The Saga of Erik the Red Essay Example for Free

The Saga of Erik the Red Essay The real name of Eric the Red was â€Å"Eirikr Thorvaldsson† (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). He was a Viking and Norse chieftain born in Jaeder district of south-west Norway (Ingrid Shumway, 2005) in 950 AD (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). His father name was Thorvald Asvaldsson (Duncan Thompson, 2006). Eric is given the name of Eric the Red because he had red beard, red hairs (Jan Furst, 2004) and florid complexion (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). His father was exiled from Norway in 960 AD because he murdered a person there (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). The family moved to Iceland and settled in a Norse colony on the coast of Iceland (Jan Furst, 2004). After some years his father dead and Eric married a woman Thorhild (Duncan Thompson, 2006). After some years Eric the Red was exiled for three years from the country because he got involved in the murder of some people (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). He then decided to explore the land which was at a distance of about 500 miles west of Iceland (Jan Furst, 2004). Eric heard about the land from different people. Later on Eric gave this land a name that was Greenland (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). It is believed that Gunnjborn Ulf-Krakuson (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976) was the first person who reached Greenland when he was accidentally pushed by the harsh winds towards the land (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric made his voyage towards the land in 982 (Jan Furst, 2004) and spent three years in exploring different parts and coasts of the land (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). He established the first Nordic settlement in Greenland (Jan Furst, 2004) and he is called the founder of Greenland (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). After three years of banishment he returned to Iceland (Jan Furst, 2004) and told people about new land and gave it a name of Greenland to attract people towards it (Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, 2007). He then made another journey with a group of people towards Greenland in 985. These people were settled in Greenland and established their colonies there. The land grew prosper and soon there were 3000 people living there (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric was also one of the early Viking explorers of North America (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). He was willing to explore more lands along with his children however he was injured after falling from horse (Jan Furst, 2004) and didn’t managed to go with them. He lived in his farm in the Greenland till his death in 1003 (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Eric Exiled from Iceland Eric came to Iceland as a child as his father was exiled from Norway when he murdered a person there (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). Eric the Red was settled down in Iceland along with his family. He got married with Thorhild (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976) who was the daughter of Jorund Atlisson (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). He received some land at Eriksstadir in Haukadale from Jorund Atlisson as a dowry (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). He built his farm on the land (Jan Furst, 2004). He didn’t get any lesson from the mistake of his father and in 982 following the footprints of his father, Eric also murdered some people. Thorgest was the neighbor of Eric who borrowed few wooden bench boards from him (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Thorgest refused to return the bench boards and Eric went to his home enquiring about them and tried to steal them. They started fighting and eventually Eric murdered two sons of Thorgest (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Some historians have also stated that the wooden bench marks were not the matter of dispute among them but there were some â€Å"diasposts† (UXL Newsmakers, 2005) that Eric leave with Thorgest for some time and when Eric ask to give them back, Thorgest refused. These diasposts were symbols of Vikings authority and possess great religious significance for Eric that why he was much concerned about getting them back from Thorgest. The second incident was the murder of Valthjof (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). Some slaves of Eric started landslides on the farm of Valthjof, in return he murdered the slaves as punishment. Eric took the revenge of his slaves’ deaths (Duncan Thompson, 2006) and killed Valthjof (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). These murders became the basis for the Eric banishment from the Iceland. Thorgest went to the court and complained about the murder of his sons (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric was found offender and the judge Thorness Thing (Chuck Ayoub, 2004) exiled him from Norway and Iceland. He then decided to explore the land which was about 500 miles west from Iceland. The Voyage towards Greenland After exiled from Iceland and Norway, Eric had no other way to go and live. He decided to explore a new land which was situated at the western side of Iceland at a distance of about 500 miles. It could be seen from the peaks of the mountains standing in the western island (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric has also heard about the land from different people. The land was already explored accidentally by Gunnjborn Ulf-Krakuson (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976) who was pushed towards the land by the harsh winds. After him another sailor Sn? bjorn Galti reached the land. Galti was the first Norseman who attempted to establish a colony in Greenland however he failed to do so after facing severe disasters (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Finally Eric decided to explore the land. He arranges a boat called â€Å"Knorrs† (Duncan Thompson, 2006) that could be helpful throughout his journey. The Vikings used to travel in long boats (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976) and Eric also selected a 100 foots long boat for him and started his voyage. Exploring Greenland The journey was very tough however they managed to reach the southern part of the island. He then moved towards the west coast and settle in that part of the island Ingrid Shumway, 2005). When he reached the land, he found it bit warmer then Iceland. He saw that there were fertile meadowlands