FBI in China Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

FBI in China - Dissertation Example The case of China is often largely cited in literature as one of the successful stories, of FDI investments. This essay on FDI in China aims to discuss various critical issues related to the policies and strategies implemented by the Chinese government to attract foreign funds, the status of labour market in China prior to and post the introduction of FDI, the political framework, the labour market conditions and the availability of infrastructure, etc among others. It also discusses the relationship between labour market conditions and its impact on FDI with the help of various case studies and examples. Contents Sr. # Topic Pg. # 1. Introduction 3 2. Historical origins and background 4 2.1. Trends in FDI in China 5 2.1.1. Current trends 9 2.2. Types of FDI in China 10 2.2.1. Sino-foreign joint ventures 11 2.2.2. Sino-foreign contractual (or co-operative) joint venture 12 2.2.3 Wholly owned foreign enterprise 13 2.3. Stages of FDI in China 14 2.3.1. Experimental stage 14 2.3.2. Grow th stage 15 2.3.3. Boom stage 16 2.4. Influence of labour market on FDI 17 3. Key Determinants of FDI in China 18 3.1. Market size and structure 18 3.2. Labour market condition 19 3.3. Availability of Infrastructure 20 3.4. Political framework and introduction of policies 21 4. Examples and Case studies 22 5. Impact and Implications of FDI on the Chinese economy 24 6. Conclusion 25 References 26 1. Introduction Foreign-direct investment in China is by far one of the greatest success stories in terms of attracting international investments across all sectors during the past couple of decades. The People's Republic of China through its revolutionary economic policies managed to attract significant foreign investments surpassing almost all the developing countries in a relatively short period of time. From a humble beginning of 100 foreign-owned firms in the year 1979, China rapidly catapulted to a position of one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investment. By the year 1998 the number grew to as many as 280,000 (See Appendix Table 1) (Facts and details, 2012). A significant reason for the radical increase in inward FDI in the country is attributed to the large scale economic reforms and open-door-policy adopted by it. According to these policies, Special Economic Zones were created in four major cities in China, in the year 1979. The key objective behind this strategic move was to gain experience and expertise of international technologies as well as management skills and boost the country's economy in the process (Wei, 1995). This move was followed by opening up of fourteen other cities to foreign firms in the year 1984 whereby concessions were offered to foreign firms to lure them into investing in the SEZs which included provision of special facilities for funding and infrastructure development (Yeh, 2000). As a consequence of such persistent efforts on the part of the Chinese Government more and more cities were made accessible to the foreign firms, thus successfully reducing unemployment and promoting economic growth. With increased attention from the international investors, and the economic reform policies China managed to attain membership in the WTO thus officially marking its entry in the international club (such as IMF, and World Bank). This further helped the country in garnering more attention from international investors (Howell, 1993). The various key issues related to FDI in China such as

Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1924 Essay Example for Free

Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1924 Essay 1. The March revolution of 1917: * The Tsar abdicates on the 20th March, in favour of his brother Michael because his son Alexis was too young. * However, the people had other ideas, they wanted a change in government. 2. The provisional Government: * The crowds gathered outside the Tauride Palace Demanding that the Duma took charge of the country. * A temporary government was formed to rule the country until an election could be held to decide who and how the country would be run. 3. Soviets * AS the provisional government was taking way, another group was starting up, the Petrograd Soviet. People sent representatives to sort out their interests. * The first thing that the soviet did was to issue order 1, which gave it control of the armed forces in Petrograd. How did the Bolsheviks seize power? March 1917 Provisional Government + Petrograd Soviet Control Russia 1. What do they do? The first thing what happened was: Political prisoners were freed; they made the press free to do what they liked. There would be freedom of speech, the right to strike and an end to social discrimination and the death penalty. 2. Issue 1:the war The provisional government continued the war with the agreement with the Soviets. Everybody had too much pride to be beaten by the Germans. Also they wanted to stay allies with Britain and France in the future. The war continued badly and the Russians were still losing food and fuel. The people needed the war to end. 3. Issue 2:land As soon as the Tsar was gone the peasants thought they could have had always wanted, Land. But the provisional government wouldnt give them it. This was because they though that they should leave it to the properly elected government. People began to take land anyway. 4. The return of Lenin When Lenin returned it was a whole new start to the revolution. Lenin had not been in Russia during the March Revolution. With a lot of help from the Germans he got a sealed train to Petrograd at the beginning of April. The 1st speech that Lenin made to the people was demanding that thee should be no co-operating with the provisional government, the war should be ended, the land should be given to the peasants and that the Soviets should take power. These points were later written up in the April Theses 5. The July Days Only the Bolsheviks opposed the war. During the 1917 summer more and more common people opposed to the war. In July the Kerensky launched an attack against the Russians, which they lost. Thus there was a huge demonstration in Petrograd, which became known as the July days. Everyone poured into the streets protested about the war. They all to the Bolsheviks to lead them but they turned them away. Kerensky produced letters incriminating Lenin. This forced Lenin to flee to Finland. * The war distinguished the Bolsheviks from other groups because thy opposed the war. 6. Autumn 1917 * Events started to work in the Bolsheviks Favour * Kerensky had appointed a general called Kornilov to be head of the