Roots of Constructivist Education Traced to Piagetian Theories Coursework

Roots of Constructivist Education Traced to Piagetian Theories - Coursework Example This project declares that the field of Education has much to be thankful for and that includes Jean Piaget. He has come up with complex theories that he was able to dissect for educators to understand and apply to their learners. His theories have great implications in curriculum design and understanding how children learn best. His work with Vygotsky in formulating the foundations of constructivism is now benefitting thousands of classrooms all over the world. It has been successful in gaining respect for children’s learning. A child learns best when he finds enjoyment in what he is doing, thus learning should be fun. This essay makes a conclusion that Piaget was someone who thought ahead of his time and present-day educators and learners are enjoying the fruits of his labor. His theories have opened a variety of alternatives in educational strategies. The effective teacher can discern which learning strategy would be most appropriate on a case-to-case basis. Imbedded in her are hidden agendas for making her students reach their optimum learning potentials and in effect, the development of a healthy self-esteem. She is aware that she is just an instrument in assisting the students to gain knowledge, and not the source of knowledge herself. She is on hand to ignite the spark of interest and motivation of her students. It is now up to the students themselves to turn that spark into a burning flame that would keep them fired up for more learning.

Rail car brake caliper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rail car brake caliper - Assignment Example Non-Ferrous metals are costly. Yield strength refers to the minimum tension that yields plastic deformations (Somaiya, Wieffering & Blaine, 2008). Tensile strength refers to minimum stress essential for the failure of the material. Fracture resistance is significant in measuring strain degree. Describes the resistance of a material to fracture and is measured using the aggregate energy contained in the material (Somaiya, Wieffering & Blaine, 2008). In the design of the brake caliper, toughness is important since strong materials absorb more energy compared to fragile ones. Tension tests include; static tension tests, which define the infringement point of the material and compression tests that determine the material’s reaction to crushing (Somaiya, Wieffering & Blaine, 2008). In general, tensile testing determines the strength and amount of stretch in the material. The failure point is the ultimate strength. Torsion test measures the relationship between stress-strain of a material. Hardness tests, which include Brinell hardness test, which uses a steel ball with enormous force. The applied weight for harder materials like iron and steel is about 3000kg while that of softer materials like aluminium alloys and copper is about 500kg (Somaiya, Wieffering & Blaine, 2008).Vickers hardness test is obtained by dividing force by the external area. Rockwell hardness test measures the penetration depth in the material to determine the hardness. Scratch test involves scratching harder materials to rank their hardness. Harder materials scratch the softer ones. Mohs hardness scale is applicable. Rebound test utilizes changes in potential energy to determine the hardness. Indentation tests utilize the impression of force on the material to test for hardness. Aluminum oxides make calipers abrasives that boost friction because of its low density. Steel filler recommended

Examination Of The Motifs In Till Eulenspiegel Music Essay

Examination Of The Motifs In Till Eulenspiegel Music Essay After an unsuccessful premiere of the opera Guntram in 1894, Strauss was consistently looking for new material for an opera. It appears he became more concrete about plans for an opera after finding the Eulenspiegel material from the chapbook Ein kurtzweilig lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel [an amusing reading of Dyl Ulenspiegel] from 1515. The opera libretto for Till Eulenspiegel remained only a sketch, but the symphonic poem became a triumph. Franz Wà ¼llner conducted the premiere in November 1895. He asked Strauss for a few programmatic explanations, but the composer restricted himself to enunciating the two Eulenspiegel themes at the beginning. Further, he said that it would be impossible to produce a programme for Eulenspiegel. So this time we will leave the audience to crack the nuts themselves the rogue hands out to them. 615. Up that ladder. See him hang, he is running out of breath, one last convulsion. Till, the mortal, is no longer In my work I have decided to focus on Till Eulenspiegel ´s melodic motifs and their interpretations presented by Mathias Hansen, Thomas Armstrong and Michael Kennedy (see bibliographical references at the end). I have compared and examined them in reference to points on which they agree or disagree and I have integrated my own ideas by implying text to the score. In the first few bars we can find disagreement between the different observations. Mathias Hansen writes that the six introductory bars do not play a role until the epilogue in bar 633. It is true that this introduction does not take over the function of a ritornello in the sense of a Rondeau, but I disagree with the claim that this once upon a time theme has a separate status in the story. The opening phrase is in a folk-lore character taking as back to the times when Till was a historical figure. The first half of Tills theme, starting in bar six, is hesitant, however the second, identical entry is confident and self-assured, as if Till was checking the scene before appearing. Das war ein arger Kobolt wrote Strauss himself under this phrase (He was a wicked Goblin) and the above musical example portrays Till according to Strauss description. Thomas Armstrong notices that prologue is based on the second Till theme in bar 46/47: By writing this theme in its simplest form, we can easily detect that the prologue is a conclusion of it: Hansen also notices the Till-chord, which is the dominant chord in bar 47/48 (related to C and leading to the F home key); further on, he shows the relationship between