Hard Times Essay

Mr Gradgrind says ‘ is it satisfactory to me†¦ to know that you do not come to the consideration of that question with the previous habits of mind, and habits of life, that belongs to many young women’ in reference to fancy and emotion when deciding whether to marry Mr Bounderby or not. Later on in the page we are told that Louisa was ‘ compelled to throw herself upon his breast and give him the pent-up confidences of her heart’. However this doesn’t happen because Mr Gradgrind fails to see it. This is because of the ‘artificial barriers’ that have been set up between him and his daughter and these barriers are primarily fact and his utilitarian views. It is a utilitarian view because he believes the decision should not be made based on the individual happiness of Louisa but on what will be best for everyone and therefore looking past her. It also is criticising Utilitarians and Mr Gradgrind through the use of dramatic irony in the sense that we see that Loo yearns to talk to her father but he doesn’t and we are criticising his inability to see it. The barriers being set up are metaphorical barriers he has put between himself and his daughter emotionally to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The barriers are themselves blocking out ‘subtle essences of humanity’ with reference to fancy. By saying that fancy is an essence of humanity in accompaniment with Gradgrind’s will to get rid of fact we see that Dickens is showing us that utilitarian principles strip us of these essences of humanity and therefore de-humanises us. Furthermore it is a very human ideal for a daughter to confide with her father or parent in general but here Louisa has been stripped of that showing us even more then de-humanising qualities of fact. Dickens then goes on to say that these subtle essences of humanity ‘will elude the utmost cunning of algebra until the last trumpet†¦ blow even algebra to wreck’ saying to us that fancy and emotion will always beat fact. The ‘last trumpet’ is judgement day so Dickens is saying that fancy will win until the end of eternity. This passage clearly shows Dickens preferences to emotion and how he feels it is superior although he does give fact some credit when he says ‘blow even algebra’ as if algebra is a tough subject to blow. Then dickens talks about how ‘with his†¦ utilitarian†¦ face he hardened her again’ telling us that utilitarianism is hardening Loo. First of all this builds sympathy for Loo because we were told earlier that Loo wanted to throw herself upon her father but she cant because of the barriers and is hardened again and secondly builds up our dislike for Gradgrind and utilitarianism more because of its hardening qualities.

Benjamin R. Barber’s “America Skips School” Essay

The scary truth behind Benjamin R. Barber’s â€Å"America Skips School† is shocking. In an attempt to change society, Barber informs us of the hopeless struggle many indignant youths are facing today, and where they will end up tomorrow. He also stresses the responsibility of teachers and how important their roles are, not only for the future of their students but for the future of the nation as well. The stories are real and Americans should quit ignoring the truth and finally make an effort to end the struggle that their predecessors cannot ignore. Our children need us to moderator them by improving education such as raising teachers’ salaries, extending the school year to year-around, or more importantly just taking responsibility. Logically speaking, parents entrust their children’s teachers a role they, the parents, were not trained for. Realistically, not only do teachers baby-sit many of their students, they are weighed down with responsibilities no lawyer or engineer will have to endure. Family and friends and teachers will influence the path a youth takes in life. He provides the fuel (determination) and the directions (knowledge) so the student can reach his destination. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-03 Edition, preparing students for the future workforce is the major stimulus generating the changes in education, and teachers provide the tools and environment for their students to develop these skills. These are the kinds of teachers we are looking for, but if we want more highly certified teachers, then there must be a change in the rate of pay because higher salaries lead to more applicants, and more applicants mean more quality teachers. During the summer vacation, most students began to either forget what they’ve learned or how to apply it, that is until school starts up again. But as the level of difficulty gets harder, this process will not work as efficiently. Having an all year-around school gives teachers more time to teach and more time for students to absorb what is being taught. When teachers spend individual time tutoring students it is less likely for those students to fail the course. Of course there is summer school, but in many cases the fee for class during the summer is costly for students who attend  inner-city schools. In today’s society, the majority of families have both adults away from the home while the children are left alone. While the kids are at school, they have the teachers to accompany them, but when they come home, and mom and dad are not there to regulate their activities, then the house is no longer a home but merely a place to come and go. A good connection between the parent and child usually keeps a healthy environment around the house, but outside the house scenarios change as well as the people the child is associating with. It’s another role of the parent to know where his child is at, at all times, who his child’s friends are, and to set a time as to when the kid most come home. Finally, the parent and child should get together and set a schedule up weekly that involves plenty of studying time, playtime and communication within the family. No matter what arguments arise either within the school or home, our children need us. Many kids have to be forced to their studies or to participate in class because they do not think as far ahead in the future as we, the parents and teachers, do. Higher salaries for teachers will lead to a better, qualified faculty, extended school to year-around will theoretically give more time for students to learn and absorb what is being taught in school, and the role of the parents to provide  their child the love and attention he needs as a guide in his road to success, are all of which Barber has emphasized as being important to a better academic system. We have yearned for a system that would work, but we just were not committed enough to do something about it. So until we do something about it, our children, America’s future, will continue to drown in this fast, growing society.

