the leader. The conclu ­sion is that there is no one best leadership style and that managers can be successful if placed in appropriate situations. References Bass, Barnard M. 1981. Stodgill’s Handbook of Leadership: A survey of theory and research, Rev. ed, New York: The Free Press. Bowers, David G. 1975. â€Å"Hierarchy, Function and the Generalizability of Leadership Prac ­tices,† in James G. Hunt and Lars L. Larson (eds.), Leadership Frontiers (Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1975), pp. 167-180. Fiedler, Fred E. 1967. A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967). Indvik, Julie. 1986. â€Å"Path Goal Theory of Leadership: A Meta-Analysis,† in John A. Pearce II and Richard B. Robinson, Jr. (eds.), Academy of Management Best Papers-Proceedings, Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago (Aug. 13-16, 1986), pp. 189-192. Kirkpatrick, Shelley A. & Locke, Edwin A. 1991. â€Å"Leadership: Do Traits Matter?† Academy of Management Executive (May 1991), pp. 48-60. Miner, John B. 1982. Theories of Organizational Structure and Process, Hinsdale, Ill.: The Dryden Press, Chap.2. Yuki, Gary A. 1981.   Leadership in Organization, (Englewood Cliffs, N.]: Prentice-Hall, chap. 4.                                       

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Blue Sword CHAPTER ONE

She scowled at her glass of orange juice. To think that she had been delighted when she first arrived here – was it only three months ago? – with the prospect of fresh orange juice every day. But she had been eager to be delighted; this was to be her home, and she wanted badly to like it, to be grateful for it – to behave well, to make her brother proud of her and Sir Charles and Lady Amelia pleased with their generosity. Lady Amelia had explained that the orchards only a few days south and west of here were the finest in the country, and many of the oranges she had seen at Home, before she came out here, had probably come from those same orchards. It was hard to believe in orange groves as she looked out the window, across the flat deserty plain beyond the Residency, unbroken by anything more vigorous than a few patches of harsh grass and stunted sand-colored bushes until it disappeared at the feet of the black and copper-brown mountains. But there was fresh orange juice every day. She was the first down to the table every morning, and was gently teased by Lady Amelia and Sir Charles about her healthy young appetite; but it wasn't hunger that drove her out of bed so early. Since her days were empty of purpose, she could not sleep when night came, and by dawn each morning she was more than ready for the maid to enter her room, push back the curtains from the tall windows, and hand her a cup of tea. She was often out of bed when the woman arrived, and dressed, sitting at her window, for her bedroom window faced the same direction as the breakfast room, staring at the mountains. The servants thought kindly of her, as she gave them little extra work; but a lady who rose and dressed herself so early, and without assistance, was certainly a little eccentric. They knew of her impoverished background; that explained a great deal; but she was in a fine house now, and her host and hostess were only too willing to give her anything she might want, as they had no children of their own. She might try a little harder to adapt to so pleasant an existence. She did try. She knew what the thoughts behind the looks the servants gave her were; she had dealt with servants before. But she was adapting to her new life as best as her energetic spirit could. She might have screamed, and hammered on the walls with her fists, or jumped over the low windowsill in her room, clambered to the ground by the ivy trellis (special ivy, bred to withstand the desert heat, carefully watered by Sir Charles' gardener every day), and run off toward the mountains; but she was trying her best to be good. So she was merely first to the breakfast table. Sir Charles and Lady Amelia were all that was kind to her, and she was fond of them after a few weeks in their company. They had, indeed, been far more than kind. When her father died a year ago, Richard, a very junior military adjutant, had laid the difficulty of an unmarried sister and an entailed estate before Sir Charles, and begged for advice. (She heard all this, to her acute embarrassment, from Richard, who wanted to be sure she understood how much she had to be grateful for.) He and his wife had said that they would be happy to offer her a home with them, and Richard, too relieved to think hard about the propriety of such a godsend, had written to her and said, Come out. He had not specifically said, Mind your manners, but she understood that too. She hadn't any choice. She had known, because her father had told her five years ago when her mother died, that she would have no inheritance; what money there was was tied up very strictly for the eldest son. â€Å"Not that Dickie will mistreat you,† their father had said, with the ghost of a smile, â€Å"but I feel that, with your temperament, you had best have as long as possible a warning to resign yourself to it. You'll like being dependent on your brother even less, I fancy, than you like being dependent on me.† He tapped his fingers on his desk. The thought that lay silent between them did not need to be spoken aloud: that it was not likely she would marry. She was proud, and if she had not been, her parents would have been proud for her. And there is little market for penniless bluebloods of no particular beauty – especially when the blueness of the blood is suspected to have been diluted by a questionable great-grandmother on the mother's side. What the questionableness exactly consisted of, Harry was not sure. With the self-centeredness of childhood she had not thought to ask; and later, after she had realized that she did not care for society nor society for her, she had no desire to ask. The shipboard journey east on the Cecilia had been long but uneventful. She had found her sea legs almost at once, and had made friends with a middle-aged lady, also traveling alone, who asked no personal questions, and loaned her novels freely to her young companion, and discussed them with her upon their return. She had let her own mind go numb, and had read the novels, and sat in the sun, and strolled the decks, and not thought about the past or the future. They docked at Stzara without mishap, and she found the earth heaved under her strangely when she first set foot ashore. Richard had been granted a month's leave to meet her and escort her north to her new home. He looked younger than she had expected; he had gone overseas three years ago, and had not been Home again since. He was affectionate to her at their reunion, but wary; they seemed to have little in common any more. I shouldn't be surprised, she thought; it's been a long time since we played together every day, before Dickie was sent off to school. I'm an encumbrance now, and he has his career to think of. But it would be nice to be friends, she thought wistfully. When she pressed him to give her some idea of what she could expect of her new life, he shrugged and said: â€Å"You'll see. The people are like Home, you know. You needn't have much to do with the natives. There are the servants, of course, but they are all right. Don't worry about it.† And he looked at her with so worried a face that she didn't know whether to laugh or to shake him. She said, â€Å"I wish you would tell me what is worrying you.† Variations of this conversation occurred several times during the first days of their journey together. At this point there would be a long silence. Finally, as if he could bear it no more, he burst out: â€Å"You won't be able to go on as you did at home, you know.† â€Å"But what do you mean?† She hadn't thought much about native servants, or her position, yet; and obviously Richard knew her well enough of old to guess that now. She had written him letters, several each year, since he had gone overseas, but he had rarely answered. She had not minded very much, although she had thought occasionally, as when his six hastily scrawled lines at Christmas arrived, that it would have been pleasant if he were a better correspondent; but it hadn't troubled her. It troubled her now, for she felt that she was facing a stranger – a stranger who perhaps knew too much about her and her accustomed way of life. She blinked at him, and tried to rearrange her thoughts. She was excited, but she was frightened too, and Richard was all she had. The memory of their father's funeral, and she the only family member standing beside the minister, and of the small handful of servants and tenants whom she had known all her life and who were far away from her now, was still raw and recent. She didn't want to think about her new life; she wanted time to ease into it gradually. She wanted to pretend that she was a tourist. â€Å"Dickie – Dick, what do you mean?† Richard must have seen the homesick bewilderment on her face. He looked back at her unhappily. â€Å"Oh – er – it's not your house, you know.† â€Å"Of course I know that!† she exclaimed. â€Å"I appreciate what the Greenoughs are doing for you and for me by – by taking me in.† And she added carefully: â€Å"You explained all that to me in your letter.† He nodded. â€Å"Do you think I don't know how to behave myself?† she said at last, goaded, and was rewarded by another long silence while she felt the blood rising in her face. â€Å"It's not that I don't think you know how,† he said at last. She flinched, and he began: â€Å"An – â€Å" â€Å"Harry,† she said firmly. â€Å"It's still Harry.† He looked at her with dismay, and she realized that she was confirming his fears about her, but she wasn't going to yield about that of all things. The realization that she would insist on being called Harry seemed to silence him, because he did not try to reason with her further, but withdrew into his corner seat and stared out the window. She could tell by his voice that he did not want to hurt her, but that he was truly apprehensive. She and Richard had been wild animals together as small children; but when Dickie had been packed off to school, their mother had dragged her into the house, mostly by the ears or the nape of the neck, and begun the long difficult process of reforming her into something resembling a young lady. â€Å"I suppose I should have started years ago,† she told her sulky daughter; â€Å"but you were having such a good time, and I knew Dickie would be sent away soon. I thought it hardly fair that your lessons should start sooner.† This lifted the cloud a little from her daughter's brow, so she added with a smile, â€Å"And, besides, I've always liked riding horses and climbing trees and falling into ponds better myself.† After such an open avowal of sympathy from the enemy, lessons could never be quite awful; on the other hand, they were not perhaps as thorough as they might have been. On particularly beautiful days they often packed a lunch and rode out together, mother and daughter, to inspire themselves – the mother said – with a little fresh air; but the books as often as not stayed in the saddlebags all day. The daughter learned to love books, particularly adventure novels where the hero rode a beautiful horse and ran all the villains through w ith his silver sword, but her embroidery was never above passable; and she only learned to dance after her mother pointed out that such grace and balance as she might learn on the dance floor would doubtless stand her in good stead in the saddle. She learned the housekeeping necessary in an old ramshackle country house well enough to take over the management of theirs successfully during her mother's last illness; and the first horrible months after her mother's death were made easier by the fact that she had something to do. As the first pain of loss wore away, she realized also that she liked being useful. In the shock five years later of her father's death, and with the knowledge that she must leave her home, and leave it in the indifferent hands of a business manager, it had occurred to her to be relieved that the little eastern station at the farthest-flung border of the Homelander empire where Richard had been posted, and where she was about to join him, was as small and isolated as it was. Her mother had escorted her to such small parties and various social occasions as their country neighborhood might offer, and while she knew she had â€Å"conducted herself creditably† she had not enjoyed herself. For one thing, she was simply too big: taller than all the women, taller than most of the men. Harry could get nothing more useful out of her brother about his private misgivings as the small rickety train carried them north. So she began to ask general questions – a tourist's questions – about her new country; and then she had better luck. Richard began visibly to thaw, for he recognized the sincerity of her interest, and told her quite cheerfully that the town at the end of their journey, where Sir Charles and Lady Amelia awaited them, was the only town of any size at all within three days of it. â€Å"There's a wireless station out in the middle of nowhere where the train stops – it exists only for the train to have someplace to stop – and that's all.† The town's name was Istan, after the natives' Ihistan, which was deemed too hard to pronounce. Beyond Istan was a scattering of small depressed cottages in carefully irrigated fields where a tough local tassel-headed grain called korf was grown. Istan had been a small village before the Home landers came, where the farmers and herders and nomads from the surrounding country came to market every fortnight and a few pot-menders and rug-weavers kept shops. The Homelanders used it as an outpost, and expanded it, although the native marketplace remained at its center; and built a fort at the eastern edge of it, which was named the General Leonard Ernest Mundy. Istan had lately become a place of some importance in the governmental network the Homelanders had laid over the country they had conquered eighty years before. It was still an isolated spot, and no one went there who didn't have to; for it was at the edge of the great northern desert of the peninsular continent the Homelanders called Daria. But thirteen years ago the Aeel Mines had been discovered in the Ramid Mountains to the northwest, and in the last eight years the Mines had been officially declared the most profitable discovery on the entire Darian continent, and that was saying a great deal. The profits on oranges alone paid the wages of half the civil servants in the Province. â€Å"The Mines are awful to get to, though; the Ramids are very nasty going. Istan is on the only feasible route to the Mines, and is the last town large enough to re-supply any caravan or company going that way or coming back out again. That's why we got the railroad, finally. Before that we were the only reason anyone would want to come so far, and our attractions are limited. But the Mines are the big thing now. They may even figure out a way to dig a road through the Ramids. I wish them luck.† Istan also remained tactically important, for while south of it the boundary to Homelander territory swung rapidly east, the Homelanders failed to push it back any nearer the mountains of the north and east. The natives, perhaps from learning to cope with the desert to survive at all, had proved to be a tougher breed than their southern cousins. Some of this Harry had read at Home when she had first heard of Richard's posting three years before. But she felt the reality of it now, with the western wind blowing down on her from the rich Aeel Mines, and the odd greenish-bronze tint in the sky, and the brilliant red of the sunsets. She saw the dull brown uniforms of the Homelander soldiers stationed here, with the red stripe vertically drawn over the left breast that indicated they served in the Darian province of the Homelander sovereignty. There were more soldiers, the farther they traveled. â€Å"It's still a sore point that Istan is the eastern frontier; we can't seem to bear the idea that the border doesn't run straight, north to south, because we would like it to. They keep threatening to mount new offensives, but Colonel Dedham – he's in charge of the old Mundy – says that they won't do it. And who wants to own a lot of desert anyway? It's the farmland in the south – and the Mines – that make it worthwhile to be here.† She encouraged him to talk about Her Majesty's Government of the Royal Province of Daria, and if she did not listen as closely as she might to the descriptions of the ranks and duties of the civil servants Richard had the most contact with, she arrived at Istan at last with some small idea of how Homelanders in general were expected to respond to Daria. And she had seen korf with her own eyes, and a band of the wandering tinkers known as dilbadi, and the changing color of the earth underfoot, from the southern red to central brown to northern yellow-grey. She knew a broad-leafed ilpin tree from the blue evergreen torthuk, and when Lady Amelia met her with a corsage of the little rosy-pink pimchie flowers, she greeted them by name. Lady Amelia was a small round woman with big hazel eyes and curly grey hair and the wistful look of the fading beauty. Her husband, Sir Charles, was as tall as Richard and much broader; he must ride sixteen stone, Harry thought dispassionately as she shook his hand. He had a red face and white hair and a magnificent mustache, and if his blue eyes were a little shallow, there were laugh lines generously around them, and his smile was warm. She felt as if they had looked forward to her coming, and she relaxed a little; there was none of the loftiness she was expecting toward a poor relation – someone else's poor relation at that. Sir Charles during the first evening gave her a complete history of Daria, its past, its conquest by the Homelanders, its present, and its likely future, but most of it she was too tired to follow. Lady Amelia's occasional quick comments, when her husband stopped to draw breath, about Harry's present comfort were much more welcome, although she tried no t to show it. But midway through the evening, as Sir Charles was gesturing with his liqueur glass and even Richard was looking a bit glassy-eyed, Lady Amelia caught her new charge's eye for a long moment. A look of patience and affection passed between them; and Harry thought that perhaps all would be well, and she went up to bed in good spirits. For the first few days in Istan she unpacked, and looked around her, and only saw the newness of everything. But the Homelanders of Istan were a small but thriving community, and she was the latest addition to a society which looked forward to, and welcomed, and cross-examined, and talked about, its additions. She had always suffered from a vague restlessness, a longing for adventure that she told herself severely was the result of reading too many novels when she was a small child. As she grew up, and particularly after her mother died, she had learned to ignore that restlessness. She had nearly forgotten about it, till now. She wondered sometimes if her brother felt that impatience of spirit too, if something like it had had anything to do with his ending up at a small Border station, however tactically important, although his prospects, when he graduated from university, had suggested something better. This was one of the many things she did not ask him. Another question she did not ask was if he ever missed Home. She set down her empty orange-juice glass, and sighed. They'd missed the orange groves, coming north from Stzara, where her ship put her ashore. She picked up her fork from its shining white, neatly folded linen napkin, and turned it so that the sunlight that had glittered through her orange juice now caught in tiny star-bursts across its tines. Don't fidget, she told herself. This morning she was to go riding with the two Misses Peterson, Cassie and Elizabeth. They were near her own age, and the admitted beauties of the station; the entire 4th Cavalry, stationed at the General Mundy, were in love with them. But they were also cheerful and open-hearted, and she was fond of them. She had never much cared for beauty, although she was aware that she lacked it and that her position might have been a little easier if she had not. They would return from their ride by midmorning, because the sun would be growing too hot for anyone to brave it for pleasure. She planned to ask Lady Amelia if they might all come back here for lunch. She already knew what the answer would be: â€Å"Why, of course! We are always delighted to see them. I am so pleased, my dear, that you should be so clever as to attach the two most charming girls we have here to be your particular friends.