Cultural Anthropology Essay - 4365 Words

Cultural Anthropology Almost all cultures world wide have highly developed traditions of music and dance. According to Mari Womack, author of Being Human: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, music and dance carry much importance within a culture. As do other artistic forms, music and dance reflect cultural and social organization. Cultural values can be conveyed in the words of a song, and the performance of a song or a dance is dependent on the social context (Womack 226). Music and instruments are of great significance in many places world wide. For example, the BaMbuti foragers from Africas Ituri rain forest have an instrument which they call the molimo which looks like an extremely long pipe. The men of the BaMbuti†¦show more content†¦When done correctly, it looks like an advanced version of the wave. These are fine examples of Marching Band as the art of music and dance. Marching Band is, in most high schools, on the fringes of society. Those instrument-toting kids spend countless hours fine tuning their skills, only to receive little respect from the rest of the students. They are called band nerds. They are laughed at. And yet they persist. But why? Why not give into the mainstream high school culture and join football or cheer leading? Why spend countless hours playing and replaying their parts until their fingers are worn to the bone when they could be watching movies, going on dates, and eating pizza? These were my questions based on my limited knowledge of high school marching bands. So, I decided to use my budding role as anthropologist to find out. My first step was to select a marching band to study. Luckily, the local high school, Goshen High School, has an excellent marching band which has competed at the state level for the last decade. A friend of mine at Goshen College who was a member of the band helped me to contact a current member of the band who could assist me by being my informant. For my informant, I chose a student, Jordan, who is currently involved in the band as a section leader, but has been in several other roles as well. Jordan also has been involved in the Marching Band for all of his four years of highShow MoreRelatedThe Anthropology Of Cultural Anthropology1370 Words   |  6 Pagesbasics of cultural anthropology, which seeks to understand the purpose and place of the humans in this world. It will include anthropology as a social science, the concept of culture, and it would also introduction the human evolution and to archaeology, ethnographic field methods. The importance of human language, human development, patterns, global economy, marriage and the family, gender issues, global politics and local political organization, social stratification, medical anthropology, ethnicityRead MoreVisual Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1554 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropologists have been able to study the differences in human cultures and how they have evolve. â€Å"There are now four major fields of anthropology: biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology† (Dennis O Neil). Within these fields are subfields, visual anthropology is a very important subfield of cultural anthropology. Visual anthropology is the study of the history of human customs and culture through what one sees or perceives in various types of media. ThereforeRead MoreAnthropology : Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1472 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is anthropology? This is a question that can be answered in numerous ways, but we are going to define it as simple as possible. If we break the word down into its two components it means the study of human beings. â€Å"Anthrop o† means human beings or human kind and â€Å"logy† or â€Å"logia† is Greek for the study or knowledge of something. When we put it all together, it is the study of human beings which can be very broad. Anthropology can be broken down into four subfields: physical anthropology, archaeologyRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Physical Anthropology3800 Words   |  16 Pagesglossary Anthropology: It is a general comprehensive science of man in the past and present of any culture. This is divided into two main areas: physical anthropology, dealing with biological evolution and physiological adaptation of humans, and social or cultural anthropology that deals with people living in society, ie forms of evolution of language, culture and customs. Anthropology uses tools and knowledge produced by the natural sciences and the social sciences. Aspiration of anthropologicalRead MoreThe Cultural Anthropology : Margaret Mead890 Words   |  4 PagesCultural Anthropology was not something I ever thought I would be interested in. During this class I have learned many new things about other people and how they live. This is by far my favorite class this semester and I just love hearing about other people’s way of life. So, with my newfound love for cultural anthropology I decided to write about one of the most influential female anthropologists. I decided to write ab out Margaret Mead. I want to discuss her early life. Then, move on to her lifeRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Human Nature1241 Words   |  5 PagesCultural Anthropology Assignment 2 Julie Kopp (100121035) July 28, 2015 Cultural Anthropologists view all aspects of human nature in order to generate an accurate representation of society. It is imperative that anthropologists engage themselves in fieldwork in pursuance to increase understanding among people of the world. Anthropologists found that by becoming an active participant rather than an observer, they are more likely to be accepted as a member. By becoming an insider, it allows theRead MoreCultural Anthropology And Cultural Diversity1017 Words   |  5 Pagesaspects to culture, so much so that their is a whole field dedicated to researching and understanding it, it’s ultimately defined by its interpretations, differentiations, and adaptations. In Cultural Anthropology: Appreciating Cultural Diversity, a few chapters are dedicated to explaining the field of anthropology and culture within an anthropological context. The first definition of cultures presented is, â€Å"Cultures are traditions and customs, transmitted through learning, that form and guide the beliefsRead MoreThe Discipline Of Cultural Anthropology3459 Words   |  14 Pages The discipline of cultural anthropology falls into the idea that culture everywhere is our lives impacts every aspect of our human lives. â€Å"Anthropology is the scientific study of human beings-that is, human creature viewed in the abstract: male, female, all colors and shapes, pre-historic, ancient, and modern. Many cultural anthropologists come to believe that the idea of our past and present societies, from the social and cultural structure of them, to the religion and language, as well as theRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Anthropology And Behavioral Patterns907 Words   |   4 PagesJordonnia Scarlett Professor Ellen Hamrick Cultural Anthropology March 5, 2015 As I sat down to write this paper I was a bit disoriented. The topic of anthropology/anthropologist seemed simple, yet boring. Subsequent researching the prompt questions, my friend called. Without allowing him to speak, I said, â€Å"writing a paper on anthropologists, can’t talk.† Before I could hang up, responded quickly saying â€Å"if I were an anthropologist I would be a linguistic anthropologist.† Immediately I realizedRead MoreCultural Anthropology Of Humans Living And Dead Anthropology938 Words   |  4 Pagesnot share the same ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life. Cultural anthropology teaches acceptance. There are social norms that can be found in every culture, the difference from culture to culture

The Cycle Of Domestic Violence - 1264 Words

One may wonder why some individuals remain in the cycle of domestic violence even after instances of abuse. Should it not be easy for an individual to leave a partner who is inflicting pain and stress on him or her? Lenore Walker’s (1979) model for the cycle of domestic violence explores the phases of domestic violence, the different types of abuse, and how these various phases contribute to the continuation of the cycle. Domestic violence is often diagnosed by obvious signs of physical abuse; however there are other unnoticeable patterns that one may not be able to immediately observe with the naked eye. Furthermore, domestic violence affects not only those who directly experience the abuse, but also those who are witnessing it, such as children (Behind Closed Doors, n.d.; Black, Sussman, Unger, 2010). It is important to recognize the the less obvious markers of intimate partner violence in order to break these patterns and work towards ending the cycles of transgenerational violence. In the model for cycle of domestic violence developed by Lenore Walker (1979), there are three phases in the cycle of abuse: tension building phase, acute battering phase, and the â€Å"honeymoon† phase. The tension building phase typically involves verbal abuse and conflict over matters such as finance and family (Walker, 1979). This first phase eventually leads to the battering phase, where physical abuse begins. Part of the reason why individuals who experience domestic violence do notShow MoreRelatedPower, Control and the Cycle of Domestic Violence Essay1949 Words   |  8 PagesDomestic violence has been plaguing our society for years. There are many abusive relationships, and the only question to ask is: why? The main answer is control. The controlling characteristic that males attribute to their masculinity is the cause to these abusive relationships. When males don’t have control they feel their masculinity is threatened and they need to do somethi ng about it. This doesn’t occur in just their relationships, but rather every facet of life. Men are constantly in a struggleRead MoreIntroduction. Domestic Violence Is A Serious Issue Affecting1386 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Domestic Violence is a serious issue affecting women all over the world today. Domestic Violence transpires when a current intimate partner decides to exercise dominance in a relationship through means of psychological, physical and sexual abuse towards the victim. This type of abuse often leads to emotional and or physical trauma. Domestic Violence is not only physical or sexual other forms of domestic violence exist such as stalking and dating violence. It is a problem without limitsRead MoreSpeech on Domestic Violence - Urban Issue986 Words   |  4 PagesSpeech for Urban Issue – Domestic Violence Domestic Violence is violence or physical abuse directed toward your spouse or partner, usually its violence by men against women Domestic Violence or DV is about power and control over a spouse. The three main types of Domestic Violence are Physical, Emotional, and Economic (financial) The first kind of domestic violence that we will be talking about is physical violence. Physical violence involves a person using physical force which causes harm toRead MoreVulnerable Populations: Victims of Violence1288 Words   |  6 PagesPopulations: Victims of Violence’ ‘Vulnerable Populations: Victims of Violence’ Norita Prather BSHS/302-BSAE0ZSH3 University of Phoenix Instructor: Tami Frye September 26, 2011 Each domestic abuse relationship is unique, and has a pattern that holds certain signs, clues, and characteristics that could have helped decide if one were in an unhealthy or abusive relationship. There are significant indicators that are common to all virtual cases of domestic abuse, mainly becauseRead MoreDomestic Violence Informative924 Words   |  4 PagesDomestic Violence; It Should Not Be Overseen Subject Area: Domestic Violence Topic: Defining what is Domestic Violence General Purpose: To inform the audience about Domestic Violence. Specific Purpose: To let the audience be aware of what Domestic Violence is. Thesis Statement: Domestic Violence is something that should not be taken lightly. It is something that can happen to anyone in their lifetime. I want to go ahead and inform you about what is Domestic Violence. The categories of whatRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Our Society Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pagesconsequences. This is especially true of how domestic violence is currently governed by the criminal justice system and social norms. A lack of preventative care exists and this ignores the consequences of domestic violence in our society. Incidents of domestic violence are often treated as one-time or isolated occurrences; however, in many cases abusers and victims fall back into these learnt behaviors. Therefore, domestic violence is a never-ending cycle that cannot be stopped without cultural andRead MoreThe Breakable Vow835 Words   |  4 PagesNo country or society can claim to be free of domestic violence; it cuts across boundaries of culture, class, educatio n, income, ethnicity and age. Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or actual use of physical violence, sexual assault, and verbal or psychological abuse. No one should become implicated in domestic violence relationships. There is a repeating cycle of violence in the relationship, the abuse involved is horrificRead MoreDomestic Violence ( Dv ) And How It Has Been Portrayed As A Male Gender Issue1286 Words   |  6 Pagesis about Domestic Violence (DV) and how it has been portrayed as a male gender issue through media, government, and leading organisations against DV; both internationally and within Australia. The researchers’ concerns are that DV organisations add fuel to the fire by using shock tactics and manipulated statistics, hoping to gain funding for their feminist causes. The article produces facts and figures from International and Australian surveys that support the fact that Domestic Vi olence is on theRead MoreThe Violence Of Domestic Violence954 Words   |  4 PagesCycle of Violence in Domestic Violence As stated by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, â€Å"domestic violence is defined as a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors and tactics used by one person over another (by or to any household member) to gain power and control. This may include verbal abuse, financial abuse, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse.† (The Official Website of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.) Domestic abuse frequently becomes more often andRead MoreAll around the world domestic violence is a threat to all different types of families, including1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld domestic violence is a threat to all different types of families, including children and adults. â€Å"It is estimated that approximately 3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in the United States† (Feinstein). The most common victims of domestic violence are women, and children. Organizations that offers protection for victims includes: National Network to End Domestic Violence, Survivor Network, and National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence. Domestic violence

