A Synopsis of the Movie Farewell My Concubine

Shuo Zhang Writing 1 05/6/2011 A new look on homosexuality-analysis of Farewell My Concubine Although homosexuality exists in social reality, the lack of its own â€Å"truthful† representation in terms of books or films creates numerous misunderstandings that prevent the development of a positive homosexual sensibility in Chinese culture. Therefore, the most impressive and controversial part of the movie Farewell My Concubine (Kaige Chen, 1993) is its effort to break the language-less silence in search of an appropriate voice to express homosexual experience and anxiety.By showing Dieyi Cheng's painful life against the historical backdrop of extreme turbulence in China (from 1924 to 1977), the movie critiques the homophobic phenomenon in traditional Chinese culture, and summons the establishment and development of a more liberal society. Dieyi’s tragic life begins with his designation to play Dan’sroles because of his delicate appearance. At first, this idea stro ngly bothers him. When the famous theatrical agent, Nakun, visited the troupe, Dieyi was brought to recite his bravura role; but instead of saying the correct line â€Å"I am naturally a girl, not a boy†, he insisted in saying ‘I am by nature a boy.. (17:57). With the future of the troupe at risk, such a mistake was not tolerable in the highly-standard traditional Peking Opera, Xiaolou twisted a tobacco pipe in Dieyi’s mouth until Dieyi whimpered the correct lines with his mouth full of blood. Dieyi tried to escape from the opera house with another apprentice Laizi, but came back after seeing a performance by an opera master that impressed and made both of them long for the life of opera stars. After their return, Xiaolou was brutally beaten for allowing their escape, and seeing this scene, Laizi hanged himself so as to be free from the pain of punishment.This heartbreaking experience forced Dieyi to accept his female role, and made him submissive to the headmast er. To become a professional Dan, Dieyi must have gone through highly intensive training process. Although the movie leaves out this part, we can imagine that he was taught to speak and act like women even in his daily life. According to Min Tian’s essay â€Å"Male Dan: the Paradox of Sex, Acting, and Perception of Female Impersonation in Traditional Chinese Theatre†, â€Å"identification, given the strict stylization and codification in raditional Beijing Opera, is one of the cornerstones of performance and it is stressed even more in the art of female impersonation precisely because of the ‘prescribed necessity of dissolving the disparity between the actor and his female role’†. (Tian, 84) Hence, it is necessary for Dieyi to constantly imagine himself as a woman so as to reach the standard of performance and be accepted by the censorious audience. Dieyi succeeded in playing the role Concubine Yu in his debut performance. He was so effeminate and a ttractive on stage that Eunuch Zhang became crazy for him and secretly raped him afterwards.In return for Dieyi’s sacrifice, Eunuch Zhang made the opera house the most popular one in Beijing, and Dieyi, the most promising â€Å"actress† among his peers. However, Dieyi was crushed after this grueling experience, as shown in the movie: he remained silent for days, tucked away from his fellow apprentices, and even indulged himself more into his fantasy, into his role of Concubine Yu: In the middle of a performance, the Japanese troop broke into the theatre and started to rob the audience. The stir became a huge riot when a woman was shot to death so that the actors and workers stopped performing and fought back against the soldiers.Only Dieyi remained on stage, continued singing and dancing, as if the shot, the fight, the impending anti-Japanese war were none of his business. This shows Dieyi's complete dedication and focus on stage and within his constructed fantasy as C oncubine Yu. Also, it is from this incident that Dieyi’s sexual orientation became deviated from the â€Å"norm†, that he relied more and more on Xiaolou, his robust friend, who played the King as Dieyi’s counterpart, because Xiaolou always protected Dieyi when he encountered unfair treatment.To analyze Dieyi’s psychological development of homosexuality, we may refer to Metzger, Sean’s essay â€Å"Farewell My Fantasy†, which offers an insightful interpretation in terms of Freud’s psychological analysis. Sean suggests that Dieyi’s childhood experience is close to â€Å"Freud’s trajectory of the female beating fantasy†(Sean, 233) and several scenes in the movie are particularly attached to this theory is that Xiaolou was cruelly beaten after helping Dieyi cheat with a torturous training process.Xiaolou was nearly beaten to death, but remained smiling to Dieyi till the end in order to relief Dieyi’s panic and guilt, which made Dieyi feel, subconsciously, like a female protected by a male, Xiaolou. They were learning, performing and hanging out with each other every day. Xiaolou joked that if one day he becomes the King of the world, he would make Dieyi the queen, just like the story of Farewell, My Concubine. Dieyi, however, took that seriously as he faithfully believed that he could not live without Xiaolou.The highly standard rules for Dan’s performance and the horrible childhood experiences all contribute to Dieyi’s development of homosexuality. He became so in love with Xiaolou, that upon hearing the news of Xiaolou’s marriage with Juxian, a beautiful prostitute, he screamed to Xiaolou in a trembling voice: ‘I want to stay together with you forever, not an hour, a minute or a second less. ’(50:11) Of course, Dieyi’ s wish could never be fulfilled because Xiaolou is not a gay; moreover, Xiaolou strays away from Dieyi probably due to his fear of Dieyi’s abnormal behavior which could imperil his relationship with Juxian.Being Dieyi’s only friend, Xiaolou’s alienation left Dieyi with nothing but pain. Although he enjoyed tremendous fame and fortune as the best Dan in Beijing, he relieved his loneliness and grief by smoking opium. To Dieyi, opium had the magic effect of trapping him in his fantasies, where he is the real Concubine Yu, and the King never left him. For most part of the movie, Dieyi remained in female costume and concubine makeup, because the transvestite stage of Peking opera offers a place, an imaginative capaciousness, where he could represent and masquerade his genuine sensibility.However the more he did so, the more he drifted apart from reality, and the more he suffered. He had a grueling time giving up opium, because it consumed too much of his energy and mentality that he passed out during a performance. Locked in a room, he could not help but to smash all the stuff, crying for assis tance and cursing the world. Next follows one of the most heartbreaking scene in the movie: among a mess of broken glass and ripped clothes, Dieyi leans on Juxian’s lap, pale and frail, murmuring that he misses his mother.Juxian, with her eyes full of tears, answered: â€Å"Mom is here, don’t be afraid†(90:37). Even Juxian, Dieyi’s rival in love, can understand his pain and helplessness at this moment. She pretended to be his mother, giving him temporary love and support in order to help him overcome the great difficulty. And due to his loneliness, Dieyi also developed a relationship with Patron Yuan, a bureaucrat, a wealthy admirer, and a crazy theatergoer, not because of love, but because of the absence of Xiaolou. Yuan encouraged, and even indulged himself in the antasy of Farewell My Concubine with Dieyi: he bought exquisite decorations and costumes for Dieyi, saying that they would make his Concubine Yu more glamorous; he dressed like the King, sang and danced with Dieyi in his lavish courtyard, turning a deaf ear to the chaotic world outside. Dieyi was so isolated from the world that he even performed for Japanese invaders during the anti-Japanese war, innocently thinking that they would appreciate and even spread Peking Opera in their country; instead, he was tortured and imprisoned for his treason by the Chinese government at the end of the war.His failed relationship with Yuan even affected him during the Cultural Revolution, because having any relation with a senior bureaucrat from the Qing Dynasty, the enemy of communism, was considered to be formidable crime at that time; and, being a gay, which was considered to be a scandal in traditional Chinese culture, further aggravated his accusation. Hence, Dieyi was punished and humiliated in front of the public in his most beautiful costume of Concubine Yu.Dieyi’s tragic experiences must have something to do with his homosexual identity, as Benzi Zhang observes in  "Figures of Violence and Tropes of Homophobia, Reading Farewell My Concubine between East and West†: â€Å"although the dominating powers were constantly shifting in China from 1924 to 1977, the discourse of peremptory heterosexuality and patriarchy has never been changed or challenged. Similar to the victims of rape, homosexual men meet the worst injustice and violence during that terrifying period of history†(104).Refusing to be settled in either the category of heterosexuality or patriarchy, Dieyi is a â€Å"nomad† with inappropriate identity; he threats and challenges the heterosexual cultural value, and thus becomes the enemy of the whole feudal society. Therefore, Dieyi’s loneliness can be interpreted as being marginalized by the mainstream society, and his susceptibility to violence can be seen as a general characteristic among the homosexual minority. To further interpret this movie, we need to analyze the Beijing Opera Farewell, My Concubine, whic h dominated the professional life of Dieyi.It is a love story circulated in Chinese society for thousands of years. In this tragic tale, Concubine Yu is so loyal and true that rather than abandoning her king as he faces military defeat, she chooses to dance for him one last time and then to cut her throat with his sword. From the perspective of modern people, this story obviously reflects â€Å"a cultural discourse invested with male dominated values†(Zhang, 103), because the death of the young and beautiful Concubine Yu shows her loyalty to her husband, which is valued as a virtue, or even a standard of conduct for women for thousands of years. The binary model of the King (dominant masculinity)-Concubine Yu (subservient femininity), which serves well the patriarchal, heterosexual orthodoxy, has been the dominating ideology in Chinese culture, which has an oppressive and suffocating consequences for homosexual discourse†(Zhang, 103). To echo with this story and to prov ide a heart-rending frame for the movie, Dieyi killed himself in the same pattern as Concubine Yu. At the end of this movie, Dieyi and Xiaolou were reunited on the stage, practicing Farewell, My Concubine again.Xiaolou began with the line â€Å"I am naturally a girl, not a boy†, which gave Dieyi trouble forty years ago. Accidentally, Dieyi made the same error of finishing the line with he is not a girl. Then all of a sudden, Dieyi swiftly pulled out the sword and killed himself in front of his â€Å"king†. Why did Dieyi commit suicide? Was it because he could no longer withstand the agony of living? I don’t think so, because 1977 was the dawn of Chinese modernization, a signal of a brand-new and peaceful era. With the hope of a bright future, Dieyi would not expect to repeat his heartbreaking experiences.Was it because he lose faith in mending his relationship with Xiaolou? Definitely not, as seen in the movie, Xiaolou and Dieyi talked and smiled like old friend s at their reunion. The most reasonable answer is that he killed himself to assert his homosexual identity and to demonstrate his unyieldingness to the ugly world he lived through. According to Zhang, â€Å"Deviance such as homosexuality has long been regarded in Chinese culture as a sign of â€Å"transgression† that demands a different order of social normality†. (Zhang, 101) Therefore, to maintain this order, anything that subverts the orthodox morality should be exterminated.In this sense, Dieyi’s death is an inevitable consequence, is a powerful highlight of this movie, which strikes the hearts of the audience. Overall, the movie can be seen as a modern version of the old tragic Farewell My Concubine: they both happen in troubled times, and both the heroines died in the end. However, instead of eulogizing the heroine’s loyalty and purity, the modern version summons a hope, a pressing demand for a liberal society. If Dieyi were born in a liberal societ y, where homosexuality is not a shame, where gay men have equal rights to pursue love nd live a normal life, he wouldn’t be abused in the opera house; he wouldn’t be alienated by his best friend; he wouldn’t indulge himself in his fantasy by smoking opium; he wouldn’t be humiliated during the Cultural Revolution, and he wouldn’t kill himself in the end. In a word, it is the huge pressure from the conservative society that leads to Dieyi’s death. Therefore, the tragic ending is not designed to break our hearts, but to make them stronger, so that we are determined enough to fight for liberty and equity.With the fascinating story being told, what are the general messages that the movie conveys? First, Farewell My Concubine is a great attempt to break the language-less silence on the issue of homosexuality, and due to its controversial topic, it was once banned in Chinese mainland theatre. However, it still succeeds in arousing people’s a ttention on this issue. Second, it criticizes the unfair treatment and the general despise of gays or lesbians in traditional Chinese culture. Third, it suggests a suppressed consciousness of â€Å"modernity† through the issue of homosexuality.With all the blood and tears from the painful history, the movie calls for a liberal and comprehensive society, in which people’s freedom and desire can be satisfied to the utmost. Finally, it instills hope and courage to us-that we should stop complaining about lives and cherish what we own now, because we are lucky enough to live in a peaceful and prosperous society. Meta-analysis I had a hard time picking out thesis, because Farewell My Concubine is so rich in context that it addresses several significant binaries about the world: love and betray, public and private, freewill and predestination, homosexual and heterosexual.I chose the binaries: public and private, freewill and predestination for my close reading essay, trying very hard to make correlations between them. It didn’t work well, however, for it lacks a focus, a lens, through which I can analyze this film in depth; moreover, I could not find useful secondary sources illustrating any relation between public life and fatalism. Therefore, I turned my attention to a more specific and well-expressed topic of this movie: homosexuality. In my lens essay, I let my analysis evolve with the progression of the story.I firstly identify the causes to Dieyi’s homosexuality by illustrating several important details in his childhood with the explanations from Metzger Sean and Min Tian’s studies. It shows that the strict training process of Dan, and some childhood violent accidents such as raping and beating all contribute to his homosexual development. Secondly, I explore the relationship between his torment life and his homosexual identity. After watching this movie several times, I found out that most of his misfortune comes from his â €Å"abnormal† sexual preference.For example, although he is well recognized as a distinguished artist on stage, nobody really cares about his feeling in real life; instead, even Xiaolou alienates him. He is discarded from the mainstream society, and therefore, he seeks consolidation from smoking opium and completely dedicating in his role Concubine Yu on stage. Over time, he is isolated by the community, and suffers from his innocence during social movement. Then, with the help of Benzi Zhang’s study on homophobia in traditional Chinese culture, I investigate the causes of this relationship.As Zhang pointed out, â€Å"Deviance such as homosexuality has long been regarded in Chinese culture as a sign of â€Å"transgression† that demands a different order of social normality†(103). Therefore, I conclude that Dieyi’s tragedy is an inevitable consequence given the general homophobic culture he lives in, and his death in the end can be interpreted as th e successful extermination of â€Å"nomad†, or a sort of threat, of the orthodox feudal society. Finally, I tried to reveal the implicit message this film conveys to the public.I discovered that this movie can be seen as a modern version of the well-known tale Farewell My Concubine , but with a new meaning, a new expectation to our modern world. By bring up homosexuality, a sensitive issue that has been suppressed for thousands of years, the movie suggests an urgent need for China’s modernization, a call for a liberal society, in which minorities such as homosexuals can seek for happiness like anyone else. Reference Min Tian, â€Å"Male Dan: the Paradox of Sex,Acting, and Perception of Female Impersonation in Traditional Chinese Theatre†, Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1(Spring, 2000), pp. 78-97, University of Hawai’i Press. Metzger, Sean . â€Å"Farewell My Fantasy†. Journal of Homosexuality 2000, Vol. 39 Issue 3/4, p213. EBSCO. Olin Library. Washington University in St. Louis. 31/03/2011 16:10. Benzi Zhang. â€Å"Figures of Violence and Tropes of Homophobia, Reading Farewell My Concubine between East and West†. Journal of Popular Culture Fall99, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p101-109. EBSCO. Olin Library. Washington University in St. Louis. 31/03/2011 16:10.