† Harry caught herself playing with her fork again, and laid it down emphatically. This evening there was to be another dance. Richard had promised to escort her; she had to acknowledge that, however little they found to say to one another now, he was very good about escorting her to parties, and dancing with her – which meant that there was at least one man present whom she did not tower over. Her gratitude was not at all dimmed by the suspicion that he was nursing a secret passion for Cassie, nor by the thought, not even a real suspi cion, that he might not want himself made a fool of by his sister's unpopularity. No, his kindness was real; he loved her, she thought, in his silent and anxious way. Perhaps simply being a very junior military adjutant with an unmarried sister suddenly thrust on one's hands inevitably made one a bit of a prig. It never occurred to her to speculate whether any of the young men in their shining regimentals that Dickie painstakingly introduced her to, and who then painstakingly asked her to dance, presented themselves from any motive outside a willingness to do their friend Crewe a favor by standing up with his oversized sister. It would have surprised her very much to learn of her two or three admirers, who so far resisted the prevailing atmosphere of the barracks as to incline to an altar less populated than that of either Miss Peterson. â€Å"But she's just like her brother,† one of them complained to his best friend, who listened with a friend's patience, although he was himself incapable of seeing the charms of any woman other than Beth Peterson. â€Å"So damned polite. Oh, she's nice enough, you know. I don't suppose she actually dislikes me,† he continued, a bit uncertainly. â€Å"But I'm not at all sure she even recognizes me from one day to the next, so it hardly count s.† â€Å"Well,† said the friend good-humoredly, â€Å"Dick remembers you well enough.† The admirer threw a boot at his friend – the one he hadn't polished yet. â€Å"You know what I mean.† â€Å"I know what you mean,† agreed the friend. â€Å"A cold fish.† The admirer looked up from the boot-blacking angrily and the friend held up the extra boot like a shield. â€Å"Dick's stiff with honor. I daresay his sister's like that. You just don't know her well enough yet.† â€Å"Balls, dinner parties,† moaned the admirer. â€Å"You know what they're like; it could take years.† The friend in silent sympathy (thinking of Beth) tossed the boot back, and he began moodily to black it. The object of his affections, had she known of this conversation, would have agreed with him on the subject of balls and dinner parties. In fact, she would have added the rider that she wasn't sure it could be done at all, getting to know someone at any succession of such parties, however prolonged. And the friend was right about Dick Crewe's powerful sense of honor. He knew well enough that at least two of his friends were falling in love with his sister; but it never crossed his mind to say anything about them to her. He could not compromise the privileged knowledge of friendship in such a way. And Dick's sister, oblivious to the fact that she had won herself a place in the station hierarchy, chafed and fidgeted. Lady Amelia arrived at the breakfast table next. They had just settled the question of Cassie and Beth coming to lunch – in almost the precise words anticipated – when the door to Sir Charles' study, across the hall from the breakfast room, opened; and Sir Charles and his secretary, Mr. Mortimer, entered to breakfast. The two women looked at them in surprise; they had the unmistakable air of men who have been awake several hours, working hard on nothing more than a cup or two of the dark heavy local coffee, and who will rush through their meal now to get back to whatever they have been doing. Neither of them looked very happy about their prospects. â€Å"My dear,† said Lady Amelia. â€Å"Whatever is wrong?† Sir Charles ran a hand through his white hair, accepted a plate of eggs with his other hand, and sat down. He shook his head. Philip Mortimer glanced at his employer but said nothing. â€Å"Richard's not here yet,† said Sir Charles, as if his absence explained everything. â€Å"Richard – ?† said Lady Amelia faintly. â€Å"Yes. And Colonel Dedham. I'm sorry, my dear,† he said, a few mouthfuls of eggs seeming to restore him. â€Å"The message came quite out of the blue, in the middle of the night,† he explained through his metaphors as well as his mouthful. â€Å"Jack – Colonel Dedham – has been out, trying to find out what he can, and I told him to come to breakfast and tell us what he's learned. With Richard – that boy knows how to talk to people. Blast them. Blast him. He'll be here in a few hours.† His wife stared at him in complete bewilderment, and his young guest averted her eyes when he looked at her, as it was not her place to stare. He laid down his fork and laughed. â€Å"Melly, your face is a study. Young Harry here is going to be a fine ambassador's wife someday, though: look at that poker face! You really shouldn't look so much like your brother; it makes you too easy to read for those of us who know him. Just now you're thinking: Is the old man gone at last? Humor him till we're sure; if he calms down a bit, perhaps we'll get some sense out of him even now.† Harry grinned back at him, untroubled by his teasing, and he reached across the table, braving candlesticks and an artistically arranged bowl of fruit, to tap her cheek with his fingers. â€Å"A general's wife, on second thought. You'd be wasted on the diplomatic corps; we're all such dry paper-shufflers.† He speared a piece of toast with his fork, and Lady Amelia, whose manners with her own family were as punctilious as if she dined with royalty, looked away. Sir Charles piled marmalade on his toast till it began to ooze off the edges, added one more dollop for good measure, and ate it all in three gulps. â€Å"Melly, I know I've told you about the difficulties we're having in the North, on this side of the mountains with our lot, and on the far side with whatever it is they breed over there – a very queer bunch, from all we can gather – and it's all begun to escalate, this last year, at an alarming speed. Harry, Dick's told you something of this?† She nodded. â€Å"You may or may not know that our real hold over Daria ends just about where this station stands, although technically – on paper – Homeland rule extends right to the foot of those mountains north and east of here – the Ossanders, which run out from the Ramids, and then that far eastern range you see over the sand, where none of us has ever been †¦ those mountains are the only bits of the old kingdom of Damar still under native rule. There used to be quite a lot of fighting along this border – say, forty years ago. Since then their king – oh yes, there's a king – more or less ignores us, and we more or less ignore him. But odd things – call them odd things; Jack will tell you what he thinks they are – still happen on that plain, our no-man's-land. So we have the 4th Cavalry here with us. â€Å"Nothing too odd has happened since the current king took the throne around ten years ago, we think – they don't bother to keep us up to date on such things – but it never does to be careless. Um.† He frowned and, while frowning, ate another piece of toast. â€Å"Everything has been quiet for – oh, at least fifteen years. Nearly as long as I've been here, and that's a long time. Ask Jack, though, for stories of what it was like up and down the northern half of this border before that. He has plenty of them.† He stood up from the table, and went across the room to the row of windows. He lifted the curtain farther back as he looked out across the desert, as if breadth of view might assist clarity of thought. It was obvious his mind was not on the explanation he was giving; and for all his assumed cheerfulness, he was deeply worried. â€Å"Damn! †¦ Excuse me. Where is Jack? I expected he would have at least sent young Richard on ahead before now.† He spoke as if to himself, or perhaps to Philip Mortimer, who made soothing noises, poured a cup of tea, and took it to Sir Charles where he stood squinting into the morning sunlight. â€Å"Trouble?† said Lady Amelia gently. â€Å"More trouble?† Sir Charles dropped the curtain and turned around. â€Å"Yes! More trouble.† He looked down at his hands, realized he was holding a cup of tea in one of them, and took a swallow from it with the air of a man who does what is expected of him. â€Å"There may be war with the North. Jack thinks so. I'm not sure, but – I don't like the rumors. We must secure the passes through the mountains – particularly Ritger's Gap, which gives anybody coming through it almost a direct line to Istan, and then of course to the whole Province. It may only be some tribal uproar – but it could be war, as real as it was eighty years ago. There aren't many of the old Damarians left – the Hillfolk – but we've been forced to have a pretty healthy respect for them. And if King Corlath decides to throw his chances in with the Northerners – â€Å" There was a clatter in the street below. Sir Charles' head snapped around. â€Å"There they are at last,† he said, and bolted for the front door and threw it open himself, under the scandalized eye of the butler who had emerged from his inner sanctum just too late. â€Å"Come in! I've been in high fidgets for the last hour, wondering what's become of you. Have you found out anything that might be of use to us? I have been trying to explain to the ladies what our problem is.† â€Å"Would you care for breakfast?† Lady Amelia asked without haste, and with her usual placid courtesy. â€Å"Charles may be trying to explain, but so far he has not succeeded.† In response to her gesture, a maid laid two more places at the table. With a jingling of spurs the two newcomers entered, apologized for their dirt, and were delighted to accept some breakfast. Richard dropped a perfunctory kiss on his sister's cheek on his way to the eggs and ham. After a few minutes of tea-pouring and butter-passing, while Sir Charles strode up and down the room with barely suppressed impatience, it was Lady Amelia who spoke first. â€Å"We will leave you to your business, which I can see is very important, and we won't pester you with demands for explanations. But would you answer just one question?† Colonel Dedham said, â€Å"Of course, Melly. What is it?† â€Å"What is it that has suddenly thrown you into this turmoil? Some unexpected visitor, I gather, from what Charles said?† Dedham stared at her. â€Å"He didn't tell you – ? Good God. It's Corlath himself. He's coming. He never comes near here, you know – none of the real Hillfolk do if they can help it. At best, if we want badly enough to talk to him, we can catch one of his men as they pass through the foothills northeast of here. Sometimes.† â€Å"You see,† broke in Sir Charles, â€Å"it makes us hope that perhaps he wishes to cooperate with us – not the Northerners. Jack, did you find out anything?† Dedham shrugged. â€Å"Not really. Nothing that we didn't already know – that his coming here is unprecedented, to say the least – and that it is in fact him. Nobody had any better guesses than ours about why, suddenly, he decided to do so.† â€Å"But your guess would be – † prompted Sir Charles. Dedham shrugged again, and looked wry. â€Å"You know already what my guess would be. You just like to hear me making an ass of myself. But I believe in the, um, curious things that happen out there – † he waved the sugar spoon – â€Å"and I believe that Corlath must have had some sort of sign, to go to the length of approaching us.† A silence fell; Harry could see that everyone else in the room was uncomfortable. â€Å"Sign?† she said tentatively. Dedham glanced up with his quick smile. â€Å"You haven't been here long enough to have heard any of the queer stories about the old rulers of Damar?† â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"Well, they were sorcerers – or so the story goes. Magicians. They could call the lightning down on the heads of their enemies, that sort of thing – useful stuff for founding an empire.† Sir Charles snorted. â€Å"No, you're quite right; all we had was matchlocks and enthusiasm. Even magic wanes, I suppose. But I don't think it's waned quite away yet; there's some still living in those mountains out there. Corlath can trace his bloodlines back to Aerin and Tor, who ruled Damar in its golden age – with or without magic, depending on which version you prefer.† â€Å"If they weren't legends themselves,† put in Sir Charles. â€Å"Yes. But I believe they were real,† said Jack Dedham. â€Å"I even believe they wielded something we prosaic Homelanders would call magic.† Harry stared at him, fascinated, and his smile broadened. â€Å"I'm quite used to being taken for a fool about this. It's doubtless part of the reason why I'm still a colonel, and still at the General Mundy. But there are a number of us old soldiers whose memories go back to the Daria of thirty, forty years ago who say the same thing.† â€Å"Oh, magic,† said Sir Charles disgustedly, but there was a trace of uneasiness in his voice as well. â€Å"Have you ever seen lightning come to heel like a dog?† Dedham through his politeness looked a little stubborn. â€Å"No. I haven't. But it's true enough at least that the men who have gone up against Corlath's father and grandfather were plagued by the most astonishing bad luck. And you know the Queen and Council back Home would give their eyeteeth to push our border back the way we've been saying we would for the last eighty years.† â€Å"Bad luck?† said Lady Amelia. â€Å"I've heard the stories, of course – some of the old ballads are very beautiful. But – what sort of bad luck?† Dedham smiled again. â€Å"I admit it does begin to sound foolish when one tries to explain it. But things like rifles – or matchlocks – misfiring, or blowing up; not just a few, but many – yourself, and your neighbor, and his neighbor. And their neighbors. A cavalry charge just as it reaches full stretch, the horses begin to trip and fall down as if they've forgotten how to gallop – all of them. Men mistake their orders. Supply wagons lose their wheels. Half a company all suddenly get grit in their eyes simultaneously and can't see where they're going – or where to shoot. The sort of little things that always happen, but carried far beyond probability. Men get superstitious about such things, however much they scoff at elves and witches and so on. And it's pretty appalling to see your cavalry crumple up like they're all drunk, while these madmen with nothing but swords and axes and bits of leather armor are coming down on you from every direction – and nobody seems to be firing at them from your side. I assure you I've seen it.† Richard shifted in his chair. â€Å"And Corlath – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, Corlath,† the colonel continued, sounding still as unruffled as when he thanked Lady Amelia for his cup of tea, while Sir Charles' face was getting redder and redder and he whuffled through his mustache. It was hard not to believe Dedham; his voice was too level, and it rang with sincerity. â€Å"They say that in Corlath the old kings have come again. You know he's begun to reunite some of the outlying tribes – the ones that don't seem to owe anyone any particular allegiance, and who live by a sort of equal-handed brigandry on anyone within easy reach.† â€Å"Yes, I know,† said Sir Charles. â€Å"Then you may also have heard some of the other sort of stories they've begun to tell about him. I imagine he can call lightning to heel if he feels like it.† â€Å"This is the man who's coming here today?† said Lady Amelia; and even she now sounded a little startled. â€Å"Yes, Amelia, I'm afraid so.† â€Å"If he's so blasted clever,† muttered Sir Charles, â€Å"what does he want with us?† Dedham laughed. â€Å"Come now, Charles. Don't be sulky. I don't suppose even a magician can make half a million Northerners disappear like raindrops in the ocean. We certainly need him to keep the passes through his mountains closed. And it may be that he has decided that he needs us – to mop up the leaks, perhaps.† Lady Amelia stood up, and Harry reluctantly followed her. â€Å"We will leave you to discuss it. Is there – is there anything I could do, could arrange? I'm afraid I know very little about entertaining native – chieftains. Do you suppose he will want lunch?† She spread her hands and looked around the table. Harry suppressed a smile at the thought of proper little Lady Amelia offering sandwiches, with the crusts neatly trimmed off, and lemonade to this barbarian king. What would he look like? She thought: I've never even seen any of the Freemen, the Hillfolk. All the natives at the station, even the merchants from away, look subdued and †¦ a little wary. â€Å"Oh, bosh,† said Sir Charles. â€Å"I wish I knew what he wanted – lunch or anything else. Part of what makes all this so complicated is that we know the Free Hillfolk have a very complicated code of honor – but we know almost nothing about what it consists of.† â€Å"Almost,† murmured Dedham. â€Å"We could offend them mortally and not even know it. I don't know if Corlath is coming alone, or with a select band of his thousand best men, all armed to the teeth and carrying lightning bolts in their back pockets.† â€Å"Now, Charles,† Dedham said. â€Å"We've invited him here – â€Å" † – because the fort is not built for receiving guests of honor,† Dedham said easily as Sir Charles paused. â€Å"And,† Sir Charles added plaintively, â€Å"it doesn't look quite so warlike here.† Dedham laughed. â€Å"But four o'clock in the morning,† Sir Charles said. â€Å"I think we should be thankful that it occurred to him to give us any warning at all. I don't believe it's the sort of thing he's accustomed to having to think of.† The colonel stood up, and Richard promptly took his place behind him. Sir Charles was still pacing about the room, cup in hand, as the ladies prepared to leave. â€Å"My apologies for spoiling your morning to no purpose,† said Colonel Dedham. â€Å"I daresay he will arrive sometime and we will deal with him, but I don't think you need put yourselves out. His message said merely that he desired an audience with the Homelander District Commissioner – not quite his phrase, but that's the idea – and the general in command of the fort. He'll have to make do with me, though; we don't rate a general. The Hill-kings don't go in much for gold plate and red velvet anyway – I think. I hope this is a business meeting.† â€Å"I hope so too,† murmured Sir Charles to his teacup. â€Å"And – at the moment – we can't do much more than wait and see,† said the colonel. â€Å"Have some more of this excellent tea, Charles. What's in your cup must be quite cold by now.†

