Franz Kafka the Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis is arguably Franz Kafkas best works of literature where author, Franz Kafka, directly casts upon the negative aspects of his life both mentally and physically. Franz Kafka was a visionary, whose works contained the secret to the future. Kafka’s world is one of a kind. To Kafka popular culture portrays contrast between functional and dysfunctional families to frame the elements that contribute to their formation. In similar pursuit, Kafka recognizes one significant aspect in the establishment of a healthy and stable family.In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka applies symbols, imagery, and settings to impress that a family organization where equally shared responsibilities prevail is more effective in keeping a positive domestic atmosphere. Also Kafka demonstrates the absurdity of human life and the sense of alienation of human existence, a reflection of Kafka’s own life. â€Å"Because the notion of bug aptly characterized his sense of worthlessness and pa rasitism before his father. † (Neider 262). When Franz Kafka was a boy his father abused him.Whenever Kafka disagreed with his father or told his father that he wanted to be a writer, his father got very upset with him. Franz was expected to follow the course his father planned out for him. â€Å"But from his childhood he considered himself a disappointment to his authoritarian figure parent and inadequate when compared with him. † (Czech 255). Kafka’s father viewed Franz as a failure and disapproved of his writing because he wanted Franz to become a businessman like him. This obsession with wanting Franz to become a businessman led his father Herrman to beat his son.There was always a great tension between Kafka and his father; Kafka always had strong mixed feelings toward him. Franz had other siblings but he was left all alone to struggle with the mantle of his father's expectations and frustrations. The relationship between Gregor and his father is in many way s were similar to Franz and his father Herrman. The emotional and physical abuse Gregor goes through is reciprocal to what Kafka went through in real life. They were both abused and neglected by their fathers when they were disappointed with them.â€Å"The mother and sister almost survive the test, but the father rejects him from the start. (Angus 264). The relationship with his father was reflected in Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis. In the book, Mr. Samsa displayed a violent temper from the very first encounter with the transformed Gregor. â€Å"When he chased Greggor back into the room, he kicked him in the back as he reached for the door. † (Kafka). Kafka illustrates that imbalance in family responsibility results in resentment and hatred. â€Å"All our knowledge of Kafka’s life and story technique suggests that it is a precipitation in fantasy of his lifelong sense of loneliness and exclusion. † (Angus 264).Quite apart from his isolation within his famil y, Kafka also felt isolated from the rest of society. Both Samsa and Kafka experienced the difficulties of living in a modern society and the struggle for acceptance of others when in a time of need. Also the lack of affection in Kafka’s childhood is a cause of feeling isolation that both Samsa and Kafka felt. Kafka never seemed to keep a wife. He was engaged twice but both times he was the one that ended the engagement. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa says â€Å"Constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. (Kafka).Gregor Samsa was a character that endured seclusion and exile like no other. Gregor adopts the precaution â€Å"of locking all the doors during the night even at home. † (Kafka). In this quote, the lock symbolizes Gregor’s wish to isolate himself from his family and society due to his anger. â€Å"Into a room in which Gregor ruled the bare walls all alone, no human being inside Grete was ever likely to set foot. à ¢â‚¬  (Kafka 34). The way Samsa was portrayed by his own family was the main cause of the feelings in which Gregor felt.His family purely the basis of the isolationism. Throughout the book, The Metamorphosis, Kafka creates Gregor to express his own feelings of isolation and alienation. â€Å"Reminded even his father that Gregor was a member of the family, in spite contrary, it was the commandment of family duty to swallow their disgust and endure him, endure him and nothing more. † (Kafka). Kafka, in a similar situation, uses Gregor transforming into a bug as a way of exaggerating himself, trying to express his feelings and point of view.Kafka saw the world much as he describes in his novels, just as a man who feels himself to be persecuted sees reality fitting into a system, which is really of a spiritual order, to persecute him. † (Spender 257). Kafka who had the pressure of his father forcing his own occupation on him resulted in a negative way. It was the main reas on that caused Kafka’s animosity towards his father. Kafka’s father already forced him to do what he wanted and not what Kafka wanted. This is similar to Gregor’s work life as a salesman. Gregor is not working for himself but to pay the family’s debt; he is unsatisfied with his occupation.Gregor Samsa is the only provider in the family he gives his family a nice atmosphere making them all feel economic security. Gregor’s atmosphere is one his family wouldn’t understand. He has the burden of finance on just him, only a single person results and this results in bitterness and anger. Kafka implies that in order to achieve a healthy family atmosphere, all members must contribute equally to common causes. Kafka uses symbols to contrast the difference in mood between the unequal and equal shares in financial responsibility of the Samsa’s family.He also uses imagery and settings to provide a transition between positive and negative oppositio n as a result of the shift towards balance and evenness of responsibility. His message is about domestic stability. The first page of The Metamorphosis is Gregor’s transformation. This tends to leave many readers confused at what’s actually going on. â€Å"Kafka states in the first sentence that Gregor wakes up to find himself changed into a giant kind of vermin (â€Å"Ungeziefer†). The term â€Å"vermin† holds the key to the double aspect of The Metamorphosis. † (Sokel 267). When you think vermin you think, bug.According to the dictionary a vermin is â€Å"noxious, objectionable, or disgusting animals collectively, especially those of small size that appear commonly and are difficult to control. † You think its just something that lives off human beings and maybe sucks their blood. However in context to The Metamorphosis â€Å"On the other hand, it connotes something defenseless, something that can be stepped upon and crushed. † (Sok el 267). These words are proven to be a correlation to how Gregor Samsa felt in The Metamorphosis. This is how Kafka felt about himself. He uses Gregor to expand upon what and how he felt.He felt this way relating back to his father. Kafka’s father viewed him as a vermin. â€Å"Kafka’s famous letter to his father would give support to such a view since Kafka has his father refer to him as a blood-sucking type of vermin, a bedbug or a louse. † (Sokel 267). Franz Kafka channels his real insecurities into his writing by attributing them to his protagonist, Gregor. The transformation from human to insect depicted in his novel represents the author’s childhood loss of confidence and self-esteem. The Kafkaesque nightmare of The Metamorphosis mimics the authors own life.

