Management Programme Term-End Examination

December, 2005 MS95 (S) : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS Time: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 100 (Weightage 70%) Note : (i) This paper contains two sections, Section A and B. Section A contains five questions. Attempt any four questions from this section. Section B is compulsory (ii) Statistical tables may be provided. (iii) Use of own non-programmable calculator is allowed. SECTION A 1. A local supermarket has experienced a decline in unit sales and little change in rupee value sales.Profits have almost vanished. The chief executive in searching for ways to revitalize the operation, was advised to increase the number of hours the market is open for business. He comes to you for advice in structuring a research problem that will provide relevant information for decision making, Define the research problem taking care to : (15) (a) state the relevant question. (b) enumerate the alternative answers. (c) clearly define the units of analysis and characteristics of interest. 2. A sample may be large yet worthless because it is not random; or it may be random but unreliable because it is small. † Comment upon the above statement and explain the importance of sampling in daily life. (15) 3. What do you understand by factor analysis ? Mention the purpose and uses of factor analysis. (15) 4. What are the seven elements of communication, which are relevant for making a presentation ? Discuss. (15) 5. Write short notes on any three of the following : (15) (a) Objective characteristics and Inferred characteristics (b) Editing of primary data c) Operating and Strategic decisions (d) Ordinal Scale (e) Audio-visual aids in presentation of reports SECTION B 6. Describe the semantic differential scale. Use the semantic differential technique to develop the profile of three television manufacturing companies in India. (20) 7. A random sample of 30 students obtained the following marks in a class test : (20) Test the hypothesis that their median score is more than 5 0. 58 55 25 32 26 85 44 80 33 72 10 42 15 46 64 39 38 30 36 65 72 46 54 36 89 94 25 74 66 29

Physics ISA Thermistor generalised Paper 1 guide Essay

1. My hypothesis is that the resistance decreases as the temperature increases. I predict my results will have a negative correlation, and that as the temperature 2. http://www.gcsesciencemethods.co.uk/2014/05/thermistor-resistance-dependent-on.html http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics/effect-temperature-thermistor The first method contained a risk assessment as well as a choice of two methods, one with a digital multimeter as well as one with a power supply and an ammeter. The second method has an explanation as to how a thermistor works, but I chose the first method because it had a multimeter method, which is easier than using a power supply and an ammeter, as it reads resistance directly in Ohms. 3. The equipment I will use is an NTC Thermistor, Hot Water (200ml), Cold Water (200ml), Beaker (500ml), Thermometer (0-100c), Digital Multimeter, and Connecting leads. You will need to boil water (at least 200ml) and put it in a beaker of at least 250ml, and then the same with normal water. You will then need to use connecting leads to connect the digital multimeter to the thermistor. You will need to turn the multimeter on, and set it to read Ohms, which is the unit for Resistance (Pd/current). You will then pour the hot water in the 500ml beaker, and immerse the thermistor into the 500ml beaker. You will then wait until the hot water reaches 70c, and then measure the resistance in Ohms. You will then repeat the experiment, to increase accuracy and to spot anomalies that might affect your final results. You will take a mean by adding up both results and dividing them by two.

