Development of Modernity from Enlightenment

Development of Modernity from Enlightenment Dare-to-know is the motto that Kant gave to the Enlightenment. In this essay I am going to demonstrate how this motto relates to modernity. My starting point will be the definition of the Middle-Ages and description of events that characterized it, because it is where evolution to modernity initiated. Immediately after the Middle Ages follows the Renaissance, which I will also be explicating, and it is also followed by Enlightenment or the Modern Age. These three time periods are also inter-linked by historical events that marked them. They have a cause-and-effect relationship, meaning the existence of one is the effect of the existence of another. The Enlightenment was wholly based on reason, and its effect was the historical landmarks such as the French Revolution and the American Revolution. These landmarks, particularly the French Revolution, ensured the society’s exit from medieval tutelage and made a radical transition to the Modern-Age. Based on the Weber’s ideal type bureaucracy, I will also be demonstrating how they have influenced the modern institutions and how they operate, particularly the state, which is the biggest idea or effect of Enlightenment. Freedom also emerged after the establishment of the state, and strive to separate religion from the state, or secularism, was undertaken. Therefore, this rationalization led to the various forms of the modern state being devised. The â€Å"Middle Ages† is the phrase used to describe western countries after the fall of the Roman Empire and the dawn of the Renaissance in the 14th century. It is often called the medieval period. During this period the person’s identity was determined by God. (Dreyfus Kelly, 2011). Everything was determined and created by God. Therefore people never dared to question the phenomena or what made sense to them. Everything was taken for granted. Even kings and queens ruled by divine right in the Great Chain of Being. By divine right it meant they were chosen by God to rule and lead the society. The Great Chain of Being is a divine order or what can be called a social structure in the modern society. It consisted of God at the top, then kings above noblemen and other people in general, and the animals would be ranked below all the people. In the wake of the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a need for an alternative form of rule, the structure, or the government that would unite all the people of Europe. This duty was assumed by the Catholic Church which became a very powerful rule of the Middle-Ages. It also became a source of power for medieval kings and queens as a result of their alliance with it. The church also afforded protection to these monarchs. Rural life was based on feudalism. In this form of existence, the king would give land, or fiefs to noblemen. The peasants, or serfs would work on the land in exchange for protection and to live on the land. However, technological innovations in agriculture resulted in significant evolution in feudalism. Heavy plough and three-field crop rotation efficiently increased production, as well as the supply of food. As a result, less human resource was needed to work on farms. Ultimately, more people flocked to towns and cities. It was by virtue of these cities’ dynamism that gave rise to the Renaissance period in the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The word Renaissance is French and means rebirth. It is the period in which the society started moving away from the medieval values and norms, from God as the determinant of everything, and thus significantly reducing the power and rule of the church, the Catholic Church. Most importantly it was the time that was marked by a massive change in economy and intellect, particularly in art, literature, science and philosophy. New ideas were created and disseminated across all spheres of life. Artistic work became more accurate and had a viewpoint, literature focused more on the characteristics and behaviors of the people, and printing eased access to information and education by society. In science great improvements were made in various fields, particularly in astronomy and physics. This is evident in Galileo’s successful invention of the telesc ope. Philosophy changed the way people thought about themselves and the universe. It focused on humanism. Humanism is broadly understood as involving a positive approach to human existence and an appreciation of human endeavor. The broad influence of Renaissance humanism in turn filtered back to philosophical and political thought, where various ideas of human reason became the main focus of theoretical speculation. John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, had an optimistic notion of human nature, believing that rationality was a key feature in the way in which human beings organized themselves, with or without state intervention. Locke promoted the idea that unjustly treated subjects had a â€Å"right to rebel† if their reason was being insulted. (Bevir, 2010). These philosophical changes culminated in another change in human thought. This was the dawn of the Modern Age which came to be famously known as The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment is largely defined and popularly known as the age of reason, mainly for its commitment to the use of reason for the promotion of happiness via the amelioration and improvement of the practical conditions of human life (Bevir, 2010). The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, was also keen to stress the importance of rational critique to the Enlightenment, calling on his readers to dispense with â€Å"immaturity† and take up the challenge daring to know for oneself. (Bevier, 2010). He defined the Enlightenment as the man’s exit from his self-incurred minority (Wood, 2001). He described minority as being unable to use intelligence without guidance, and it is self-incurred if it caused by lack of determination and courage to use intelligence without guidance. Therefore, he called Sapere Aude, meaning having the courage to use one’s intelligence, the motto of the Enlightenment (Wood, 2001). This was an attitude towards modernity because it was founded o n the principle rationalism. Rationalism is the belief that the world has a rational structure, and that this can be disclosed through the exercise of human reason and critical enquiry. As a philosophical theory, rationalism is the belief that knowledge flows from reason rather than experience, and thus contrasts with empiricism. As a general principle, however, rationalism places a heavy emphasis on the capacity of human beings to understand and explain their world, and to find solutions to problems. It is associated with an emphasis on principle and reason-governed behavior, as opposed to reliance on custom or tradition, or non-rational drives and impulses. (Heywood, 1992). It was the successful revolution in science of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that gave birth to the Enlightenment. Science undermined the ancient geocentric conception of the cosmos, and the constraining presuppositions that guided philosophical inquiry. It is the period that was marked by dramatic revolutions in science, philosophy, society and politics. The Enlightenment