MEMO strategy

This memo explains the strategy that I will apply to implement the communication situation of the case 5. Audience The audience for the message is the immediate superior, and therefore it is more effective to use memo to communicate with him or her. The reason is because memo is more formal and less personal than a letter or email. This is able to create the semblance of a valid business concern based on data and studies as opposed to a letter, be it hand or type written, which conveys sentiments and passion and is not regarded as authoritative. Purpose The general purpose of the message is to persuade. In order to be able to do this effectively, it must be shown that there is a valid business concern that needs to be addressed. The use of a memo, as mentioned earlier, gives the appearance of official correspondence devoid of any feelings and sentiments, which are usually not considered when making business decisions. Associated essay: Sample Memo for Company Team Building In order to convince the superior, there is a need to downplay personal convictions while at the same time express this as a valid business concern that is normally addressed in day to day business matters. Therefore, memo is the most often used means of accomplishing this in any corporate structure. Content The general tone that must be used in this memo is a formal business tone. The superior needs to understand the relevance of the matter in relation to business and company performance. This is why a business tone, which avoids conversational language, must be used. Structure Finally, since this will be addressed to a superior, the memo must avoid a direct and confrontational approach while maintaining its authoritativeness.   Before beginning, a buffer can be used to improve the way the superior will handle the situation and perhaps be able to get the desired outcome.   The first few sentences should already outline the problem that will be faced and the potential cost, which helps get the boss’s attention. By the end, it must be made clear to the boss what action must be taken.   The memo must also take care as not to appear as if it is attacking the superior or severely criticizing his decision and this can be achieved by adding a buffer at the beginning. Based on the analysis of this communication situation, I will use a memo as an effective medium to solve this case. To:  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brad Pitt, Executive Director From:  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hayeon Jung, Project Head Date:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   November 13, 2006 Subject:  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Extended Warranties and Sales training We have recently received news which may be vital to the profitability of our extended warranty sales and after a careful study of our proposed actions regarding the sales training program for extended warranties, I believe that it may be in our best interests to come up with an alternative approach regarding this matter.   Based on my studies, this has the potential to be very risky move for the company because of the lower sales of all company products due to the anticipated consumer backlash to this marketing strategy. Business Week, a widely read business magazine, is publishing an article on extended warranties, and it makes specific mention of the fact that half of the warranty price goes to the salesperson as a commission and that only 20 percent of the total amount customers pay for warranties eventually goes to product repair. Early failures are usu ­ally covered by manufacturers' warranties, and the extended warranties we are selling are designed to cover that middle part of the life span. In other words, many extended warranties cover the period of time during which consumers are least likely to need them and offer no coverage when consumers need them most. While extended warranties present profitable margins for the company, the resulting consumer backlash from this article could potentially reduce sales for all of the company’s products. With the current sales training lined up, more aggressive marketing for extended warranties will send the wrong signal to the consumers. Furthermore, the potential threat of added media exposure caused by the article in Business Week could threaten the sales projections for the company. It is strongly recommended that the plan to continue the sales training be ceased.   Doing so will reduce any overhead costs and training expenses that may be incurred from the implementation of the training program. Moreover, alternative marketing strategies such as using the Business Week article to the advantage of the company can be formulated instead of the sales training. I strongly believe that our company has a great future under your leadership as we continually explore ways to strengthen the relationship between the customers and the company. Hayeon jung Customer Service Manager

