Battle Of The Bulge

Since the time that war, military and military men have existed, there has also existed a parallel class of strategist, philosophers, military, practitioners, philosophers and historians who have invested their lifetime of effort comprehending the complexities of warfare.These efforts have produced both long, complicated documents that have looked in entire social and economic aspects associated with warfare, and also condensed records and quick lessons into strategy of war that practitioners of the military art could use to guide the conduct of warfare (Johnsen et al.1995). The efforts to chronicle war details and related documents is also taken in earnest effort by every nation, in order to create a perspective on war and establish a set of workable principles that can be followed in the course of any armed struggle. However, mere compilation and study of principles would certainly account as a very limited effort in evolving a contemporary and updated approach towards warfare.Whil e the principles may have been thoroughly scrutinized at the tactical and operational levels of warfare, their applicability and suitability at the practical level of implementation may be less than exhaustive. For examples, the principle and lessons of war from Napoleonic warfare, although revealing from the strategic point of view, may have little operational significance from the standpoint of 20th century techniques and necessities (Reid, 1993).It is important therefore for these principles to apply at the strategic level of war under the conditions of rapid technological change, and remain in accordance of military needs of the time. Contrary to ocular perception that associates war as purely a military enterprise, one that is conducted entirely on battlefields, the reality is that war is an intellectual accomplishment and creative exercise, and hence many of its finer details are perfected at the strategic board and discussion rooms.The intellectual framework required to accom plish this complex procedure requires a theoretical structure that is provided by Principle of war (Johnsen et al. 1995). Meanwhile, theories and principles are just one of the side of a full-fledged war, as they have their own limits and it’s the balanced of combination of principles along with ability to transform them in practice that ensures victories in armed engagements.It is also important to remember that war strategies and principles applied in a particular battle essentially bear the stamp of their time. Although they may appear out of place, or seem overtly simple from vantage point of time, they reflect the best wisdom and experience of the age (Murdock, 2002). It is from this understanding and insight that this paper looks into the important Battle of Bulge, fought between German and US forces towards end of the Second World War and that is universally recognized as the bloodiest battle faced by US in the War.Modern Principles of War The two world events that hav e profoundly affected war strategies and principles have been the First and Second World War. The scale and range of military strategy and operations seen in each of the war had been hitherto unprecedented, and with introduction of motorized units, battletanks and aircrafts, the very core of military strategy changed for forever (Johnsen et al. 1995).The lead military thinkers and strategists of the day were forced to undergo a total revision of their approach towards conducting battles that no longer comprised of charging cavalrymen and open field combat, and brought in their consideration the role of bombers and fighter aircrafts- such modern tools of warfare that had never been used by any army through the course of human history (Reid, 1993).However, though acutely aware of the fact that pre-World War I operational strategies and principles of battles no longer hold any applicability or relevance for modern context, the strategists included some cardinal ethics in revising and p reparing the new principles of war. Some of the outstanding principles of war, as promulgated from time to time by lead military thinkers and strategists have been Originality, Economy of Force, Strategy of Indirect Approach, Objective, Offensive, Military Security, Concentration, and Co-Operation (Reid, 1993; Murdock, 2002).The first among these was Originality. By its very definition, originality does not conform to any specified set of rules, procedures or antecedent governing conduct of war. It is always a fresh take on situation, borne purely out of context of the battle. Military strategists attributes following characteristics to originality (Reid, 1993): 1. Originality is the product of an original mind. 2 An original idea or plan, by its definition, presents novel insights and its not an obvious one; further it can not be known in advance to originator themselves.Original ideas are likely to be unconventional and they happen to be product of an unorthodox approach. 3 Origin al approach and ideas generated will posses varying degree of originality and situation specific approach that may come with built in elements of context based improvisation and ideas. However, the ability to conceive original ideas does not translate to ability of selecting the most appropriate course of action. 4 Originality comes from active imagination. 5. Every one participating in an action is capable of coming out with original ideas.There are several noted contributions of originality in military field that are historically famous and have been marked as legend. The use of elephants by Hannibal, the retreat plot deployed by Normans at the battle of Hastings, and the spectacular success achieved by German Blitzkrieg are all too famous and taught across all the military schools in world (Reid, 1993). Surprise, as it can be noted, formed the crux of the originality and with further maturation of military doctrine, surprise and initial advance emerged as separate principles of w ar that were followed to the hilt by many military leaders.The remarkable successes of Germany in the initial period of the Second World War and in the Operation Barbarossa against Russia and the deadly Japanese strike at Pearl Harbor were all result of a military strategy strictly woven around the cardinal principle of surprise and initial advance(Reid, 1993). Despite the obvious advantage of originality and the elements of surprise, flexibility and initiative introduced by it, the stress on originality alone do not form the full crux of war principles.Economy of Force: Economy of Force, as a military principle was a central theme of British Military Doctrine post World War I. Economy of Force is traditionally defined as a commander’s ability to identify the area to concentrate the main thrust of the force for decisive result corollary of concentration of force (Murdock, 2002). It is well recognized that it impossible to be strong everywhere and if decisive victory is to be achieved then it is imperative that strength is directed at the critical time and place, while ensuring that reduce the wasteful expenditure of effort.It also involves a commander’s ability to take calculated risk, planning for balanced development and providential deployment of available resources (Murdock, 2002). Strategy of Indirect Approach: Strategy of Indirect Approach is aimed at minimizing blood loss at battlefronts, both in friendly and enemy’s camp. Developed as opposite to war of attrition, it is a purely philosophical approach that is aims to strike strategically at enemy’s point of weakness instead of the main force. The areas identified for this purpose are lines of supply, lines of communication, factory and industrial installations and power centers (Murdock, 2002).Strategic bombing against these vulnerable but highly sensitive channels is likely to effectively cripple enemy’s ability to conduct warfare, leading to capitulation by its main body with minimum of blood loss. Battle of Bulge The Battle of Bulge, known in Army circles as Battle of Ardennes, resulted from German offensive in the last phase of the World War II and it took place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. After the Normandy Landing of 6th June, 1944, Allied forces had liberated almost whole of the Europe from Nazi occupation and cornered German forces to their own territories (Astor, 1999).Allied Forces had taken the strategic position in the rough terrains of Ardennes, that occupied areas of Belgium and France. Although the forests and hills of the region made it an apparently impregnable region, the history defied this notion as the region constituted the main path taken by German forces in both 1st and 2nd World War to mount surprise attack on Belgium and France (Astor, 1999). The region had already seen a major confrontation in the beginning of Second World War when German forces launched their blitzkrieg on France using the same path.Now, with tides of battle turned, Allied forces had parked themselves in the same region, preparing to use it against launching their major offensive against German mainland. The emotions in Allied Armies ran high at this juncture. They had successfully liberated almost all of the Western Europe from Nazi occupation and at the beginning of December, 1944 they were standing at the threshold of the door of Nazi regime, the cause of momentous suffering and unparalleled loss of life for millions of people.The heavy Nazi defeat in USSR, resulting in almost total decimation of over half a million Nazi force had further created a positive mood of victory. It was not surprising that many of the army men and military officers were looking forward to end of War by 1st January, 1945. However, hopes of a quick victory took a setback as US intelligence gathered rumors mentioning a massive German counter attack. Prisoners captured and deserters from German army mentioned of large scale congregation o f German military machine and personnel.By 9th December, there were unconfirmed reports in Allied camps of an impending German maneuver, but there was hardly any decisive or concrete information available on which to base the response. For a short time the Army generals believed the military amassment to be of defensive in nature, aimed at protecting German borders (Astor, 1999). Meanwhile, around 12th of December, in several cases of interrogation of bordering civilians, Allied soldiers learned of heavy movement of military equipments as well as arrival of hardcore Nazi troops –Wafen SS from Italy (Astor, 1999).The reports created a scene of impending offensive assault. However, the report took more than a day in making its way to Army headquarters. As a matter of fact, riding on their feats of victory over Nazi Army in recent battles, American army had dangerously dropped its guard and slumbered in a zone of complacency. German spies reported that American guards manned the ir post for an hour after dark and then returned to base to emerge at the dawn.This was in total disregard to the alert and caution required at the time of ongoing war situation. As confirmed by American commander of 106 division, before bulge, they were a nine to five army in Ardennes. The Nazi Ardennes offensive was prepared by Hitler himself and it was based on standard German strategy of achieving maximum damage through surprise. Towards this purpose, German forces maintained total radio silence, putting Allied forces completely in dark on the movements and intentions of their enemies.While Allied armies rested through first half of December, German panzer divisions, supported by large number of infantry troops were stealthily filtering through forests of Ardennes to catch Americans unprepared and off guard (Astor, 1999). Germany had indeed the plan well laid out for they had deliberately selected the most vulnerable section of American division for the first salvo. German batte ries opened fire on the early morning of 16th December, 1945. The sixth panzer division showered 99th division with heavy mortars and shells, severely destroying Allied communication lines (Astor, 1999).The Fifth Panzer division, supported by Seventh Army, tore into Allied forces, virtually annihilating the opposition out of way. The attack was so intense that it literally cut down large number of trees surrounding the Allied camps, and falling tree trunks became another mortal hazard for the soldiers scrambling for cover and their life. Allied forces soon galvanized their response and within an hour of initiating attack, the 277th division found itself facing a barrage of shots and ammunition from Allied forces, and especially American soldiers.In fact at many places German forces suffered heavy casualty. However, German preparations were fairly elaborate and troops stationed near Sauer River and Sauer town witnessed the amazing scene of searchlights reflected through low hanging c louds, illuminating long stretches of path for German forces while providing little guidance to Allied troops of the location or position of their formidable adversaries (Astor, 1999). The adversaries indeed proved too formidable and they incessantly and mercilessly poured down heavy shells, bombs and fire on a force caught completely off balance.The impact of the German affront forced American divisions to move back; they hoped to assemble at a safe place and then mount an effective counter strike. But the rapidly advancing tanks units of German Army stripped the retreating American troops of any assemblage point inflicting waves after waves of massive casualty. To support the army motorized units, approximately thousand planes of Luftwaffe hovered over the scene, dropping paratroopers, reconnaissance and when the opportunity presented, strike the visible American targets.The swift German attack had also been successful in creating wedge between First and Third Army, and separated British forces from American units. The German armies continued their rampant attack for three full days, causing heavy casualties on Allied forces. Meanwhile, the Allied generals, under leadership of General Eisenhower and command of General Patton were already planning counteroffensive against German divisions. Eisenhower and the Allied command well understood the fact that German were counting on their success upon same speed and thrust that had achieved in the initial years of wars (Astor, 1999).However, Ardennes presented a different topography that was too rough and too uneven for quick, breezy movements. Further, the time of year being December, the entire area was covered with snow and it considerably slowed down German Operations. The principle aim of advancing German army was to cross the Meuse River, using the cover of surprise and stealth for their infantry to cut through Allied lines. Behind them Panzer divisions would coast easily, mowing down remaining resistance and cross the River.Once across the river, they would turn and head for the crucial port of Antwerp that they aimed to capture in order to cut off Allied supplies and force them to capitulation. However, German forces, in all their haste to advance, could not discount the natural adversities of fog, snow, inclement weather and hostile terrain. The Allied armies used these natural disadvantages well against advancing German battalions to halt them in their track and in the process cause severe damage to their resources. The Allied high command also sent quick reinforcement to flanks under pressure of heavy enemy fire thereby negating the German success.The resolute stand by Allied armies and their refusal to submit to overwhelming German armor virtually stalled the German advances (Astor, 1999). By December 18, from the strategy point of view the German High Command had known that their operation was destined towards failure. If they continued to pursue it, it was done with the hope to i nflict heavy damage on allied force and seize the initiative from them. The German fought desperately more because they knew that Antwerp presented them their only chance of survival, however slim it may be. In defense lay their total ruin (Astor, 1999; Smith, 1995)).However, as US generals later estimated, Germany faced total ruin in either of the situation. It was essentially stripped of the substance to reverse balance of power in Europe. With Allied forces pressing it from the West, and Russian forces blowing it from East, the German defeat had become a certainty that even most optimistic of Nazi generals knew. If anything, the battle of Bulge brought their ruin sooner than later. By 20th of December, Allied generals had taken complete stock of the situation and prepared their counter plan with the aim to completely neutralize the Nazi striking potential (Smith, 1995;Cooper, 1998).By 22nd of December, Allied airplanes, comprising of bombers and fighters, started to wreck havoc o n German armored units. Although Luftwaffe tried to counter the Allied airplanes, but it was outnumbered and beaten out of contest. By December 24, Allied bombing of German rail movements, their communication line, their armored divisions and their supply lines created a condition of virtual siege for German army, that starved in absence of supplies, ammunition and fuel (Smith, 1995). Nazi units were severely short of fuel, that had, for all the practical purpose, rendered them cripple and worthless from battle point of view (Smith, 1995).From Christmas of 1944, the definitive allied ground counterstrike began against defeated and retreating German armies. German encirclement of town of Bastogne was broken down by January 3 and by January 10 the two division of advancing Allied forces from two directions were at a distance of mere 10 km from each other, allowing the Nazi forces a very narrow corridor to ensure their escape (Smith, 1995). It had taken exactly a month to turn German p osition into a hopeless one, from where almost no escape was possible. By January 16 the combined allied forces were rapidly closing down on them.The severe damages suffered by Nazi forces that included 1,20,000 casualties (wounded and dead), loss of 600 tanks, 1600 planes, complete disruption of their communication lines and exhaustion of their fuel supply, had irrevocably broke their back. The offensive came to an end by January 25, resulting in an another major and decisive allied victory (Smith, 1995). Reference Cooper, B. Y. 1998. Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Presidio Press, Astor, G. 1999. The Greatest War: Americans in Combat, 1941-1945; Presidio Press.Smith, W. B. 1995. Eisenhower's Six Great Decisions: Europe, 1944-1945; Longmans, Green. Houston, D. E. 1995. Hell on Wheels: The 2d Armored Division;; Presidio Press, 1995 Johnsen, W. T. , Johnson, D. V. , Kievit, J. O, Lovelace Jr. D. C. Metz, S. 1995. The Principles of War in the 21st Century: Strategic Considerations; Strategic Studies Institute, 1995 Reid, B. R. 1993. The Science of War: Back to First Principles. Routledge, Murdock, P. 2002. Principles of War on the Network-Centric Battlefield: Mass and Economy of Force; Parameters, Vol. 32, 2002

