Why Guanxi Play in Major Role in China Essay Example

Why Guanxi Play in Major Role in China Essay Why Guanxi and Mianzi Play an Important Role in Chinese Business Culture Diana Yuan Zhang University of Houston-Victoria Abstract The paper discussed why guanxi and mianzi are the main factors that directly affect the business and politic side of China, and this is molded culturally for the past five thousand years. And how is this cultural influence becoming stronger than ever before. By contrasting and analyzing guanxi and mianzi, this research paper is intended to point out the differences between values of China and U. S. A, and also the culture of China to have a better understanding why guanxi and mianzi is such a big deal. And end the research paper by how to build and maintain guanxi. Why Guanxi and Mianzi Play an Important Role in Chinese Business Culture The relationship between people is the most complicated thing in the world, the relationship between the Chinese are more subtle. Chinese people believes that â€Å" , † saying that at home one relies on ones parents and outside on ones friends. One thing that is really famous and special in China is how â€Å"relationship† works different from other countries and for foreigners to understand China’s culture and custom better; this is a necessary topic to cover. In order to facilitate the study of Chinese type of â€Å"relationship†, foreigners even create the world â€Å"guanxi†. Wikipedia describes guanxi as â€Å"the basic dynamic in personalized networks of influence, and is a central idea in Chinese society. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Guanxi Play in Major Role in China specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Guanxi Play in Major Role in China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Guanxi Play in Major Role in China specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Western media, the pinyin romanization of this Chinese word is becoming more widely used instead of the two common translations—connections and relationships—as neither of those terms sufficiently reflects the wide cultural implications that guanxi describes. † In the west, people commonly handle their business first and if the business is successful, a relationship will be built. However, in China people believe that prospective business partners should build a relationship first and if it is successful, business transactions will be followed. Every transaction make in China mostly start with a good relationship with your business partners and the logical development of close relationships is the Chinese concept of guanxi. Vanhonacker’s (2004) comment, â€Å"In the West, relationships grow out of deals. . . .In China, deals grow out of relationships,† Guanxi stands for any type of relationship. In the Chinese business world it is also understood as the network of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one another. Guanxi plays a very important role in Chinese’s life, because it directly affects the business and politic side of China, and this is molded culturally for the past five thousand years. â€Å"China, the great family of nationalities with minor estrangement among, in particular, is a society built based upon Confucianism where people are tied closely into varieties of guanxi, with which the social networks bind millions of Chinese firms into social and business webs, largely dictating their success. † (Wong 2007) Successful people understand this fact. Guanxi is a very important resource and capital, and many successful business people are deeply aware that having the right guanxi is the importance of their own success. They know that human do not live on the planet alone, and every human being has their own advantages and limitations. This is the reason why they know how to share ideas, mutual assistance, and the importance of mutual guidance, so they carefully cultivate relationships with each other. So when one faces difficulties and challenges, one will not be alone, and one will have strength and conviction. A successful person always has their own network of relationship; they work very carefully to operate their Guanxi. Many people has misunderstanding of the word â€Å"Guanxi† is just to ask people for help when you needed, just as some people think that communicative behavior occurs when you need something. When it comes to guanxi we must keep in mind: business negotiated with human. Stanford Research Center has published a survey report, concluded that: a person earns, 12. 5% from the knowledge, 87. 5% from the contacts. As you can see how important contacts play in role of our daily life. In China guanxi it is the key to everything: getting a new driver license, treated by a better doctor, getting into your dream school, landing a distribution deal, even eating at your favorite restaurant on a Friday night. Getting what you want in China means you have to have the right guanxi. Not only Guanxi occurs in China it is just that Guanxi in China can do put things in a whole in level. â€Å"In Europe or America who you know might help you get a job, or get your child into a decent school. In China who you have guanxi with can mean the difference between freedom and jail, justice or discrimination, wealth or poverty. Hayes 2005)† The Chinese term guanxi can also at times mean the â€Å"networking. † In China, the relationship is a complex thing. Commercial activities in china are characterized by guanxi can include side with government agencies, investors, partners, and even the relationship with their employees. By having the right guanxi in China, the company minimizes the setback, risk, and disappointments when doing business. Having the right Guanxi with the relevant authorities in China will determine the competitive standing of an organization in the long term run. In additional certain risks, barriers, and set-ups you’ll encounter in China will be minimized when you have the right Guanxi working for you. That is why the correct guanxi is so dynamic to any successful business strategy in China. In Irene Yeung and Rosalie Tung article they point out one popular saying in these societies puts it â€Å"Who you know is more important than what you know. † â€Å"Who you know† refers to personal connections with the appropriate authorities or individuals. (Young1996). Guanxi can be taken in many forms it does not have to be based on money. What is Mianzi? It is not possible to discuss guanxi without introducing the related concept of mianzi. A related issue, mianzi, or face, is equally important within Chinese social settings and therefore of significant importance in a business context. Mianzi is translated as â€Å"face† and is often interpreted as both the showing of respect (â€Å"giving face†) and ensuring you do not offend people (causing them to â€Å"lose face†). â€Å"In Asian culture, if someone has good face (or quite simply has face), such face means someone has a good reputation in front of ones peers. Interestingly enough, having good face is actually a bankable notion in Chinese culture. Having face in front of ones business colleagues or within a community is literally a statement of that persons value. If someone has good enough face, in some cases they can walk into a lending institution (such as smaller, privately operated banks), and take out a loan on their word only. People with good face are generally dependable, reliable, and safe to do business with. As we say in Western culture, His word is as good as gold. This is essentially what good face means. (Melendez 2007)† In western relationship helps the individual, but in China, they also define the individual. This is why â€Å"miazi† is all connected to â€Å"guanxi†. The concept of â€Å"mianzi† is very hard to explain in a few sentences. As David Yau-fai Ho, the first Asian to serve as the President of the International Council of Psychologists says, face is â€Å"a concept of central importa nce because of its pervasiveness with which it asserts its influence in social intercourse. It is virtually impossible to think of a facet of social life to which the question of face is irrelevant† Also a recent study conducted by the China Youth Daily found that over 93 percentage of the 1,150 respondents surveyed admitted that face is very important to them, with 75 percentage acknowledging that making a mistake in public was, by far, the most humiliating experience they could ever have (Shan, 2005). This study shows that most Chinese will do whatever to avoid looking bad in the public. To Chinese people â€Å"face† is a very important thing, sometimes to the extent of incomprehensible. Before Chinese people think face is sometimes even more important than life. The ancient Chinese idiom a â€Å" †, saying someone greeted a half-died starving man to dinner, but the host speaks very impolitely to him, the starving man feel insulted by the host, so he refuse to eat the dinner that the host offered, and rather starve to death. In today’s world we might think even though the host had a bad attitude, the half-died starving man should still eat the food first and maybe through rock at the host window later if the man felt insult by him. It is really hard for us to understand the face theory of the traditional Chinese culture. We have to realize two things: first, in the Chinese culture, mianzi represent individual social status and social value, that means personal behavior must be consistent with this identity image; secondly, mianzi is an important factor affecting the interpersonal relationship. You can think of face as respect, honor or reputation, you can also think of it as public image, particularly through