The History of Fashion Trends Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The History of Fashion Trends - Research Paper Example The essay "The History of Fashion Trends" analyzes the trends in the fashion history. Although, fashion has its roots since time immemorial, the history of fashion design is no older than the mid 19th century when Charles Fredrick Worth launched his first fashion house in Paris. Ever since, the concept of fashion designers has dominated the fashion world. Throughout 20th century, almost all of the high end fashion spread from Paris and London. The boundary between haute-couture and daily wear garments was not strictly defined. At the onset of this century, the concept of fashion photography emerged as did fashion magazines (Jones). Every century and perhaps decade is marked with changes in fashion trends. A major breakthrough in women’s fashion came in 1920’s with the introduction of flapper styles with emphasis on slack clothes and shorter skirts with temporary revivals of long skirts. By the start of 1930’s a large part of western world faced the effects of the Great Depression and haute couture became less popular. The focus shifted from the more romantic haute couture line (marked by a revival of waist lines along with a bust outline, longer hems, and skin-tight evening gowns) to everyday, utility wear . The 1940’s, being years of war, were marked by the production of uniforms, whereas the 1950’s saw the return of fashion with changes in haute-couture. The end of the 20th century was characterized by globalization of the fashion industry with fashion centers emerging all over the world.... The history of fashion has witnessed two popular fashion movements and trends namely The New Romantic and the Punks. It is worth contrasting the two movements in order to gain a deeper insight into these two highly popular trends. The late 1970’s and early 1980’s were marked by the onset of the New Romantic movement characterized by new trends in fashion and music in U.K (Riello and McNeil). The movement is originally marked by the new wave music and has survived to date with few alterations. Friday and Saturday nights were no longer the most celebrated with music; rather, Tuesdays also received special attention when the club â€Å"Gossips† introduced Bowie nights on this day (Riello and McNeil). The trendsetters in Punk fashion include Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier wardrobe worn by bands such as The Exploited (Jones). Flannel shirts printed with political slogans and band names became a popular practice during the 1980’s (Jones). Leather jackets and denim vests were studded painted and tailor made and replaced the earlier practice of tailor made blazers (Jones). Female punks typically entailed shaving the entire head except for a strand in the front (Jones). Perhaps the most prominent recognition of this era was given by the onset of spiked or apparently electrified hair with flamboyant colors and streaks. The main distinction between the New Romantics and its predecessor (the Punk) then became focus on glamour and looking good in the latter, a reflection of softer, more fragile, self-conscious attitudes contrary to the violent, anarchic and crude culture portrayed by Punks. The New Romantics came to be known for their anti-Punk attitudes as they replaced sloppiness with

Federalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Federalism - Essay Example These various forms of de-centralization are done by systems of the national government which in turn gives it a multi-functional autonomy with the decision making process. When we inspect these multi forms of processes of de-centralization, the one that reflects as the dominant and functional form is federalism; this is where the legal sovereignty is shared between the central government and the national or regional governments. As the American nation was in its infancy, the debate that took place was over what would become of the United States government that we know today. Also which framework or in this case which form of government will it be? Madison mentions that the nation back then was split between two groups; the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, in the case of one group was pro Constitution and the other group opposed it (Madison et al, 1987, pp. 2-5). Since the American nation had a well-documented history of it becoming a federalist sovereign state, we will focus on its past and present considering that the theory of federalism has been proven for over two centuries. Within this context, it is found that federalism is the most efficient manner of dividing political power in a democracy. This essay will illustrate how the U.S. government considered that federalism was the best choice for the American nation. In this paper we will help define federalism in the first body paragraph and the argument according to it as well. It will be broken down into two parts which the second one will discuss the history of federalism.

MGMT305 U4 IP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MGMT305 U4 IP - Essay Example This whole process involves about 29 labour intensive and time consuming steps to manufacture the boards. To enhance efficiency and attract more customers, Firewire moved from the multifaceted production process to the CAD system that allows it to customize boards to elite customers. Furthermore, it uses a ShapeLogic NX software that allows its customers to feed the CAD, experiment with the designs, and integrate it with the computer numerical control (CNC) process. This software also provides its customers with an online system for customization that has advanced CAD tools and a web-based interface feature. This is Firewire’s most essential logistical infrastructure. A customer generates the model through the system which is directly transmitted to the factory for the manufacture. The major operations of Firewire are the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sale of the surfboards. However, much of this is done online. The company thrives on innovation having engineered the first main change in the composition of surfboards for about 40 years. The materials used comprise of expanded polystyrene foam and epoxy resins. Distribution and sale of products entails the customers making modifications to the intended designs and even sharing with fellow surfers to seek their opinions before ordering for the same. This is attained through interactive communication among customers who after using the products reports the same to friends and colleagues who then visit the company’s website thus, leading to the creation of a marketing buzz for boosting of sales. Basically, the company’s marketing and sale of the surfboards is made through an online-based social networking process that allows for the sharing of the unique design files among various customers. The main form of technology used for production of the surfboards is a computer-aided design (CAD) that has been integrated with a