The Media and Its Responsibilities

The Media and Its Responsibilities SOC 120 June 6, 2011 The Media and Its Responsibilities The media is known for getting the most recent news out to the people of the general public. Sometimes the information the media delivers is questioned by the people. They wonder why the news media would announce certain information for the whole world to know. In this research paper you will learn what kind of information the media delivers, how this information can affect people, and how they can prevent certain events from happening by policing what sort of information they release and distribute for the world to know.News is everywhere. The first distribution of news was through newspapers. They date back to centuries and centuries ago. Newspapers distributed in the United States go back to as early as 1690 (Barber, 2011). There has been much advancement in our technology on how the news has been delivered over the years. You can get information through newspapers, magazines, television, ra dio, and internet. You can even sign up on websites to get emails and text message alerts sent to your cellular device when there is breaking news.Anyone can find what they are looking for by the click of a button. Watching the news can be very informative by keeping you updated on what is going on around the world or in your local area. The yahoo. com homepage has new current events listed daily. While you are in your car driving, you can listen while being updated with the news. Radio stations also update you on what is going on throughout the day. The first amendment of the United States Constitution expresses Freedom of Press.It states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (U. S. Constitution, 1787). Freedom of Press gives the news me dia the right to publish any information without suffering any consequences. The news media does have certain responsibilities that they need to fulfill in order to keep the public satisfied.The responsibilities of the media are to report stories that affect the public. The media feels that the people of the society have the right to be informed about what is going on, in the world, at the present time. How far is too far when it comes to certain information that is being broadcasted for everyone to hear and know about? There is news broadcasting stations put in place to keep the public informed on current daily events. News stations try to compete with one another on who is first to report a news breaking story.They glamorize the fact that they were the first on the scene or that the story that they are reporting on is an exclusive. The news media delivers important information but sometimes it can be too informative. There are sometimes too many unnecessary facts given that are ir relevant. The information that the media delivers is sometimes information that the whole world should not necessarily know about. For example, it was learned that California’s former governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child from a different woman, while he was married to his legitimate wife.The media showed pictures of the woman whom Arnold had the affair with. This sort of issue can present a problem for the child whom is involved. If the child has friends that know what his mother looks like, they now know that he is the child of Arnold Schwarzenegger. If the family was trying to keep the child’s name a secret because they did not want him to be targeted by the news, the media ruined that chance by releasing a photo of the child’s mother. This sort of thing could lead to teasing by other children at school and many other things.The child can also be subjected to the harassment of the paparazzi. It seems that the news media is more concerned with repor ting the actual story than how it affects the victims involved. The information that the media delivers can affect the victims of the story in many different ways. I do not think that the media realizes that by what they are saying can destroy people’s lives. Have you ever watched the news and thought to yourself, â€Å"Wow! That person seems extremely ignorant for being a victim of such a scam? By releasing certain information about a person the story is about or showing faces or photos, the person can go on and suffer from humiliation, depression, and even bullying. Even the family of the persons involved in a story can be affected. I recently came across a story through the news about a local United States Marine that was involved in a ridiculous scam. There is a yard sale website that people post items for sale on. It is somewhat like Craigslist but mainly for the military base. This Marine was selling his guitar, on this yard sale website, to a woman and she ended up sc amming him.They both agreed on a place to meet and when they got there she conned him into going to the bank and depositing a check that was endorsed by her, into his bank account. The check ended up being an insufficient funds check and he was left with no money for the guitar that he had just sold to her. The Marine ended up reporting her to the police and there is an investigation that is taking place. In this case, the Marine is mainly at fault for agreeing to have a stranger’s check deposited into his bank account. The Marine was interviewed on television and he was ridiculed by fellow marines for being exposed in such a fraudulent scenario.The news media could have suggested that his face be shadowed so he would not be a target of humiliation. The Craigslist killer case is an example of how a life can be ruined by news delivered through the media. The Craigslist killer was engaged to be married and his fiancee found out through the news on the television about the crime s that he was accused of committing. In this case, it is not only shocking but as well as embarrassing for the fiancee because she had no idea that her soon-to-be-husband was committing these crimes behind her back.Family and friends knew that she was engaged to the suspect committing the murders and after the news makes it public that her fiance was indeed the Craigslist killer, she would suffer from humiliation and embarrassment. Since she was the fiancee of the Craigslist killer, her name will forever be linked to this case on the internet. Certain events can be prevented by monitoring what is being broadcasted rather than jumping into a report so suddenly. I think that the news media has to be careful on what they are reporting because they have a duty to the public to be discriminative on certain subjects.Names are the most common thing that is not withheld from the media. The media usually only withholds names if the person is a minor. Another example of certain information th at needs to be withheld from the public is the whereabouts of important government officials. The media is always reporting on where the President of the United States will be making an appearance. If someone wanted to potentially harm the President, they would just have to listen to the news to know his exact whereabouts and know when he would be in a particular place.The President does indeed have very heavy security but so did presidents of the past that were assassinated. The news media does influence politics significantly (Entman, 1990). The entire world does not need to know where the leader of our country is going to be at. In The Media and Political Violence, Virginia Held states that she believes that the media should contribute to decreasing political violence through better coverage of arguments for and against political dissidents’ views (Held, 1997). Celebrities are also a huge target of the media.Some have even been known to become famous just through having pi ctures taken of them. What and how celebrities are involved in always seem to make headline news. If they lose too much weight or gain too much weight they will be on a magazine cover. If they have too much alcohol to drink at a bar one night, you can bet that they will be the talk of the news the very next day. People are paid to take pictures of celebrities so they can be in magazines. Some celebrities even face humiliation about the pictures that are sometimes taken of them.Princess Diana’s death is an example of how far the media will go just to get a picture. Her death was partially due to the result of the news media wanting to photograph her while she was being escorted in a vehicle. It was said that the media trailed behind her vehicle, driving at very high speeds. Out of four people in the vehicle, there was only one person that survived. Princess Diana’s driver was speeding while the media continued to follow them in pursuit. According to the Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility, the classical theory of utilitarianism believes that there is an obvious solution that is fair. It argues that, given a set of choices, the act we should choose is that which produces the best results for the greatest number affected by that choice† (Mosser, 2010). The media should not be so quick to report on a story without considering how what they are reporting on, might affect the people whom are involved. They should do what is best for the greatest number of people involved in the stories that they report on. By focusing on the classical theory of utilitarianism the media can resolve this problem.As stated in Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility, â€Å"relativism is the idea that one's beliefs and values are understood in terms of one's society, culture, or even one's own individual values† (Mosser, 2010). Relativism is when you agree to disagree in an argument. A relativism approach would argue with the utilitarianis m theory about the media by saying that the media has the right to fulfill their certain responsibilities. They would agree that the media has responsibilities that need to be completed in order to keep the public informed, regardless of who it affects.The police department also plays a huge role in what detailed information is being released to the news media during crime investigations. Their job is to protect the people of the society. The media and police should both work together to learn better ways on how to deliver the news while still being sympathetic to the victims involved. In most cases, there are facts that the police should not even release to the media. Information that is released by police could result into being more of a problem. For example, if there is a case where the person involved got seriously injured or killed by someone else.It could anger a close friend or family member and they could go to extreme measures in retaliation to pursue or look for the other person involved. I personally believe that the media should look into what they are reporting and how what they are reporting on can affect the people involved. I agree that the news media is a great way for the society to be informed about events but there are certain details that do need to be withheld in order to protect the individuals that are involved in the story. I do feel that the media jumps way too fast into reporting an event without really being onsiderate of the people involved. They want to be the first one to get the job done. I believe that we would not know much about what is going on in the world without the media. I do believe that they do carry out a good job by keeping the public updated on events. I understand that it is their job to inform the public about news but I do think that there needs to be limits and boundaries set so that all involved are protected. The media believes that their responsibilities are to get information out for the public to know.The y want the people of the public to be informed about what is going on so they provide the public with every bit of detail in scenarios they report about. It is their responsibility to provide the public with important topics that affect us. Sometimes the information that the media presents about people can attach itself to a person for their whole life. The media needs to take certain precautions about the unnecessary details that they present or announce to the general public. References Barber, P. (2011). A Brief History of Newspapers. Retrieved from http://www. historicpages. om/nprhist. htm Entman, R. (1990). Democracy Without Citizens: Media and the Decay of American Politics Retrieved from http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/docDetail. action? docID=10142065;amp;p00=media's%20responsibilities Held, V. (1997). The Journal of Ethics Vol. 1, Number 2. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/stable/25115544 Mosser, K. (2010). Introduction to ethics and social responsibility. San Di ego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu Walenta, C. (1995-2011). U. S. Constitution Online. Retrieved from http://www. usconstitution. net/const. html The Media and Its Responsibilities The constitution gives us the freedom of speech in our country. However, we must keep in mind that exercising these liberties includes duties and responsibilities. The media is an integral part of everyday life and has become a leading player and influence of our society and it have an outcome on our nations’ future, viewpoint, and the globe’s view of us. The media are responsible for mainstream America ideals and the familiarity of the image based on the impact from the media. The media are fundamental of social influence and political decisions. The media have turned the average person on reality television into an international star. Sensationalism is in newspapers, on televisions, in magazines, or just a click away on the internet. The media landscape is on the horizon. Commercial and advertisement entice Americans to create financial debt and can influence a poor diet all due to the media. Ratings manipulate the information to such a high level it converts into entertainment. Media is largely funded by advertising. Media have the responsibility to give readers, viewers and listeners accuracy and accountable. Media should uphold fairness and meticulousness. Media has built into for the most part crucial aspect of our era, influencing every citizen. I will discuss the unease relating to media responsibility today, but I will also challenge to depict the importance of the responsibility. A utilitarian purpose can be proficient only through an endeavor to added diverse ethical standards established by the social order improve our society. The media are what we read, listen to and watch; the foremost impact is psychological, intellectual and share commercial implications. Many media outlets cater to the business sector, s they must gain a profit. The Media and entertainment industry forms public opinion and the terms of public debate. Comparable, through its partnerships with advertisers, the media also, exerts a powerful influence on the decisions we make, the products we buy, and the variety of analysis, we ask when we make our daily preference. In financial partnership with advertisers, th e media also put forth buying influences which drives our nation economically, public opinion which affect the decisions we make, and the products we purchase alters the trends. The media are what we read, listen to and atch; the psychological impact funneled by the media which forms public debate. Unrelenting media coverage fed the fascination with both court cases. Media has a moral ethical responsibility to tell the truth, unbiased and remain balanced. Each of us has a responsibility to challenge and demand what we expect from the media on the subject of an unbiased account of issues and politics. The media have become a control center in the political arena. The clout is the power to the political decision of the people. The political system, have an immense influence on politics and on forming social transformation. Television along with social media can to the highest degree of influence the election of a national runner on the basis of image. Today, individuals who despise the media must use the media to assist them to forerunners ahead in the polls. THE MEDIA AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES 4 The Internet assists social equality by giving a voice to every citizen in every home and every workplace. Social media certainly plays a pivotal role in bringing media scraps and video goes viral world-wide creating national and international interest. Many celebrities ersonal lives are in the mainstay of modern times and the media. Misbehavior is constantly displayed in public view and it’s become the signs of the times and is not going away. Celebrities invite negative attention to boost their career. Though many papers syndications have been reduced those remaining in conjunction with and magazines compete on news about celebrities and scandals. All that is perilous, immoral or incorrect takes prece dence has a prominent place, especially in those papers that are mainly sold from newsstands. Media pays thousands of dollars to gather the dirt for up-to-the-minute candal on the front page every day in order to sell papers. The media's momentous spotlight is high-profile crimes coverage. Crime and victimization should include more privacy. Crime reporting is at an all time high being biased. The media have a tendency to take a stance of guilt before a verdict is rendered. The D. A. and law enforcement seek publicity. The judge can be influenced by the trial, For instance, the Casey Anthony murder case and the murder trial of O. J. Simpson created a new market for courtroom drama influence, both positive and negative. . Nowadays there can be repercussions for moral breach. Today 75% of endorsement contracts contain a moral clause that allows companies to exit without penalty in the event of an incident by the celebrity that substantially damages the company's reputation. Often the â€Å"incident† is limited to criminal activity and previously it was not uncommon for the legal language within the clause to even mandate that an actual conviction of a crime be present before the deal is terminated. The truth is out there to access global news information which has served as an advocate for society and its right to be acquainted with an essential role of involving us in concerns such as ivil rights issues, famines around the world and health epidemics. They give us an intimate sense of national issues and global concerns to bring us awareness. Many Americans feel that we ought to reap the benefits of media, globally, due to new media platforms, global media can cross cultural boundaries. Foreign relations as cultural barriers are jaded by the media While media are in itself more helpful than harmful, are setting a trend in their media and computers have changed the way the media messages is gathered, processed is produced affecting the printing and broadcasting processes. Media currently continues to have an enormous impact on the way people conduct their lives on a global scale desiring to become more like western societies. Mass media are striving to arrange operations around the globe; some nations want to protect their own domestic media and culture. The massive expansion of TV culture expresses Hollywood subculture. TV viewers in Nigeria, India, China or Russia now dream of the American way of life, as seen on TV serials (which, being relatively inexpensive and glamorous, THE MEDIA AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES 6 ill the TV with most TV channels all over the world) and thinks in terms of the competitive values permeate by them. (Fotopoulos, Takis, 2009). In addition to financial interests, the global media and the internet have an impact on how the globe views Americans via media content, politics and culture, can many countries assume our country to be greedy. Mass media are influence by the culture and interests of our nation and viewed as an exten sion of the American way. Although the media keep us updated on our nations enemies and spectators an objective view f what is occurring without violating any human rights or offending viewers gaining what is happening in their parts of the Middle East Arab media channels like Al-Jazeera and other news channels are airing more graphic media in nature violating human rights and this has many negative effects on their viewers. Since there is no certain restriction on broadcasting violence, from airing the casualties in the combat zone Terrorists gain publicity due to the exposure that their networks give them, to promote their message of violence to create fear. News channels are sensationalizing the hatred toward the United States and other nations. Like our nations guidelines, media should ban the broadcasting due to empowering the terrorists by airing terrorists acts, and by making the atrocious details accessible to the public, the media are path that construct antagonistic society to set in motion terrorism. The press plays a pivotal role in modern society and social responsibility is at an all time high and imperative on mass media. Social responsibility is the concept roots in liberta ¬rian theory with more prominence on the press's responsibility to society than on the press's freedom. THE MEDIA AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES 7 Tentatively coming the a superior point than libertarianism, a category of moral and intellectual evolutionary trip from discredited old, libertarianism to a new or perfected libertarianism where things are forced to work as they undoubtedly should have worked under libertarian theory. (Merrill, John C. ). The media have a responsibility to society to present of the media mandates moral responsibility. Utilitarian ethics is enormously influential in North American society, ‘probably the basic moral philosophy of most nonreligious humanists today’’ (Harris, 2002, p. 119). Utilitarianism is prevalent in the media professions, and in quasi-form is the mind-set of most students preparing for careers, such as journalism, that serve democratic societies. (Erlbaumm L. 2007). The media must show prudence, discernment and circumspection. Whilst making journalistic decisions are that moral and ethical the press has a moral commitment to the meet the requirements distributing ideas and information supported of society that will bring into being he betterment of moral. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics has high integrity to strive to higher ethics in regards to the media that journalists adhere to a high Code of Ethics to seek truth and report it which often involves easier said than done decisions and share responsibility for the penalty of unethical reporting and the impact on society. Journalists have an absolute duty to tell the truth, regardless of the consequences. Truth is key in ethics; journalists must take into account the probable penalty of their reporting. Plato call attention to the principle; his parable was meant to show that we live in a world of false impression and that we must get rid of our false impression to find the truth. Aristotle Nichomachean Ethics held that reason used to generate happiness, which gives us moral and intellectual virtues. The moral virtues include moderation, courage and nobility; the logical various wisdom. Trust is key in ethics and social responsibility. Media is of imperative importance to develop trust its supporters identified as being ethical, deliver excellence and responsible.