this chord and the Tristan-chord: written in another tone or interval position, the harmony of the Till-chord corresponds with the one from the Tristan-chord. Strauss: Till EulenspiegeWagner: Tristan und Isolde The section between bars 51 -111 Strauss uses for exposition of the Till themes. One interesting thing is noticed by Armstrong, who shows the appearance of the wicked goblin theme in bar 53, starting with the clarinet and continuing with the first violins, further developments takes place in bassoon and lower strings part. Hansen also refers to these theme in his observation on bar 63 (et sqq) where a compressing through a massive overlapping of the first part of the wicked goblin theme takes place. Hansen writes that the passage from bar 46 et sqq. is dominated by one motif Regardless of its meaning, it [material compression] tries to integrate approximately every note in the context relating to motifs. Such complexity, that tries to dissolve the contrast of primary and secondary material, of foreground and background of a piece, is emerging emphatically in Strausss way of composing Till  [1]  . Hansens dissolving of foreground and background material might be suitable for the passage he is describing; however, if we think of Strausss Don Quixote, which was written two years after Till, we can find a quite clear separation of primary and secondary material. Strauss even assigned the characters of the piece to instruments: there is Don Quixote, who is represented by the solo cello and his squire Sancho Panza, who is described by the solo viola and the bass clarinet. In Till Eulenspiegel the whole passage from bar 46 to bar 134 includes figures that imply use of verbal text; this musical narration finds the words and their meaning in the actual notation of the music; e.g.: Bar. 71 et sqq.: Till is ready for his first prank Bar. 81-85: But when? But where? Bar. 98 et sqq.: Tills zest for action Bar. 105-109: Till is thinking of a crude prank Bar. 111 133: Just you wait you bootlicker! War ten mal! (just you wait) This is when the first true episode takes place. Clarinets rush upwards, cymbal clashes and Till mounts a horse andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦jumps! (137et sqq.) Riding roughshod through the market square as the beginning is presented in the string section: Strauss noted down in the score Away in seven-league-boots for bar 151 and 152 notes that depict that theme are assigned to the flutes, the oboes and the clarinets and refer these two bars to the first part of the wicked goblin theme. There is a pause in bar 154 when Till hides himself in a mouse-hole and carefully puts out his head. Armstrong explains the pause in bar 154 with the words: Till seems to be lost. I would rather say that the break has the character of Phew that was a near thing! Starting from bar 157 until 169 Till is again in the heart of a new adventure. Strausss note on that passage: He emerges in disguise as a priest, oozing unction and morality lets us expect a musical caricature. On the contrary, whatever the clarinet, the bassoon and the violas play in a folksong-way of simplicity it has nothing to do with open mockery or cautious irony. The repeated inclusion of the first part of the wicked goblin theme does not radiate the effect of a caricature. With his note The knave peeps out of [his disguise] at the big toe, Strauss must have meant the figure in bar 191: It is when D clarinet presents Tills second theme revealing who is under preacher disguise! The chromatic runs of the horn, trumpets and violins (bars 196 198) show how dangerous Tills practice of mocking religion is at that moment. 9 bars later a glissando in solo violin opens another adventure: Bar. 209 et sqq.: Till the cavalier, exchanging sweet courtesies with beautiful girls Tills horn theme is presented in a romantic way Till felt in love with one of the girls and the music is coated with harmonically richer material. When Till is mistreated by the girl, his themes stomp through the orchestra until the four horns seem to be shaking their fist at the world and this is when in bar. 287 288: He [Till] vows he will take revenge on all mankind The most promoted part of the tone poem starts here (bar 293 et sqq.). Strauss brings the rhythmical energy of the motifs into play. Till is amongst the Philistines whose motif is played by bass clarinet and four bassoons (bar 293 299). Tills horn motif is now played by strings as if Till was asking the pedagogues his questions; this is how Strauss puts it: After he has posed a couple of atrocious theses to the philistines, he leaves them to their fate dumbfounded. The music of this section portrays pointlessness of pedagogues calculations; They have been cornered by Till and left puzzled. Concerning the Philistines, a series of variations develops, in which the formative force is in the rhythmical richness of creation, some of them are composed as canonical variations: In the following passage Strauss tries to create a deceptive silence after the council of the Philistines decided to end Tills days. Till is waiting cautiously for revenge, he takes advantage of this situation and does more and more mischief, rather than trying to become an ordinary citizen. The first Till theme sounds again, Till reappears first in first horn in F in bar 429, then in bar 436 horn in D presents Tills theme enriching the tonality. Starting in bar 429 (et sqq) Till appears again for new pranks and these know no bounds anymore. Consumed by disappointments, he does not appear as a harmless humorist, but as a revengeful human being in a fools costume. It gives a feeling of wildness and in this broadening atmosphere Strauss develops an intensity and complexity of motives combinatory that is difficult to beat. Armstrongs description is also in this direction: The music is keyed up to a higher pitch of excitement than ever. Tills last stretch of development, some 140 bars in length, shows Strausss music in full and unhesitating flight.  [2]   Trying to describe this long passage, I would put the following words: Bar 410 to 429: There is a deceptive silence From bar 486: Till is very successful From bar 546 Till gets up to more and more mischief, he becomes more high-spirited, livelierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and even daredevil (bar 555 et sqq.) He feels like the lord of the world, even a god! (Bar 567 et sqq.) Fanfares in trumpets and horns: Straus puts an extra emphasis on this passage by expanding the brass section by three trumpets and an optional second quartet of horns. The boldness and arrogance of Tills behaviour is growing. He gets arrested and faces judges accusations (bars 573 581) accompanied by violent side-drum roll that lasts for fifteen bars. Till wants to keep his nonchalant attitude but starts to realize he has gone too far. The biggest penalty is given pictured in music by second Tills theme instrument D clarinet playing upward notes falling into major seventh chord (bars 615 616), when Till is going up the ladder to be hanged. This is when D clarinet reaches its highest A flat, holding it awhile and starts to move down, accompanied by the flute-trill (bars 619- 620) that describes Till running out of breath. This passage does not only sound like a sharp cry, though, it also portrays the breathlessness of Till. None of the authors specifies the epilogue. Kennedy refers the epilogue to Till himself: A gentle epilogue recalls the works fairy tale opening, as if to remind us, before he scampers away, that Till was not such a bad fellow.  [3]   Armstrong writes similarly: It is Tills characteristic tune with the devil taken out of it, so that it seems almost tender. This epilogue shows the composers insight at its keenest  [4]  . The epilogue recalls and extends Once upon a time version of Tills second theme (bar 632 et sqq). The atmosphere is similar to the one from the opening of the piece with it folk-lore narration and charm. In my opinion, Strauss composed the following content: Once upon a time, there was a foolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he diedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but through this story, he is still alive. Hansen and Werbeck have differing opinions about the form of Till Eulenspiegel. Hansen describes the form as follows: Basically, there are only two central events, and they are actually a combination of theme and motif those two of the hero, of which Strauss informs Wà ¼llner in his letter  [5]  . Walter Werbeck tries to explain the form more accurately: Strauss composes neither an authentic sonata rondo nor a traditional rondo chain  [6]  . The element of a rondo that is missing is ritornello, but if we see rondo as representation of two themes then we might be dealing with a variant of rondo in Till Eulen spiegel. Walter Werbeck continues: One could easily describe the first part of Till as a free variation form, or, preferably, as a form in which rondo and variation are combined as follows: A (Exposition); Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (market scene, variation 1); B (sermon scene, episode 1); A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (love scene, variation 2); and C (Philistines, episode 2). Strauss also drew on principles of sonata form. As evidence we might cite especially the emphatic recapitulation of the initial horn theme in bar 429 that opens the second part of the piece.  [7]   Both Hansen and Werbeck divide the piece in the same way into two main parts. Whereas Hansen only tells us approximately where his second part starts, Werbeck gives us the exact bar number (429) of his division. Hansen is content with the division into two central events; Werbeck, however, tries to show that Till is undoubtedly much more than a sonata rondo. The composer combines sonata form, variations and rondo. These forms cannot be seen separately they overlap and penetrate each other to varying degrees. At some points the form of a set of variations dominates, sometimes as sonata or as rondo. Warbecks quotation As Till Eulenspiegel, the protagonist of the tone poem, resists societal norms by mocking them with continuous pranks, so does the composer thwart the expectations of those who want to pin him down to the norms of a rondo  [8]   seems to be especially appropriate here. Trying to fit Till into a rondo form, the following division makes sense: 1. Prologue and Exposition; bar 1-111, the fool is introduced 2. Variation I; bar 112-178, the upsetting of the market place 3. Episode I; bar 179-206, the mockery of the sermon 4. Variation II; bar 207-288, Till in love 5. Episode II; bar 289-409, the confusing of the professors 6. Recapitulation (Variation III); bar 410-594, Till goes on his way 7. Coda (Episode III); bar 595-632, Till is arrested and hung 8. Epilogue; bar 633-658 At this point I would like to summarise the themes of Till Eulenspiegel: The wicked goblin theme and its modifications: BASIC FORM: NARRATIVE: AS A CAPER: HE LIES IN WAITING AT A GALLOP RELIEVED, AT A SAFE PLACE IN LOVE AS AN OATH OF REVENGE IN A CONFIDENT WAY UP THE LADDER FURTHER THEMES: Till Eu len spie gel, till Eu-len-spie gel, Till Eu-len spie-gel NAMING OF TILL NEW PRANKS IN LOVE COURTING AGAINST THE PHILISTINES DECEPTIVE SAFETY MISCHIEVOUS Richard Strausss Till Eulenspiegel appears as a masterpiece in composers career. In this piece Strauss used yet the biggest orchestra with massive woodwind section and optional second horn quartet. It is in some way symbolical that after serious labour on Guntram Strauss composes such a spectacular work inspired only by a folk legend. Richard Strauss himself leads us well and truly to believe in something with his title Nach alter Schelmenweise in Rondeauform [after an old rascal manner in rondo form]. Whoever thinks that Strauss came to a compromise with the traditional form will notice quickly that any pattern is avoided. It is not the form of the rondo with the methodical; umpteen times reprise of the theme, the unity is reached by the consistent development of the melodical-thematical elements. These elements, which come in the most varying forms, in the bravest disguises and the rhythmical and harmonical transformations, are the two main themes. Strauss uses the specific sound character of an instrument in the score very carefully. This is what gives the whole tone poem the humorous colour. When the notes become alive, everything sounds so simple, natural and unconstrained. Strauss makes high demands on the musical intelligence of the musicians playing his works.