Hypothetical Company and Industry Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hypothetical Company and Industry - Term Paper Example The rent on the building for this business stands at $18,000 per month. While that figure might seem quite high, it is actually quite low given that rent is 3-4 times that in the downtown area. Because the manufacturing center needs no showroom, there is no reason to have it located in a high traffic area. Other fixed costs include the monthly payment on machinery at $8,000 total per month and labor at $12,000 per month Depending on the volume of demand for the product, there are certain costs that are variable and fluctuate from the month. As such, it is certainly quite difficult to put a dollar figure on such variable costs. These expenses include supply costs, utilities (based upon how many units are being produced determines electricity usage, for example), and transportation and delivery costs. This product is best marketed to household consumers. The business itself is catered to families with children or working professionals. By focusing on the domestic market, the business can tailor its marketing plan to reach the very people that the product is designed for. The automated robotic chef is for people who desire to eat a healthy nutritious meal at home, but the demands of their lifestyle preclude this from easily happening. By focusing on these specific individuals, the business can better capitalize on market potential. By its definition, this business will not form a monopoly. While the product design will certainly be proprietary in nature and will be patented, there is nothing to preclude competitors from developing their own version of the product. The possibility does exist, however, to reach distributorship agreements with various household department stores to make this product the only automated chef that they offer.

Evaluating nursing practice through theories and models Essay

Evaluating nursing practice through theories and models - Essay Example Models become necessary when representations of various interactions among different concepts needs to be shown and patterns established. Theories should be able to give nursing practice the foundation it needs in order to develop more knowledge in the area and provide the direction such a nursing professional practice needs to take (Alligood & Tomey, 2002, pp.56-78). The paper looks at these nursing models and theories and in particular addresses the Florence Nightingales Legacy of Caring; Orem Theory and Paplau's Theory and points out their underlying theoretical and evidence base for each of them. The strengths and weakness of each of these theories are also discussed. A case study will be carried out on one of these models and theories to help illustrate its application further. This case study involves how to take care of peripherally inserted central catheter paediatric patients for chemo therapy purpose long term care. The peripheral IV devises are those cannula that are inser ted into a peripheral vein that is small for purposes of therapy in cases where medications, blood products or fluids need to be administered to patients. The peripherally inserted central catheter devices or PICC are usually inserted into brachial veins or basilica or cephalic veins and do get into the large vein or superior vena cava. Little is however known regarding the risk of complications in applying these devices to paediatric patients with cancer who are under chemotherapy (Callaghan, et al., 2002, pp.256-64). This will be further illustrated by taking into account the metaparadigms in nursing application such as infection Control of this condition, relevant education that is needed, health situation, the environmental setting, and the kind of nursing required. A... The objective of this research is to acquire a better insight of nursing models and theories. There are various models that have been put forward in the nursing profession to help in the evidence based practices. Some of these models and theories include, but not limited to, Florence Nightingales Legacy of Caring, Orem’s Theory, Paplau's Theory, Neumans’s Health Care System Model, Myra Estrin Levine’s: The conservation model, and Patricia Benner’s Primacy of caring, among others. Indeed the importance of models and theories in nursing profession cannot be overemphasized because they hold a critical point in the evidence-based nursing practice which cannot be ignored if professional practice is to be upheld. These concepts are very useful in the success of any nursing professional in providing healthcare to his or her patients. The theoretical models discussed above have been used in various medical settings in assisting patients cope and deal with their co nditions. Paediatric patients on chemotherapy need special care. PICCs are a choice for patients who need long-term IV access and many practitioners would choose PICCs due to the fact that they are durable and pose fewer problems when it comes to insertion and their removal after use. There is however a high rate of complication with cancer patients when PICCs are used, especially during chemotherapy. But that aside, the fact that these PICCs do not require a surgical procedure, less pain experienced during insertion, and ease of removing them after use, make PICCs preferred for patients especially paediatric patients under chemotherapy.