army * There wanted to establish a strong sturdy Government in Russia his own government. * Many people of the Petrograd panicked; there was bound to be violence and bloodshed. * Kerensky also panicked and asked the Bolsheviks for help. * He gave rifles to the Bolshevik Red Guard; groups of workers who had been training secretly, and now appeared on the streets to help defend the city. * Kornilov troops never arrived. The railway workers and other soldiers persuaded them not to fight their fellow Russians. * How ever the Red Guard kept their rifles. How did the Bolsheviks Seize Power? Moral was low, there were riots and fights, Russia was a descrase. The Bolsheviks were now moving in on the Winter Palace, where the provisional Government was meeting. During the afternoons, most of the Cossacks had slipped out of the palace, leaving some military cadets and the Womens death Battalion. At 9.00p.m the Aurora (a ship whose sailors supported the Bolsheviks) fired a blank shot to start the attack. There was little machine-gun fire, and very little damage was done to the palace. The womens death battalion offered no resistance, came out and went back to camp. The red guards entered and made their way along the miles of corridors. When they did meet military cadets, they gave up, as did the Provisional Government when the Red Guards found them. The Bolsheviks had control of Petrograd. Key points of how the Bolsheviks took over * The general moral of the people was low, causing fights and riots. * Bolsheviks moved onto the Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government was meeting * At 9.00p.m, the Aurora, fired a blank shot and started the Attack * All offensive gave up to the Bolsheviks, and they had complete control of Petrograd. The Role of Lenin in the November 1917 Revolution Lenin made a difference Lenin didnt make a difference * Limitless capability to persuade people * He had the power to say what people wanted, and give it to them * He listened to people on the street, factories and Barracks, and knew what the people wanted * With out Lenin the Bolshevik coup would have been postponed and might of failed. * After all this the Bolshevik partys membership began to grow rapidly * Lenins role in some historians opinions, fell short of Trotskys Conclusion Did he make a difference? I would conclude that Lenin did make a difference because without him, people would not of got what he wanted; the Bolshevik coup would of failed. He did some think different, he listened to the people, he found out what they wanted and helped them, where as other leaders wouldnt, hey would of done it their way. How did Lenin Control Russia in 1917? Lenin had seized power in Petrograd, but for how long could he hold on to it? A few days after the takeover, Kerensky sent some troops to let the provisional Government take control again Populist Measures November * A maximum eight-hour day and 48 hour week declared for industrial workers. * Employment insurance introduced for workers for injuries, illness, and unemployment * All titles and class distinctions abolished no dukes or lords, the title comrade for everybody. * Women declared equal to men. December * All Factories to be put under the control of workers comities. * All banks taken over by the government * The army to be more democratic officers to be elected, no ranks or saluting * Divorce made easier and marriages do not have to be in churches. The Cheka In December 1917, Lenin set up the Cheka. The head of this secret police force was the cold and incorruptible Felix Dzerzhinski. He set up headquarters in the lubyanka in Moscow, a name that was to become feared because of the torture and executions that were carried out there. The Cheka arrested people who were considered dangerous. After an assassination attempt on Lenin, the Cheka launched the Red Terror. Anybody who spoke out against the government was arrested, and many were shot with out t trail. Sometimes it was enough to be someone who might oppose the Bolsheviks. The use of terror to control people was to become a feature of the new regime. Constituent Assembly * By November 1917, Lenin had been forced into holding elections promised by the provisional government. * Railway workers said that the would shut down the railways if Lenin did not go ahead with Russias first free elections. * These were to choose a constitunal Assembly, which would work out how Russia would be governed in the future. Peace * Lenin sent Trotsky to meet the Germans to negotiate a peace treaty. * Trotsky walked out of the talks because the Germans demanded so much territory. * He stated that there would be No Peace, No war * However, Lenin sent him back, he was sure that the Bolsheviks would stay in Power only if the war could be ended quickly. * The result was the harsh treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 How did the communists win the civil war? There were three sides to the civil war, but two main ones. The reds and the whites. The Reds: The Bolsheviks or Communists (Red was the colour of Communism). The Whites: All the opponents of the Bolsheviks -tsarists and nobles, middle-class constitutional democrats, Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries. The whites got their name from the white uniforms worn by the Tsarist officers. This meant that the Whites were always associated with the Tsar and the old system of government. The Greens: Independent groups of nationalists, peasants or bandits who roamed Russia at this time. They fought anyone and raided villages and towns. The most famous was the Ukrainian nationalist, Nestor Makno, who shared his booty with local peasants. Geographical Factors Reds * They held the central area of western Russia, which contained most of the large industrial canters able o produce munitions and war supplies. * They had control of the railway lines, which connected Petrograd and Moscow to the rest of the country. This meant that they could send soldiers and munitions quickly to any place in the battle area. Whites * They were scattered around this central area, often with hundreds of miles separating the different armies. * Communications were difficult that is, if the generals wanted to communicate. Aims Reds * The red only really had on aim, which was to stay in power so that they could build up the new Socialist society. Whites * The many people that made up the whites had some different aims, some of them wanted to tsar back, some a military Dictator; others wanted revolutionary change. The only aim they had been in common was to defeat the Bolsheviks; they only agreed on little less. Leadership and unity Reds * Leader wise the reds had a great