My Last Duchess Analysis

Robert Browning loosely based his poem ‘My Last Duchess' on the story of Duke Alfonso and the Duchess Lucrezia de' Medici, who lived in the 16th century. The Duke is the narrator in this poem, and he talks of his last Duchess' portrait, which in turn slowly reveals his arrogant and selfish nature as her reminisces about her. When you first start reading the poem, you can see that the Duke thinks the Duchess is very beautiful- â€Å"paint could not hope to reproduce†.She was also kind-hearted and easy to please, but as you read on you realise the Duke thinks of these qualities as ‘faults' because she doesn't reserve her attention for him; he believes he is better than everyone else due to his rank and power. He misinterprets the fact that everyone is fond of her and accuses the Duchess for having multiple affairs when actually she was just responding with her natural kindness. This shows that the Duke was very selfish, and you could say he only liked the Duchess bec ause of her beauty.The Duke Alfonso and Lucrezia de' Medici were only married for two years before Lucrezia died under suspicious circumstances. Many say the Duke poisoned her, which shows how the Duke was only in love with her looks and how selfish he was. In the poem the Duchess' death is caused by the Duke, as shown in the line â€Å"[He} gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together†. Her death was caused when the Duke realised he couldn't control her; she still had her faults and the Duke hated them.Even after death he tries to control her by trapping her in a painting, where the â€Å"spot of joy† on her cheek is frozen in time, leaving the Duchess constantly smiling at those who look at her, if the Duke allows. Even though it is the Duke narrating the poem and he is the one complaining about the way the Duchess acted, it is not him that you pity- it's the Duchess who you empathise with for having such a horrible husband.