Read the case study “I Thought I Gave Them Everything, Essay

Read the case study, â€Å"I Thought I Gave Them Everything,† on page 423 in the textbook. This case study involves interpersonal and intrapersonal communication competencies. Examine and evaluate this communication situation by providing detailed responses to the three discussion questions found at the end of the case study. Examine and evaluate this communication situation. †¢Provide detailed responses to the three discussion questions found at the end of the case study. †¢Directly reference the theories of motivation you have learned about in this unit, and the 10 work-related evaluation items listed on page 176 of the text to help explain your thoughts, reasoning, and insights. The case study of â€Å"I Thought I Gave Them Everything† discusses Henry Gonzales a manager of Quality Foods. Henry is known for his hard work and dedication to the organization; he keeps himself busy and has the most successful store within the organization. Henry is upset as â€Å"he recently found out two of his leading supervisors had requested transfers to other Quality stores.† (Shockley, 2012) Henry’s emotional response is caught up in expectations and assumptions of why his employees may be leaving. He doesn’t really know, nor does he have any facts to support his emotional response, therefore he has taken it personal. I would advise Henry to assume nothing, and seek the facts before making any judgments concerning the situation or his supervisors that wish to transfer to other stores. I would also remind Henry that given enough time, everyone leaves. It is notable that Henry is subject to Gerald Salancik and Jeffery Pfeffer’s Social Information Processing Theory; â€Å"A person’s needs and attitudes are determined by the information available at any given time.† (Shockley, 2012) Henry’s motivation for communication with his two supervisors surrounds his internal need for safety as it correlates to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. As witnessed by Henry’s internal probing questions his mind is looking for safety as he has taken their actions as his own failures. I would advise Henry to think about what he wishes to achieve before approaching his supervisors. This is an opportunity for understanding and growth within his store, therefore it is best to come from a place of curiosity. It would also be good if Henry understood his communication competencies that run parallel with his assumptions that his store is the best, his supervisors required hand-holding and they need more of his time. All of these assumptions build from his perception that these individuals don’t see what they are doing, and Henry is in a place superiority. It’s generally best policy to let people manage their own lives and make their own decisions. While communication can bridge the gap in assessing others needs and desires to seek employment elsewhere, making these types of assumptions, Henry is placing his supervisors overall competencies low, and this places him at a direct disadvantage when he approaches them for communication. In addition to educating Henry about his assumptions, expectations, motivations and competencies it would be good for Henry to have a basic understanding of general employee motivations as they relate to needs. If Henry is approaching this from a learning perspective it may be a good idea to perform an exit interview with these employees and have them rank there satisfaction using the 10 work-related evaluation items. This would give Henry a clear indication of how he might better meet his employee’s needs in the future, and may even allow for retention of these existing employees. In communication, you must remember that you don’t get what you don’t ask for, if Henry’s desire is to retain these two supervisors, he might want to consider asking them directly what he may be able to do to retain their services. It is noted that Henry does have a pay incentive plan already in place, so salary may not be what is needed for retention. The study also mentions that Henry’s is a busy manager and may have lost touch with these employees. If this is the case, he should be sensitive in his initial approach, and seek to understand if these employees have a sense of belonging. Overall I would suggest that Henry not make this about him, or a direct reflection of him. References Shockley-Zalabak, P.S. (2012). Fundamentals of Organizational Communication: Knowledges, Sensitivity, Skills, Values. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Why Youth Leave the Church