the eyes of one’s close connection. China and the United State’ attitude toward â€Å"mianzi† are very different, which is the cultural communication problem cannot be avoided. China’s business culture stresses of mianzi should communicate effectively in a harmonious atmosphere. Mianzi play a decisive role in the communication. In respect of the Chinese people, the people have to deal with two major relationships, a relationship between man and nature, also person-to-person relationship. Western culture pays more attention to the relationship between man and nature, so that is why western’s natural science is especially developed. Chinese people are most focused on the relationship between people. If a Chinese person is bad at dealing with interpersonal relationships, then it is really hard for him to gain a foothold in the community. For example, in China, supervisor had convey a concept that is an employee make any mistake that mean he or her had â€Å"bring the shame† to the entire department. Even the â€Å"smear† is personal, it will still be considered as the whole department of â€Å"loose face†. Lost mianzi would be very difficult to re-establish the image of the collective. During negotiations if one feels he or her encountered each other lad to â€Å"loss of face†, the majority of Chinese negotiators will think it is very embarrassing, if the negotiation continue it will feel very awkward, and on the other hand only a small number of United State negotiators will think it is embarrassing. As you can see mianzi is key motivator among Chinese business people. Mianzi factors in many decisions and action taken in the business world, also in day to day life in china just as how guanxi play an important roe also. Understanding both of these concepts, and their importance in business relationships in China, it is manifest importance. It is possible to spend years developing a business network by applying a good guanxi In David Smith article he pointed out that: â€Å"understanding of guanxi, only to spectacularly fail because of a misunderstanding of mianzi†. â€Å"Face and guanxi (roughly spoken as gwahn-shee) work hand-in-hand. Where face is the substance the fuel that makes the Chinese business engine turn over, guanxi is the personalized glue that makes it all stick together as a working dynamic. Melendez 2007)† Chinese Culture Economics and culture are not developing as two parallel lines. They interact and affect each other reciprocally (Wong, 2007). When something goes wrong or you needed something to be done finding the right guanxi seems to be the only way in China. Some people think that the culture of guanxi came from their traditional way of farming production. It i s their tradition with close family relationships as a link to the family extends to the results of the social relation. To observe guanxi culture’s origin we have to think why we need guanxi? The Sole purpose of having the right guanxi is to get the benefits. Then why guanxi will be able to obtain benefit? Because there are some people out there hold benefits? And why the people who hold benefits are willing to have relationship to benefits the others? That is because he has a grasp of the public assets? In western guanxi is not as popular as in China is because; most of the assets they master is private. Even if one has hold of the public interest; the external supervision is very good. Back in ancient China, family is the most important thing in everybody life, from a normal all the way up to the emperor, there is no difference in the way they see family, they take care of the family first before they think of them self. Guanxi culture is deeply rooted in Chinese cultures because property, rights, including social resources never had a clear boundary. After Qin Dynasty establishes authoritarian rule system, the Chinese start to use this concept to rule the country, â€Å" , ; , (Under the whole heaven, every spot is the sovereigns ground; to the borders of the land, every individual is the sovereigns minister. ) In other words, all the rights are owned by the Royal. In such large system, the Royal hold their own family business† so the royal need to hire people to work for them, and then had a huge bureaucratic class. Bureaucratic class exists to do â€Å"steward† for the royal, In addition to their salary; they are not supposed to take any guard reso urces especially property. At the same time, most â€Å"steward† are not â€Å"saints†, and it is very difficult to face such a huge asset that they custody, and they do not want to appropriate to oneself. As assets custody, there are two pathways that they can â€Å"transfer† the assets. First, according to the system of royal legitimately transfer, second, transfer through less legitimate even very legitimate way. No matter which way they chose to transfer the asset, they need the help from other people. The first pick is to transfer to the people that they relatively close to. This way, they are doing a favor, they can earn mianzi and also they can earn gratitude, on top of that they can get something in return. At the same time, as people wants to get the public assets, rights and other resources, they will take advantage of a wide range of opportunities, and desperately to make good relationship with the people who have the rights of resource allocation. This relation is not an ordinary human contact, but to the interests of the benefit they can get. With this kind of â€Å"tacit â€Å"this is where all guanxi and mianzi started. Nepotism is very common for Chinese people, because for a country that used to rule under the Confucius ethics, in handing a lot of thing, the Chinese do not go by the formal or right way, but rely on the nepotism, that is why the community makes guanxi a very big deal. A research says â€Å"About 90 per cent of Chinas billionaires are the children of high-ranking officials. Princelings have fared far better in business than in politics, observed analyst Zhang Hua, who commented on the phenomenon in Hong Kongs Apple Daily in 2007. Not a single (princeling) family has been left behind, he said sardonically. The various families have carved out territories in various industries. The family of former premier Li Peng, for example, controls the countrys energy sector. His daughter Li Xiaolin is chairman of China Power International Development, an electricity monopoly. His son Li Xiaopeng used to head Huaneng Power, another energy heavyweight. The family of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin has moved into telecommunications, while the offspring of former premier Zhu Rongji are strong figures in banking. His son Levin Zhu is the chief executive of China International Capital Corp. The princelings began staking out their dominions in the business world in the 1980s when China was opening up its economy. Armed with their fathers connections, they were able to exploit the opportunities thrown up by Chinas economic transformation. By the 1980s, this economic revolution had led to much public disquiet, and when students staged protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989, much of their anger was initially directed at what they saw as rampant corruption by senior officials and their families. Tan 2009)† This research accurate description of the current situation in China put aside the high-ranking official even if an ordinary citizen who is looking for a good job, having good or right qualification that fit the job will not get you in, you also need to have the right guanxi. Many graduates who accomplished a lot during college, having the all kind of certificate, doing good internships, join ing top organizations, still can’t find a good job, to them they think all their certificate are just a blank sheet of paper. On the other hand, student who use to barely pass their class, lacking thought out college, but just because their family have the right guanxi, just after their graduation they can find a great job with all the benefit. Even though this kind of situation happens in the western too, but it is ten times worse. The people who have no money, no right, no guanxi always have to work for the one who have everything, perhaps this is today’s reality in China, no matter how hard you work, it is very hard for you just go on the top without the right guanxi. Confucianism In China people use more than half of their energy to handle relationship between each other, in another world is to build up the right guanxi. Guanxi interaction has been viewed by many scholars as an idiosyncratic cultural phenomenon (Lee and Ellis, 2000) where Confucianism is the major life philosophy. Confucius was the most influential and respected philosopher in Chinese history. His ideas were the strongest influence on Chinese society from around 100 BC till the early 20th century. The Chinese governments throughout this period of two millennia had made his ideas their official state philosophy. Confucian theories and philosophies were even exported to neighboring countries and honored as wise and noble ideals (Culture 2007). Chinese traditional ethics and cultural summed up that relations between people as â€Å" † (human relation). â€Å"Human Relation† is the specific personal, family, social relations, including interpersonal relationships. Confucian teachings are based on five human relationships that are founded on moral principles, Wu-lune ( ), the basic norms of guanxi, â€Å" , , , , that between the ruler and the ruled; that between parents and children; that between siblings; that between husband and wife; and that between friends. Above the five relationships, parent-child relationship, monarch relations is a