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Consumer society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer society - Essay Example Moreover, it is a society that is consecrated with consumption of goods regardless of the costs and categories. Goods preferred by this society range from goods that are essential for proper health to those that bring about environmental sustainability (Baudrillad, 2). However, this society is the most vulnerable to the changing renewal of technology. Due to the dynamic nature of the market conditions, wants and preferences oblige the society members to dump their old equipment and embrace new developments. This move is aimed at attainment of a desired measure of comfort recognized by the world today. The business world is composed of two groups of people. Firstly, the group of buyers that constitutes the consumers. Consumers are the ones who formulate a consumer society that is mandated to protect them from exploitation by sellers. The second group is that of sellers. This group is constituted by a large variety of individuals ranging from companies that produce the goods to the wholesalers who act as intermediates then to the retailers – responsible for the final deliver of goods to the consumers (Baudrillad, 5). In the business world the two groups involved are susceptible to exploitation. Consumers can be exploited by sellers in various ways which include: unfair pricing of goods and services, hooding of goods and services, provision of poor quality goods at exaggerated prices and unrealistic weights and measures. On the other hand, sellers are also susceptible to exploitation by the buyer through oppression of their rights by consumer societies. Therefore, for harmony in business, the societies which are meant to protect the two groups and working contradictorily should be established. Consumer society encourages consumption of goods and services and the economic health of the society which is dependent on the population’s spending habits. In contrast to other societies such as the feudal or peasant-based societies, consumer