one, Trotsky. He built up the red army from nothing, he brought in conscription for men over eighteen years of age, he introduced nearly over 50,000 experienced former Tsarists officers and he appointed political Commissars fanatical Bolsheviks to each unit of men to make sure the officers and soldiers carried out their orders. * Trotsky was personally very courageous. He had a special train which transported him around his army of hand picked soldiers to the places where fighting was difficult. Whites * The whites didnt really have good leaders, often the commanders were cruel, treated their men with disrespect and set a bad example, by doing stuff like drinking and taking drugs * The white generals did not trust each other and would not re-ordinate their attacks. This then allowed the reds to pick of the white army one by one. * The whites had problems inside their armies too. There was often fighting and squabbling because groups had different aims and beliefs. It was particularly hard for revolutionaries to co-operate with the supporters of the Tsar. How Important was the role of Trotsky * Leon Trotsky played a very important role in the 1917 Russian Revolution, together with Lenin. * He played an important role in rising up the Red Army, which with out the revolution would have been crushed. * He was very strict and stated that every scoundrel who incited anyone to retreat, to desert, or not to fulfil a military order, will be shot Every soldier of the Red army who voluntarily deserts his post will be shot. Those guilty of harbouring deserters are liable to be shot. * He gave a good impression to his people, by arriving with a train, a famous train that had been speeding to and fro along the different fronts. The train contained excellent facilities. What Happened to Tsar and his Family * After his abdication in March 1917, the Tsar and his family were held under house arrest just outside st. Petersburg * There were moved to Tobolsk in Siberia, then sent to Ekaterinburg in the Urals, where they were held by the Reds in the house of a family called Ipatiev * Tsar presented a continuing problem for the reds. If he escaped he might help unite the White forces; if executed, he could become a martyr. * But it seemed, when the white forces closed in on Ekaterinburg in the summer of 1918, it seemed that the decision was to kill him. * How successful was Lenin in transforming Russia by 1924 There is certainly an element that Russia was transformed by 1924, certainly top an extent in terms of industry, agriculture, political and socio-economic factors. However, Due to Lenins death in 1924, with the resulting power struggle and emergence of Stalin as dictator, put together with Stalins claim that in 1934 that Russia is fifty to a hundred years behind the westernised countries, we have 10 years to close that gap. There is certainly an argument that the transformations within Russia by 1924 were minimal, especially as the Bolsheviks were trying to establish power in the years stemming form the revolution in 1917 Lenins death in 1924. Lenin knew that he had to do something to improve the economic situation in Russia. If he did not, the Communists would not survive. In 1921, he introduced a New Economic Policy (NEP). He had the idea that the NEP would give the Soviet Union a Breathing space to get back on their feet. Many communists were angry about what he saw as a return to capitalism. They did not like the idea that making a profit was the main power source for smaller industries. They disliked stuff like the fact that the bosses of factories or Kulaks (rich peasants) could hire men to work for them. They did not want to go back to the old days. The communists particularly disliked the new traders who were appearing all over the cities. These Nepmen, as they were called, made all of their profit by buying food and goods cheaply and selling them for more money than they are worth. They were middlemen, who the communists saw as those who made money out of the labour of others. Nepmen also set up restaurants and made lots of money from dealing gin property and gambling. Lenin persuaded the party to accept the NEP for the time being. The majority realised that these measures were needed to reduce industry and get more food produced. The next big step forward was the electrification of Russia. Lenin was keen to see Russia evolve with more innovation and saw electric power as the key to modernising the Soviet Union. He envisaged a great network of power stations, which would provide the power for modern large-scale industry. His aim was to put an electric light in every home to replace every oil lams and candles. Lenin Believed electric power would change things so much that he said, Soviet power plus electrification equals Communism. The first light bulb was fitted in 1928, which was 4 years after Lenins death in 1924. He obviously succeeded in bringing light bulbs and more electricity to Russia, but after his death. The NEP encouraged foreign countries, which had refused too trade with Soviet Russia before 1921, to resume trade links. Western countries hoped that the move back to private trade and profit capitalism meant the failure of Communist ideas. In 1921 an Anglo Soviet trade agreement marked the beginning of increased trade with the West, which gave a great boost to the Soviet economy. There were large-scale exchanges of Western industrial goods for Russian oil and similar products. The NEP Lasted until 19128 and Russia generally became more prosperous. Some of this can be pit down to the period of stability, which followed seven years of war and civil war from 1914 to 1921. But the NEP undoubtedly played a big role in improving the general economic situation. We know that between 1921 and 1928 the Agricultural and industrial production had risen considerable. But infact all that had happened was it had returned back to where it was in 1917; Lenin had not really made a big impact on the way Russia worked. After the civil war, Living conditions were still appalling, peasants hauled for their food, had no proper lighting, food was dreadful and had no washing facilities. Lenin failed to stop Stalin becoming a leader, as well as spread communism out of Russia. Yes, Agricultural and Industrial production had risen from 1921-1928, but there were only back where they had started. Lenin had not made any difference except get them back to where they started. Levels rose, yes, but only in relation with 1917, not prior to war levels, also, Stalins 5 year plans showed us that much actually did need to be done, in terms of industry and agriculture progressed but only took Russia back to pre-war levels.