fundamental relationship. More than thousands of year, no matter how Chinas feudal society development and changes, and how the different specific content change of human relationships over the years, but none of the Father and Sons (reflectin g kinship), Jun Chen (reflecting the political relations) the foundation of the concept of human relations shaken a bet. Confucian concept of human relations is the most fundamental is the word â€Å" â€Å"(virtue). Where â€Å"? † is father and son as a starting point to solve the problem of the relationship between the individual and the individual; and â€Å"? † solve the â€Å"monarch† The backbone of social relations. Confucianism is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture. Want to know why guanxi and mianzi is such a big thing in China; we have to start off by have a better understanding of Confucianism. Chinese culture has deeply influenced by the Confucianism, Thousands of years of feudal society taught nothing more than The Four Books (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Confucian Analects, and The Works of Mencius and The Five Classics (The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The book of Rites, and The Spring and Autumn annals Traditional thinking of the sense of responsibility, self-control thinking, and loyalty and final piety thinking are the result of the Confucianism and the feudal rule in combination. Therefore, Confucianism is the backbone of social relations. Pros: 1) Emphasis on education. Create individualized teaching methods and attention to individual difference in teaching, adept inspired teaching. 2) Pay attention to morality, decency and propriety, righteousness, consciously comply with truth and goodness. 3) Ideologically adept dialectical thinking, emphasis on the nature of agriculture, emphasis on experience , also that natural cycle are the root that causes of human reason. Promote agriculture-oriented due to actual resources of the ancient China. 4) To promote the country to ? (courtesy, manners), â€Å"ethical political†, if Western culture is the â€Å"intellectual† type than Chinese culture is â€Å"morality† type. Cons:1) Do not pay attention to importance of agricultural production of knowledge, do not pay attention to learning of science and knowledge. Strong sense of political purpose, Confucius is inclined to politics. 2) Do not emphasize to logic but pay much more attention to experience. ) Emphasize that the individual compliance to the group, repressed individual personality ideological unity caused national’s simple-minded filial piety and blind loyalty. 4) Ethical relationships solidified and absolute. The three cardinal guides (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife) and the five constant virtues (benevolence; righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity) as specified in the feudal et hical code. Parents authoritarian. All these become personal oppression and spirit slaughter. Restrict thinking and way of life of the whole China; it is a forward resistance of history. 5) Ethical concept: hierarchy is most supreme, thus limiting the development of the natural sciences and technology. â€Å"Building upon the thoughts of others, Confucius codified the proper relationships between the ruler and the ruled, the father and son, the husband and wife, the elder and younger brother, and the teacher and student. (Neville 2012)† These are the main focus that Confucius had taught. Neville had said â€Å"All have roles and responsibilities in a Confucian system, and they are not equal. This concept might be very difficult for those who grow up in a society that is shaped by the Declaration of Independence. In many respects, Confucianism substitutes for an independent judiciary that has never really existed in China. â€Å"It provides a structure for moderating disputes and deciding who gets what,† â€Å"That is very different from a Western or an America n judicial system, in the sense that its premise is that not everybody is equal. In fact, people are inherently unequal under Confucianism. (Neville 2012)† Build and Maintain Guanxi Man are social animal, each individual has their own unique ideas, background, attitude, personality, behavior patterns and values. Interpersonal has a big influence on everyone living, working, and even organizational climate, organizations communication, organizational efficiency, and also has a great impact between the individual and the organization. Since we are a member of the society, we have to build relation with others, and right relation help us to get the right guanxi, where guanxi is a huge thing in China’s society. Since Chinese people prefer to do business with people they know and trust this is why after research and learning the Confucianism I listed of seven elements help to build guanxi in China: 1) To build the right guanxi the principle is to treat people sincerely, the prerequisite for building guanxi is trust and the most essential foundation of trust if that you believe in someone, which you have to be a person who is the same outside and inside. Also when you are trustworthiness they can get the feel of â€Å"You got my back, I got your back. 2) Be interested in other, not just let others be interested in you. Being interested in others will make one grateful, and we always like those people who are interest in ourselves. Also being interested in others will make them feel that you are caring. 3) Properly listen to get more useful information. Carefully understand others, and seek what can of help you can provide to the person you want to build guanxi with, to do so you would win th eir goodwill. 4) If you want to build guanxi with others you should try you best to be interest in that person, listen and understand them in your best way. So you can put yourself in other’s show. Being understood is the strongest need, which is why this is very important. 5) Do not promise thing you cannot do. Do not let others produce unrealistic in you. For example if a company promised to do something and it is due as it promised, then the company is showing trustworthiness and other companies would be more inclined to deal with that company. 6) Willing to help others. Small things can cause big change, many small things accumulate can make a tremendous change. You never know who you helping, that person might be the one who can help you in the future, and this is the key to build up guanxi. 7) Time are very valuable, saving one’s time is the most precious gift. You can do that by being on time, making that time with you valuable, and doing things efficiently. After you have built up guanxi with others, you have to maintain your guanxi. Reciprocal favors are the key factors to maintaining one’s guanxi and failure to do so can result in an end to one of your contacts. That is why guanxi can be a never ending cycle of doing favor for each other. Final Thought The finding of this study shows me a very good understanding of how important of guanxi and mianzi are in China when you are living there or doing business with them. Guanxi and mianzi are cultural concept that has been influenced the Chinese life for thousands of years and how Confucianism is the key to everything. Having a better understanding of Confucianism will have a clear perspective of why Chinese make a big deal out of guanxi. Reference Bai, C. , Q. Liu, J. Lu, F. M. Song, and J. Zhang. 2004. Corporate governance and firm valuations in China. Journal of Comparative Economics 32 (4). Dong, Q. , and Y. F. Lee. 2007. The Chinese concept of face: A perspective for business communicators. Paper presented at the Decision Sciences Institute Southwest Region 2007 Meeting, San Diego. Guanxi. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 30, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Guanxi Hayes, R. (2005). China’s modern power house. BBCNEWS, http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4298284. tm Hwang, A. , S. Ang, and A. M. Francesco. 2002. The silent Chinese: The influence of face and kiasuism on student feedback-seeking behaviors. Journal of Management Education 26 (1): 70–98. Lee, M. Y. and Ellis, P. (2000), â€Å"Insider-outsider perspectives of guanxi†, Business Horizons, January/February, pp. 25-30. Melendez , J. (2007). The concept of â€Å"face† in chinese culture. Share your voice on yah oo. http://voices. yahoo. com/the-concept-face-chinese-culture-566703. html Schipani, C. A. , and J. H. Liu. 2002. Corporate governance in China: Then and now. Columbia Business Law Review 2002: 1–69. Shan, Echo. (2005, August 8). Mianzi of Chinese weighs a lot, comes at a price. China Daily. Retrieved July 23, 2008 from http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/english/doc/2005-08/08/content_467216. htm Smith, D. (2012) Guanxi, Mianzi, and Business: The Impact of Culture on Corporate Governance in China. http://www1. ifc. org/wps/wcm/connect/aeae62804b7321708fcdcfbbd578891b/IFC+PSO+26+052112. pdf? MOD=AJPERES Tan, G. 2009. The untold nepotism barons: 90% of Chinas billionaires are children of high ranking Communist officials. Chinesepolitics. http://sub. garrytan. com/the-untold-nepotism-barrons-90-of-chinas-bill The influences of Confucius. (2007) In Cultural-China. Retrieved from http://history. cultural-china. com/en/182History5836. html Neville. F. Understanding China: Confucianism, Guanxi and Face. 2012. Thundeerbird. Understanding China: Confucianism, Guanxi and Face Vanhonacker, W. R. 2004. Guanxi networks in China. China Business Review (May–June). Wong, M. 2007. Guanxi and its role in Business. Chinese Management Studies. Vol. 1. No 4 pp. 257-276. DOI 10. 1108/17506140710828532