Friday, September 27, 2019

Lymphatic and Immune Systems Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lymphatic and Immune Systems - Lab Report Example Seroconversion is an element of the immune system. When individuals develop antibodies to HIV, medical experts say that they have seroconvert to antibody-positive from antibody-negative (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). In a direct ELISA test, an antigen is adsorbed to a synthetic plate and then proteins, in excess, are added to stop all the other binding sites using bovine, serum or albumin (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). In an indirect ELISA test, the steps are similar only that there is an additional step. After the antigen is adsorbed, the next antibody to be included is the antibody that identifies the antigen, unlike in a direct ELISA test. The two tests are antibodies detecting procedures (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). However, the Western Blot test is considered as a confirmatory test because it can detect HIV early enough for a patient to receive the crucial treatment. The ELISA test is considered extremely sensitive when it comes to testing for antibodies and that it why most of its test come back positive (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). However, the Western Blot test takes its time to establish the status of an antibody, and that is why most of its results are

Thursday, September 26, 2019

American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Government - Essay Example An objective that was clearly lived up to as far as the cultural will of the people is concerned; in the way America has more races of people that reside in the country than any other nation in the world. It is through the constitution that every culture and religion on earth has found a place in America and then had the ability to flourish; with individuals from various backgrounds and religions and cultures finding a place for themselves in the American way of life and hence the formulation of an American identity. Today however we look at the numerous ways in which the American Government falls short as far as reflecting the will of the American people globally and socially is concerned. If we look closely in the past decade there has been wide spread public cynicism as far as established political institutions and the government is concerned. With the most frequently occurring theme in the American political system being pointed out by critics being the obvious dismay of the Amer ican citizen as far as the government’s inability to perform is concerned. ... One might wonder what causes all this discontent as far as the social needs of the people are concerned. A key push that has driven the public to formulate the negative opinion as far as their effectiveness to represent the people is concerned is that of the new health care bill which excludes certain state members from paying the same taxes as the other states. If equality is a social obligation which the government stands to promote the health care bill clearly does not authenticate that line of thought (Mcdonald, 1999). Unemployment, according to the Fortune is right now the No.1 issue in America, with the unavailability of jobs being a key concern along with employer’s inability to find workers they want. Even then the government fails to address this issue when presenting their jobs agenda to the nation. This was seen as a key missing element in the American Jobs Act. A shocking perspective of this situation roots from three key reasons due to which the Defense Department has found about 75% of American citizens between the ages of 17 and 24 who are not qualified even to serve in armed forces being; inadequate education, criminality and physical unfitness. Three shocking aspects that further signify the failure of the American government to come up with effective education reforms, social controls and providing adequate health facilities. A society in which the basic needs of each individual are not lived up to leads to social deterioration and unrest of the community as a whole. The Pentagon highlights the fact that there are 26 million young adults who are incompetent, unhealthy and undereducated individuals to be able to live up to professional and technologically advanced requirements (Colvin, 2011). How then can the government live up to its ‘We