Glondys Rodriguez Naturalistic Observation Essay

My observation took place in a park where a birthday party was celebrating. I looked at a girl of 6 years old or so. The girl was wearing a pink blouse and white pants. I think she was Hispanic. She was about 40 inch tall and weighed around 30 pounds. I could hear when her mom called her Diana. Physical Development For her age, she had a perfect physical development because I could see how she ran with other girls of the same age. She was jumping the string, and playing hides and seeks, so I could tell that the girl was healthy and had good physical development. Cognitive development (Piaget’s stages) According to Piaget’s stages Diana is in preoperational stage because for example, she played with her friends building a sturdy house of plants’ leaves acting as if it was a princess castle. Also she used branches of the trees as if they were magic wands, so I realized that Diana is in the section of mental representation (Make-believe-play). Another example that I realized was that Diana’s mother offered a juice, and gave her a choice of a bottle or a glass and she chose the bottle allowed more amount than the glass. Emotional and Social Development (Erikson’s stage) According to Erikson’s stages, Diana is in industry versus inferiority because I noticed that she was all the time in cooperation with the other kids. She developed a sense of competence at useful skills and tasks. To support what I say I have an example. She was dancing all the time with the music she liked. She danced with amazing movements. I noticed she had natural skills and ability to dance. The girls competed to see who danced better. That moment was incredible because I enjoyed what was happening, and I realized the competitiveness that exists between girls and boys at this age. To conclude, I can say Diana has a good self-esteem. I don’t think she felt inferiority at any moment. On the other hand, she looked very safe in all the tasks she developed. Does the child meet the milestones and stages for the physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development? Yes, I think this 6 years old girl meets all the milestones and stages for the physical, cognitive, and social/ emotional development. Is there anything unusual or â€Å"off-development† for this child (deficits as well as giftedness)? There was nothing off-development or unusual for this girl, on the contrary, I think she is very intelligent and talented. My thoughts about observation: I think my observation helped me a lot to understand the normal development in middle childhood and to know we should interact, guide, and support them to achieve the best of their abilities. My opinion about what I observed and the application of the theories of development: In my opinion, Piaget’s cognitive development theories and Erikson’s psychological theories are an excellent guide to help us understand the stages in normal growth and development.

Communicating Effectively in Cross Cultural Communications Speech or Presentation

Communicating Effectively in Cross Cultural Communications - Speech or Presentation Example 2. Perceptions of effective communication differ among individuals with different cultural backgrounds. Tominaga et al. (2003) investigated perceptions of effective communication in the United States and Japan. Their qualitative research found differing themes for the perception of effectiveness in the United States and Japan. Conclusion In general, researchers accept and utilize the notion that competence involves dimensions of effectiveness and appropriateness such as interpersonal skills, knowledge and motivation. However, several Japanese researchers point out that there is a Western bias in competence research. Their research found differing themes for the perception of effectiveness in the United States and Japan Communicating Effectively in Cross Cultural Communications Introduction Effectiveness in communication is considered as an important component of communication competence (e.g., Gudykunst, 1993). Competent communicators make use of interpersonal skills, knowledge and m otivation. However, individuals' cultural backgrounds influence the ways they communicate and their perceptions of competence (Gudykunst, 1993). Perceptions of effective communication also differ among individuals with different cultural backgrounds. ... ssfully accomplish his [or her] own interpersonal goals†¦ while maintaining the face and line of his [or her] fellow interactants within the constraints of the situation" (p. 198). He (1977) proposes two underlying assumptions of competence: cognition and judgment. Each individual possesses cognitive notions about the nature of competence, and it is these cognitive notions that shape impressions of others' behavior (Wiemann, 1977). Moreover, these impressions become a basis for judgment of others and the individuals themselves. In other words, whether an individual is a competent communicator is based on his or her cognition of competence. Spitzberg and Cupach (2002) suggest that competent communicators provide definitions of competent communication. Competent communicators make use of interpersonal skills, knowledge and motivation. Interpersonal skills refer to recurrent goal-oriented behaviors, behavioral patterns, and sequences of behavior that are appropriate to an interacti onal context. There are two types of knowledge: content knowledge and procedural knowledge (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2002). Content knowledge refers to information about relational partners, topics of conversation, social contexts, regulation of language, and regulation of conversation (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2002). Procedural knowledge refers to information on processes of an interaction, such as how to formulate goals and how to solve problems during an interaction. Motivation is defined as "the affective force that energizes performance and guides a person's approach avoidance orientation to a social situation" (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2002, p. 575). Interpersonal skills, knowledge and motivation play an important role in that these three concepts contribute to developing competent communication

Market Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Structure - Essay Example However, further he adds that the PeopleSoft products will not be integrated into Oracle offerings and PeopleSoft programmers would have to rewriter the most important functions from the scratch as part of the new Oracle software. Following these two contradicting claims, the conclusion can be made that Oracle just wants to eliminate the dangerous competitor while the interests of PeopleSoft customers are not taken into account at all. In addition, Ellison has claimed that mergers with other smaller rivals are of no interest for Oracle, probably because they do not present the threat for Oracle market standing. Nevertheless, in the long run the merge will prove to be beneficial for the consumers because the company will be able to use specialists of PeopleSoft as the tool to develop new programs aimed at making data easier to manage. Both Oracle and PeopleSoft focus on stand-alone products and probably would not survive and meet growing demands of customers. The PeopleSoft have limited offerings and merge with Oracle provides the opportunity to become the team within the larger structure and accelerate the consolidation among the vendors.

Information Systems-e-commerce and the Internet Essay

Information Systems-e-commerce and the Internet - Essay Example But it is only after the inevitable dotcom bust in the early years of the millennia that e-commerce established itself as a viable and dependable method of conducting business. Technological innovation in terms of developing security software aided this process and so did the process of globalization. As a culmination of these parallel but complementary processes, e-commerce in general and electronic financial transactions in particular has firmly taken root in mainstream global economy. Since the beginning of the 1990s, and with the advancement in global telecommunications technology, e-commerce has really taken off. And online retailing comprises an integral part of this broader phenomenon. In advanced countries, traditional brick and mortar retail stores have extended their services through the Internet, adding new dimensions to the experience of shopping for consumers. New and exclusive online retailers have also sprung up to cater to the newly created demand by consumers online. While there are complaints and concerns about this new mode of business (especially security issues), there are also numerous redeeming features of e-shopping, without which the market share for this fledgling industry would not have risen to 10 percent approximately.

European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Union Law - Essay Example 1. Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TEFU). 2. Regulation (EU) No. 492/2011 of 05.04.2011. 3. Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 4. Council Regulations No 312/76 and 2434/92. 5. Article 38 (1) Directive No 2004/38/EC. 6. Directive 2004/38/EC of 29.04.2004 on the rights of citizens and their family members 7. Directive No 98/49/EC dt 29.06.1998 in regard to pension rights of workers and self-employed persons within the community.1 Article 45 of the TEFU along with secondary legislations and case law accord the fundamental rights for the EU citizens such as the right to seek job in another EU member state, right to get employed without a work permit, right to have residence therein for the purpose of employment and right to continue to stay in the member country after the employment has ceased and to be eligible for equal treatment with nationals of the member state in respect of employment rights, working conditions and other social and tax benefits. These ri ghts may vary for self-employed, students and retired or economically non-active persons. The rights are subject to public security, public policy, health grounds and employment restrictions in the public sector.2 The wording of â€Å"workers† related to free movement in Directive 2004/38/ EC is somewhat misleading since the Directive is aimed at according right of free movement to â€Å"EU† citizens in general though the directive makes a distinction between economically active and non-active citizens. Thus, Directive 2004/38/ EC is applicable to all EU citizens who move to another member state (host state) other than their home state of which they are nationals. Thus, the union citizens can reside in a home state for three months without any formalities other than holding of a passport or an identity card subject to a more favourable treatment available to job-seekers as per the case law of the European Court of Justice 3 viz Levin v Staatssecretaris van Justitie 4 a nd Brian Francis Collins vs Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 5 However, the terminology of â€Å"worker† is ideally continued in view of special regulations related to work under the directive besides the advantages available to citizens who have worked or have been self-employed along with their family members in acquiring permanent residence even before the completion of five years of residence in the host state by virtue of Commission Regulation (EEC) No.125/170 of 29.06.1970 which confers right to workers to remain in the territory of a Member State pursuant to having been employed in that State and Council Directive 75/34/EEC of 17.12. 1974 conferring rights to citizens in a member state in the capacity of self-employed people. Thus, a worker entitled to free movement within the Union should be a national of one of the EU member states or that of Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein enjoying certain privileges. The European Court of Justice has given a wide interpret ation of the term â€Å"worker† to include part-time work6, trainees 7and remuneration in kind adding that the person should be carrying out an effective and genuine work as directed by another, to be considered as a worker. Besides, the concept of freedom of movement should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.8 Further, the ECJ has held that the job-seeking citizens should not be expelled if they show evidence of search of employment and chances of getting jobs. There