Additional Study Questions

What Is the difference between transaction processing systems, management information systems, and decision support systems? Transaction processing systems – document financial activities Management Information systems – used to collect qualitative as well as quantitative information for decision making within organizations Decision support systems – help the developers of an ASS identify what information they need for their planning, decision making, and control functions How is a flowchart used?A document flowchart traces the physical flow of documents wrought an organization?that is, the flow of documents from the departments, groups, or individuals who first created them to their final destinations. How is the accounting Information system documented? An accounting information system Is a collection of data and processing procedures that creates needed Information for Its users. An Information system's components: Data or Information Is Input, processed, and output as Information for planning, decision-making, and control purposes.What are effective coding systems used in ASS? (1) mnemonic codes, (2) sequence codes, (3) block codes. And (4) group codes. How do accounting information software packages differ? Owners will have to consider what tasks they'll want their system to accomplish, identify what software package or packages can perform these tasks, and perhaps evaluate several different computer hardware configurations that might support these packages. What are the roles of accounting Information systems In e-commerce?Enterprise resource management (ERP) software such as SAP are particularly Important to electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications?for example, because a simple sale over the Internet simultaneously affects accounts receivable, inventory, and racketing subsystems. How do accounting information software packages differ by business size? The type of accounting software package used in businesses depends on the size of company operations, number of users and different segments or departments in a company.Do enterprise resource planning systems add productivity to a business enterprise? Enterprise resource management (ERP) software enables businesses and government agencies to transmit and manipulate financial data on an organization-wide basis. How could unethical behavior related to the use of information systems impact a acceptable and then acting accordingly. Ethics can govern organizations as well as individuals. An example is the practice of unauthorized software copying.How can a business secure its electronic financial data? The Fair Employment Practices Guidelines suggest that company policies cover issues such as (1) who owns the computer and the data stored on the computer, (2) what purposes the computer may be used (e. G. , primarily for business purposes), and (3) what uses are unauthorized or prohibited. Further, employers should specifically identify the types of acceptable and u nacceptable uses, with some examples. What are some vulnerabilities and threats in information systems? The data that are input manually to a system are particularly vulnerable to compromise – Viruses can hide in e-mails from friends and colleagues because their computer systems have been infected. How would input controls, processing controls, and output controls be used? Data input controls ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of data during its conversion from its original source into computer data, or entry into a computer application. Data processing controls are used to ensure the accuracy, completeness, ND timeliness of data during either batch or online processing.Data output controls ensure the integrity of output and the correct and timely distribution of any output produced. What are parts of an information security system? An information security management system (ISMS) is a set of policies concerned with information security management or IT related risks. How do disaster risk management practices benefit a company? An organization's disaster recovery plan describes the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency, as well as the role of every member of the disaster recovery team (which s made up of specific company employees).What are the techniques used for analyzing internal control systems? Review existing documentation or create new materials. Observe the current system in operation. Use questionnaires and surveys. Review internal control procedures. Interview system participants. How do internal auditing and external auditing of information systems differ? In an internal audit, a company's own accounting employees perform the audit, whereas accountants working for an independent CPA firm conduct an external audit. What are information system audits?The auditor will first decide if computer examination of the computer-based information system itself What potential risks must be evaluated during an information sy stem audit? The auditors will perform compliance testing to ensure that the controls are in place and working as prescribed. This may entail using some computer-assisted audit techniques (Scats) to audit the computerized ASS. These involve the use of computer processes or controls to perform audit functions, such as sorting data to detect duplicate accounts payable invoice numbers. Finally, the auditor will need to obstructively test some account balances.What control procedures should be used to minimize risks in an information system? The desirability of an internal control procedure is a function of its ability to reduce business risk. In fact, it is the business risk itself that is important, not the internal control system. Why is a financial statement audit required? In performing financial statement audits, the auditors gather and evaluate audit evidence to form an opinion about whether the financial statements follow the appropriate criteria, usually generally accepted accou nting principles.The auditors must gather sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide a reasonable basis for their opinion on the financial statements. What are the auditor's responsibilities in performing an audit engagement? The auditor may make separate assessments of the two risks or an overall assessment of the risk of material misstatement for the relevant assertions. How are generally accepted auditing standards used? These adopted and issued standards are required to be followed when auditors audit the financial statements (and internal control) of issuers of securities (public companies).What analytical procedures are used during an audit? A simple analytical procedure is to compare revenue and expense amounts for the current year to those of prior periods, noting significant differences. A more sophisticated analytical procedure might involve the development of a multiple regression model to estimate the amount of sales for the year using economic and industry data. A nalytical procedures also may involve computations of percentage relationships of various items in the financial statements, such as gross profit percentages.In all these approaches, the auditors attempt to identify unexpected differences or the absence of expected differences. Such differences may indicate misstatements in the financial statements that should be investigated fully by the auditors. How is an audit engagement planned? The requirements for the engagement include the financial statements to be audited, any other requirements (e. G. , regulatory filings), and the timing of the engagement. Engagement What is included in an audit engagement letter? The objective and scope of the audit – The responsibilities of the auditor The responsibilities of management and identification of the applicable financial reporting framework – Other information [fee arrangements, billings, timings, and other specific terms – Reporting What is the relationship between aud it risk and materiality? Audit risk – at the overall engagement level, this is the risk that the auditors may unknowingly fail to appropriately modify their opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated.At the financial statement assertion level, it is the risk that a particular assertion about an account balance is materially misstated. Materiality – recognizes hat some matters are important to the fair presentation of financial statements, while others are not. The materiality concept is basic to the audit, because the audit report states that an audit is performed to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. What risks are present that affect the procedures to be used during an audit? Complexity of calculations involved.Risk of fraud. Selection and application of accounting policies. Internal and external circumstances giving rise to business risks (e. G. , technological change in the indust ry). Recent developments in the industry and economy. How do the ethical standards set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and Government Accounting Office (GAO) differ? CPA – The national professional organization of Spas engaged in promoting high professional standards to ensure that Spas serve the public interest.SEC – A government agency authorized to regulate companies seeking approval to issue securities for sale to the public. GAO – The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GABS) was formed in 1984 to establish and improve tankards of financial accounting for state and local government entities. How do rules of independence impact the CPA and the client? It is important to recognize that independence concerns exist both at the individual CPA level and at the public accounting firm level; one, both, or neither may be considered independent with respect to a client or potential client.A p ublic accounting firm does not necessarily lose independence with respect to an engagement when one (or more) of its employees or partners are not independent. What is prohibited by the code of professional conduct? The Code of Professional Conduct prohibits a member of the audit team for a client company from holding any common stock in that company. In such circumstances, no further consideration is required?that individual is not independent. 2002 requires that one year pass before a member of the audit team may accept employment with an SEC registrant in certain designated positions (e. . , chief executive officer, controller, chief financial or accounting officer). What elements should be included in an internal control structure? Preventive controls are aimed at avoiding the occurrence of misstatements in the financial statements. Detective controls are designed to discover misstatements after they have occurred. A corrective control is ordinarily needed to remedy the situatio n. How would an auditor test the relationship between control risk and the internal control structure?Internal control is a process, effected by the entity's board of directors, management, and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the categories of (1) effectiveness and efficiency of operations, (2) reliability of financial reporting, and (3) compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Prior to 1996, the Aspic's Professional Standards referred to an entity's internal control as its internal control structure. What audit sampling is used by the auditor?Statistical and Non-statistical Sampling A sample is said to be non-statistical (or Judgmental) when the auditors estimate sampling risk by using professional Judgment rather than statistical techniques. Statistical sampling may assist auditors in (1) designing efficient samples, (2) measuring the sufficiency of the evidence obtained, and (3) objectively evaluating sa mple results. How is evidential matter used? Sufficient competent evidential matter is to be obtained through inspection, observation, inquiries, and confirmations to afford a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the financial statements under audit.What should a CPA include in a standard management representation letter? A report to management containing the auditors' recommendations for correcting any deficiencies disclosed by the auditors' consideration of internal control. In addition to providing management with useful information, a management letter may also help limit the auditors' liability in the event a control weakness subsequently results in a loss by the client. What information should the entity's internal control structure report include? Deficiency in internal control Less than a significant deficiency Significant deficiency Material weakness the word independent.It is addressed to those for whom it is prepared, generally the audited company itself or to those charged with governance. After the introductory paragraph, the report is divided into sections with headings. The introductory paragraph of the auditors' report identifies the financial statements that have been audited. To reduce confusion, audit reports issued in the United States now use arms such as â€Å"generally accepted auditing standards (United States of America)† or â€Å"auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. The date of the audit report is quite significant because the auditors have a responsibility to perform procedures through that date to search for any subsequent events that may affect the fairness of the client's financial statements, and due to requirements relating to changes in documentation that arise after that date What information is included in an audit exit interview? After they have completed he draft report, they should arrange an exit conference to review the findings with all persons directly concerned with the o perations audited.For each finding, a complete report will describe (1) the criteria used to evaluate the activity, (2) the condition (e. G. , problem) that exists, (3) the cause, (4) the effect, and (5) recommendations for improvement What can the CPA learn from the attorney representation letter? Management provides an assertion about compliance in writing in a representation letter to the Spas. That assertion also may be presented in a formal report that accompanies the Spas' report or be included in the Spas' report.The Spas' report provides assurance on either management's assertion or directly on compliance. What other services can CPA firms provide? – Tax – Accounting and Assurance What is an attestation engagement? In compliance attestation engagements, Spas address an organization's compliance with specified requirements, or its internal control over compliance with specific laws and regulations. How do governmental auditing standards and financial auditing st andards differ? GAP defines how businesses, both public and private, prepare their financial tenements.Governmental Auditing Standards are a series of rules that define how an independent agent is supposed to review a government agency's financial statements and internal processes. Do governmental regulations have an effect on financial statement audits? Governmental organizations are subject to a variety of laws and regulations that affect their financial statements?many more than typical business enterprises. An important aspect of generally accepted accounting principles for governmental organizations is the recognition of various legal and contractual requirements.

Toyota and Uber

As the competition among autonomous driving businesses is getting intense, Toyota and Uber will try to catch up by deciding to partner in developing self-driving cars. They plan to use technology from both companies into Toyota's Sienna minivans to be deployed across Uber's ride-hailing network from 2021. Together, they aim to design and produce safe autonomous vehicles for the mass market. This deal benefits both Toyota and Uber, and will still likely benefit both companies even in their individual endeavors. Their partnership profits Uber in many ways. Firstly, CEO Khrosrowshahi's strategy of Uber developing autonomous vehicles through partnerships has successfully began to progress. Secondly, it brings revival to Uber's self-driving business after a self-driving Uber SUV killed a pedestrian in Arizona back in March, which moved Uber to remove its robot cars from the road, lay off hundreds of test drives and closed its autonomous testing hub in Arizona. Lastly, Toyota's investment raised the valuation of Uber by $4 billion from the deal Uber had with Alphabet Inc. Uber totaled $891 million losses in the second quarter where the self-driving unit is a significant contributor. However, it can compensate its losses through this partnership. With combined technology, their goal of a safe autonomous vehicle is likely to happen. And with this success, profits from their self-driving business will surely compensate the losses Uber previously occurred. Toyota also profits from this agreement through its transformation to a mobility company as they help provide a path for safe and secure expansion of mobility services like ride-sharing that includes Toyota vehicles and technologies. Its statement that it would not combine its research efforts with Uber may somewhat have a negative impact on the partnership's progress in producing safe automated vehicles. But, Toyota benefits from the deal when they gain more information regarding self-driving technology as they work with Uber. Together, they make a great teamwork. Uber's autonomous driving system and Toyota's commitment to safety and its renowned manufacturing skills is surely to bring a safe self-driving car. Uber have experienced many problems in this path: they had further setbacks in development and testing due to the crash in Arizona, and also has met difficulties with regulators and politicians concerning safety. But Toyota's Guardian technology, which offers automated safety features, can cover Uber's flaws. Toyota may be less aggressive than some rivals on moving toward full-fledged autonomous driving but their investment in research and plans to begin testing self-driving cars in the future is a great move. They won't be able to survive the competitive autonomous self-driving business if they continue to focus on partial autonomous systems. This partnership is a great start for them in their journey to produce fully developed self-driving cars. Toyota's decision to not combine its research efforts is also a good move since Uber has other partnerships like their partnership with Daimler AG, and a deal with Volvo which does not have the same level of intense labor as Toyota does. This could lead to misunderstandings or conflicts of interest, so it is best that they keep some plans to themselves. Their previous partnership on a car-leasing program for Uber drivers, where Toyota invested in Uber and which Uber decided to close its U.S. leasing business, is also a factor that can affect their relationship. This could mean distrust between the companies that can badly affect their current deal. Overall, their partnership brings great opportunities to both companies. Toyota benefits from the agreement and Uber does, too. Their goal in producing the world's safest self-driving cars on the Uber network is surely to become reality if they work together in covering each other's flaws and leveraging their expertise.