Ancient Roman Water Systems

Ancient Roman Water Systems Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, a Brandeis classicist who has studied the Roman latrine, says, There are no ancient sources where you can really learn about daily life[...] You have to come upon information almost by chance. That means its hard to answer all the questions or to say with any confidence that this bit of information about the bathroom habits of the Roman Empire applies to the Republic as well. With that caution, here is some of what we think we know about the water system of ancient Rome. Roman Aqueducts The Romans are renowned for engineering marvels, among which is the aqueduct that carried water for many miles in order to provide a crowded urban population with relatively safe, potable water, as well as less essential but very Roman aquatic uses. Rome had nine aqueducts by the time of the engineer Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 35–105), appointed curator aquarum in 97, our main ancient source for the water supply. The first of these was built in the fourth century B.C. and the last in the first century A.D. Aqueducts were built because the springs, wells, and Tiber River were no longer providing the safe water that was needed for the swelling urban population. Aqueducts Listed by Frontinus: In 312 B.C., the Appia Aqueduct was built 16,445 meters long.Next was the Anio Verus, built between 272-269, and 63,705 meters.Next was the Marcia, built between 144-140 and 91,424 meters.The next aqueduct was the Tepula, built in 125, and 17,745 meters.The Julia was built in 33 B.C. at 22,854 meters.The Virgo was built in 19 B.C., at 20,697 meters.The next aqueduct is the Alsientina, whose date is unknown. Its length is 32,848.The last two aqueducts were built between 38 and 52 A.D. Claudia was 68,751 meters.The Anio Novus was 86,964 meters. The Drinking Water Supply Water did not go to all residents of Rome. Only the rich had private service and the rich were as likely to divert and hence, steal, the water from the aqueducts as anyone. Water in residences only reached the lowest floors. Most Romans got their water from a constantly running public fountain. Baths and Latrines Aqueducts also supplied water to public latrines and baths. Latrines served 12-60 people at once with no dividers for privacy or toilet paper only a sponge on a stick in the water to pass around. Fortunately, water ran through the latrines constantly. Some latrines were elaborate and may have been amusing. Baths were more clearly a form of entertainment as well as hygiene. Sewers and The Cloaca Maxima When you live on the 6th floor of a walk-up with no latrine for blocks, the chances are youll use a chamber pot. What do you do with its content? That was the question that faced many an insula dweller in Rome, and many answered in the most obvious way. They dumped the pot out the window onto any stray passerby. Laws were written to deal with this, but it still went on. The preferred act was to dump solids into sewers and urine into vats where it was eagerly collected and even bought by fullers who needed the ammonia in their toga cleaning business. The main sewer of Rome was the Cloaca Maxima. It emptied into the Tiber River. It was probably built by one of the Etruscan kings of Rome to drain the marshes in the valleys between the hills. Sources By Donna Desrochers,  Classicist digs deep for truth about latrines, hygiene habits of ancient Romans, Roger D. Hansen, Water and Wastewater Systems in Imperial Rome Lanciani, Rodolfo, The Ruins of Ancient Rome. Benjamin Blom, New York.