Introduction â€Å"With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior might be carried to the whole world! † (Education, p. 271). Wow, what a statement. This is probably the most well known statement by Sister Ellen White concerning the youth. These words are so powerful and motivating, that they inspire the imagination to look forward to it’s fulfillment, to the day when this army of dedicated Christian young people will be spread out around the world to bring the message of Jesus’ soon return to everyone.I must confess that simply the thought of this sends shivers down my spine. I am, however, forced to question whether this dream will ever become a reality. The church, it seems, is facing a dilemma, in that we are losing the youth. Many of our young people are leaving the church, and in seeking to answer the question of why this is happening, I would like to share with y ou the resource that I believe to most accurately describe the reason for the youth leaving the church, as well as what to do to stem the flow of this widespread desertion. Recommended Resource(s)The main resource that I believe to be the best and that I would like to recommend, is the book, Why our Teenagers Leave the Church, written by author Roger L. Dudley. I will also be referring to two other resources that I used, both of which is based on the above mentioned book. The first and most important is an article with the same title, and by the same author. It is basically a condensed version of the book, and it covers the basics of the research done, as well as the results and what can be done to prevent the youth from leaving the church. The second is a sermon by Pastor Dwight K.Nelson, titled, Primer for the next generation: XNY 101. In the sermon Pastor Nelson briefly explains how the study was done, the results attained, and the remedy to the problem. I will now proceed to dis cuss the two secondary resources (Article: Why our teenagers leave the church; Sermon: Primer for the next generation: XNY 101), based on the premise of the primary resource (Book: Why our teenagers leave the church). Primary Resource Roger Dudley’s book is the culmination of an expansive 10 year longitudinal study, where the author traced the lives of about 1500 teenagers as they grew up and, often, grew disillusioned.According to his book, Dudley asserts that 40 to 50 percent of Adventist youth leave the church before their mid twenties. Secondary Resources Why our Teenagers leave the Church (Article) As was mentioned previously, the article is a very condensed version of the book, and it goes straight to the point. The purpose of the study was to attempt to discover the extent of the church’s loss of it’s young adults. According to the article, 40 to 50 percent of baptized Seventh Day Adventist teenagers either dropped their membership, or became inactive in the church, in their mid twenties.According to Dudley, there are five influences that determines the continuation or discontinuation of young people in the church, and they are as follows: Home Influences Parochial vs. Public Education Congregational Involvemnet Lifestyle Standards Devotional Practices I am in favor of, and recommend this resource, because it is straight forward and to the point. It provides the needed facts right from the start, allowing the reader to look at the all the determinants and then make a plan on how to proceed to negate or minimize the loss of young people.Primer for the next generation: XNY 101 (Sermon: Audio) Pastor Dwight K. Nelson starts of by explaining the details of the study that was done. He quotes the following from the book: â€Å"Many teenagers and young adults are leaving the church because they perceive it to be behavior centered when they are looking for relationships. † (Why Our Teenagers Leave the Church, P58) â€Å"We have seen that though our youth have heard the words of the gospel of righteousness by grace through faith, . . . [our] emphasis on behavioral standards has led the majority to believe that they must somehow merit salvation. . . Through precept and example, we must do everything possible to clarify grace and to break the hold of legalism. We must communicate a gospel of hope. Without this effort we will never retain our youth. They will not continue to struggle in a contest that they cannot possibly win. † (58, 59 emphasis supplied) I would also gladly recommend this resource, because Paster Nelson identifies the problem from the data, and he then goes on to provide a remedy to the problem. Conclusion â€Å"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. † Franklin D. RooseveltWhen looking at the data covered in these resources, it is clear that the future is uncertain. It is also clear that the youth are the leaders of tomorrows churc h, and in order for them to lead, they need to be there. We need to realize that we cannot necessarily set everything in place for our youth, but, what we can however do, is to prepare our youth for the future, for the decision’s that they will have to make. We can prepare them for this uncertain future by laying a good foundation in our educational institutions, at church, and most importantly at home. The greatest determinant, by far, is the family.If the family is built on the rock, nothing can shake it. â€Å"With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior might be carried to the whole world! † (Education, p. 271). — Reference List Ellen G. White, Education ( Washington, D. C. : Review and Herald, 1903). Roger L. Dudley, Why Our Teenagers Leave the Church: Personal Stories from a 10-Year Study (Hagerstown, Md. : Review and Herald, 2000) Roger L. Dudley, Why Our Teen agers Leave the Church (Spectrum, Volume 28, Issue 4, Autumn 2000)

Early Constitutional Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early Constitutional Issues - Essay Example Today, racial discrimination not only involves African-Americans. It includes Mexican-Americans, Chinese-Americans and the a lot more. America as a country has evolved to be a melting pot of races and cultures. As a result of this influx of various cultures, the problem of discrimination acquired a different face. It no longer existed against African-Americans but to different cultures as well. Also, being a melting pot of races and cultures, a new problem of cultural diversity emerged. We want to be sensitive of cultural differences and yet we do not want to be discriminatory. Finding the balance is the challenge that we face now-a-days. Glenn Freeman raised the argument that today’s notion of multiculturalism and diversity actually divides American into groups instead of uniting them as one people because the focus is on differences. In a way, I agree with Mr. Freeman. By focusing on differences, on what is unique in one culture, the necessary consequence is division in groups. Of course people tend to gravitate on people who they relate to, who they have more things in common with. However, I believe that cultural division is not always bad. Cultural division does not necessarily result in oppression of one group against another. If people have respect for one another, they would respect difference and they would be able to co-exist despite the differences. Alexis de Tocqueville presented the argument that one of the reason why the abolition of slavery became difficult is because white men believed that by emancipating Negroes, they will revolt and take vengeance against those who enslaved them. Because of this fear of retribution, they became hesitant to give them any privilege whatsoever. Slavery becomes universally abhorred and they free the very people they actually oppressed. The fear that the African race would rise up and avenge the hundred years of oppression is very

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Philosophy - Assignment Example St. Thomas Aquinas stages several forms cosmological arguments which point out the existence of God (60). The first proof of God’s existence according to St. Aquinas is explained by motion. Insofar as it is, it notable that some things are constantly in motion in this world. It is also obvious that for any object to be in motion there must be a force that propels such movements. From this point of view, an object cannot be moved unless there is another object that has the actuality to do so is involved. In this sense, St. Aquinas argues that the movement is all about bringing something from it potentiality to its actuality, and the transformation cannot take place in the absence of something which is actuality in itself (Solomon, Higgins and Clancy 60). There is no way something can exist in both forms simultaneously. For instance, an object cannot be moved and it is the mover itself. In other words, something cannot move unless there is another different thing to enhance the navigation. In case an object is moved, then it is only understandable that it has been moved by yet another force and that also by another and so on. At a point, the chain of movement will get to a point that the original mover, which is not moved by any other mover, is arrived at. This original mover is understood to be God. The cause argument which is pegged from the point of view that nature has efficient cause. The argument is that there is an order for cause and there is no way that anything can be responsible for its own cause. For this to happen, the requirement is that the thing ought to have existed before itself and this is, obviously not possible. The possibility of infinity is eliminated in this case because in the order of efficient cause follow in order where the first cause is the intermediate cause and the intermediate cause is the cause of the ultimate cause irrespective of the fact that the intermediate cause

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 219

Assignment Example Consider Africa, for example. The continent is the second most populous on earth, and has the largest arable land on earth. The paradox? Africa has the worst cases of famine and starvation globally, and the lowest levels of food security on earth. From a critical perspective, it is worth noting that the above-mentioned scenario should not exist. However, it is also important to consider that a lack of initiative is the biggest obstacle to sustainable food production. In developed countries agriculture always ranks top among the priority areas of development. This is not the case in places with food insecurity, and even if it were the case there is no commitment beyond simple formulation of policies (Christou 32). Budgetary allocations are either below required levels, or misappropriation of funds and poor prioritization abound. While all these constraints remain in place, population growth is not being controlled. Developed countries had to implement population control measures at some point in order to balance food production and population growth, thereby providing a window for food production to be boosted while population growth was managed/stabilized. People like to go on about climate change and soil erosion, but it is important to know that there is nothing that cannot be managed for the sake of mankind’s advancement (Gilland 19). With will, resources, and commitment it will be possible for food production to be boosted beyond the effects of population growth, and all other challenges surmounted. In conclusion, I must say that countries with food insecurity just haven’t done enough to mitigate the situation. The possibilities are endless, but the commitment is

Pastoral Ward Visit in the Context of Chaplaincy Essay

Pastoral Ward Visit in the Context of Chaplaincy - Essay Example In the study, the researcher used Daily log to examine the time spent in attending one patients as well as the time spent by chaplains in the wards. To get direct feedbacks from patients, the researcher used questioner. The questioner was also used to examine what is considered a success in pastoral ward visit. On the other hand, the questioner was also used to evaluate the level and nature of training among chaplains as well as soliciting the ideas of improving the services offered by chaplains. Informal interview was also employed to access whether the pastoral ward meets patients’ religious and spiritual needs.As the report discusses in spite of promoting religious and spiritual messages, chaplains in their pastoral ward visits also offers support to patients in their hospital treatment.   Chaplain works hand in hand with people who face death of their loved ones, parents who losses their children as well as patients who are facing their own demise.   Additionally, in t heir ward visits, chaplains’ teams offer spiritual and inspirational support to hospital staff members. On the other hand, chaplains’ provides linkage between patients in hospital wards and others support teams in the society such as Non Governmental organisations, charity groups and well wishers. Additionally, the chaplains’ works towards ensuring spiritual, cultural, religion support to everyone who need these form of support.   

Pfizers unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca Essay

Pfizers unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca - Essay Example government to take interest and eventually intervene with the series of committee hearings in the UK Parliament involving heads of the two drug companies. The failed takeover has affected the share price of AztraZeneca more than Pfizer. The company stock price rose sharply prices during the process, beginning the day after the takeover bid was announced (BBC 2014). The uptick would only dramatically decrease in the very day the bid was rejected in May 19. The share price, however, rebounded the day after, paving the way for better and stronger performance as the details of the failed bid became known. The same could not be said in the case of Pfizer. Its share price was tagged at 31.12 before the takeover bid and gradually fell to 28.75 by the end of May as the negotiations drew to a close (Yahoo Finance 2014). The attempted takeover came on the heels of Pfizers intent to merge with AstraZeneca for the purpose of relocating its headquarters to the UK, using it as a tax domicile, avoiding high corporate taxes in the US in the process (Drawbaugh 2014). This trend has been going in recent years for several pharmaceutical companies in the US. This year alone, thirteen tax-inversion deals have been completed, with US drug companies buying foreign counterparts in order to relocate their tax bases abroad (Lorenzetti 2014). Pfizer has made this particular motivation public when it made its bid for AstraZeneca. The corporate tax in the UK is 21% and is expected to fall to 20% in 2015 whereas the US charges corporations 35% (Farell 2014). The UK government was dragged into the issue because the takeover became a matter of public interest, requiring intervention. The takeover came to mean, for the UK polity, a risk for the country because of the prospect of job loss as evidenced in previous merger and acquisition cases. Policy makers, for example, recall the case of Kraft’s Cadbury acquisition. After the takeover, the company failed to honour its promises during the

Implications of a Large Country Engaging In Loose Monetary Policy for Essay

Implications of a Large Country Engaging In Loose Monetary Policy for Exchange Rates - Essay Example The report takes into consideration the different cases of monetary policies in some of the nations of the world and tries to analyze the policy measures in light of the theories. In any economy, the monetary policy is implemented on the decision of the Central Bank of the country. On the other hand, the Fiscal policy is implemented by the government of the country. While the implementation of the fiscal policy takes place through the adjustment of the government expenditure, taxes, and the subsidies, the monetary policy takes place through the adjustments of the interest rates. The rates of interest are the main policy tools that the central bank uses for the changes in the policy measures. The monetary policy is based on the liquidity preference theory. The people in a particular economy would be adjusting their spending depending on the rate of interest that is prevailing in the markets. When the central bank wants to reduce the liquidity in the economy, it would increase the rate of interests. With the banks paying a higher return on the bonds, people would start parking their money in the banks for the expectation of the higher returns from the bonds. Thu s they would spend less in the present period expecting that they would have more money to spend in the later period. This would lead to a cut in the spending. As a result, the aggregate demand in the economy would decrease. Along with the reduction in the production of the domestic firms, the country would also start importing less. As a result, there would be a favorable condition on the trade balance which in turn would bring more foreign currency in the economy. As a result of this, the value of the domestic currency would appreciate.