An empirical study of the differences in consumer behavior in an Dissertation

An empirical study of the differences in consumer behavior in an e-commerce environment compared to the traditional commerce - Dissertation Example One area of social concern that technology seem have gained much grounds today is business in general and marketing to be specific. When technology was ‘born’ at first, little did anyone think that it was going to grow beyond being used for office and secretarial purposes into becoming a tool for buying and selling: courtesy the internet! The internet has actually come to be an integrated invention that has coalesced the functions and activities of almost every major invention before it. To this effect, Leiner et al (2011) notes that â€Å"The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities.† Before the advent of the internet and even in its early days, general marketing trend of people was typically influenced by doing business with traditional stores. In those days, one came into contact with produ cts and services because one traveled some distance. Again, one bargained for prices of goods and services by meeting the manager in person. Today, all such bureaucracies have changed because of a new phenomenon of marketing known as electronic shopping, simply referred to as e-shopping. With e-shopping, people just have to click the button of a mouse in the comfort of wherever they are and they get a list of as many products as they want. Again, technology has made it possible that one does not have to walk to a particular shop to get things bought and payments made. All these are done via the internet. And of course, the ease with which e-shopping comes has greatly affected consumer behaviour. According to the University of Delaware (2006), â€Å"buying Behavior is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products.† This research work is therefore dedicated to giving an empirical study of the differences in consumer behavior in an e-commerce en vironment compared to the "traditional" commerce. Specifically, consumer behaviour among students of a selected university shall be examined to ascertain the effects that the online shopping has had on their consumer behavior. To this effect, students buying behaviour on electronics shall be critically examined in relation to electronic shopping. Research Aim The primary aim of this research work is to find out whether consumers buy differently online as compared with traditional way of doing business. Then if they do, the researcher will be concerned with finding out factors that influence their decisions. Specific Objectives In other to achieve the broader research aim set above, the researcher has developed the following specific objectives. It is the hope of the researcher that the achievement of these specific objectives would lead to the achievement of the wider researcher aim. The specific objectives are as follows: 1. To explain what consumer behaviour is 2. To find out the different types of consumer behaviour 3. To explain what electronic business is in general and what electronic shopping is to be specific 4. To distinguish between factors that influence consumer behaviour with traditional businesses and factors that influence consumer behaviour with electronic business. 5. To discuss the role of electronic business/shopping in ensuring business growth 6. To find out the positive influence of e-shopping on consumer behavior

Reason and Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reason and Democracy - Essay Example To understand how democracy and reason are tightly coupled, it is good to understand the history of human government, and how the various struggles for democracy have been lodged. Looking at the history of democracy, it is good to understand what used to be the alternative forms of government before democracy became the main form of government around the world. History shows as that soon as civilisation of man come around, forms of government that were formed were anything else other than a government. Societies were so entrenched in these systems that those who were on the oppressed side of these other forms of government could almost not be able to comprehend that they could have a free democratic space. Pioneers of democracy such as Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson 5) and his team in America had to use reason in order to determine why a new form of government was not only important but also eminent. In his declaration of independence, for instance, Thomas Jefferson used a language that appealed to reason. In the case of Jefferson, it can be very clear that it is only by being able to appeal to reason that one is able to explain the need and show that democracy is not only imminent but it is also eminent. Reason can be seen as the mother and father of democracy in at least two ways. First, without reason, those who first came up with the idea of democracy, and that there should be a new form of government could not have been able to come up with these ideas in the first place. Looking at history and analysing the various heroes of democracy indicates these people have to reason and realise that the current forms of government at their times were not the best ones. The other reason why reason can be seen as the mother of democracy is the fact that after giving birth to the idea of democracy, reason acts as the nurse that makes sure that this idea is grown and delivered into maturity. After conceiving the idea of democracy, one must use reason to convince at least t wo groups of people about the idea of democracy. The first group is the group that is in the disadvantaged side of the non-democratic system because this group must be convinced that a new form of government can and must be achieved. The fight for democratic governance is not an easy one, and it is necessary to appeal to the reasoning of these people in order to motivate them to fight the hard fight for the new form of democracy. Jefferson and his team seemed to have understood this very well, and they wrote a well crafted declaration of independence that would convince people that they deserved a good governance system and that they should fight it to the bitter end. This technique has since been used by a number of American leaders. The most recent use of this can be seen in president Obama’s (2009) speech in Cairo where he tried to use persuasive language to create rapport between the united stated of American and Egypt and the Islamic world at large. The second group that needs a very clearly stated appeal to reason is those on the softer side of a non-democratic government system. These individuals must be convinced that democracy, in the long run is inevitable and that the sooner they give up and allow democracy to reign, the better. In this case, reason is used to persuade these people that they can do it the hard way or the easy way, but either way, they will have to be let go and let democracy rule. More than anything

The Myth of Horoscope Is Not True Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Myth of Horoscope Is Not True - Essay Example However, I personally think the myth of horoscopy is not completely true. It is an unrealistic approach towards astronomy and a combination of psychological theories and techniques which effects people’s imagination and beliefs. Before talking about the truth of horoscope, it is important to know that where it came from. It can be traced back in Mesopotamia five thousand years ago; where many different races such as Babylonians and Assyrian lived. Their original religion had certain level of believe in celestial body. In fact, astronomy was practiced as horoscopy during that time period. They used to relate certain stars with the animal or human image. Later in about 592 B.C., Greeks named the images on sky after their gods and created stories to explain about their existence in sky. These illusions became what we call constellations nowadays. Horoscopy uses those constellations, planets and their movement in solar system to predict. Constellations are just configuration of stars as we see it from earth. The contradiction is how a person’s fate can be judged by the stars which are hundred million light-years away from earth. Constellations are nihility, and it is not necessary for astronomers to name each group of stars. Astronomers can simply assign a number to stars, but it will make astronomy somewhat boring for people. Therefore, in order to make it interesting and easy to remember, Greeks associated constellations with fairy tales. Astronomy is art of science, but unfortunately, horoscopy manipulates the original meaning of astronomy. Those who believe in it completely are losing their sense of judgment. Horoscopy is merely a combination of statistical and psychological techniques. First, astrologers collect the data about a group of people with same constellation. On the basis of collected data, they analyze people for similar characteristics. Second, they classify constellation’s characteristics with the

Detecting Cry1Ab gene in Mon0810 Transgenic Maize by PCR Lab Report

Detecting Cry1Ab gene in Mon0810 Transgenic Maize by PCR - Lab Report Example The idea is to check for the gene size of Cry1Ab in order to distinguish it from the rest of the other gene strands. Cry1Ab is a gene from an incorporated plant pesticide thus its genetic sequence is known. A comparison of the known and the established one from the photograph helps to determine its presence in the transgenic maize. If its size is seen to match with the known then it is present, if there is no matching band of close size then Cry1Ab is not present in the maize. Basically, PCR is an easier method for detection of genes as their amplification and comparison with the known size of the DNA strand becomes captured. GAMARRA,LUIS FERNANDO RIMACHI, DELGADO,JORGE ALCAÃŒ NTARA, VILLASANTE,YENY AQUINO, & ORTIZ,RODOMIRO. (2011). Detecting adventitious transgenic events in a maize center of diversity. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-34582011000400009. WALSH, MARIA C., BUZOIANU, STEFAN G., GARDINER, GILLIAN E., REA, MARY C., GELENCSÉR, EVA, Jà NOSI, ANNA, EPSTEIN, MICHELLE M., ROSS, R. PAUL, & LAWLOR, PEADAR G. (n.d.). Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs. Public Library of Science.