A Complete Analysis Becoming Abigail English Literature Essay

A Complete Analysis Becoming Abigail English Literature Essay Young Abigail is a Nigerian girl alternating short sections focusing on her past as well as her present life. She is Abigail the daughter but there is the dominant Abigail, the mother who died giving birth to her. The death of Abigail’s mother plays a huge role in the entire novel. Abigail is portrayed as an affliction child, without a mother, striving to discover her future. She is an African girl, symbolizing the corrosion of national and confined cultural distinctiveness into the end monumental continental identity of Africa. Abigail tries to personify and preserve herself in her mother’s figure and bequest. The father is chronic drunkard who foregoes his paternal obligations and responsibility. He has his daughter who constantly reminds him of his late wife. Abigail’s is characterized by misery and tragedies. Her childhood is pathetic and she spends most of it mourning her late mother in commemorative self-induced rituals. She mutters incarnations, cuts hers elf, tears and burns her mother’s photos, burns herself (Abani, p.10). â€Å"And this. Even this,† (p.18). The novella starts. In less significant hands, this may not be a hopeful starter, but Abani steers us out of the fog swiftly. â€Å"This memory like all the others was a lie.† (p.18). Abigail, a youthful girl in Nigeria, is nostalgically recalling her mother’s memorial service. Abigail act of mourning is to some extent troubling. It is symbolised by among other acts, the killing of birds and later dressing them in lace from her mother’s bridal dress. But, as written by Abani, explaining the symbol from an authorial distance, we realize that not much is substantiated in the rest of the book, â€Å"this tradition recognized complex ways to be human, and she was allowed to mourn.† (p.18). In addition, another frequently evident symbolic device is the use of two alternating strands, â€Å"Now† and â€Å"Then,† throughout the n arrative. The latter is associated with Abigail’s reminiscence of life in Nigeria with her depressed father and his choice to send her to London with a strange family member named Peter. Nearing to their departure, Abigail’s father performs suicide, despite the fact that he had intuited the agonies in anticipation of his daughter. The end of the first chapter leaves us with the impression that Abigail takes after her mother. Their extreme resemblance makes the author propel us through the mind of her father as he watched her mourn her mother’s death similar to watching his dead wife grieve. She is likened to a younger version of her mother grieving her death in advance. Her father â€Å"turned and looked at her and she saw the photo and recognized it. She resembled her mother that when he saw her suddenly, she knew he wanted her to be Abigail.† (Abani, p.20) Although Abigail is now a grown-up, she misses her childhood, one that she never got to enjoy. The author takes us through her mind which juggles us from the present to her past and childhood. That’s when the author alternates the two titles, Now and Then. Abigail has had an experience with men that she remembers with so much regret. All the in her life had never been interested in knowing her true personality neither appreciate her beauty, not to mention how she was careful with her hair to make sure that she looked presentable. She was light-skinned – An inherent feature from her great-grandmother. The author likens her to a foreign country, especially when it comes to the men in her life as they never stayed.

The Rwanda Genocide Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Rwanda Genocide - Thesis Example The belief that one ethnic group was superior to the other is among the reasons why these events took place and they have remained a traumatic event in the history of Rwanda (De Lame 2009: 188). There have been attempts in recent years to reconcile the individuals who were on different sides during this genocide and this has been done in a manner, which is meant to ensure that Rwanda develops into a single cohesive society without any ethnic conflicts between the people of this state. Thus, in order to develop an understanding of the reasons behind the efforts of reconciliation, a discussion has to be made concerning the definition of ethnicity and the remedies, which can be used to ensure that it does not come to dominate the daily lives of individuals from different ethnic groups. In addition, a study of a similar process in South Africa has to be carried out and using this information develop an understanding of how to deal with reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda. Apartheid South Africa, like Rwanda, was characterised by high levels of brutality and state-sponsored violence favouring one ethnic group over the other. It was in an attempt to deal with the aftermath of these instances that the government worked towards the development of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission where the truth concerning all the atrocities committed could be revealed so that all of the parties involved could find closure. This was essentially a dialogue between the oppressor and the oppressed and it was a means through which peace could be brought between them in a manner that prevented any potential conflict from taking place in the country because of past grievances (Gibson 2004: 40). However, while the South African commission was essentially created for political reasons since its purpose was to help in the transition from an autocratic system to a democratic one, any of such mechanisms that are developed in Rwanda should avoid any political allegiances.  

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth Assignment

I wandered Lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth - Assignment Example As an educationist and poet, he helped to introduce and forge a different genre from the mainstream usual definition and knowledge of poetry thereby introducing romance in his literature (www.cummingsstudyguides.net). It is was one of the inaugural poems in the romantic age thus qualifying it to be a romantic poem. The speaker records that he was walking around in an area where there were valleys and hills and he was lonely or alone. Equivocally, he strides up and climbs on the hill and sees a lake and noticed of the fact that there yellow daffodils moving or waving in the breeze. It is recorded by the poet that the flowers were dancing a sight which is incredible. If a reader or an observer was to compare, then one would safely assert and infer that the lake was out danced by the flowers or the daffodil, a spectacular scene to see. Tentatively, the dancing daffodils occasioned an enormity of wealth in terms of the scene would bring to him in subsequent time (www.100.best-poems.net). Intuitively, the poet drifts from being lonely or empty and started to be joyous at the amazing scene or the dancing daffodils. From that time or moment, each time he feels low or pensive he recollects the memory of joy in him or his heart. Consequently, it that the dancing daffodils brings cheers him up whenever he is in solitude or feeling empty. As a literary device, the poem employs personification in an accurate and aesthetic manner. For instance, there is characterization and personification when the poem mentions that â€Å"the daffodils danced.† In the liberal arts such as poetry this technique and style is known as characterization. When the poem mentions that the daffodils show the inward eye, it is an attempt to role play and characterize the poem or art. A reader easily notices the conciliatory tone from the poem where the poet tries to merge the human experiences with nature without much hustle. However, the mood smacks off nostalgia because it