Formal legal brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Formal legal brief - Essay Example Their demand was that the statute should be declared unconstitutional as it makes impossible to exercise the liberty interest protected under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. Both the District Court and then the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit expressed the view that the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution encompasses a due process liberty interest in controlling the time and manner of one’s death, and that the Washington statute is unconstitutional when it applies to terminally ill competent adults who want to hasten their deaths. Whether the Washington state statute which holds that a person who assists in hastening the death of terminally ill people is unconstitutional as it violates the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? The Washing state statute which holds that a person who knowingly causes or aids another person to attempt suicide is guilty of felony of promoting suicide attempt is not unconstitutional as it does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment due process clause. The first point is that the due process clause does not protect the right to commit suicide and hence the same does not allow the right to assist in committing suicide. Secondly, from the legal traditions of the nation and its history, it is evident that the due process clause does not consider the right to assistance in committing suicide as a fundamental liberty interest. First of all, a patient who is suffering from such a terminal illness with extreme pain has no legal barriers to getting such medications which will even cause unconsciousness and hasten death if the main purpose is to help reduce pain. In such a situation, it is unnecessary to answer the question whether a mentally competent person with great suffering and pain has a constitutionally cognizable interest to control his or her own death. Secondly, the liberty as protected under the due process clause does not include

Training and Appraisals Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Appraisals - Case Study Example Questionnaires can also be used in this process. During the course of a weekly job role, it is understood that employees interact with different members of the organization routinely and therefore many dimensions of their attitude, motivations and competency are known by others in a way that is not by the manager in charge of their job. This is why many businesses choose the 360 degree system for feedback as it gives a much clearer picture of the productivity levels and professionalism being displayed by the employee as they perform their job role. By including customers, which is sometimes done in this process, they can understand whether performance and professionalism targets are being met efficiently in relation to customer service. Customer service is often one of the most important competitive advantages that a business can have, therefore inclusion in the evaluation process has many advantages to the business. One health care organization utilizes questionnaires in development of the 360 degree system in order to provide clarity about each job role being assessed and analyzed. In this process, â€Å"employees negotiate with their manager who their reviewers will be and are advised to select as broad a range as possible from people they work with on a regular basis† (Carmichael, 2009, p.74). Interesting to this approach is the ability to choose another individual in the organization that they feel could use relationship improvement to act as an evaluator (Carmichael). By doing this, they ensure that non-biased assessments are conducted to provide as much accuracy as possible. There are critics of the 360 degree feedback system that believe employees â€Å"game† the system, meaning that they will create social agreements about rating information as a form of â€Å"mutual back scratching† (Maples, Harris & Greco, 2010, p.2). This is why there should be a non-biased person involved in the process to ensure that questionnaires and other f eedback is provided as accurately as possible and identify when bias might be present. However, despite this criticism, many companies find success in these efforts and are able to have a clearer picture of what is actually happening in the employee environment when their managers/supervisors cannot be present to observe all daily functions. Alliance Unichem Alliance Unichem operates in a very diverse, multinational and multi-cultural environment with a workforce of approximately 30,000 people nationwide. Business representatives in this company work with customers in Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Norway and Spain (to name only a few countries). After a merger occurred, the company had considerable trouble merging diverse cultures due to the many different social and cultural backgrounds of its many employee demographics. To help facilitate cultural integration, Alliance Unichem chose to launch the 360 degree feedback system. By gaining cross-cultural perspectives as external and interna l peer and management ratings, the company was able to identify key opportunities for understanding cultural principles in each region of operations. The feedback provided from

Critical thinking essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical thinking 2 - Essay Example While water scarcity has always been a source of concern around the world, it had never got so much attention from the governments. But today, economies have begun preparing themselves for a water crisis and the Middle East which is one of the most poorly endowed regions in terms of water is faced with formidable task of providing clean and safe drinking water to its growing populations. What is challenging about the water scenario in the Middle East is the power it holds on economies and governments. In fact, countries here are divided and ranked on the basis of those who can manage to pay for access to or the creation of new sources of water and those who do not have the pecuniary prowess to do so. Conflict here is invoked not because water is not accessible but because it is not equally accessible. Water is extremely important for human survival but given its inequitable distribution in the Middle East, there is a mad scramble by governments to control and possess whatever they can get their hands on. For example, in the Upper Nile Basin, the Ethiopian government planned to build dams to secure its water supply for irrigation which was strongly opposed by the Sudanese and Egyptian governments because once a dam is constructed on a river it not only reduces the flow of water to downstream users but can also cause harm by affecting soil and water qualities downstream. Similarly, in the Euphrates Basin, the Southeast Anatolia Development Project (Dam) is causing much tension by benefiting Turkey but exhausting the water supply to Syria and Iraq and polluting the soil there. Conflict over water is not just about possession, it also has a lot to do with the modifications to the quality and quantity of the resource. Like Abu Saeed of Jiftlick Popular Committee points out in the Documentary, Jordan Valley Blues, â€Å"The Israeli side has done a good job stealing water by drilling deep into the aquifers specifically in many

THE GRAPHIC ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE GRAPHIC ART - Essay Example Riggle (2012: 255) describes street art as â€Å"artworks whose use of the street is essential to their meanings.† In this, Riggle implies that street art is necessary and applicable only in streets where they display their significance to several passers-by. There are several street arts that are available in various holographs in today’s museums and other photo and pictures sources such as archives. This essay will succinctly verify or back up Riggle’s description of street art using two popular and early drawing artists; England based graffiti artist, Banksy and South African artist, Robin Rhode. The two are renowned street artists whose artworks have been posted on various websites. The essay will mainly handle the role or the necessity of street artworks, as well as their impacts to the immediate society. To begin with, Banksy did several artworks which are mainly considered street art with hidden meanings that are necessary to teach certain lessons to the s ociety. Since he was also a painter, political activist and film director, he came up with attractive street art graffiti and inherent dark humor that was excellently done in distinctive and special inherent stenciling technique. Most of his artistic works have been featured in public areas such as walls, streets and bridges. Historically, his work was born out of artist-musician collaboration popularly referred to as Bristol underground scene. One of his street artworks was a stenciled graffiti that appeared on Thames Water tower. It was located in Holland park roundabout. The image consisted of a child clutching and doing painting work on the tag titled â€Å"Take this society†. Councilor Greg Smith (London and Fulham spokesman) considered the photo vandalistic and made an order for its instant removal from the location. The removal was carried out by the then H&F Council workmen within three consecutive days. The graffiti had a lot of significance to the then European soci ety, in terms of its political situations. Analytically, the artwork was meant to show that Europe was under control by a particular group of its leaders who controlled every life sector in the continent beginning from economy, social lives, as well as the politics. The idea of the boy painting the tag is sarcastic in the making as he advises or informs some people in the society to take control and own the society personally. The child symbolizes the common man in Europe who is unhappy with some of totalitarian practices exhibited by the leaders in the way they govern their subjects. This is typically in line with Banksy’s political activist nature or characteristic. The second street artwork of Banksy is LDN6 which appeared in May 2006. Iit appeared at the back of something that looked like a permanent street stall for selling bags and T-shirts on the Tottenham Court road, next to its junction with the Store Street. The art photo did not stay long at the stall. It was remov ed by the end of June with the permission from the stall owner, Sam Khan, a sixty year old man who had no idea about Banksy and his artwork (Bull, 2011: 311). In fact, the stall owner did not have any idea about the meaning or rather the interpretation of the artwork. The photo was then sold to someone at a reported price of 1000 Euros in cash. The stall owner got annoyed when he saw the same photo being sold at a minimum price of 230,000 Euros and much better prices in New York. From the picture, it can be seen that the painter had written, â€Å"What?† in purple color on a grey wall with other non formulated black drawings and writings. Interpreted, Branky’s main reason for the work is to show what the unclear dark drawings had not clearly revealed