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Pulmonary Rehabiliation Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pulmonary Rehabiliation Program - Essay Example Pulmonary rehabilitation aims in reduction in the number of patients that suffer COPD. . Exercise training that is incorporated in the program is to enable keeping fit through upper body exercises and lower body exercises. This increases the strength of those with the condition. The program developed in the program enables understanding of treatment plan. This makes the program useful for those with the condition of COPD. Exercise training is the foundation of pulmonary rehabilitation. There is urge that there is undertaking exercises to keep the body healthy. In pulmonary rehabilitation, Exercise training is based on general principles of exercise physiology that needs all that undergo the exercise are to carry out: intensity, specificity, and reversibility. As peripheral muscle weakness contributes to exercise limitation in patients with lung disease, strength training is a rational component of exercise training during PR (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). Hence, resistance training that involves the upper arms is also important as it enables the ability to carry out the ADL and some muscles of the upper-arm also serve as other muscles of respiration. This aspect is an essential in pulmonary rehabilitation. There are two types of exercise that are involved. Endurance is a component and exercise training which involve dynamic activities of large muscles which are performed three or four times in a week. This is with a consumption of less than 50% of maximum oxygen consumption (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). Endurance induces structural and physiological adaptation that provide the trained individual for performance of activities which are of high intensity. Lower extremely training is the mainstay that is used in endurance training but there is recommendation of incorporating more extreme training. The optimal training duration that is recommended is that which is greater than 30 minutes. The effect of sustainable training on

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

DWC ENVIROMENT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

DWC ENVIROMENT - Research Paper Example ntial district, logistic district, and reserved area for the development of commercial, leisure, and exhibition facilities (Dubai World Central, 2015). An external and external environment, target market and positioning, SWOT, and marketing mix are analysed in the paper to allow for the formation of insightful recommendations for implementation at DRC. Porter’s five forces aid in the analysis of a business internal environment through examining the influence of suppliers, consumers, new entrants, substitute products, and competitors to the organization (Porter 2008, 12). DWC provides a new technologically advanced platform of management of aviation, logistics, and other forms of business related or adjacent to an airport; it has differentiated itself from the competition and faces very low threat of entry. The need for the development of advanced infrastructure, a lot of capital input as evidenced by the development of DWC, which is estimated to costs $US 33 billion aid in deterring any new entrants. The development of the modern infrastructure at the DWC means the use of the very best suppliers of technologically advanced software and the enormity of project requires reliance on the best contractors and developers, Getting quality hardware, software, and manpower requires the payment of a steeper price that gives the suppliers power over DWC. The power of the suppliers has however been reduced using contracts, competitive bidding, and agreements but still supplies have control resulting in the moderate bargaining power of suppliers for DWC. High costs of purchase and maintenance of Material Handling Equipment are also the other factor that provides for supplies having bargaining power. DWC serves a wide market, owing to its global scale of operations, resulting in the ability of a single consumer to have considerable power to influence the decisions and pricing. Consumers lack access to a platform offering the quality and extensive services available at DWC

Monday, September 23, 2019

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - Essay Example At the age of six, he had already developed contractures with the calf muscles being the most severely affected (Larsen & Lubkin, 2013). By the age of nine climbing stairs and rising unaided was impossible, and at ten years, he was confined to a wheelchair. He has weakening trunk muscles which can easily cause scoliosis. His diaphragm muscles are also weakened which makes breathing and coughing difficult, and increases chances of lung infection. Complications such as sleep-disordered breathing; ineffective cough and nocturnal hypoventilation are being experienced. The patient also has difficulties learning through listening and attention span is low (American Thoracic Society, 2010). DMD symptom management The focus of this study is the symptom management of neuromuscular and skeletal muscles. In a review article by a team of 84 practitioners representing the specialists who provide care to DMD patients selected by Centre for Disease Control (CDC), they independently rated the interv entions and assessments that are used in DMD management (DMD Care Considerations Working Group, 2009). From this assessment, CDC expert panelists came up with management interventions for the neuro and skeletal muscles for a DMD patient at the stage in which this patient is. The first intervention for muscle strength and function is pharmacological intervention to address the progression of muscle degeneration in a DMD patient. The treatment that the review focuses on is the use of the glucocorticoids to optimize strength and function of these muscles. Glucocorticoids slow the collapsing of muscle strength, as well as its function, thereby reducing the risk of scoliosis and stabilize pulmonary function. The initial RCTs of patients on 0.75 mg/kg daily dose of prednisone for six months showed improvement in muscle strength. Prednisolone and deflazacort are other glucocorticoids that were shown to be effective on a daily dose instead of alternate days. These medications were shown als o to prolong ambulation and in patients that have become non- ambulatory showed reduced risks of progressive scoliosis and stabilization of pulmonary function. There is no agreed time to start the glucocorticoids therapy since this is based on serial assessments, as well as parental report in the disease’s three phases. However, for a patient who has lost ambulation such as this one, the CDC experts review points the therapy can be introduced or continued in order to preserve upper limb strength, reduce progression of scoliosis and slow down a loss of respiratory and cardiac function. The review concludes that other supplements could be used to manage the neuro and skeletal muscles weaknesses such as coenzyme Q10, carnitine, and antioxidants such as fish oils, vitamin E, green tea extracts and amino acids. In another review article by the CDC expert panel on the implementation of multidisciplinary care in the management of DMD, the expert panel of the CDC project addresses sk eletal and respiratory management (DMD Care Considerations Working Group, 2009). In spinal management, the earlier management with the use of glucocorticoid treatment is retaliated to curb progression of scoliosis and a small chance of developing vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

B.F. Skinners theory of punishment Essay Example for Free

B.F. Skinners theory of punishment Essay When you think of punishment and reward you think of a reaction; but man has come up with theories of why we do the things that we can do. Conditioning and learning is defined as change in behavior, which is resulted by different types of practices and experiences. In this report the main topics will be classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive-social learning, and neuroscience and evolution. Every time we do something good or bad the outcome determines our reactions in future situations. This learning process that is associated between environment stimuli and behavioral responses. Breaking down the rewards system you come along reinforces and reinforcement. Both are good ways to get a conditioned response. First we primary rein forcers, this increases the chance because it satisfies a need for sex, food, and water. Secondary rein forcers increase the probability of a reaction because of value, money, and possessions through learning. Positive reinforcement is a reward that adds stimulus to increase chances of responses. Positive reinforcement would be a paycheck for a job well done. Negative reinforcement is the exact opposite removing or taking away stimulus of the action not occurring again. The two types of conditioning we are covering is classical and operant. Conditioning is learning through repetition of exercises of rewards or punishment to get a response. The pioneer scientist in classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov. Classical conditioning is also known as a Respondent or Pavlovian conditioning. Classical is also involuntary which is one of the major differences from operant conditioning. Classical conditioning happens when an unrelated response through association with a stimulus that already makes a similar or related response. An example of classical conditioning is for some people when you hear the sound of running water you need to use the bathroom. The other types of conditioning are Operant, also called Instrumental and Skinnerian conditioning. In operant conditioning the punishment, reward, or in other words outcome is important. That adds to the probability that the act will be repeated or not. Operant conditioning is where consequences of a  particular behavior are described on the repetition of that same behavior. B.F. Skinners experiment of operant conditioning was a cat in a puzzle box. The only way the cat could get out was to pull on a rope; at first the cat did it by mistake. As the experiment went on the cats behavior became more and more purposeful. Soon the cat learned that the door opened immediately for his food. Skinners theory of reward was called positive reinforcement, and his theory of punishment was known as negative reinforcement. Reinforcement always increases the strength of the preceding behavior. Skinner was credited with the law of affect meaning an action will be repeated if it is rewarded. Another type of operant conditioning is called, Extinction. Extinction is a particular behavior that is weakened by the consequence of not experiencing a positive condition or stopping a negative condition. So far this report has broken down stimulus and observable reward and punishment behavior. Overall, some scientists believe the behavior cannot be explained by these theories alone. So next we come to cognitive social theory. Unlike Skinners black box theory, German psychologist Wolfgang Kohler wanted to look deeper inside the box. Kohler believed that solving a complex problem was responding to the stimuli in a trial and error statement. One of his experiments was with using a chimpanzee to try and find his way out of a cage and luring to reach a banana from the ceiling by using its insight to grasp the banana. Kohler tried the experiment again with another chimp placing him in the cage with two sticks this time and placing the banana farther then its grasp. The chimp lost interest in the banana when it was farther but then realized he could use the two sticks to extend his reach, allowing it (the chimp) to obtain the banana. Kohler called this a, learning insight. To wrap up this report we learned that the different types of conditioning are based on reward and punishment and they all have their own different theories and they are still being tested and experimented today.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay I samsher rana, completed Higher Secondary Education in 2012 from Kathmandu Model College which is situated at Baghbazar, Kathmandu, Nepal in management with first division marks and grade 10 from Kantipur English High School with distinction marks. I have scored 6.5 in IELTS which is a proof of my English language proficiency. After completing my higher secondary level education I plan to continue my education by pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. I would like to complete my further studies in New Zealand at Concordia Institute Of Business which will help me to learn how to built or do business in better matters. It has developed a reputation for being friendly, caring, and welcoming, and has a multi-cultural staff with wide experience in education for international students. As a business students I will get chance to learn how to lead a group or team to deliver selected objectives in a productive way. Moreover the college programs are delivered by experienced, qualified teaching staff through lectures, tutorials, and practical assignments which maintains a high standard of education. . see more:statement of purpose for canadian embassy Only after the extensive research I have decided to choose this college for my further studies. I took help from my relatives and friends to know more about this college and also from this college’s website and got lots of information about it. After the close study I decided to complete my higher studies from this college as I came to know that this college staff’s are very supportive and friendly. It prioritizes academic achievement but still helps students to get part-time jobs. New Zealand has an international reputation as a provider of quality education. It has a progressive education system. It offers a safe learning environment with excellent study opportunities and support services for international students. I decided to study in New Zealand rather than Nepal because students intending to study in New Zealand can be assured of achieving qualifications that are at a standard comparable to qualifications achieved in leading educational institutions in other parts of the world. Therefore my family also insisted me to go New Zealand for receiving further studies. Moreover New Zealand is also renowned for its natural beauty and its adventure activities. Therefore if I get chance to complete my further education in New Zealand then I will be pleased to do so.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The rhyme scheme of Sonnet 65