Bob Jones University Essay Example for Free

Bob Jones University Essay Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of choice, and more recently freedom from racial persecution; all of these freedoms belong to each and every person who is a citizen of the United States. Yet can any one of these freedoms be compromised to let another prevail? Take freedom of religion and racial discrimination, can one be discriminated against because of his color just because another’s religion teaches racism? Or can a certain religion be discriminated against because it teaches racism. Even more importantly can the federal government legally force people to change how they believe or deprive them of certain benefits because of their beliefs? These exact arguments were at the center of a highly controversial court case that was brought before the Supreme Court in 1975. The case was between the Internal Revenue Service and a Christian college, Bob Jones University. The IRS claimed that Bob Jones University’s admittances policies were racially discriminatory and subsequently revoked their tax-exempt status as a private school. However BJU countersued on the basis of encroaching their First Amendment rights of freedom of religion. Bob Jones University was founded as a â€Å"whites only† college in 1927 by evangelist Bob Jones Sr. in a small town called College Point, Florida. In 1933, the school moved to Cleveland, Tennessee; then it moved again in 1947 to Greenville, South Carolina, its present location. BJU students, around 5000 from kindergarten through college and onto graduate school, are studying for ministry or some other type of Christian service. Over the course of its existence, the university has had upwards of 70,000 students sit under the teachings of Bob Jones. The school has over 100 academic majors for undergraduates and another 50 for graduate students to choose from. Bob Jones University has been a â€Å"whites only† institution from the time it was founded in 1927. Bob Jones Sr. in a radio address that he gave in 1960 outlined his philosophy on the subject of segregation. In the address titled â€Å"Is Segregation Scriptural? † he stated: â€Å"God is the author of segregation and if you are against it then you are against God. † Before 1964 no African Americans were admitted to the school, however after the Civil Rights Act only married African Americans students were admitted, the after 1975 all African Americans were admitted. BJU adheres to a strict code of conduct in regards to the on-campus behavior of its students. According to the handbook, â€Å"Dishonesty, lewdness, sensual behavior, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion of any kind, pornography, illegal use of drugs, and drunkennessall are clearly condemned by Gods word and prohibited here† (13). It is perhaps understandable that a strict Christian university would condemn immoral behavior of students and faculty. When the IRS revoked the university’s tax-exempt status, the United States was at a key point in the understanding of its internal culture. Freedoms of religion and speech were marked everywhere either through political demonstration, or the tolerance and acceptance of differing religious viewpoints. BJU, however, believed interracial dating and marriage went against God and their religious ethos. It was this particular factor that contributed to the IRS first informing the university in 1970 that their tax-exempt status would be revoked. By law, universities were granted this exempt as an educational, charitable and/or religious institution. BJU’s policies were based on racism, according to the IRS, and therefore exempted them. The university’s response to this claim was a lawsuit filed in 1971. Appeals and injunctions led to the case being dismissed, much to the chagrin of BJU. With the IRS informing them again of the revoking of their tax-exempt status, the university filed another lawsuit in 1975. What followed was an intricate game of taxes, as prefaced in the case documents: â€Å"After paying a portion of the federal unemployment taxes for a certain taxable year, the University filed a refund action in Federal District Court, and the Government counterclaimed for unpaid taxes for that and other taxable years. Holding that the IRS exceeded its powers in revoking the Universitys tax-exempt status and violated the Universitys rights under the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, the District Court ordered the IRS to refund the taxes paid and rejected the counterclaim. † (461 U. S. 574, 1983). The case was held before the Supreme Court, where it was argued that the IRS had not misinterpreted the laws governing tax-exemption for a charitable, religious or educational institution and that â€Å"the right of a student not to be segregated on racial grounds in schools . . . is indeed so fundamental and pervasive that it is embraced in the concept of due process of law. (1983). It can be argued, that religion plays an integral role in the development of a person. Everyone has some form of a belief system or may follow a particular religion, or have faith in a creed. Recent research finds that in universities and colleges, a level of spirituality can help students in their educational experiences. According to Muller and Dennis, â€Å"college students, who reported experiencing higher levels of life change, both positive and negative, also scored lower on spirituality. Nevertheless, these students had scores indicative of a higher desire to find spirituality, even though their motivation to do so was low† (60). Universities that basis their education and courses around religious studies or practices perhaps enhance the university experience, however, does the belief of a university outweigh the belief of an individual? BJU believed that their educational policies were their right to uphold, despite staunch views on interracial dating and marriages. Around the time of the court case, they extended their admission policies to include single African Americans, and by the time the case was in full swing, were readily admitting all African American students. A change of heart towards their policies though was not enough for the IRS. They insisted that the university’s status still be revoked. Schools and universities have been bastions for molding a country’s future and in persisting with this case, the government and indeed the IRS were making more than just a stand against unethical policies. America was changing, and showcasing that there was no tolerance towards racism was not only monumental, but a necessity. Pascal Mubenga argues, that â€Å"desegregation in public schools has resolved on issue of financial support† (Struggle, p9). Indeed the struggle for many schools at the time in the southern parts of America, was understanding that segregation only hurt the country. In order for America to fully adopt a culture of freedom, it would have to learn tolerance and understanding. The â€Å"slavery† mentality was still marring organizations and communities. The decision of BJU v the U. S. was one that would finally put into action what was going to be acceptable practice, and what was not. In short, if educational institutes were going to keep their tax-exempt status, then it would mean the difference between tolerance and freedom of religion; or keeping to ‘slavery mentality’. BJU insisted that their First Amendment rights were being ignored. The Supreme Court, led by Justice Burger, disagreed. They voted 8-1 that it was in the public’s interest that they based their decision, and â€Å"that governmental interest substantially outweighs whatever burden denial of tax benefits places on petitioners exercise of their religious beliefs† (Hanna, 1983). It meant that in order to protect the freedom of religion and rights of the public, and of those rights of future students at BJU, it was imperative that the government apply the law as it was written. The IRS had not misused the law, and the message was clear: if a university wanted to keep their tax-exempt, then they were going to have to progress into more encompassing policies. The Supreme Court stated that, in the case of Bob Jones University, it did not meet the requirement of â€Å"providing beneficial and stabilizing influences in community life to be supported by taxpayers with a special tax status† – largely due to their racial policies, and it was these policies in particular which were racially discriminatory and therefore violated â€Å"fundamental national public policy† (Oyez, 2007). It had been argued that religious freedoms were as justified as any other. The Supreme Court rationalized that not all religious burdens are unconstitutional. It is perhaps alarming to realize that such policies at a university existed 35 years ago. It wasn’t that long ago when BJU had marked clearly in their student handbook that â€Å"students who date outside of their own race will be expelled† (Oyez). We live in a millennium where tolerance is vital and some communities in America still struggle with issues of racism. A university setting is one, traditionally centered around education, but true learning is not necessarily gained within a classroom, but from those we attend those classes with. Religious schools have just as much right to practice and educate as ones that are non-denominational, and arguably, their rights must also be protected. There should be tolerance towards religious school as well. However, such institutions should not endorse racism or discrimination. Their policies should be allowed to be guided by faith and beliefs, but not be considered a burden or provocative of hatred. At the heart of the BJU case, were policies on racism. The IRS was revoking their tax-exempt status because under law, the university failed to meet criteria to be considered as tax-exempt. Rightfully so, as was stated by the Supreme Court. Whilst it was a numbers game and an issue of taxes which led to this case being filed, the underlying message sent was one centered on freedoms. The United States government was not prepared to recognize any positive value in discriminatory procedures or policies, and while the Constitution protected the rights of the individual and their free will, the government was prepared to protect the rights of the public. In a country which has become increasingly multi-cultural the conclusion of this monumental case was a precedent for this occurring. Americans were reassured that the government were not going to recognize slavery mentality or endorse any form of segregation – they would and continue to protect the rights of the whole, so that we can all be individuals. Works Cited _. BOB JONES UNIVERSITY v. UNITED STATES, 461 U. S. 574 (1983), May 1983. FindLaw Case Resources http://laws. findlaw. com/us/461/574. html _. Bob Jones University v. US Oral Arguments. 1982, No 81-1. Oyez, US Supreme Court Media, http://www. oyez. org/cases/1980-1989/1982/1982_81_3/ _. Bob Jones University Handbook. Bob Jones University, 2005-2006. p13. _. The Oyez Project, Bob Jones University v. U. S. , 461 U. S. 574 (1983), available at: http://www. oyez. org/cases/1980-1989/1982/1982_81_3/ Hanna, Stanley J. â€Å"Bob Jones University v. United States: Interpretation and Conclusions. † Journal of Education Finance, v9 n2 p235-40 Fall 1983 Muller, Susan M. ; Dennis, Dixie L. â€Å"Life Change and Spirituality among a College Student Cohort†. Journal of American College Health, v56 n1 p55-60 Jul-Aug 2007 Mubenga, Pascal. â€Å"The Struggle of African American Students in the Public Schools† ERIC ID# ED491396, 2006 Online Submission http://www. eric. ed. gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet? accno=ED491396