System Requirements for Electric System for Car Rental

System Requirements for Electric System for Car Rental 1. Introduction XYZ is a car rental company located in Saudi Arabia, and has branches in all major cities. XYZ main business line is to provide rental service of small civilian cars for individuals. XYZ is planning to expand its business and to approach larger customer base by allowing customers to book from online. Also XYZ needs to automate its current paperwork processes to reduce the operation cost and increase the control over its processes. Document Purpose The purpose of this document is to describe business requirements of an Application completely, accurately and unambiguously in Technology-independent manner. All attempts have been made in using mostly business terminology and business language while describing the requirements in this document. Minimal and commonly understood Technical terminology is used. Use case approach is used in modeling the business requirements in this document Intended Audience The main intended audience for this document are the business owners of Osteoporosis Surveillance system. They must be able to verify that their business requirements have been documented here completely, accurately and unambiguously. As such, the audience can be summarized as follows: Scope Diagram: To be done by later. Project Scope: Project scope is to: Develop Major Modules Develop Web-based Application, which contains the following: Renting Car Module: This module be concerned with managing Rent and return car by customer and concerning with payment rent fees and its related penalties if violation happened. Repairing Car Module: This module be concerned with managing and tracking car repairing during its operation. Insuring Car Module: This module be concerned with managing and tracking car insurance period and coverage. Disposing a Car Module: This module be concerned with managing disposing cars and using its spare parts for other cars. Customer Car Rent Module: This module be concerned with allow public customer to rent car over his account. Develop smart phone Application, which contains the following: Customer Car Rent Module: This module be concerned with allow public customer to rent car over his account. Integrate with the following points: Financial System: The Electronic System for Car Rent (ESCR) should integrate with Financial System by send all transaction of create new contract, penalties, Income, disposing, or repairing car by credit or deposit car balance in financial system using XML posting transaction Any financial transaction whither credit (e.g., renting fees) or debit (e.g., maintenance fees) must be all communicated to the financial system. Insurance Company: The ESCR should integrate with should integrate with Insurance system to renew car insurance contract using XML posting transaction Government Traffic violation System: The ESCR should integrate with Traffic system to retrieve all traffic violation tickets on XYZ Company cars in order to collect the violation ticket fees from customer using XML posting transaction. Payment Gateway: The ESCR should integrate with third party payment gateway to collect car rent fees over with SADAD, Credit Card and PayPal channels. SMS Gateway: The ESCR should integrate with third party SMS gateway to send SMS notification generated by system to customer. Email Gateway: The ESCR should integrate with email gateway to send SMS notification generated by system to customer. The user interface must support the following web browsers: Internet Explorer v8 v10 Google Chrome v33, and v32 (Latest 2 versions). Ability to add (Migrate) current cars information. Data retention policy is to keep only last 3 years data in the system, any other older data is to be archived on tapes on yearly basis. Email system and SMS gateway supposed availability is 24/7/365. Stakeholders Stakeholders measures provides a clear definition of each stakeholder of the Use case and functionality, what do every stakeholder or get from the functionalities, why do each stakeholder care if feature works or nor, and how do each stakeholder measure success/failure of the feature? Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations References Business Case – XYZ Company Electronic System for Car Rental Document. General Constraints This subsection of the SRS should provide a general description of any other items that will limit the developer’s options for designing the system. Assumptions and Dependencies This subsection of the SRS should list each of the factors that affect the requirements stated in the SRS. These factors are not design constraints on the software but are, rather, any changes to them that can affect the requirements in the SRS. Specific Requirements This part of SRS will be the largest and most important section of the SRS. The customer requirements will be embodied because they will be used to guide the project’s software design, implementation, and testing. External Interface Requirements (Integration Points) Functional Requirements This section describes specific features of the software project. If desired, some requirements may be specified in the use-case format and listed in the Use Cases Section. Traceability Matrix The purpose of the traceability matrix is to link requirements, design specifications, and validation. Traceability among these activities and documents is essential. Traceability matrix acts as a map, providing the links necessary for determining where information is located System Processes: Customer Registration Process: Process Description: Customer access ESCR application through browser or smartphone application. Customer selects to create new account on ESCR. System requests customer to fill his required information which is: customer name customer mobile number customer email address reference person name reference person mobile number Customer (Citizen) ID The system validates the filled data then save new create account request in system with New State. The Request goes to Riyadh Branch Manager to approve request upon verification. In case the Riyadh Branch Manager approved the request system will create new account in system and inform user to email that his request has been approved and system should send generated password and use his email as username. In case the Riyadh Branch Manager Reject account request he should fill reason of rejection then system will send email to user with apology email with reason of rejection and he is able to request create account (Step1). Customer Registration Wireframes: Please view wireframe in paper Customer Registration Use Cases UC1.1Register New Account Use Case: Actor: Customer (anonymous User) Description: This use case concerned with allowing anonymous user to register as Car Rent Customer. Priority: High Trigger: Anonymous User access system home page (Web or by smart phone) Precondition: N/A Normal Flow: The actor selects to Create new Account in ESCR. The system response by prompt user to fill account information which are: customer name customer mobile number customer email address reference person name reference person mobile number Customer (Citizen) ID The actor fills fields: customer name customer mobile number customer email address reference person name reference person mobile number Customer (Citizen) ID The actor selects to create new account. The system validates filled information. The system creates new account in system with New state and prompt user with the following message â€Å"Dear Customer thank you for registering in ESCR, your account will be validated, please wait till notification sent to your email.