Death of a Hero, Written by R.Aldington

The text under analysis is taken from the novel â€Å"Death of a hero†, written by Richard Aldington. The first extract under analysis is very emotional by itself. In connection with the main theme of the novel the main idea of the first extract is the representation of the beauty of things menaced by war. The first is a beautiful canvas of spring as seen by two young and sensitive people in love. And the second one is regretful author's interposition about British nature and vulnerability of people of art during the war. From the very beginning of the text we see this beauty, and when George and Elizabeth just entered the Bushey Park .They were literally shocked by the beauty of the English garden and nature. This unexpectedness is conveyed to the reader through the metaphor â€Å"sudden ecstasy of delight†. We realize how sensitive and poetic they are, and how subtly they feel this delight. And the whole text, with its highly-emotional vocabulary, rhythm and colorful descriptions sounds more like a poem. And we can find the prove in the next couple of sentences. The description of the garden is very imaginary, as if we can see it through our own eyes. This effect is created with a help of certain syntactical structure.Many sentences beginning with adverbials of place: â€Å"Between the wall†¦ and another long high wall†¦ â€Å", â€Å"Underfoot†¦ â€Å", â€Å"There†¦ â€Å", â€Å"Among them†¦ â€Å", directing our gaze and inviting the reader to enjoy all the loveliness of the sight. The choice of words is also very rich and poetic in this part of the extract. Such as â€Å"†grandiose scale†, â€Å"innumerable bulbs†, â€Å"great secular trees†, â€Å"vast fans† help to show the splendor of the nature, to emphasize the color the author uses mostly coupled epithets such as â€Å"glittering green-and-gold foliage†, â€Å"the stouter green of wild plants†, â€Å"ten der blue sky†, â€Å"white and blue blossoms† and many others.All these create a visible scenery of the garden. For the greater part the epithets or attributes denoting color, are combined with metaphors describing the shapes of the flowers: â€Å"pale hearts† of the lilacs, â€Å"foam of white and blue blossoms†. A whole cluster of metaphors is devoted to the wild daffodil: â€Å"the soft, slim yellow trumpet†, â€Å"a pointed ruff of white petals†, â€Å"gold head†. Also, to create even more visional scenery the author uses simile very often in this part of the extract.And he compares the grass to an evening sky and the flowers to stars, the red tulips to bubbles of dark wine, and the large parti-coloured gold and red tulips are said to be â€Å"noble and sombre like the royal banner of Spain† . The colors are very warm and soft, ad its completely different from the colors that would be used in the next part. The choice of wor ds is remarkable for their sonorous quality (foliage, unfold, verdure, alert, sombre, banner etc. ). The passage is particularly rich in adjectives with alliterating (slender, stiff stem; glittering green-and-gold foliage; lost in the lush herbs).The alliterations are mainly based on the l- and r-sounds. These features make the passage particularly musical. To create the same musical effect the author uses the inversion. These stylistic devices create the atmosphere of harmony, beauty and splendor. With the words â€Å"English spring flowers† the second part of the text starts. And we can hear admiration and regret in this words. The change from the mood of tender delight to that of sadness and tension is immediate. Emotional words pervading the paragraph change their key; they are woe, bitterness, despair, bleak, mournful, appalling, foul, regretful.The author just opposed the the peaceful beauty of nature and the bitterness and despair in the world of men. This sharp contra st creates the atmosphere of despair and in this sentence â€Å"What an answer to our ridiculous â€Å"cosmic woe†, how salutary, what a soft reproach to bitterness and avarice and despair, what balm to hurt minds! † we realize it even more clear how unnecessary it is to have war. And the allusion from Virgil's  Aeneide shows to us that people should stop or they would have the same destiny as Troyans.Another contrast, brought about, is between the â€Å"bleak sky† and the â€Å"bleak race† of England and her beautiful flowers and poets. The final pathetic rhetorical question is whether the prospective conqueror would â€Å"think regretfully and tenderly of the flowers and the poets†. Also, the presentiment of England's final ruin is worded as one more classical quotation. The phrase: â€Å"fuit Ilium† is from Virgil's  Aeneidethe whole line being: â€Å"Fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium† which is the Latin for â€Å"We were Troyans: Troy was†, implying that it is now no more.The sharp contrasts, as well as the emphasis laid on the effect the transitory moment produces upon the heroes' senses, the refined metaphorical imagery comparing things in nature to man-made objects of luxury, — all these combine to bring Aldington's word-painting close to the Impressionist school. The lyrical intensity of Aldington's descriptions largely depends on the combination of the direct imagistic method, i. e. presenting things in a series of images almost physically palpable and real – with the author's own comments, bitter or sad.