History and Global Impact Vibrio Cholerae and Cholera :: Diarrhea Bacteria Disease

Vibrio Cholerae and Cholera - The History and Global Impact Abstract Cholera is a diarrhea disease caused by the bacteria, Vibrio Cholera. For centuries, cholera has terrorized the world. There have been seven pandemics since 1817 and many lives have been lost. Even to this day, cholera runs rampant in many areas of the world. The impact cholera has had on the world is enormous. Cholera has caused immense amount of human suffering and economic/social loss since its beginning. But, as time goes on, discoveries are made and ideas are created on treatments that save many lives and some places are now cholera free. In those regions, Cholera is a thing of the past; while in other parts of the world, it is very much still a threatening disease of the present and future. ______________________________________________________________________________ Cholera, the massive watery diarrhea disease, has struck the earth with its angry fists since the beginnings of civilization. From the start, Vibrio cholerea has infested the world and Cholera has especially terrorized the world in a series of pandemics. Without a doubt, Cholera has traveled throughout the whole world, stopping to pillage multitudes of cities of many of its inhabitants. It knows no boundaries. The only place it hasn’t ruthlessly invaded is the barren ice desert of Antarctica. Even to this day, cholera still robs places of lives. The first Cholera pandemic broke out in 1817. Cholera outbreaks continued to spread across Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa until 1823 (Barua Pg.8). Where the pandemic began is controversial, but cholera was definitely present in multiple places prior to and during 1817. India was an area that was affected by cholera in 1822. The fatality rates among the native and English troops in India were 21 for every 100 for the natives and 10 per 100 for the English (Barua Pg.8). Six years after the first Cholera pandemic, another pandemic sprang up. The second pandemic flew through Asia, Europe, the Middle East, some parts of Africa and the United States from 1829 to 1851. There were many â€Å"violent epidemics† sprinkled throughout the pandemic. One particularly violent epidemic took place on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where many died, including the Mecca and Jeddah governors and the Pasha (Barua Pg.9). Another outbreak that took place near Mecca was in 1846 where 15,000 people died (Barua Pg.10). However, as more cases of cholera appeared more new ideas for treatments did too. History and Global Impact Vibrio Cholerae and Cholera :: Diarrhea Bacteria Disease Vibrio Cholerae and Cholera - The History and Global Impact Abstract Cholera is a diarrhea disease caused by the bacteria, Vibrio Cholera. For centuries, cholera has terrorized the world. There have been seven pandemics since 1817 and many lives have been lost. Even to this day, cholera runs rampant in many areas of the world. The impact cholera has had on the world is enormous. Cholera has caused immense amount of human suffering and economic/social loss since its beginning. But, as time goes on, discoveries are made and ideas are created on treatments that save many lives and some places are now cholera free. In those regions, Cholera is a thing of the past; while in other parts of the world, it is very much still a threatening disease of the present and future. ______________________________________________________________________________ Cholera, the massive watery diarrhea disease, has struck the earth with its angry fists since the beginnings of civilization. From the start, Vibrio cholerea has infested the world and Cholera has especially terrorized the world in a series of pandemics. Without a doubt, Cholera has traveled throughout the whole world, stopping to pillage multitudes of cities of many of its inhabitants. It knows no boundaries. The only place it hasn’t ruthlessly invaded is the barren ice desert of Antarctica. Even to this day, cholera still robs places of lives. The first Cholera pandemic broke out in 1817. Cholera outbreaks continued to spread across Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa until 1823 (Barua Pg.8). Where the pandemic began is controversial, but cholera was definitely present in multiple places prior to and during 1817. India was an area that was affected by cholera in 1822. The fatality rates among the native and English troops in India were 21 for every 100 for the natives and 10 per 100 for the English (Barua Pg.8). Six years after the first Cholera pandemic, another pandemic sprang up. The second pandemic flew through Asia, Europe, the Middle East, some parts of Africa and the United States from 1829 to 1851. There were many â€Å"violent epidemics† sprinkled throughout the pandemic. One particularly violent epidemic took place on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where many died, including the Mecca and Jeddah governors and the Pasha (Barua Pg.9). Another outbreak that took place near Mecca was in 1846 where 15,000 people died (Barua Pg.10). However, as more cases of cholera appeared more new ideas for treatments did too.