† Alternative Flow: In case the user did not fill required fields (Message appear) In case the email format is wrong (Message appear) In case already exist email (Message appear) †¦.. (all cases should be filled) Sub Flow: N/A Rules: Email should be unique in system Citizen ID should be unique in system. Data Dictionary: SoQ: N/A Renting Car Process: Renting Process: Process Description: From ESCR website or through its smartphone app, the customer can select the car and book it directly as well as submitting his payment. The customer has 2 option ether to login from first step or to login upon payment step. The customer needs to login into the system The Customer selects to specify the rental duration, then selects available cars. [Please view Note 1 below]. The system should calculate the fees and applies the discount (if applicable and based on the customer information) [Please view Note 2 below]. The customer will be requested to make the payment electronically (SADAD, Credit Cards or PayPal). [Please view Note 3 below]. Once the customer paid the fees, system should display the receipt to the customer and should send a copy of the receipt to the customer’s email. The receipt should have all the contract details, which is: The customer information the car information copy of the car insurance contract the payment information Map/address of the branch where the car is located. The fees and a reference to the contract are required to be communicated to the financial system in a timely manner. Note1: Available car means any car in branch did not has any of the following cases: Car in rent duration with customer Car in reaping workshop Car Disposed Insurance contract expired unless it status in renewed.(any car should not rented to customer if the insurance contract not issued for example the expiry date is 1 March., then not car will not be available for rent from 1 March. till contract is renewed it will be back to be available) Note2: The discount should be calculated as follows: Students: 5% Senior (older than 50 years): 10% Returned Customer: 15% More than 7 days: 10% More than 7 days and return customer 25% Student and returned customer: %20 People with disabilities: 15% People with disabilities, senior, and returned customer: 20% People with disabilities, senior, returned customer, and more than 7 days: 25% People with disabilities, student, returned customer, and more than 7 days: 25% People with disabilities, and student: 20% Note3: Note that the customer can cancel the operation at any time before making the payment. Return Car Process: Description: Once the Customer return the car the Branch manager check for the following: traffic violation (in case found the customer should pay the amount) rental duration(The customer should be charged a penalty of 100$ for each exceeded day) car issues (in case issue happened the customer should pay penalty as below: Body Scratch à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   10$ Window or Mirror Broken à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   100$ Total Loss à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   10000$ Accident but car still working à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   1000$ Other à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   1500$ Distance (the customer should be charged for extra distance exceeded the 100 Km per day limit, as 3$ per Km) Repairing Car Process: When car is returned the system should check if car last maintenance reaches 30 days or if the car exceeded 5,000 Km since the last time it has been repaired (whichever comes first). The branch manager should send the car to the maintenance workshop Once the maintenance is done Branch Manager should upload the maintenance details and the invoices into the car record in the system. Fees are required to be communicated to the financial system in a timely manner. The car should be not available for rental during the maintenance period. Issuing Car Process: The system will keep track of the expiry date of the car insurance contract, In case the car issue is about to expire (15 Days) system will send a notification to the branch manager. The branch manager from the system, will renew the contract using integration with insurance system and submit the payment electronically (SADAD, Credit Card or PayPal). The system will update the car record with the expiry date and insurance contract details. The insurance fees will to be communicated to the financial system in a timely manner. Disposing a Car Process: The system must keep track of all the cars, and once a car is 5 years old since the manufacturing date an email notification must be sent to the branch manager. The car must be removed automatically from the system. Disposed cars should be used a spare parts for other cars. And the income made from selling the car is required to be communicated to the financial system in a timely manner. Non-Functional Requirements Performance Reliability Availability Security Maintainability Portability Design Constraints Logical Database Requirements Other Requirements Analysis Models Sequence Diagrams Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) State-Transition Diagrams (STD) Change Management Process Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2

cecil rhodes :: essays research papers

Cecil Rhodes Cecil Rhodes was born on July 5th, 1853 to a Hertfordshire clergyman. He was one of six sons to the vicar. He was an unhealthy child, suffering from heart and breathing ailments. Cecil, unlike two of his brothers, was not sent to Eton or Winchester. Nor did he join the military. His poor constitution limited his career options, and left him with the choice of becoming a barrister or a clergyman. He was sent to study at a local grammar school. After his schooling, and due to his poor health, he was sent to join his eldest brother Herbert at a cotton plantation in Natal, South Africa in 1870. He had a great love of agriculture, so the farm suited him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plantation failed miserably, so Cecil and his brother moved to Kimberly (in Africa) one year later. It was in Kimberly where Cecil first came into contact with the valuable gemstones known as diamonds. In 1871 Cecil and his brother staked a claim in the freshly opened Kimberly diamond fields, where Cecil made most of his fortune. He persisted in the mining industry despite harsh conditions and his ailing health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1873 he was sent to Oriel College in Oxford, England, but didn’t receive his degree until 1881 due to his frequent trips to Africa. It was in 1875 that a trip through the rich territories of Transvaal and Bechuanaland helped inspire his dream of British rule all over South Africa. He was a zealous countryman and a firm believer in colonization. He spoke of British dominion from â€Å"Cape to Cairo† and to â€Å"paint the map red† as red was the color of Britain and her colonies. He even began construction of a railway from Cape Colony to Cairo, which remnants of are still in use today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the age of 25, Rhodes was a millionaire. He had struck it rich from the Kimberly mine, and had set his sights on more wealth. In 1880 he formed the De Beers mining company, and in 1881 he entered the parliament of Cape Colony, a seat he would hold for the remainder of his life. In parliament he stressed the importance of northward expansion of the Transvaal Republic, and in 1885 Britain established a protectorate over Bechuanaland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1888 Rhodes met with Lobengula, the Ndebele leader in order to pursue further enterprises. With a translator deliberately leaving out details and skewing what was said, he got Lobengula to agree to the Rudd Concession, which permitted British mining and colonization of the land between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.