Flaws with Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Flaws with Utilitarianism Essay Among the most glaring problems that I see with Utilitarianism is its inclusion of animals under the umbrella that blankets this theory. It seems irrefutable that there exists an inordinate number of cases where the consequence that is against the best interest of an animal is favorable to humans, yet that dictating action is one that has been continually taken and condoned by the general public. This is a fundamental challenge, as the Utilitarian philosophy decrees that the pleasure and pain experienced by all individuals, including animals, has equal worth and must be considered when determining the net benefit of an actions consequences. The most drastic and prevalent of examples that one could provide to illustrate this contradiction would be the practice of using animals to provide food. It cannot be argued that it is in the best interest of a cow, a chicken, or another animal to be slaughtered to serve the dietary needs of mankind. Accordingly, Utilitarian reasoning suggests, in direct opposition to the intuition of humanity, that it is morally impermissible to kill the animals. While a Utilitarian philosopher might provide the counter-argument that such is natural order of the world that there exist a hierarchical food tree. Further they would insist that the greater good is that humans be nourished and provided for by the meat, for our pleasure is superior in quality to that of the beast. This reasoning, however, is flawed in two ways. Initially, the method by which meat finds its way to grocery stores for our purchase and eventual consumption is not one governed by the ways of nature, but rather is one engineered for efficiency by humans. Animals are bread forcibly, then nourished with specific intent of managing fat content, meat flavor, and healthiness, each of which discounts the Utilitarian claim that nature makes our carnivorous methods ethically permissible. Secondly, and perhaps more fundamentally, such a claim is in direct contradiction to the Utilitarian tenet that each individual has equal value regardless of identity or stature. Because humans could be sufficiently nourished without the killing of animals, it cannot be argued that the consequence of causing death to an animal is equivalent or less substantial than that of feeding a man. Conversely, there exist equally as many challenges to raise had the ethicist taken the alternate position that animals have equal value and accordingly that their pleasure is impermissibly infringed upon when they are killed for human interest. Arguments could be presented for a bevy of actions taken on a daily basis by society as a whole. One might address the fact that using animal testing for the advancement of medicine has benefits that outweigh the pains. Similarly, while the development of land effectively kills the previously animal inhabitants, it is an accepted result that society has displayed it is willing to disregard. In each of these cases, the majority of society condones such behavior, as evidenced by their existence as common public practice. While it is undeniable that opposition to each behavior does exist, the magnitude of this resistance is far outweighed by those in finding the long term benefits worthy of the negative consequences. In the end, it grows apparent that while it may be valuable to consider the interests of animals when calculating the net benefit of a given action, neither their pleasure nor their pain should be equated to ours. Such a principle has been introduced through the ethical thought experiment The Dilemma of the Swine. Resultantly, human existence constitutes higher pleasure that does that of an animal and we are often better served by making such a distinction through intuitive analysis rather than applying Hedonistic Calculus. The fact that Utilitarianism can be forced into contradictions regardless of the stance they choose makes the inclusion of animals under their ethical umbrella a significant problem.

An Exploration Of Victorian Society English Literature Essay

An Exploration Of Victorian Society English Literature Essay From start to finish The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson portrays harsh contrasts: good and evil, rich and poor, morality and immorality, love and repulsion and the upper and lower classes. However it is only when Christian ethics (previously little challenged by other religions or science), the Victorian obsession with respectability, the class system and other stereotypical Victorian attitudes are explored with these contrasts that it is made clear how duplicitous the era was. The novella acts as an engaging exploration into other Victorian attitudes, interests, fears and obsessions. These include: fear of social unrest, disability discrimination, sexism, a desire for resolved endings in literature, a need for biblical references, and clashes between science and religion. The obsession with wearing an air of respectability (as Jekyll is said to hold) is one of the greater reasons why Jekyll finds joy in jumping between his two personalities. It is likely that he would indulge in passions his peers would not have approved of a mixture of heavy drinking and sex. He also went to prostitutes, a life he found hard to reconcile [] with [his] imperious desire to carry his head high. This is undoubtedly also the reason why very few members of the lower classes hold important roles in the story. In fact the only lower class character to properly feature in the novella is the head-servant, Poole. Much closer to his master (he is referred to as Dear Poole on one occasion), he has authority over the other servants and certainly is not the lowest of the low; this is probably the main reason why Stevenson considered Poole fit for such a role as he plays. The way in which the characters dress themselves, furnish their homes and talk of one another is also evidence of this obsession. Jekylls home wore a great air of wealth and comfort to such an extent as that Utterson was wont to speak of it as the pleasantest room in London. The novella reveals a lot about the class system, the cause of many social problems, and its iron-grip on every Victorian citizen. The upper classes in the book are portrayed as being upright and respectable, living in grand abodes, the spoils of well-paid professions Jekyll is a doctor and Utterson a respected lawyer. We are also told that Jekyll was born to a large fortune, endowed besides with excellent parts [and] fond of the respect of the wise and good among [his] fellowmen. When young he had seemed headed for an honourable and distinguished future. The lower classes could not be portrayed more dissimilarly. Other than servants, the novella indicates they would be unemployed, criminals or prostitutes working in Sohos sex district. They either live in small quarters in their masters houses or amongst slatternly passageways in the dismal quarter of Soho. In the Victorian era people grew up knowing which class they belonged to; and, as this was usually defined by birth it provide d great benefits for the rich (who stayed rich) but caused the poor to either lose faith in social mobility, or else, to revolt. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde did not just illustrate the class systems divisions but can serve to strengthen it. It portrays Sir Danvers immediately before his death as an old [but] beautiful gentleman with white hair. This could merely be an attempt by Stevenson to heighten the murders tension but I feel this symbol of goodness and purity through the character commanding the highest social position is an attempt to highlight the insolubility and inferiority of the lower classes to those above them. The lower classes feature little in the story, only ever appearing as vehicles through which Stevenson could move the plot forward, or working under the instruction of their employers. This means the upper classes were expected to make the decisions whilst the lower classes ran errands in ineffectual lives. In the book this is demonstrated by the strict rule for addressing members of another class. Addressing an employer Mr or Sir is expected. Upon the rarity that an employer should dignify their servant with a name it would be their surname as the Christian name was considered too familiar and affectionate. Being seen as such could be damaging to reputations so a more usual form of address would be Hold your tongue! A hierarchical structure manifested from fear of scandal is also evidenced. Were scandals to be directed at upper class personage they could mean a decimated reputation. Yet through a circle of mutual fear the upper classes were able to indulge in whatever secret pleasures they wished, such as those that Jekyll confesses to and Hyde commits. The fear of scandal is most strong on page 37, where Utterson is worried the good name of another would be sucked down in the eddy of a scandal. On page 38 Uttersons butler discovers information labelling Jekyll as a murderer. Utterson urges Jekyll to make a clean breast of this in confidence and when the butlers master asks him to keep the matter quiet he calmly says I understand. Therefore the mutual fear and loyalty in this scandalous system is even stronger than moral duty. Once Jekyll perfects his potion he must work alone to protect his standing, he sets up a room with the most studious care in a separate house in Soho for Hyde to reside in and found a silent and unscrupulous woman to keep house there. He even goes to the length of familiarizing all his servants with Hyde and writing a will leaving everything to Hyde in the event of his death or disappearance. It is implicit that the lengths Jekyll takes would mirror other respected characters. The novella portrays a society divided into two; it is not only Jekyll that is committed to a profound duplicity of life all the rich and powerful live in ignorant luxury, ignoring the suffering lower classes. Stephensons work also shines light on the system that kept the upper classes illegitimate indulgences hidden. Fear of revolutionist ideology was strong amongst members of the upper class. To find evidence of such in this story, one must read into the ways in which the poor are neglected, for example in voting, health, rights and legal representation; and how these factors could lead to a massive uprising (such as was seen in France). Members of lower classes are left almost unrepresented in our story, the many servants, that would have moved quietly within the house, are rarely observed, when they are they are whimpering quietly. The idea of them whimpering shows them as inferior and over-emotional. If not for the more gradual changes in opinion over the class systems role from this under-representation to a world where all classes show some degree of solubility within society Britain may have seen a revolution on the very scale many Victorians had feared. The Victorians had strong expectations of the content and plots of their eras literature. Stephenson abstains from direct descriptions of immorality, instead only alluding to the novels graphic scenes. They also expected resolved endings the righteous prevailing, the evil punished. Many of Hydes crimes are only vaguely alluded to, particularly sexual ones. Others, such as Sir Danvers murder, are described briefly and inexplicitly, only that Hyde was hailing down a storm of blows. To heighten the shock factor of each crime Stevenson instead describes at length the earlier tranquillity and through later mentioning that a purse and gold watch were found upon the victim, illustrating that this attacks motive was purely sadistic. This idea of sadism, an utter, deeply entrenched evil is important to the novellas message and Jekylls hypothesis that evil is not simply brought about by necessity such as a beggared boy turning to pick pocketing but is more deep-rooted and harks back to the idea of original sin and that man is no different to any other beast. Jekyll, reflecting on mankind, All human being [] are commingled out of good and evil. Perhaps the abstinence from graphic description is due to the fact that Stevensons wife destroyed the first draft for its explicit descriptions of sex, violence and references to homosexuality. Suggestions that Jekyll/Hyde were homosexual are so watered down that many disregard them: Hyde always enters by the rear door. This dilution typifies the desire for morality and the disgust at graphically intense descriptions; a point which, if further extrapolated, reveals the desire of the upper classes (at whom the novel was targeted) to ignore or hide the huge social problems of their nation. Victorian novels predominantly are resolved. I personally find archetypal works in which those that exhibit qualities like: perseverance, god-centeredness, humility, generosity and dignity always win out in the end; and where virtue is rewarded whilst wrongdoers are punished disappointing because they are too idealized. This concept is clearer in many earlier novels where even the toils of the poor are rewarded. One vivid example of this is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte in which Jane falls desperately in love with and (by the books completion) marries Mr Rochester despite his blindness and frailty. At first the tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde seems to have strayed from this structure because Dr Jekyll does not manage to separate himself from the evil side of [his] nature. However the closure of the novel is more complex. Upon re-examination of the concluding chapters it seems to be the case that Jekyll destroyed Hyde along with himself: the doom that is closing in on both of us has alr eady [] crushed him Victorian literature is usually rife with examples of biblical references, the most prominent here being I incline to Cains heresy'. This refers to Genesis 4:9 which describes Cain murdering his brother Abel. God is said to have asked him where Abel was to which Cain said: Am I my brothers keeper? Utterson simply re-phrases this to: I let my brother go to the devil in his own way. The phrase has become synonymous with peoples unwillingness to accept responsibility for the welfare of their fellows and is used by Stephenson to advance the plot and broaden Uttersons character. The need for biblical allusion in literature is one component in the mechanism by which Stevenson sheds light on the struggle between science and religion. On one hand, we see religion reflected in words throughout the novel: Poole uses the phrase I give you my Bible word to demonstrate his solemnity to his observation of Jekyll and Hyde but this contrasts with the emerging science. It is worth remembering that many Victorians saw science as an atheistic concept, Lanyon calls Jekylls works scientific heresies in an almost oxymoronic juxtaposition (in an atheistic world there would be no God for science to yield heresies about).The era brought many improvements in science yet some seemed to threaten the literal meaning of the Bible. Most simply found ways to re-interpret the Bible in the light of such discoveries with little damage to their faith. However people especially struggled with ideas set out in The Origin of Species because they seemed too direct an attack on religion. It sa id that all life evolved from more primitive forms. Darwins theory is referenced many times such as when Hyde is said to possess ape-like fury, he is also described as troglodytic and degenerate perhaps concurrent with a hypothesis of reverse evolution into a more primitive form. People now felt they had to choose between the dangerous new scientific theories and the more venerable option of religion. From the viewpoint of any man choosing the latter, Jekylls experiments would be considered meddling in Gods affairs and something only God should have control over. The structure of parts of the book, also, reflects a more scientific approach to situations which would before have been tackled with superstition and the words of the bible. On pages 41 and 63, this is demonstrated by sections of text that take each event methodically, as if they were notes from an experiment. Hydes transformations are also listed like scientific observations. Chemistry is also in evidence, as an emerging science, not yet tested. To exploit the curiosity of his audience to the complex moral implications of modern science Stephenson chose Jekyll as the novellas protagonist and uses many words connected to Jekylls profession to add depth and mystery to the plot: the glazed presses full of chemicals, a graduated glass and a red tincture [] and powders. Jekyll uses chemistry to transform into Hyde, and part of the reason Stevenson thought this more feasible was that nobody had yet fully explored chemistrys possibilities. Perhaps, if he were to write Jekyll and Hyde, today, the means of transformation might be genetic engineering/quantum physics. Drug and alcohol abuse are witnessed at horrendous levels. Utterson describes a gin palace; a woman passing out for her morning glass indicates the low price of gin and how this ravaged many lives. Drugs are only hinted at although the convulsive action of Hydes jaws and gagging described by Lanyon is now recognized as a symptom of cocaine abuse. For me the most powerful symbol of sciences advancements is in Jekylls transformations which symbolise both progress and devolution making them a cause of fear. It is worth remembering Pooles hasty return to the comfortable reassurance of religion, with the words God grant there be nothing wrong. In his novella, Stevenson repeatedly tells of some unnameable deformity that makes Uttersons blood run cold. Words like dwarfish all tell a similarly negative story of Hydes countenance. Enfield describing Hyde to Utterson said simply: There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. The present day sees disability viewed less critically than the era that saw the publication of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It could be argued that Hyde is scary purely because of his tendency towards evil, but is this true? In my opinion Yes would be too shallow an answer. Stevenson plainly states such in the text: evil [] had left on that body an imprint of deformity. Like so many fictional villains impairment and deformity contribute even to modern-day fearfulness of Hyde. Prejudice to the disabled/deformed is resultantly one heinous Victorian attitude that lingers still. Such prejudicial views were not just limited to the disabled; women were also considered less valuable, sexism engrained in society. On page 55 Hyde is described as weeping like a woman; this succinctly illustrates how women were considered too frail. It was believed they lacked the cranial capacity in emotionally disturbing events. In The Last Night the cook was crying out, Bless God! Its Mr Utterson', the housemaid broke into hysterical whimpering, and then proceeded weeping loudly. Such instances were considered to demonstrate how women were unable to cope with complex or emotional situations. With such weak foundations in place, women were thought unsuitable for important jobs like government posts; having said such, the head of the monarchy was a woman. However this did not result in any relaxation of the feminine ideal; indeed only upper class women were not restricted to housework, and raising as many children as possible. This stereotypical idea of faintheartedness as oppose d to intelligent thinking and decisions is also exemplified on page 30, after Sir Danvers murder: at the horror of these sights and sounds, the maidservant fainted. Man is not truly one, but truly two. These words the conclusion to Jekylls life and research capture the essence of the entire novella and the stereotypical Victorian attitudes reflected in it: most notably hypocrisy, from the division of the class system, other discriminatory bandings including sex and disability, and the division of faith between science and religion. So great were the contrasts in the novella that terms evolved from Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde have become part of modern life. The phrase is used by newspapers to describe disturbing murderers; with personalities not dissimilar to the characters or character, depending on how you look at it that are central to our story. As with the infamous Jack the Ripper (another affluent murderer) the stereotypically dark or primitive society that is too oft reflected by Victorian horror stories fails to fully explore the core the Jekyll in this instance a core of civility, respectability and prosperity. In this way the novella acts as an engaging, yet inaccurate exploration that only reinforces old stereotypes about Victorian society.