thought also culminated in the historical French and American Revolution, in which the traditional ancient hierarchical political and social orders (the French monarchy, the privileges of the French nobility, the political power and authority of the Catholic Church) were violently destroyed and replaced by a political and social order informed by the Enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality for all, founded, ostensibly, upon principles of human reason (Bristow, 2011). These revolutions served as a society’s transit from the medieval perspective to a modern world-view. In politics, the Enlighten ment make present again a course of action to encourage values characteristic of liberal modernity, which are freedom, progress, opulence, and humanitarianism. More specifically, political theorists have found in the Enlightenment the origins of several institutions that define our political landscape today, from liberal individualism and global capitalism to constitutional democracy, value pluralism, human rights recognition, and religious toleration (Bevir, 2010). The starting point in analyzing these modern institutions and political landscape is Weber’s bureaucracy. According to Marsh, et al., (1996) bureaucratic organizational structure seems to be fixed and permanent, and indispensable feature of the modern society. Most important is the nature of these bureaucracies. They are impersonal with clearly defined rules that also separate work and private life. Their form of reporting is hierarchical and break job into smaller task for increased quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and economies of scale. Candidates are also appointed based on their qualifications and experience. Therefore, Weber’s bureaucracy serves as a guideline in forming a modern organization, and played a crucial role in the development of the modern state. The biggest idea that grew out of the Enlightenment is that of the modern state. The proximate sources of the modern state were absolutism and the interstate it initiated (Held, 1992). It came as a response to absolutism. A state is that human community which (successfully) lays claim to the monopoly of legitimate physical violence within a certain territory, this territory being another of the defining features of the state (Weber, 1994). This means that all modern states are nation-states, political apparatuses, distinct from both ruler and ruled, with supreme jurisdiction over a demarcated territorial area, backed by a claim to a monopoly of coercive power, and enjoying a minimum level of support or loyalty from their citizens (Held, 1992). Therefore, the modern state is fixed within exact territorial borders, control the means of violence by the army and police, it is sovereign, and it is the only form of rule that regards its people as citizens. Governments come and go but the s tate remains. Therefore, the control of state machinery is contested and won by a political party in elections, which makes it democratic and legitimate because it reflect and/or represent the needs of its citizens. The state also uses a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one of its institutions, which are the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, exerts or exercise too much power over another. Out of the idea of the modern state other concepts and/or ideas emerged, too. Liberalism emerged as the product of two intertwined developments in early modern Europe. The first was the creation of modern states with the concomitant emergence of semi-autonomous civil societies. The second and roughly contemporaneous development was the invention and spread of a set of values and priorities that broke with the religious traditions that had prevailed in feudal and clerical practice in medieval Europe (Bevir, 2010). Liberalism comes from the word liberty, meaning freedom. In politics, the term is recognized as a unique set of ideas or ideology. The central theme of liberal ideology is a commitment to the individual and the desire to construct a society in which people can satisfy their interests and achieve fulfillment (Heywood, 1992). Liberals believe that human beings are, first and foremost, individuals, endowed with reason (Heywood, 1992). This implies that each individual should enjoy the maximum possible freedom consistent with a like freedom for all (Heywo od, 1992). However, although individuals are entitled to equal legal and political rights, they should be rewarded in line with their talents and willingness to work (Heywood, 1992). Secularism is one of the sub-concepts of liberalism, meaning the next step after individual liberties have been achieved is to strive for the separation of religion from the state. The philosophes’ opposition to traditional religious authority stressed the need for secular knowledge free of religious orthodoxies (Hamilton, 1992). It is an ethic that is perceived as the most radical anti-clerical movement. The aim of the early modern political thought is to establish a secular political order capable of settling the wars of religion, stopping the persecution of religious minorities and heretics, and guaranteeing the natural rights and liberties of every man and citizen (Bevir, 2010). Liberalism also influenced the varying forms of the modern state. Constitutionalism or the constitutional state is the form of state in which political or state decision-making is procedurally or substantively limited. This limits can be either implicit or explicit. Here the practice of the state is restricted and constrained for the maximization of freedom of all citizens. In the liberal state private affairs are separated from public affairs by a concern. This is the form of state in which civil society is freed from unnecessary political intervention and the authority of the state is delimited. Representative democracy is a form of rule in which officers are elected by the citizens themselves to represent their interests within the rule of law. Decisions about social issues are not taken by the society itself, but by the elected officers, the representatives. Lastly, there is also a form of a modern state called a one-party state. Its definition is in its name, a state in which there is only one legitimate political party. Here voters have the o pportunity to affirm the party’s choice of candidate, or occasionally to choose from among different party candidates (although some may doubt whether this constitutes an opportunity for the exercise of choice at all) (Held, 1992). In conclusion, in the Middle-Ages everything was determined by God and existed in the Great Chain of Being. The fall of the Roman Empire ushered in the Renaissance. It was marked by great revolutions in science, philosophy, and astronomy, which then led to the Enlightenment or the Age of reason. This age of reason culminates in the overthrowing of the French monarchy and leads to the establishment the modern democratic state. It also makes Sapere Aude an attitude of modernity, because dare-to-know simply means have courage to find reason. That reason was found and it liberated the society from the shackles of the Middle-Ages. It is also because of that reason the modern state, its various forms and institutions were found. Rationalism thus freed mankind from the self-incurred minority. 1