Journal - wk 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal - wk 4 - Essay Example Student learning is positively impacted by the detailed feedback. A responsive teacher uses a significant and crucial way for the determination of assessment objectives along with decisions. There are multiple and varied sources for the information of assessment based on the formative, benchmark and summative drawn from students’ experience both in formal and informal ways. Prozesky (2001) called the summative that was done at the end of the learning period. Feedback is influential as it exists in the several forms of received information. This information is experienced from interaction in a classroom to the standard and formal assessments. Effectiveness of feedback is also determined by these types of assessments. The feedback needs objective and a neutral outlook for the analysis of the students’ assessments. Assessment improves equally the performance of teachers to student learning (Olah, Lawrence and Riggen, 2010). Comments after the tests are also good source of feedback (Middle States Commission,

Blue Jeans Essay Example for Free

Blue Jeans Essay The article â€Å"Blue jeans: Born to last† by Leslie C. Smith was published in Globe and Mail in 1992. Smith gives the brief details and the history of world popular blue jeans. The main idea of the essay is that how blue jeans came into life and what does it represent. In 1980’s, during the time of gold rush, French cotton called denim came into being which replaced canvas and people called it jeans. In 1853, Levis Strauss German manufacturer, though of curving into miners’ tents. Furthermore, Levis Strauss plans to cut canvas into pants for workers because routine trouser does not accomplish the necessity of them. Also, it can be worn by common man and celebrities. Although, The blue jean is the symbol of equality. In the essay Blue Jeans: Born to last, the author Leslie C. Smith says that â€Å"Jeans are functional and down-to-earth and unisexual† (Dasgupta, pg.107). The author expressed the qualities of the blue jeans. He explained the jeans are very suitable and can be worn by either male or female. It is very realistic and purposeful. Moreover, it is comfortable and trendy. The author Leslie C. Smith also talked about the cowboys that: The favoured grab of cowboys, by the 1930s they were an established icon-one that Easterners. Fresh from their vacations on popular dude ranches, were happy to appreciate.(1992, pg. 106). According to this, the jeans become favoured among cowboys in 1930s and it was the symbol of tough nature of American people to the rest of the world. Hence, jeans become a representation of cowboys. It provided cowboys a different identity. Blue jeans: Born to last, highlight the details of the blue jeans and explained that how jeans introduced to the world and what does it represent. It has slang expressions and informal language. As blue jeans is the most preferred dress in the world. The main purpose of this essay is that a blue pair of jeans is the one common thing between a common man and a superstar as it is the symbol of equality. The audience of the essay is the common people. The essay conveys a good message of equality and harmony.

Drinking Milk Essay Example for Free

Drinking Milk Essay Introduction A: Gaining Attention Give the audience some question as: 1. how many people in the audience have a habit drinking milk for daily diet? 2. are you take care of your family or yourself by the way drinking milk? Why? B: Motivating The Audience: Comparing the differences between people drink milk and not. C: Establishing Credibility: give the audience some popular benefits when drinking milk from some famous expert nutrients in the world. D: Preview Of Main Ideas:now I will show you bebefits of drinking milk, it n ot only supply nutrient for people health, promote well being for all people especially with patient but also build strong bones and teeth. Body Main idea 1: Milk Supply Nutrients For People Health †¢ â€Å"Milk contain more and more mineral, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin, phosphorous and so on â€Å", according to well known nutrition expert Dr wendy Bazilian, author of the superfoodrx diet and co-owner of san diego-based bazilian’s health clinic. †¢ Milk contains 87. 5% of water, 3. 9% milk fat, 8. 8% solid non fat which includes protein, lactose, minerals and acids, enzyms and vitamins. Proteins include caseins, whey proteins, lactabumin and lactoglobulin. The main sugar present in the milk is lactose. It also contains vitamins A,C,D and amino acids. ? With baby:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ? With adult:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ? With old people:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Main idea 2: Promote Well Being For All People †¢ Milk is very necessary for people. Specially, milk is very good for patient. It’s not only supplies eough energies minerals, proteins, but also it increase resistance and promote well being for all people. †¢ With normal people, milk plays inportance for both health , skin, and intestine. With patient, it promotes well being very quickly. For example, reducing blood pressure and diabetes, calcium, magnesium and potassium content in milk helps to reduce the blood pressure and diabetes. Reducing the risk of colon cancer, consuming at least one glass of milk per day reduce 15% risk of developing colon type of cancer. And buiding intestinal health. In the market, there are many kinds of milk. It is not only suitable with many kinds of diseases but also promote well being for people. For example with patient,they need more nutrients to improve the health but maybe they can not eat some nutrients food because it containt some matter that not good for their diseases. Milk will help them to supply every necessary nutrients, it can instead of the daily diet. -As you know the popular milk for pateint as ensure,.. ,†¦ Main idea 3: Milk Buids Strong Bones And Teeth. †¢ According to nutrition expert Bazililan, there are 99% of body is calcium is stored and hundreds of studies have shown that calcium in milk help improve bone densty, balance of other nutrients that have been proven to buid bones and teeth as well as promote the healthy function of blood usels. †¢ More milk-stronger bones, as it contains abundant calcium. Calcium also acids in muscular and circulatory function, prevents osteoporosis†¦ †¢ Fighting cavities: protein, calcium, phosphorous content in the milk products the tooth enamel, stimulates saliva production, and neutralizes food acids. Milk containt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦supply †¦% calcium per day for health†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Arcording to studies show that: percent peole drinking milk are live more longevity than people don’t drinking milk. In modern life,people drinking milk hold approximate 85%. It show that the inportant of drinking milk in life. ( So drinking milk is the convinience, quickly,save money for modern life. Conclusion A: Signaling The Ending: I’m going to the finish this topic. B: preview of main points: I found it very convinience and good for us if drinking milk everyday. It supply nutrients for people health, promote well being for all people, and buid strong bones and teeth. C:Reference To Introduction Give some web adress a bout effect of milk with healthy to audience D: Ending With Impact Change your habit by the way drink milk everyday, you can change your health more and more strong and young,your life will more quality because it prevent your health out of some hard diseases in the future.