Reading and Writing Skills Essay -- Teaching Writing Education Essays

Reading and Writing Skills I remember when I started kindergarten. It was August 27, 1990. I’m still a little angry about that day because it was my fifth birthday and I still remember that I didn’t get to wear a crown on that day like the rest of my classmates did on their birthdays. I guess I didn’t get to wear the crown because it was the first day of school. But besides that, kindergarten was a really great year. In the mornings we’d go around the classroom to different stations and play different games, then we’d go to P.E., then lunch, and finally nap time. That was the year I learned how to count to one thousand. My teacher Mrs. Collins would sit with us and we’d count every morning. And every morning we’d count a little higher. She would also read to us. I don’t remember what we read but it was a great source of entertainment for me and I remember being very interested in what we were reading. I believe that that was what kept me interested i n reading series books when I was younger. Everything I chose to read from then on kept me interested and made me want to read more. That’s how my first year of grade school went. In first grade I learned how to read and write. My inspiration that year was my teacher Mrs. Garza. I remember thinking that she was the prettiest lady I had ever met (besides my mom) and I did everything I could to try to impress her. There were two different reading groups in my class. The better readers were the cardinals and all of the others were the robins. I was a cardinal. Mrs. Garza would sit with us and we’d read different stories and that was how we improved. I was definitely an over-achiever back then when it came to school. Reading was so interesting to me. .. ... greatest moment of achievement so far in life is graduating high school. There were days in high school that I didn’t know what my future held because I found many obstacles and didn’t know how I was going to overcome them. The greatest part about that was that despite how hard my work got and how much I hated reading and writing what was assigned, I still enjoyed reading what I liked in my free time and playing the piano. I also journaled. All of these things were a big part of my growing up in high school. I know that as I go through college I am going to reach many obstacles that arise. Already in my third week, I have had to read things that I’ve hated reading and I’ve had to put my opinions aside and do what is expected of me. I hope to expand my reading and writing skills as I continue to get an education and I hope to do what my teachers expect of me.

Socioeconomic Status

Research Paper Do to the circumstances of a person’s birth, their socioeconomic status of the family that they are born into can make them a victim of unfair treatment in life. Gender inequality is an innate characteristic of women. Women are the largest minority in America and they are of the female gender. Gender is the meaning of being a male or female in a society. Gender role refers to the attitude and behavior that is used when referring to male or females.Female gender has always been considered inferior to men. The attitude has always been that males were superior to females in their abilities, because they have strength, they are smarter and they have the ability to provide a better life. It is the belief that women take care of the home and children and the men go to work and earn the money. According to Sigmund Freud, he summed up in his famous idea the â€Å"anatomy is destiny†, which stated that females felt short changed because they do not have a penis.He concluded, that woman need to fulfill this envy by giving birth to a child. (pg. 190) Perpetuating gender inequality through values refers to jobs are automatically assumed to be gender specific. Fireman and Policeman are men only. Engineers, architects, project managers, doctors, etc. , are thought of as male orientated. However, women do very well in these areas. The value placed that men can do a better job is also considered a social attitude.The ideologies that have been set by society, even though it has been shown that male and female have equal capacity for learning and doing math and science, males have advanced in the workforce. After WW11, women stayed home and raised families. Men went to work and provided for the family. That has changed and since 2004 women make up 60. 5% of the workforce. However, they do not make the same money as men. pg 191) Race is a group of people distinguished from other groups by their origin in a particular part of the world. People are iden tified by the color of their skin, and the inequalities people experience follow directly from that identification. From this identification we have a social situation called racism. Racism is the belief that racial groups are inherently inferior to others.This situation has become a common experience for some and it justifies discrimination and inequality. Lauter (pg. 23) The race, ethnicity and quality of life for many people is a serious situation that needs to be addressed by society. We as a civilized society need to address the problems that so many people face. One of the very serious problems is wage disparity across gender, race and ethnicity. A study examines intergroup inequality and considering various channels through which gender, growth, and development interact it upholds the salience not only of equality in opportunities but also equality in outcomes. The matter of gender, race and ethnicity should not be a factor when people are trained and educated to do a job. Ro dgers & Seguino) A comprehensive profile of the ‘working poor' is presented using data from the 2003 Population Survey.The explanatory variables are the worker's occupation and the firm’s characteristics. The cost constraints comprising, on the one hand, the worker's family characteristics (notably family income), and, on the other, the costs to the worker of signals used by firms in making employment decisions. These include not only the cost of education but also what we call ‘discriminatory signals', e. g. gender, race, ethnicity and citizenship status. Gleicher & Stevans) The ideology that equal opportunity provides equal pay is false. There has been a glass ceiling for women, they do the same work as men but their pay and advancement is less. They experience discrimination with less training, promotions and hiring. (Lauter & Lauter) (pg 192) Each society has ideologies that justify stratification. It is up to our society and educators to teach people that eac h gender is capable of doing the same jobs if they are physically and mentally able plus have that desire. Due to this attitude women have not been advanced in the work place.They have been kept from monetary advancement and promotion. When businessmen speak eloquently about the â€Å"social responsibilities of business in a free-enterprise system†, they believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned â€Å"merely† with profit but also with promoting desirable â€Å"social† ends; that business has a â€Å"social conscience† and takes seriously its responsibilities