The Fight Or Flight Syndrome

The Fight Or Flight Syndrome The fight or flight response was coined by Cannon and refers to the physiological reactions that prepare us for a strenuous efforts required by fighting or running away, (Martin, Carlson Buskit, 2010, p 750). There is evidence for and against the modern man/women being ill because of the fight or flight syndrome. For example if the stress is short-term then there will be no adverse effects but if the stress is prolonged that individual could be vulnerable to illnesses; both psychological issues (depression) and physiological problems (heart disease). However, this is dependent on several factors that may act as a buffer against stress such as their self-esteem, coping strategies and other individual differences like personality. Lazarus and Launier (1978) regarded stress as a transaction between stress and the environment, (cited in Ogden, 2012, p 290). There are several physiological responses to stress such as heart rate increase, blood pressure rise, blood sugar level rise, digestion stopping and adrenaline release. These help the body to be alert and ready, therefore whether they flee or fight. Normally after the body is stable, but if the stress is prolonged then it has negative effects. For example, the digestion stopping may cause stomach ulcers; consistent blood sugar rise can cause diabetes and heart rate differences can cause coronary heart disease. This shows how much a person has changed from prehistoric times, where the only response was to fight or run away, to now where modern stressors are complex so this response is no longer appropriate and Cannon saw that it could make a modern person ill, (Martin, Carlson Buskit, 2010). The responses to stress link with Selyes General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which has three stages; the first stage is the alarm stage which involves the autonomic nervous system. Then the resistance stage is reached and then the exhaustion stage, where the person/animal loses their ability to adapt and leaves them vulnerable to illnesses (Martin, Carlson Buskit, 2010). This shows that the stress response will be advantageous in the short-term but if the exhaustion stage is reached it can have detrimental effects on that person. However, Selyes theory might not be valid due to generalisation problems; he carried out his study on animals, whose processes and responses are be different to humans (Martin, Carlson Buskit, 2010). There are two main groups of physiological changes. The first is sympathetic activation where a stressor triggers the nervous system in this region to produce adrenaline so this produces the fight or flight response. This activates hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) activity, this is similar to GAS, and this changes the carbohydrate stores and releases endorphins that act as pain relief ready to fight, (Ogden, 2012). This shows how the fight or flight responses in the body can be beneficial short-term. There is evidence for and against the fight or flight response causing the modern man to be ill but the outcome is dependent on factors that could modify the effects. One example is personality; if they have a hardy personality (Kobasa, 1977, cited in Sanders Suls, 1982) or if they strive when stressed it acts as a buffer against stress, (George, Everly Lating, 2002). People with a type A personality (see stress as positive) are motivated by stress and succeed when in this state, (Friedman and Rosenman, 1959, cited in Hayes, 2000). Nevertheless, if the persons personality is opposite then theyre more likely to get ill from stress, therefore helping to prove the statement true. Additionally, their self-esteem can effect this too; a person who has low self-esteem and low global self-esteem (negative evaluation of oneself turns to self-doubt and self-rejection) are more likely to get stressed then a person with high self-esteem, (Schrami, Perski, Grossi Simonsson-Sarnecki, 2010). The se factors make a person less susceptible and therefore helps disprove whether fight or flight responses make people ill. However, some data for this was collected by questionnaire so the findings may not be valid due to social desirability bias. Another factor that can act as modifier against stress is coping strategies. Selk (1973) stated that what makes us ill now is different to what made us ill before, for example more psychological problems occur now e.g. mental disorders (Esch, Stefano, Fricchione Benson, 2002) then physical ones and it