Corporate Accounting and Reporting and Regulations

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Accounting and Reporting and Regulations. Answer: Introduction The following part of the study aims to present the concept on impairment test based on the regulations of international accounting standards. The discussion incorporates the purpose of impairment test according to the principles and requirements of Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) 136 on impairment of assets. Besides, the discussion includes the impact of goodwill on impairment test along with the relevant steps required to be followed in applying impairment test. Purpose of impairment test In order to conduct business operations, organizations need to own several assets that are classified as per various sections for profit making as well as non- profit making companies. Assets are classified as current assets, fixed assets and intangible assets that are recognized in the statement of financial position during the accounting year. Current assets are the assets used by the companies for conducting day-to-day business operations and pay off the current obligations (Christensen and Nikolaev 2013). Besides, fixed assets are the assets used as business resources held for more than one year while intangible assets are long- term assets that are either self-generated or purchased. Accordingly, with due course of time, the real value of the fixed assets as well as certain intangible assets like goodwill, begins to decline. Such reduction of asset value is tested for impairment as for measuring the asset valuation worth recognizing in the statement of financial position (Gros a nd Koch 2015). Therefore, impairment is an accounting regulation that measures the reduction in the assets value for fixed assets and goodwill by comparing the actual value and carrying value. However, it is essential to consider the impairment test for measuring the reduction value as per the value in use, future cash benefits or expected recoverable amount. Impairment of assets depends on various internal and external resources along with the determination of recoverable amount and future cash benefits (Lange, Fornaro and Buttermilch 2014). Certain external sources that provide information to impair the assets involve decline in market value of assets, adverse effect on the company or increase in the market interest rates. In addition, internal source of information for availability of asset obsolescence asset along with the significant changes in the organization requires impairment test (Aasb.gov.au. 2017). Hence, the primary purpose of impairment test is to measure the reduction in actual valu e of long- term assets. Impact of goodwill on impairment test Impairment test is conducted on long- term fixed assets that includes goodwill as intangible asset for the financial year. Impairment on goodwill is a measure recognized by the companies when the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the fair value. The value of goodwill is recognized in the financial statements while acquiring assets and liabilities along with the payment of purchase price if the value exceeds identifiable value. Accordingly, impairment of goodwill arises if the ability of companys assets is lower than the book value in terms of generating cash flows or profitability (Chen, Krishnan and Sami 2014). Goodwill is an intangible asset acquired by the companies with respect to brand valuation or acquiring assets and liabilities in connection with merger or acquisitions. Accordingly, if the value of goodwill exists in the companys balance sheet then the management is required to assess the qualitative factors for the purpose of impairment test. Existence of goodwill affects the impairment test for identification of potential impairment factors in terms of cash flow benefits and value in use. Impairment test involves comparison of fair value and carrying amount, which is difficult to identify for goodwill since it is an intangible asset and varies as per the organizational values. For instance, if the fair value of reporting unit exceeds the carrying amount, then the goodwill cannot be impaired (Izzo, Luciani and Sartori 2013). Further, existence of goodwill affects the impairment test with respect to other fixed assets that considers market interest rates, market value as well as market rate of return implement the factors appropriately. Steps to be followed for application of impairment test For conducting impairment test, Longreach Ltd requires to follow several steps that are stated as under: Step 1: First step to be followed for application of impairment test is to identify the assets or cash- generating unit that should be impaired. It includes the identification and planning to measure the recoverable amount to measure the impairment loss. Step 2: Next step is to identify and analyze the internal sources for considering impairment of assets by evaluating the evidences on obsolescence or damage with respect to the long- term assets. Step 3: After analyzing the internal sources, external sources are required to be analyzed to assess the actual market value as well as the significant changes to evaluate the adverse effect (Knauer and Whrmann 2016). Step 4: On considering the required analysis on impairment test, recoverable amount is to be computed by deducting cost from the fair market value of the impaired assets. Step 5: Recoverable amount is then compared by the value of carrying amount to assess lower of actual value and recoverable value. Thereafter, the amount of impairment loss is allocated on goodwill first and the balance amount on other assets based on the percentage of actual values (Badia et al. 2017). Conclusion Impairment test is essential for the companies to determine the actual worth of the assets employed to run the business activities. The assets are recognized in the financial statements of the company to determine the financial position of the company during the financial year. Hence, it is important to determine the correct value after considering the impairment test as per the regulations of international accounting standards and AASB 136. The study covers the impact of goodwill on impairment test with respect to assessment of impairment factors and identification of potential impaired assets. Further, basic steps required to be followed for applying impairment test has been identified that the management of Longreach Ltd can consider during the financial year. The identified steps include identification of impaired assets, analysis of internal and external sources and determination of recoverable amount that requires to be compared to the carrying value to measure the impairment l oss. In the Books of Crossbow Ltd. Journal Entry as at 30 June 2015 Dr. Cr. Date Particulars Amount Amount ($) ($) 30/06/2015 Impairment Loss A/c. Dr. 2,60,000.00 To Goodwill A/c. 40,000.00 To Land A/c. 26,829.27 To Inventory Products A/c. 24,146.34 To Brand "Crossbow Shoes" A/c. 21,463.41 To Shoe Factory A/c. 93,902.44 To Machinery A/c. 53,658.54 (Being the net identifiable assets liabilities and goodwill impaired based on the recoverable amount) Income Statement A/c. Dr. 2,60,000.00 To Impairment Loss A/c. 2,60,000.00 (Being the amount of impairment loss on machinery transferred to Income Statement ) Working Note: Calculation of Impairment Loss Particulars Amount Carrying Amount of Assets (A) $16,80,000 Recoverable Amount of Assets (B) $14,20,000 Fair Value of Assets ( C) $1,71,000 Real Value of Assets (D = Higher of B C) $14,20,000 Impairment Loss (A-D) $2,60,000 Less : Goodwill on Acquisition $40,000 Impairment Loss Less Goodwill $2,20,000 Allocation of Impairment Loss Particulars Amount Percentage Impairment allocation Land 2,00,000.00 12% 26,829.27 Inventory Products 1,80,000.00 11% 24,146.34 Brand "Crossbow Shoe" 1,60,000.00 10% 21,463.41 Shoe Factory 7,00,000.00 43% 93,902.44 Machinery for Manufacturing Shoes 4,00,000.00 24% 53,658.54 TOTAL 16,40,000.00 100% 2,20,000.00 Reference List Aasb.gov.au., 2017. Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) - Home. [online] Available at: https://www.aasb.gov.au/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017]. Badia, M., Duro, M., Penalva, F. and Ryan, S., 2017. Conditionally conservative fair value measurements.Journal of Accounting and Economics,63(1), pp.75-98. Chen, L.H., Krishnan, J. and Sami, H., 2014. Goodwill impairment charges and analyst forecast properties.Accounting Horizons,29(1), pp.141-169. Christensen, H.B. and Nikolaev, V.V., 2013. Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), pp.734-775. Gros, M. and Koch, S., 2015. Goodwill Impairment Test Disclosures Under IAS 36: Disclosure Quality and its Determinants in Europe. Izzo, M.F., Luciani, V. and Sartori, E., 2013. Impairment of Goodwill: Level of Compliance and Quality of Disclosure during the CrisisAn Analysis of Italian Listed Companies.International Business Research,6(11), p.94. Knauer, T. and Whrmann, A., 2016. Market reaction to goodwill impairments.European Accounting Review,25(3), pp.421-449. Lange, C.D., Fornaro, J.M. and Buttermilch, R.J., 2014. Qualitative assessment of impairment for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles.The CPA Journal,84(6), p.22.