Globalization Argumentative Paper Essay

Is globalization good or bad in the business world today? There are good and bad sides to everything now days. It’s just weighing your options out to see what fits better. In the next couple of paragraphs we will go over what is good and what could be bad in globalization in the business world. Globalization Good The good side to globalization is all about the efficiencies and opportunities open markets create. Local producers can sell their products worldwide. This creates more business for them. Globalization has made the flow of money around the world easier. Creating more jobs around the world. (1 Premise) Globalization is great to the markets around the world. They have been able to expand their businesses. Globalization Bad The bad side to globalization is new uncertainty and risks that have risen. It has made the competition between markets intensify. (2 Premise) Companies that we enjoying this globalization are now facing unpredictable demand and business opportunities. With there being so much competition and being under constant pressure of new competitors, leaves the current companies with little to no pricing power. Another bad side of globalization is declining money flows across local and national boundaries. Conclusion Is globalization good or bad? There are many advantages and several disadvantages to globalization. But it is each individual’s personal opinion. (1 Conclusion) Globalization is good and can continue to be good for the world. Everyone is going to look at this issue in a different way. Although globalization is good in many individuals eyes, it is still bad in many others eyes. (2 Conclusion) There are many risks that come with  globalization, and so many uncertainties. This is why this will be an ongoing debate to whether globalization is benefitting us locally and nationally, or if it’s hurting the entire world. References 1. www.forbes.the-good-the-bad-the-ugly.com 2. www,geography.about.com > globalization

Noticing Hypothesis

The noticing hypothesis is a concept in second-language acquisition proposed by Richard Schmidt in 1990. He stated that learners cannot learn the grammatical features of a language unless they notice them. Noticing alone does not mean that learners automatically acquire language; rather, the hypothesis states that noticing is the essential starting point for acquisition.There is debate over whether learners must consciously notice something, or whether the noticing can be subconscious to some degree (Schmidt, 1990, 2001) Noticing is a complex process: it involves the ntake both of meaning and of form, and it takes time for learners to progress from initial recognition to the point where they can internalize the underlying rule. This argues for teachers to provide recurring opportunities for learners to notice, since one noticing task is most unlikely to be sufficient. More specifically, we may want to work with different kinds of noticing task in future in order to serve different ps ycholinguistic factors.Schmidt (1990), identifies three aspects of consciousness involved in language learning: awareness, intention and knowledge. The first sense, consciousness as awareness, embraces noticing . According to Schmidt (1995, p. 20), â€Å"the noticing hypothesis states that what learners notice in input is what becomes intake for learning. † Schmidt also states that a) whether a learner deliberately attends to a linguistic form in the input or it is noticed purely unintentionally, if it is noticed it becomes intake; and b) that noticing is a necessary condition for L2 acquisition.In his noticing hypothesis, Schmidt (1990, 1993, 1995; Schmidt & Frota, 1986) shed light n focal attention, or noticing, as a necessary and sufficient condition for input to become intake in SLA, by claiming â€Å"intake is that part of the input that the learner notices† (1990, p. 139). According to Schmidt (1993), second language (L2) learners need to not only comprehend the input but also notice â€Å"whatever features of the input are relevant for the target system† (p. 209).Although these definitions of noticing differ in the degrees or levels of awareness that are deemed necessary for SLA, the researchers all agree on the importance of noticing in SLA. In both the strong version of the Noticing Hypothesis (noticing is necessary and sufficient for second language acquisition) and the weak version of the Noticing Hypothesis (noticing is a necessary but not sufficient condition for second language acquisition), noticing is considered to play a significant role in SLA.In Gass and Selinker's (2001) view, noticing or selective attention is â€Å"at the heart of the interaction hypothesis,† (p. 298) and is one of the crucial mechanisms in the negotiation process. Conclusion Attention and noticing (the subjective correlate of attention are crucial concepts for ttention – becoming conscious of some material – seems to be the sover eign remedy for learning anything. It is the universal solvent of the mind† (Baars 1997, P. 04). For SLA, the allocation of attention is the pivotal point at which learner external factors (including the complexity and distributional characteristics of input, the discoursal and interactional context, instructional treatment, and task characteristics) and learner internal factors (including motivation, aptitude, learning styles and strategies, current L2 knowledge and processing ability) come together.