Difference Between Historians and Scientists

Difference Between Historians and Scientists Yong Jia Bu Theory of Knowledge History and the Human Sciences: Stepping Stones through Time Title #5: â€Å"The historian’s task is to understand the past, the human scientist, by contrast, is looking to change the future.† To what extent is this true in these areas of knowledge? History and the human sciences are considered two different areas of knowledge, but are common in that both are concerned with human existence and interactions. To say that â€Å"[t]he historian’s task is to understand the past, the human scientist, by contrast, is looking to change the future† suggests a method of distinguishing between these two areas of knowledge based on the time frame relevant to each, and the purposes for which each area obtains knowledge: history focuses on analysis of past events, their causes and implications, while human sciences, such as geography and psychology, seek more to find patterns in human activity in order to predict and change the future. Subjects such as geopolitics and evolutionary anthropology can, however, bridge the time gap between history and the human sciences, and cause the purposes of knowledge in these two areas to overlap as well. In these particular subjects, understanding the past and changing the future are not neces sarily divergent purposes, but purposes which can work hand in hand to allow a knower to acquire and make use of knowledge. The quotation in the topic of this paper suggests that history is an area of knowledge which places a greater emphasis on understanding the past than on using the acquired knowledge to achieve goals or to alter the trajectory of future events. One reason why this attitude toward history might exist is that out of the vast collection of past events studied in this discipline, the majority of subjects are believed to be too distant in the past or too far removed from the concerns of today’s society to be of significant influence to the future. While this claim is likely not true, as knowledge is almost always pursued because it has value and applications, this belief indirectly reveals the expectations of a credible historian to record and interpret historical knowledge in the most accurate form possible, and that he or she is not motivated to influence the present or future by putting forth historical information that supports personal agendas. A credible historian is therefore someone who uncovers and makes sense of the past for the sake of understanding what has come before. A credible historian recognizes that the knowledge gained his or her studies can be relevant to or have value in the present and future, but does not attempt to control how the knowledge may become influential to society. When I researched the topic of whether Louis Riel, a Canadian politician and rebel during the late 1800’s, should have been sentenced to death for treason, my goal was to gain a better understanding of who Riel was and the circumstances surrounding his death, and then to evaluate the events based on the information I had gathered. In presenting my findings, I needed to show that the conclusions I came to had been achieved through consistent and impartial treatment of historical evidence, and that although my findings may eventually challenge or disprove other positions, the focus on my research was to better understand historical events rather than to promot e what I believed to be true. While I cannot consider myself a credible historian, I believe that those who can would go through a similar process in their studies, in which the historian investigates, makes sense of, and communicates his or her findings without actively aiming to change the future. In this way, a historian’s main concern is to understand the past, despite awareness of the potential implications that their pursuit and refinement of historical knowledge can have on the future. In some cases, although events may have occurred centuries ago, their consequences can continue to affect the lives of people for a long time, and the way that historians interpret evidence surrounding such events can significantly influence the decisions made by individuals or even entire nations. Society may actively pursue historical knowledge in order to solve problems concerning the future. The establishment of political boundaries, though it may fall within field of geopolitics and therefore the human sciences, is closely tied to and influenced by historical land claims and records of settlement. In the Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands dispute, Japan, China, and Taiwan all claim to have sovereignty over a set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea based on historical records and proceedings (Drifte 11). The Chinese claim is based on documents from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries that describe ownership of the islands by Taiwan, which China also claims to be part of its o wn country. Disputes also revolve around the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895, which ceded islands under Chinese control to Japan but did not specifically mention the Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands (Drifte 12). The understanding of historical events and interpretation of historical documents thus play an important role in shaping the political future, as they are used by governments and international organizations to negotiate territorial boundaries. This field exemplifies how the historian’s role is to look equally toward understanding the past and changing the future. In comparison to history, the human sciences are associated with a more present-to-future time frame. Human scientists recognize the importance of understanding the past observations and studies that their knowledge is based upon, but it is the application of existing knowledge to new situations and problems that is the purpose at the centre of the human sciences. One goal of a human geographer may be to predict the volume and direction of human migration to and from a nation, so that this information can be used to help shape a nation’s future migration policies and perhaps prevent demographic changes not desired by the nation. To do this, the geographer would need to have background knowledge such as the theory of push and pull factors of migration, which consists of â€Å"laws of migration† developed by Ernest George Ravenstein in 1885, and modified by later geographers. Ravenstein’s theory outlines general patterns in the movement of people from one place to another, such as that â€Å"[m]igrants proceeding long distances generally go by preference to one of the great centres of commerce or industry† (Corbett), and while Ravenstein and later contributors must have based their conclusions on studies of specific migratory cases, the statements within the theory do not include details regarding the specific past occurrences that the theory is derived from. The principles of migration listed in this theory act as a condensed body of knowledge that can be learned and applied to current conditions to make predictions about migration trends in the future, which can subsequently prompt actions to avert undesired outcomes. As extensive understanding of the origins of current theories does not necessarily improve the effectiveness of their use, it is not considered essential that human scientists focus their time on understanding past developments which led to the formation of current theories. Rather, human scientists are encouraged to lo ok toward changing the future by readily using the latest complication of knowledge in their field. There are also disciplines which, although considered human sciences, are very concerned with understanding the past. Evolutionary anthropologists seek both to investigate the origins of human beings, as well as to change future scientific paradigms based on new discoveries. In 2013, anthropologists working in southern Georgia excavated 1.8 million-year-old skulls of human ancestors which â€Å"ha[ve] forced scientists to rethink the story of early human evolution† (Sample), because the existence of these early humans in Europe at the same time as the existence of early humans in Africa undermines the widely accepted theory that humans evolved from species that originated in Africa. Regardless of whether this discovery leads to a new evolutionary theory, it illustrates how in one way, the purpose of knowledge in evolutionary anthropology is to seek understanding of the past as historians would—by investigating the collective origins and past of the human species— while in another way, the evolutionary anthropologist also seeks to change the future of the discipline by challenging the accepted theories and paradigms of today. Understanding the past and changing the future can thus be equally important objectives in the advancement of the human sciences. When a knower strives to change the future, he or she often realizes the need to understand the past in order to better predict the outcomes and consequences of his or her actions. Conversely, in attempting to understand the past, a knower may be motivated to modify existing approaches toward knowledge to change the future. Subjects within history and the human sciences may lean closer to either the purpose of understanding the past or the purpose of changing the future, but are likely some combination of the two. As history and the human sciences are thus difficult to distinguish on the basis of time frame and purpose of knowledge, additional consideration of their differences in methodologies or sources of evidence may aid in clarifying the differences between the natures of these two areas of knowledge. Word count: 1479 Works Cited Corbett, John. â€Å"Ernest George Raventstein: The Laws of Migration, 1885.† Centre for Spatially Integrated Social Science. University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. Drifte, Reinhard. The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Territorial Dispute between Japan and China: between the Materialization of the â€Å"China Threat† and Japan â€Å"Reversing the Outcome of World War II†? The Research Unit on International Security and Cooperation (UNISCI), May 2013. PDF file. Sample, Ian. â€Å"Skull of Homo Erectus Throws Story of Human Evolution into Disarray.† The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

How the Authors of The Signalman and The Red Room Use First-Person Narrative :: Charles Dickens H.G. Wells Narratives Essays

How the Authors of The Signalman and The Red Room Use First-Person Narrative In this essay two novels will be compared. The first written by Charles Dickens entitled, `The Signalman` and the second is H G Wells’ `The Red Room`. I seek to find out how first person narration is used to manipulate the thoughts and feelings of the readers and how the two are similar. The two poems are both similar in that they are both pre 1914 prose about ghosts and are based on the supernatural, the two tales also create suspense and tension in the atmosphere surrounding the characters. The stories are written in first person native for example, the authors of `The Red Room` and `The Signalman` both tell the story using speech as the main technique telling the story through the narrator, â€Å"Is there any path by which I can come down and speak to you?† this makes the reader feel closer to the character due to his personal experience. The Signalman ============= At the start of `The Signalman` the atmosphere is bizarre. The story begins in a deep, damp cutting adjacent to a tunnel with a railway running through it, which is described as `barbarous`, `depressing` and with `forbidding air`. The scene is set at twilight therefore because of the darkness the two men don’t get to see each other properly and this enhances the mysterious element of the story. At the point in which he’s just about to go down `the cutting`, a vibration shakes the ground, Dickens writes, `vague vibration in the earth and air`, which describes the movement, he also uses a lot effective adjectives like, `violent` and `pulsation`, which conveys fears and adds to the tension which is building up, but this time it was just a train passing and the tension is lost. Dickens describes the cutting as being, â€Å"Extremely deep and unusually precipitous† and â€Å"Solitary and dismal†, he uses the detailed description to give the setting an eerie edge. The story only takes place within the cutting. The two men meet at the cutting at night, â€Å"I will come at eleven†, Dickens says, this sustains the tension due to the darkness and our own knowledge that the supernatural experiences always occur at night. The narrator feels very sympathetic towards The Signalman, as he keeps revisiting him to find out more about his life and his experiences, â€Å"But I expressly intend to make you another visit†, the narrator also talks about an â€Å"infection in the mind† and â€Å"deception of his sense of sight† and recommends `The Signalman` to see a doctor, when he sees the ghost, which reveals his level of concern for his new

Wrestling Ring :: essays research papers

Around the Ring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the beginning of time man has competed for supremacy, and in today’s time nothing has changed, just how the game is played. Professional Wrestling dates back to the early 1900’s and late 1800’s. The biggest wrestling corporation that many fans can relate to is the World Wrestling Federation. The WWF is a huge corporation but is only one of many and independent circuits across the nation are much smaller than the WWF. Explain and show just how wrestling as a sport from the early to mid 1900’s until present time has gone from wrestling to â€Å"wrasslin†, and from classic takedowns to phenomenal finishers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wrestling began to get big in the United states in early 1920’s, wrestling didn’t have that gigantic following, it was more of a regional market. Wrestling promoters kept their shows in the region mainly of where their wrestlers were located. Vince McMahon Sr. founded the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and began to put shows together in the New York area around. This established wrestlers like â€Å"Classy† Freddie Blassie, â€Å"Gorgeous† George, Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sam Martini . These where the guys when wrestling was the real deal, when they could battle it out for the right to be called the best in the world, or in the northern region under the WWWF.. Madison Square garden was a common location for the WWWF to put on a show and because of this wrestling began to grow in popularity in the late 40’s early 50’s. Madison Square Garden at the time was one of the most played in venue’s, pro basketball, boxing, and yes, now wrestling. Wrestling was increasingly popular in New York during the time of Vince Sr. operating the company (Metzler 13). Wrestling gates (ticket prices) where increasingly higher than they had been five years before, and the fan base was continuing to grow, until the American public got a new hero. The cowboy hit the wrestling world very hard, taking its fans and turning them away from the wrestling world. Cowboy shows destroyed american wrestling in the eyes of the public on TV. Wrestling would continue to suffer until â€Å"Vince McMahon Jr. would buy the company from his father and turn it into a international phenomenon overnight† (BTM).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wrestling became a industry when Vince Jr. took over as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) became the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1970’s with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Iron Sheik, â€Å"The Million Dollar Man† Ted Dibiase, Ricky â€Å"The Dragonâ€Å" Steamboat, and â€Å"Nature Boy† Ric Flair .