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Research Paper - Essay Example Pregnancy is a very divine thing which enables to any individual to start a family. The feeling of being a mother and carrying a child in the womb is very special. Apparently some women even consider it to be the best period or duration of their lives. When a woman experiences pregnancy, she tends to look after herself for the sake of her child. In this situation, she encounters various books in order to increase her parenting skills. When she goes through ads which discuss harmful effects of consuming alcohol, it strikes her mind. For some women, it becomes influential and they quit on such habits for the sake of her child, whereas some women do not bother at all and require more professional assistance than just print ads. These ads on their own are not that impactful at all but at times they acts as a catalyst to stop such acts. However, it has been scientifically studied in Danish study that if women drink about eight units per week of alcohol while she is pregnant, it would not have any obvious impact on children. The women who are going through the period of pregnancy should abstain from alcohol. It is said that the women who keeps on drinking alcohol or who drinks alcohol during herpregnancy stage can cause some serious diseases and defects such as brain damages and other birth defects to the child. For instance, the woman who does not quits on drinking and has a lot of intake of alcohol, mostly ends up giving birth to abnormal child. Addiction can be defined as the condition of being addicted to particular things."A 1996 review of the relation between maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy and the resulting in utero damage to the child." (Spohr and Hans, 38) It is something that an individual faces difficulties when it comes to overcoming these problems. Therefore, advertising alcohols and different alcohol brands whether on billboards or television etc. it is not a suitable option for everyone. Women who are addicted to drinking and who might be facin g difficulties on quitting drinking alcohols might get more determined and encouraged of starting drinking again. However, that is not the case with every woman. "Additional legislation has been introduced but not passed that would require every  print  and broadcast  ad  to carry one of five rotated health warnings one of them is to AVOID ALCOHOL  DURING  PREGNANCY." (Hawkins, 570) if such laws are passed then many individuals will benefit. Women who plan to start a new family should be aware of the facts that how alcohol can damage her health and the child’s health which she has to carry in her womb for 9 months. Somehow, it is clear that advertising alcohols have some great effects on pregnant women, children, and young people. The print ads on billboards are just for mere selling products. Basically, just to make customers aware that they are in the market. Any individual glances at those print ads for mere 30 seconds to as long as 1 minute. Mostly, the print ads are definitely not as much effective because they do not in any way illustrate the hazards of drinking while pregnancy. It is merely a warning sign. Even after these print ads and so much promotion, they would not be able to get the

Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects Essay Example for Free

Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects Essay The two sources that I am going to compare are Source 3 and Source 2. Source 2 is an article aimed for anyone who is interested in swimming or even people who like to read about incredible accomplishments made by other people. The text is formal and is about Philippe Croizon who in 2 years learnt to swim without his limbs. He lost of all of his limbs in 1994 while he was removing a television aerial from a roof and it hit a power line. However source 3 is a book extract aimed at adults who like reading about geography in general. The text is formal and is about Christopher Ondaatje who crosses part of Lake Victoria. On his journey there he talks about the spectacular sunrise he sees behind Mwanza. He also talks about the experience with ferry rides and the past experience about one of those ferries going down just outside Mwanza and that people were killed. In comparison with source 3, source 2 is a happier and also more exciting and the reader feels more drawn to the fact that after 16 years after losing all of his limbs, Philippe Croizon crosses Channel than the fact that in source 3 the story is taken more calmly and less exciting to be taking a ferry across the lake. Furthermore, in source 2 the contrast between the fact that the man, 2 years ago â€Å"could barely swim at all† and him saying after the channel swim â€Å"I did it. I’m so happy† is evocative. Moreover, this shows that despite the fact that he lost all of his limbs, he could still do something incredible which occurs at the beginning of the article, engaging the reader and setting a tone of excitement and most of all pride. However in source 3, there are only a few evocative moments in the extract – â€Å"the fish eagles screeched their mocking cry†, â€Å"spectacular sunrise†. However none of which express excitement or pride. The difference in language used for effect is that in source 3, short sentences are employed to enhance meaning and effect: â€Å"an idyllic spot†, â€Å"no other sounds†, â€Å"spectacular sunrise†, the alliteration of the ‘s’ add an emphasis to the experience of them looking at the sunrise and the reader is able to emphasise with them. However in source 2, the language used is that alliteration occurs with â€Å"treacherous tides† â€Å"sofa sportsman† for emphasis –just like in source 3, and engagement. Moreover, the similarities between these 2 sources is that they both have an element of drama in the texts. In source 3, we are left with not knowing if they make it across the lake in the ferry because â€Å"a year earlier, one of these ferries went down just outside Mwanza, and people were killed† this makes the reader shocked and eager to carry on reading. However in source 2, the element of drama is when the text explains how the man lost all of his limbs, â€Å"Mr Croizon’s legs and lower arms were amputated after he suffered a calamitous electric shock while removing a television aerial from a roof in 1994 when it hit a power line†. This leaves the reader with the unanswered question of how did he manage to do it, which leads into wanting to read the rest of the text. The language used in both texts is formal. The reader is able to read with ease as the texts are informative. In source 2 â€Å"an average channel swimmer takes around eight hours†, â€Å"21 miles from Folkestone to the French coast†. In source 3 – â€Å"Mwanza, a vibrant African city†, â€Å"the people pressed up against the front of the ferry, along the sides and against the rails†