The rhyme scheme of Sonnet 65 In Sonnet 65, Shakespeare shows us very little hope that beauty will be able to endure the forces of time and mortality.   By the end of the poem, the author explains that the only place beauty will be immortalized is in his writing.   In making his point, it appears Shakespeare merely poses several emotionally driven, rhetorical questions, however these questions are logically coherent.   By the poems end, these questions lead the speaker and reader to an acceptable solution for the preservation of beauty. The rhyme scheme of this poem (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) separates the fourteen-line sonnet into three quartets and one final couplet.   By posing seven consecutive questions without any solution, the author creates a grave sense of despair.   Not until the couplet is the reader exposed to a shimmer of hope.   Each cluster of lines, utilizing different sentence structure, fits into the logical progression of the poem.   In the first quartet, which is the first sentence as well, the speaker asks us to consider how well beauty will be able to fair against mortality.   If stone, earth, sea, and brass all fall victim to mortality, how then will beauty be able to last?   He uses legal terms like hold a plea, which in modern English changes to the term make a case.   When contemplating his second question, the speaker changes from metaphors based on legal images to metaphors of war and belligerence.   Time is presented as a wreckful siege of battering days.   Once again, the despair is heightened because of the hopeless situation into which beauty is placed.   The speaker asks if rocks and gates of steel cannot withstand time, will beauty be able to last?   Adding to the despair of Sonnet 65, in these first two quartets, Shakespeare presents beauty as a delicate and meek object, and contrasts it with fiercer imagery.   Beauty, represented as a flower and summers honey-breath, is positioned within the same sentence as a boundless sea, gates of steel, and rocks impregnable, among others. When moving from the first to the second question, Shakespeare flips the sentence structure.   In sentence one, the objects beauty is being compared with (earth, stone, etc.) are placed first, then the force that will destroy beauty (mortality) is noted, followed by the sentence kernel (beauty hold a plea), and finally the sentence kernels modifiers.   In the second question, the kernel is placed first (summers honey-breath hold out), followed by a metaphor for time (wreckful siege), then the forces beauty is being compared with, and finally the ruinous force (time) is noted.   Up to now, the speaker has used the entire quartet to pose a single question.   In the final quartet, three questions will be asked within the space of four lines.   Shakespeare begins the final quartet with an interjection, O fearful meditation! (such scary thoughts), referring to the outrageous opposition beauty must face, as mentioned in the first two quartets.   He has posed two questions thus far, and has offered no insight on answering them.   Another three rhetorical questions, logically interlocked with the preceding eight lines, are asked in this final quartet.   These questions are designed to deepen the tone of despair until we are given any definite solution in the final couplet. The first question Shakespeare presents is, . . . where, alack, Shall Times best jewel from Times chest lie hid?   The immediately striking wording in this clause is Times best jewel.   Literally, the most outstanding creation that has ever existed is beauty.   Time and beauty, especially in the second quartet, have been suggested to be opposing forces.   Time, thus far in the sonnet, is the force that is trying to ruin beauty.   Now we see that time is the very force that is responsible for the creation and destruction of beauty; beauty exists because of and within times power. Shakespeare chose chest as the speaker tries to determine where beauty will finally find safety.   Throughout this sonnet, and especially in this quartet, words with multiple denotations are used to increase the complexity of the poem.   Chest, on one level, can refer to the chest of a human being.   (We have already seen time personified with pronouns like his, and on line 11, time is given a human appendage: a foot.)   Shakespeare means that beauty will finally reach safety when it is wrapped in times arm and nestled in his chest.   Chest, on another level, can be interpreted as a box where items of reverence can be stored in safekeeping.   Moving on logically with the idea of mortality and death in the first quartet, a chest is the coffin that beauty is seeking to avoid. Another question Shakespeare poses in this quartet is, Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?   Once again, the author is personifying the concept of time by using the pronoun his.   The most literal meaning of this question is along the lines of: who will be able to prevalent the destruction of beauty?   However, spoil has two other meanings that relate to the context of Sonnet 65.   The first plays on the war metaphor in the second quartet.   The spoils of war refer to objects seized in battle.    In the second quartet, time was described in terms of a wreckful siege.   Shakespeare has already asserted that time and beauty quarrel.   Now, unless someone or some force intervenes, beauty will be lost like treasure that has been seized in battle.   Moreover, spoil can refer to a plot of land that has become unserviceable in some way.   Metaphorically, beauty has been compared to a delicate flower and the honey-breath of summer, which is the sweet smell of blossoming flowers.   If the ground is ruined, flowers, or beauty, cannot flourish. The remaining question Shakespeare asks in this quartet is, Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?   Two key phrases should be examined in this line.   The first is his swift foot.   In acquiring a human foot, time is further personified.   More importantly, he is saying that time is swift moving.   The image of the foot here creates an image of a running person.    Either the speaker is fearful that time, as it runs, will trample and destroy this beauty, or that time, passing by very quickly, will overlook beauty and forget it.   In the other important phrase, the speaker is searching for a strong hand that can hold back the foot (of time).   On a most literal level, the strong hand is the image of a human hand capable of restraining the foot that is about to kick or trample beauty.   On another level, he can be looking to his writing hand as the hand that allows beauty to endure.   In either case, he is desperately searching for a way to avoid devastation. In the final rhymed couplet, the speaker discloses the solution on how beauty can be preserved.   Shakespeare knows that beauty cannot survive forever as a living being or as an idea in his head.   The only way it can endure is through his writing, therefore he claims, O, none unless this miracle have might, That in black ink my love will still shine bright.   Nothing can prevent the ruination of beauty but this poem.   First, Shakespeare affirms the notion on line 11 that the hand capable to hold back the swift foot of time will in fact be his writing hand.   Beauty will last in the black ink he uses to jot this verse.   All other preceding questions have been answered.   Placing himself at the level of God, Shakespeare asserts that he has a power that ranges over divine forces like time and mortality.   And no one has the ability to preserve beauty like he. There is uncertainty as to whether beauty refers to a specific person, or to the feeling of being in love.   I believe, with a poem as emotionally driven as this, and by comparing beauty to the scent of summer (the feeling of a summer fling), Shakespeare is speaking not about an individual, but about being in love.   However, there will always be much debate on this topic.      Shakespeare poses several emotionally driven, rhetorical questions, however these questions are logically coherent.   By posing seven consecutive questions without any solution, the author creates a grave sense of despair.  Despair is heightened because of the hopeless situation into which beauty is placed.   Time, for most of the sonnet, is the force that is trying to ruin beauty.  Shakespeare repeatedly personifies the concept of time by using the pronoun his.   But later on the reader is made aware that time is the very force that is responsible for the creation and destruction of beauty .Words with multiple denotations are used by Shakespeare to increase the complexity of the poem.   By making use of innovative literary devices, Shakespeare creates definitive meaning of beauty and time, intertwined with a sense of complete despair.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - The Character of the Parson Essay