Is the Nfl Too Dangerous

IS THE NFL TOO DANGEROUS? BY ALEXANDER COLON Football is one of America’s most beloved sports and with the super bowl coming up; fans of the sport are getting ready for the big game. I am an avid football fan myself and love playing it as much I enjoy watching it. What I have come to notice recently, is how the lives of football players are drastically changed when they are off the field. Football is a full contact sport, if you’re not prepared or unprotected at any given time during a play, you could end up limping off the field nursing injuries or even leave the game on a stretcher.Football players risk physical injuries every time they set foot on the field, and everyone is aware of that. What most people don’t know is that after players football careers are done and over, they face more problems than just a sore body every morning. Some players even play through these painful times in their career without even mentioning it, because they fear they will be dro pped from the roster. In recent research it has been found that mental trauma is occurring in football players leaving them mentally unstable or damaged later in life.This brings about the argument of football being too dangerous or a fair contact sport that all precautions for injuries are being tended to. When a fan watches a football game they don’t think about what the players go through off the field but only of the performance they are putting on the field. It is believed that every football player knows the risks of playing and has the knowledge that they might injure themselves physically. What a lot of the players don’t know is that they might damage their brains and develop things later in life like CTE.Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has common symptoms like sudden memory loss, paranoia, and depression during middle age. It is also known to cause dementia pugilistica, which was what a lot of boxers fell victim to but now more football players are bein g linked to it. NFL players get paid millions to do their job, something most people would kill for, and some people think that the reward is worth the risk. NFL players truly do put their lives on the line when they go out to play but the fame and money is compensation enough for the risks they take in some people’s opinions.In my opinion if you’re playing in the NFL then you are getting paid more than enough for what you’re risking. Even if their brains are messed up they have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. What the NFL should do is make players sign a waiver informing them of the possibilities that they might contract a disease from getting hit to many times and hopefully this would make them more comfortable with the repercussions.

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay

In poem My Last Duchess, Robert Browning wants his readers to understand the conflict of art and morality. In the poem, the narrator talks about his dead wife, using eloquent words as though his word itself is a painting, but beneath his beautiful words, he tells a story of why and how he killed his wife, â€Å"I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together† (Browning 2). He killed his wife because, she doesn’t appreciate him as much as he would like her to appreciate him, â€Å"as if she ranked/ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/ With anybody’s gift† (Browning 2). The significance of Browning’s title to the theme of the poem is the engagement of art and morality of the poem and the actions of the narrator, he wants his readers to understand the beauty of the poem and question the actions of the narrator. Browning wants to know weather the readers will deem his poetry elegant despite of the fact that the narrator in the poem killed his wife. Works cited Browning, Robert. My Last Duchess and Other Poems. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. (1993).

-59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 Essays - Free Essays

-59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 Essays - Free Essays -59055067894200044577006724650004029075-800735 27 Sep 191700 27 Sep 1917-923925-791845 19 July 183400 19 July 1834-914400-9067800038957254643755 Degas00 Degas-10191754669155 Edgar00 Edgar Edgar Degas was a French artist well-known for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He was born on the 19th of july 1983 and died on the 27th of september 1917. Edgar is to be known as one of the founders of Impressionism although he refused the term, and preferred to be called a realist which was an artist or philosopher who believed in showing and discussing realism rather than visionary thoughts. Edgar's paintings and drawings are especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half of his work portray dancers. His portraits are known to to be amongst the finest in the history of art. In Edgar's early career, his passion was to be a history painter and he was well supported by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 18

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Eni is a company that has diversified its operations to different parts of the world. As a result, it requires employees who have the necessary skills and experience to handle clients emanating from different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, through the recruitment process, the panel is able to identify the right candidates who can work with different groups of people. Furthermore, teamwork is a critical aspect towards the overall success of the organization. As a result, the human resource department has a role of recruiting employees that can easily integrate with the rest of the subordinates. This is to ensure that there are no constant conflicts that can affect the overall performance of the business. On the other hand, the customer demands keeps on the changing. With the modern technology, they are able to get reviews from different sources concerning different products in the market. Therefore, in order for the company to keep up with these changes, it keeps on training its wor kforce in order to meet the demand in the market. This has been critical in enabling the company to meet the varying interests of its expanding market (Grieves, 2003). Besides recruiting and training, the human resource department in Eni formulates the specific objectives and the scope of the tasks that will be assigned to the employees. Based on these two factors, the contract that will govern the relationship between the employer and the employee is prepared. The working environment has become challenging with subordinates required to meet strict deadlines.

Driving. Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Driving. Information Technology - Essay Example A mention of programming to a non programmer sends shivers down the spine. However, few drivers do not realize how easy programming can be if only they understood similarities that exist between the two activities. Most drivers would agree that turning a steering wheel, engaging acceleration pedal and so on requires the use of muscles but certainly not much. On the other hand, programming or instructing a computer requires the use of intelligence in selecting proper instructions, anticipating response from the machine etc (Kent, 2006, 76). Just like driving, intelligence needed in programming is certainly not much especially if a person can relate programming to driving. It would not be possible to learn how to drive without involving yourself in the act. A person should understand that a computer only does what it is instructed to do just like a car follows the direction pointed by the driver. The computer system is able to utilize the CPU to perform a set of four basic operations c alled machine cycle on every instruction. First the control unit fetches the instruction from memory. Second, it decodes the instruction into commands that the computer will understand and then execute the command. Finally, the control unit writes the final result into the memory (Keith, 2006, 7). This process can be illustrated by a scenario where a person has to drive to a location he or she has not previously visited but needs to get there out of necessity. The four operations of the machine cycle are replicated in most activities that we do everyday. Driving to a place where a person has never been before is one of these activities and it requires plenty of careful planning. Any aspiring programmer must be able to conceptualize the four basic operations of the machine cycle and this can be done best by comparing the whole idea to a person going to visit a new friend in a location one has not been to before. Through twists and turns of fate, you happen to meet a nice person with whom you would be very glad to sit down and share a cup of coffee as you engage each other in some meaningful discourse. You have a problem that is bothering you and suddenly you happen to bump on someone with the solution. Forget about the nature of the problem and focus on how you get to be acquainted with the person and what follows afterwards. You happen to overhear someone discussing an issue with others that is related to a personal problem that you are going through. You later decide to talk to the person in private and the person is only more than willing to help. Unfortunately, since the person is so busy and is in a hurry, he decides to tell you where you can meet one evening and he forgets to give you phone number and all you can do is to find about his place of residence on your own. The only thing that you got is little clue of where he lives but you have never been to the place before. To drive to the place would require you plan your journey pretty carefully to avoid missing the place. To this end, the plans that you make would be pretty much be similar to the four operations of the machine cycle. The driver must bear in mind that the person told him he is only found at the place of his residence at a certain time in the evening and therefore should avoid as much as possible any delay related issues. The driver who in this case must not disclose any details of his activity due to its