that could be best place for farming and keeping the animals. There were many wild animals present in the island but there were no signs of human life (Jan Furst, 2004). Eric decided to establish a colony in the land. Eric the Red passed three years of banishment in the island. He kept on exploring different parts of Island during these three years. He spend his first winter in Eiriksey, the second winter he moved towards Eiriksholmar and in the third summer he explored the northern part of the island and stayed at Snaefell and Hrafnsfjord (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Back to Iceland After spending three years of exile, Eric returned to Iceland (Ingrid Shumway, 2005) where he told people stories of the new land that he discovered during the last three years. He gave name of â€Å"Greenland† to the island in order to attract the people towards it (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). Iceland was getting over populated and people were looking for some place where they could have more land for farming and houses (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). The Eric’s portrayal of Greenland attracts many people and they took it as a great opportunity to move towards a land that seems more fertile and favorable for them Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Many Icelanders showed their intentions for traveling towards the new island Greenland. Second Voyage towards Greenland Eric spent a winter in the Iceland and then in 985 (Duncan Thompson, 2006) finally he began his second trip to the Greenland. At this time many people were following him (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). They prepare themselves for the tough journey. People keep their gears and livestock with them in the long boats and then they started their voyage on 25 boats Ingrid Shumway, 2005). The journey was very tough and just 14 boats out of 25 succeeded to reach the destination safely along with their livestock and other luggage. Out of the rest 11 boats some were destroyed in the sea and some people also go back when they find it difficult to reach the new island. Among the 350 survivors (Duncan Thompson, 2006) some became sick and some got injuries also. However the team reached the island and became the first European group to reach this destination (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). Settlement in Greenland These people started their lives in Greenland. In the beginning there were two colonies established on the west coast of the island. One was eastern settlement and another was western settlement. Eric gave new colonies the names of Eystribygg? nd Vestribygg? respectively (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Both of these two colonies were established in western coast of the island because only that land was suitable for farming (Duncan Thompson, 2006). The other parts were not fertile and suitable for farming or livelihood. Very soon Middle settlement was also established. Eric choose suitable place for his home and farm and start lining at their like lords along with his family. Eric was also given the title of â€Å"paramount chieftain of Greenland† (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Eric the Red not only got lot of respect from the people but also become wealthy. He lived with his wife and four children. He had three sons Leif, Thorvald, and Thorstein and a daughter named Freydis (Duncan Thompson, 2006). Eric belonged to pagan religion (Tiffany Kaylor, 1976). His con Leif become a follower of Christianity and spread the religion among the people settles in Greenland (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). He was considered as the person who brings Christianity in Greenland. The wife of Erik also turned to Christianity and she was the one who build this first Christian church of the America along with his son Leif on their farm (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Why â€Å"Greenland†? When Eric the Red came back Iceland and told people about the new land that he explored he gave the land a name â€Å"Greenland† because he want to attract people towards the new land. He made the new island appealing for the people of Iceland who were suffering from overpopulation and food shortage (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric the Red believed that name of a land could have great impact on the mind of people that’s why he selected a name that express the quality of island and make people to think about it. He explained his logic that â€Å"people would be attracted to go there if it had a favorable name (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). There were many reasons behind his thought of attracting people towards Greenland. Eric was exiled from Iceland after committing murders of some people so he doesn’t have good reputation among the Icelanders. Eric want to restore his good will that’s why he talk about new land and show sympathy for the people who were facing difficulties in surviving in Iceland (Duncan Thompson, 2006). He was also aware of the fact that in order to make a successful settlement in Greenland it is necessary that he should have cooperation of many people. That’s why he attracted and encouraged people so that they join him in his second voyage. Eric possessed good qualities of salesmanship and he utilized these skills very (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). He made people to decide for migration and many people were among him in his second voyage (Ingrid Shumway, 2005). Eric show people wrong picture of the new island so that they went with him. While living in Greenland, Eric choose that best part of land for himself and made his house in the eastern settlement which was the most fertile and green part of the island. (Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, 2007). He did all that just because he wanted more people to move towards Greenland. Iceland was already overpopulated. Eric the Red had already realized that it would be difficult for him to have more land area for farming and living in Iceland whereas in Greenland there was a great opportunity for him to build his home and farm at place of his own choice. When Eric the Red and his followers reached and settled in Greenland, Eric also decided to live there and he spend the rest of his life staying at the same island. He was also dead at the same place that he gave a name â€Å"Greenland† (Duncan Thompson, 2006). Was Greenland really Green? Greenland was actually not a lush green land even in those days (Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, 2007). There were some areas that were suitable for the farming