A Comparison between Taylorism and the scientific method Essay

When most people think of Scientific Management, they think of Frederic Winslow Taylor. He led a movement against waste and â€Å"soldiering† which revolutionized the Industrial age. He called his theory â€Å"Scientific Management†, although many who come after debate the appropriateness of the title. It seems more appropriate to call the theory â€Å"Taylorism†, as many do. There are others who have also contributed to the school of Scientific Management, most notably Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, Henry Gantt, and Henry Ford. There are common characteristics of each of these approaches, which create the style of management called Scientific Management. This paper, however, will focus on Taylor and what he called â€Å"Scientific Management†. First, we will look at the scientific method, however, so that an accurate answer to the question â€Å"Is scientific management scientific? † Can be found. Then we will look at the ways in which Scientific Management, as espoused by Taylor, was not scientific. Finally, we will look at the ways in which Scientific Management is related to the scientific community. First, a brief overview of the scientific method. The scientific method can be broken down into five basic steps: 1. Observation, leading to naming of the Problem or Question. 2. Form a Hypothesis (educated guess) which may explain the observations, and make predictions based on the hypothesis. 3. Testing of the Hypothesis to examine if it is true, using proper controls. 4. Check and Interpret the results. 5. Publishing results to be verified by others . Of course, when testing the hypothesis, all relevant test information must be included so that the results can be tested by others. In science, a hypothesis which cannot be dis-proved, becomes a theory. It is the role of science to prove a hypothesis wrong – when a hypothesis can withstand attempts to disprove it, its status as a theory grows until it is accepted as a law. A common example is Newton’s theory of gravity. He observed that objects always fell down to the ground. He formed a hypothesis that there was a force acting on the object to pull it to the earth. He predicted that this force would act equally on all objects. He tested this hypothesis and recorded his results. He published these results for review, and they have been validated time and again by scientists, giving them the status of â€Å"Newton’s LAW of Gravity†. Scientific Management, as seen by Taylor, did not really follow the scientific method. However, it did use scientific tools. This is a careful distinction. Essential in the verification of a scientific hypothesis, there must be testing which can be reproduced by other scientists. This means that the same set of tools for measurement must be available, the same mathematical formulas used, and the same population sample for testing. First, let’s examine the relationship between Taylor and the scientific method. As stated by Taylor himself: The majority of these men believe that the fundamental interests of employes and employers are necessarily antagonistic. Scientific management, on the contrary, has for its very foundation the firm conviction that the true interests of the two are one and the same; that prosperity for the employer cannot exist through a long term of years unless it is accompanied by prosperity for the employee, and vice versa; and that it is possible to give the workman what he most wants high wages and the employer what he wants a low labor cost–for his manufactures. Taylor’s observation is that most people view the fundamental interests of employers and employees as antagonistic. His hypothesis is that this is not the case, in fact, that the goal of the employers for low cost manufacturing and the goal of the employee for high wages are compatible. Already, there is a mistake in his logic, he does not set out a hypothesis to answer the fundamental question – Do employees and management share the same objective? However, Taylor’s real hypothesis (although not stated) is that labor can be performed more efficiently. He sets out to test this hypothesis. His motion and time studies can all be performed by others to validate the results. He used these studies to dramatically improve production and efficiency, however, he had the opposite goal – in fact, the result was so extreme there was an investigation of the practice lead by the United States Congress against claims of de-humanization ! Another scholar notes: â€Å"Nevertheless, the industrial engineer with his stop watch and clip-board, standing over you measuring each little part of the job and one’s movements became a hated figure and lead to much sabotage and group resistance. † In many ways, Scientific Management is very scientific. First, it relies upon measurements and replication of results. Second, it has the same ethical questions as medical sciences. Finally, scientific management as espoused by Taylor has been modified by new hypothesis. A result of measurements and replication of results was the revolutionizing of the labor force from a â€Å"rule-of-thumb† or trial and error process to a demonstrable, formulaic process for the completion of each step in the production process. However, this result brought up the ethical question of humans being viewed as machines. As what is happening in modern times with stem cell research and other human scientific inquiries, the notion of â€Å"man as machine† raised some serious ethical concerns in America. However, this concern also opened the door for competing hypothesis to explain what the relationship is between employer’s goals and employee’s goals and how they can be brought together. The school of Human Relations came from this line of inquiry, exemplified by the results of the Hawthorne Study (which also followed scientific principles in how it was conducted! ). The following contrasts the assumptions of Taylor’s Scientific Management with the results of the Hawthorne study: Traditional Hypothesis (Scientific Management) †¢ people try to satisfy one class of need at work: economic need †¢ no conflict exists between individual and organizational objectives †¢ people act rationally to maximize rewards †¢ we act individually to satisfy individual needs Human relations Hypothesis †¢ organizations are social systems, not just technical economic systems †¢ we are motivated by many needs †¢ we are not always logical †¢ we are interdependent; our behavior is often shaped by the social context. †¢ informal work group is a major factor in determining attitudes and performance of individual workers †¢ management is only one factor affecting behavior; the informal group often has a stronger impact †¢ job roles are more complex than job descriptions would suggest; people act in many ways not covered by job descriptions †¢ there is no automatic correlation between individual and organizational needs †¢ communication channels cover both logical/economic aspects of an organization and feelings of people †¢ teamwork is essential for cooperation and sound technical decisions †¢ leadership should be modified to include concepts of human relations. †¢ job satisfaction will lead to higher job productivity management requires effective social skills, not just technical skills Frederic Taylor introduced great advantages into modern production and efficiency. However, he misrepresented his theory when he called it â€Å"Scientific Management†. It is well understood that he was referring to the techniques he used to create benchmarks and quality procedures for work processes. However, as a general theory, he does not set out to answer the question he claims he is answering: Do management and employees share the same goals? In this way he has misrepresented himself. However, he opened the door to scientific evaluation and inquiry into this own theory. His use of measurements and work-units follows mathematics perfectly and augments a science of human motion. He also shared his theories with his contemporaries, which allowed for discussion of the hypothesis and challenge – even before Congress, much like stem cell research today. Finally, he created a theory which could be challenged by others. Mayo, Barnard, and the Hawthorne Studies all set out to show the differences between what the employers want and what the employees want, and how to reach an equitable solution. Bibliography Net MBA: Business Knowledge Center. Frederic Taylor and Scientific Management, Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc, . Taylor, F. W, The Principles of Scientific Management, Harper & Row, London, 1911 Walker, Michael, The Nature of Scientific Thought, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1963 Wertheim, E. G. Professor, Historical Background of Organizational Behavior, Northeastern University, College of Business Administration, Boston, MA,