The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Essay -- Philosophy

The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Flappers and Philosophers served as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"initial encore† after the â€Å"considerable success† of his first novel, This Side of Paradise.[1] Fitzgerald’s publisher, Scribners, â€Å"liked to have its authors issue short-story collections soon after they had published novels†; the Fall of 1920 offered Fitzgerald, as well as the publishing firm, a unique opportunity to both reinforce and, hopefully, expand the writer’s popular appeal.[2] Fifteen of his stories had been previously published or accepted for future publication when Fitzgerald selected stories for inclusion in Flappers and Philosophers in April of 1920. While the author â€Å"conceived initially of this collection as a mixture of poetry and prose,† the finished volume featured eight stories composed subsequent to the completion of This Side of Paradise and previously published in leading magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post, Smart Set, and Sc ribner’s Magazine.[3] Dedicated â€Å"TO ZELDA† and published on September 10, 1920, only five months removed from This Side of Paradise, Flappers and Philosophers sold well, enjoying a first printing of 5,000 copies and sales of 13,325 copies by November 1922.[4] Although the popular response to the collection appeared overwhelmingly enthusiastic, â€Å"the critical response was mixed† and, at times, â€Å"quite hostile.†[5] Some critics proposed that the volume â€Å"marks the conversion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s undisciplined and turbid genius†¦into a bridled and clarified talent† and praised mastery â€Å"of the mechanism of short story technique†; a comparatively complimentary review in the New York Sun contends that â€Å"these short stories are not so much technically perfec... ...rs and Philosophers, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (New York: Scribner’s, 1959), 12 [4] Eble, Kenneth, F. Scott Fitzgerald. (New York: Twayne, 1963), 54 [5] Petry, Alice Hall, Fitzgerald’s Craft of Short Fiction: The Collected Stories, 1920-1935 (Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1989), 9 [6] Bryer, 15, 17 [7] Bryer, 15 [8] Bryer, 16; Petry, 9 [9] Bryer, 16; Eble, 54 [10] â€Å"Flappers.† The New York Times [New York] 26 September 1920 [11] Times 26 September 1920; Klatt, Marion, â€Å"Critical Reception of Flappers and Philosophers† (http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/F&P.html) [12] New York Herald, 24 October 1920, qtd. in Klatt [13] Mizener, 16 [14] Tate, Mary Jo. F. Scott Fitzgerald A to Z. (New York: Facts on File, 1998), 90 [15] Bryer, 22 [16] Ibid. [17] Bryer, 20 [18] Bryer, 21, 23 [19] Petry, 52, 51 [20] Mizener, 15; Petry, 52 The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Essay -- Philosophy The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Flappers and Philosophers served as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"initial encore† after the â€Å"considerable success† of his first novel, This Side of Paradise.[1] Fitzgerald’s publisher, Scribners, â€Å"liked to have its authors issue short-story collections soon after they had published novels†; the Fall of 1920 offered Fitzgerald, as well as the publishing firm, a unique opportunity to both reinforce and, hopefully, expand the writer’s popular appeal.[2] Fifteen of his stories had been previously published or accepted for future publication when Fitzgerald selected stories for inclusion in Flappers and Philosophers in April of 1920. While the author â€Å"conceived initially of this collection as a mixture of poetry and prose,† the finished volume featured eight stories composed subsequent to the completion of This Side of Paradise and previously published in leading magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post, Smart Set, and Sc ribner’s Magazine.[3] Dedicated â€Å"TO ZELDA† and published on September 10, 1920, only five months removed from This Side of Paradise, Flappers and Philosophers sold well, enjoying a first printing of 5,000 copies and sales of 13,325 copies by November 1922.[4] Although the popular response to the collection appeared overwhelmingly enthusiastic, â€Å"the critical response was mixed† and, at times, â€Å"quite hostile.†[5] Some critics proposed that the volume â€Å"marks the conversion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s undisciplined and turbid genius†¦into a bridled and clarified talent† and praised mastery â€Å"of the mechanism of short story technique†; a comparatively complimentary review in the New York Sun contends that â€Å"these short stories are not so much technically perfec... ...rs and Philosophers, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (New York: Scribner’s, 1959), 12 [4] Eble, Kenneth, F. Scott Fitzgerald. (New York: Twayne, 1963), 54 [5] Petry, Alice Hall, Fitzgerald’s Craft of Short Fiction: The Collected Stories, 1920-1935 (Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1989), 9 [6] Bryer, 15, 17 [7] Bryer, 15 [8] Bryer, 16; Petry, 9 [9] Bryer, 16; Eble, 54 [10] â€Å"Flappers.† The New York Times [New York] 26 September 1920 [11] Times 26 September 1920; Klatt, Marion, â€Å"Critical Reception of Flappers and Philosophers† (http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/F&P.html) [12] New York Herald, 24 October 1920, qtd. in Klatt [13] Mizener, 16 [14] Tate, Mary Jo. F. Scott Fitzgerald A to Z. (New York: Facts on File, 1998), 90 [15] Bryer, 22 [16] Ibid. [17] Bryer, 20 [18] Bryer, 21, 23 [19] Petry, 52, 51 [20] Mizener, 15; Petry, 52