The Benefits of Being a Physical Therapist Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Being a Physical Therapist Essay Professional realization is one of the most important aspects of life for most contemporary people. Its obvious that a person should be satisfied with what he/she is doing in order to reach the high level of professionalism, thus when choosing a career I considered some factors beside the size of the salary and job security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first and one of the weightiest arguments for choosing the career of a Physical Therapist was the variety of working environments it offered. I dont have much experience with different working environments, thus Im not sure what will suit me the best. That is why Im going to try all of the environments where the PT could be employed, such as hospital, clinic, patients home, social security service or some other facility. I believe that the quality of work often depends on the environment the person is in, thus I m attracted by the variety of alternatives the PTs job offers. I am also sure, that the physical condition of the patient is subordinate to his/her psychological condition. It often happens that the patient doesn’t show any improvements in a hospital or clinic because of the strange environment he/she is in, and when he/she is transferred home, the process of getting better accelerates greatly. I like the idea to qualify as a PT because it will give me the opportunity to help people out of hospital environment, everywhere where they will need my help and assistance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One more reason for which I decided to take this occupation is that it allows making the life of the elderly people more qualitative by showing them that their body is still capable of doing the things theyve long forgotten about. In my opinion physical therapy is one of the keys for solving some of the psychological problems the elderly have as it helps this category of people to feel in control of their lives again. The duration of life has increased greatly through the past century, and the next task the society and the medical workers have to face is making the life of the elderly more qualitative by giving them physical ability to continue the full social life they led when being younger. I feel that Physical Therapist is one of the specialists most needed for accomplishing this task, as he/she is able to explain the older people what should they do to preserve their health and activity as long as possible. PT will advice on the choice of physical activities, which is one of the basic things for healthy life, will recommend the hours this or that person needs them a week. PT is even able to advice on the choice of the diet that will help to preserve physical and mental activity. Another category of clients I would like to work with are professional athletes, as those people are exploring the borders of that what the humans body is capable of, and this is one of the topics that interests me the most about the human beings. I’d like to know how the professional sportsmen manage to reach the results ordinary people can’t even dream about. It is also known that this category of people often have health problems regardless of their perfect physical shape. I would like to help professional athletes to keep that balance between the impressive sports achievements and physical health for to increase the period they can perform actively and reduce the negative effect of the continuous trainings most of them have from their early childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The last but not the least argument for choosing thee career of PT was the challenges this job offered. The thing is that every person the PT has to work with is unique, thus treating him/her needs special individually developed strategy that will help him/her realize their full potential without harming the organism. For me it is very fascinating to help the humans body work the way it has to work, to discover the great potential each of the human beings has, and which often stays covered because of the mistakes people make in their choice of occupation, lifestyle, quantity of physical activities and nutrition during their life-span.