for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers. In fact they are preaching pure and unadulterated socialism concepts.Businessmen who talk this way are sometimes considered puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis o f a free society these past decades. (Friedman) The examination of the cultural and linguistic production of gender and of gender relations in society has had a serious impact on the study of labor history over the past twenty years. Work on the role of gender has linked culture and ideas to politics and policies and has shown how ideas about masculinity and femininity shaped notions of the wage, skills, and work, as well as labor and employer practices, union strategies, and labor struggles.The working class has not disappeared, but its contours and composition have changed dramatically. It is no longer overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual; it is female, black, and brown: its members’ sexuality is not always already defined. It is by incorporating into our work the intersections of these differences that we can create more powerful analytical tools for understanding the past and perhaps also the present. (Frader) In 1963, President John F. Kennedy, signed â€Å"The Equal Pay Act†. This bill was aimed at abolishing the wage disparity based on gender.This law was written to stop sex discrimination, paying employees of the opposite sex more money for doing equally the same job for equal work that the performance requires equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions. This bill was to give equal opportunity in the workplace. When signing this bill, John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"Adds to our laws another structure basic to democracy† and â€Å"affirms our determination that when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelope. â€Å"Through the years America displayed a terrible attitude towards people of all races, foreign cultures and nationalities. I have seen many actions in the work place that I can look back on and realize there was discrimination. I am happy to say that I have seen change. In my last three jobs, I witnessed the equal and civil treatment o f my fellow employees. At the Unitarian church everyone was treated very fairly, not just the consideration of their race and gender, but also for their religious beliefs. The Unitarian Church has a very interesting concept.Most people that are Unitarians are not born to the religion, they are people that convert from other formal religions. Because of this situation, people need to express their beliefs and the Unitarian Church allows its members to share and experience each event. Every holiday was celebrated with pride and true enjoyment. They extended their programs to have social events detailing each ethnic and religious background. We celebrated Christmas, Hahnack and Kwanza. We were given information explaining each religion, how it originated, the beliefs and the ceremony.We also were given samples of the different foods served for these religious holidays. It gave us a feeling of unity and understanding which broaden our knowledge, social graces and respect for others. The most important part of this work environment was everyone was treated equally. The positions held, from office managers, secretaries, ministers, maintenance and grounds were held both by men and women. You were not judged based on gender or race, if you met the job qualifications you were interviewed and if you had the qualifications you were hired.I left the Unitarian Church with a heavy heart. I knew I would never meet such a wonderful, caring group of workers and volunteers in any future workplace. This was a unique experience which taught me more than my work requirements, it taught me about people. When I moved to Colorado, I worked for Level (3). This was a true corporate atmosphere, everything was done through emails and written communications. We were divided into teams with a team captain and every employee was treated with respect and graded on their true ability. Here too, people were hired on their qualifications.Gender and race were not part of the hiring program. Ther e were male and female engineers, project managers, technical support and even cable layers. My position ended when the Dot. com crash caused a huge layoff. My last position was in a small office, my employer was very respectful of each of us and we were all treated with respect and gratitude. The atmosphere was very different in that when there are only a few people, you become more involved on a personal level. I found the small office to be an okay experience, however, I think I would enjoy the atmosphere where there are more employees.The smaller office does not offer the opportunity for advancement and each person has their job and you become stagnant. The job market has changed in many areas in the past 15 years. I see more women and more diversity in the ethnic background of the employees being hired. There will always be room for improvement and change. A major change has been that more women have college degrees and they have excelled in showing stamina and strength. The te rm â€Å"glass ceiling† refers to the imaginary career barrier that impede’s a women’s ability to rise to the top rank of her profession.Today there really isn’t a â€Å"glass ceiling† because women are well represented in all professions. They are doctors, lawyers, judges, TV anchor women, journalist and women appointed to political positions. It is evident that anyone can attain the position of their choosing. It takes education, perseverance and determination. I am sure that there is still a negative attitude by some towards women and different ethnic groups. I think it will take a long time to see a complete change, and probably there will never be a complete change.We have many people that are raised and indoctrinated, whether it is from their nationality, up- bringing or religious beliefs that women only belong in the home. Some parts of the world, like the middle east, there is a cultural and religious belief that dictates the life of women. These changes for these women might take a 100 years to change. Living here in the U. S we have a broader view of how everyone should be treated. Because some people will never change, as women we have to keep moving in the right direction, looking for the right opportunity and seize the moment.My own life is a testament to the belief that a women belongs in the home raising the children and keeping the house. After a marriage of 30 years and divorce, I found myself in a very difficult position. Financially I was not prepared to take care of myself and I was frightened beyond comprehension. I also had my mother living with me, she had Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). I realized that I had to take charge of my life and at 50, I made some serious decisions. Eventually I found a job with Level (3) and went back to school for my degree.With all my determination and perseverance I showed I was capable of taking responsibility and I was advanced within six months of hire. I believe th ere is opportunity and in today’s job world, women and people of different ethnic background can advance in life.