The Return: Midnight Chapter 11

When M. le Princess Jessalyn D'Aubigne had drunk her fil of Damon's blood – and she was thirsty for such a fragile thing – it was Damon's turn. He forced himself to remain patient when Jessalyn flinched and frowned at the sight of his ironwood knife. But Damon teased her and joked with her and played chasing games up and down the enormous bed, and when he final y caught her, she scarcely felt the knife's sting at her throat. Damon, though, had his mouth on the dark red blood that wel ed out immediately. Everything he'd done, from pouring Black Magic for Bonnie to pouring out the star bal ‘s liquid at the four corners of the Gate to making his way through the defenses of this tiny gem of a castle had been for this. For this moment, when his human palate could savor the nectar that was vampire blood. And it was†¦heavenly! This was only the second time in his life that he'd tasted it as a human. Katerina – Katherine, as he thought of her in English – had been the first, of course. And how she could have crept off after that and gone, wearing just her short muslin shift, to the wide-eyed, inexperienced little boy who was his brother, he would never understand. His disquiet was spreading to Jessalyn. That mustn't happen. She had to stay calm and tranquil as he took as much as he could of her blood. It wouldn't hurt her at al , and it meant al the difference to him. Forcing his consciousness away from the sheer elemental pleasure of what he was doing, he began, very careful y, very delicately, to infiltrate her mind. It wasn't difficult to get to the nub of it. Whoever had wrenched this delicate, fragile-boned girl from the human world and had endowed her with a vampire's nature hadn't done her any favors. It wasn't that she had any moral objections to vampirism. She'd taken to the life easily, enjoying it. She would have made a good huntress in the wild. But in this castle? With these servants? It was like having a hundred snooty waiters and two hundred condescending sommeliers staring her down as soon as she opened her mouth to give an order. This room, for instance. She had wanted some color in it – just a splash of violet here, a little mauve there – natural y, she realized, a vampire princess's bedchamber had to be mostly black. But when she'd timidly mentioned the subject of colors to one of the parlor maids, the girl had sniffed and looked down her nostrils at Jessalyn as if she'd asked for an elephant to be instal ed just beside her bed. The princess had not had the courage to bring up the matter with the housekeeper, but within a week three baskets ful of black-and-off-black throw pil ows had arrived. There was her â€Å"color.†And in the future would her highness be so good as to consult her housekeeper before querying the staff as to her household whims? She actually said that about my â€Å"whims,† Jessalyn thought as she arched her neck back and ran sharp fingernails through Damon's thick soft hair. And – oh, it's no good. I'm no good. I'm a vampire princess, and I can look the part, but I can't play it. You're every bit a princess, your highness, Damon soothed. You just need someone to enforce your orders. Someone who has no doubts about your superiority. Are your servants slaves? No, they're all free. Well, that makes it a little trickier, but you can always yell louder at them. Damon felt swol en with vampire blood. Two more days of this and he would be, if not his old self, then at least almost his old self: a ful vampire, free to walk about the city as he liked. And with the Power and status of a vampire prince. It was almost enough to balance out the horrors he'd gone through in the last couple of days. At least, he could tel himself that and try to believe it. â€Å"Listen,†he said abruptly, letting go of Jessalyn's slight body, the better to look her in the eye. â€Å"Your glorious highness, let me do one favor for you before I die of love or you have me kil ed for impudence. Let me bring you ‘color' – and then let me stand beside you if any of your menials grumble about it.† Jessalyn wasn't used to this kind of sudden decision, but couldn't help but be carried along with Damon's fiery excitement. She arched her head back again. When he final y left the bijoux palace, Damon went out the front door. He had with him a little of the money left over from pawning the gems, but this was more than enough for the purpose he had in mind. He was quite certain that the next time he went out, it would be from the flying portico. He stopped at a dozen shops and spent until his last coin was gone. He'd meant to sneak in a visit to Bonnie as wel while doing his errands, but the market was in the opposite direction from the inn where he'd left her, and in the end there just wasn't time. He didn't worry much as he walked back to the bijoux castle. Bonnie, soft and fragile as she seemed, had a wiry core that he was sure would keep her inside the room for three days. She could take it. Damon knew she could. He banged on the little castle's gate until a surly guard opened it. â€Å"What do you want?†the guard spat. Bonnie was bored out of her mind. It had only been a day since Damon had left her – a day she could only count by the number of meals brought to her, since the enormous red sun stood forever on the horizon and the blood-red light never varied unless it was raining. Bonnie wished it was raining. She wished it was snowing, or that there would be a fire or a hurricane or a smal tsunami. She had given one of the star bal s a try, and found it a ridiculous soap opera that she couldn't understand in the least. She wished, now, that she had never tried to stop Damon from coming here. She wished that he had pried her off before they had both fal en into the hole. She wished that she had grabbed Meredith's hand and just let go of Damon. And this was only the first day. Damon smiled at the surly guard. â€Å"What do I want? Only what I already have. An open gate.†He didn't go inside, however. He asked what M. le Princess was doing and heard that she was at a luncheon. On a donor. Perfect. Soon there came a deferential knock at the gate, which Damon demanded be opened wider. The guards clearly didn't like him; they had properly put together the disappearance of what turned out to be their captain of guard and the intrusion of this strange human. But there was something menacing about him even in this menacing world. They obeyed him. Soon after that there came another quiet knock and then another, and another and so on until twelve men and women with arms ful of damp and fragrant brown paper had quietly fol owed Damon up the stairs and into M. le Princess's black bedchamber. Jessalyn, meanwhile, had had a long and stuffy post-luncheon meeting, entertaining some of her financial advisors, who both seemed very old to her, although they had been changed in their twenties. Their muscles were soft with lack of use, she found herself thinking. And, natural y, they were dressed in ful -sleeved, wide-legged black except for a fril at their throats, white inside by gaslight, scarlet outside by the eternal blood-red sun. The princess had just seen them bow out of her presence when she inquired, rather irritably, where the human Damon was. Several servants with malice behind their smiles explained that he had gone with a dozen†¦humans†¦up to her bedchamber. Jessalyn almost flew to the stairs and climbed very quickly with the gliding motion that she knew was expected of proper female vampires. She reached the Gothic doors, and heard the hushed sounds of indignant spite as her ladies-in-waiting al whispered together. But before the princess could even ask what was going on, she was engulfed in a great warm wave of scent. Not the luscious and life-sustaining scent of blood, but something lighter, sweeter, and at the moment, while her bloodlust was sated, even headier and more dizzying. She pushed open the double doors. She took a step into her bedchamber and then stopped in astonishment. The cathedral-like black room was ful of flowers. There were banks of lilies, vases ful of roses, tulips in every color and shade, and riots of daffodils and narcissus, while fragrant honeysuckle and freesia lay in bowers. The flower peddlers had converted the gloomy, conventional black room into this fanciful extravaganza. The wiser and more farsighted of M. le Princess's retainers were actively helping them by bringing in large, ornate urns. Damon, upon seeing Jessalyn enter the room, immediately went to kneel at her feet. â€Å"You were gone when I woke!†the princess said crossly, and Damon smiled, very faintly. â€Å"Forgive me, your highness. But since I am dying anyway, I thought that I should be up and securing these flowers for you. Are the colors and scents satisfactory?† â€Å"The scents?†Jessalyn's whole body seemed to melt. â€Å"It's†¦ like†¦an orchestra for my nose! And the colors are like nothing I've ever seen!†She burst into laughter, her green eyes lightening, her straight red hair a waterfal around her shoulders. Then she began to stalk Damon back into the gloom in one corner. Damon had to control himself or he would have laughed; it was so much like a kitten stalking an autumn leaf. But once they got into the corner, tangled in the black hangings and nowhere near a window, Jessalyn assumed a deadly serious expression. â€Å"I'm going to have a dress made, just the color of those deep, dark purple carnations,†she whispered. â€Å"Not black.† â€Å"Your highness wil look wonderful in it,†Damon whispered in her ear. â€Å"So striking, so daring – â€Å" â€Å"I may even wear my corsets on the inside of my dress.†She looked up at him through heavy lashes. â€Å"Or – would that be too much?† â€Å"Nothing is too much for you, my princess,†Damon whispered back. He stopped a moment to think seriously. â€Å"The corsets – would they match the dress or be black?† Jessalyn considered. â€Å"Same color?†she ventured. Damon nodded, pleased. He himself wouldn't be caught dead in any color other than black, but he was wil ing to put up with – even encourage – Jessalyn's oddities. They might get him made a vampire faster. â€Å"I want your blood,†the princess whispered, as if to prove him right. â€Å"Here? Now?†Damon whispered back. â€Å"In front of al your servants?† Jessalyn surprised him then. She, who had been so timid before, stepped out of the curtains and clapped her hands for silence. It fel immediately. â€Å"Everyone out!†she said peremptorily. â€Å"You have made me a beautiful garden in my room, and I am grateful. The steward† – she nodded toward a young man who was dressed in black, but who had wisely placed a dark red rose in his buttonhole – â€Å"wil see to it that you're al given food – and drink – before you go!†At this there was a murmur of praise that made the princess blush. â€Å"I'l ring the bel pul when I need you† – to the steward. In fact, it wasn't until two days later that she reached up and, a little reluctantly, rang the bel pul . And that was merely to give the order that a uniform be made for Damon as quickly as possible. The uniform of captain of her guard. By the second day, Bonnie had to turn to the star bal s as her only source of entertainment. After going through her twenty-eight orbs she found that twenty-five of them were soap operas from beginning to end, and two were ful of experiences so frightening and hideous that she labeled them in her own mind as Never Ever. The last one was cal ed Five Hundred Stories for Young Ones, and Bonnie quickly found that these immersion stories could be useful, for they specified the names of things a person would find around the house and the city. The sphere's connecting thread was a series about a family of werewolves named the Dz-Aht-Bhi'iens. Bonnie promptly christened them the Dustbins. The series consisted of episodes showing how the family lived each day: how they bought a new slave at the market to replace one who had died, and where they went to hunt human prey, and how Mers Dustbin played in an important bashik tournament at school. Today the last story was almost providential. It showed little Marit Dustbin walking to a Sweetmeat Shop and getting a sugarplum. The candy cost exactly five soli. Bonnie got to experience eating part of it with Marit, and it was good. After reading the story, Bonnie very careful y peeked through the edge of the window blind and saw a sign on a shop below that she'd often watched. Then she held the star bal to her temple. Yes! Exactly the same kind of sign. And she knew not only what she wanted, but how much it should cost. She was dying to get out of her tiny room and try what she had just learned. But before her eyes, the lights in the sweetshop went dark. It must be closing time. Bonnie threw the star bal across the room. She turned the gas lamp down to just the faintest glow, and then flung herself on her rush-fil ed bed, pul ed the covers up†¦and discovered that she couldn't sleep. Groping in ruby twilight, she found the star bal with her fingers and put it to her temple again. Interspersed with clusters of stories about the Dustbin family's daily adventures were fairy tales. Most of them were so gruesome that Bonnie couldn't experience them al the way through, and when it was time to sleep, she lay shivering on her pal et. But this time the story seemed different. After the title, The Gatehouse of the Seven Kitsune Treasures, she heard a little rhyme: Amid a plain of snow and ice There lies kitsune paradise. And close beside, forbidden pleasure: Six gates more of kitsune treasure. The very word kitsune was frightening. But, Bonnie thought, the story might prove relevant somehow. I can do this, she thought and put the star bal to her temple. The story didn't start with anything gruesome. It was about a young girl and boy kitsune who went on a quest to find the most sacred and secret of the â€Å"seven kitsune treasures,†the kitsune paradise. A treasure, Bonnie learned, could be something as smal as a single gem or as large as an entire world. This one, going by the story, was in the middle range, because a â€Å"paradise†was a kind of garden, with exotic flowers blooming everywhere, and little streams bubbling down smal waterfal s into clear, deep pools. It was al wonderful, Bonnie thought, experiencing the story as if she were watching a movie al around her, but a movie that included the sensations of touch, taste, and smel . The paradise was a bit like Warm Springs, where they sometimes had picnics back at home. In the story, the boy and girl kitsune had to go to â€Å"the top of the world†where there was some kind of fracture in the crust of the highest Dark Dimension – the one Bonnie was in right now. They managed somehow to travel down, and even farther down, and passed through various tests of courage and wit before they got into the next lowest dimension, the Nether World. The Nether World was completely different from the Dark Dimension. It was a world of ice and slippery snow, of glaciers and rifts, al bathed in a blue twilight from three moons that shone from above. The kitsune children almost starved in the Nether World because there was so little for a fox to hunt. They made do with the tiny animals of the cold: mice and smal white voles, and the occasional insect (Oh, yuck, Bonnie thought). They survived until, through the fog and mist, they saw a towering black wal . They fol owed the wal until final y they came to a Gatehouse with tal spires hidden in the clouds. Written above the door in an old language they could hardly read were the words: The Seven Gates. They entered a room in which there were eight doorways or exits. One was the door through which they had just entered. And as they watched, each door brightened so they could see that the other seven doors led to seven different worlds, one of which was the kitsune paradise. Yet another gate led to a field of magical flowers, and another showed butterflies flittering around a splashing fountain. Another dropped to a dark cavern fil ed with bottles of the mystical wine Clarion Loess Black Magic. One gate led to a deep mine, with jewels the size of a fist. And then there was a gate which showed the prize of al flowers: the Royal Radhika. It changed its shape from moment to moment, from a rose to a cluster of carnations to an orchid. Through the last door they could see only a gigantic tree, but the final treasure was rumored to be an immense star bal . Now the boy and girl forgot al about the kitsune paradise. Each of them wanted something from another of the gates, but they couldn't agree on what. The rule was that any party or group who reached the gates could enter one and then return. But while the girl wanted a sprig of the Royal Radhika, to show that they'd completed their quest, the boy wanted some Black Magic wine, to sustain them on the way back. No matter how they argued they couldn't reach an agreement. So final y they decided to cheat. They would simultaneously open a door and jump through, snatch what they wanted, and then jump back out and be out of the Gatehouse before they could be caught. Just as they were about to do so, a voice warned them against it, saying, â€Å"One gate alone may you twain enter, and then return from whence you came.† But the boy and the girl chose to ignore the voice. Immediately, the boy entered the door that led to the bottles of Black Magic wine and at the same instant the girl stepped into the Royal Radhika door. But when each turned around there was no longer any sign of a door or gate behind them. The boy had plenty to drink but he was left forever in the dark and cold and his tears froze upon his cheeks. The girl had the beautiful flower to look at but nothing to eat or drink and so under the glowing yel ow sun she wasted away. Bonnie shivered, the delicious shiver of a reader who had gotten what she expected. The fairy tale, with its moral of â€Å"don't be greedy†was like the stories she'd heard from the Red and the Blue Fairy Books when she was a child sitting on her grandmother's lap. She missed Elena and Meredith, badly. She had a story to tel , but no one to tel it to.

Has the restructuring of gender relations and employment led to a restructuring of European Societies?