The Impact of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility on Strategic Alignment and Applications Implementation

The Impact of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility on Strategic Alignment and Applications Implementation Sock H. Chung Department of Computer Information Systems College of Business Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI 48197 sock. [email  protected] emich. edu R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. ** Department of Management College of Business Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36849 (334) 844-6527 [email  protected] auburn. edu Bruce R. Lewis Calloway School of Business Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC 27109 (336) 758-7195 [email  protected] edu ** Corresponding Author: Kelly Rainer The Impact of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility on Strategic Alignment and Applications Implementation Abstract IT infrastructure flexibility is now being viewed as an organizational core competency that is necessary for organizations to survive and prosper in rapidly-changing, competitive, business environments. Utilizing data from 200 U. S. and Canadian companies, this study examines the impact of the four components of IT infrastructure flexibility (compatibility, connectivity, modularity, and IT personnel) on strategic IT-business alignment and the extent of applications implementation within an organization. The findings from analysis of a structural model provide evidence that connectivity, modularity, and IT personnel have significant, positive impacts on strategic alignment and that all four components have significant, positive impacts on the extent of applications implementation. The study reinforces the importance of IT infrastructure flexibility to organizations as one source for sustainable competitive advantage. Key Words: IT infrastructure flexibility, strategic IT-business alignment I. INTRODUCTION In the early 1990s, Johnson & Johnson faced new business pressures when large customers, such as Wal-Mart and K-mart, made new demands on the company, such as cost savings and just-in-time stock replenishment. Johnson & Johnson’s business and IT managers acted in partnership to develop a new set of information technology (IT) infrastructure capabilities which enabled the company to provide the necessary services for its large customers while at the same time reducing costs at Johnson & Johnson [Weill & Broadbent, 1998]. In the late 1990s, Charles Schwab focused on delivering customized information to its investors in a timely manner. Using the company's IT infrastructure and applications aligned with its business focus, Schwab became a full service brokerage firm. The firm was able to provide information and process transactions in meeting its business objectives. Customers could retrieve stock quotes and place orders via Schwab's Web site. As a result, the corporation continues to be an industry leader. These two examples demonstrate that an organization’s IT infrastructure can provide tangible benefits and a continuity of business practices [Kettinger, Grover, Subanish, & Segars, 1994]. A particularly important characteristic of IT infrastructure is flexibility [Byrd & Turner, 2000]. Researchers have stated that IT infrastructure flexibility should be viewed as an organizational core competency and that IT infrastructure flexibility is necessary to handle increased customer demands without increased costs [Davenport & Linder, 1994; Weill, 1993]. As we discuss next in developing the theoretical framework for our study, two important aspects of IT infrastructure flexibility emerge from previous research: the core business applications of an organization and the strategic IT-business alignment. That is, an organization’s IT infrastructure flexibility should be reflected in its implementation of core business applications and the extent of its strategic IT-business alignment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically examine the relationship between IT infrastructure flexibility and the extent of applications implementation in the organization and the relationship between IT infrastructure flexibility and strategic IT-business alignment. II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK We develop our theoretical framework by first reviewing definitions of IT infrastructure and its components. We then define the concept of IT infrastructure flexibility and its relationship to strategic IT-business alignment and to applications implementation in the organization. Information Technology Infrastructure The topic of IT infrastructure has been a key issue for both researchers and practicing managers for some time [see e. g. , Brancheau, Janz, & Wetherbe, 1996]. The organization’s IT infrastructure basically integrates technology components to support business needs but the IT infrastructure concept is more complicated. The definition of IT infrastructure encompasses a variety of components. Based on previous studies, Duncan [1995] stated that IT infrastructure includes a group of shared, tangible IT resources that provide a foundation to enable present and future business applications [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Davenport & Linder, 1994; Earl, 1989; Keen, 1991; McKay & Brockway, 1989; Niederman, Brancheau, & Wetherbe, 1991; Weill, 1993]. These resources include: (1) computer hardware and software (e. g. , operating systems); (2) network and telecommunications technologies; (3) key data; (4) core data-processing applications; 5) shared IT services. Duncan [1995] also stated that IT infrastructure includes the alignment of IT plans to business objectives, the IT architecture, and the skills of IT personnel. Broadbent and Weill [1997] noted that IT infrastructure capabilities enable the various types of IT applications required to support current and future business objectives, and enable the competitive positioning of business initiatives. McKay and Brockway [1989] describe d IT infrastructure as the enabling foundation of shared IT capabilities upon which the entire business depends. This foundation is standardized and shared by business functions within the organization, and typically used by different organizational applications. Byrd and Turner [2000, p. 172] provided a thorough definition of IT infrastructure as: â€Å"†¦ the shared IT resources consisting of a technical physical base of hardware, software, communications technologies, data, and core applications and a human component of skills, expertise, competencies, commitments, values, norms, and knowledge that combine to create IT services that are typically unique to an organization. These IT services provide a foundation for communications interchange across the entire organization and for the development and implementation of present and future business applications. † As can be seen from these definitions, the IT infrastructure is composed of two components: a technical IT infrastructure and a human IT infrastructure. The technical infrastructure consists of the applications, data, and technology [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Broadbent, Weill, O'Brien & Neo, 1996; Henderson & Venkatraman, 1993]. The human IT infrastructure consists of the knowledge and capabilities required to manage organizational IT resources [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Lee, Trauth & Farwell, 1995]. Davenport and Linder [1994] suggested that a robust IT infrastructure enables employees to be able to perform their respective jobs, both from having the available technology and the necessary technological skills. Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility Early work on IT infrastructure flexibility described the concept without actually defining it. Weill [1993] asserted that an IT infrastructure should be flexible to be able to handle increased customer demands without increased costs. Davenport and Linder [1994] stated that IT infrastructure flexibility should be viewed as a core competency of the organization and suggested that an effective IT infrastructure is flexible and robust. Duncan [1995] observed that one organization’s IT infrastructure may enable strategic innovations in business processes, while another’s IT infrastructure may limit such innovations. She referred to this characteristic as IT infrastructure flexibility and suggested that both business and IT application development capabilities reflect the flexibility of infrastructure components. She suggested that infrastructure flexibility improves systems developers' ability to design and build systems to meet organizational business objectives. She described IT infrastructure flexibility through the characteristics of connectivity, compatibility, and modularity. She maintained that an organization with high modularity, compatibility, and connectivity would have high technical IT infrastructure flexibility. Compatibility is the ability to share any type of information across any technology component throughout the organization [Duncan, 1995; Keen, 1991]. Tapscott and Caston [1993] noted that IT compatibility helps span organizational boundaries, empower employees, and make data, information, and knowledge readily available in the organization. Connectivity is the ability of any technology component to communicate with any of the other components inside and outside of the organizational environment [Duncan, 1995]. Tapscott and Caston [1993] emphasized that IT connectivity enables seamless and transparent organizations that are independent of time and space. Connectivity facilitates the sharability of IT resources at the platform level. Modularity is the ability to easily reconfigure (add, modify, or remove) technology components [Duncan, 1995]. She also stated that modularity is the standardization of business processes for sharability and reusability (e. g. , structured programming and component-based software architectures). Schilling [2000] suggested that modularity is a continuum describing the degree to which a system's components can be separated and recombined. Byrd and Turner [2000, p. 172] defined IT infrastructure flexibility as â€Å"†¦the ability to easily and readily diffuse or support a wide variety of hardware, software, communications technologies, data, core applications, skills and competencies, commitments, and values within the technical physical base and the human component of the existing IT infrastructure. Historically, the flexibility of the IT infrastructure has been viewed as necessary to accommodate a rapidly changing business environment [Byrd & Turner, 2001]. This flexibility enables businesses to effectively use IT to prosper in dynamic environments. The literature review points out that strategic IT-business alignment and core business applications are embedded in the definitions of IT infrastructure and IT infrastructure flexibility. However, the actual relationships between IT infrastructure flexibility and strategic IT-business alignment and between IT infrastructure flexibility and business applications have not been empirically tested. We test these relationships through our conceptual model. III. CONCEPTUAL MODEL IT Infrastructure Flexibility and Strategic IT-Business Alignment Strategic IT-business alignment refers to the extent to which the IT mission, objectives, and plans support, and are supported by, the organization’s mission, objectives, and plans [Hirscheim & Sabherwal, 2000]. This alignment creates an integrated organization in which every function, unit, and person are focused on the organization's competitiveness. Sambamurthy and Zmud [1992] suggested that IT management is a problem of aligning the relationship between the business and the IT infrastructure to take advantage of IT opportunities and capabilities. Duncan [1995] first included the alignment of IT plans to business objectives in her description of IT infrastructure. She continued by noting that an organization’s IT infrastructure could be considered flexible if it enabled strategic innovations in business processes. Broadbent and Weill [1997] stated that IT infrastructure capabilities provide the foundation for â€Å"†¦competitive positioning of business initiatives. † From this discussion, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 1: Each component of an organization's IT infrastructure flexibility will positively affect the organization's strategic IT-business alignment. IT Infrastructure Flexibility and Applications Implementation Today, IT applications not only process data and provide management information reports. Corporations now use IT applications to gain competitive advantage [Earl, 1989; Porter & Millar, 1985; Powell, 1992; Saunders & Jones, 1992; Smith & McKeen, 1993]; to create new business opportunities [Earl, 1989; Rockart & Scott-Morton, 1984; Smith & McKeen ,1993]; to improve customer service; to enhance product and service quality; and to integrate supplier and customer operations [Luftman, Lewis, & Oldach, 1993]. Several studies have included business applications as part of IT infrastructure [see e. . , Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Byrd & Turner, 2000; Duncan, 1995]. Duncan [1995] addressed business applications when she asserted that IT infrastructure flexibility enabled organizations to build applications that more closely satisfy business objectives. Broadbent and Weill [1997] stated that IT infrastructure capabilities are the â€Å"base for computer applications. † Byrd and Turner [2000] noted that IT infrastructure flexibility enabled organizations to â€Å"†¦easily diffuse and support†¦core applications. For this study, we use the extent to which organizations have implemented a variety of business applications to examine the concept of â€Å"applications implementation. † These eleven business applications in our study include transaction processing systems, management information systems, executive information systems, decision support systems, expert systems, data warehousing, data mining, interorganizational information systems (e. g. , electronic data interchange), knowledge management, network management, and disaster recovery. From this discussion, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 2: Each component of an organization's IT infrastructure flexibility will positively affect the organization's extent of applications implementation. Conceptual Model This study utilizes four previously identified measures of IT infrastructure flexibility: the technical components of modularity, compatibility, connectivity, and IT personnel skills [see Duncan, 1995; Byrd & Turner, 2000]. The conceptual model representing the relationships addressed in this study is presented in Figure 1. [pic]* p