depends on how that person deals with their environment, (Klirts Moos, 1974, cited in George, Everly Lating, 2002). A lot of research has stated the importance of social support to act as a buffer against stress, and can help prevent burnout, (Etzion, 1984). For example, good communication with your partner can decrease marital problems and stress. Social support works by motivating the individual and adding need-fulfilment. Women have better interpersonal skills so seek social support and therefore are less prone to stress in this particular way. Norris and Murrel (1990) suggest that low social support and a stressful life event e.g. death of a loved one is more likely to cause long -term stress. However, they state the complexity of the term social support as there are many different varieties and of differing levels. Another coping strategy is to gain a new activity; this gets you out, having fun and keeping that persons mind off the stressor(s) (Norris and Murrel, 1990). This shows that social support is important and lack of it can help to cause the negative effects of stress, (even more so when faced with a stressful life event). Therefore, suggesting that the fight or flight response can make someone ill in the wrong circumstances. However, other things must be taken into account individual differences e.g. what strategy suits them best and if they have a new hobby. Findings from studies show that both cognitive diathesis and the stress component (more environmental causes) go together to help suggest why people get stressed. Research shows that stressful life events trigger the susceptibility to stress; this put with other more biological factors like low self-esteem can make the person more vulnerable. This shows how the diathesis-stress model can help explain that its not just one factor that contributes to the fight or flight response making an individual ill, its a multitude of factors (both environmental and biological) that help explain the negative effects of stress. If its biological causes then some coping strategies used to combat the responses of fight or flight will not work as effectively as treatments that focus on genetic influences e.g. a hereditary hardy personality. However, it might be too early to come to this conclusion because more research needs to be done in this area, but its an effective explanation that takes an eclec tic approach to explain that the fight or flight can have its benefits but with the wrong diathesis and vulnerability to stress can show that a person can be made ill, (Zvolenskya, Kotovb, Antipovac Schmidtd, 2003). Nevertheless, there might be a problem with the fight or flight response itself not the modern day man. It hasnt been updated even though our stress response has changed and ignores research carried out since it was coined by Cannon in the 1920s. It mischaracterised the order in which the responses occur. A new sequence by Gray can explain the responses better for more modern times, it begins with the freeze response so the person/animal remains undetected. Then an attempt to flee and then a chance to fight occurs. Another model is the stop, look, listen approach which might be more valid today and is used in many military operations, which also relates to the freeze response. Additionally, the fright response (tonic immobility) or in other words playing dead is reached. This updates the fight or flight response to be freeze, flight, fight or fright. This revelation shows that there is a problem with the fight or flight response, that its responsible for illness in the modern day ma n/women encountering stress and that it needs adapting to new scenarios that could be encountered now, (Does fight or flight need updating?). The evidence suggests that the fight or flight response can be beneficial, but with the wrong circumstances and if the stress is prolonged then it can make an individual ill. Nevertheless, this can be affected by certain modifying effects for example, if the person has suitable/effective coping strategies. Other aspects of the argument, like whether the fight or flight response needs updating is important to take into account. Its still unclear what causes stress is it biology or environmental causes? Therefore, more research needs to be done on the causes so the treatments can be looked at for reliability and validity. Additionally, then more information will be available on whether the fight or flight response does cause illnesses or is it a positive relationship. [Word count: 1340/1320. Citations- 116.]