Migrant labors workers abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Migrant labors workers abuse - Essay Example The most astonishing part is that these workers usually belong to poor countries of the world. They migrate in order to identify better working opportunities. But usually what the find is extreme hard work without full compensation of their struggles. This subsequently raises a question that why migrant labor workers rights are abused? Here, it will be argued that the primary reason for such massive mistreatment is the workers association with poor and under developed countries. The UAE’s construction boom which was started in early 2000 was a huge source of recruitment for labor workers from all over the world and specifically from poor countries. It was reported that more than 500,000 labor workers employed by different construction companies were migrants from countries such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Moreover, the country’s 95% workforce constituted of these migrant workers. It is a harsh reality that the huge towers of UAE are actually built while sacrificing the rights of thousands of poor people (UAE: Workers Abused in Construction Boom, 2006). One of the major construction projects undergoing in UAE is Saadiyat Island. This project is owned by UAE’s Tourists Development and Investment Company (TDIC). International news agencies have observed that the company is not abiding by its own employment rules and regulations. Hence majority of its workers are actually living and working in extreme conditions. On the other hand if they try to take action then company expels them out. The situation is even worse at the building site of New York University’s campus in UAE (Batty, 2013). It has been identified that the construction companies are actually confiscating the migrant workers passports while reducing their chances to move out of UAE. Moreover, TDIC pledged to provide accommodation to its workers in Saadiyat’s village but the labor workers are living in inferior conditions in

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

International Marketing - Essay Example l have to make decisions based on the interests of its customers, governments, employees and other key partners in the different markets it will operate in. There are various operational actions that will vary with particular business environments that need to be taken into consideration. Differentiation of products or services offered by the company will therefore have to follow highly integrative guidelines for the success of its operations. For instance, Ooredoo is a communication company and therefore it will have to take into account the various communication habits of the different countries it intends to establish itself. The company will also have to be aware of legal provisions that are aligned to ethics which may be varying. Recognition of the mentioned and many more will enable the organization effectively strategize on its expansion plans. Secondly, the belief system of various countries may have an impact on the business strategy. The company will have to incorporate the various moral values and principles into its business culture according to the needs of the customers and society it will operate in. For instance, honesty, integrity and trust may be some of the varied values that may be differently preferred to by various customers according to their country of origin’s belief system. As a result of the beliefs, there might be consequences the company will have to face in the different regions of operations. The cultures of communities have a potential of pushing businesses to align to their demands. Same is the social components that have a connection with ethical concerns. Different countries, for instance, have consumer lobby groups that may demand for certain ethical standards to be met by companies. An organization like Ooredoo will therefore have... This paper stresses that factors in international trade are also important to the expansion planning process. The company will, for instance, have to take note of the various restrictions or economic barriers that exist in the target markets. For business to operate effectively, it will be important for the company’s management to examine the socio-cultural influences on product consumption and the values that are attached to service in the respective regions. Lastly, given the challenges of globalization noted above, the strategic positioning of the company with regards to different market issues will be important. The company will have to engage in product differentiation and market segmentation strategies, for example, so as to penetrate different markets. This paper makes a conclusion that ethical and globalization concerns raised above are therefore significant for the success of Ooredoo’s internationalization plans. The company will have to involve its research and design department to ensure that all the issues are well understood before management arrives at viable projects. With the opportunities presented by globalization and market liberalization, it is evident that so long as the company will be able to understand and act on different ethical and global perspective concerns, success will be more than guaranteed. As a leader in the provision of communication products, it is important that it maintains this position even in the identified international markets.

European Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

European Business Environment - Essay Example The Euro is the first currency that was introduced without the backing of any single country, and rather had a large number of stakeholders with no one really ready to take full responsibility. The single currency posed many challenges to some of the nations whose policies were not flexible enough and those with regulated markets. From the very first day, economists feared that any external adjustment to the Eurozone would transfer financial issues to the inflexible markets through the currency and exchange rates. Any shock would result in changes to the exchange rate which will create problems for nation who had inflexible markets such as a labor market. Another issue is the lack of supervision that was assigned to the banks of the nations in the Eurozone. The Irish bank, for example, gained its finances from the German and French banks but there no check on the limit of the borrowing from the Irish bank. Soon after the Irish bank found itself into trouble, it also affected the Euro pean Central Bank. The situation was sort of similar to the U.S. Federal Reserve where it serves as the central bank of several states. In this case, the European Central Bank served as the central bank of several nations and it had to keep the borrowing of its member nations into check at all points of time. However, there was no such policy present to keep this check and the banks were given permission to borrow, which eventually resulted in over-borrowing of funds of banks from external sources and thus the Eurozone economies faced such financial shocks. The European Central Bank is actually a very weak institution by design since its inception. It has a very limited authority to influence the financial position of the countries under Eurozone. Let alone the powers to influence, the ECB also as a limited set of supervisory roles that any of the central bank would have. The ECB does not have the authority to buy any of the Eurozone country debt which limits its power as a central bank and its role to correct the errors made by individual nations. Not just this, unlike the other central banks of nations throughout the world, the sole mandate of the ECB is inflation. By law, the European Central Bank had no authority to interfere to correct the unemployment issues and could only take measures that corrected the issues related to inflation. (Skaperdas, n.d.) Another issue is that the European Central Bank only has the power of implementing the monetary policies and it could not influence the fiscal policies, which were controlled by the individual nations. In the modern world, most of the financial issues are addressed though fiscal policies which trigger or control the economic growth and inflation levels. Therefore, the different fiscal policies implemented by the numerous member nations resulted in different impacts of the financial crisis in 2008. In order to overcome the differing monetary and fiscal policies in the region, the member nation signed the Sta bility and Growth Pact to have a fiscal discipline and keep the debt levels and budget deficits within acceptable limits. However, the pact failed primarily due to a lack of commitment on part of the member nations and they continued to violate the condition set under the pact. The commission in charge under the pact proposed a one-size-fits-all policy which was inappropriate and unpopular because the member

The Logic of Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Logic of Descartes - Essay Example The Logic of Descartes Descartes felt the only way to obtain true knowledge was to rely solely upon human reason while ignoring the senses. Descartes wrote several books regarding the nature of existence and knowledge, providing us with plenty of material to study and has had tremendous influence on those who have come after him. These books are typically divided into segments Descartes labels meditations. In these meditations, Descartes reflects upon the nature of the individual and determines that he does indeed exist as both a physical and a metaphysical being through a detailed consideration of the various elements that contribute to his awareness. Through statements such as ‘I am not lodged in my body like a pilot in a vessel’ and ‘I am not that set of limbs called the human body’, Descartes attempts to bridge the difference between the new sciences and the sensory perceptions of the old philosophy, introducing in the process a new way of thinking about thinking. In Descartes ’ Meditations on First Philosophy (1989), Descartes states emphatically ‘I think, therefore I am.’ This simple-sounding statement is the result of a discourse in which Descartes calls into question all of the assumptions he’s come to know as a result of the philosophical thought of his day. To seek a higher version of the truth, Descartes felt it was necessary to question every assumption that had even the shadow of a doubt. Through this questioning process, he demonstrates how thought, not observation or the senses, is really the right foundation for knowledge. â€Å"When I considered that the very same thoughts (presentations) which we experience when awake may also be experienced when we are asleep, while there is at that time not one of them true, I supposed that all the objects (presentations) that had ever entered into my mind when awake, had in them no more truth than the illusions of my dreams† (Descartes, 2001). The first issue to be overco me was the concept that knowledge defined by a â€Å"clear and distinct perception† as being clear of sensation is foiled by its own dependence on the senses within the definition. Descartes argues that in order to fool a mind, a mind must first exist, indicating that the senses are not necessary to the development of a thinking being, so we must be something more than the physical material we are made of, something more than ‘the set of limbs.’ In the process of breaking down all of his perceptions to determine the very basic, deepest thought that is not based on the senses, Descartes admits that there may be some way in which all of his senses could be fooled all of the time into thinking he exists; this in itself proves his existence. â€Å"But there is I know not what being, who is possessed at once of the highest power and the deepest cunning, who is constantly employing all his ingenuity in deceiving me. Doubtless, then, I exist, since I am deceived; and, let him deceive me as he may, he can never bring it about that I am nothing, so long as I shall be conscious that I am something† (Descartes, 1989). Meditation III builds off of Descartes’ earlier idea that he exists because he is capable of thinking – â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† Assuming that what he is able to perceive as distinct must be true, he strives to erase his mind of all information that has been gained through his five senses to arrive at what he knows deep within himself. â€Å"In this item of first knowledge, there is simply a clear and distinct

Crocs Essay Example for Free

Crocs Essay The companys primary products include footwear and accessories which utilize its proprietary closed cell-resin, Croslite. It operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia. *source from WSJ. The stock price (from 1/1/2007 to now) shows the overall up and down trends to Crocs. The point indicates on Nov. 2007, Crocs’s price meltdown. Clearly, Nov 2007 is just a start for Crocs to keep going down. 2. Management problems-Inventory Crocs is a huge shoe-manufactory and international company. As mentioned in the case, there is some management problems exist in the company. As seen the chart of price above, such big volatile may reflect something wrong in the company. As we analyze the balance sheet and income statement of Crocs. We find that the inventory turnover is a little low. That is a huge problem for Crocs. Because the low rate means there are too much surplus inventory in the company. While shoes are fashionable items and Crocs is now offering large amount of new styles to customers. Thus the surplus inventories do damage to the company. The chart below compares Crocs with related-field companies to see if the inventory turnover is really low. *source from www. sec. gov/ However, I think Crocs’s inventory crisis may not be that serious. Because Crocs is an international company which focuses on seasonal products, the excess inventory can be digested selling abroad. Besides, there is another way to handle this problem. According to Ron Snyder, President and CEO of Crocs, theres really no risk in having excess inventory of our high-volume products, where the new products we want to have excess capacity in place where, when a given style takes off in a season, we can quickly ramp up and take advantage of that new style.

