History of Russian Thought Essay Example for Free

History of Russian Thought Essay Russian political and social thought remains a mystery to many historians, often insisting that Russia neatly follow western European categories of development and thought. Rejecting this odd sort of Euro-centrism is the first task of the intellectual historian, and from this point of view has Walicki made his career as the west’s premier historian of Russian political theory. Given the fact that this book is 467 pages, it is not this review’s intention to summarize the contents of this work, but rather to concern itself with method and the approach to this complex and ill-understood subject. A good place to start might be the basic class distinctions in Russian society. It is no accident that the book begins with two highly related objects: the rise of â€Å"enlightenment† thought under Catherine II (the Great) and, concomitant with this rise, the development of an elitist, aristocratic opposition to the crown. This start of some sort of Enlightenment-based criticism of monarchy derives both from western sources, that specifically of Montesquieu, as well as ancient Russian sources, that specifically of the ancient boyar duma, or elite assembly of the land. Hence, the stage is set for the remainder of the book: the constant fluctuation, often confusing, between modern, western models of political critique pleasantly seasoned with large doses of ancient political institutions. It is never made clear, and it is likely impossible to make clear, which element took center stage, the â€Å"west† or the ancient institutions. Among the Russian Slavophiles, major critics of Peter the Great and his western reforms, it is made clear. The Slavophiles, a specifically mystic, and Christian movement, almost Rousseauian in its basic social theory, based their approach on the criticism of the crown on the ancient Russian institutions of the peasant commune, the boyar Duma and the ancient piety of the Russian Church. Hence, early on, Walicki crates a typological distinction that defines the entire work: that between the more or less western-style, liberal rejection of monarchical absolutism, and a more peasant-based and communal criticism of the centralization of royal power. Neither approach rejects monarchy per se, but they criticize the development of the Petrine state, that is the centralized, expensive, militarized and bureaucratic absolutism introduced into Russia by Peter the Great as incompatible with Russian traditions. In terms of this typology, the most extreme of the first group might be the Decembrist movement, especially in the radical masonic societies of Paul Pestel. Unlike many historians, Walicki refuses to ignore the powerful part played by Masons in 18th and 19th century Russian history. The Decembrists, like nearly all opposition movements in the mid 19th century, was both Masonic and aristocratic, having few roots among the common people. Ultimately, Pestel rejected monarchy altogether, demanding an aristocratic based popular assembly elected by full and universal suffrage without property qualifications. He promised Poland its independence, and even became the first Russian Zionist, holding that Jews who refused to assimilate into the new Russia would be sent to Palestine to create a new Jewish nation with government assistance. He was joined in the revolutionary effort by the Society of United Slavs, also aristocratic and military based, who fought with Pestel over ideological concerns, chief of which was the place of old Russian institutions in the new society. The United Slavs, slightly less radical then Pestel’s organization, sought to base the new democratic order on the old Russian institutions of the duma and collective farming arrangements. Now, while the Decembrists ultimately failed, largely due to internal divisions and their lack of understanding of Russian conditions, the real significance of these movements was to give the aristocracy a public program run by semi-secret organizations, in the Decembrist case, military societies. The very fact that these groups were wealthy and aristocratic proves their limitations, and does show, as Walicki insists, that there is no distinction between class and political ideology, since political ideology was largely dictated by class status, at least in the sense that Russian nobles viewed themselves as heir to old Russia rather than to Petrine Russia. But just what they meant by â€Å"old Russia† is another story, and itself is a powerful subtext to this work. The approach to Freemasonry in Russia is worth a review in itself. Rarely dealt with in a serious way, the Masons are depicted by Walicki as the last refuge of the old aristocracy both accepting and rejecting the western Enlightenment. The failure in this otherwise excellent section is whether or not the public statements of the Masonic organizers were truly the