Gender Role Behaviors: Biology and Society Share Responsibility Essay

There are many different facets to the nature versus nurture argument that has been going on for decades. One of these, the influence of nature and nurture on gender roles and behaviors, is argued well by both Deborah Blum and Aaron Devor, both of whom believe that society plays a large role in determining gender. I, however, have a tendency to agree with Blum that biology and society both share responsibility for these behaviors. The real question is not whether gender expression is a result of nature or nurture, but how much of a role each of these plays. Both Devor and Blum can agree that society plays a large role in establishing gender identity. In his article â€Å"Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes,† Devor states, â€Å"Gender role characteristics reflect the ideological contentions underlying the dominant gender schema in North American society† (Devor 571). Deborah Blum agrees to an extent in her article â€Å"The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?† As stated in her article by behavioral endocrinologist Mark Breedlove, â€Å"We’re born with predispositions, but it’s society that amplifies them, exaggerates them† (qtd by Blum 574). It is clear, however that the two disagree on the extent of the societal role in determining gender role characteristics. Devor’s statement, and entire article for that matter, point to a clear belief that biology has no effect on gender roles. Instead, he believes that our views of the â€Å"natural† behaviors of males and females are based solely upon the society that we live in, that we have been conditioned to see certain characteristics as â€Å"feminine† and others as â€Å"masculine†. This ideology sparks from the belief that biological factors make males more aggressive and dominant than fem... ...logy or society? Nature or nurture? In this case, I would say that the answer is that both biology and society have great influence on how males and females behave in their roles. The only question now is, to what degree do each of these play a role? For this answer, we may have to wait. The key thing is to know that nature starts the process, and nurture helps that process along.  Works Cited Blum, Deborah. â€Å"The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?† Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th Edition. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 573-580. Print. Devor, Aaron. â€Å"Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes.† Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th Edition. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 567-572. Print.