The Middle East During The Cold War

The Middle East During The Cold War The impact of the rivalry between Soviet Union and United States in the Cold War distorted internal politics and exacerbated or complicated regional conflicts. Indeed, the grafting of the USA/USSR competition over pre-existing Middle Eastern rivalries in several cases intensified them. At the same time, though, and in some cases, the Middle Eastern political à ©lites themselves made use of the Cold War to pursue their own interests of hegemony, security or colonial emancipation. Following Khalidi (2009) in assuming that during the Cold War the level of penetration of the Soviet and American influence was proportional to the degree of the strategic importance of the region, I will first discuss the strategic and geopolitical features of the Middle East. Secondly, I will describe some significant historical events, in order to show how the Cold War logic affected the area and how it shaped the regions political reality, both from a regional and a domestic point of view. The cold War and the Middle East The Cold War dominated world politics from the end of the WW2 to the collapse of Soviet Union. On 5 March 1946, when Churchill pronounced its famous speech at Westminster University, in Fulton, Missouri, describing Europe as divided by an iron curtain, with eastern Europe subjected to the Soviet sphere and the West under American influence, the Cold War was already on going. For more than forty years, superpowers competed ideologically, militarily, technologically and diplomatically. The effects of the rivalry extended all over the World, generating high degree of polarization and aggravating pre-existing conflicts. Although there were no wars fought directly by the two superpowers, proxy confrontations occurred in Southeast Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. The Middle East was a primary area of contention (Khalidi, 2009). Since WWII, superpowers were aware of its importance, in terms of its strategic geographic location and its vast oilfields and gas deposits. In fact, from a geopolitical point of view, the region lays at the junction of three continents, immediately south to the border of Russia and the Caucasus and it is surrounded by four major seas, namely the Mediterranean, the Black and the Caspian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Before the end of the war, both United States and Soviet Union were already strategically interested in the Middle Easts oil reserve. In fact, not only at the time were the great powers the Worlds major oil producers (Khalidi, 2009), but also the war made them increasingly aware of the strategic role oil had acquired in warfare. Their motorised forces, in fact, were crucially dependent on oil for their propulsion, as were their navies and air forces (Khalidi, 2009). Consequentially, they become intensely concer ned about the risk of their supplies being denied by their enemies and about preserving them. Nonetheless, the regions importance in terms of military strategy and oil supply further established throughout the Cold War. In the late 1950s and until the Cuban missiles crisis of 1962, American missiles launching submarines were based in Turkey; in the 1960s and for about a decade, when a longer range missiles technology became available, American submarines were in Spain, with Soviet antisubmarine naval forces and air units based in Egypt and Turkey. During the 1970s, the military and strategic territorial concern of both powers moved to the Arab Peninsula and the region bordering the Indian Ocean, where the new generation American missiles launching submarines were positioned (Khalid, 2009). Anyway, in the aftermath of the WWII, United States and Soviet Union were already militarily and diplomatically engaged in the region, respectively in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Iranian Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. The Middle East, thus, became a major theatre of bitter rivalries between the great powers, the effects of which would deeply influence and shape its politics and historical dynamics. Conflicts, alliances, nuclear threats and the complex events which occurred in the Middle East during the Cold War were determined by the following underlying forces: fear of the superpowers of being excluded from the control over the region; their attempt to replace Britains power in the Middle East; anti-colonialism and the struggle of Middle Eastern states for the emancipation, which led to their alliances with the superpowers; the emergence of Arab nationalism and the diffusion of the communist ideology. Ideology, indeed, played a fundamental role. It was adopted both in terms of appeal made to potential allies and in terms of economic, political and social models they offered to them (Halliday in Sayigh and Shlaim, 1997). One of the events which reveal the pervasive effects of the international competition in the Region is The Arab cold war of 1958-1970, as Malcolm H. Kerr (1965) has called it. In the aftermath of the Suez crisis, in which both superpowers have supported Egypt and the Arab states against Israel, French and Britain, the pre-war Saudi-American relationship was cemented by the Eisenhower Doctrine and Saudi adherence to it. In his famous speech of January 1957, Eisenhower admitted the strategic importance of the area and denounced the Communist threat in the Middle East and Soviet Unions interest in power politics, which have become clearer with its involvement in the Suez crisis. Soviet political, economic and military aids were depicted by President Eisenhower as International Communisms instruments of domination (Eisenhower, 1957), apparently harmless means to manipulate local instability for Soviet