Over the last number of years we have seen changes in the structure of gender relations in European States. Has this restructuring had continual effects on other aspects of European Societies or has it been an isolated incident? This is what is in question here. In order to assess as to whether the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European societies we must look at what is meant by gender relations and how it has changed. The first aspect of gender relations that we can look at is the theories of gender difference. It is important for us to go back a number of years in order to see how these theories have developed and transformed into gender differences, as we know them today. Patriarchy is one of the first and most prominent theories of gender differences. This theory is based on the historical belief that men are better then women. This can be seen in the way that institutions and organisations were established and in the way society initially only allowed men to vote, etc. Patriarchy was also attributed to the biological differences between men and women. It was believed that women's maternal instinct led them to be weak and caring and could be overpowered by men, while men were aggressive and dominant and so would fight for their positions and to keep them. The biological differences also contribute to women's lesser role in society through the fact that they were the ones who bore children. In order for society to grow and develop it was necessary for there to be ongoing growth and high fertility rates. This was the women's role, as well as caring and watching over the children and ensuring that they developed into contributing members of society. Historical patriarchy can explain much of the male dominance in society but cannot be said to apply from the 1960's onwards. The changes that came about in and around the 1960's can be explained through Hakims Preference theory as explained in her article ‘Women, Work and the Family in Europe'. She basis the differences in gender on five different factors: 1. Contraceptive Revolution 2. Equal Opportunities Revolution 3. Expansion of White Collar Jobs 4. Creation of Jobs for Secondary Earners 5. Increasing Importance of Attitudes, Values and Personal Preferences in Lifestyle Choices of Prosperous Liberal Societies. The first two factors came about due to changes in science and values. They allowed women to control their fertility and made it a precondition of actual choice whether to have a child and if so when. This allowed women to enter the workforce and control when they left by controlling when they had a child. The Equal Opportunities Revolution was a precondition of the feminist movements of the 1960's, which changed values about gender equality, and therefore changed how women were treated in the workforce. The final three factors in Hakims Preference Theory are also important in looking at whether the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European societies. The expansion of white-collar jobs and the creation of jobs for secondary earners in essence give women a more actualised choice to get a job for income. This is important in the realisation that employment has changed, as it has now made it possible for women to both hold a job and look after a family. The final factor in Hakims Preference Theory refers to a move to individualisation, whereby ones identity is not formed by ones social group but by oneself. This can be attributed to Post Materialist Values. This is an important factor as is points to how women began to make choices that suited them and not just do what they felt the must do in society. Each of the factors in Hakims Theory point towards the end of the Historical Patriarchy Theory of gender differences, as women were becoming more independent, were being given more freedom in relation to biological differences and also more opportunities. Another theory that could be applied from this point, where we saw changes in the labour market in relation to gender, onwards is the Marxist theory. This theory is based upon a dual market theory. From a capitalist workers point of view they wanted to divide the labour market into two segments and pit them against one another so they were more likely to get better results. This was also a method to develop skilled and unskilled labour. It was mostly men in this work force but in times when factory owners required more workers they would call in a ‘reserve army of labour'. This is where women came in, as they would work when it was necessitated for them to work, but not all the time. This theory again does not go as far to explain the situation, as we know it today in Europe as we can see today that both men and women work and that it is not just a ‘reserve army of labour' that is required. The most developed and established theory of gender differences, and also possible the most appropriate in European Societies today, is the Weberian theory. This theory is based on the belief that different social groups compete with each other to gain positions of class status and political power. Women can be seen as a social group in their own right and so can be one of the groups who compete against others, i.e. men. This can be said to be the theory of gender difference in society today as shall be seen later we now see women competing alongside men for employment. So far we have looked at the gender differences in society, but it is also necessary for use to look at other aspects of gender relations. Another of theses is gender equality. Today there are a couple of different theories of gender equality in Europe. The first of these, and also the most minimalist of these, is equality of opportunities in public sphere. This means giving women equal opportunities as men in regards to gaining access to jobs, through education, labour market, politics etc. The next step on from this is equal opportunities and outcomes in the public sphere. This is the same as the previous theory but also allows for equal outcomes. This means that provisions are made to ensure that both genders receive equal treatment in the public labour market. This may be through state creation of jobs with quotas or laws and enforcements of gender equality. These two theories can be related to liberal market based approach to society. These societies can be said to take a minimalist approach to gender equality, either only focusing on equality of opportunity or else only considering equality of treatment or outcome to be of very little importance. In some countries the equality of outcome will only go as far as to mean no sexism or sexual harassment, and sometimes this may be regulated through laws. Examples of some countries who employ this approach to gender equality are Ireland and Great Britain. These societies have and understanding of what gender equality is and understand that it must be addressed, but do not have an extensive move towards complete gender equality. The final theory of gender equality and also most extensive theory is equal opportunities and outcomes in both the public and private sphere. This refers to the attempts to ensure equality of opportunities and outcomes in the public sphere, but also in the private sphere. This can mean provisions for childcare, parental leave, etc. allowing both men and women to compete with as much equal footing as possible. This theory of gender equality is most closely associated with the neo-Corporatist approach to gender relations. In this respect the state assumes the role of creating gender equality and makes a number of extensive provisions to allow for equal opportunities and outcomes in almost all areas of society though the resources of the welfare states. Examples of countries where this approach can be found are in the Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Denmark and Sweden. In her article ‘Dual Breadwinners between State and Market', Anne Lise Ellingstaeter makes reference to these three countries and their welfare states. She explains, â€Å"in general there are several models for modifying the tensions between employment and childcare. Three policy elements are central: (1) time to care, (2) money for care, and (3) care services.† (Lise Ellingstaeter, 1999: 41) She then goes on to explain in some detail how the welfare state of these countries have restructured gender relations and employment by providing better care facilities, etc. In order to understand why improved care facilities, money for care and time to care are so important in the restructuring of gender relations and employment we must realise that it was not always the case that women worked. For many years there was simply the belief that there was one breadwinner in a family, and that was the man. This can be related back to the historical patriarchy theory, but as we have already seen this theory on gender differences has developed into the Marxist theory and the Weberian theory, and we can understand that the breadwinner model has also developed. In her article ‘The Modernisation of Family and Motherhood in Western Europe', Brigit Pfau- Effinger develops the ‘Beyond Breadwinner Model'. This model goes beyond Hakims Breadwinner Model to a less traditional Dual Breadwinner Model using gender division of labour and gender relations. The different models can be characterised as: 1. Family Economic Model 2. Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Carer 3. Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Part timer 4. Dual- Breadwinner/ State Carer, or Market Carer 5. Dual- Breadwinner/ Dual Carer (Pfau- Effinger, 1999: 62-63) The first of these models, the Family Economic Model, is the very traditional model that is most closely associated with farming and family orientated business. In this model it is believed that all members of the family take part in all aspects of the family life including generating income. The Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Carer model is also a traditional model and can be said to be related to Hakims Breadwinner Model. This model places men as the earners in the family and women as the carers. While societies have developed from this what must be realised is that women still do have a choice in what they do, and that even though this model may be dying it can still be seen significantly in society today. 43% of households in Ireland still apply to this model. As already stated Ireland takes a Liberal approach to gender equality and so it may attributed to this. It may, however, have other factors to realise. Hakim puts forth the theory that there are different types of women who focus on different aspects of life. She claims that 10-30% of women are home centred, i.e. that they do not want to work, but instead want to stay at home and look after the family. She goes on to explain that the other two theories are that 10-30% of women are work orientated and that 14-18% are adaptive. While the first group of women explains the Male -Breadwinner/ Female- Carer Model, the other two categories explain the following models. In their article ‘ Employment, Careers, and Families: The Significance of Choice and Constraint in Women's Lives', Crompton and Harris put forward the theory that there are, â€Å"three ‘qualitatively different' types of working women, the ‘committed', the ‘uncommitted', and the ‘drifters' or ‘adaptives'.† (Crompton and Harris, 1999: 131) These different theories on the different types of workingwomen are contributing factors in understanding the different models of gender relations. What is also a factor that must be considered in this regard is the states approach towards gender relations. The Male-Breadwinner/ Female- Part timer can be said to have developed from the growth of equal opportunities and the expansion of white-collar jobs. This model allows for women to be part of the work force while also taking care of the family. The growth of the model has come from the growth of the group of women known as ‘adaptives' or ‘drifters'. The most dramatic changes of the structure of society in relation to gender relations and employment can be connected with the final two models. In both of these models women are dual- breadwinners. This means that these women would be ‘committed' women in the sense that they part take full time in employment. In the Dual-Breadwinner/ State Carer or Market Carer Model, it is the states approach to gender equality and relations that in effect defines who it is that looks cares for the children. As already stated the Scandinavian countries can be said to have the most overall approach to gender equality by providing for childcare. The state either provides direct childcare facilities or pays for childcare. This ensures that women have equal opportunities and outcomes in relation to employment. Other countries, however, take a different approach, as they see child care as a market of its own. Ireland is a good example of one of these countries, as people pay other s to look their children so creating a demand for nannies, which then necessitates people to be trained to look after the children. The state can also take the approach of believing that it is women's jobs to look after the children and so will pay them to stay at home and look after them. This can be said to be not promoting the more progressive models and reverting back to the previous simple Male-Breadwinner Model. The final model of Dual-Breadwinner/ Dual- Carer is the ideal model, which as of yet cannot be said to have been fully implemented in any country. The closest that has come so far are in the Scandinavian countries whereby equal opportunities and outcomes does not only apply to women, but also to men. Overall what can be said is that over the last few decades there have been a number of changes in relation to gender and employment. This can be seen from the changes in gender development, gender equality, and also the changes in values, science and society. All the these changes have led to changes and restructuring of European Societies through changing peoples attitudes towards women working and also in how working women are treated and provided for. This largely depends on the states attitude toward gender equality and treatment, and what has been seen is that different European countries take different approaches to this, and so while European Societies are restructuring they are doing so at a different pace. It not only depends on the states attitude, however, but also those of employers. While women may have so far shown themselves to be equally able as men in a number of jobs there are still number of obstacles in their way at management level, i.e. the ‘Glass Ceiling'. Another aspect of these societies that can be said to be changing is in the family life. Previously it was strongly felt that men went out and worked and that women stayed at home and watched over the children. The increased numbers of women working has changed this approach and now many children are influenced by members outside of the family and by school. It has yet to be seen how this will affect society in the future, but what may be seen is a reduction of the emphasis that is placed on the family. And so while it can be said that there the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European Societies, there is still a way to go before we seen complete gender equality. As well as this there are also a number of changes to European Societies, which will inevitably come about due to this restructuring, and how this will be seen will be interesting to assess.