World War One an Example by

World War One World War One in Europe was a defeating accomplishment because of the overall death toll. This paper will focus on why there were so many deaths during this wars, both civilian and military, by bringing a discussion about weapons technology to the forefront of the paper and how modern technology clashed with old tactics. In order to have a grasp of the world wars in Europe, a short history of communication and rivalry in Europe will be discussed in order for a clear picture of why so many countries were involved in these world wars. A focus on the daily lives of countrymen, especially Germans and especially the women left to fend for themselves while the men fought in the war will be dissected since Germany was a country who suffered financially after each war and the cruel reality that the country itself made their own people suffer with hunger in order to win the war (because funds were being transferred to developing weapons and not to the people of the country). Need essay sample on "World War One" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Our Customers Usually Tell EssayLab professionals: I attempted to work on that type essay by myself and it was a failure. Go To The Order Button And Prepare Yourself To Be Impressed Buy Essays Online College Papers Online Website To Write Papers Write My Essay For Me Cheap However, once the treaty was finalized, it met great resistance in the American Congress. There were many factors that divided the American Congress of the treaty. One of these factors was the seemingly light punishment that Wilson detailed against Germany. Partly because the United States had only been on the war for a short time, and partly because Wilson wanted to end the US involvement in European politics, he drafted the Fourteen Points against Germany. The next problem came from the congressmen who still opposed any US involvement in Europe. Since before the United States entered World War I, many Americans felt that US involvement was a waste of time and life. The Europe that emerged after the war was seen as much the same as it had been before the war began. Between these two main groups of opposition, there was not enough support, therefore, Wilsons treaty failed to be ratified by the United States congress. Wilson felt this was a great failure; it plagued him throughout the remainder of his presidency. Europes Wars and Revolutions: A Brief History Throughout Europe, the 17th and 18th centuries were a turbulent time. Among the many wars that were fought in this age, the War of Spanish Succession and the Seven Years War were particularly important. During the reign of The Sun King, Louis XIV, of France, the Kingdom of Spain fought to break away from the hegemonic rule of the Hapsburgs. Following the death of the last Hapsburg king of Spain, the new king, Phillip V slowly began to break away from French domination. Though he was a grandson of Frances King Louis XIV, Phillip V wanted a sovereign Spain, while Louis XIV desired a Spain that would serve France. The Holy Roman Empire saw the succession of Spain and the expansions of France as a threat. Therefore, Britain, the Danish kingdoms and the HRE joined into an alliance to stem this tide. Britains General, John Churchill, brought the greatest victories against France as he outmaneuvered Louis XIV, by securing the Netherlands, and the British foothold in Northern Europe. A few decades later, the next Great War, The Seven Years War, engulfed Europe again. The pressing of French interests in the North American regions was seen as a threat to other European nations. Prussia and Great Britain allied against France and fought for (actually) nine years. The resulting outcome saw a weakened France on the American continent, and in Europe, and a more powerful Prussia Europe, and a dominant Great Britain in North America. World War One This war entailed the Allied powers of Britain, France and America (triple entente) against the central powers, Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (triple alliance) from August 1924- November 11, 1918. This war led to the eventual collapse of four major empires and a new power structure in Europe that would eventually be tested with the Second World War. The war tactic that was infamous during World War One was trench warfare, as Solar Navigator (1999) states. Advances in military technology meant that defensive firepower out-weighed offensive capabilities, making the war particularly murderous, as tactics had failed to keep up. Barbed wire was a significant hindrance to massed infantry advances; artillery, now vastly more lethal than in the 1870s, coupled with machine guns, made crossing open ground a nightmarish prospect. By 1915 both sides were using poison gas. Neither side ever won a battle with gas, but it made life even more miserable in the trenches and became one of the most feared, and longest remembered, horrors of the war. Between the trenches of opposing forces was what is commonly defined as no man's land which accounted for a great percentage of deaths in this war. Not only were troops mobilized in the sea, which is common practice for war, but for the first time in history, a battle commenced in the sky. The death rate of this war was tremendous due to numerous factors, as Solar Navigator, states, the Battle of St. Mihel in 1918. Here, within a matter of one day, American troops, supported by tanks, airplanes, and artillery, advanced over 20 miles, clearing a salient that had been a thorn in the side of the French army since 1914. More than 9 million soldiers died on the various battlefields, and nearly that many more in the participating countries' home fronts on account of food shortages and genocide committed under the cover of various civil wars and internal conflicts. In World War I, only some 5% of the casualties (directly caused by the war) were civilian - in World War II, this figure approached 50%. These devastating facts highlight the true gruesome reality of World War One and its dramatic increase in deaths. The end of World War one saw the demise of many empires and the eventual creation of different countries. These included the end of the Russian Empire but the birth of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which would become a world power. The destruction of the Ottoman Empire led to the Republic of Turkey and other middle east states. Central Europe saw the rise of Czechoslovakia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Yugoslavia while other states were reestablished such as Austria, Hungary and Poland. Not only did World War One create new states of power and conflicting issues between these state would eventually lead to World War Two. In 1923 for example Fascists came into power in Italy and as Solar Navigator states, in 1933, 14 years after the war, Nazism took over Germany. Problems unresolved or created by the war would be highly important factors in the outbreak, within 20 years, of World War II. Causes: Why so many countries involved As most wars began, the First World War was the nascent war after an assassination. This assassination took place on June 28, 1914 (unofficially the beginning of the war). Gavrilo Princip, who was part of the Black Hand Gang assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. The reason for the Archdukes visit was to take imperial rule over a province (Solar Navigator). It must also be stated that this was not the sole contributor to the war, but it was one factor of many. Other causes of the war were included in the treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Trianon. Austria, along with Berlin essentially acted first in its invasion of Serbia on July 29 that is one cause of the war. Also, Germany who on August 3, attacked Belgium, in accordance to the Schlieffen Plan (Solar Navigator). It was in these acts that the war began and it was in the above mentioned treaties that the Second World War may be found, as Solar Navigator states, Though drastically simplified, such an overview clearly portrays Germany and Austria-Hungary as the aggressors, and therefore, those bearing responsibility. Not surprisingly, this resulted in the humiliation of Germany, which included the demand that Germany pay all the war costs (including pensions) of the Allies. This directly affected the global economy and indirectly contributed to the Great Depression. Weapons The First World War was a race for advance weapons technology; essentially it was an arms race. For example, the HMS Dreadnought made obsolete all other previous war ships. This introduction of a weapon only incited other countries to build bigger and better warships to outrival Britains HMS Dreadnought. Between Britain and Germany there was an extreme arms race to discover and build a better war ship. One country was ever trying to out build the other. In view of this war ship other weapons were either introduced or being used with slight modifications during World War One which included the following: armored cars, grenades and mill bombs, Mark 1 (Mother; a tank), smokeless gunpowder, torpedo, and wireless communication (Spartacus). Why So Many Deaths In the face of technology is the reflection of deaths of not only soldiers but citizenry. World War One was a war fought with 19th century tactics and 29th century weaponry and technology which explains the high death rate of the war, in the trenches alone it is reported that one man died for every meter of land gained (Solar Navigator). Many of historys deadliest battles were fought in World War One, for example, Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Marne, Cmbrai, Somme, Verdun, and Gallipoli (Solar Navigator). There were so many deaths in the First World War because of artillery. Mass amounts of machine gun fire far outweighed the 19th century musket, and tanks as well as grenades and other bombs were used in exorbitant amounts, more so than any other war had been witness. Explosives alone amounted to a great majority of the death percentage reported at the end of the war. Also, During the war, the [Haber process] of nitrogen fixation was employed to provide the German forces with a continuing suppl y of powder for the ongoing conflict in the face of Brittish naval control over the trade routes for naturally occurring nitrates (Solar Navigator). Chemical warfare, such as the use of mustard gas, tear gas, etc. was highly used in the trenches and accounted for the disabling of soldiers and their eventual demise from artillery, or phosgene gas used to directly kill an opponent. Of these wars it is apparent that the death rate among civilians was greatest in World War Two, but the military advances in technology and trench warfares gruesome military death rate was overpowering. The advances in technology during World War One were more prominent because the military was still using tactics of a previous century while incorporating technology that was far more advanced than either side was prepared. While World War One saw the sights of tanks, machine guns, and gas, World War Two had more civilians die due to genocide, hunger, and homelessness. World War Two also saw the beginnings of germ warfare; although war in itself is barbaric, it is with civilian deaths, those who did not make a choice to go to war that this barbarism is truly portrayed. Work Cited Burleigh, Michael. The Third Reich: A New History. Hill and Wang, New York, 2000. Caplan, Jane & Thomas Childers. Reevaluating the Third Reich.Holmes and Meier, 1993. Cosner, Shaaron & Victoria Cosner. Women Under the Third Reich Greenwood Press, 1998. Mosse, George L. Two World Wars and the Myth of the War Experience. Journal of Contemporary History. Vol. 23, No. 1. pp.491-513. Oct. 1986. Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs.Trans. Richard and Clara Winston. The MacMillan Company, New York, 1970. Streib, Gordon F. Idealism and War Bonds: Comparative Study of the Two World Wars. The Public Opinion Quarterly. Vol. 12, No. 2. pp.272-279. 1948.