History And Developments Of Jazz Music Essay

History And Developments Of Jazz Music Essay In this essay I am going to discuss the evolution of jazz music, from its beginnings in African culture to its many forms in the twenty first century. I have focused on styles/ genres, instruments, ensembles, technology, composers (both classical and popular), and musicals. As a singer I find the jazz repertoire challenging and enjoy improvising when performing. I selected my A level solos from three different decades in the twentieth century, to demonstrate contrasting styles of composition. Taking part in this years school production of the musical Bugsy Malone encouraged me to research the background to the story and led to my Investigation and Report. The origins of jazz lie mainly with African American musicians. The early songs were not written down but were passed on from musician to musician orally. In Africa, the culture and life remains centered around the village. Everyone participates in some way and the music is connected to everyday events, with songs and dances for such occasions as births, deaths and other rites of passage. Some characteristics of traditional African music involve the whole body, with hand clapping, swaying to the beat, etc. The singing was often led by a soloist and the group replied using harmony. The heart of African music is rhythm, this is also the case in jazz today. African slaves were taken against their will to America, between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries, mainly to work on the cotton plantations. Whilst working in the fields slaves would sing work songs and field hollers. (CD track 1) Call and response came from the African traditions mentioned, and was sung by people working on a physical and often repetitive task, such as picking cotton (track 2). Possibly, the rhythm of the music helped to increase productivity in the daily task and the meaning of the words reduced feelings of sadness and boredom. The work songs also helped to create a feeling of familiarity and connection between the workers, as often families were separated and other slaves were from different regions. The verses were often improvised and sometimes mentioned escaping to freedom. Negro Spirituals (CD track 3) were created by enslaved African people in America and are religious songs. Later they may have served as socio-political protest helping with assimilation into white American culture. In the USA, slaves were forbidden to speak their native languages and were unable to express themselves in ways that were spiritually meaningful to them so they often held secret religious services. These meetings were known as hush-harbours and were also centres for organising rebellions. The Afro American slave population began to increase naturally around 1810, as the slave trade to the USA had almost stopped. Clergymen in the South saw an opportunity to convert slaves to Christianity. They preached the message that in the eyes of God all Christians were equal, giving Afro Americans a reason to live, with hope for the after life, when they felt hated and not valued on earth. The Services held were similar to the ones Afro Americans organised for themselves, with clapping, dancing, enthusiastic singing and spirit possession. Afro Americans felt more comfortable attending this style of Christian worship. Many white slave owners forced their slaves to attend white controlled churches, afraid slaves would rebel if allowed to attend other churches which preached messages of liberation and equality. With their freedom and the opportunity to chose their own religion, many Afro Americans continued with Christianity. 90 % of Afro Americans, in the 21st Century, attend one of seven black dominated Christians denominations. In the early eighteen hundreds there was a movement to end human slavery, known as Abolitionism. The Anti-abolitionist Riots, also known as the Farren Riots, occurred in New York City in 1834. In 1865, after the American Civil War, slaves were freed. (The Anti-abolitionist riots song, Charles Ives, see page 11, Investigation) As free men, African Americans were able to buy instruments and formed musical groups, such as military bands, which became really popular. At the end of the nineteenth century the people of the city of New Orleans began to experiment with different sounds and styles of music. Some of these styles blended together to create a new kind of music, which is now known as Jazz. In the 1920s due to the harsh economic climate, these musicians moved to Chicago as this was becoming a centre for music. Their music was then known as New Orleans or Dixieland Jazz, (track 4) and is now known as traditional or trad. Jazz. This musical genre was popular in America, as well as in Britain and Australia from the late eighteen hundreds to the nineteen forties. By this time, Dixieland/ traditional Jazz was appreciated by the general public, not just a small section of Afro- Americans. Dixieland or Dixie is the name for the Southeastern portion of the USA, where most of the slaves lived. The style of music is sometimes referred to as Hot Jazz or Early Jazz. Dixieland Jazz combines brass band marches, ragtime and blues. There is collective, polyphonic improvisation by trumpet (or cornet), trombone and clarinet, over a rhythm section of piano, guitar or banjo, drum kit and double bass or tuba. The polyphonic sound is in contrast to the extremely regimented Big Band sound. The term Dixieland became widely used after the advent of the first million selling hit records of the original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917. The most popular band, identified with Dixieland, was Louis Armstrongs All Stars. The Dixieland style came to an end with the introduction of the swing era of the 1930s. Many musicians retired at this time, unable to maintain popularity. Early Ragtime music was written for the piano, and became one of the most popular styles. Some of the features are: A) Question and answer melodies with step wise movement and contrasting syncopated leaps B) Use of chromatic scales/ melodies, ascending or descending by semi tones. C) Use of syncopation to emphasis the weak beats in a bar, rather then strong beats. D) Parallel thirds and sixths are used in melodic passages. Scott Joplin, (1868-1917), known as the King of Ragtime, performed and composed music, has inspired musicians to the present day. As well as 44 original ragtime pieces, he wrote a ballad and two operas. In 1893 he went to Chicago for the Worlds Fair, which played a major part in making ragtime music a national craze. Maple Leaf Rag brought Joplin royalties for life, although later he struggled financially. His music was rediscovered and became popular again in the early 1970s with a best selling album and was featured in the popular film The Sting, particularly The Entertainer. (CD 5) The Blues (track 6) form is characterized by specific chord progressions, usually the primary chords I, IV and V, twelve bar blues, and use of blue notes ( flattened third and seventh in the scale) in jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. Genre of Blues ranges from country to urban blues. The blues is often used to describe a mood of depression and sadness. Typical early instruments were just voice and acoustic guitar. In the 1940s instruments began to change from acoustic to electric and more people began to listen to the style of music. Bass guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar and drum kit were typical instruments. Blues-rock evolved in the 1960s and 1970s. Another style of music, associated with piano, is Boogie Woogie, popular in the 1930s and early 1940s. Often used to accompany singers it was also used as a solo part in bands and small combos. The left hand part was very important and featured a repeated bass figure. Winifred Atwell (1910-1983) was a very popular Boogie Woogie and Ragtime performer in England in the 1950s and 1960s. She moved form Trinidad to the United States and then moved to London to attend the Royal College of Music. She started the craze of the honky tonk style of playing piano. Honky tonk piano is an ordinary piano in which nails are placed on the hammers of the instrument to give it a very old (out of tune) sound. Another method of preparing the piano, made popular by Mrs Mills, is to lacquere the hammers. Mrs. Mills (1918-1978) was a popular pianist in the 1960s. (cd 7) Rhythm and Blues (cd 8) also evolved in the 1940s and had a strong gospel back beat, with intense, emotional lyrics for the vocalist. The instruments used were usually piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums and sometimes saxophone. This term has evolved in the 1940s, for example in the 1950s RnB was often applied to blues records. It contributed to the development of electric blues, rocknroll, gospel and soul music. In the 1970s it covered soul and funk and In the 1980s the new style was called contemporary RnB. Electric Blues started in the 1930s; in Chicago, in the 1940s, musicians used amplification of guitar, bass guitar plus drum kit and harmonica. Electric blues includes the Memphis blues and Texas blues scene which lead to the development of blues-rock. It also led to rock-music. The harmonica is also known as blues harp. As well as in electric blues, the harmonica is sometimes featured in RocknRoll, for improvisation. There are many types and sizes of harmonica including diatonic ( major/ minor) and chromatic. Memphis Blues was created in the 1920s and 1930s by musicians such as Frank Stokes and Memphis Minnie. As well as in main entertainment centres, such as clubs and bars the style was popular in vaudeville ( various acts such as magicians, jugglers and acrobats, performing in a theatre) and medicine shows (traveling horse and wagon teams, selling miracle cure medications, between entertainment acts. They were common in the 19th century). At the same time as guitar based blues, jug bands were very popular. This style of music used simple, often homemade instruments such as harmonicas, mandolins, banjos, violins, washboards, guimbarde (jews harp), kazoos and jugs, blown to supply the bass. Examples are the Memphis Jug Band and Gus Cannons Jug Stompers. The style used a range of traditional folk music and emphasised the syncopated rhythms of early Jazz, which were easy to dance to. (CD 9) Texas Blues has more Swing in style and differs from Chicago Blues, in its use of sounds and instruments, relying