What Affects Tropical Cyclones Environmental Sciences Essay

What Affects Tropical Cyclones Environmental Sciences Essay What are tropical cyclones? A tropical cyclone is the main term used for a low pressure system which gets its energy mainly from evaporation from the sea and condenses in clouds concentrated near its centre (Holland, 1993). Tropical cyclones occur in tropical latitudes. The central area of the tropical cyclone is called the eye of the storm; this is the area of the lowest pressure. The eye is encircled by dense cloud (cyclone walls) which rotates. The walls are less dense as you move out from the eye as the wind gradually weakens down (Nalivkin, 1983). Tropical cyclones have three different names that are defined by their wind speed; a tropical depression is a storm with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17m s  ¯Ã‚ ¹ but still has a circulation (Wallace and Hobbs 2006: Landsea, 2006). A tropical storm is a storm with winds of at least 17 m s  ¯Ã‚ ¹ and peak speeds of 32 m s  ¯Ã‚ ¹ (Wallace and Hobbs 2006: Landsea, 2006). Hurricanes or Typhoons (the regional names for strong tropical cyclones) are when winds reach above 32 m s ¯Ã‚ ¹ (Wallace and Hobbs 2006: Landsea, 2006). Tropical cyclones form in ocean basins around the world; these are the North Atlantic Ocean, Northeast Pacific Ocean, North-western Pacific Ocean, North Indian Ocean, South- West Indian Ocean, Australian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean (Aguado and Burt, 2007).This study concentrates on the North Atlantic basin. The tropical cyclone season is from 1st June to 30th November in the Atlantic basin (NOAA, 2007). 1.2.2 What do tropical cyclones need to form? Tropical cyclones need certain conditions to form. They need a deep surface layer and sea surface temperatures above 26.5 °C (81 °F) (Goldenberg, et al, 2001: Wallace and Hobbs, 2006: Aguado and Burt, 2007). They need a disturbance near the surface with adequate amounts of spin to start the formation and an atmosphere that is unstable so that it encourages thunderstorm activity. Low vertical wind shear is needed since wind shear can disrupt the organisation of thunderstorms. If the wind shear is too high, it can cause the cyclone to dissipate (Gray 1968: Wallace and Hobbs, 2006). Tropical cyclones also wont form if the disturbance is too close to the equator. Tropical cyclones need enough coriolis force to maintain the low pressure in their centre, the coriolis is not strong enough to do this near the equator and for this reason tropical cyclones do not form between 0 °W and 5 °W latitude (Wallace and Hobbs, 2006: Aguado and Burt, 2007). All these conditions are generally nee ded for a tropical cyclone to form, but even if the conditions are met, it does not mean a tropical cyclone will form every time (Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology, 2013). North Atlantic tropical cyclones vary from other basins in the way they form as a high percentage of cyclones form from tropical waves that move across from West Africa (Landsea, 1993). Most major hurricanes form from African waves especially in the area between 10 ° and 20 ° North (Goldenberg, 2001). This area 10 ° and 20 ° North was termed the main development region by (Goldenberg, 2001). The number of easterly waves remains relatively constant from one year to the next, but the amount that develop into tropical cyclones varies greatly due to other factors (Frank, 1975). 1.2.3 What affects tropical cyclones? Many different atmospheric factors affect tropical cyclones; the main ones are listed below: Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs): SSTs are one of the main factors that affects whether a tropical cyclone forms. Since heat from oceans are the primary energy source for a tropical cyclone, the theory is that if sea surface temperatures were to increase, so too would the number and intensity of tropical cyclones (Goldenberg, et al, 2001). However, this has not been proven by using historical data or models. The research conclusions are mixed with no definitive answer; some studies show that SSTs are increasing intensity of cyclones (Emanuel, 2005), whilst others are coming to the conclusion that the increase in tropical cyclone frequency is due to rising SSTs (Holland and Webster, 2007: Mann and Emanuel, 2006). Some research even points to a decrease in frequency under global warming (Knutson et al 2008). Overall no research has shown conclusively an increase in the frequency or intensity due to rising SSTs and there are many mixed views on the subject. ENSO: ENSO is very important for tropical storm development and depending on what stage it is in can either cause formation or hinder it. Trenberth (1997) gives a good definition of El Nià ±o and La Nià ±a. El Nià ±os effect on tropical cyclones has been well documented and there is a lot of literature on the topic available. It is agreed that El Nià ±o supresses Atlantic hurricane activity (Gray, 1984). During El Nià ±o years there are fewer tropical cyclones and weaker intense storms (Chu, 2004). El Nià ±o years were found to have fewer hurricane days then non El Nià ±o years (Gray 1984: Landsea et al, 1999). La Nià ±a has the opposite effect on tropical cyclones by creating favourable conditions for the development of tropical cyclones (Pielke and Landsea 1999). During El Nià ±o, Pielke and Landsea (1999) found that there are more economical losses during a La Nià ±a year then an El Nià ±o year, this fits in with Atlantic tropical cyclone activity being supressed during El Nià ±o. Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO): This is a pattern of sea surface temperatures which has warm and cold phases, a 25-40 year cycle (Aguado and Burt 2007). The AMO then affects tropical cyclones due to the change in sea surface temperatures. The AMO has been thought to affect the activity of tropical cyclones in the past with the active year of 1995 coinciding with a shift in the AMO (Aguado and Burt 2007). Goldenberg et al (2001) indicates that the Atlantic Multidecadal variation would have a greater impact on tropical cyclones sooner than the warming of SSTs. This is because global warming will only gradually create higher SSTs. If the rise of SSTs due to global warming were to coincide with a change to a warm phase in the AMO there could be a large impact on tropical cyclones. Wind shear: Wind shear is horizontal wind between the upper and lower troposphere. It inhibits tropical cyclones by stopping organisation of deep convection in the atmosphere, which prevents the organisation of cloud walls (Goldenberg et al, 2001). Wind shear has a big impact on hurricane frequency and intensity (Aiyyer and Thorncroft, 2006). Goldenberg and Shapiro (1996) came to the conclusion that wind shear was the most important environmental factor effecting tropical cyclones since it decreases the chances of cyclones forming and can dissipate them when they have already formed. Overall, though all of the above factors interlink, for example an increase in SSTs could create an increase in wind shear (Vecchi and Soden, 2007). The above factors that affect tropical cyclones are complex and the knowledge is uncertain. (Emanuel, 2005: Landsea, 2010) argue that there can be no strong conclusion made on research using past data due to the uncertainty of accurate records. Until a good overall understanding is gained no conclusions can be made on what has happened and what will happen to tropical cyclones, one of the ways to gain this is to look at where they have formed and why and what effected past tracks, leaving room for error in the data. Tropical cyclone tracks Tropical cyclone tracks in the North Atlantic are variable. There are no defined paths, but there are rough patterns cyclones will follow, depending on meteorological and oceanographic factors. Cyclones will generally move straight West or East and then may move north to hit land. Some recurve (go West then East). These cyclones are generally known to form by the Cape Verde Islands and will recurve around the periphery of the subtropical cell (Reading, 1990). These are known to form the deadliest hurricanes. The cyclones as well are known to form in different areas at different times of the hurricane season (Reading, 1990) this then effects the tracks too. Early in the season they form more on the Western side of the Atlantic (Reading, 1990: Willet and Sanders, 1959). They then form throughout most of the basin in the middle of the season and by the end of season most of the cyclones form in the West of the Atlantic basin (Willet and Sanders, 1959). Changes in intensity, frequency and tracks Webster et al, (2005) found a small percentage increase in the number and proportion of hurricanes reaching categories 4 and 5 in the North Atlantic, but no increase in the intensity of the strongest hurricanes. Overall Webster (2005) found no global trend for increasing SSTs and number of tropical storms/ hurricanes, but found a global decrease in tropical cyclone days since 1995 to 2004 after a peak in 1995. Webster (2005) concludes that their data points to a 30 year increase in more frequent and intense hurricanes. This links in with Bender et al, (2010) model that found the frequency of intense hurricanes should increase, but the number of hurricanes will decrease in a warmer world due to global warming. Vecchi and Knutson (2008) found that Atlantic tropical cyclone counts may have increased since the 19th century but with an average decrease in tropical cyclone duration over time. On the other hand Emanuel (2005) found that the duration of storms in the North Atlantic had increased since 1949 but he warns this may be due to changes in reporting practices. Overall the research gives very mixed results. There is little work done on whether with climate change there will be changes in tracks (Walsh, 2004). Work that has been done varies in the results. Most of the results show little change in tracks, under simulations of enhanced greenhouse conditions and warmer SSTs (Knutson and Tuleya 1999, Tsutsui 2002). This research concentrated on the Pacific, and mainly in the North. This then does not give a picture of what may happen in other basins such as the North Atlantic. The research done has mainly used models to simulate tropical cyclone tracks, with more data every year data analysis and statistical methods could be used better to analyse past tracks. (Walsh and Reading, 1991: Vecchi and Knutson, 2008) have suggested that in the North Atlantic basin there has been a shift in the position of tropical cyclones to the east of the basin using data analysis but did point to possible changes due to better data collection methods. Wang and Chan (2002) concentrate on tropical cyclone tracks in the North Pacific and demonstrated mainly how El Nià ±o affects the tracks due to changes in El Nià ±o. This then shows that El Nià ±o has this affect in the North Pacific but has not been shown to have an impact on tracks in the North Atlantic or other basins. 1.2.4 What the future holds Due to the theory of climate change there have been many ideas about how tropical cyclones will react, research using statistics has created many climatic models of tracks and what could happen. Quite a few conclusions have been drawn due to the idea of increasing sea surface temperatures, which could cause increases in frequency and intensity of storms but no firm evidence has yet been found due to uncertainties in the data and the number of parameters which could also affect tropical cyclones. Further uncertainties with how the climate will change mean no conclusions have been made yet for future predictions. Overall there is no agreement on what will happen to tropical cyclones in a warmer climate (Villarini et al., 2011). Looking at past data has issues due to the inaccuracies that might have occurred before the satellite era. Landsea et al (2010) discusses this issue and found that the occurrence of short lived storms has increased over the last century but medium and intense storms havent. He concludes that this is most likely due to better equipment picking up storms, as well as storms being identified as cyclones when in the past they wouldnt have been. 1.2.5 Why is the research being done, how is it different from other research Research into tropical cyclones is important due to the impacts cyclones have on the human and natural world. Most research has focused on frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. Not much work has been previously done on tracks, or the starting points of tropical cyclones. This research looks into where storms form throughout the North Atlantic basin and if this has changed in the basin over time, as well as focusing on recurving cyclones. Wang and Chan (2002) did look at tracks and formation in the Pacific, but one of the issues with the North Pacific was that the record is quite short. The North Atlantic has the longest reliable record (Goldenberg, et al, 2001) and will be examined in this study.