Cultural Event Paper Essay

This paper is to discuss my experience on a trip to Orlando, what I saw and what value those experience had for me as an expression of 21st century culture in this country. Some connections discovered between the event and different topics we have been reviewing on this course will also be discussed. Cultural Event As a great fan of visual arts of any kinds with special interest in sculpture and figurative art painting, I visited a place called â€Å"Holy Land Experience† in Orlando, Florida because of what I’ve heard about the place, how they showcase ancient Jewish architectural designs, ancient history of Jerusalem and key biblical histories. It was meant to be a vacation trip with the intention of giving the family a treat; however the visit to this Christian theme park ended up being educational for me more than it was a thrill for the family. Beautiful buildings bringing to life ancient Jewish architectural designs, what with all the workers dressed in traditional Jewish attire even men wearing gowns and covering their heads with scarves exactly as described in some of the books read in the past on Jewish cultures. With their long beards, those men made the place looks almost like a modern day bible story land and getting to the Jerusalem street market, we had an opportunity to travel back in time to an ancient land that is 2000 years old and thousands of miles away from United States. Passion dramas and live religious shows emphasizes the rich Jewish ancient culture of Passover, that is the eight-day festival celebrated in the early spring from the 15th to the 22nd day in the Hebrew month of Nissan. This festival is to celebrate the deliverance of Jewish people from Egypt after many years of slavery. Local foods from traditional Seder favorites like brisket and matzoh ball soup to kosher-for-Passover, yeast-less cookies and brownies were all displayed during the live shows, to again make visitors experience nearly as real as possible. They also have a scriptorium museum; center for Christian Antiquities where some defaced historical items are kept for display. Among these antiquities found in this scriptorium museum are parts of the remains of Noah’s ark. It is just an imitation of the real but constructed in such a way to make it look as real as it can be. Despite we are in the 21st century, most people in this country still connect or relate with one religious value or the other. So as a Christian, who has never been to Israel to see firsthand these historical sites, the art impressions at â€Å"Holy Land Experience† reenact biblical histories. Some of the histories like the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the founding figure of Christian faith and other histories that surround him as recounted in the bible and other literatures I’ve read in the past are more real after visiting this site. I discover that since I have visited the â€Å"Holy Land Experience† my connection with Christian faith has been stronger than ever and now the image of those historical sites visited lingers in my memory. We now also take communion at home on a regular basis in remembrance of how Jesus Christ broke the bread which symbolizes his body and share the wine which symbolizes his blood with his disciples before his crucifixion. Conclusion Relating this experience with ideas and themes we’ve been talking about on this course, I can conclude that though Christianity has evolved in many ways, there are still a lot of similarities in the Christian cultural patterns and traditions when compared with the early days.