Resource Based View Essay

The mid-eighties witnessed the emergence of a growing body of work collectively labelled the resource and capability-based view of the firm (RBV). In reality, Resource Competence View (RCV) first adopted an â€Å"economic† orientation. Pioneer studies (Wernerfelt, 1984) , Barney, 1986, 1991, Dierickx and Cool, 1989, Peteraf, 1993) focused on the type of resources and competencies that could offer to its owner a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, resources and competencies approach first appeared as a theory of competitive advantage or a theory of â€Å"performance of the firm† (Argyres & Zenger, 2007). It is only recently, in the last 20 years that organizations have started using the resource based view approach on strategy. Nowadays, they view it as the most important key development in international business research and strategic management, an approach that gives a coherent vision based on a firm’s capabilities to help determine the strategic reso urces necessary for the firm’s survival and growth within a particular market place. As Hitt et al (2001) stated, â€Å"the resource based model assumes that each organization is a collection of unique resources and capabilities that provides the basis for its strategy and that is the primary source of return.†. It suggests that in order for a firm to sustain competitive advantage, it must not only have resources and capabilities but also have a firm control over it and they must meet certain basic criteria such as being: valuable, rare, inimitable and non substitutable such that it is impossible to be copied or replicated (VRIN). Although a resource based view strategy sounds like the better way to go, others have wondered if this approach is at all necessary or bring any more insight than the traditional understandings into a successful strategy to survive and thrive into a competitive market, strategy that will allow the firm to have a good competitive advantage. In this review, we aim to elucidate the concepts behind the resource based view strategy and its use by managers. Furthermore, we aim to elaborate on its advantages but also disadvantages moving on to a critical analysis of this emerging approach to strategy and competitive advantage from the point of view of well known authors such as M. Porter (1980,1985) who believes that external factors mainly contribute to a firm’s competitive advantage and Jay Barney (1991)  who criticizes the narrow approach of a resource based view on competitive advantage, mainly the homogeneity it gives to firms resources. RESOURCE BASED VIEW : A CRITIQUE The RBV has emerged after the industrial work of Michael Porter and Rick Perry , who stated that companies must achieve a competitive advantage based on external factors. In fact, the RBV suggests that differences in profitability between firms in the same sector are much more important than inter sector profitability differences which was its founding idea. The resource-based view (RBV) has become one of the most influential and cited theories in the history of management theorizing. It aspires to explain the internal sources of a firm’s sustained competitive advantage (SCA). Its central proposition is that if a firm is to achieve a state of SCA, it must acquire and control valuable, rare, inimitable, and non substitutable (VRIN) resources and capabilities, plus have the organization (O) in a place that can absorb and apply them (Barney, 1991a, 1994, 2002). This proposition is shared by several related analyses: core competences (Hamel & Prahalad, 1994), dynamic capabilities (Helfat & Peteraf, 2003; Teece, Pisano, & Shuen, 1997), and the knowledge-based view (Grant, 1996b). Given its elegant simplicity and its immediate face validity, the RBV’s core message is appealing, easily grasped, and easily taught. 1 FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW :Models based on resources and skills, Resource Based View and Competence Based View The resources and competences are expressed through certain knowledge (know-how , know-machine ,distribute knowledge) Resources are defines as assets owned or controlled permanently by the firm to develop and implement its strategy. There are six types: Financial Resources : CAF, debt ratio, volume TR ; Human Resources : number of employees, qualification, experience,intelligence ; Physical resources : production sites and their geographical location, land,stocks ; Organizational Resources : information systems, ISO standards,  procedures,coordination mechanisms ; Technological resources : know-how, patents ; Reputational Resources : brand, reputation ; The approach based on the resources considers that the company more than the industry, constitutes the relevant level of analysis to explain the performance (Barney, 1991; Rumelt, 1984; Wernerfelt, 1984). The organization is rehabilitated as an actor ; the firms are able to accumulate resources and competences which are transformed into advantage on the competitors if they are rare, creative of value, non-substitutable and difficult to imitate (Barney, 1991; Dierickx and Cool, 1989) see figure 1. 5 tests to assess the strategic value of competencies: Figure 1. Barney J.B. (1991), Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management, vol. 17, pp.99-120 The firm is not designed any more like a wallet of products or markets, but like a wallet of resources. It is not the customer requirements who determines the strategy, but the resources and competencies which the company possess : the competing advantage is to be sought in-house (See Table 1). Competencies indicate the organizational capacity to deploy the resources in the form of combination to achieve a goal, which implies the idea of a training by combining several resources. 