Social Networks among Teachers

Social Networks among Teachers CHAPTER 1 The Social Fabric of Elementary School Teams: How Network Content Shapes Social Networks [1] ABSTRACT Background. Social networks among teachers are receiving increased attention as a vehicle to support the implementation of educational innovations, foster teacher development, and ultimately, improve school achievement. While researchers are currently studying a variety of teacher network types for their impact on educational policy implementation and practice, knowledge on how various types of networks are interrelated is limited. Moreover, studies that examine the dimensionality that may underlie various types of social networks in schools are scarce. Purpose. The goal of this chapter was to increase our understanding of how network content shapes social network structure in elementary school teams. The study examines the extent to which various work-related (instrumental) and personal (expressive) social networks among educators are related. In addition, we explore a typology of social networks in schools and investigate whether the common distinction between instrumental and expressive social networks could be validated in the context of elementary school teams. Method. Social network data were collected among 775 educators from 53 elementary schools in a large educational system in the Netherlands. The interrelatedness of seven social networks was assessed using the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) correlations. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) was used to discern underlying dimensions that may explain the observed similarities. Finally, we describe and visualize the seven networks in an exemplary sample school. Conclusions. Findings suggest small to moderate similarity between the social networks under study. Results support the distinction between instrumental and expressive networks in school teams and suggest a second dimension of mutual in(ter)dependence to explain differences in social relationships between educators. The social fabric of elementary school teams; How network content shapes social networks INTRODUCTION The rapidly growing interest in social networks can be characterized as one of the major trends in social science research. According to scientific databases (ERIC, Picarta, and Web of Science), the number of publications in social sciences using the word ‘social network(s) in the title, keywords, or abstract, has increased exponentially over the last two decades (Borgatti Foster, 2003) (see 1). Evidence of this trend in education is exhibited by an increasing number of articles focusing on the intersection of social networks and education in a growing variety of settings and areas of emphasis. The thesis that ‘relationships matter is currently inspiring educational researchers around the world to study social networks in school teams (Daly, in press; Daly Finnigan, 2009; Daly et al., in press; McCormick, Fox, Carmichael, Procter, in press; Penuel, Riel, Krause, Frank, 2009) (see also 1). An important prerequisite for gaining insights in the potential of social networ ks for schools is the emergence of social network studies that provide a deepened understanding of the structure and content of teachers professional relationships (Coburn Russell, 2008). Social network scholars emphasize that social networks are shaped by the content or purpose of the social resources that are exchanged in the network (Burt, 1992; Coleman, 1990; Lin, 2001; Putnam, 2000; Scott, 2000; Wasserman Faust, 1997). Studies suggest that the distribution of resources in a network may depend on the content of the network (Haines Hurlbert, 1992; Raider Burt, 1996). For instance, a social network that is maintained for the purpose of exchanging work related knowledge and expertise may look significantly different from a social network that is created for personal support. Even though both social networks contain social resources that may be accessed and leveraged, both networks may be shaped quite differently. Several scholars have therefore voiced the need to examine multiple relationships simultaneously (Friedkin, 2004; Ibarra Andrews, 1993; McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001; Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 1998; Monge Contractor, 2003; Pustejovsky Spillane, 200 9; Wasserman Faust, 1997). Yet, few studies have been conducted into the ways in which social networks are shaped differently depending on the content of their ties (Hite, Williams, Baugh, 2005; Moolenaar, Daly, Sleegers, in press). The goal of this chapter is to examine the extent to which multiple social networks among educators are shaped differently depending on their content. We will address this goal by exploring the similarity between multiple social networks in school teams and working towards a typology of social networks in school teams according to underlying dimensions. Our enquiry is guided by social network theory and the social network concept of ‘network multiplexity. In short, network multiplexity is concerned with the ‘overlap between social networks that transfer different content among the same individuals. With this chapter, we aim to contribute to recent knowledge on the nature of social networks in school teams by comparing and contrasting different networks (e.g., friendship, advice) in 53 Dutch elementary schools located in a single district. We will start with an overview of social network theory and network multiplexity as these provide the conceptual background to the stud y. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Social network theory A growing body of educational research points to the potential of social networks to affect teachers instructional practice, and ultimately, benefit student achievement (Coburn Russell, 2008; Daly et al., in press; Penuel, Frank, Krause, 2007; Penuel Riel, 2007). Building on social network theory, these studies examine the extent to which the pattern of relationships among teachers and the exchange of resources within these relationships may support or constrain school functioning and improvement. An important feature of social network theory is the focus on both the individual actors and the social relationships linking them (Wasserman Galaskiewicz, 1994). Through social interaction among educators, social relationships develop into a patchwork of ties that knit the social fabric of school teams (Field, 2003; Putnam, 2000). Social network theory argues that the quality and denseness of this social fabric eventually determines the speed, direction and flow of resources through a social network (Burt, 1992). In turn, it is through the flow and use of social resources that collective action may be facilitated and organizational goals may be achieved (Lin, 2001; Lochner, Kawachi, Kennedy, 1999). For instance, strong social relationships are suggested to facilitate joint problem solving, lower transaction costs, and support the exchange of complex, tacit knowledge among network members (Hansen, 1999; Putnam, 1993; Uzzi, 1997). Studies into social networks among educators have focused on various types of social networks that connect teachers within and between schools, such as discussion about curricular issues (content, teaching materials, planning), communication around reform, seeking advice, and friendship among teachers (Coburn Russell, 2008; Cole Weinbaum, 2007; Daly Finnigan, 2009, Hite, Williams, Baugh, 2005; Pustejovsky Spillane, 2009). While some studies focus on a single relationship (Coburn Russell, 2008), others include and contrast multiple relationships (Cole Weinbaum, 2007; Pustejovsky Spillane, 2009), although not for the purpose of explicating their similarities or differences per se. Therefore, what is less clear is whether educators social networks are shaped by the content that defines their ties (Hite, Williams, Hilton, Baugh, 2006; Podolny Baron, 1997). Insights in the way network content shapes collegial relationships is important for understanding the extent to which teach ers professional relationships may affect educational practice. As Little (1990) marks: ‘It is precisely such â€Å"content† that renders teachers collegial affinities consequential for pupils. This insight can be provided by investigating network multiplexity and exploring a typology of social networks in school teams. Network multiplexity In social network terms, multiplex relationships are relationships that serve multiple interests or are characterized by a multiplicity of purposes (Gluckman, 1955, 1965). In other words, multiplexity focuses on the extent to which there is overlap between different social relationships, for instance advice and friendship. Many studies focus on multiplex exchanges within a single relationship, for instance, whether a relationship between two individuals is characterized by the exchange of both work related advice and friendship (De Klepper, Van de Bunt, Groenewegen, 2007; Hansen, Mors, Lovas, 2005; Hite et al., 2006; Hite, Williams, Baugh, 2005, Koehly Pattison, 2005; Lazega Pattison, 1999; Lomi, 2002). Less attention has been paid to the issue of multiplexity in regard to whole networks. To advance social network theory in this direction, this chapter therefore focuses on multiplexity of whole networks. Meaning, we will examine the overlap between whole networks among the same s et of individuals that are characterized by a multiplicity of purposes. Multiplex relationships that serve multiple purposes are suggested to be stronger than relationships that only serve a single purpose, and individuals who are connected through multiplex networks will have greater success in accessing and mobilizing resources (Kapferer, 1969; Doreian, 1974). Multiplex, or multi-dimensional social networks have been studied outside education to validate name generator questions (Ruan, 1998), to examine the pattern of relationships among lawyers (Lazega Pattison, 1999), to differentiate between different types of support networks (Bernard et al., 1990) and advice networks (Cross, Borgatti, Parker, 2001). Yet, knowledge on the extent to which social networks in school teams can be differentiated is scarce. Towards a typology of social networks in school teams Teacher-to-teacher exchange can be captured by a variety of references that all refer to some form of collegiality (Little, 1990; Rosenholtz, 1989), such as sharing, giving advice, discussing work, and collaborating. Little (1990) argues that these exchanges are not just a straightforward collection of activities, but rather ‘phenomenologically discrete forms that vary from one another in the degree to which they induce mutual obligation, expose the work of each person to the scrutiny of others, and call for, tolerate, or reward initiative in matters of curriculum and instruction (p. 512). Little (1990) places various collegial forms on a dimension of mutual interdependence, with storytelling as an example of collegiality that entails low mutual interdependence, and joint work as an example of collegiality that involves high interdependence. She poses that a shift on this dimension toward increased interdependence relates to changes in the frequency and intensity of teachers in teractions and the likelihood of mutual influence. Moreover, increased interdependence poses rising demands for collective autonomy and teacher-to-teacher initiative (Little, 1990). While this dimension of mutual interdependence could serve as a valuable guide in typifying various forms of social relationships in school teams, it has not yet received much empirical attention. Given the popularity of social network studies in education, the question in which forms the amorphous concept of ‘collegiality permeates teachers daily practice is more relevant than ever before. Another useful dimensionality of social relationships that has become common practice in social network research is the distinction between instrumental and expressive relationships (Ibarra, 1993, 1995). These distinct relationships are believed to provide different kinds of support and transfer unique knowledge and information (Erickson, 1988). Instrumental relationships encompass social interactions that are ultimately aimed at achieving organizational goals, such as work related advice or collaboration. Instrumental ties are believed to be ‘weak ties through which work related information and knowledge is exchanged between experts and people who seek information (Granovetter, 1973). Expressive relationships are formed through social interaction that is not directly aimed at work related issues, that often places the individuals interest above that of the organization (Burt, 1997), and that is mostly characterized by an affective component, such as personal support and friend ship. In general, expressive ties are believed to be stronger, more durable and trustworthy, and offer greater potential to exert social influence (Granovetter, 1973; Ibarra, 1993; Marsden, 1988; Uzzi, 1997). Increased understanding of a typology of social networks in school teams is indicated as social network studies often examine various types of networks without specifically addressing differences between the social networks under investigation[2]. By exploring multiple social networks this chapter not only aims to deepen our insights in the social fabric of school teams, but also addresses the validity of the common instrumental-expressive distinction in the context of education. The boundaries between instrumental and expressive relationships are fuzzy and often tend to overlap (Borgatti Foster, 2003). In addition, recent research has suggested that one type of relationship can in part determine or reinforce another type of relationship (Casciaro Lobo, 2005). Since a systematic investigation of multiple networks in school teams is missing, this chapter is one of the earliest to explore a typology of social networks in school teams. In addition to advancing social network theory, t he study thereby offers a unique insight in the social fabric of Dutch elementary schools. METHOD Context We conducted a survey study at 53 elementary schools in south of The Netherlands. The schools resided under a single district board that provided the schools with IT, financial, and administrative support. The schools participated in the study as part of a district-wide school improvement program focused on school monitoring and teacher development. The 53 sample schools were located in rural as well as urban areas and served a student population ranging from 53 to 545 students in the age of 4 to 13. While the schools differed slightly regarding students SES and ethnicity, the schools student population can be considered as rather homogeneous in comparison to the Dutch average. Sample All principals and teachers were asked to participate in the survey study. A total of 51 principals and 775 teachers responded to this call, reflecting a return rate of 96.8 %. Of the sample, 72.9 % was female and 52.5 % worked full-time (32 hours or more). The age of educators in the sample ranged from 21 to 63 (M = 45.7, sd = 10.7). Additional sample characteristics are included Table 1 and 2. Instruments Social networks. To discern common types of interaction among teachers in elementary education, we interviewed seventeen elementary school teachers, two principals and one coach[3] who