power-purpose. Thus, he authorized the employment of the armed forces of the United Sta tes to secure and protect the territorial integrity and political independence of such nations, requesting such aid, against overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism (Eisenhower, 1957). The Saudi-American relation exacerbated Saudi relations with Nassers Egypt, a former non-aligned state which was moving closer to the Soviet Union. At the same time a heterogeneous agglomerate of political forces supported by the Soviet Union was formed, including not only communist and radical parties, but also nationalist, pan-Arab, anti-colonialist and bourgeois-democratic groups. In order to balance the secular and radical wave of Arab regimes, as Khalidi (2009) pointed out, Saudi Arabia and its ally United States adopted Islam and religious propaganda as ideological counter-weapon. In this way, Islam became a crucial tool of the American intelligence during the Cold War. The result was a high degree of polarization in the Region, with the Soviet Union aligned with authoritarian nationalist regimes and USA supporting absolute monarchies in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Arab Gulf States and authoritative regimes in Pakistan, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco. Another instance of the superpowers influence over regional politics in the Middle East is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although the origin of the conflict has little to do with superpowers rivalry (Halliday, the Cold War competition generated polarization around the issue, fuelling arms race and leading several times to the risk of a nuclear strike. In the first phase of Israel life, namely from its birth in 1948 to the Suez Crisis of 1956, superpowers competed in supporting Israel. Polarization occurred after 1956, with USA supporting Israel and Soviet Union supporting Arab States. The competition took place in terms of armaments supply and economic aids, with the stakes escalating and culminating with the 1968-1970 and the 1973 wars, when Washington declared nuclear alert for the last time in the history of the Cold War. Internally, cold war rivalries distorted economic decisions, domestic policies, social, military and political balances, with the superpowers being responsible of or supporting coups and internal rebellions (Khalidi, 2009). Religion and ideology have been instrumentalised in order to pursuit the Cold War logic of balance of power, with some impacts also on the growth of democracy. Indeed, there was no stress by the United States to promote democracy or Human rights in the area. USA itself covered or supported actions to subvert Middle Eastern democracies such as the American-Britishs coup in Iran, which brought down the elected Mossadeq government and reinstalled the autocratic Mohammad Reza Shah in 1953. This behaviour was coherent with the American security tasks to preserve the Middle East from Communism and export the capitalist logic of free market; tasks which could be effectively pursued by aligning with the wealthy and conservative local elites. Soviet Union, instead, work ed attentively to encourage the development of socialism and distributive logic in the area, trying to appeal to the working classes and local communist parties (Khalidi, 2009). An instance of the pervasive effect of rivalry at the domestic level is the case of Iran. Due to geographical contiguity, Iran felt continuously menaced by the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the war, though, communism was not perceived by the à ©lites as good option for the development of the country. Thus, at the beginning of the Cold War, United States security interests, coincided with the Iranian ones (). US supported Shah, whose conservative government led to absolutism, corruption and to political stagnation, which, combined with fast modernization and social disruption, contributed to the rise of the Islamic Revolution. USSR also played a role in undermining the power of the Shah. As Rubinstein tells us, although Soviet Union did not directly interfere in the fall of the Shah, communist agents played an important role in spreading discontent in the Iranian oilfields, contributing to the economic paralysis, which undermined the pro-American government. However, concerning the case of Iran, two considerations must be done, which, to different extents, could be applied to several other cases in the region. First, the Cold War did not represent the first case of influence and penetration by a hegemonic power in Persia. In fact, for example, both Russia and Britain had great security and economic interest in the Persian Gulf and intervened several times in the country, both militarily and not. In 1907, in order to balance their influence, the two states agreed to divide Iran; 1942, unsatisfied of its neutrality, they agreed to invade it. Secondly, not only the rivalry logic diverted Iranian domestic policy, but also Iranian (and not only) à ©lites made use of the Cold War and of USA support in order to pursue their security goals and keep itself independent from the Soviet threat, which, as previous events show, had worried them long before the beginning of the USA/USSR competition. Finally, as Halliday (1997) pointed out, the Cold War competition had also another role in the region. It worked as a distraction, diverting attention from domestic problems, which could otherwise be earlier observed and solved. What emerged from the end of the competition and the victory of the West, thus, is just a not distorted and more grasping picture of the region and its pre-existent complexities. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1957eisenhowerdoctrine.html (Eisenhower doctrine)