Italian Unification

To what extent did foreign intervention impact the Italian unification movement? Italy, 1870. The unification movement of Italy has just been completed, the movement that could not have been successful without the efforts of Italy itself. Though foreign intervention was a minimal part of the unification, and at times even more of an obstacle than aide, without the militaristic action, internal economic and political change within Italy, the unification would not have been sparked, much less completed as successfully as it was.One of the important factors that contributed to the successful unification of Italy, was the decision to take militaristic action by joining wars and invading states that were crucial to the completion of the unification and would benefit Italy in the long run. By making the decision to join the Crimean war, and therefore aiding France and Great Britain, not only did Piedmont make a name for itself among all of Europe, gaining respect and fame, but the benefits for Italy in the long run were also known by Cavour, the leader of Piedmont at that time.Just by making the decision to aide France and Great Britain, it demonstrates how aware Piedmont was of the benefits of joining the war, and how the future Italy, and its unification would be impacted through it. Additionally, in the midst of the unification, it was the leaders of Italy that decided to invade the Papal States, to eventually complete the unification of Italy.This proves that the efforts of Italy itself completed the unification, because if the Papal States were not invaded, then Rome still would not have been part of Italy and the unification would have remained uncompleted. In addition to the militaristic action that was taken by Italy, the internal economic change that occurred within the nation also sparked the unification of Italy by furthering Piedmont, and eventually the rest of Italy’s image of a state in the process of modernizing.The textile industries, such as t he wool, silk and cotton industries were prime examples of Piedmonts economic industrialization. By industrializing the state, more citizens were happily employed, thereby creating a sense of unity among the people. Additionally, the construction of the railways advanced communication, and this economic development would eventually lead to benefits similar to those in Great Britain and in France.This development was again one instituted by Italy, and contributed greatly to the unification of Italy. Finally, under Cavour’s rule, trading treaties were signed with states such as France, Portugal, Britain and Belgium. Through these treaties, Italy was able to gain economic growth and support, resulting in import and export increases. Through these economic changes, the nation grew as a whole, and the citizens gained a greater sense of unity and recognition as a unified country from foreign states.And lastly, the political change that occurred under Cavour’s rule within Ita ly also shows the measures Italy took to complete a successful unification. A large part of the new political changes that were occurring in Italy stemmed from the new leaders that were instituting them. Mazzini, Garibaldi, Victor Emmanuel II and Cavour were all political figures that contributed to the unification of Italy, and without Mazzini’s motivation, Garibaldi’s military strength, Cavour’s brain or Victor Emmanuel II as King, the unification would not have been possible.Additionally, the statuto that was retained as a liberal constitution in Piedmont was an important factor in the unification, as it signifies the start of political freedom that began in Piedmont, and eventually spread throughout Italy. These ideas, which sparked the unification, could not have been put in place by any foreign nations. In conclusion, through the militaristic actions taken by Italy, in addition to the internal economic and political changes that occurred, it is clear that foreign intervention was not the cause of the successful unification movement that occurred in Italy.

What causes the 1979 rice riot in Monrovia, Liberia What are the Coursework

What causes the 1979 rice riot in Monrovia, Liberia What are the effects of this riot This is a cause and effect essay - Coursework Example Moreover, the negative effects of the rice riots continued for long period. Most importantly, the administration was forced to get down and give the way for new government. As it was resisted by the ruling regime, all intensified efforts were made to throw away the administration and in that process, the public life was paralyzed for a long period in the name of civil war. The inflation and prices of other commodities also increased considerably (AllAfrica.com, 2005). The people faced difficulty in having access to necessary services like health and education and hence their quality of life suffered severely. Hence, keeping these points in consideration, the present essay is an attempt to answer the following thesis statement. The main reason for the origin of rice riots in 1979 is the increase in rice price by 39%. The Tolbert administration wanted to increase the rice price to encourage the local rice production and to discourage the imports of rice from other nations to Liberia (Broderick, 2007). On 14th APRIL, 1979, the price of parboiled rice was hiked from $22 per 100 lb. bag of rice, to $30 which has angered the general public severely as the price rise of rice affected their daily intake and consumption of rice leading to malnutrition. They couldn’t tolerate this decision and started conducting the demonstrations in Monrovia to which the government responded with firearms. This has led to death of forty people several others were wounded which has fuelled the crisis further and civilians felt that the government was forcefully controlling them to continue the price rise of rice (Emmanuel, 2008). Moreover, the President Tolbert even called some foreign troops from neighboring Republic of Gui nea for establishing peace, but the people felt it as another forceful measure of imposing the rigid decision taken by the

Innovative Leadership and Culture Matrix and Paper Research

Innovative Leadership and Culture Matrix and - Research Paper Example The matrix diagram provides a relationship diagram of Dell and HP organizational leadership and culture with regard to the four frames model. Lastly, an explanation is provided for the significance of comparing Dell and HP using the selected dimensions with regard to innovative leadership and culture for those organizations. Dell’s Innovative Leadership According to Jones (2007), Michael Dell of Dell Computer, â€Å"adopted a very different approach to managing his company. Dell developed a participative management approach, involved employees in decision-making, and fostered a spirit of comradeship and cooperation among team members to encourage top performance. His management style engendered intense loyalty from his employees, who liked his hands-on approach, and his close attention to managing his company† (p.10). The author noted that â€Å"Michael Dell was careful to watch the teams’ progress closely. When a project seemed not to be working out or was cost ing too much, he would quickly end it and transfer engineers to other projects† (p.10). ... all development promotes individuals from within, creates organizational alignment, develops core capabilities and managerial effectiveness (Jones, 2007). Dell ‘s Culture Change Dell Corporation had experienced a decline in growth in late 2000. The company began to focus on redesigning its culture in a way that would emphasize new values, new rituals and traditions, a new entrepreneurial spirit, and a willingness to invest substantially in improving the knowledge and skills exhibited by workers (How Dell got a soul, 2004). As a result, of this organizational cultural change process, Dell began to experience dramatic improvements in employee satisfaction and worker retention, leading to greater productivity and performance improvements (How Dell got a soul, 2004). Jones (2007), stated, â€Å"Dell’s new innovative organizing approach fosters a different kind of company cultu re† (p.10). This kind of organizational culture provides a work climate where people cooperate to improve their performance. Career management programs also enhance the company’s ability to retain and develop Dell Team members (Jones, 2007). Dell (2012), noted â€Å"people are its most important asset. From a focus on growth and domestic market dominance to one of leadership, talent management, and a global outlook, Michael Dell has created a â€Å"Winning Culture† that includes promoting best practices among its global workforce. HP’s Innovative Leadership According to Quinn and Poletti (2006), HP began to experience a leadership crisis after having grown at a rate of 18 percent a year for 60 years under the leadership of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard and their record of innovative product development.

Do you think that ethnicity and religion play important roles in Essay

Do you think that ethnicity and religion play important roles in political leadership in Africa - Essay Example According to Odinga, in African press, Nigeria is an example of a nation embroiled in the politics of ethnicity since independence. This happened after the 1993 military coup that made ethnic groups of I jaws, Yoruba’s, Igbo’s, Tiv’s Edo’s and Fulani to form a party (Odinga web) A religion difference especially Islam and Christianity determines political leadership in Africa. This is true in many countries that have an almost equal proportion of the two religions. In Sudan for instance, hostility experienced in the North and South of the country had its background in religion. In the South, most leaders were Christians some of whom were priests. The churches and priests influenced the civil wars that occurred in this country between Muslims and Christians. Ethnicity and Religion at times influences politics negatively. Many countries have experienced tribal crashes resulting from ethnic political parties. Zimbabwe, Kenya and Congo are some of the countries affected by ethnicity. A worse case of ethnicity is the one of Sierra Leon where the group in control of political power controls also the distribution of National

Apply one Leadership Theory to an organization's leadership failure Essay

Apply one Leadership Theory to an organization's leadership failure - Essay Example l leadership can be understood by an in depth study of a recent case of planned closure of Toyota operation in Australia by 2017 (Toyota to stop making cars in Australia, follows Ford and Holden). The unionized workforce was blamed for the issue raised in the organization. There existed a grievance between the labor union and management, not which again is a result of organizational leadership failure. The failure of self leadership among the employees of the firm irrespective of their position in the firm happens to be one of the major reasons of closure of a business (Yukl, 2007). An organizations rationale and goals can be explained in countless ways consisting a firm’s mission, vision, stratagem, goals, tactics and errands. The objective of this report is to carry out an in depth analysis of what are the reasons behind the failure of organizational leadership through a case study. Many successful organizations crash in presence of dysfunctional leaders in an organization. Moreover, the issue is not considered to be problematic. The people in position of leadership can be seen as risk managers other than leaders. When leaders turn to taskmasters and instead of surrendering they are yearning to become control freaks then they gradually fail to motivate and encourage their co workers. In addition they fail to lead their co workers (Bayode, 2008). The signs of leadership malfunction are quite effortless to find out if one has open eyes towards the arising problem of an organization. Employees have a perception that they are valued less and also are not considered to be trustworthy. The companies nowadays are engaged in methodically assassinating leadership by lime lighting towards the risk management other than leadership development. The process is considered to be much more imperative than the workforce of an organization. When performance is valued less and th e potential is considered to be superior and when independent thinking lays at the backseat