and inhabitation but over the entire island possessed harsh climate. The reality was different from what Eric showed the people. In reality Greenland is icier then Iceland and Iceland is more green then the Greenland (Tan Wee Cheng, 2001). Most of the area of Greenland is covered with ice and there is not much greenery and fertility in the land. The island remained blocked due to ice in many months of the year and activities of people are also badly suffered during these months. From July to September people restored their activities and make arrangements for their survival through out the year (Tan Wee Cheng, 2001). The act of Eric to insist people towards Greenland by portraying a wrong picture in front of them is considered by some people as a â€Å"greatest fraud in the history of the world property† (Tan Wee Cheng, 2001). Because many people leave Iceland and go with him towards Greenland by imagining greenery of Greenland but in real there was a â€Å"desolate coldness and hostile environment† in the island (Tan Wee Cheng, 2001). Though the colony grew but the people soon died due to unfavorable climatic conditions. Difficulties of the Settlers The livelihood was not very charming at Greenland (Ingrid Shumway, 2005) especially in winters traveling and hunting became very difficult. However in the season of summer the traveling and farming conditions of the land became much better and favorable to the colonists. Each of the settlement form a group of people who went to the bays of the island and hunt there for food and other essential living commodities like ropes beached whales and tusks etc (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Eric and his fellow settlers of the Greenland faced several problems in the island. First of all they have to maintain a balance between population level and food supply otherwise there would always a chance of food shortage. They managed to get enough food that they hardly keep their bodies and soul together (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). Many historians believe that the settlers were facing certain problems while living at new place because they failed to blend themselves in the new surroundings. They were familiar to a different life style but in the new place the situation demanded something else. Many of them could not change themselves according to the requirement of the situation and faced many difficulties in their lives. Many people missed their fellows and relatives who were left in the Iceland and they feel depressed and lonely without them (Chuck Ayoub, 2004). They faced many problems but succeeded to establish a colony in Greenland that properly grew with time and the colony became â€Å"one of the great stepping stones in Norse expansion and exploration† (Chuck Ayoub, 2004).

CHILDREN OF MEN LONG TAKES

CHILDREN OF MEN LONG TAKES Children of Men is a 2006  British  dystopian science fiction film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarà ³n. The film was based on future; 2027, and how no child had been born in any part of the world for eighteen years. The world had descended in disorder, with most of the governments in the world being collapsed (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). That left United Kingdom as one of the only remaining organized society. As a result millions of refugees entered United Kingdom to seek asylum but Britain had become a militarized police state. Due to which the army forcefully detained all illegal immigrants and suspected supporters. A long take is known as plan- sà ©quence or sequence shot in French. It is basically a shot that is not interrupted with any cuts. It lasts longer than the conventional time of a shot or editing pace and is a strong creative tool in the world of movie making. The camera keeps on moving, rotates, goes over the shoulders, change its position but without stopping the camera or shooting for even a second. It is usually used to create a dramatic and narrative effect or emphasize on a particular scene to capture attention. It is not possible to shoot a feature- length movie in one take because a 35mm camera reel typically runs for only eleven minutes whereas an extended 16mm reels of the tape can run up to thirty minutes. Although with digital video, it is possible to shoot for over two hours on a single tape (Bordwell, Thompson, Film Art- an Introduction); for example in the movie Russian Ark by Alexander Sokurov. He was able to manage a ninety- six minutes film in a long take. It is obvious that a long take requires much more hard work compared to short takes or cuts because while shooting a long take, there are no rooms for mistakes. If anything goes wrong, the entire scene would have to be shot all over again from the beginning and so on. So the scenes have to be perfectly choreographed and performed by the characters. Luckily, the director of the movie; Alfonso Cuarà ³n is highly known for carrying out long takes and manipulating the footage into smooth long takes. Before Children of men, he had performed successful long takes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y tu mamà ¡ tambià ©n. Even though the movie Children of Men consists of heavy editing and short shots but some highlighting scenes are done in extraordinary long takes. This allowed the director to carry out certain aspects of narrative or non- narrative form with the different stylistic options. Mixing long and short shots also creates parallels and contrasts among scenes (Bordwell, Thompson, Film Art- an Introduction). Making the viewers visualize the state of the world and condition they were living in due to lack of peace and infertility amongst women. The film Children of Men features numerous long takes but with four striking major ones. In the first one which was at the very beginning of the movie, a bomb blast happened right after Theo came out of a cafà ©. In that long take the director was able to achieve in showing the viewer pretty much what the movie was going to be about. For instance beginning from the bomb blast and then slowly drifting the attention towards the streets. The cars were old and damaged; regardless of being the future technology had reversed, instead of moving forward it had either stopped or was being extinct. In that long take the director was able to capture many events that made perfect sense to the viewer. For example the cars passing by, suddenly a bomb blast happens, everything near the blast gets destroyed, screams of the wounded and the people nearby could be heard. In the second long take scene it was shown that five people which included the refugees who were a part of an underground resistance group advocating  