belief of the order, or were simply exoteric utterances of the â€Å"initiated† speaking to a â€Å"backward† society. Nevertheless, Masonry (and Walicki holds that these were mostly funded by foreign sources) became a sort of pseudo-religion for the alienated old aristocrats long pushed out of power by the distant, upstart Petersburg bureaucracy. It is clear that the Masons were strictly clubs for the wealthy, sought to usher in a new â€Å"golden age† of history and looked down upon finance. These rather odd confluences of ideas simply tell us what little the Masons ere willing to speak about in public, or, even more, the fact that the aristocracy was using Masonry to challenge the organization of the Petersburg bureaucracy. Either way, masonry was a means whereby the old aristocracy could organize their forces and pool resources, but whether there was a political program that was basically agreed upon is another matter. Pestel’s group came the closest. It is rare that the western Enlightenment is imported wholesale into Russia. In fact, Pestel is an exception in that regard. At first, the famed Russian polemicist Peter Chaadaev held that western Europe should be imported to Russia, since, as he became famous for saying, â€Å"Russia has no history. Chaadaev made himself infamous in Russia by holding that there was no â€Å"Russian history† until Peter the Great made elite Russia European, slyly assuming that historical nations are European, technically advanced and based on baconian scientific models of administration. But his fascination with such things faded early on in his career, as both the revolutionary fervor of France and the dominance of the bourgeois repelled him. For Chaadaev, â€Å"Old Europe† was that of the medieval aristocracy rather than the modern, revolutionary bourgeois. Later figures like Alexander Herzen began their own careers with the same approach, only to actually live in England and France in exile, eventually returning to Russia with a loathing for European fashions and political ideologies. But all of these distinctions can be brought under our original methodological heading: the aristocratic opposition to the crown and the forms that this upper class agitation can take. The problem with this approach is that it leaves out the peasantry as a politically active part of the population. The fact that Walicki has no reference to the Old Believers and their strict, Russian Orthodox anarchism that numbered about 20 million followers by the middle of the 19th century is a major, glaring fault in the work itself. But, without saying so explicitly, this work seems to revolve around the aristocracy and the modes that their opposition to the Petrine state took over time. But the positive side to this approach is that it proves, contrary to typical courses in political theory, that radicalism in Russia was an upper class phenomenon and had few roots with the peasants, who were inclined to the Old Belief. Class status here meant that the higher one found oneself in the economic or aristocratic hierarchy, the more you were inclined to oppose the state (which itself, was based on a service bureaucracy rather than the old aristocracy) and the more one was to lean to radical theories of either economics or politics. The smattering of detail this review offers seeks to suggest that the aristocratic splits in Russian society are responsible for the development of its political ideas. Even more, if a thesis of this work can be found, this is likely it. Masonry, materialism, communitarianism, and even Marxism (though much later) all stem from the various battles among aristocratic and otherwise upper class factions. What they had in common was that they were wealthy, urban and sought to bring about a semi-utopia by force and revolution, bringing the â€Å"dark masses† to a â€Å"true knowledge† of their destiny and social importance. Hence, all of these movements opposed the monarchy in one sense or another. With very few exceptions, these movements all began rather enamored with western ideas, only to be repelled by them once actual contact with westerners became a fact. But the enlightenment was not rejected, only dressed in Russian clothing. Only the Leninists broke this mold, importing Marxism from Germany with few modifications, without the slightest concession to Russia as a cultural entity. The very fact that Leninism was so bizarre in Russian history shows how alien it was from currents of even the most radical thought in Russia and hence, how it was forced to impose itself by violence. What seems to link all Russian radical ideas together is that they were not Leninists, in the sense that they all looked to Russian tradition for the germs of radical institution-building. Hence, one can conclude by holding that Russian radicalism sought to build enlightenment ideas on old Russian institutions. A project destroyed by Lenin, largely never to be revived.