2 A CRITIQUE OF THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW APPROACH The Resource based view approach has been subject to several critiques ,some of which suggest that it is a very limited model , very hard to apply and its variables cannot be clarified. All of these critiques could be faced with more explanations of the (RBV)’s variables,boundaries,and applicability. On the other hand, some critiques are threatening the (RBV) model, these critiques are concerned with the limitations of the defining two concepts of the (RBV) model which are : resources and value which entail some problems and affecting the explanations of a firm’s competitive advantage. These critiques could be categorized as follow : Studies argue that (VRIN) criteria is not essential to the understanding of SCA as (Kraaijenbrink et al) (2010) mention (Foss and Knudsin) (2003) arguing that it’s mainly uncertainty is one of the basics to achieve SCA , Furthermore, stating that other conditions simply additional . These comments suggest ‘ fundamental disagreement about the nature of markets , individuals , and resources and the roles these play in generating SCA (Kraaijenbrink et al, 2010). Individual’s, entrepreneurs, and manager’s judgement and models are not sufficiently recognized by the (RBV) to the critique which argues that the (RBV) limits the entrepreneurial and managerial skills. This critique outlines the importance of a firm’s environment whilst arguing that (RBV) is mostly focused inward and dismisses the external environment which is important for assessing the main strength and weaknesses of an organization , which essentially leads to achieving competitive advantage ; it also leads to the issue of value creation , and environmental assessment , internally and externally , are essential to value creation and strategic positioning. Connor (2002) argues that the (RBV) is limited to large firms (with significant market power) , furthermore, SME’s cannot be sometimes assessed by their resources when it comes to SCA resulting in their fallout of the (RBV) . Finally , adding that (RBV) applicability can , in most cases, relate to firms pursuing SCA. 1 PORTER’S FIVE FORCES (P5F) AND RBV On one hand, the RBV model supports the idea that a firm can sustain competitive advantage by having highly superior resources and these  resources are represented in the VRIN criteria . In other words, sustaining a competitive advantage depends on the ability to integrate a group of extreme resources to provide the firm with its leading position . According to Barney (1991,1994,2002) â€Å"RBV central proposition is that a firm is to achieve a state of SCA , it must acquire and control valuable, rare, inimitable,and non-substitutable (VRIN) resources and capabilities , plus have the organization (O) in place that can absorb and apply them† , which would lead the firm to earn a massive surplus. On the other hand, Micheal Porter believes that for a firm to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage it has to focus on its external environments, have a strategic positioning in its industry or intended industry and this strategic positioning is guided by five industry-level for ces namely; Entry barriers, Buyers bargaining power, Suppliers bargaining power, Threats of substitutes and Rivalry among existing industry. He specifies that finding a strategic fit within an industry gives a firm an edge over its rivals and can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage. A company can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference that it can preserve (Porter, 2000) and how can you establish this difference? By deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value e.g. Southwest Airlines, IKEA. However, It is clearly noticed that one of the big differences between both models (Resource based view and Porter’s five forces) is that they differ in the approach used. The RBV focus only on the firm’s resources but the P5F model is based on the industry itself. Another similarity between both views are the description of resources in the RBV that it’s inimitable matching the concept of threat of new entrants in P5F . Also the threat of substitute in the P5F model sounds similar to the attributive of resources that it is non-substitutable in the RBV. Both models put the concept of earning superior profits as an objective of any firm, similarly both agree that the way to achieve that surplus is by sustaining competitive advantage , but when it comes to how to sustain this competitive advantage they differ ; P5F SCA by gaining a high profit on the long-term , contrarily the RBV considers SCA by preventing rivals or competitors to acquire the same advantage . At some point, both RBV and P5F may look contradictory , in reality both complement each other when integrated . 2 JAY BARNEY AND RBV According to Barney,Mcwilliams & Turk (1989) it is stated that a sustained competitive advantage has been defined as to be an advantage obtained as a result of a firm’s strategy not being implemented by other firms as well but that cannot be replicated but point out the fact that it does not refer to â€Å"how long† that advantage is in fact sustained. Porter (1985) and Rumelt (1984) said that the basis for sustaining a competitive advantage in the market is to understand its sources. Porter mostly believes that focusing solely on external factors (opportunities, threats of new intrants,etc†¦) gives a firm better chances of reaching a sustained competitive advantage. For Barney (1991), the basis to sustaining a competitve advantage is by formulating a strategy that is based on internal strenghts but acquired through responding to external factors such that there is synergy between internal and external factors and thus heterogeinity and immobility to the firmâ€⠄¢s resources (Barney & Hoskisson, 1989). He argues that a firm simply cannot rely on the even distribution of its resources (same strategic capabilities, human and organizational capital (Barney,1991)) throughout the organization (focus that gives homogeinity and mobility of resources) to achieve a sustained competitive advantage as any other firm with the same resources can have the same competitive advantage in the market. Also, efficiency and effectiveness can be improved to the same extend and therefore the competitive advantage cannot be described as â€Å"sustained† (Barney,1991). However, it can be argued that an homogenous and mobile set of resources can also lead a sustained competitive advantage on a â€Å"first come, first served† basis where the firm that has access to distribution channels, develop good will customers and a positive reputation first gains a sustained competitive advantage as they would have established themselves before other firms had a chance to do so. Barney (1986) also highlights the concept of â€Å"Strategic Factor Market.