Hell And Heaven Essays - Religion, Mythology, Belief, Hell

Hell And Heaven Essays - Religion, Mythology, Belief, Hell Hell And Heaven Matthew Jay Krachunis May 2000 Hell The idea of heaven entices and encourages believers and non-believers alike. It is enjoyable to envision a place of eternal rest and relaxation, in the presence of God and loved ones. Heaven does exist according to the Bible, and is the destination of the believer in Jesus Christ at the completion of life on this earth. What is not encouraging is the fact that there is a place for those whom God chooses will not inherit everlasting life. This place is commonly referred to in the English language as hell. It is not metaphorical nor is it mythological, it is real in every sense of the word; a true literal hell. It is a time as Guthrie says in New Testament Theology, to inquire about the state of the lost, a subject which tends to be neglected or else glossed over.....the final state of those who are not in the book of life (Guthrie p. 887). This will be the focus of this discussion, the eternal state of those individuals whose name will not be found in the book of life. To fully understand the implications of the declaration of a place of eternal damnation, one must first understand what that place is. The common use of the word Hell is considered colloquial and comical to some. In the bible, the idea of the term hell is expressed in more ways than one. The terms Gehenna (Matthew 5:22), Hades (Matthew 11:23), and Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) are terms that have been interpreted to believe as hell. The term Gehenna occurs twelve times in the King James version of the bible. It occurs in all three of the synoptic gospels, but most notably in the book of Matthew in which it occurs seven times. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines Gehenna as A name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell (Strongs p. 19). Jesus Christ spoke of Gehenna and warned people of it. Jesus said in Matthew chapter five verse thirty, for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go to hell. It is as Guthrie says, There is no way of avoiding the conclusion that Jesus firmly accepted that there was a counterpart to heaven for those who were condemned before God (Guthrie p.888). It is clear that Guthrie believes that there is an eternal and literal hell. Therefore, because Jesus stated it, and Guthrie supported it, shows that it must have a certain importance about it. In Mark chapter nine verses forty-two through fifty, Jesus is talking about the importance of understanding of the implications of a sinful life and where it will lead. In the following passage, the usage of the word hell is interpreted as the Greek word Gehenna and Jesus says, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out (Mark 9:43). It can be construed from this statement that Jesus is adamant about the reality of the conditions in hell. It can be assumed that Jesus is not advocating the actual removal of the hand, but is speaking about the horrifying reality of hell. He is admonishing those who are listening to understand that theoretically, not having one of your hands would be better than spending eternity in hell. As Stamps says in the notes of the Full Life Study Bible, the place of unquenchable fire is so terrible that every influence of sin must be opposed and rejected no matter what the cost (Stamps p. 1497). Clearly, hell is an eternal existence that would be far worse than a missing limb. Next, Stagg states in The Broadman Bible Commentary that Gehenna was a term that came to symbolize the place of judgment for the wicked (Stagg p. 109). Furthermore, Stagg declares that Gehenna is derived from Hinnom, a valley west of Jerusalem, where the garbage was burned from the city (Stagg p. 109). The aforementioned passages reinforce the idea that hell is not a rhetorical or spiritual existence but a

The Assassination of Malcolm X

The Assassination of Malcolm X After spending a year as a hunted man, Malcolm X was shot and killed during a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York, on February 21, 1965. The assailants, at least three in number, were members of the black Muslim group the Nation of Islam, the group with which Malcolm X had been a prominent minister for ten years before he split with them in March 1964. Exactly who shot Malcolm X has been hotly debated over the decades. One man, Talmage Hayer, was arrested at the scene and was definitely a shooter. Two other men were arrested and sentenced but were most likely wrongly accused. The confusion over the identity of the shooters compounds the question of why Malcolm X was assassinated and has led to a wide range of conspiracy theories. Becoming Malcolm X Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in 1925. After his father was brutally murdered, his home life unraveled and he was soon selling drugs and involved in petty crimes. In 1946, 20-year-old Malcolm X was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison. It was in prison that Malcolm X learned about the Nation of Islam (NOI) and began writing daily letters to the NOI’s leader, Elijah Muhammad, known as the â€Å"Messenger of Allah.† Malcolm X, the name he acquired from the NOI, was released from prison in 1952. He quickly rose up the ranks of the NOI, becoming the minister of the large Temple Number Seven in Harlem. For ten years, Malcolm X remained a prominent, outspoken member of the NOI, creating controversy across the nation with his rhetoric. However, the close ties between Malcolm X and Muhammad began to whither in 1963. Breaking With the NOI Tensions quickly escalated between Malcolm X and Muhammad, with the final rift occurring on December 4, 1963. The entire nation was mourning the recent death of President John F. Kennedy when Malcolm X publicly made the uncouth remark that JFK’s death was as â€Å"chickens coming home to roost.† In response, Muhammad ordered Malcolm X to be suspended from the NOI for 90 days. After the end of the suspension, on March 8, 1964, Malcolm X formally left the NOI. Malcolm X had become disillusioned with the NOI and so after he left, he created his own black Muslim group, the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Muhammad and the rest of the NOI brothers were not pleased that Malcolm X had created what they viewed as a competing organization- an organization that could potentially pull a large group of members away from the NOI. Malcolm X also had been a trusted member of the inner circle of the NOI and knew many secrets that could potentially destroy the NOI if revealed to the public. All of this made Malcolm X a dangerous man. To discredit Malcolm X, Muhammad and the NOI began a smear campaign against Malcolm X, calling him the â€Å"chief hypocrite.† To defend himself, Malcolm X revealed information about Muhammad’s infidelities with six of his secretaries, with whom he had illegitimate children. Malcolm X had hoped this revelation would make the NOI back off; instead, it just made him seem even more dangerous. A Hunted Man Articles in the NOI’s newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, became increasingly vicious. In December 1964, one article got very close to calling for Malcolm X’s assassination, Only those who wish to be led to hell, or to their doom, will follow Malcolm. The die is set, and Malcolm shall not escape, especially after such evil, foolish talk about his benefactor [Elijah Muhammad] in trying to rob him of the divine glory which Allah has bestowed upon him. Such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death, and would have met with death if it had not been for Muhammad’s confidence in Allah for victory over the enemies. Many members of the NOI believed the message was clear: Malcolm X had to be killed. During the year after Malcolm X had left the NOI, there had been several assassination attempts on his life, in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. On February 14, 1965, just a week before his assassination, unknown assailants firebombed Malcolm X’s house while he and his family were asleep inside. Luckily, all were able to escape unharmed. These attacks made it obvious- Malcolm X was a hunted man. It was wearing him down. As he told Alex Haley just days before his assassination, â€Å"Haley, my nerves are shot, my brain’s tired.† The Assassination On the morning of Sunday, February 21, 1965, Malcolm X woke up in his 12th-floor hotel room at the Hilton Hotel in New York. Around 1 p.m., he checked out of the hotel and headed for the Audubon Ballroom, where he was to speak at a meeting of his OAAU. He parked his blue Oldsmobile nearly 20 blocks away, which seems surprising for someone who was being hunted. When he arrived at the Audubon Ballroom, he headed backstage. He was stressed and it was beginning to show. He lashed out at several people, shouting angrily. This was very out of character for him. When the OAAU meeting was to start, Benjamin Goodman went out on stage to speak first. He was to speak for about a half an hour, warming up the crowd of about 400 before Malcolm X was to speak. Then it was Malcolm X’s turn. He stepped up to the stage and stood behind a wooden podium. After he gave the traditional Muslim welcome, â€Å"As-salaam alaikum,† and got the response, a ruckus began in the middle of the crowd. A man had stood up, shouting that a man next to him had tried to pick-pocket him. Malcolm X’s bodyguards left the stage area to go deal with the situation. This left Malcolm unprotected on the stage. Malcolm X sidestepped away from the podium, saying â€Å"Let’s be cool, brothers.† It was then that a man stood up near the front of the crowd, pulled out a sawed-off shotgun from beneath his trench-coat and shot at Malcolm X. The blast from the shotgun made Malcolm X fall backward, over some chairs. The man with the shotgun fired again. Then, two other men rushed the stage, firing a Luger and a .45 automatic pistol at Malcolm X, hitting mostly his legs. The noise from the shots, the violence that had just been committed, and a smoke bomb that had been set off in the back, all added to the chaos. En masse, the audience tried to escape. The assassins used this confusion to their advantage as they blended into the crowd- all but one escaped. The one who did not escape was Talmage â€Å"Tommy† Hayer (sometimes called Hagan). Hayer had been shot in the leg by one of Malcolm X’s bodyguards as he was trying to escape. Once outside, the crowd realized that Hayer was one of the men who had just murdered Malcolm X and the mob started to attack Hayer. Luckily, a policeman happened to be walking by, saved Hayer, and managed to get him into the back of a police car. During the pandemonium, several of Malcolm X’s friends rushed to the stage to try to help him. Despite their efforts, Malcolm X was too far gone. Malcolm X’s wife, Betty Shabazz, had been in the room with their four daughters that day. She ran up to her husband, shouting, â€Å"They are killing my husband!† Malcolm X was put on a stretcher and carried across the street to the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Doctors tried to revive Malcolm X by opening up his chest and massaging his heart, but their attempt was unsuccessful. The Funeral Malcolm X’s body was cleaned, made presentable, and dressed in a suit so that the public could view his remains at the Unity Funeral Home in Harlem. From Monday through Friday (February 22 to 26), long lines of people waited to get a last glimpse of the fallen leader. Despite the numerous bomb threats that frequently closed down the viewing, approximately 30,000 people made it through. When the viewing was over, Malcolm X’s clothes were changed into the traditional, Islamic, white shroud. The funeral was held on Saturday, February 27 at the Faith Temple Church of God, where Malcolm X’s friend, actor Ossie Davis, gave the eulogy. Then Malcolm X’s body was taken to the Ferncliff Cemetery, where he was buried under his Islamic name, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. The Trial The public wanted Malcolm X’s assassins caught and the police delivered. Tommy Hayer was obviously the first one arrested and there was strong evidence against him. He had been taken into custody at the scene, a .45 cartridge was found in his pocket, and his fingerprint was found on the smoke bomb. The police found two other suspects by arresting men who had been connected to another shooting of an NOI ex-member. The problem was that there was no physical evidence tying these two men, Thomas 15X Johnson and Norman 3X Butler, to the assassination. The police had only eye-witnesses that vaguely remembered them being there. Despite the weak evidence against Johnson and Butler, the trial of all three defendants began on January 25, 1966. With the evidence mounting against him, Hayer took the stand on February 28 and stated that Johnson and Butler were innocent. This revelation shocked everyone in the courtroom and it was unclear at the time whether the two really were innocent or whether Hayer was just trying to get his co-conspirators off the hook. With Hayer unwilling to reveal the names of the real assassins, the jury ultimately believed the latter theory. All three men were found guilty of first-degree murder on March 10, ​1966, and were sentenced to life in prison. Who Really Killed Malcolm X? The trial did little to elucidate what really happened in the Audubon Ballroom that day. Nor did it reveal who was behind the assassination. As in many other such cases, this void of information led to widespread speculation and conspiracy theories. These theories placed the blame for Malcolm X’s assassination on a wide number of people and groups, including the CIA, FBI, and drug cartels. The more likely truth comes from Hayer himself. After the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975, Hayer felt overwhelmed with the burden of having contributed to the imprisonment of two innocent men and now felt less obligated to protect the changing NOI. In 1977, after 12 years in jail, Hayer handwrote a three-page affidavit, describing his version of really happened that fateful day in 1965. In the affidavit, Hayer again insisted that Johnson and Butler were innocent. Instead, it was Hayer and four other men who had planned and committed the murder of Malcolm X. He also explained why he killed Malcolm X: I thought it was very bad for anyone to go against the teachings of the Hon. Elijah, then known as the last Messenger of God. I was told that Muslims should more or less be willing to fight against hypocrites and I agreed w/ that. There was no money payed [sic] to me for my part in this. I thought I was fighting for truth and right. A few months later, on February 28, 1978, Hayer wrote another affidavit, this one longer and more detailed and included the names of those really involved. In this affidavit, Hayer described how he was recruited by two Newark NOI members, Ben and Leon. Then later Willie and Wilber joined the crew. It was Hayer who had the .45 pistol and Leon who used the Luger. Willie sat a row or two behind them with the sawed-off shotgun. And it was Wilbur who started the commotion and set off the smoke bomb. Despite Hayer’s detailed confession, the case was not reopened and the three convicted men- Hayer, Johnson, and Butler- served out their sentences, Butler was the first to be paroled in June 1985, after having served 20 years in prison. Johnson was released shortly thereafter. Hayer, on the other hand, was not paroled until 2010, after spending 45 years in prison. Source Friedly, Michael. Malcolm X: The Assassination. Carrol Graf Publishers, New York, NY, 1992, pages 10, 17, 18, 19, 22, 85, 152.