volunteered in reaction to a canvas call among the personal social network contacts of the principal researcher. We asked the educators to describe a regular work week and give examples of the types of social interaction they had with their colleagues. The hour-long interviews were audio-recorded and conducted using a semi-structured interview guide (Patton, Table 1. Sample demographics of schools and educators (N = 53, n = 775) Individual level Gender Male 210 (27.1 %) Female 565 (72.9 %) Working hours Part time (less than 32 hours) 368 (47.5 %) Full time (32 hours or more) 407 (52.5 %) Experience 1-3 years 152 (19.6 %) at school 4-10 years 256 (33.0 %) > 11 years 367 (47.4 %) Grade level[4] Lower grade (K 2) 353 (45.4 %) Upper grade (3 6) 422 (54.5 %) School level Team experience 6 months to 2 years More than 2 years 20 (37.8 %) 33 (62.2 %) Table 2. Sample demographics of schools and educators (N = 53, n = 775) N Min. Max. M Sd Individual level Age 775 21 63 45.7 10.7 School level Gender ratio[5] 53 57.0 100.0 76.8 10.7 Average age 53 35.4 52.8 45.3 3.7 Number of students 53 53 545 213 116.6 Team size 53 6 31 14.8 6.8 Socio-economic status (SES) [6] 53 0.4 47.3 7.9 9.5 1990; Spradley, 1980). We analyzed the interview data using a constant comparative analysis method (Boeije, 2002; Glaser Strauss, 1967). We compared perspectives of educators with different formal roles and at different grade levels, grouped different forms of social interaction mentioned by the educators, and checked and rechecked emerging types of social interaction (Miles Huberman, 1994). From this preliminary analysis, we deduced seven social networks that capture the forms of social interaction as described by the interviewed educators. As a member-check procedure (Miles Huberman, 1994), these social networks were then shared with a new group of educators. This group comprised eleven principals and six teachers who formed a pilot sample to establish face validity of the social network questions. Based on their comments, slight adjustments were made that resulted in the final questions to assess social networks of educators in elementary school teams (see Table 3). We include discussing work as social interaction concerning the discussion of work related issues. The nature of teaching requires the accumulation, transfer and exchange of ideas, experiences, expertise, and knowledge, all which can be shared through the discussing of work with colleagues (Monge Contractor, 2003). Discussing work can be regarded a general form of resource exchange related to work and can pertain to various topics, such as instruction, planning, or use of teaching materials. Collaboration refers to joint work among educators who are collectively responsible for the product of collaboration, and as such, collaborative relationships address collective action among teachers (Little, 1990). Interaction through collaboration may offer valuable opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, and the alignment of shared goals and expectations. Given the nature of schools as ‘loosely coupled systems (Weick, 1976) and the relative autonomy that teachers have in their classrooms (Lortie, 2002), collaboration in Dutch elementary schools often follows formal task hierarchy and is prescribed by formal roles, such as coaches or social support specialists. However, collaboration may also be voluntary, such as participating in a committee for a specific event. Asking for advice is of interest to the study of teacher networks since receiving advice may be part of ongoing teacher development and may facilitate the adoption and implementation of reform and innovation in schools (Moolenaar, Daly Sleegers, in press). Asking for advice addresses the issue of ‘who seeks out whom for work-related advice and thereby, in contrast to the previous types of instrumental interaction, implies an interdependence of knowledge, expertise, or information between the advice-seeker and the advice-giver. For the advice-giver, advice relationships are a powerful tool to gain social control as they convey information and disclose vulnerability and risk-taking on the part of the advice-seeker. Research has indicated than advice-seekers often seek advice from people with a higher status than the advice-seeker (Blau, 1964; Lazega Van Duijn, 1997). Table 3. The seven social network questions to assess social networks in Dutch elementary school teams Social network questions (in Dutch) Met welke collegas kunt u goed over uw werk praten? Met welke collegas werkt u het liefst samen? Aan welke collegas vraagt u meestal advies over uw werk? Met welke collegas brengt u graag pauzes door? Met welke collegas heeft u wel eens meer persoonlijke gesprekken? Met welke collegas spreekt u wel eens buiten het werk? Welke collegas beschouwt u als vrienden? English equivalent of the original Dutch question Whom do you turn to in order to discuss your work? With whom do you like to collaborate the most? Whom do you go to for work related advice? With whom do you like to spend your breaks? Whom do you go to for guidance on more personal matters? Who do you sometimes speak outside work? Who do you regard as a friend? Network Discussing work Collaboration Asking advice Spending breaks Personal guidance Contact outside work Friendship The interviewed educators mentioned spending breaks as another important form of social interaction. During breaks, teachers may exchange many types of resources, both work related and personal. Relationships based on spending breaks may be seen as mostly expressive since, according to the interviewed educators, breaks imply ‘off the job moments in which teachers may discuss personal issues or social conversation more easily than during formal meetings. Another social relationship among educators involves going to a colleague for personal guidance and to discuss personal matters. This form of interaction explicitly addresses the informal, personal nature of relationships. A relationship around personal guidance and the discussion of personal matters implies a certain level of trust between the people involved in the relationship. Such a personal bond is believed to be more strong and durable than work related relationships such as work related collaborative exchange (Granovetter, 1973). Whereas ‘spending breaks and ‘personal guidance may be described as ‘friendly relationships, the next two relationships tap into interaction that more specifically addresses ‘friendship (Kurth, 1970). The next social relationship, according to the interviewed educators, entails having contact outside work. When teachers have frequent contact with one another outside school, this may indicate a relationship that is built on more personal grounds than work. Therefore, having contact outside work may be a good indicator of some sort of friendship or strong bond, even though both individuals may not define the relationship as a friendship relationship (Ibarra, 1992; Zagenczyk, Gibney, Murrell Boss, 2008). The final social relationship addresses friendship. Friendship is included in many social network studies as the prototypical expressive relationship (e.g., Cole Weinbaum, 2007; Lazega Pattison, 1999) as friendship expresses personal affect and social support (Gibbons, 2004). Individuals depend on friends for counseling and companionship (Krackhardt Stern, 1988), and friendship ties facilitate open and honest communication that may boost organizational change (Gibbons, 2004). These seven social network questions were included in a social network survey to assess social relationships among educators. Respondents were provided with a school specific appendix that contained the names of the school team members of their school, accompanied by a letter combination for each school team member (e.g., Mr. Jay Hoffer[7] = AB). They were asked to answer each social network question by writing down the letter combination(s) of the coworker(s) they would like to indicate as being a part of their social network as specified by the question. The number of colleagues a respondent could answer was unlimited. Data analysis Social network analysis. The data were examined using social network analysis. Social network analysis is a technique to systematically analyze patterns of relationships in order to understand how individual action is situated in structural configurations (Scott, 2000; Valente, 1995). We first constructed matrices for each network question for each school. The matrices were compiled following the same procedure, namely if educator i nominated educator j as an advice relationship, a 1 was entered in cell Xij. If educator i did not nominate educator j, a 0 was entered in cell Xij. This procedure resulted in an asymmetric matrix that summarized all directed relationships among the educators within a single school. To explore and describe the networks, several social network properties at both the individual and school level were calculated based on the matrices using software package Ucinet 6.0 (Borgatti, Everett, Freeman, 2002; Borgatti, Jones Everett 1998; Burt, 1983). Individual level properties include raw and normalized scores for out-degree and in-degree, and ego-reciprocity. Out-degree depicts the number of people nominated by the respondent, and can therefore be interpreted as a measure of individual activity. In-degree represents the number of people by whom the respondent was nominated, and can be read as a measure of individual popularity. The raw scores of in- and out-degree encompassed the actual number of educators that were named by the respondents. Because the average in-degree is the same as the average out-degree (each out-going relationship for one educator also implies an in-coming relationship for another educator), we only report the average in-/out-degree. The standard deviations of the out- and in-degrees reflect the variability among educators in the amount of out-going and in-coming relationships, and may thus be different for the out-degrees and in-degrees. For instance, educators may vary greatly in the number of relationships they indicate to have, but there may be less variability in the number of relationships that educators receive. The range of the average raw scores varies from 0 to 14.8 since this is the average team size of the sample schools. Besides these raw scores, we also report normalized scores for out-degree and in-degree to facilitate comparisons among schools with different team sizes . The normalized scores can be interpreted as the percentage of relationships of the whole network that an educator maintains. The normalized out- and in-degrees range from 0 (the educator has no relationships) to 100 (the educator has a relationship with all of his/her team members). Again, the average percentage of out-going relationships is the same as the average percentage of in-coming relationships. The standard deviations of the normalized out- and in-degrees mirror the variability among educators in the percentage of relationships that are sent (out-going) or received (in-coming). Ego-reciprocity is a measure of reciprocity at the individual level. Ego-reciprocity is calculated as the number of reciprocal relationships in which in educator is involved, divided by the total number of his/her relationships. Ego-reciprocity thus reflects the percentage of ties of an educator that is reciprocated. Ego-reciprocity ranges from 0 (none of the individuals relationships are reciprocated) to 100 (all of the individuals relationships are reciprocated). At the school level, we calculated the network measures of density, reciprocity, and centralization. Density represents the concentration of relationships in a social network, and is calculated by dividing the number of observed relationships by the total number of possible relationships in a given network. This means that the greater the proportion of social relationships between school staff members, the more dense the social network. The density of a schools network may range from 0 (there are no relationships in the school team) to 1 (all school team members have indicated to maintain a relationship with each other). The density of a network can be thought of as a measure of cohesion (Blau, 1977). A dense network is believed to be able to move resources more quickly than a network with fewer ties (Scott, 2000). Reciprocity captures the extent to which the relationships in a social network are reciprocal, and is calculated as the number of reciprocal relationships in a team, divided by the total possible number of reciprocal relationships. Higher levels of reciprocity have been associated with complex knowledge exchange and higher organizational performance (Kilduff Tsai, 2003). The reciprocity of a schools network may range from 0 (none of the relationships in the school team are reciprocated or mutual) to 1 (all of the relationships in the school team are reciprocated or mutual). In-centralization was included to examine the central tendency of the social networks. This measure assesses whether the relationships in a given network are evenly dispersed in a network, or whether the relationships are centralized around one (or a few) very central people, who receive many nominations. In-centralization is based on the variability of in-degrees within a given team. High in-centralization reflects a high variability in the school team between educators who are often nominated and educators who are seldom nominated. As such, centralization of a social network refers to the difference between one or a few highly central person(s) and other (more peripheral) people in the network. Centralization ranges from 0 (no variability all members of the network are chosen for advice as frequently) to 1 (maximum variability every educator in a network only nominates a single person in the network, while these educators themselves are not nominated at all). The more centralized the social network is, the more resources are disseminated by a single or a few influential people to the rest of the network. In contrast, relationships and resources in a decentralized social network are much more evenly shared among all school team members. Examining multiplexity To determine the similarity between the seven social networks within each school, we estimated a series of Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) correlations in Ucinet (Borgatti, Everett, Freeman, 2002; Hanneman Riddle, 2005; Krackhardt, 1987). The QAP is a procedure to calculate correlations between social networks. When conducting social network research, statistical assumptions of independence are violated because relations between individuals are nested and embedded within the same network. Social network data are often interdependent, thus limiting the use of ‘conventional statistical techniques such as Pearson correlations. The QAP was designed as a variation on conventional correlational analyses for the use with social network data. The QAP follows a specific process. First, a Pearson correlation coefficient is calculated for two corresponding cells of two matrices that contain network data. Then, it randomly permutes the rows and columns of one of the matrices hundreds of times (each time computing a new correlation coefficient), and compares the proportion of times that these random correlations are larger than or equal to the original observed correlation. A low proportion (p