heavily on the guitar, with guitar solos featured. It began to appear in the early 1900s, with African Americans working in lumber camps, ranches and oil fields. Slide guitar/ bottleneck guitar is featured. This is a particular guitar technique using a slide against the strings. ( cd 10) Originally necks were broken from glass bottles and placed over the fingers, instead off pressing the strings against the frets with the bare fingers. Metal picks were attached to the fingers instead of using the triangular plastic plectrums. A resonator guitar, or resophonic guitar, is an acoustic guitar which has resonators (one or more spun mental cones) in place of a wooden sound board. A lap steel guitar is held horizontally and uses a slide called a steel, held in the left hand. This instrument is often featured in Blue Grass country music. In the 1920s jazz-like improvisation was introduced by Blind Lemon Jefferson, who inspired later musicians, for instance, T-Bone Walker and Lightnin Hopkins. T-Bone Walker was admired by Muddy Waters and his style influenced the Chicago electric blues sound. In the 1960s and early 1970s, influenced by Country music and Blues-rock, the Texas electric Blues Scene evolved. The style has continued to the present day with artists such as ZZ Top. RocknRoll (cd 11) evolved during the 1940s and 1950s in America, its often considered to be one of the best selling musical forms since this time. It became very popular to dance to and the new Teenagers in the 1950s wore a distinctive style of dress when jiving in pairs. The instruments were electric guitars, drum kit and vocal soloist and often backing singers, using Doo-Wop harmonies. The chords were usually the primary chords, I, IV, V, as in the twelve bar blues with improvised guitar solos in the middle, and the form was usually verse and chorus. Bill Haley and the Comets took RocknRoll to England in the 1950s and he was copied by many British musicians, for instance Cliff Richard and Adam Faith. Soul (cd 12) originates stylistically from Rhythm and Blues, Doo-Wap and Gospel as well as Jazz. It started in America in the late 1950s and typical instruments are keyboards/ piano, vocals, horn section, drum kit and guitars. From the 1960s to the early 1980s was the most popular era for the style of music and contemporary RnB, Hip Hop, Disco and Funk emerged from soul. Important features are handclaps, improvised body moves and catchy rhythms. There is often call and response between the soloist and chorus with use of improvisation. Ray Charles is often considered to be one of the most important early soul singers, starting with Ive got a woman, 1954. Solomon Burke recorded soul hits for Atlantic Records in the 1960s, followed by James Brown and Fats Domino. James Brown, (1933 to 2006), known as the godfather of soul started by singing gospel and progressed to soul. Although his own career eventually declined, his work has often been used recently in digital sampling, for instance in Hip Hop, with the consequence that his music remains popular in the 21st century. In the 1990s Beyoncà © Knowles, popularly known as Beyoncà ©, became famous as the lead singer of the RnB girl group Destinys Child. When the group disbanded in 2005 she became one of the most honoured solo artists, with many Grammy Awards, singing soul and pop as well as RnB. Beyoncà © released a cover version of the famous jazz standard Fever, which originally was sung by Peggy Lee. A contemporary of Beyoncà © is the British jazz singer Jamie Cullum. Born in 1979, his compositions and performances have brought jazz to the attention of all age groups. He graduated from Reading University and has released best selling albums. He presents a weekly Jazz Show on BBC Radio 2 and has belonged to many bands, singing and playing the piano. He has performed at many large music festivals, for instance Glastonbury Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. In 2003 he was awarded the Rising Star by the British Jazz Awards, and he has been nominated fo r the BRIT Award, Grammy and Golden Globe Award. Although his musical roots are firmly based in Jazz, he performs in a wide range of styles, and draws inspiration form many different musicians. Jamie Cullum has made a cover version of the famous song Hit the Road Jack, by Ray Charles, which I have performed as part of my coursework. In America, Funk (cd 13) evolved in the 1960s from soul music, RnB and rock as well as jazz. Typical instruments are bass and electric guitar, drum kit, organ, horns and congas. The rhythm is very important and makes funk very danceable. William Everett Billy Preston (1946 to 2006) was a musician, songwriter and bandleader. His music combined genres such as rhythm and blues, soul, rock, funk and gospel. He played many instruments but mainly organ and piano. He worked with The Beatles, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and many other famous Soul, Jazz and Blues artists relevant to the period. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers were formed in 1983 in America and play funk rock, which fuses funk with punk rock and psychedelic rock. Technology has played an important role in the development of Jazz bands and ensembles, as well as helping to increase the global audience. By the 1930s radios were present in most households appliance in the developed world. During this period advances in recording technology, in particular the microphone, enabled subtle nuances in both playing and singing to be amplified for the first time and improved both radio broadcasts and life performances. Studio musicians were employed as both soloists and background instrumentalists for shows and commercials. The amplification enabled instrumental soloists/ vocalists to balance their sound with large groups, such as big bands, and not be overwhelmed. The first weekly radio broadcasts in America in 1934 were Benny Goodmans Lets Dance, which featured Hot Jazz music. The ribbon or velocity microphone was introduced in 1931 by RCA and became one of the most popular. In 1933 RCA developed the cardiod pattern dual ribbon microphone. Forms of am plification, for instance wireless technology, continue to evolve to the present day. One of the famous big band leaders, Paul Whiteman, invited George Gershwin, American composer and pianist, to write a jazz influenced concert piece for an experimental concert in 1924, which was called Rhapsody in Blue (cd 14). Ferde Grofà ©, another American composer orchestrated the accompaniment provided, for jazz band. Gershwin had to improvise at the actual concert has he had not completed the piano score at this time. The jazz band accompaniment was later rewritten for full symphony orchestra by Grofà ©. The two main jazz ingredients used are syncopation, placing emphasis on weak beats and blue notes, flattening the third and the seventh notes of the scale, creating a clash with the underlying harmony. The one act jazz opera Blue Monday, set in Harlem, is considered to be the forerunner to Gershwins opera Porgy and Bess. Based on DuBose Heywards novel and play which deals with African American life in Charlston, South Carolina in the early 1920s, Porgy and Bess was first perf ormed in 1935. The premier production featured an entire cast of classically trained African American singers, and took place in New York in 1935. Due to social conventions of the time, this was a daring act. The opera is now regularly performed internationally, although some critics have always considered it to be a rather racist portrayal of African Americans. Musicals have been a very popular form of entertainment for more than sixty years and there are many based on jazz music. For instance, in the early 1950s the American dance director Jerome Robbins had the idea of a modern musical based on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, with music composed by Leonard Bernstein. In the musical West Side Story the two families are represented by New York street gangs and the famous balcony scene takes place on a fire escape. As well as Jazz, Bernstein incorporates many other musical styles into his score. (cd 15) Bernstein, who died in 1990, is best known as the musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as being the composer of West Side Story. He was highly regarded as a conductor and, like many other classically trained musicians, he appreciated many other styles of music and incorporated them into his work. In 1966s there was a hit Broadway production of Cabaret, based on the book written by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.(cd 16) The story is based on the rising power of the Nazi Party in Berlin, it focuses on nightlife in the seedy Kit Kat Club, in particular English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the young American writer Cliff Bradshow. Many films, plays, and numerous subsequent productions of the musical followed. Another hit Broadway production also with Jazz music by John Kander, starting in 1975, was Chicago, with lyrics by Fred Ebb.(cd 17) This is based on the book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse and the 1926 play by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. The story is a parody/ satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the celebrity criminal. This musical holds the record for the longest running musical production. Also in the 1970s the very popular musical film Bugsy Malone, directed by Alan Parker, lead to the musical of the same name. Although both film and musical are based on events in New York City, in the prohibition era, especially the exploits of gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran, the subject matter was considerably lightened as the musical is performed by children, imitating adults. One of the most recognized jazz songs from this musical, in the 21st century is Tomorrow, which I am singing as part of my coursework. (cd 18) In conclusion it can be seen that many musical styles have evolved from Jazz. The early beginnings of the genre, performed by African Americans, spread throughout America and eventually other countries. Although the jazz style of music became really popular globally from around the 1930s/1940s, it seems that, in the 21st century, Trad. Jazz and Modern Jazz is only heard in a few specialist concerts, clubs or radio programmes. However, the influence of Jazz on many musicians and styles of music remains considerable and shows no signs of diminishing at the present time.