U.S. Airline Industry Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S. Airline Industry Analysis - Essay Example The US airlines industry again returned to profitability track by 1995 and continued this growth until the close of the 20th century. However, the 2001 terror attack together with a depressed world economy further worsened the growth status of the US airlines industry. This paper will critically analyse the US airlines industry using international business theories and other strategic frameworks. A critical analysis During the beginning stages of the US airline industry, three airlines namely United Airlines, American Airlines, and TWA were in charge of transcontinental routes. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was established with intent to manage the structure of the industry (Dempsey, 1979-80). The CAB set flight fares on the ground of cost plus a fixed margin and hence aircraft operators could pass cost increases to customers. In 1970, rampant increase in fuel costs and political shifts towards economic liberalization created the impetus for a total reform of the airlines industry. The development of contestable market theory also contributed to this strategic shift. According to this theory, â€Å"industries did not need to be competitive structured in order to result in competitive outcomes† (Grant, 2002). ... Hence, this strategic shift might assist them to operate more number of aircrafts using the same amount of resources. As regulators argued, the deregulation resulted in new entries and price competition. In the words of Grant (2003, p. 31), although the deregulation strategy was potential enough to improve the declining industry growth, some unexpected contingencies like oil shock of 1979 and the air traffic controllers’ strike of 1981 caused severe difficulties to the US aviation industry. In order to overcome these troubles, aircraft operators across the US widely adopted mergers and acquisitions approach as they believed that combined operations would trim down operating costs. As Heimlich (2011) argues, M&A approach significantly assisted the US airline industry to overcome several cultural barriers. The ‘hub and spoke’ system introduced in 1980 greatly benefited the US airlines industry to increase its operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, establi sh dominance in specific regional markets, and to place barriers to new entrants. The development of this new system can be linked to the strategic management theory, which argues that a â€Å"change creates novel combinations of circumstances requiring unstructured non-repetitive responses† (Kahn, 2010). Introduction of low cost carriers became a potential threat to the industry by the beginning of 1990s and hence the country’s major airlines extremely struggled to confront with such budget airlines. As discussed earlier, the deregulation Act directly led to the evolution of a competition era and the major aircraft operators offered almost similar facilities to their customers. As a result, travellers could not easily distinguish between the offerings of

Art of Modern China Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art of Modern China - Article Example t in china is a reflection of the western cultural tendencies that depict the political and social developments in a post-industrial revolution world (Andrews & Shen 30). Contemporary Chinese art reflect a westernized artistic style that has Chinese roots. Xu Beihong falls among the first Chinese artist who articulated on the need for Chinese artistic expressions to reflect modern china. Biehong believed in the connection of art and life and the need for artist to focus on the truth through realism than just focusing on the aesthetic value of a painting. From his realistic perspective, Biehong believed that painters could engage further with their environment surrounding and the viewer get to understand better bout life’s true meaning. An analysis of Beihong’s painting ‘Tian Heng and his 500 retainers’ can provide a deeper understanding of modern art in China. Xu Beihong gets regarded as the pioneer of modern art in China. His artistic works bear a significant western influence. He was born in Yixing, Jiangsu in 1895. He was primarily revered for his art paintings of horses and birds. Xu’s career began at a young age under the tutorship of his father who was an artist. He studied oil painting and drawing in Paris under a scholarship from the Chinese government. His travel to Western Europe enabled him to understand and incorporate western art techniques (Ward). His artistic style encompasses both of the east and west. His exposure to western painting traditions provided background for his advocacy for a realist approach in Chinese art and thus his vital role in the transformation of modern Chinese art. He came up with the notion of applying western scientific methods and integrating a western approach such as shading and perspective in his works (Biehong & Xu 109). His realistic approach to art enabled his paintings to evoke human feelings and universal themes. He believed that his artistic expressions of birds and horses symbolized the will of the

Nietzsches Attitude to Religion Essay Example for Free

Nietzsches Attitude to Religion Essay I carefully read Ms S Ramola Naidu’s Ph. D. dissertation entitled â€Å"Culture, History, Politics: The Representation of Women in the American War Novels of Ernest Hemingway, e. e. cummings, Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. † submitted at Osmania University, Hyderabad. Divided into four chapters, the dissertation is neatly chalked out with a very informative introduction and a befitting conclusion. All the four novels undertaken for the study dwell upon the image of the American women against the background of the World Wars. Chapter I, â€Å"Fragmentation of Society: The Enormous Room,† shows that women are not the weaker sex but are the pillars that support family and society. Chapter II entitled â€Å"Triumph of Love: A Farewell to Arms† deals with the evil effects of the First World War on society in general and on women in particular. Chapter III, â€Å"Parental Indifference: Mother Night,† focuses on the catastrophe of the Second World War disapproving â€Å"the ultra-modern American woman who sacrifices the basic demands of her family† (page 9, Abstract). The last chapter, â€Å"Bureaucratic Callousness: Catch 22† depicts the chaotic military organizations and the ugliness and brutality of human exploitation. Ms Naidu’s topic has a great relevance to the present political context in the entire world standing on the threshold of another atomic war. It has become our responsibility to avoid war upto the possible limit for the peace, prosperity, and happiness of human beings. Through her study Ms Naidu tries to evince that the holocaust of World Wars has engendered a lot of human miseries problems, the loss of human dignity and ntegrity, eventually reducing man to the status of a tragic figure. She is also sure that women problems cannot be solved through any slogan or being a liberate women or feminist. A woman can achieve her dignity cherishing a firm faith in the sanctity of true love, basic emotions and feelings, sacrifice and moral and social values. Ms Naidu is quite successful in delineating the writers’ vision about a bright future that is not far fetched provided every individual develops a positive attitude towards life. It is good piece of research embodying clarity, critical acumen, and hard industry of the candidate. The thesis is characterized by a refined and chiselled language, though a few syntactical, grammatical, and punctuation errors are also visible here and there. It is a purely thematic study. The candidate has adopted an analytical method; and the representation of women in the American novels of the mentioned writers has been highlighted through the analysis of plots, characters, dialogues, and settings. She is capable enough to display her critical insight, logical coherence, and the skill of the assimilation of material in the corpus of the thesis. It is well-written and fulfils all the requirements of a good dissertation. In view of the above, I am pleased to recommend that Ms Ramaola Naidu deserves the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English of Osmania University, Hyderabd.