Free Essays on Kafkas Metamorphosis: A Response to Kafka :: Metamorphosis essays

   Gregor had alienated himself long before his metamorphosis into a beetle. His obsession with his job had dehumanized him, made him less personal and more mechanical. While on business trips, he began to lock his doors at night in the hotels. He carried this action back to his homelife. His family did not know him anymore partially because they took him for granted for making their money for them and partially because that was simply how he wanted in to be. Gregor's metamorphosis into a beetle only allowed his family and himself to consciously alienate him from society and the world.    As someone said to meI can't remember who it was-it is really remarkable that when you wake up in the morning you nearly always find everything in exactly the same place as the night before. For when asleep and dreaming you are, apparently at least, in as essentially different state from that of wakefulness; and therefore, as that man truly said, it requires enormous, presence of mind or rather quickness of wit, when opening your eyes to seize hold as it were of everything in the room at exactly the same place where you had let it go on the previous evening. That was why, he said, the moment of waking up was the riskiest moment of the say. Once that was well over without deflecting you from your orbit, you could take heart of grace for the rest of your day.    Gregor woke up one morning to find himself turned from a human being to a beetle. People found that to be extremely hard to grasp. Many felt as though Gregor should have been more shocked at this change, or at least less understanding towards it. But really, why should he? The only part about being a beetle that seemed to truly negatively shock Gregor was that he could no longer attend to his job at the office. Gregor's family life did not change drastically. His loss of relation with his family was nothing very new, there was a lacking of personal connection with his parents for quite awhile before hand. His parents treated him as a form of hired help since he had taken the job to pay for his

How much do we learn about Gatsbys character and how is it revealed Es

How much do we learn about Gatsby's character and how is it revealed to us? Throughout The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby appears to be motivated by the pursuit of wealth and a life with Daisy, but how does this show up his character? What we know about Gatsby is severely limited by the information that Carraway, who himself only meets Gatsby at the start of the novel, feeds to us. During the short summer, in which the book takes place, our information is limited by the format of the story i.e. the first person viewpoint limits what we know about Gatsby. We can tell through the way that he acts in his pursuit of Daisy that he is ultimately a shy, reclusive person who will try anything in order to meet his old love. But the first knowledge of when Gatsby first met Daisy at Camp Taylor, before he went to Europe, was at the beginning of the chapter in which he was killed. During this period, he was in the company of many rich and successful officers who all wanted to be with her. In going out with Daisy, Gatsby had proved that he could have a relationship with a person from a more privileged background than he had. The fact that he falsified his wealth in order to become acquainted with her shows that he is longing for a trophy of success that capturing Daisy's heart will bring him. The way that he asks Carraway to arrange a meeting between himself and Daisy is strong proof of this link. Soon it becomes apparent that Gatsby wishes his relationship to return to the state that it was before he left to fight in Europe during the war. This is demonstrated by the quote, 'Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!'. These words from Gatsby demonstrate a very profound wish for his relationship with Daisy to be as i... ...e. As Carraway puts it, 'They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made'. Such a strong statement fully shows how these people could have taken in Gatsby. Trying to hide business dealings cast doubt for the reader but for any man to go to all the trouble of arranging to meet his true love shows his romantic side. One thing that this novel shows to the reader is that although Carraway is told some details by Gatsby, what we know eventually turns into a great deal of information. I believe that Gatsby is overall a good person trying desperately to achieve the two things that his life has desired - Daisy and the pursuit of money, which were denied to him earlier.