equal rights  for all immigrants in Great Britain called Fishes were in a car, heading towards their hideaways along with their leader Julian and her separated husband Theo; an activist turned apathetic bureaucrat. That car scene recaptures ones concentration and makes it almost impossible to figure out the cameras position. It is astonishing how skillfully the camera angles and positions have been choreographed without the scene seeming formless. Some shots are being taken from where Julian is sitting and then from the back, from the side, from the top, front etc. It looked as though the actors were making the video themselves. It is almost unbelievable with the camera moving to all sorts of radical perspectives; the actors are giving out marvelous performances along with the chaos. For example the ping pong ball scene seemed too good to be real, that how can two people actually do that so accurately without a cut? After which, out of the corner of an eye, a flaming car appeared, as soon as the driver hits reverse refugees and other madmen come out of the woods with sticks and start attacking the car. In all the confusion a motorbike appears with a gun and shoots Julian. Without a cut maintaining continuity, suddenly Julian was covered with blood all over, which gave the viewer a jaw dropping outcome. The car that they were driving was completely modified in reality; the seats were able to tilt and lower the actors out of the way of the camera. The windshield was designed to tilt to support the camera movement in and out through the windscreen (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Whereas in Alfred Hitchcocks movie Rope, to shoot the long takes, furniture was continuously being moved and modified and then put back to where it was by the spot boys so that the cameras and camera men could move easily. Though similar to Children of Men, instead of the car windshield, the walls in Rope were able to glide and were mobile also to accommodate the camera movements. After experiencing the first two long takes, the viewer holds their breath as soon as the next long take comes, expecting something terrible or thrilling to happen. The director didnt let the viewers down and performed a truly heart wrecking scene. It was the scene in which Kee gives birth to a child. One can swear that the girl gave birth in real life, exposing a bit of her flesh in between her legs, a real crying new born baby with its cord still attached, covered in blood escapes the mothers womb into the hands of Theo. It was truly a beautiful scene, beautifully conducted and accomplished. However the last major long take scene felt as though a nightmare had been ripped out of your own head and put on the screen. And what made it more unbearable and tear-jerking was the way it had been shot in a long take of about six minutes. The way camera followed Theo and Kee in the scene in which a major war was happening. Continuous bomb blasts and open fires in between the UKs army and the refugees were going on, people kept on falling and dying, without any cut in the shot the blood sprang from the wounded bodies. In just one scene so much was going on without narration. The director was able to capture more than one outstanding performance. We could see Luke taking away Kee on a wheel chair and at the same moment the other members of fishes were about to kill Theo and his helpers. Due to the long takes used, it was impossible for the viewer to lose interest in the film as something extraordinary, unexpected or shocking always happened. Throughout the long takes the fluidity of the camera movement from one camera angle to the next enabled the viewer to get a closer look, perhaps an inside look, into the world the characters were living in and really felt the threats and dangers that they were in at that moment. WORKS CITED 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     (Bordwell, Thompson, Film Art- An Introduction, 209) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     (Bordwell, Thompson, Film Art- An Introduction, 209)

Essay --

I. GREEN FLOAT PROJECT The world’s first floating nation is set to be located in the islands of Kirabati. The islands are quickly sinking due to rising sea levels. Currently they are located only six feet above the sea level. Actions are being taken to save the islands by literally placing the current islands onto reconstructed man-made islands and building a city in the sky on top. Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, knows that this plan is drastic but he feels it is necessary to save the islands. Kiribati has invested in many other initiatives to stop the impending fate of the nation, though due to lack of funding he has not been able to implement them. He believes a project like this will attract international funding because it is a sustainable solution that will work not only for Kiribati but for other similarly situated areas. A cutting edge Japanese company called Shimuzu Corp. came up with this ambitious plan to prevent the impending loss of Kiribati. The project is being called the city in the sky as well as the green float project. The costs are estimated to be upwards of three hundred and seventeen billion dollars. Future units are going to become cheaper overtime. Each tower unit will be built to house thirty thousand people, and will also provide space for commercial activities. The units are going to be able to be connected to accommodate a combined one hundred thousand people. The base of the islands will be constructed with impenetrable materials that need little maintenance but are extremely costly. These man-made islands are referred to as lily pads. They will be three thousand meters wide and one thousand meters tall. The bases of the islands will be completely secured; they are set ... ...lar to receiving a reward for contributing green energy into the grid, the May initiative gives rewards for people who in their private property develop facilities and other means to accommodate excess water. Similar in certain respects to the LiFe project, this initiative is different in that property owners do it completely individually. The government would reward or compensate people for their capacity to control water on their property. Some examples of initiatives that will be rewarded will be homeowners with large areas of permeable land, reservoirs, and many more. This initiative will not only help with flood relief but also will result in education about climate change. It will give people a reason to become responsible for their actions and become conscious of their actions climatically. Monetary rewards will bring interest into joining the initiative.