Self-concept: Meaning of Life and Ideal Self

â€Å"Self-Concept† written by Barry Joel Desaine (March 2010) Email: [email  protected] com SELF-CONCEPT Sensing that he is a distinct and separate existence from others through time and space, a man becomes aware of his existential self from infancy. As he matures he also becomes aware of his categorical self through the realization that he has characteristics or attributes that distinguishes him from other objects in his environment. These two aspects – the existential self and the categorical self – constitute the initial ways in which an individual begins the self-perception process that leads to his self-concept (Lewis and Brooks-Gunn, 1979). However, because the idea of self-concept is utilized in many disciplines including psychology, philosophy, sociology, nursing, biology and anthropology, there is no consensus as to how to define â€Å"self-concept† using terms of specificity. As illustrative of this, the concept of self-identity is referred by theorists using a diversity of terms such as: the authentic self; the cohesive self; the core self; the saturated self; and the possible selves. Additionally, in describing the components of self-concept, the influential humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers, used global terms such as: self-image; self-esteem; and the ideal self, while educational psychologist Gary D. Phye and other theorists used more specific terms such as: the physical component; the social component; the academic or intellectual component; etc. Suffice it to say, most of the research literature suggests that self-concept may be generally defined as the sum total of what an individual thinks or perceives about himself. Using this general definition as a foundation this essay proposes to examine the components of a man’s self-concept in terms of his: personhood; place in society; perfection; and purpose. Personhood – Who am I? Who am I? This is the most fundamental question which an individual can ask about himself and in endeavoring to determine an answer, whether conscientiously or unconscientiously, his self-image is created. A man’s conscientiousness bears witness that he is more than just a chemical composition of matter – more than mere physical existence. He is aware that he is made up of both material and immaterial constituencies and, as a result, his self-image is also comprised of factors of both. These factors include physical, moral, social, emotional and intellectual traits. Firstly, a person’s self-image includes a mental picture of his physical appearance or what is termed body image. It is made up of his perception of his body, both internally and externally. He may think of himself as being too skinny, having beautiful eyes, a nice face, a nose that is too big or any combination of approval or disapproval of a vast variety of physical attributes and abilities. Inherent in this is also the feelings and attitudes he has about his body. Body image is affected by a number of factors including: normal developmental growth; one’s perception of what others think of his body; and cultural and social attitudes and values. For example: A child’s body image is very different from that of an adolescent teen. Similarly, the wife of an abusive husband who speaks ill of her body can develop a poor body image. Additionally, in some cultures a fat person is considered to be a healthy person so that a skinny person in that culture may tend to have a poorer body image based on societal values. Secondly, a person’s self-image also includes his moral traits such as his core values and beliefs. He may view himself as being honest and upright or he may be confident of his voracity and godliness. On the other hand, he may even think that he is wicked and vile or generally of an evil disposition. As with his physical traits his perception of his morality is a part of his self-image and is not an inevitably accurate reflection of his personhood. In a similar manner, a person’s self-image includes perceptions of his social, emotional and intellectual traits. From a social perspective he may see himself as being a good father, loving husband and competent worker. Emotionally, he may think he has a sanguine personality with a measured temperament. Finally, from an intellectual perspective he may think he is very smart, or of average intellect, or may lack confidence in his academic abilities. In summary, a person’s self-image helps him understand his personhood and helps him to define who he is in his own eyes. It is a major component of his self-concept. Place in Society – How do I fit in? How do I fit into society? This is another question that is internalized by an individual, whether conscientiously or not. It leads to the development of his self-esteem. Self-esteem is very important as it affects how we think, act and relate to other people. It may be defined as having a favourable perception of oneself and may be qualitatively described according to the degree of favorability. High self-esteem is a good opinion of oneself whereas low self-esteem is its antithesis. In finding his place in society an individual would generally focus on: his relationship with others; his value to them; the role models who influence him; and his ability to influence others. These domains all constitute the conditions for his self-esteem development which is a major component of self-image (Rogers, 1979). Although a person’s self-concept starts with understanding his personhood, this existential-anthropological view of the individualistic self may give way to his acceptance that he is an integral part of a larger society. He learns how to define the self by comparing himself with others around him (Festinger, 1954). Within this framework, he recognizes the importance of various associations or relationships including family relations, career relations, community relations, and other relations. This â€Å"connectiveness† to the society may lead to a more systemic view of the self as the individual considers his role in its holistic development. Inherent in this is his understanding of his value to the society and his ability to influence others towards its development. The degree to which he is able to succeed in these ventures highly impacts his level of self-esteem. Consistent put-downs, discounting, threat, loneliness, powerlessness, frustration, and intolerance are the seeds of low self-esteem that leads to a harvest of these negative characteristics. On the other hand, developing high self-esteem requires: encouragement; acceptance of oneself and others; perceptiveness; an appreciation of life; reassurance; and faith in oneself and others; and ultimately trust in God. All of these factors are based on interpersonal relationships. Perfection – Who do I want to be? Am I the person I want to be? This is another question that is internalized by an individual in the development of his self-concept. A person’s self-image does not always match the image of what he would like to be or what is termed his â€Å"ideal self† (Rogers, 1979) nor what he thinks he should be or what is termed his â€Å"ought-to-be self†. This sometimes affects the degree to which he values himself as there is a very close relationship between self-image and self-esteem. The ideal self and the ought-to-be self are sometimes collectively referred to as the â€Å"possible selves† (Markus & Nurius, 1986). These are generally not consistent with the actual life