Advertising media selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertising media selection - Essay Example Advertising will provide the Starbucks the opportunity to maintain a competitive advantage in coffee market,as well as maintain the brand value.Successful advertising is based on media plan,goals of the advertising,the target audience and the budget and time span. The facts preceding the need for the media plan and advertising include the concern for growing coffee retailers thus increased competition, and due to the recent concentration on expansion, the management is concerned about potential brand devaluing. Therefore, the media plan offers potential solutions to these two key issues, by providing a way to maintain critical market position, and brand value.The chosen media to use in placing the advertising include television, radio, newspaper, direct mail, and outdoor billboards. Television, radio, newspaper, and billboards will offer the opportunity to reach a wide and anonymous audience, which will especially be achieved by using the major daily newspaper, The Seattle Times, the n one major radio stations KUOW-FM 94.9, and one major television stations. The direct mail will provide niche media focusing on a particular target audience, which is persons aged 25-50 years from middle/upper middle class. The heartbeat of any media campaign is the media outlet, because even if the message is well constructed and meaningful, without a delivery system that can attain the required impact the campaign becomes a waste of company money and time (Kelley and Jugenheimer 3). Considering this, the chosen media outlets have the required impact in reaching to a large audience. ... Advertising Goals This encompasses the need for the message noting that the chosen message should "attract, inform, entertain, promote, convince, and sell the product" to the audience, hence should be attractive and interesting (Kelley and Jugenheimer 5). Setting the advertising goals provides the marketing team the opportunity to ensure the message will meet all its requirements. The advertising focuses on capturing a market segment for the Starbucks coffee products aged 25-50 years from middle/upper middle class families. The reasons for targeting this market segment are their potential to spend on branded coffee on an affordable market compared to up-scale branded market coffee. Further, advertising will enable the coffee house retain the brand value and create customer confidence by showing despite the extensive expansion, the kiosk is still able to provide quality coffee products as the tradition. In addition, advertising will capture the concern of increasing retailers in coffee, which is significantly eroding the customer base, making it important to have a market niche, and build towards maintaining it. Target audience The advertising will target the general populace, but offer a special emphasis on persons aged 25-50 from middle/upper middle class, who may not target the upper-scale retail shops but are willing to have brand coffee, such as provided by the Starbucks. The selling line will focus on showing this group that although coffee in upper market may be expensive; they can have the same excellent quality at a cheaper price that they can afford. The target audience will consider working people thus target them in the morning and evening. Marketing Strategy The advertising will start with a

Maintaining competence in nursing practice Essay - 1

Maintaining competence in nursing practice - Essay Example I believe that this is an important part of my nursing practice because it would help ensure that my patients would essentially be protected from harm. It is important for me to know about the legal requirements in the administration of medications. These legal requirements are important in order to avoid medication errors, to manage adverse drug reactions, to manage side effect, and to ensure the proper administration of the drug (Garrett and Craig, n.d). It is important for me to improve my legal knowledge about the proper administration of drugs and to know the proper prescribing, compounding, dispensing, administration, education, monitoring, and use of the drug (NCCMERP, 2007). I need to enhance my dispensation skills for these medicines because I would likely encounter and be asked to dispense medicines with similar packaging, medicines which are not commonly prescribed or commonly used, or medications which many patients are allergic to, and those which require testing to secu re proper therapeutic levels (Hughes and Blegen, n.d). Medications which also sound alike are possible causes for errors. These risks are part of the practice and represent areas which I need to focus on. I also need to consider the different â€Å"Rights† in medication administration in order to prevent medication errors. These â€Å"Rights† include the following: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time (Fogarty and McKeon, 2005). By mastering these aspects of drug administration, I would be complying with the minimum legal requirements for drug administration. It is also essential for me to participate in case review activities because these case review activities can help in the assessment and evaluation of cases and activities within the nursing practice. Each activity and case

Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Marijuana - Essay Example Marijuana is a drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa (also known as Cannabis Indica). The drug is popularly used either by smoking it using a rolled tobacco paper or placing it in a pipe. However, it can also be eaten, drunk as tea or injected intravenously. The drug takes on many names from region specific - kif in Morocco, dagga in South Africa and bhang in India- to street trademarks such as pot, weed, grass and Mary Jane. It also comes in different potencies with Ganja three time more potent than the ordinarily prepared marijuana and hashish five times more. The active ingredient pf the drug is called Delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol- the effects of which are characteristic of depressant drugs (Onaivi, 1990). The "illegal drug" label of marijuana did not come along because people just wanted to label it as such. Rather, it was caused by the many observed effects it had on its patients. Physically, marijuana was observed to have the following effects: dry mouth nausea, headache, nystagmus, tremor, decreased coordination, increased heart rate, altered pulmonary status, altered body temperature, reduced muscle strength, decreased cerebral blood flow and increased food consumption. The observed neuropsychotic effects of marijuana were: anxiety and panic, paranoia, confusion, aggressiveness, hallucinations, sedation, altered libido, possible suicidal ideation, depersonalization, derealization, poor sense of time, worsened short-term memory, addictive behaviors and amotivational syndrome. ( Losken et al, 1996); (Schuckit, 1989); (Hubbard et al, 1993); (Smart et al, 1982); (Nahas, 1977); (Benowitz; 1975) If marijuana use is made legal and available over the counter, you are actually exposing the general public to an avoidable harm. The studies have shown that marijuana has indeed detrimental and addicting properties. Why then would you pursue the legalization of a drug that you know, for certain, is dangerous Legalizing it would be an irresponsible act since you are actually making a dangerous drug accessible to individuals, some of whom who are actually incapable of discerning their acts and are reckless in their behavior. For sure, marijuana has medicinal properties such as euphoria, relaxation, sexual arousal and heightened sensations. But these benefits come with a heavy price. There are other drugs available in the market that can provide these medications minus the negative effects of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana because of these flimsy reasons is like acknowledging that some illegal drugs have medicinal benefits and can therefore be also legalized. It might be said that these effects are also exhibited by other regulated products such as alcohol. The question that now comes to mind is - "Why prohibit marijuana when all along other products, such as alcohol, with the same or even greater health risks are made legally available The answer lies in the general psyche of the public. Alcohol is deeply embedded in tradition and has been historically used for festivities or personal use. That is, it has already been accepted by the general public as an acceptable "drug". The problem with marijuana is that it is associated with drugs such as methamphetamine hydrochloride and cocaine. The association is not unfounded since the effects are not that far from other illegal drugs. Furthermore, marijuana has been proven to serve as a "gateway" to

Social Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social Security - Essay Example Social Contract (representative governance) This describes a model that typically shows cases and questions the origin of the society and the capability of the authority in place of a State over an individual (â€Å"The Social Contract†). â€Å"Man was born free and he is everywhere in chains†. Jean Jacques Rousseau, was the greatest theorists in the areas of social contract and natural rights. According to the belief of Rousseau, freedom was the best method to be used so as to self-maintain an individual. He tried to understand the freedom a person has and why they would subject themselves to the rule of a government rather than their own (â€Å"The Social Contract†). When related to social security, Social contract can form a basis where individuals of a state have a legal right to have access to their pension plans and are subjected to have an equal share of their stipulated benefits. The State despite being the governing body should have the capability to give those dependent on the plan their due right. As related to what Jean Jacques Rousseau states, â€Å"Man was born free and he is everywhere in chains† ( â€Å"The Social Contract†). b) Classical Liberalism (natural rights) This can be described as a political belief where the aim is securing the freedom of the individual by limiting the power of the state. Classic Liberalism in an economic factor can be related to respecting private property and free markets. Classical Liberalism should not be confused with democracy or American liberalism since an individual can be a liberal and not a democrat and socialism is slightly related to socialism (â€Å"Glossary of historical terms: Classical Liberalism†, 2003) Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,

EC Competition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EC Competition law - Essay Example It shall have no inherent or residual powers'. Enroute to European integration, community legislation could not serve the intended purpose and therefore the need was felt for a differentiated range of instruments, besides the traditional legislative ones. The essence of a state based on the rule of law is that the law binds its government actions. The article further states, 'all powers which the Member States enjoy by virtue of their sovereignty, and which they have not conferred on the Union pursuant to this Treaty, remain within the exclusive competence of the Member States'. It effectively means governing within the boundaries of the law, in conformity with certain principles on which a constitutional state is based and which indicate the limits to the powers to be exercised, with a view to ensuring the freedom and liberty of citizens. Further clarifying, the article states 'the conferment of powers on the Union shall not in itself restrict the powers of the Member States in respect of the same subject-matter, except in the areas identified in Article 9 of this Treaty as falling within the exclusive competence of the Union'. ... In this regard, the principle of conferred powers is of crucial importance, as it determines when the EC and its institutions are competent to act. (b). Article 3(1)(g) states, 'he Community's competition rules are not an end in themselves; they are primarily a condition for achieving the common (or internal) market'3. The aim is 'a system ensuring that competition in the internal market is not distorted'. Thus in the three areas of application of these rules (concerted practices, abuse of dominant position and state aid), prohibition is limited to practices that have an impact on trade between Member States and excludes those that only affect trade within a State. Thus prohibited practices are those 'which may affect trade between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market' This legislative article is part of a broader internal marketing strategy and aims at consolidating respective member state's markets. The strategy is aimed at strengthening the foundations of the internal market. It desires that barriers to trade in goods and services must be eliminated, and it must be ensured that European legislation is applied and implemented correctly. The strategy therefore sets out a list of priorities and a schedule for putting them into practice. The concept of internal market is one of the essential cornerstones of EU. It is the culmination of the treaty of Rome, which provided for the creation of a 'common market' based on the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. It is based on the principles of non-discrimination and mutual recognition. Such a mechanism is supposed to function as a control