Would You Buy a Car That Looked Like This Essay -- Article Review, And

Andrew Simms, a policy director and head of the Climate Change Program for the New Economics Foundation in England, presents his argument about the impact SUV’s have on our roadways, and the air we breathe. â€Å"Would You Buy a Car That Looked like This? â€Å". The title alone gives great insight on what the article is going to be about, (vehicles). â€Å"They clog the streets and litter the pages of weekend colour *supplements. Sport utility vehicles or SUV’s have become badges of middle class aspiration† (Simms 542). Simms opening statement not only gives his opinion on how SUV’s are the new trend, but he also paints a picture of what we see every day driving down our roadways. Simms also compares the tobacco industry’s gap between image and reality to that of SUV’s; stating that the cause and consequences of climate change resemble smoking and cancer. Simms comparison between SUV’s and cigarettes shows how dangerous he believes SUV’s are. Simms believes that the SUV’s we’ve grown to love are dangerous and polluting. Simms describes just how damaging he believes SUV’s to be with a quote, set to become, â€Å"one of the world’s most common causes of death and disability-ahead of TB, HIV, and war† (qtd. in Simms 542). This is a very strong statement; so strong that it causes the reader to question the source. It also promotes an emotional appeal to the reader. Death, war, and HIV are very serious issues; comparing them to SUV’s causes a need for attention. Next Simms addresses how the Global warming conference in two weeks causes urgency for some new thinking on SUV’s. This statement shows Simms concerns about Global warming and the effects from SUV’s. It also shows his need to inform. Then Simms introduces his solution, â€Å"So shouldn’t SUV’s now ... ...countries Simms assumes readers will feel that it’s time for America to acknowledge the SUV Problem too; and also take action. Finally Simms concludes his argument with his labeling solution. Simms proposes setting a threshold guideline; which could be set to trigger the labeling when the efficiency drops below a certain threshold. â€Å"Like those for cigarettes, the warnings could cover 30-50 percent of the vehicles surface area† (Simms 544). Simms also states that this method won’t stop SUV’s from being driven, but would force them to except the consequences of their actions, and help the education drive on global warming and traffic safety .In other words it would help the industry move out of denial. Simms statement shows that he has a realistic view on his solution. Also his conclusion reinforced his idea, promoted thought and gave readers a visual.

High Stakes Testing Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Education Essays

High Stakes Testing In 1997, President Bill Clinton stated that the United States needed, â€Å" a national crusade for education standards - not federal government standards, but national standards, representing what all our students must know to succeed in the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century†(http://books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/13.html). The way to succeed in this journey is through standardized testing that results in consequences for teachers and students. Throughout this paper, I will be discussing how important high stakes testing is to our country. First, I will show how these tests prevent students from moving on to the next grade level or graduate without the skills necessary. Secondly, I will discuss how they improve students’ achievement. And lastly, I will describe how these tests keep teachers and schools accountable. High stakes testing prevents students from being promoted or given a diploma without the necessary knowledge. The National Academies Press states, â€Å"unless we test student’s knowledge, how will we know if they have met the standards? And the idea of accountability, which is also central to this theory of school reform, requires that the test results have direct and immediate consequences: a student who does not meet the standard should not be promoted, or awarded a high school diploma†(books.nap.edu). Social promotion is allowing a student to move up a grade just because of their age. Standardized testing is helping students by keeping them back a grade or having them attend summer school in order for them to learn the skills they need in order to succeed in school and life. Recent facts have shown how often children have been promoted without the necessary knowledge. ... ... National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/164.html 3. National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/13.html 4. National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/115.html 5. Aims Performance Standards (High School). Arizona Department of Education. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/aims/PerformanceStandards/hsperformancestan.asp 6. What’s Wrong With High Stakes Testing in General and AIMS in Particular? AZ Standards. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.azstandards.org/protestmaterials.htm High Stakes Testing Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Education Essays High Stakes Testing In 1997, President Bill Clinton stated that the United States needed, â€Å" a national crusade for education standards - not federal government standards, but national standards, representing what all our students must know to succeed in the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century†(http://books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/13.html). The way to succeed in this journey is through standardized testing that results in consequences for teachers and students. Throughout this paper, I will be discussing how important high stakes testing is to our country. First, I will show how these tests prevent students from moving on to the next grade level or graduate without the skills necessary. Secondly, I will discuss how they improve students’ achievement. And lastly, I will describe how these tests keep teachers and schools accountable. High stakes testing prevents students from being promoted or given a diploma without the necessary knowledge. The National Academies Press states, â€Å"unless we test student’s knowledge, how will we know if they have met the standards? And the idea of accountability, which is also central to this theory of school reform, requires that the test results have direct and immediate consequences: a student who does not meet the standard should not be promoted, or awarded a high school diploma†(books.nap.edu). Social promotion is allowing a student to move up a grade just because of their age. Standardized testing is helping students by keeping them back a grade or having them attend summer school in order for them to learn the skills they need in order to succeed in school and life. Recent facts have shown how often children have been promoted without the necessary knowledge. ... ... National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/164.html 3. National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/13.html 4. National Academies Press. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http:// books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/115.html 5. Aims Performance Standards (High School). Arizona Department of Education. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/aims/PerformanceStandards/hsperformancestan.asp 6. What’s Wrong With High Stakes Testing in General and AIMS in Particular? AZ Standards. Retrieved November 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.azstandards.org/protestmaterials.htm

Role of Negotiable Instruments

Role of negotiable instrumentnts in boosting trade and commerce: Negotiable instruments such as cheques, bills of exchage, prommissory notes etc are playing a vital role In today's boosting trade and commerce. One of the reason behind the expanding of the trade and commerce so rapidly is also the negotialble instruments. In trade the transactions are now becoming aso much depending on the negotiable instruments. Where in commerce also the negotiable instruments are helping us in the following ways.Helpful in Buisness: imagine how it is possible to get the business products for resale purpose without the use of money. This is happening just because of the negotiable instruments. Furthur suppose that you want to do a business of refrigrators but you do not have the money to purchase the refrigrators for resale purpose. And also if you do not have any other resource to get the money for purchase you can still purchase the products for your business pupose with the help of the negotiable instruments.Negotiables such as promissory note and specially the bills of exchange are specially made for this purpose. Bills of exchange hepling many people who do not have the money to spend money as capital in their business. No need to carry cash with you : Due to the negotiable instruments it is became so easy to make payments through negtiable instruments such as cheques etc so that the use of cash is not their because most of the times when you are taking cash with you anywhere it is not felt secure that because the cash may do theft by any one.In other words you can say that negotiable instruments make us feel confident to deal at any place without the use of cash. Instant reciepts and payments of the dealings and transactions: We don’t need to wait for days to get money from the bank and from the other places but instead of it we just have to pay in the form of negotiable instrument such as cheque etc so that the people to whom we have to pay would receive that amo unt instantly.

“Organizations need strong leaders and a strong culture” Essay

In this essay, I am going to critically analyze the importance strong leaders coupled with a strong culture has within organizations. In doing so, the argument is built up of several contextual layers defining the significance that heavily immersed cultures along with well driven leaders has on the operational and interactional functioning’s of an organization but most importantly its employees. However first and foremost, it is believed that Post Bureaucratic management practices shape the construction of individual values and beliefs, ultimately depending on which cultural enrichment management will adopt. Furthermore, the abuse of power leaders may espouse may inflict adversarial repercussions upon the cultural framework embraced by the organization. Therefore this initiates a direct sequence of employees challenging De Facto power by engaging in managerial discourses, which repudiate against cultural structures, causing hierarchal movement. Whilst, firmly substantiating that strong culture’s lead by strong leaders build the inner mechanistic functioning of an organization, throughout this essay, in Section One I shall illustrate the importance of Post Bureaucratic mechanisms and the internal relationships they have with culture and leadership. Moreover in Section 2, I will attempt to expose how power is used as a possession, rather than a relationship between people. Lastly, in order to logically complete my argument, I will define how resistance is seen to be a ‘reactive process’ whereby people embedded in power relations actively oppose initiatives enacted by others (Jermier et all 1994:90) Section 1 It is believed that having such a widely shared integrative culture in organizations is often viewed as a panacea for management and a recipe for corporate success (Peter and Waterman 1982) In relation to this statement, a good culture coupled with a intuitive leader will only set out a positive regime of truth, that will undoubtedly allow the emergence of a cultural  landscape to ensure conformity is consistent to all who belong to the organization. In order to achieve such an ambition, organizations embrace Post Bureaucratic mechanisms, which are depicted as a set of normative controls that stress the importance of socialization, enculturation and identification with company objectives. (Josserand, Villesà ¨che, & Bardon 2012) However the most pressing point to highlight is the fact that Post Bureaucratic mechanisms heavily entail the involvement of cultural promotion, which further aims to propel culture onto center stage. Ultimately, this means that for people to function within any given setting they must have a continuing sense of what the reality surrounding them is about (Pettigrew 1979) Herein, this tells us that culture provides a source of organizational ‘common sense’, upon which members draw to when deciding where, when and how to act. (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011) Therefore