The Character of the Parson of Canterbury Tales      Ã‚   Geoffrey Chaucer is considered by many critics as the father of English literature.   His literary masterpiece was "The Canterbury Tales."   In these tales, Chaucer writes about pilgrims who are on a journey to Canterbury.   Each pilgrim has a tale that they tell on this journey.   Chaucer expresses themes and messages through the characterization of each pilgrim.   Through the Parson, one of the pilgrims, Chaucer is able to portray the life of a true Christian through the general prologue, prologue to the Parson's tale, and the Parson's tale itself.      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the general prologue, Chaucer introduces the reader to the Parson.   He is a "holy-minded man of good renown" (475).   The reader soon gets to know him as a devout, educated, altruistic, caring, gentle, humble, giving, and brotherly man through the general descriptions of who the Parson is and what he does.   The parson is "benign" and "diligent" (481) as well as being "holy and virtuous" (511).   Chaucer portrays this pious Christian through his reverent and venerable t...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Are tall buildings necessary for London to remain a competitive world c

Are tall buildings necessary for London to remain a competitive world city? On February 10, 2004 mayor of London Ken Livingstone introduced the London Plan, the first proactive strategy in over thirty years to deal specifically with the planning and development of London. Since an increase in London's population by 800,000 is expected by the year 2020 , the mayor has suggested the construction of high-rise buildings as the method most likely to enable London to grow in a controlled and steady manner and maintain its status as a world city. A key part of the plan, the mayor's proposal for high-density towers throughout the city, has heightened the debate between urban planners and heritage groups as to whether the construction of tall office and housing complexes is necessary and/or appropriate for London. Based on recent documents, articles and essays and London's need to remain competitive with New York and Tokyo as a world class city, the construction of tall buildings in London is a necessity, especially due to certain factors such as the need to preserve historic views, the lack of available space and London's poor transport system. The ongoing debate over whether tall buildings would best serve London and sustain and enhance its status as a world-class city has dominated the political and metropolitan structural-design arenas during the last ten years. On one side are heritage groups and conservationists claiming that an increase in the number of tall buildings would block strategic views of London's historically significant landmarks. For example, the organization English Heritage has stated that the tall buildings are a cultural issue and their role is first and foremost of image and aesthetics rather than economic,... ...22, 16 February 2004 Government of London, 'London's skyline, views and high buildings,' Planners and Development Economists http://www.london.gov.uk 16 February 2004 Government of London, 'The London Plan.' Ken Livingstone. http://www.london.gov.uk 17 February 2004 Hamnett, 'The transformation of London's occupational structure and the rise of the new middle class,' Unequal City. (Routledge) pp. 70 Livingstone, Ken. 'The only way is up,' The Independent. 2 November 2002. London School of Economics, 'London should grow up says new report on tall buildings' http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/newsAndEvents/ archives/2000-2002/Tall_Buildings.htm 13 February 2004 Newman, P, Thornley, A. 'Fragmentation and centralization: Influencing the urban policy agenda in London' Urban Studies 34. The Editors of Urban Studies: 2997. pp 981

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Implementation of no plastic policy Essay

The researcher has chosen the topic â€Å"The Implementation of Plastic Bag Ban in Some Municipalities in the Philippines† because it is related to her chosen program, Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. As a Chemical Engineering student, she must study the chemical processes and even changes that are taking place in the environment. This topic is related in a way that the environment and the manufacturing of plastics are concerned. As seen in the Television News and articles in the newspapers, floods caused by super typhoons have really killed thousands of people. Climate change is the primary cause of this dilemma but this was aggravated by the problems of indisposed garbage that are seen everywhere. Environmentalists are blaming the uncontrollable use of plastics and with that, several local government units implemented the plastic bag ban in their municipalities. In other words, banning plastics is their last solution to this problem. Many disagree with its implementation especially the Plastic Manufacturing Companies and its unions because of their own concerns. Nevertheless, they were not able to stop the banning; instead more municipalities are encouraged to do the said banning. In this research paper, she wants to prove that banning plastics is an effective solution to the destruction of the environment. She believes that the existing laws on waste management are not enough to solve the problem that’s why the banning of plastics is implemented. She feels that she would have benefits and advantages for the research study because this will add more knowledge and information that is helpful in preparation for her future career. She also feels that this research study can answer the present problems of the society. Review of Related Literature The article â€Å"Campaign vs garbage pushed† stated that piles of trash can be found everywhere-plastics, discarded and rotten fruits and vegetables fruit peelings, candy wrappers, and the like. Moreover, the Ecowaste Coalition which is a waste and pollution watchdog observed the environmental problems there. It’s also stated that Manny Calonzo, president of Ecowaste Coalition, said that they find plastic bags galore in Divisoria and the piles of mostly plastic rubbish along Recto Avenue and adjacent streets very disturbing. He added that assistance can be offered by conducting community service in the place. The spirit of volunteerism is important in doing this. (2011) Ma. Ceres P. Doyo reported in her article â€Å"Major major: Death by Plastic† that environmental, health and justice advocates trooped to the Senate to press the lawmakers to pass a law to control the reckless use and disposal of plastic bags and to â€Å"tame the plastic monster†. The event coincided with the joint hearing called by the senate committee on trade and commerce, chaired by Sen. Manny Villar, and the committee on environmental and natural resources, chaired by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, to discuss bills filed by Sen. Loren Legarda, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Villar on plastic bags. Legarda’s SB 1368 is â€Å"an act providing for a proactive approach in recycling plastic bags in stores and other retail outlets.† SB 1543 is â€Å"an act regulating the use of plastic grocery bags.† Villar’s SB 1103 is â€Å"an act promoting sound waste management by requiring all department stores, malls and commercial establishments to utilize reusable environment-friendly shopping bags and provide them free of charge to customers and patron, and for other purposes.† (2010) Statement of the problem The researcher attempts to answer the following questions in the research study: 1. What are plastics? 2. What is the purpose of implementing the Plastic Bag Ban in some municipalities in the Philippines? 3. What are the rules contained in this policy? 4. How did the Filipinos respond to the banning of plastics? 5. What are its effects? 6. What are the conclusive findings the researcher gathered in the study? Thesis Statement The â€Å"Plastic Bag Ban† is an effective solution to the destruction of our environment. The researcher believes that this policy implemented by several Local Government Units (LGUs) provides the following benefits: 1. It can solve the problem on uncontrollable increase of plastic wastes in the esteros, drainages, bodies of water, and landfills. 2. This policy could promote alternative packaging like woven bags (bayong). 3. People will be more disciplined.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Open Text Essay