Port of Ostia During a Tempest by Leonardo Carlo Coccorante Essay examp

As I stood staring at the beautifully detailed oil-on-canvas painting, my mind began racing, conjuring up random stories behind all the people, the place, and the weather in this painting. This painting, titled Port of Ostia During a Tempest by Leonardo Carlo Coccorante, is nothing more than just a story portrayed on a canvas and its words, the oils, are scattered all over it, depicting a story about a populous port going through some horrible weather and the people experiencing it first-hand. The interactions between the people are perfectly portrayed and from each one a different story can be contrived—each sharing the subject of the brutal weather. The amount of detail in this scenic painting is overwhelming; thus, countless thoughts rush the mind when carefully studying every little section of this painting. One basic point that I dwelled on while studying the painting was the lighting and the way Coccorante seemed to separate the painting in half with the contrasting dark and light. The dark half shows two suffering boats out at sea being caught up in the tempest, while the lighter side shows the caravans of people that have made it out alive onto the shore and rocks. As for the people caught in the middle of the light and dark, they are seen trying to make their way off the boat and it appears as if they’re trying to step into the light and away from the dark. One can deduce that the ship in the middle has recently harbored next to the rock site since the majority of the people in the painting can be found atop the rocks; the impressions of relief on their faces point to the idea that they have just finished unloading themselves from the docked ship and have found safety among these rocks. On the other hand, the paintin... ...ifferent times of observation. It just goes to show you that according to Hume and psychological topics (mostly relating to the cerebral cortex) the old saying, â€Å"we begin by being foolish and we become wise by experience", can be directly related to life and to our pursuit of knowledge. Works Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005. 14. . Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature. 2003. Project Gutenberg. 27 Sept. 2006 . Instituto De Fisiologia Celular. "A Close Look to the Cerebral Cortex." About.Com. 28 Sept. 2006 . Wikipedia. "Malcolm Gladwell." Wikipedia.Org. 19 Sept. 2006. 28 Sept. 2006

Negotiating Ethics as a Two Level Debate :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Negotiating Ethics as a Two Level Debate ABSTRACT: As a form of moral debate, discourse ethic, according to Habermas, is based on regulated discussion. Participating moral agents share a common understanding in the ideal speech situation. Following procedures they try to reach consensus on questions of justice and rights. Critics of discourse ethic point to the bias of Western assumptions regarding agents and methods, the danger of elitism, and the optimism and the pacifism that run through the theory. After modification, Habermas distinguishes two types of discourse: the discourse of justification and the discourse of application. The second is inferior to the first. In the second, there is room for negotiating. There is another way of looking at negotiation, one that takes negotiating seriously as an important category of human behavior. This category shows an interesting overlap with moral behavior. Distinguishing four concepts of negotiating and using reciprocity and trust as the moral minimum, Negotiating Ethics is pre sented as a two level moral debate, close to Habermas but morally different in essential aspects. I. Discourse Ethics: Habermas Habermas establishes his moral theory by externalizing the Kantian dialogue interieur. The externalization takes place in three steps. The first step is to transfer the mental deliberation of the Kantian individual into an interactive public deliberation of all those concerned with the moral topic in question. The second step is to conflate rationality with reason. Rationality no longer is a deduction from Reason, but instead it is an underpinning of reasonableness. In discourse ethic rationality means giving good reasons for choices of reasonableness. The third step is to view justice, not according to the categorical imperative, but by concentrating on the following of procedures. Claims concerning the content of moral deliberation must be avoided. What results is an elaborated, interactive Kantianism, concentrating on procedures but still claiming universalism. Continuing the line of critical theory, Habermas avoids the classical standards of Nature, God and Reason and instead presents the ideal speech situation: an attempt to interpret rational consensus procedurally, with no regard for the content. The ideal speech situation serves to summarize the rules to be followed in moral argumentation: symmetry and reciprocity. Symmetry refers to speech acts: each participant must have an equal chance to initiate and to continue communication, and to make assertions, give explanations, and challenge justifications. Reciprocity refers to action contexts: participants must have an equal chance to express their wishes, feelings and intentions, and speakers must act as if each of them has the same capacity to order, to promise and to be accountable. Negotiating Ethics as a Two Level Debate :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers Negotiating Ethics as a Two Level Debate ABSTRACT: As a form of moral debate, discourse ethic, according to Habermas, is based on regulated discussion. Participating moral agents share a common understanding in the ideal speech situation. Following procedures they try to reach consensus on questions of justice and rights. Critics of discourse ethic point to the bias of Western assumptions regarding agents and methods, the danger of elitism, and the optimism and the pacifism that run through the theory. After modification, Habermas distinguishes two types of discourse: the discourse of justification and the discourse of application. The second is inferior to the first. In the second, there is room for negotiating. There is another way of looking at negotiation, one that takes negotiating seriously as an important category of human behavior. This category shows an interesting overlap with moral behavior. Distinguishing four concepts of negotiating and using reciprocity and trust as the moral minimum, Negotiating Ethics is pre sented as a two level moral debate, close to Habermas but morally different in essential aspects. I. Discourse Ethics: Habermas Habermas establishes his moral theory by externalizing the Kantian dialogue interieur. The externalization takes place in three steps. The first step is to transfer the mental deliberation of the Kantian individual into an interactive public deliberation of all those concerned with the moral topic in question. The second step is to conflate rationality with reason. Rationality no longer is a deduction from Reason, but instead it is an underpinning of reasonableness. In discourse ethic rationality means giving good reasons for choices of reasonableness. The third step is to view justice, not according to the categorical imperative, but by concentrating on the following of procedures. Claims concerning the content of moral deliberation must be avoided. What results is an elaborated, interactive Kantianism, concentrating on procedures but still claiming universalism. Continuing the line of critical theory, Habermas avoids the classical standards of Nature, God and Reason and instead presents the ideal speech situation: an attempt to interpret rational consensus procedurally, with no regard for the content. The ideal speech situation serves to summarize the rules to be followed in moral argumentation: symmetry and reciprocity. Symmetry refers to speech acts: each participant must have an equal chance to initiate and to continue communication, and to make assertions, give explanations, and challenge justifications. Reciprocity refers to action contexts: participants must have an equal chance to express their wishes, feelings and intentions, and speakers must act as if each of them has the same capacity to order, to promise and to be accountable.