Essay --

RESEARCH PROPOSAL ASSESSMENT OF CNR 9 COMMUNICATION SYSTEM COURSE IN ROYAL SIGNAL REGIMENT INTRODUCTION 1. Military organization was the unique entity which is self-contained organization with the complete equipment’s for their vision and mission. For the purpose of the training and operation, one of essential part was the communication system. The communication system which belongs to any organization will become their core competencies once they are valuable, costly to imitate, rare and non-substitutable. Communication system provides the ability to mass combat power. It is a way of architecting a battle or a campaign. It is a calculated to create possibilities for future force utilization. Effective communications determines how, when and where the force fight in a theater, where and when combat power can be massed. â€Å"Without the communication I only can command my table† is an expression attributed by Mc Arthur. Most importantly, the effectiveness of communication at the operational level is a part of the concept of operations. 2. As indicated in the Army Transformation Plan 2012, communication plays an important and significant role in ensuring that the army shall be a credible and versatile objective force that will be able to operate in a multi spectrum environment. CNR 9 communication system was procured last 6 year into the army inventory. More than 6000 radio set been purchased and it is consisting of HF(High Frequency) and VHF(Very High Frequency) which is fully digitized. The HF radio also known as SKY FAST and FAST NET for the VHF. The company that delivered the systems is Sapura Sdn Bhd which a local company and Thales, France is responsible to produce the product inclusive the training toward the users. Thales... ... assigned to take charge in conducting, distributing and collecting back the questionnaires. Besides that, secondary data was also collected through interviews with key management personnel of IKED as well as the SAPURA Sdn Bhd. Some information also gathered from magazines, academic journals, published books and internet sources in the area of radio communication courses and syllabus. DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES 20. For the purpose of this research, the data obtained is analyzed using the â€Å"Statistical Package for Social Science† SPSS version 22.0 software. The techniques of data analysis consist of descriptive and inferential analysis. Descriptive analysis covers analysis on the frequency of the respondents’ respond and the interaction relationship between independent and dependent variable in this research; whereas, inferential analysis includes t-test and ANOVA.

Women in Advertisements

WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS In modern societies, women and men have equal rights to law in most areas such as education and employment. Howewer, there is an unuequality as gender between male and female. Because social gender is related with power and patriarchy, a dominance of man over woman, has to do power relations. Therefore, holder of power is men and women are regarded as opressed and sex object. A social unequality between men and women is being used women and female figures in advertisements mostly.There are severeal reasons why woman or female figures are used in advertisements The fist reason to this is visuality. Visuality is important because it is the most effective way to appeal to the senses in advertisements and for this, women are used mostly. These advertisements involve beaty of women, sexuality, their body and they show that women are sex object. In addition, having a beautiful and well groomed body is important for women in advertisements. Advertisements give messag es that women improve themselves and they look beautiful and thin. Therefore, all woman want to live same life, to wear and eat same things.For example, in Doritos advertisement, Megan Fox is used and it shows that if woman is beautiful and sexy, she deserve to draw applause. Therefore, these advertisements reinforce the idea that womens are sex object. The second reason that women give informations about gender roles in advertisements. In these advertisements, women are regarded as housewife and role of women is to serve children and husband, to cook and clean. Therefore, these advertisements reinforce social gender role. In addition they have functionalist perspective because women concentrate on domestic and family responsibilities while men work outside the home.For example, ACE is a bleach advertisement and it shows that womens are a symbol of cleaning and housework. Also, in Istikbal advertisement, although woman coming from work is tired , she serves to her husband. Another p oint is that sound of authority belongs to men in advertisements because men manipulate women mostly. For example, in Kolsa, carpet detergent, advertisement, man talk with woman and help her the cleaning and it shows that men dominate over women. In conclusion, women are shown by their body or housework in advertisements.

Nirvana Art Gallery Essay

Nirvana Art Gallery Nirvana Art Gallery Case study analysis Case study analysis 1. Executive summary- This case study is all about the different situations Mr rod faces at his work place. The urge to take experience he went for part time job along with his ongoing PhD work. The work area of his interest was being a curator while because of less work he was made to work in another department which was not of his interest and he faces lot many problems over there. He even used to stay late to complete the assigned work and the colleagues were also not supportive. The main problem was the lack of interest of Mr. Rod for working in researchs department which was further boosted up by Miss Nelly’s interference who was the research manager. The only solution for his problem is to talk with Miss Nelly and request her to undo the changes made in his work schedule or else he should try to create interest in research department as well as it is the only option he is left with. . Situation Analysis- Introduction- this case emphasises on the disinterest of Mr. Rod to work in research department. But in spite of showing it he decided to work with full efforts. One of the problem was the unfriendly behaviour of the members of this department. The over sympathy of Miss Nelly was also creating discomfort for Mr. Rod accompanied by mocking expressions of his colleagues. The rearrangement of working schedule further enhanced the problems of Mr. Rod which resulted from the refusal of Nelly’s proposal to help her in her work. But still he manages his work and become successful in creating balance between both the works. Objectives- the main objective of Mr. Rod behind working in Nirvana Art Gallery was to take experience of being a curator which will help him in future and also adds to his work experience. But unwillingly he was made to work in research department because of less work in his area of interest. Decision Making- Miss Nelly’s extra concern and sympathy for Mr. Rod became a problem for him. And the rearrangement of his work schedule was also its consequence which enhanced the problems further. Implementation- Mr. Rod has shown a great interest in working with NAG. In both the departments he tried to give his best. But further troubled by rescheduling of his week’s work arrangement. He can overcome this problem by completely engaging himself in the work assigned to him so that he will not feel boredom in working for research department. Or if he feels this new schedule totally inconvenient then he can make Nelly aware of his situation and probably she will help him in the matter concerned and finally he would be able to work more in curatorial. Conclusion- the main problem in the case arise because of the extra concern and sympathy of Miss Nelly towards Mr. Rod. The one thing which he could do was going to Nelly and politely telling her about the situation and the surreptitious looks and frowns of other members of research team which was quite embarrassing.