Connect’s main strength is its user-friendly, windows based interface, which allows user to seamlessly perform all document management activities, with only minimal training required. This simple and easy to use windows interface enviroment is fully integrating with Microsoft windows explorer, Word, Powerpoint and Outlook. Open Text has spent a lot of time and money patenting this interface as it the critical value-added selling point that differentiates Enterprise Connect from its competitors. Enterprise Connect is also integrated with Oracle, as it builds solutions on the Oracle Content Database structure. This allows for customers who already have an Oracle database, which is one of the most popular databases used in the world today, to fortify existing investment. As well Enterprise Connect is deeply integrated with SAP as Open Text has shared two-decades of partnerships can co-development with SAP, which is one of the most widely used ERP systems today. Competitive Analysis Market Leaders 1)IBM )EMC 3)Open Text Primarly Competitors: 1) IBM (Founded:1910, Size: 386,558, Location: 1 New Orchard Road Armonk, NY 10504): Strength: In 2007, IBM was the largest ECM vendor based on revenue. Their ECM solution, FileNet, is a well integrated, fully flexible ECM solution. IBM will be able to successfully sell FileNet through its extensive partner service channel and current leading positions in key vertical markets including its traditional financial services, insurance, banking and government markets. Weakness: However, IBM has two content management solutions, DB2 and FileNet and questions are beginning to arise as to whether IBM will be able to fully integrate them into a single, simply to use solution. As well, although FileNet does have strong integration, it is still not fully integrated with all of IBM’s software solutions creating havoc for current IBM customers. 2) EMC (Founded: 1979, Size: 38,600, Location: 176 South Street Hopkinton, MA 01748) Strength: EMC has been a consistent market leader in the ECM market leader. Their ECM software solution Documentum, addresses the entire content life cycle, from capture through to final archive and in this way provides strong document collaboration. Weakness: While the collaboration software solution provided by Documentum is very useful and beneficial, there are a few draw backs to using it. The main disadvantage being that Documentum’s software requires the use of a complex and complicated IT infrastructure. This requires an extensive amount of installation time and can be a major inconvenience to those business professionals who are always busy and on the go. Oracle (Founded: 1977, Size: 84,233, Location: 500 Oracle Parkway Redwood Shores, CA 94065): Strength: Oracle’s ECM solution, Oracle Universal Content Management (OUCM) is a well-integrated software solution and has the strongest integration with Oracle databases than any other ECM provider. This is a major strength as Oracle is one of the most popular databases used today. OUCM will also has access to one of the most robust set of complementary technologies and resources. As well Oracle has an extensive selling channel and customer base. Weakness: Oracle has been known for only supporting its own software. There still remain questions as to the support Oracle will be able to give for other platforms outside the Oracle infrastructure.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Meaning of Symbolism and Imagery in the Writings of Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston uses symbolism and imagery to capture emotions and guide the reader through the story through the eyes of the characters. In her short fiction story, The Gilded Six-Bits, Hurston entertains the emotional and visual senses of the reader by using several symbols and images to give light to the story and character settings. Hurston starts out the story by portraying a couples' relationship and giving it a sense of security, love and trust. However, as the story develops it is clear that know matter how true love is – greed can falter love. Symbolism is shown strongly through colors in Hurston's story. White is used as a symbol of purity. It portrays the relationship between Joe and Missie May as a clean and untouched relationship as described by Hurston, â€Å"The fence and house were whitewashed. The porch and steps scrubbed white.† (252) Joe thinks of the image of his white house on the way home from work right before he discovers Missie May and Slemmons together. Gold is used frequently throughout the short story as a symbol of social status and greed. Otis D. Slemmons is respected by Joe in the beginning of the story and depicted as being of great importance because of his gold teeth, a five-dollar gold piece for a stickpin and a ten-dollar gold piece on his watch chain. Slemmons character is later disemboweled because he is caught in the act of having sex with Joe's wife. The gold symbolizes mistrust, misfortune, greed and falsehood after Slemmons, Missie May and the gold are revealed. Silver also symbolizes a social status to all three of the main characters and a personal symbol to Joe and Missy May. It is clear a little over half way through the story that Slemmons was in the same social class as Joe and Missie May because he did not really have any more money than they did. For Joe and Missie May silver was a symbol  of there relationship. It was a ritual in their relationship for Joe to give Missie May the silver dollars every Saturday. The moon is described by Hurston as a silver image on Joe's ride home from work, â€Å"†¦a lean moon rode the lake in a silver boat. If anybody had asked Joe about the moon on the lake, he would have said he hadn't paid it any attention. But he saw it with his feelings. † (255) Joe saw the lake with his â€Å"feelings† and he saw the silver moon; it is clear that he associated his relationship with his wife with silver. Numbers are also used as symbols to make a statement without actually stating it. Joe and Missie May's magic number is nine. This stands for the nine silver dollars that Joe would throw into the house every Saturday. After she and Slemmons were caught together Joe no longer threw the coins into the house on Saturdays. Slemmons is told to have two gold pieces on him in the amounts of five and ten which is the amount of coins that Joe throws into the house at the end of the story. Slemmons uses numbers in an abstract way to describe people. He associates the number forty with the word forte and Joe doesn't understand what he means by it. Slemmons ironically opens an ice cream shop. Ice cream is a universal symbol for something that is sweet but cold. Slemmons was seen as sweet and suave as was Missie May until the two got together; then Joe viewed them as being cold. Clothing is another social status symbol. Slemmons is described as someone who wore fine clothes. Later in the story Joe calls them rags. When Joe took Missie May to the ice cream parlor he wanted her to wear her Sunday clothes so that he could show her off to Slemmons. He wanted him to see his woman since Slemmons talks about all of the women that he has. Hurston writes that Joe considered Missie May to be the best dressed woman at church, â€Å"†¦church on Sunday nights when Missie outdressed any woman in town†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (255) This quote also brings up  the symbol of religion. When Joe asked Missie May to go to the ice cream parlor for the first time Hurston writes that he tells her, â€Å"†¦put on yo' Sunday-go-to-meetin' things.† (253) Hurston  writes in other quotes that refer to images from the Bible. â€Å"Like Samson awakening after his haircut.† (256) â€Å"Don't look back lak Lot's wife and turn to salt.† (257) The imagery from these q uotes make it know that Joe is a religious man in the story and Hurston herself has a religious background. Laughter is used to portray and hide feelings in Joe. Laughter shows the happiness between Joe and Missie May when they have their playful game on Saturdays. Later in the story Hurston writes that Joe's laughter is shown as an unsure feeling when he finds Slemmons with his wife, â€Å"So he just opened his mouth and laughed.† and before bed that night, â€Å"†¦and took a good laugh and went to bed.† (256) At the end of the story Joe was laughing in the store when he turned in the 4-bit piece that he pulled off of Slemmon's neck for candy. The clerk states after Joe leaves, â€Å"Wisht I could be like these darkies. Laughin' all the time. Nothin' worries 'em.† This was surely not Joe's case at all but his character tells otherwise. Hurston also uses laughter as a private symbol in another one of her writings. â€Å"They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs.† (Their Eyes Were Watching God 2) â€Å"Pearl Stone opened her mouth and laughed real hard because she didn't know what else to do.† (Their Eyes Were Watching God 2-3) Hurston's real life is story is a mystery according to Ann Ducile's book review in The New York Times. She has conflicting age and birth date documents due to her habitual lying. â€Å"†¦although she gave the year of her birth as 1910, rather than 1891, as scholars have now determined.† (The New York Times) Literature and The Writing Process has her birth date listed as 1901. Her birthplace is also not certain. She has said that she was born in Eatonville but it is assumed that she was born in Notasulga, Alaska. Nonetheless, Hurston has made a mark in the history of writing with her cultural relations and peers. According to The New York Times  article there are festivals, foundations, literary societies, endowed chairs, journals, honors and awards in the name of Zora.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Native culture

Native culture BY abra6766 Native Women's Roles in the Southwest In the Native American culture, women are not much talked about even though they do play an important role in the Native society. Women don't only serve as a housekeeper, which is the generally believed myth, but they rather do other thing like farming and crafting while the men were out hunting. Native Americans even believed that women had more healing powers than the men did and thus we have heard of more medicine women than medicine men.Also, to the native culture, music and dance is an important part of the culture. Even though throughout class we have learned that women play a lesser of a role in native music and dance, they actually do a lot more to provide to their society culturally. In my essay, I will be focusing on the roles of Native American women in the skills of music, dance and daily chores which are of particular importance to the Indian culture. We mainly focus on the southwestern region and how women in the southwest contribute which in many cases overlap with other regions.The music in the southwest includes styles such as Navajo and Apache and they hold agricultural ceremonies like Kachina. Southwest is believed to be known for its outstanding women's musical custom of using leg rattles which is used while they dance (Southwest Navajo Indians). Even though men are given importance while singing or dancing, women do play a supporting role in the dancing and singing and they are not completely ignored by the Indian community. Normally, women dance on their spots while men tend to move around in circles or other formations.Women also do sing, but many times men do the main stream singing, while the females accompany them. But in most cases women only accompany in the dancing or even ance solo without men rather than sing. These celebrations of dancing and singing occur during ceremonies held by the community. Two such celebrations that I found interesting and that played an impo rtant role in the native women's life were the Navajo coming of the age ceremony and the Navajo wedding ceremony.The Navajo coming of age ceremony is the celebration in the southwest region, of a girl undergoing puberty where she is no longer a girl but a woman. The ceremony includes a song sung by the medicine man to mark the change in the girl's status rom girl to woman. After the singing is done, she runs east and she is escorted by a few men whose purpose is to keep the evil spirit away. The Southwest is not the only tribe that holds ceremonies but the region of California also holds ceremonies as such Flower Girl which has a similar meaning behind the ceremony, but not necessarily the same ritual.The other ceremony is the Navajo wedding ceremony which is quite an unique ceremony because it is a custom in the Navajo culture where the groom gets married into the brides household which is different in the ase of the of the American tradition. It is said that the woman's family get s a son instead of losing a daughter which is the opposite in many different traditions. The groom gives up his family in order to adopt his bride's family and relative. Whenever the groom travels, he seeks shelter in the household of his bride's relatives rather than his own (Southwest Navajo Indians).Thus, ceremonies did give importance to women in tribal society. Another important aspect ot Native American culture is the regalia and clothing. Women were the seamstresses. They gave high importance to he making of clothing and they added in decorations and intricate details that signify deep meaning like power and stature (Native American Clothing). Women also made these clothings with care and tenderness as a symbol of love for their loved ones. Many of these outfits are made out of animals that were hunted by the men.Women treated animals as sacred beings and they made sure that did waste any part of the animal or animal product. Women's regalia include a skirt with legging and t he skirts differ according to tribe; also they would wear tunic style shirts. In any tribes, women actually wore dresses made out of buckskin. These unique clothing styles set the Indians apart from other cultures. When it comes to religion, women are believed to be more powerful. Even though there are some medicine men, women are commonly found doing the role medicine woman.They play an important role during ceremonies like the Navajo coming of the age ceremony. They are considered to have healing powers which lasts them through death. Women more easily become medicine woman because they are more familiar with medicinal herbs than the men (Medicine Woman). A woman is gifted her powers during her sleep by one of the spirits. One task of Native American women as a matter in fact every woman which goes unnoticed is their contribution to society with young and new members ( The Women's Role).This holds importance in Indian tribes because they are so small and compact they might not hav e enough members and without a new generation, none of the cultures or traditions would be passed down but would rather die off. Many Indian societies today face the danger of extinction because they do not have enough members to carry on with the traditions or many times these embers lack the interest in learning more about their culture. Women play an important role as a housekeeper and provide their children with basic knowledge about the tribal society and its importance.Therefore, it can be concluded that Native American women do play an important role in their society as clearly shown by the women of the southwestern region. Many of these duties performed by women overlap with other regions like the Northwest and Arctic. In most cases some of the rituals and traditions are the same with a slight difference. Even though it is elieved that men play a major role in the tribal society, it is not true because women play an equal role as men do and also contribute to their tribal so ciety.