Critical Complexity :: Writing Personal Narrative Papers

Critical Complexity When I heard Mr. Sabol announce the topic for W131’s latest assignment, an exploratory essay, I was furious. Of a world of scintillating and fascinating topics, he picked â€Å"writing† as the subject of the class’s papers. Writing, of course, was not my favorite theme; I felt the topic had been so overused over the course of the semester that writing any more about it would be futile and destructive to any shred of creativity the class had left. Furthermore, I had expected to be allowed to explore the topics that interested me the most outside of class[d1] . Regardless of my expectations, I had been stuck with an assignment I didn’t want to do. I kept asking myself why on earth I should write about writing[d2] . For that matter, I didn’t understand what purpose it would serve. At first I just viewed the topic as a way to give W131 students more homework. Perhaps it was a way of cruel fate driving me over the edge of sanity. Maybe it was just a matter of giving Mr. Sabol what he wanted to hear from our exploratory papers, not a matter of free thinking and the true exploration of our external and internal worlds. However, a notion began nagging at the back of my mind – there had to be a better answer than the ones I had come up with before. They were answers to the problem that were born of frustration and impatience, not of careful thought and consideration. I decided then that, as simple and perhaps insignificant as my personal problems with the topic were, I needed to address them in some way. Addressing my problems with the assignment would make me take time to think critically about my dilemma and find the answers that could help me become more motivated with the topic[d3] . I felt it was the only way I could even begin my exploratory essay without pulling all my hair out. Of course I didn’t have the answer to my initial question yet – What’s the purpose behind writing about writing? As I could not find the answer in a textbook or get a straight answer about it from Mr. Critical Complexity :: Writing Personal Narrative Papers Critical Complexity When I heard Mr. Sabol announce the topic for W131’s latest assignment, an exploratory essay, I was furious. Of a world of scintillating and fascinating topics, he picked â€Å"writing† as the subject of the class’s papers. Writing, of course, was not my favorite theme; I felt the topic had been so overused over the course of the semester that writing any more about it would be futile and destructive to any shred of creativity the class had left. Furthermore, I had expected to be allowed to explore the topics that interested me the most outside of class[d1] . Regardless of my expectations, I had been stuck with an assignment I didn’t want to do. I kept asking myself why on earth I should write about writing[d2] . For that matter, I didn’t understand what purpose it would serve. At first I just viewed the topic as a way to give W131 students more homework. Perhaps it was a way of cruel fate driving me over the edge of sanity. Maybe it was just a matter of giving Mr. Sabol what he wanted to hear from our exploratory papers, not a matter of free thinking and the true exploration of our external and internal worlds. However, a notion began nagging at the back of my mind – there had to be a better answer than the ones I had come up with before. They were answers to the problem that were born of frustration and impatience, not of careful thought and consideration. I decided then that, as simple and perhaps insignificant as my personal problems with the topic were, I needed to address them in some way. Addressing my problems with the assignment would make me take time to think critically about my dilemma and find the answers that could help me become more motivated with the topic[d3] . I felt it was the only way I could even begin my exploratory essay without pulling all my hair out. Of course I didn’t have the answer to my initial question yet – What’s the purpose behind writing about writing? As I could not find the answer in a textbook or get a straight answer about it from Mr.

Culture and Psychopathology : A relationship Essay -- Psychology

Culture is defined as the group of similar values, goals, outlooks, ideas and traditions that a shared by a certain group of people. The human race is diverse and varied, filled with many cultures. There are many differences in these cultures and because of these differences; the definition of normal differs from culture to culture. It only makes sense that diagnoses of psychopathologic disorders vary from culture to culture. However certain things will not change because fundamentally, we all still belong to the same species. Take the typical division of the east and the west. Research has shown that people from western cultures think differently from people in the eastern cultures. Westerners tend to see themselves as individuals. In comparison, people from East Asian cultures tend to see themselves as part of a whole and as interdependent person in the community. This translates itself into their world view, while the westerner tends to see the main point in great detail; the easterner is more likely to see the full dynamics of the full picture (Goldberg, 2008). It can be said that they think differently because of the culture in which they are immersed in. An experiment was carried out to determine how were 8-year-olds were at puzzle solving. This experiment was carried out with American and Asian children. The Americans did better at puzzles they had chosen while the Asians did better at puzzles their mothers had chosen. This reflects on the varying though processes between the two cultures. The Amer icans were more independent and comfortable to choose their own puzzles while the Asians were comfortable in the belief that their mothers knew what the best was for them (Goldberg, 2008). The point of the experiment was to... ...izations in the many cultures in the world. References Psychological Medicine. (n.d.). Changi General Hospital. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from www.cgh.com.sg/Medical_Specialities/Medical_Services/Pages/psychological.aspxhttp:// Goldberg, C. (n.d.). Differences Between East and West Discovered in People’s Brain Activity - The Tech. The Tech - MIT's Oldest and Largest Newspaper. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N9/culture.html Juris G. Draguns (1986): Culture and psychopathology: What is known about their relationship?, Australian Journal of Psychology, 38:3, 329-338 Braun, F. K., Fine, E. S., Greif, D. C., & Devenny, J. M. (2010). Guidelines for multicultural assessment: An asian indian american case study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 38(3), 130-141. http://search.proquest.com/docview/610013358?accountid=16285