Law of Contract Essay -- Papers

Law of Contract Michelle is at University, studying to be a veterinary surgeon. David, a close family friend is also a veterinary surgeon. Whilst away at University, Michelle received a letter from David, saying that he was due to retire in a few weeks' time and that he wondered whether she would be interested in buying his veterinary equipment for the bargain price of 500 pounds. His letter asked for a prompt reply as a junior partner in his veterinary practice was also interested in buying the equipment, albeit at a higher price. Upon receipt of David's letter, Michelle decided that she would like to buy, but she would need to borrow the money. In order to speed matters up, she then wrote to David expressing a firm interest, but asking if he would be prepared to accept payment by instalments. Her letter got lost in the post and was never received by David Not having heard from David, Michelle arranged a bank loan and then posted a second letter, enclosing a cheque for 500 pounds. This letter did arrive, but by this time, David had assumed that she was not interested in the equipment and had already sold it to his junior partner instead. With reference to the case situation above, discuss, using decided cases to support your arguments, the contractual implications and the remedies, if any, that Michelle might be able to pursue against, David. Answer In discussing the situation amidst Michelle and David, it is critical to establish whether an actual contract has come into existence between the two parties. It is therefore necessary to examine, in relation to the scenario, the presence of the three chief element... ...o of the scenario, David is referred to as 'a close family friend'. Agreements with relations of this manner are not normally imagined to be subject for litigation. In addition to the relationship of the parties, is the immense sense of ambiguity present throughout the scenario. The court may, on these grounds declare the agreement void with the presumption that there was no intention to create legal relations (Gould v Gould 1969). After keenly examining the scenario with the application of knowledge of the different elements of agreement, it may be concluded that a contract did not exist between David and Michelle because of the deficiency of those factors essential to the formulation of an agreement. The lack of contractual implications thereby greatly inhibits the possibility of a successful pursuit against David.

Essay --

â€Å"Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation† Out of all the documents signed throughout history in attempt to benefit our country, Abraham Lincoln felt that his document, Emancipation Proclamation, was most important. On January 1, 1763, approaching the third year of the very bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln released the Proclamation which declared â€Å"that all persons held as slaves† within the rebellious states, â€Å" are, and henceforward shall be free†(U.S National Archives & Records Administration). However, this only applied to the states that had been labeled as being rebellion, not to the slaveholding border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and the areas that the Confederacy had already come under the Union Control. Abraham Lincoln released the document at the right time to ensure that it would make a positive impact and change completely, the aim of the war. To this day, the Emancipation Proclamation shows an example of equality and cognizance (Weider History Group, n.p). In August of 1861, during the Civil War, Congress had passed their first Confiscation Act of many. Confiscation is known as the seizing of someone's property without authority. The act was used against any property, which included slaves as well, used in the rebellion against the U.S government (Weider History Group, n.p). Union major general, John C. Fermont, Commander of the Department of the West, had issued an order which declared martial law in Missouri, as well as freeing all slave states that were held by Missouri secessionists (Weider History Group, n.p). Lincoln had ordered Fermont to change the order to conform the First Confiscation Act, in fear that it might link abolition with the war that could cause the slave... ...rmies, at that point didn’t have to be returned due to the words of the proclamation. They were considered, â€Å"forever free† (Weiders History Guide, n.p). The main reason President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation mainly as a war measure. The biggest impact that was made off of this document was how for the first time, it placed U.S government against â€Å"peculiar institution†, which placed a barrier between the South, and the recognition by the European nations which outlawed slavery (Weider History Group, n.p). The south relied on aid from France and England. In many articles within the Confederate States’ Constitution, slavery had only been protected in the Confederacy, but in other articles of the U.S Constitution, it also stated that it protected slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation made a vivid distinction of the two (Weider History Group, n.p).