Human Resource and Cross Cultural Diversity of Holiday inn The WritePass Journal

Human Resource and Cross Cultural Diversity of Holiday inn Introduction Human Resource and Cross Cultural Diversity of Holiday inn IntroductionCompany background  History of the CompanyFeatures of Holiday InnOrganizational ChartHRM ActivitiesPLANNINGa. Long term planb. Short term planc. Benchmarkingd. Contingency Planninge. Participatory PlanningJOB ANALYSISEmployee RecruitmentInternal Recruitment:External Recruitment:SELECTIONOrientation PlacementTraining DevelopmentOn-Job Training:Off-job Training:PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL  360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALSEMPLOYEE RELATIONSEmployee remunerationEmployees Benefits and servicesEmployee Welfare  Industrial relation:Managerial DiversityRecommendationsConclusionREFERENCESRelated Introduction This report is a research about human resource and cross cultural diversity of Holiday inn. Almost all professional’s work with different cultural backgrounds and communication styles. Developing communication skills with different people requires honesty, trust and respect. In this report the main objective will be about how holiday inn manages its employees and the aspects of managing cultural diversity. There will be descriptions about the HR policies and how holiday inn overcomes its problems relating to HR. Company background   Holiday Inn is a subsidiary of Intercontinental Hotel Groups (IHG).IHG operates 7 brands of hotel worldwide and the headquarters are in the UK. The chain includes intercontinental hotels and resorts crown plaza hotel and resort holiday inn express stay bridge suites holiday inn hotels and resort hotel indigo candlewood suites Holiday Inn is a stylish hotel which offers refreshing simplicity. Holiday Inn is the most recognized hotel brand in the world with a global reputation for service, comfort, value and location. After the prelaunch of Holiday Inn, today it has come up with its many chains and sub branches like holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations and Holiday Inn Garden Court. With over more than 3000 branches worldwide and 65 in the UK it has become the largest hotel chain. Its main aim is to full fill customer’s desire and employees need. That’s why holiday inn has come up with value offers; priority club rewards occasion’s offers for the comfort of its customers. For easy access it also provides online booking, lend rooms for meetings, conferences and many other such facilities for more comport and ease of customers. This hotel is conveniently located and you can find them through out the world or just outside the Airport. Today, Holiday Inn is proud to be an Official Olympic partner 2012 in London. This will include hosting the world’s athletes and welcoming them to Holiday inn family. They also be providing flexible employment so that they can earn while train. History of the Company    The foundation of Holiday inn was in 1952. It was opened in Memphis, Tennessee by Kemmons Wilson. He also wanted to provide less-costly accommodations for families. So he teamed-up with Wallace E. Johnson. Kemmons Wilson first came up with the idea to team-up following a road trip to Washington, D.C. He claims to have been so disappointed with the quality of the roadside motels he encountered, that he wanted to do something that would bring change. The name of the Holiday Inn franchise was originally provided as a joke by architect Eddie Bluestein. Bluestein was making reference to the Bing Crosby movie. The chain grew dramatically in 1957, following the chain’s official renaming as Holiday Inn. Within one year, there were over fifty Inns throughout America. In 1968, the 1000th Holiday Inn opened in San Antonio; Texas. In 1970’s The Holiday Inn chain led the motel market, putting a huge amount of financial pressure on more traditional hotels. It also set the standard fo r copycat competitors like Days Inn, Ramada Inn, Best Western and Howard Johnson’s. When Wilson was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1972, there were over 1,400 Holiday Inn hotels worldwide. The decision to include indoor pools at many of the chains, further brought customers flocking through the doors. Wilson retired from his work with Holiday Inn in 1979. Holiday Inn lost its dominance over the market in the 1980s. In 1988, the franchise was bought by Bass Brewers, which would later become the InterContinental Hotels Group. Two years later, the Holiday Inn Hotels located in the United States were also purchased after Wilson sold his remaining interest in the company. Holiday Inn is still a name that can be used by leasing the brand franchise from InterContinental who holds the rights to it. In January 2002; the company produced a new 130-room Next Generation prototype hotel to rebuild the brand. It included a bistro-like restaurant and an indoor pool. The first of these prototype hotels, the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center, was built in Duluth, Georgia, in 2003.On 24 October 2007; IHG announced a worldwide prelaunch of the Holiday Inn brand. The prelaunch is focused on delivering consistently best in class service and physical quality levels, including a redesigned welcome experience [and] signature bedding and bathroom products The first prelaunch Holiday Inn opened in the USA in the spring of 2008. Currently there are more than 2,500 prelaunch Holiday Inn brand hotels around the world and the Holiday Inn global brand prelaunch process is on track to be completed by the end of 2010. In September 2008, IHG announced the creation of a new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, a strategic alliance with The Family of Orange Lake Resorts. Holiday inn relaunch was the biggest relaunch ever in the history of hotel industry. Jane Bednall from Holiday Inn said: The Holiday Inn relaunch is all about focusing on what matters most to our guests a modern, contemporary hotel with friendly efficient service and offering a great nights sleep. Weve teamed up with Diversity to bring this to life for our guests in a fun and entertaining way and to mark our 100threlaunched hotel in Europe. The Dance Inn not only shows off what a relaunched Holiday Inn hotel looks like, but also gives people some great moves for the dance floor. Features of Holiday Inn 9 Floors 120 Guest rooms 68 Double Bedded rooms 52 Single Bedded rooms 8 Suites 1 Special rooms for disables Downtown Cocktail Longue Gym Swimming Pool Travel Desk 3 Restaurants Car Rental desk On-site business facilities Kid Suites room Organizational Chart Holiday inn organizes its management in a very authentic way. The organizational chart is a vertical one where the General Manager is the main head of the organization and if in absences of him/her the executive secretary is in charge. The chart shows a centralized power and formal control system. This essentially indicates that there is a routine task for every department and strictly emphasis on its rules and regulations. This helps to smoothen in the operation of the organization which clearly defines who is responsible for what. Also, helps to provide a consultation on what the organization core and culture is about and how to proceed the organization infrastructure to support those needs. The HR holds the responsibilities in formation of the hotel and its employees. HR has HRM Activities There are certain rules and process to be carried out by the HR department for a refined performance in the hotel by the employees and the heads themselves. PLANNING Planning is a process to accomplish goals. It should be real depending upon the activities. Holiday Inn basically follows 5 planning rules. a. Long term plan Long term plan is achieving respect from every traveler by being the number one choice and to earn revenue for the establishment of a better business. b. Short term plan It’s main focus to be friendly and caring with all its customers and to give comfort feeling of stay. Normally, Holiday Inn focuses in short term plan. The plans are made accordingly to its financial matters entirely by the management department. Furthermore, the term â€Å"Manning† is also applied by the HR manager in the hotel. In this process the HR has to maintain a proper record of employees working in a specific year and to maintain the number of employees. c. Benchmarking As Holiday Inn is a franchise of Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), it has to maintain a standard of benchmarking of hotels competing against ING. d. Contingency Planning Every organization has a contingency plan for every department. For Example, In Holiday Inn, The contingency plan in the HR department is, if the chief chef leaves the hotel for any reason the hotel will hire a trained chef for a certain period of time under contract basis until Holiday Inn finds its own chef. By having a contingency plan it helps the organization to avoid halt of operations during emergencies and helps to cope with unexpected situations and developments. e. Participatory Planning This plan refers to involvement of every staffs and workers in the hotel to formulate and carry out a plan. Different employees inspire different plan which helps for further decision. The HR is responsible to make sure every employee has an implemented plan, this leads for a better efficiency of work in the hotel. The main objective of planning is to focus on future demand and to get the right people with right number of employee in the organization. The Human resouces Process needs to be implemented which helps for future personnel needs , cope up with sudden and future change, create highly talented personnel and internal expansion with good reputation of the company. JOB ANALYSIS HR plays the major role in job specification, description and performance standards. The first step is to complete a formal job analysis for each position. Holiday inn evaluates the information provided by concerned department heads. The observation and interviews are the major sources taken care by the HR department. Holiday inn has a certain rules for job analysis where step by step process is implemented. Firstly, they check the job information with accuracy then write a job description based in the information proved and determine the skills, abilities and knowledge that is required. In this process all the involvement of employee is untaken for collecting job related information’s, duties and responsibilities. Mainly job analysis is considered as gathering information, processing them, giving job description and specification. Holiday Inn makes its analysis by observations, interviews and questionnaire’s where specialists are assigned in co operation with manages, supervisors and employees. To design a job, the specialists are required where HR plays the role in recruitment, Selection, training and other practices in the Hotel of employee. Lastly, the job analysis form or samples is printed with job title, job description, reporting person duties and responsibilities. Employee Recruitment Employee recruitment in simple term is recruiting qualified employees. There are certain regulations to be followed by the HR manager for recruitment process. The HR manager is responsible for designing and implementing the process that will fulfill the industry’s needs. Furthermore the HR is responsible for finding sources of applicants, writing and placing the advertisements, contracting agencies and schools. Holiday Inn divides its recruiting process in two terms: Internal Recruitment: This type of recruitment is mostly in practice in Holiday inn. Here, it focuses in present employee’s application for required position. Then if there is any reference from current or former workers is taken under consideration. External Recruitment: External recruitment is a difficult part for the HR manager. Finding a candidate from outside the organization needs a lot of thinking. The effectiveness and success of the organization depends on the external recruitment process. External recruitment done in this hotel is placing advertisements in new papers/radio/television, contacting universities/colleges/institutes or agencies, walk-in interviews, etc The HR department of Holiday in practices its recruitment process in six stages. Planning Strategic development Searching Screening Evaluation control SELECTION Different hotels have different selection process. It basically depends upon the managerial policies. Selecting a candidate is a long process from the time of interview to final contract. HR manager has all the responsibility to hire the person/candidate with the best abilities, skills and knowledge. The format of Holiday Inn in selection process is Taking application forms Screening the forms Interviews selected forms( job interview and personal interview) Testing( oral and written tests) Selection in probation ( which takes 3 months time) Background and reference check Physical examination Hiring on the basis of permanent or part-time contract. Once a candidate is hired his/her performance is evaluated every month by the supervisors. Holiday inn selection is made positively supporting the diversity and selection is made according to the requirement of the job. Orientation Placement After the selection process is over Holiday inn introduces each employee to its new job, co workers and organization. This is done for the comfort of new employees. Orientation about every department and every employee is given which normally takes 2-3 weeks. Placement is giving the right job to the new candidate. Mainly assessment classification is placed for newly hired employee. Training Development Training and development activities are carried on in order to implant specific skills, knowledge and ability in an employee. Holiday inn believes that effective training is the success of a hotel. There are two techniques which holiday Inn implies: On-Job Training: This type of training requires planning and supervision for effective development in practice and employee oriented capabilities. This training is cost effective. Assigning workers in sales, food beverage department, check in, check out positions are practically done in training. Furthermore, list of sequel steps are that should be correctly followed and required materials/tools are provided for effective training. In the end, feedback from every candidate is undertaken and evaluated. Off-job Training: The three main focus of off-job training is in-house, external and independent. Where, in In-house lectures, demonstrations and technical knowledge is provided. External focuses on discipline concerned with hospitality and finally independent focuses on training methods controlled and managed by the learner himself. Which includes, computer assisted learning and interactive visual learning. The training process of Holiday inn is categorized as:   Assessing training needs preparing the training plans specifying training objectives designing the training program selecting the structural methods completing the training plan conducting the training evaluation the training placing further training (if required) This process helps in developing the potential in every employee to make a long term successful career. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is the actual performance of an employee, behavior on duty and potential for future. It is generally done for the promotion or termination on an employee. There are different methods of appraisal in different hotels but commonly used is rating scale method which is either done on day to day performance or questionnaire. Challenges of performance Appraisal In Holiday Inn create an Excellence in culture and environment for every employee encourage the employee to make their own decision without the fear of failing provide and implement new challenges Developments of growths for skilled employees. The main process of Appraisal is: To set objectives of Performance Appraisal Establish job expectation Design an Appraisal programmer Performance interview In use of appraisal data.   360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS 360 DEGREE appraisal involves process of receiving feedback from people whose views are considered useful for future. 360 degree feedback is typically provided in a form indicating skills, behavior, and scoring judgment process. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Taking in consideration, with the ride of misbehaviors and unethical practices taking place in age, gender, religion discrimination and harassment, there needs to be a fair treatment to every employee. The HR department acts in involvement as liaison between entities, agencies and employees who should properly address and resolve the issues. For better performance, positive relation between organization and employees should be well maintained. Holiday inn basically concerns better relation of employees in the following: Employee remuneration The HR department determines the remuneration policy. In holiday inn, the external and internal factors are taken under consideration which deals with factors like cost of living, labour laws, economy, ability to pay the employees, performance appraisal, incentive payments. The hotel provides incentives to its well being employees which is decided by the HR manager. Employees Benefits and services The benefits and services provided by the hotel is Insurance, social secutity, worker’s compensation and even pay for not working hours such as annual leaves, sick leaves, casual leave, maternity leaves. The furthermore services provided are: One time free lunch and twice tea break Discount on hotel rooms and food Appreciation letter Award for employee of the month. Employee Welfare The term refers in taking care of the worker’s. it also refers in recognizing the value of workers,   motivating them, building up local hotel reputation and minimizing social evils. The HR department has one more role to participate in and keep the record of health of every employee.   Industrial relation: Holiday inn firstly established its relation with Gulf Oil Corporation in 1963, which was a long tern contract but ended up in 1982. In the past, the hotel went through many conflicts due to its name and logos. After the relaunch of Holiday Inn and becoming a subsidiary of Intercontinental Hotel Groups, it became success in establishing its reputation again in the hospitality industry. Today Holiday inn has many contacts with many other industrial brands such as a collective agreement with national automobile, aerospace and transportation of Canada. IHG announced in August 2010, that it has signed a franchises agreement with Alianza Fiduciara for building up a new branch of Holiday Inn in Columbia. There are more than 55 holiday inn brand in German’s and some is under constructions. Holiday Inn plays a major role in participating in IHG’s guest’s loyalty programmer. Managerial Diversity Managerial diversity is simply the differences between people of different gender, ethnic group, personality, color, background, education and so on. The Hr manager needs to effectively deal with the change, adaptability and communication of the employees in the organization. Holiday Inn is ready to spend resources in the management of diversity. But there are some challenges of diversity which arises such as communication which is a major problem in an organization, the resistance to change, which majority of the employee do not accept. The implementation of diversity in workplace is important aspect to think for the HR. holiday Inn one of those hotels which allows every employee to express its views and ideas. Recommendations When strengthening competitiveness take place many industry choose internal management actions including training and education and announcing employee pay role which is a lot of burden for the HR department. In Holiday Inn, to achieve progress there should be innovation of culture within the organization, which can help to cope up with arising challenges. The HRM should participate on more advice of management at all levels about implication of various practical policies. Programs such as job enrichment, incentive system should be purposed. More female worker should be introduced without any discrimination. The communication barriers needs to overcome and should be ready participation on adapting change. Many workers refuse to accept the fact of cultural changing in workplace. There should be proper tranined, motivated and more importantly flexible workplace. There is a very lengthy process of recruitment which should be minimized. Involvement of every employee should be taken in co nsideration of executive diversity. The hotel should permit the employees to join the crew on a permanent basis. Lastly, the hotel should participate in some corporate social activities as it is a part of the social well-being. Conclusion Hotel industry has similar work policy. Holiday Inn is a well known hotel which changes according to traveler’s need. It has made ease for every customers with online reservation facilities. The good HR policy will not only be the policy which only considers HR function with care but consider them as a culture of hotel policy. In Holiday Inn, employee care is the first policy. This gives a comfortable feeling to the employee which motivates them to work with interests. The working environment is quite friendly which helps employees to discuss their problems without hesitation. There is no discrimination made regardless age, gender, color, nationality, disabilities and so on. The responsibility of HR is much higher in Holiday Inn. The problem arising in HR department is systematically resolved .The cultural diversity is sometimes the major problem which should be taken under consideration .Lastly, as economy became global the work force becomes diverse .The Hotel’s succe ss depends on how it manages the diversity in the work place. Therefore, evaluation of organization diversity policy and plans for the future is completely necessary. REFERENCES 1. streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/12514/careers_and_job_hunting/how_hr_works_to_get_the_job_done.html 2. scribd.com/doc/27129689/Holiday-Inn 3. scribd.com/doc/20896686/Holiday-Inn-HRM 4. qualobster.eu/doc/Definition%20of%20Diversity%20Management.pdf 5. scribd.com/doc/22945926/HR-Practices-in-Hotel-Industry 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_inn 7. ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=409 8. http://download-reports.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels%20and%20Recreational%20Business 9. http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/1168259/Holiday-Inn.html 10. answers.com/topic/cross-cultural 11. ihgplc.com/index.asp?PageID=57NewsID=2370 12. lrb.bc.ca/cas/WTI19.pdf 13. hospitalitynet.org/news/4050312.html 14. diversityworking.com/employerZone/diversityManagement/?id=9