† He explained that according to the strategy, strategic factor market in which the company must draw differ. For example, for an innovation strategy, the factor to consider may be the competence in research and development. He added that if the strategic factor market is not perfect, it will not be possible for a firm to extract superior economic performance. Barney is therefore concerned with allowing  the firm to distinguish themselves from others, and it sets up the theory of competitive advantage â€Å"sustainable†. This type of benefit resulting resources respecting the criterion called â€Å"VRIN† (resources must be: valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and imperfectly substitutable to provide the firm a sustainable competitive advantage). 3 ISSUES FOR PRACTICING MANAGERS IN ADOPTING THE RBV APPROACH Having looked at the critique of the RBV one can undoubtedly say that practicing managers may encounter some issues in adopting this approach. The RBV is a very complex approach. Thus to attain or maintain a competitive advantage managers must often and extensively simplify (Russo & Schoemake, 1989). Managers are often faced with the challenges of identifying, developing, protecting and deploying of firm’s resources and capabilities such that they can gain a sustainable competitive advantage over rivals. What are the criteria for identifying? Often times they ask what resources or capabilities do we have that rivals do not have or cannot immediately imitate and how can we achieve a sustainable competitive advantage with it. They run the risk of retaliation from rival firms which can render their competitive advantage static or useless as it is sometimes impossible for them to know the level or worth of their rivals resources or capabilities. What capabilities to develop, what resources to deploy are issues which can result to intra organizational conflicts among various departments in the firm. In adopting the RBV approach managers are likely to face a considerable uncertainty and ambiguity arising from shifts in buyers’ preference or taste, social values, economic and political trends, recent/ upcoming technologies, rivalry in the industry (competitive actions) etc†¦ (strategic management Journal Vol 14,1993). CONCLUSION REFERENCES Barney, J.B. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, journal of management 17:99-120. Barney, J.B. McWilliams,A. , Turk,T. 1989. On the relevance of the concept of entry barriers in the theory of competitive strategy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the strategic managemt society, San Francisco. Lieberman,M.B, & Montgomery, D.B. 1998. First mover advantages, Strategic management journal, 9:41-58. Porter,M. 1980. Competitive strategy. New York. Free Press. Porter, M. 1985. Competitive advantage. New York. Free Press. Porter,M. 2000. What is Strategy? Harvard Business Review. Rumelt,R. 1984. Towards a strategic theory of the firm. In R. Lamb (Ed.), Competitive strategic management: 556-570. Englewoods Cliffs, NJ : Prentice-Hall. Wernerfelt, B. 1984. A resource based view of the firm. Strategic management Journal. 5:171-180.

John Lennons Death essays

John Lennon's Death essays John Lennon was shot December 8th 1980 in New York by a man named Mark Chapman. As the limo pulled up and Lennon and his wife stepped out, Chapman pulled out a revolver and shot Lennon. With two bullets in the back piercing his lungs, a third. Shattering his shoulder bone, the fourth and fifth shattering his wind pipe. After shooting Lennon, Chapman sat on the sidewalk and read. Lennnon stumbled into the hotel bleeding to death. He was soonrushed to the hospital where doctors used every devide imaginbable to bring jogn back, but nothing worked. The official cause of death was shock produced by massive haemorrhaging, he lost 80% of his blood. There has never been a public trial, causing mystery about Chapman's motive. Chapman had a history of disillusuions starting from his early child hood. As a teen Mark heard the voices of "little people" that he believed lived in the walls of his bedroom. This disturbed mental state later lead Chapman to attempt suicide and be put in psychiatric counselling as he battled paranoid schizophrenia. Chapmans behavior was guided to the events of Dec. 8th by subliminal "clues" and special signs that he felt were ment for him through John's lyrics and music. Mark belivedhe was able to recieve these hidden messages that the rest of us could not. Through this he turned the murder of John Lennon into somewhat of an heroic act. The only question i have, could be simply summed up as "why?". I could probably read into it and learn more about the lyricsa that Mark Chapman had thought were intended for him, but there is still a whole side to it. A side in Chapman's brain that i supose none of us will ever understand. I can only see this as a very unfortunate acident that happened to Lennon, because Chapman"s mental state couldn't have been helped at the time, because in chapman's mind he had done the right thing. No one could have changed that thinking. John Lennon was a music legend. Had he st...