social interaction must be conceived as the negotiation of meaning, which inevitably formulates and continues the growth and extension of leadership abilities and culture amongst members of an organization. Moreover social interaction may also be characterized as an organization of instrumental relations, resulting in the formulation of various relations or relationships amongst not only members of an organization but also identification in a corporate alumni network. Hence, repetitive symbolic activities are drawn upon by organizations to maintain the stability of the social system, which has a fundamental obligation to create and recreate the system. (Rosen 1988) Making direct reference to Michel Rosen’s journal article: â€Å"You asked for it: Christmas at the Bosses Expense†, the use of ceremonies and rites, being the Christmas party encompasses a latent function, which directly aims to enable a state of partial suspension of normal structure relationships in which culture emerges as an organizing principle underlying agency membership. Lastly, despite Post Bureaucratic mechanisms promoting an enterprising culture, more importantly it imbues humanistic values of autonomy, flexibility, confidence and trust that ultimately carry the intent to urge employees to take on responsibilities (Josserand, Villesà ¨che, & Bardon 2012) However, it should be undoubtedly emphasized that managers must inhibit the appropriate leadership qualities that will enable themselves and employees  to share a common relationship, in turn directly allowing them to control and frame their subjectivity in order to align one another’s relevancies. Subsequently this is achieved through leaders identifying culture, as an asset to form a paternalistic relation with their employees, as such can be debated to ignite a desirable urge to be apart of the community the organization instills. Furthermore it should be accentuated that the â€Å"Path Goal Theory† of leadership, is imperative to a successful relationship between employer and employee. It is noted as the physiological and technical support that managers provide as leaders, which ultimately intends to motivate employees by helping them understand that their needs and expectations can be fulfilled through the performance of their jobs. (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011) Section 2 In todays business realm the sociological treatment of power has the ability to perpetuate a substantial impact on the interrelation and operational processes of an organization. In support of this statement, it is elemental to treat power as a property of abstract systems, as its complexities must not only be precisely managed but also more importantly understood. Therefore it is clear that the conception of power has the capability to â€Å"make or break† an organization as Giddens argues that â€Å"the notion of power is logically tied to that of action, and in its widest sense, power refers simply to the ‘transformative capacity’ of human action†. (Knights & Roberts 1982) Given this fact, we are able to argue that power has the fortitude to develop, refine or revolutionize an organizational landscape. Accordingly it is paramount that power should be treated and only applied amongst the confinements of a relationship, rather than kept as a possession to an individual. It is this underlying complexity that sparks much conjecture throughout organizations and cultural foundations. Specifically, when power is treated as a possession the direct result is that of the ignition of conflict, which can be depicted as a threatening hazard that has the ascendency to topple even the most successful organizations throughout the world. Firstly it is important to point that the individualistic conception of power is concealed within managers in which it is defined as the way that resources of ownership and control are employed in attempt to coerce labor into compliance. (Knights & Roberts 1982) This is formally known as coercive power, which is understood to be the power someone has over another, ultimately meaning the denial or removal of individual choice. Furthermore coercion â€Å"requires the active submission of one person to another†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Russ 1980:7-11) as such a thought holds the aptitude to administer alarming repercussions throughout an organizations culture. This is largely due to the fact that â€Å"equal attempts at coercion may lead to more or overt forms of resistance† (Russ 1980:7-11), a discomforting scenario that will not only cause a severe backlash against the leadership circle, but also hold the potential to eclipse the current operational success of the business. Essentially, due to the low trust dynamics, a regressive spiral of attempted control and counter control (Fox 1974) will further impede negatively on the business, ultimately throwing the culture into an unhealthy state of affair and the leadership hub at risk of being overthrown. In addition, another essential point to mention is the affiliation the notion of mainstream culture has with coercive power. As stated above, the sociological treatment of power has the potential to inflict adversarial effects if not effectively managed by administrators of an organization. Alternatively, culture is believed to create consistency and reduce conflict. However coercive authority, contradicts the view of mainstream culture, as it arguably does the total opposite. If it is believed that if organizational structures, strategies, regulations and policies frame the behavioral intents of employees, then members who belong to a hierarchy dominated by coercive power, will not only reject to be consistent with company norms but also increase conflict. This is supported by the belief that culture brings people together: it ensures they all think alike, feel and act in relatively similar ways. (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011) Similarly, also by correlating coercive power with mainstream cultures, it highlights the inadequate and defective leadership attributes it promotes. Cultural engineering is undertaken by senior management and disseminated  downward causing a spiral effect. (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011) Therefore culture can be interpreted as a management ‘lever’, a means of ensuring