McDonald's Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

McDonald's Organizational Change - Essay Example tariffs, export fees and even import quotas. There has been a reduced restriction on the movements of capital from one country to another together with investment. These changes has increased comparative advantages of various companies that are currently rushing to open up various branches in the world as it has become easy to manage them due to increased information flow and improved technology. One of the companies that have recorded tremendous changes over the past decade is MacDonald’s company. The company deals with fast foods a sector that faces a lot of competition as result of mushrooming of food vendors both small and huge companies. As a result there was a need to change the old management system in order to install new skills that have adequate knowledge concerning the current global market. There have been an increase in the number of multinational companies that deal with fast food e.g. KFC. This has necessitated a reshuffle in the top management in order to be ab le to diversify and increase skills required in retaining the company competitiveness. The company has looked for leaders who have the latest skills and experience concerning the latest market trends (Roch & Boivin, 2010). Initially, the company agitated for individual work so that one can have an individual performance appraisal. This was meant to ensure that the employees work harder for their work to be recognized during awarding of the most hardworking person. Due to the latest organizational changes, the management has instead preferred to change this working strategy to instill teamwork. This has worked in helping the organization deal with different challenges that may face the organization. This is because team members are able to come together and bring about different ideas that can solve the current challenge. Team groups in an organization have also made it easy for the management to manage the organization easily. This is because the management is able to appoint team l eaders who report to them. The major implication of this move is that it has enabled the company to diversify its operations as the management has the opportunity to monitor the performance of other branches that are spread in different parts of the world (Huber & Glick, 1995). Macdonald has seen a tremendous change in organization culture. A culture of an organization plays a great role in setting the performance of the organization in the market. One of the major changes has been on power distance. This is the extent to which less powerful employees of the organization are treated unequally by their leaders. Initially leaders in the organization kept a distance and never related with other employees. Instead they used an intermediary or when they meet they addressed the whole group as they had no time for a single person enquiry. This created a rift between the employees and leaders an aspect that reduced the morale of the workers in the organization. This also put a barrier to em ployees who wanted to report any issue that may have been affecting the organization performance or the relation of the employees with each other. The change that has been implementation is open office policy. This is a policy which encourages any members of staff to meet the management and leadership of the company in case there is an issue or enquiry that the management can solve. This change has been received with a lot of positive attitude from

Health Insurance and Patient Care in Market Changes Essay

Health Insurance and Patient Care in Market Changes - Essay Example An excellent example that could demonstrate the connectedness of the healthcare submarkets is the manner by which the government exercises control. Ideally, the healthcare industry in America operates within the free market framework. However, it is easy for the government to intervene and even dictate prices and quantities effectively in an indirect manner. This is partly because of the interrelatedness of the submarkets. This is shown in the case of Medicare. Originally, a passive entitlement financing program, the institution provide the necessary funding for the purchase of physician services. However, today it is capable of setting the prices in other submarkets by simply refusing to pay for services, medical technology, among other products and services offered across submarkets (Getzen, 2010, p. 345). This opportunity to influence is not limited to the government. Other healthcare organizations especially those that have policymaking capacities such as hospitals and profession al organizations could do the same. For instance, hospitals could affect the prices on several subsectors when they demand an increased supply of nurses. A rise in nursing income could address the problem of RNs not working in nursing or reverse the trend of the decreasing number of people entering nursing field, two of the major factors identified by Unruh and Fottler (2005) as causes for the shortage in nursing today and in the immediate future (p.177). This also works in a reverse way. When new nursing schools open, the supply of nurses increases and demand decreases. It ushers in a different price dynamics. The impact is not only limited to education.