experiences of a person. Psychologists refer to a large difference between self-image and the idea self as â€Å"incongruence† while a relatively small difference is called â€Å"congruence. † All individuals experience a certain degree of incongruence. Carl Rogers believed that the greater the degree of incongruence the more difficult it is for a person to arrive at self-actualization. As a result, the individual always strives to make changes in order to come as close as possible to his ideal self or ought-to-be self. Social comparison theorists have a different view in regards to man’s perfection. They contend that many individuals do not have an image of perfection or an ideal self but instead they compare themselves to â€Å"similar others† to validate their own attitudes and values (Jetten, Spears, and Manstead, 1996). However, the general idea is the same i. e. comparison of oneself to a perfect other, whether the ideal self, ought self or similar others, is another component of self-concept. Purpose – Why am I here? Why am I here? Since the meaning of life is an issue that is debated philosophically, scientifically and theologically there are various answers to this question. However, despite the diversity of answers the question is of vital importance since the answer determines how one sees the world and how one sees the world also determines how he sees himself. One’s religious belief about the meaning of life is a powerful influence on his self-concept (Blaine, Trivedi & Eshleman, 1998). Additionally, religion may be an underlying method for organizing self-concept principles since it encompasses all facets of life. A major contribution of religion to self-concept development is its role in affecting one’s self-esteem. Research has shown that students who abandon traditional religious practice in order to become involved in the occult were much more likely to have: low self-esteem; negative feelings about school; poor self-concept; a higher tolerance for deviance; negative feelings about the future; and little desire to be a good person (Tenant-Clark, C. M. , Fritz, J. J. , & Beauvais, F. , 1989). In contrast, students who are affiliated with a traditional religious persuasion are less likely to be involved in delinquent behaviour (Rhodes & Reiss, 1970). Additionally, the question of the purpose of life is significant in determining an individual’s self-value. For example, atheism postulates that since there is no god there is no intrinsic value to life: Life is as meaningful as you want to make it (Dawkins, 2006). The question of purpose is pointless and one is worth as much as he thinks he is. In contrast, theism postulates that life comes from God and therefore has an intrinsic value that is determined by Him: Life is meaningful because God created you for His purpose. Self-value is not determined by what people think but on knowing that God has a purpose for everyone. Ultimately, one’s self-concept is influenced by his understanding of the purpose for his life. In summary, self-concept is the view one has of himself and is determined by his experiences and the value placed on them. The components of one’s self-concept include his: personhood; place in society; view of perfection and his view of his life’s purpose.

The Modern Rules of the Memo (With Examples)

The Modern Rules of the Memo (With Examples) Whether its called a business memorandum, memoranda, or memo, it is a common form of business communication when the information to be disseminated is informal and not private. According to Business Etiquette for Dummies, 2nd Edition, If you have something confidential to communicate, dont do it in a memo.The purpose of your memoMemos are the typical form of communication used within companies and organizations. Most will be limited to a few paragraphs, but some memos may be longer, depending on their purpose and messaging.In general, a memo is used:to inform others within the company on changes in policies, directives, or procedures.to announce changes in leadership, management structure, team divisions, or workflow.to disseminate information pertaining to meetings and events held within the organization.to introduce new employees, divisions, clients, etc.The format of your memoThe most typical format of interoffice memos is as follows:Heading: (usually MEMORANDUM or MEMO in all cap s, centered, although this format is not required and can vary based on organizational style guides.)To: (Who or which department gets it)From: (Who or which department sent it)Date: (When it was sent)Subject: (Briefly, what its about)(A line generally separates the header from the content, as shown above.)Your introductory paragraph should quickly orient the reader to what the memo is about and how it pertains to them or their department. It should be written succinctly, with as few words as possible to convey the needed message. The rule of thumb is tight, informative sentences.For the body, here are a few pointers:If there are tasks that need to be completed related to the subject of the memo, those can be detailed in the body of the memo.Keep in mind that bullet points are a great way to present most information in a way that can be easily scanned and understood by the reader.Its easier for the human eye to read bullet points than long, overly complicated paragraphs.Include the important details but if there are complex details involved, direct readers to another document (a memo is not really the place for that).Memo example 1MEMORANDUMTo: All departmentsFrom: Dan Lumberg, CEODate: October 1, 2018Subject: Internet use on company timeThis is to remind all employees that Internet use on company time is prohibited. Please refrain from checking your personal email, social media accounts, or messaging platforms while on the clock, unless it is on your break time or lunch time.As noted in the employee handbook, section 2.4., all employees are responsible for:Using on-the-clock hours for company projects only.Limiting their online interactions while on the clock to clients and fellow employees within the company.Applying their break or lunch-time hours to any time spent reading personal email, personal social media accounts, or messages sent for personal use.As always, we appreciate the time and effort you put into all that you do at XYZ Corp and trust that our employees will maintain professional standards at all times while on the clock. If you have questions or concerns about these company policies, please direct them to Megan Smith at ext. 1208.Best regards,Dan Lumberg, CEOMemo example 2MEMORANDUMTo: Executive assistants, all departmentsFrom: Jon BeakerDate: October 1, 2018Subject: Attaching cover sheets to all outgoing faxesIm sending this memo to inform you of recent changes in company procedure related to faxes sent out. We have a new standard cover sheet (Form 12E) that should be used in all outgoing fax transmissions and the old one (Form 12D) should be recycled or discarded.The new cover sheet includes our new company address, along with a legal statement that is required to be attached to all outgoing fax transmissions. Without the use of this new cover sheet, we run the risk of falling out of compliance with our legal directives.This might seem like a small matter but I assure you, it is extremely important. I suggest that you immediately recycle or discard all the old fax cover sheets to avoid confusion. If there are any questions, please contact me at extension 101.Best regards,Jon Beaker