Steps to a Successful Family Reunion

Steps to a Successful Family Reunion With some creativity and advance planning, you can organize and plan a memorable family reunion that everyone will talk about for years. Who Is Family? It may seem obvious, but the first step for any family reunion is to decide who is family. Which side of the family are you inviting? Do you want to include only close relatives or all descendants of Great Grandpa Jones (or another common ancestor)? Are you inviting only direct-line relatives (parents, grandparents, grandkids) or do you plan to include cousins, second cousins, or third cousins, twice removed? Just remember, every step back on the ancestral tree adds a ton of new potential attendees. Know your limits. Create a Guest List Start by assembling a list of family members, including spouses, partners, and children. Get in touch with at least one person from each branch of the family to help you track down contact information for each person on your list. Make sure to collect email addresses for those that have them - it really helps with updates and last-minute correspondence. Survey Attendees If youre planning to include a lot of people in your family reunion, consider sending out a survey (by postal mail and/or email) to let people know that a reunion is in the works. This will help you gauge interest and preferences, and ask for help with the planning. Include possible dates, proposed reunion type, and a general location (discussing possible costs early on can discourage a positive response), and politely ask for a timely response to your questions. Add the names of interested relatives who return the survey to your reunion list for future mailings, and/or keep them up-to-date on reunion plans via a family reunion Web site. Form a Reunion Committee. Unless this is a get-together of five sisters at Aunt Maggies house, a reunion committee is almost essential to planning a smooth, successful family reunion. Put someone in charge of each major aspect of the reunion - location, social events, budget, mailings, record-keeping, etc. Why do all the work yourself if you dont have to? Select the Date(s) Its not much of a reunion if no one can attend. Whether you plan your family reunion to coincide with a family milestone or special day, summer vacation, or a holiday, it helps to poll family members to avoid time and date conflicts. Since family reunions can encompass everything from an afternoon barbecue to a large affair lasting three or more days, youll also need to determine how long you plan to get together. A good rule of thumb - the farther people have to travel to reach the reunion location, the longer the reunion should last. Most importantly, remember that you wont be able to accommodate everyone. Choose your final date(s) based on whats best for the majority of attendees. Pick a Location Aim for a family reunion location that is most accessible and affordable to the majority of people you want to attend. If family members are clustered in one area, then select a reunion location thats nearby. If everyones scattered, then choose a central location to help cut down on travel expenses for far-flung relatives. Develop a Budget This will determine the scale of the food, decorations, accommodations, and activities for your family reunion. You can choose to have families pay for their own overnight accommodations, bring a covered dish, etc., but unless you have another source of income, youll also need to set a per-family registration fee to help with decoration, activity, and location costs. Reserve a Reunion Site Once youve chosen a location and set a date, its time to select a site for the reunion. Going home is a big draw for family reunions, so you may want to consider the old family homestead or other historic site connected to your familys past. Depending on the size of the reunion, you may be able to find a family member who will volunteer to have it at their home. For larger reunions, parks, hotels, restaurants and community halls are a good place to start. If youre planning a multi-day reunion, then consider a resort location where people can combine reunion activities with a family vacation. Choose a Theme Creating a theme for a family reunion is a great way to interest people and make them more likely to attend. It also makes things more fun when it comes to being imaginative with food, games, activities, invitations, and just about every other aspect of the reunion. Family history themes are especially popular, as are reunions which celebrate a very special family members birthday or anniversary, or the familys cultural heritage (i.e. Hawaiian luau). Determine the Menu Feeding a large group of people with different tastes is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of planning a reunion. Make it easy on yourself by selecting a menu that relates to your theme, or perhaps one that celebrates your familys heritage. Organize a group of family members to prepare the food for the family reunion or, if you have a large group and your budget allows, find a caterer or restaurant to do at least part of the work for you. A tasty menu makes for an unforgettable family reunion. Plan Social Activities You dont need to occupy everyone all the time, but planned activities and ice-breakers at your family reunion will provide an easy way for people who do not know each other well to comfortably spend time together. Include activities that will appeal to all ages and further family knowledge of shared heritage. You may also want to award prizes for special distinctions such as oldest family member or longest distance traveled to attend. Set the Stage Youve got a bunch of people, now what do you plan to do with them? Its time now to make arrangements for tents (if an outside reunion), chairs, parking decorations, programs, signs, t-shirts, goodie bags, and other reunion-day requirements. This is the time to consult a family reunion checklist! Say Cheese! While many family members will no doubt bring their own cameras, it helps to also make plans to record the overall event. Whether you designate a specific relative as the official reunion photographer or hire a professional photographer to take photos or videos, you should prepare a list of the people and events that you want to be recorded. For spontaneous moments, purchase a dozen disposable cameras and hand them out to volunteer guests. Dont forget to collect them at the end of the day! Invite the Guests Once you have most of your plans in place, its time to invite the guests by mail, email and/or phone. Youll want to do this way in advance to make sure and give everyone time to get it on their calendar. If youre charging admission fees, mention this in the invitation and set an advance deadline by which at least a percentage of the ticket price is required (unless youre wealthy enough to cover all of the costs yourself and can wait until the actual reunion for reimbursement). Tickets purchased in advance also means people will be less likely to cancel at the last moment! This is also a good opportunity to ask people, even if they cant attend the reunion, to provide family trees, photos, collectibles and stories to share with other family members. Fund the Extras If you dont want to charge admission fees for your reunion, then youll need to plan for a little fundraising. Even if you do collect admissions, fundraising can provide money for some fancy extras. Creative ways for raising money include holding an auction or raffle at the reunion or making and selling family hats, t-shirts, books, or reunion videos. Print up a Program Create a program that outlines the lineup of scheduled reunion events to provide to family members as they arrive for the reunion. You may also want to send this out via email or your reunion Web site in advance of the reunion as well. This will help serve as a reminder to people of activities which may require they bring something with them, such as a photo wall or family tree chart. Decorate for the Big Day The big day is almost here and now its time to make sure it goes smoothly. Create catchy, easy-to-ready signs to point arriving guests to registration, parking, and important locations such as bathrooms. Purchase or make a guest book to collect signatures, addresses, and other important information, as well as serve as a permanent record of the reunion. Purchase pre-made name badges, or print your own, to facilitate mixing and mingling between unacquainted family members. Family tree wall charts are always a big hit as reunion attendees always want to know where they fit into the family. Framed photos or printed posters of common ancestors or past family reunions are also popular. And, if you want to know what everyone thought of all your reunion planning, print up some evaluation forms for people to fill out as they leave. Keep the Fun Going Designate a volunteer or volunteers to create and send out a post-reunion newsletter with stories, photos, and news items from the reunion. If you collected family information, send along an updated genealogy chart as well. This is a great way to get people excited about the next reunion, as well as include less fortunate family members who were not able to attend.