Thomas Wolsey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thomas Wolsey - Essay Example However, Wolsey was no false-faced upstart, but a highly intelligent fellow. It is reported that, "he took his degree as a Bachelor of the Arts at the very early age of fifteen, which so impressed the scholars at Oxford that he was called the 'boy-bachelor'" (Ridley, 1982, p. 18). Later he also took an M.A. and became a headmaster. True, Wolsey had ambition, and his education, entry into the priesthood, and transitional positions were stepping-stones to a power, but who can fault ambition in a man of humble origins His father sent him to Oxford because he wanted a better life for his son. The law at the time was still skewed against the lower classes. Only a complete fool would not desire to move up in the socio-economic hierarchy, and Wolsey was far from a fool. He never had difficultly impressing his social superiors, beginning with his first patron, the Marquess of Dorset. Even though Dorset died shortly after appointing Wolsey rector, Wolsey had made other powerful friends, and soon became chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury and then the Governor of Calais, giving "Wolsey a wide experience of many sides of government, especially of relations with foreign countries, and a foothold in the government service" (Ridley, 1982, p. 22). In this politically sensitive outpost of English rule, Wolsey had "the opportunity to learn about the problems of many aspects of government administration and to show his efficiency in dealing with them (Ridley, 1982, p. 23). He must maintain the lines of communication between the Crown and those owing allegiance to England in Calais; he must keep an eye on the French military and guard against French spies. These things he did without Henry VIII, who was not yet king. In fact, as a result of his skillful work in Calais, Wolsey became a chaplain in Henry VII's court and worked with those who made foreign policy. He succeeded, on his own, on sensitive diplomatic missions to Scotland, Austria, and the Netherlands, while receiving special dispensations from the Church. Prior to Henry VIII's ascension, Wolsey garnered remarkable power and prestige by navigating his responsibilities and balancing his social connections, for which reasons alone we must discard the idea that his later power and prestige sprung directly from manipulation and deceit toward the King. When Henry VIII came to power, "The accession of a handsome and dashing young king in place of his cautious and money-grasping father was welcomed by the people" (Ridley, 1982, p. 28), but it was the differences between the two kings that allowed Wolsey to rise through the ranks. The old King had been conservative and dedicated to his role as King. The young King was fiscally liberal and immediately began taping the coffers for clothes, jewels, and parties. He resented boring duties and disliked those who advised him to spend more time at them. Wolsey knew how to please the king. While others "urged Henry to preside at Council meetings, as his father had done, and to devote his time to affairs of the state, Wolsey offered to carry out all the work of government while Henry hunted and amused himself[Wolsey] found out what the king wanted, and did it" (Ridley, 1982, p.

User generated content Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

User generated content - Coursework Example User Generated Content has affected the hotel industry in a big way. With the advent of social media and various travel websites, the consumers and the viewers can easily post their feedbacks or review about a particular Hotel. The major impact in this case for the Hotel industry has been in the form of online reputation that is created by the reviews of the travelers across the world. Concerning negative online reviews, the larger part in the hospitality industry has a somewhat uplifting disposition. Negative UGC about ones lodging is seen as a chance for further enhancing administrations or figuring out all the more about requirements and wishes of clients. With respect to which are considered after negative UGC showed up Schmallegger & Carson (2008) contend that amending unfavorable presumptions specifically on the stage would be less satisfactory. As the consequences of a research demonstrate that a dominant part of the lodgings would cooperate with the author of the remark and attempt to determination it firsthand. Only a few of them would ignore it and let it go for legal actions. The user generated review helps the hotels in improving their service towards their consumers. Another impact of these reviews which cannot be neglected is the effect of ranking of the hotels on the basis of the review in the various travel websites. Generally, we have seen that, t he ratings of the reviews provided by the customers decide on the positioning of the hotel in a travel websites. An alternate intriguing conclusion produced by a study is that once a purchaser has stood up with great reviews and appraisals, lower estimating no more recommends lower quality. On the off chance that the review is great, the lodging is great. This understanding gives inn income chiefs the chance to play with valuing to create fleeting interest without adversely effecting

Issues in Family business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Issues in Family business - Essay Example A family business is different from a traditional business because the business stakeholders are related to each other unlike the conventional business where stakeholders are individuals and not related by blood. Secondly, in a family business there are three primary roles and they are family, ownership and business. The family means relationships, i.e. mom, dad, son etc, ownership means who owns the business (who are the primary stockholders) and business means people who work at the business. Since, the business is tied together with more than just professional attitudes the day to day functioning of the business is not as easy as it seems. Conflicts occur more in family businesses as compared to the traditional business and these conflicts are extremely hard to resolve especially if there are close blood relations (Family Business Conflict Resolution). With emotions playing a vital role in decision making, not everything is simple as it may seem. While traditional business success can be judged by a lot factors which include use of technology, level and capability of resources, growth opportunities, using electronic commerce for business, customer satisfaction, customer retention and the company’s market share (Top 7 critical Business Success Factors 2000). Family business can only be judged using special factors that take into consideration the dynamics of the family business. One of the most important factors in accessing the success of a family business is to determine whether work boundaries are specified or not. For the smooth running of a business it is necessary that the roles of individuals are well defined and communicated (Essentials for Family Business Success). In a family business it is easy that roles may often be neglected or might not even be defined. In such situations a single person gets overburdened with work while the others simply remain absent from work.

Representation of Racism in Gone With the Wind Essay

Representation of Racism in Gone With the Wind - Essay Example It is from media that we learn how to dress, talk and act appropriately. The impact media has on our lives is so enormous that it is necessary to learn to understand the message it’s trying to portray, the right way. Media is also a means of integrating cultural values in us. It increases a person’s power with respect to the culture and gives him an upper hand in his culture (Douglas Kellner). Cultural studies have given a lot to the criticism of media and to increase knowledge about it. The University of Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies has built up a number of ways to carry out critical experiments to analyze, interpret and criticize cultural pieces. After a series of struggles, the center of focus of Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies is class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and nationality as represented by cultural media. They study the effect of media and how different groups interpret the media differently and what was the cause of the difference in their interpretations. Cultural studies have made it easier to analyze and inspect the whole culture without having prejudices beforehand regarding some other cultural medium. Studies being conducted about Hollywood movies of mid 20th century show how they are more political rather than cultural (Douglas Kellner). A dumb blonde is one of the many common stereotypes. A blonde is by default assumed to be dumb, yet wildly attractive with a great body and she gets special treatment from men everywhere. This stereotype is highly offensive yet still holds true in almost all scenarios. The act of stereotyping is not a new one neither is the accusation of it being offensive and nor is the defensive blow that it is what the truth is. But the question is why is stereotyping an object of protest even though it is not completely false and why is it different from other simplifications and classifications (Judith Andre). Stereotyping refers to the firmness and the ina bility to change of an object (such as metallic plates, from which the word ‘stereotyping’ originates) being used metaphorically. Concerning modern era, the stereotype is taken to mean an easy oversimplified assumption, which a certain group falls under without any change. Psychologists use this term to define an unyielding personality trait in a person. Stereotyping does not take into account proofs that negate the stereotyping. Stereotypes are made because of the human mind’s resistance in face of change. Color-blind racism was the type of racism which prevailed after the civil war. Colorblind racism is making one look like he’s not racist yet his action says otherwise and having doubts about the blacks anyhow. This type of racism is based on a number of factors. After the civil war, whites had stopped discriminating the blacks directly and with their words, but they strategically used deep meaning words to express their views to discriminate the blacks. Media also helped in projecting colorblind racism and there were some other small factors as well (Eduardo Bonilla-Silva). In the modern times, when whites talk about black with respect to their race, their words are marked with doubt. T

Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay What is ambition? Ambition is described as eager for success, power or fame. For Macbeth. Ambition was what drove him to become great, it forced him to change his nature towards evil. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was portrayed as a courageous soldier who fought for his King without mercy. But once the witches planted the seeds of greater things and Lady Macbeth fuelled his ambition, which lead him to become greedy and power hungry. Macbeth was led down to an unescapable road of doom by an outside force, namely fate in the form of the three witches. There was no supernatural force working against Macbeth, which therefore makes him responsible for his own actions and inevitable downfall. Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own actions, which are provoked by an unwillingness to listen to his own conscience, the witches, and his ambition. The witches tempted Macbeth with their prophecies, which made Macbeth ¡Ã‚ ¦s heart and mind slowly filled with ambition and his huger for power. The witches predicted, at the beginning of the play, that Macbeth would soon become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the outright King. They tell Macbeth this, simply to ignite what would finally end up in him taking the life of King Duncan. Ambition, no matter how small, builds up, and becomes a need. When this ambition is built up and encouraged, it can influence a persons decision. Macbeth went to three witches, who prophesized that he would become King. This got Macbeth thinking of how he can become King. At this time, he was still unsure of whether he would take any action toward gaining the crown. When he comes back to his house, Lady Macbeth convinces him to murder King Duncan, through emotionally degrading him, shown in the quote: Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour/ As thou art in desire? (Act I, Scene IV). This quote shows how Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeths decision, because after hearing about the prophecy, she also had the ambition for her husband to become King. Macbeth slowly becomes accustomed to killing and does it more easily and without remorse. For example, after Macbeth becomes king, he begins to worry about the second part of the prophecy, when Banquos sons become kings. Knowing that he will not have any heirs, Macbeth dreads the idea of the  seeds of Banquo kings. Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance (3.1.70-73). Since he committed a sinful act to fulfill his desire become king, Macbeth does not want to lose everything he got to Banquos royal bloodline This shows how corrupt and villainous Macbeth has become; he will not let anything, not even friendship, get in the way of his desire to be the King of Scotland. And if the destruction of friendship is not a symbol of how strong Macbeths ambition truly is, then the manslaughter of an innocent mans entire family is. When Macbeth sees the three apparitions, one of them tells him to beware Macduff. Surprisingly, after Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, he responds by declaring that he will give to the edge o the sword his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. (4.1.151-153). This shows how corrupt and evil Macbeth has become; he doesnt even care about who hes killing anymore. A wife and kids symbolizes purity and love in a mans life; the fact that Macbeth doesnt even consider the moral consequences of destroying a loving family and killing children shows how filled with ambition he has become. Macbeth is so afraid of losing to Macduff that he believes that by killing his family, Macduff will be broken beyond repair and not be able to face Macbeth. Unfortunately, he does not count on a certain someone to heighten Macduffs hopes to slaying Macbeth by using his sorrow to his advantage. That certain someone is Malcolm, the son of Duncan. After the murder of his father, Malcolms ambition to destroy Macbeth becomes so strong that he forgets all moral values and disregards the feelings of others; this ambition represents revenge. Though Malcolm is able to understand the feelings of others, he lets nothing stop him from achieving his goal; this is either due to his inexperience of the world, or because he is too bent on revenge to think about anything else. When Macduff learns that his family is murdered, he begins to despair. Malcolm, not wanting to let anything get in the way of his ambition, tells Macduff to dispute it like a man. (4.3.221). Since Malcolm is a young man; he does not have a wife or kids and disregards Macduffs pain as a sign of weakness. Note that even if Malcolm had a family and understood Macduffs pain fully, he would still have been reckless and put revenge above anything else. Malcolms  father was a good man who lost his life at the hands of the man he trusted the most; Malcolm is not going to let Macduffs personal tragedy get in the way of his goal of destroying Macbeth. When Macduff responds by saying that first he must feel pain like a man, Malcolm responds by telling Macbeth to make his grief be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it. (4.3.230- 231). While Malcolm is more understanding of the pain Macduff feels, he still convinces him to move on. When he says let grief convert to anger, he means for Macduff to use his sorrow as his anger so he can move on with his life and destroy the man responsible for his sorrow: Macbeth. Malcolm truly does feel bad about Macduff losing his family, but unlike Macduff, he has no family to worry about and has not experienced every pain and sorrow Macduff has been through. Given this evidence, it is evident how much ambition Malcolm has for destroying Macbeth. Macbeth is not fully to blame for his ambition clouding his judgment since the audience knows that Lady Macbeth has him kill Duncan so she can be Queen; this ambition represents power. While Macbeth is to blame for all he has done to his country, his wife started a chain reaction that sent Macbeth down this dark path. Had Macbeth not told his wife about the prophecies, she would not have become so obsessed with power and she would not have sent her husband to kill Duncan so she could be Queen faster†¦and all of Macbeths victims would be alive and well. Lady Macbeth wants so desperately to gain power, she begs of the immortals to unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! (1.5.41-43). Lady Macbeth is asking the spirits (or gods†¦Im not quite sure; its pretty vague) to make her cruel and unforgiving so she can do the terrible deed of killing Duncan. This shows how evil and impatient Lady Macbeth is; had she waited for Duncan to promote Mac beth, she could have been Queen without her husband having to kill anyone, Macbeth would still have been a good person, and they would not have had to suffer so much guilt for all they did. Later, after Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, she boasts about the drugs that which hath made them drunk Sprouse  hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire. Now Lady  Macbeth is almost certain that they will not fail; her ambition has clouded her better judgment and ignored the possibility of guilt haunting her and her husband. This ambition, the ambition of power, is by far the most deadly of all ambitions. If you want power so badly and very quickly, you forget about all the consequences that might come from it. In Lady Macbeths case, her consequence for her actions was the loss of her sanity and restless nights thinking about what she made her husband do, eventually causing her to take her own life. This being said, I think it is safe to say that too much ambition is NOT a promise of power or a sign of greatness.

Psy-Trance in the Realm of Disco Essay Example for Free

Psy-Trance in the Realm of Disco Essay Admittedly so, being myself no less a stranger than a fan of the latent psychedelic rave culture of the last decade, with its steady pounding trance-inducing techno-grove, I was altogether rather curious to discover just what kind of a picture that Richard Dryer had to present in his famous essay (Dryer, 1979). For years, before they lost most of their covert appeal, stealing away to a Rave was somewhat popular for my generation; at least in the places where I grew up. So there was just something exciting to me, anticipating what he was about to relate of this earlier pop culture often rumored to share the same DNA of the psy-trance music of today’s Technocratic Age. It seems as if disco, understandably at its time a more readily accessible form of escapism had also quickly spread to far off distant lands overseas. It was probably the anticipation of some new and exotic twist that I was about to discover of the past that suddenly had my head inadvertently bobbing back and forth to some memorable however invisible beat. It seems to happen almost instinctually that way. Somehow, even before I turned the first page, my mind wandered to that pounding ecstasy-driven scene at the very beginning of the movie Blade, 1 where the music intense as it is drives the scene so powerfully that you just cannot stand still. There is just slightest sense of horror though, because everybody including the audience knows the inevitable; except that careless fool who has allowed lust to direct him into a den of vampires. The strobe lights pierce the atmosphere bouncing off the ceiling and all over the walls; forcing a familiar rush of anxiety. Soon, he is set to become their latest entree. It’s that environment of undisputable cool, the fashion, and the excitement that I love, but you can keep the blood. Dyer employs the analysis of a socialist and goes to great lengths to dissuade any notions that disco is just some crude form of capitalist production. He then launches into his narrative charging disco with three distinct characteristics: egotism – romanticism – and materialism. Although he somewhat claims that his argument is not as simple as capitalism is evil, in time you get the sense that Dyer really believes that all music is created with some measure of subversive super-sexual intent in mind. Disco he calls â€Å"naked eroticism† (Ibid). However, he sees it in a better light than the simple patriarchal rhythms of rock and roll, â€Å"rock’s eroticism is thrusting, grinding – it is not whole body, but phallic†¦ even when preformed by women – rock remains indelibly phallocentric music† (Ibid). The movement and the culture which would grow up around this musical genre are shown in light of a powerful force that would ultimately come to influence the future of gay politics in the United States. Suddenly, I had found that unexpected nuance from out of disco’s past that I was searching for. In the end, he states his case. Disco he believes has an ability to celebrate the intensity of romantic adoration and the lament of being let down at the same time. It is the tension between the two that he seems to be reaching for. All that I know, is that when I used to hit those clubs late at night, I just wanted to dance. If Dyer seems to take a hatchet to this subject, in Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied): Repetitive Musics and Recombinant Desires, Susan McClary employs a scalpel. However, her unique intellectual dexterity makes her tool that much more devastating. She neatly deconstructs old arguments that she seems to believe were built upon over-wrought modalities of Western tradition; that have today simply gone astray. Disco is placed along the side of other â€Å"repetition-driven [pursuits] of ecstasy(p7)† along with the avant-garde minimalist schools of thought coming out of the 1960’s. 2 McClary dives into a narrative that focuses upon stripping away illusions. She gives us a nice panoramic view of the minimalist history and the creative motives that evolved into the psy-trance music that became known as disco. At the heart of her prolonged study is a reliance upon what she calls an â€Å"analytical argument (p7) †¦ built around an in-dept comparison of form and process in Steve Reich’s Music for Eighteen Musicians (1999) and Donna Summers [and Moroder’s] Love to Love You Baby (1975). She naturally rejects the argument that disco is solely a minimalist form which is inherently non-teleological (without design or purpose). This may appear to be a neat stretch for those in the know. But, I was just happy to be along for the ride. As with Dyer, McClary argues against â€Å"traditional hierarchies of musical value† (p9). To her, Reich is the minimalist reaching for the edges of a musical trance-like state, and Summer is the erotic practitioner who belts out a classic vamp that surprisingly simulates an amazing 22 orgasms (p11). At last, she reaches just that much closer to what I have come to believe that the great body of psy-trance music is really all about; even thought she quickly abandons it. However, it is here that she poses her most salient point: â€Å"Teleological music’s ‘climax mechanism’ is akin to the [Western male] orgasm; teleology is thus the drive to orgasm; banishing teleology must mean banishing orgasm. Minimal music is anti-teleological, and is thus akin to trantric [‘Oriental’] sex, where the ability to put the [male] body into orgasm-defying stasis even as it engages in what for most humans is the most goal-directed activity imaginable is the sign of profound yogic accomplishment†(p12) Both of these authors seem to be seeking the same thing; just going about it in their own separate way. Yet, they both seem to miss the point as far as I am concerned because the aim of this psy-trance music is the same wherever it may be found. It is the search for that endless climatic moment that leads to a higher spiritual purpose. This same search for heavenly escapism can be found in many of the native Indian dance rituals that can be found right here in America. Even thought this spiritual quest has so often been obscured by the popular use of hallucinogenic drugs, still the psychedelic-techno music, the dark covert meeting places, and the strict social boundaries often found together in the mix wherever this type of pure eroticism abounds; all of it has a purpose. Even when the ‘raves’ were popular just a few years ago, still it seemed that even this generation could find some higher meaning in the heat of the dance. The pounding repetitious beat that always seemed to somehow naturally marshal the entire crowd into a circle; why does this always seem to happen? It is all a part of that necessary escapism just like that which draws thousands of young Israeli men to travel each winter far away from their homes and to a place called Goa in southern India. They are called Goa freaks (Saldanha, 2006), because they live a solitary existence almost like zombies forever strung out on ecstasy. However, it is the abandonment to the music that draws them there in order to find a solitary refuge, while being seduced into a trance-state that perhaps will help them to forget the anguish of their shattered lives.