Delivering Business Value with It at Hefty Hardware Essay

IT Value is defined as the worth or desirability of a thing. It is a subjective assessment. The value of IT depends very much on how a business and its individual managers choose to view it. Strategic positioning, increased productivity, improved decision making, cost savings, or improved service are all ways value could be defined. It is tied to the organization’s business model because adding value with IT should enable a firm to do it business better. One company sees value resulting from all parts of the organization having the same processes; another defines value by return on investment (ROI); still another measures t by a composite of key performance indicators. IT value proposition is that everyone involved in an IT initiative agree on what value they are trying to deliver and how they will recognized it. IT Value is a function of people, process, and technology. The Three Components of the IT Value Proposition: Identification- Recognize and evaluate opportunities. Conversion- Transformation of ideas and opportunities into IT value propositions and creating IT value. Realization- Deliver value and ensure that technology is widely accepted Best Practices in Identifying Potential Value: Joint business-IT structure. Compare value across projects. Utilize a portfolio approach to project selection/prioritization. Establish a funding mechanism for infrastructure. Conversion: Managerial issues with Conversion More projects than resources: Insufficient time to complete all projects; inadequate technical/business resources; significant business process redesign may be required for implementation of IT. IT value creation can be successfully made by: Excellent project management; Effective execution (e.g. change management); Reliable IT operations Best Practices in Realizing Value: Measure outcomes against expected results.[Does Expected Value = Actual Value?]; Plan a value-realization phase for all IT projects; Look for and eliminate root causes of problems; Assess value realization at all levels in the organization; Have provision for acting on new opportunities.

Macbeth- ‘Film Proposal’ Rationale

I was given the brief that, if I was a director how would I compose work on Macbeth on Act One, Scene Three of the play? I would begin by thinking on how I will present the following to the audience: the setting, the atmosphere, themes, characters and camera shots. I would decide to try and set the scene around 1000 AD and to do this I think that there should be no bright colours used. Traditional requirements need to be employed such as the transport would be by horse, and food which has been home produced e.g. chickens. To create the atmosphere I would require a large variety of types of music. For example, a sad atmosphere I might use soft music from a flute, the typical Scottish bagpipes might create a happy atmosphere, while during the witches' scene the sound of thunder could be heard in the background. In the third scene there are five different types of characters. I think that Macbeth and Banquo should both look strong and not cleanly shaven and I think that Macbeth should be very dirty, this would emphasize how ‘brave' (1.2.16) and ‘noble' (1.3.67) he is. Both Macbeth and Banquo's clothes should be torn in places and looking exhausted. Macbeth could have a bearded? Ross and Angus need to have a clearer appearance and both should be cleanly shaven. All four of these characters should all speak very clearly to remind the audience the time of the setting of the play. I would like the three witches to look extremely ugly with facial hair i.e. moustache, long fingernails, long scruffy hair and warts. The uses of masks could make them look very unattractive. They should speak very ‘crockery' and very slowing and abnormal. I would want to highlight a number of themes, one of them being the theme of supernatural. This theme is brought up during the witch's scene at the beginning of scene three. I would like the audience to believe that they are inhuman and ‘weird' (1.3.30). I will create this theme by making the witch's unclear with the use of smoke therefore things which are unclear in that sense are abnormal/supernatural. I will also use special effects to make the three ‘witches vanish' (1.3.77). Their general appearance as described above will make them look extremely mythical. I think that I would need to highlight the theme ‘light against dark', this is what he says to other characters (light) and what he expresses to the audience what other characters can't hear (dark). This theme is used a number of times during the play and is used twice during the third scene. Macbeth hides his excitement and a clear example of this is when Macbeth quotes to Ross, ‘Why do you dress me in borrow'd robes?' (1.3.107-108), this robe symbolizes his new title: Thane of Cawdor. While on line 117, Macbeth, aside, appears to be very excited by new potential titles and quotes, ‘Glamis and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.' (1.3.116-117), this statement is only expressed to the audience.