organizational goals are instilled and accepted by its members through the allurement of its culture. (Brewis 2007) Essentially, to make leadership effective, a leader must undertake in authoritative power, which is a more realistic understanding of interdependence in organizations (Knights & Roberts 1982) What this means is that a mutual recognition of employer employee relations is shared, causing members to accept the advice and direction of others rather than opposing. A unique feature of the relationship is that authority cannot be imposed nor possessed, but exists only as a quality of the relationship. (Knights & Roberts 1982) However mutual manipulation may occur when someone attempts to elevate their power above the mutual trust, therefore implying it is imperative to maintain the reciprocal of rights. Lastly this has an overwhelming influence on the culture, as all participants obtain a sense of authority and belonging. Section 3 With regard to coercive power, and the debilitated ramifications it inflicts on an organization’s cultural arrangement, it can be condoned to believe that members will engage in more overt forms of resistance. Essentially, what this points out is the creativity of employees resisting increasing control of the labor processed by management (Prasad and Prasad 2000). Therefore resistance can be directly associated with defective leadership, as even though management believe they hold the right to produce the policies that â€Å"they† want, it doesn’t mean its members will agree. Given these facts, work groups use resistance to induce what they want, the indispensible adjustments required for relatively smooth and everyday functioning in the workshop. (Courpasson, Dany & Clegg 2011) More importantly, despite the act of resistance producing a common interest in opposition to management, it simultaneously results in more resistance (Burawoy 1982), clearing professing the viral empowerment it professes amongst members of an organization. Hence, this approach conceptualizes resistance as an irreducible opposition between members and management, clearly endangering the foundations of any cultural environment inhibited by an organization. Touching upon the previous paragraph, resistance is a direct result of the enmeshment of exploitative relations (Courpasson, Dany & Clegg 2011). More importantly, this allures members to engage in managerial discourses, which operate against the cultural and ideological controls that frame, a company (Thomas 2009) and craft new identities, which challenge De facto Power (Ewick and Silbey 2003). Ultimately this causes dysfunctional freezing of an organization, a direct cause of members participating in â€Å"distancing† themselves from the company’s ambitions and requisites until change has transpired. Nevertheless this can be seen to benefit the organization as a whole, as employees now have the capacity to accede their desires. In relation to culture, it is imperative that members concerns are meant in order to achieve optimum business success; therefore managers seek to secure compliance through meeting employee’s sentiments and desires. Subsequently, it is vital for cultures to obtain core values and presuppositions that are widely shared and acted on (Peter and Waterman 1982), however by managers thriving on the elevation of power and exploitation, it only contradicts what a good culture should be about by going against group norms. Drawing closely to theorists ideas, it is believed that â€Å"if you forged a strong culture that incorporate all organizational members in shared beliefs and commitments – everything else good, morale, performance and results should follow†(Peter and Waterman 1982), clearly exposing the importance of effective and understanding leadership. Lastly, it should be accentuated that improvement in productivity and quality would accrue when corporate cultures systematically align individuals with formal organizational goals (Peter and Waterman 1982), but arguably wont be reached if members are continually constrained by the corporation. Overall with all of the above being discussed, one could conclude that Human skill is a pre requisite of what a strong leader should acquire. An approved culture will only occur if everyone is integrated into one managerially designed structure and the result, a superior performance. However this is  can be deemed only attainable if leadership has the ability to work with people, meaning to be sensitive to the needs and motivations of others, and taking into account other needs in ones decision making (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011) a clear contrary to what coercive power achieves. However, it could be argued that such leaders enjoy the hierarchal separation between themselves and lower level employees, as the process to both lead and yet also work alongside them is an ongoing struggle. Conclusion In summation, I have come to the conclusion that it is inevitable for an organization to parade operational success without some sort of formulation of a strong culture espoused with strong leadership. Despite Post Bureaucratic management practices shaping the construction of individual values and beliefs, I believe it is imperative for the leadership hub of any organization to be effectively aware of the on going relationship its shares with its members. For any organization to achieve corporate success the notion of culture should be heavily identified and all components that it contains must be exercised accordingly. Ultimately, if managements leadership qualities are deemed to be strong, the culture constructed must comprise a set of deep, basic assumptions and beliefs as well as shared values, which will enable members to attain a sense of not only identity but also more importantly provide them with heterogeneous ways of making decisions. Therefore bringing my essay to a close, it should not be forgone that an organization requires a strong culture and strong leadership. Reference List Articles 1. Burawoy, M. 2001. Donald Roy: Sociologist and working stiff. Contemporary Sociol. 30(5) 453-458 2. Courpasson, D., Dany, F. and Clegg, S. (2011) Resisters at Work: Generating Productive Resistance in the Workplace,  Organization Science, Articles in Advance: 1–19. 3. Ewick, P., S. Rayner, eds. 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