Behavioral Systems Theory Utilization and Application

Behavioral Systems Theory Utilization and Application A body or collection of knowledge that is of most use in giving definitions and explanation to the profession of nursing is referred to as a nursing theory. Theories are based on assumptions made up of models, concepts, definitions, and propositions. Croyle (2005) defines a good theory as one that is logical, supported by a past research in the same field, consistent with everyday observations. Florence Nightingale is seen as the forerunner of nursing theories although she never really came up with any theory in action today. She wrote a book about her nursing experiences giving way to numerous nursing theories. This paper is about the utilization and application of a nursing theory in addressing a clinical issue. Of particular interest is Dorothy Johnsons Behavioral systems model (Johnson, 1980). This paper attempts to identify a clinical problem in the society and apply the principles of Johnsons theory in finding the solution to the problem. The issue identified is aggressive beha vior in the elderly living in long-term care nursing homes. In the nursing profession, theories form a very vital part of the system. The main aim of nursing theories is description, explanation, and prediction of nursing phenomenon. A good theory in this field therefore ensures better patient care, professionalism, and better communication between nurses and above all provides guidance on further research and education in the field. A good theory has provisions for foundations of the nursing practice to help in the generation of further knowledge and giving good direction to the field. A theory shows what we already know and what we need to find out thus in nursing, it plays a central role in caring for patients. Theories thus go a long way in the development of the profession. Dorothy Johnson is the proponent of the Behavioral Systems model. Born in Georgia on the 21st of august 1919, she received her A.A in 1938 from Armstrong Junior College. In 1942, she graduated from the Vanderbilt University with a B.S.N. she got her M.P.H. from Harvard University in 1948. She was involved in teaching pediatric nursing at Vanderbilt University before joining the University of California in Los Angeles. Johnson (1980) states that the eight subsystems of behavior are interdependent, interactive and integrated at the same time. According to her, humans are behavioral systems made up of the following seven subsystems: the achievement deals with setting and attaining goals while the affinitive forms relationships with others. The aggressive/protective has the function of responding to threats and providing protection to ones self while the dependency subsystem obtains necessary feedback about the self and goes ahead to recognize the need to depend on others. Whereas the eliminative part expresses feelings to the outside world and is involved in the elimination of wastes from the body system, the ingestive is involved in the intake of the ever so valuable nutrients and acquiring knowledge. The sexual subsystem is for recreation, development of gender based identity and having sexual relationships with others. In other words, the seven subsystems need to be in good conditions and in actio n for a normal healthy human being. Interaction between the seven subsystems is in turn interrelated and connected such that they influence each other in delivering their various duties. However, the seven subsystems do not go it alone as they are also acted on, significantly, by external factors. For Johnson, the environment is the main external factor as it includes anything and everything outside the person in question. The physical, socio-cultural and to some extent even the economic factors form part of the external actors on the subsystems. Aggressive behavior is a social issue and the society forms the major part of the external environment. The main role played by nurses is thus helping the affected individual return to the normal balance of the seven subsystems. To achieve the possible ultimate functioning behavior, the nurses at the care facilities have to make the social environment of the patients comfortable so they feel at ease. When the subsystem fails to develop fully and/or does not get sufficient supply of something, it easily falls out of balance. At other times there is discrepancy meaning that the subsystem is not doing enough to attain the end goal, which is being in the best state. Conflict between the components of the subsystem is not good for the body just as much as one of the subsystems being dominant in action over the rest. They are the major causes of imbalance in the subsystem that results in people not feeling well and consequently falling ill. In the case of aggressive behavior, the aggressive subsystem is dominant over the other subsystems. When this energy is not channeled in the right direction clinical issues arise. These can be witnessed in form of violence, or aggressive language (Croyle, 2005). Regulation of behavior is the best way for the person to get back the balance hence is well again. The nurses at the care facilities for the elderly have to pay attention to any changes in the behavior of their patients. Alteration of the internal as well as external environment while n some cases stimulation of the recovery process goes a long way in aiding the patient to return to the normal balance. The unfamiliar environment in the facilities sometimes causes aggressive behavior, especially amongst the elderly in the care facilities. Elderly people at the facilities need the nurses to help with the aggressive behavior (Croyle, 2005). It is Johnsons belief that the basic responsibility of the nurse is to support the patient restore balance when lost and in case of imbalance then, achieve the status quo, which would mean return to normal balance. Nurses, therefore, need to be patient with patients with aggressive behavior if they are to get to the cause of the problem. Most aggressive behavior is caused by anger and emotional stress. It is thus upon the nurse to create conducive external environment for the patient to open up. Thanks to research and the advancement of science, it is now easier to identify and pinpoint where the problem comes from. In her analysis and development of the theory, Johnson did not fail to mention the contribution and effects of the environment to the body. Here the environment is divided into external and internal, the internal being the subsystems while the external include anything outside the body. On health, the theory holds that a healthy person is one with a perfect balance and stability in the operations of the seven subsystems. The nurse has a role to play in the regulation of the balance whenever there is instability in the system. External and internal environments are the main causes of aggression or aggressive behavior. Various parts of the body contribute differently to aggressive behavior. The brain is the major controller of aggressive behavior. The brain is in charge of controlling expression of both automatic and behavioral components of aggression. This includes violent behavior and vocal expression. The brain picks up signals from both the external and internal environments and expresses them in form of aggression. Whenever the individual feels threatened or uncomfortable, they become aggressive in their talk, throwing insults, and demeaning words. It becomes worse when they turn violent to release the anger they have inside. By elderly people, we mean those from the age of 65 and above, most of which have retired. These people are normally seen as a bother to their loved ones as their needs increase from the normal. They thus need more care which cannot be provided at home so they are often taken to nursing homes where they can get the proper care. Because of old age and stress from retirement. These people have difficulty coping with the changes around them and their behavior changes. Some become aggressive while others develop mental problems making long-term nursing homes the best to take proper care of these individuals. There are numerous long-term care facilities ranging from mental institutions for the mentally handicapped to nursing homes where there are available facilities to assist them in their daily livelihoods. Most of these facilities are homes to the elderly and those with terminal illnesses. Of the seven subsystems, the aggressive part of their systems is more active than the rest. They thus face life-changing issues and try their level best to deal with the emotional as well as mental challenges. Nurses in these facilities are particularly faced with dealing with mental issues that come with aggression. Behavioral problems often arise from the patients effort to deal with his emotions or simply express them. The behavior ranges from repeating questions or phrases, humming, pacing up and down, to repetitive behavior. Aggressive behavior includes throwing things, punishing language and even hitting (Parker, 2001). Nurses in these institutions have to pay keen attention to such aggressive behavior and identify which of the seven subsystems is not functioning properly thus help these patients restore balance in their systems. It could be dependence, the attachment, or the aggressive causing a change in behavior. The dependence in the sense that the patient who was used to taking care of himself now finds it frustrating when he has to rely on others for all his needs. The attachment comes in when the patient struggles to form new relationships at the care facilities and being kept away from the existing relationships. Normally the patient plays a role in the behavioral system model of treatment but in dealing with mental complications, especially the ones accompanied by aggressive behavior. Most of the effort is required from the part of the nurse who has to be patient with the patient. Ones the subsystem causing the change in behavior has been identified, the nurse goes ahead to ensure conducive external environment to aid the patient to full recovery. The patient has to feel comfortable in the care facility because any irritation or discomfort agitates them. The patient is incapable of controlling their feelings or emotions and may be aggressive in expressing what they feel. The nurse therefore has a duty to stimulate the internal environment to be peaceful through the external. It is not easy to take care of mentally ill patients because the problem lies within their minds. The best way to help the patient is by finding out what changed in their past behavior. What happened before they became ill is crucial in determining the problem and adjusting the environment in an attempt to direct the patient to recovery of the balance in the subsystem. Depression is one of the commonest common mental-health problems in health facilities. Loneliness, fear of death, helplessness, frustration, anger, and hopelessness are some of the challenges of post-retirement faced by the elderly. Depression has many symptoms one of them having trouble falling asleep (Parker, 2001). These symptoms are often seen as complications and most people try treating them instead of observing change of behavior in the individual and restoring balance. Depression can be solved by improving the external environment of the patient. Mavis et al (2011) states that anti-depressants are available and can be used to treat depression. He continues to state that the elderly always have difficulties with their carers thus adding more problems to the recovery process. The nurse should involve the patient in support groups; give medication to stimulate recovery of the internal environment, and involving them in activities that spark their interests. Individual therapy and interaction with loved ones is vital for the recovery of these patients. Depression is a mental complication and just like others, it affects the mind. The nurses have a responsibility to try to stimulate the mind in the right direction to encourage quick recovery and development of the mental system. Mavis (2011) confirms that some of the causes of depression include illness, loneliness, an adverse life-event, and even some medication. According to him, depression is an insight to more cognitive problems that the elderly have to deal with. This is where the environment comes in. the internal, (subsystems), have to be kept in balance. The external environment helps the patient fit in properly and be free with the nurses. The patient opens up easily to discuss problems when the surrounding is to his comfort. Nurses have to help them fit in to the care centers. In conclusion, the behavioral system theory is very useful in the treatment of mental illnesses. The mind is affected by the bodys subsystems and ensuring restoration of balance in the subsystems will go a long way in treatment of mental illnesses especially among the elderly. Not being able to express their feelings to the carers is a big problem to the resolution of aggressive behavior. Improving their environment and making the patient comfortable calms them down and thus improve the internal environment as well.