Projectification of the organisational world

Projectification of the organisational world It is fascinating to observe from the management and business sciences, how organisations are changing their structural behaviours: Nowadays, it is hard to imagine an organisation that is not engaged in some kind of project activity. Over the past decade, organisations have been turning from operations to project management as part of their competitive advantage strategy. Organisations are now redefining their business structures by adopting project management practices, thus Maylor et al. (2006, p.663) point out that projectification is the process that comprehends organizational changes through a process where work is managed by projects. We should therefore look at projects as projectification means to get to the implementation of strategy although it might be a realistic statement, it still has a more in dept reasoning behind it and we hope this document will enlighten this further. Projects as the fundamental of projectification are defined as temporary organizations created to deliver one or more business products translated in to project objectives according to their business case requiring specific competencies or skills for a pre-determined period of time according to The Office of Governament Commerce (OGC, 2009, p.31). However, Maylor et. al. (2006, p.664) have a different designation of projects, as managerial tools and structures for innovation and change. Other interconnected concepts related to projects will be further explained looking at the projectification of the organisational world. Maylor et. al. (2006, p.663) support that there are two completely opposite ideas between the managerialist concept of a project as a way to control and the idea that projects are flexible and less bureaucratic structures and as many commentators according to Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.8) cite, they position projects as more appropriate for implementing deliberate strategies. Despite the above, Maylor et. al.(2006, p.664) citing Davies, Brady and Hobday point out that organisations are finding that traditional organizational structures (i.e. with departments, business units and divisions) are no longer appropriate. However, Haniff and Fernie (2008) defend that projectification is not always seen as the most favourable process and it can become problematic if different organisations working together do not have the same projectification approach. Thus, projectification is not seen as a firm solution, i.e. in the perspective of delivering deliberate strategies. That might be the case in the construction sector where Haniff and Fernie (2008, p.9) state that it is naive to assume that any pre-determined project plan can be simplistically implemented. According to above pessimistic view, Maylor et. al. (2006, p.667) agree that we might face barriers to projects being carried out, this might in turn show that is an unwanted consequence of the projectification process but one to account for as limitations in the implementation of the organizational strategy may emerge. Despite these limitations, Maylor et. al. (2006, p.664) citing Packendorff and Hodgson support that there is an evidence of increasing belief of projectification through projects. This is stated by Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.5), they believe that corporate strategy is now a means of thinking through and articulating how an organizations corporate goals and objectives will be achieved. This lead us towards how Bracker cited in Shirley (1982, p. 263) characterises business strategy: as an environmental or situational analysis to determine a firms posture in its field and if the firms resources are utilized in an appropriate manner to attain its major goals. Some consider that business strategy is folded in strategic initiatives such as Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.5), explain that these initiatives are often clustered into portfolios of programmes and projects for implementation, whose support is given by organization roles in particular project workers and managers as Packendorff and Hodgson cited in Maylor et. al. (2006, p.664) emphasize. Again, Maylor et. al. (2006, p.666) agree these developing roles are a consequence of projectification as well as the search for authority by project managers. These are responsible for the planning, delegating, monitoring and control of all aspects of the project, and the motivation of those within the temporary organization to achieve the project objectives within the expected project performance measures, time, cost, quality, scope, benefits and risks according to OGC (2009, p.4). Gaddis (1969, p.96) makes a good point when distinguishing tactics from strategy doing the analogy to the advanced-tec hnology project manager and the research administrator, where the first is considered the tactician and the other the strategist. Therefore, project managers are not directly seen as a strategy deliver role as Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6) citing Thomas, Delisle, Jugdev, and Buckle argue. In addition project managers are seen as strongly execution oriented role, as per project management responsibilities, and as such, they are not perceived as strategically important by senior managers.Although, Pellegrinelli and Bowman (1994, p.126) see that projects are grouped in programmes to actually achieve beneficial changes of strategic nature for an organisation. Unlike project management, Pellegrinelli, Partington and Young cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.8) see implementation of strategy through programme management, as well as McElroy cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6) emphasizes the need for senior management involvement for successful strategy implementation. A more realistic view from Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.8) is that many commentators position projects as more appropriate for implementing deliberate (planned) strategies, while considering programmes for both deliberate and emergent (unplanned) strategies. Including the view of the Association for Project Management (APM) cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6) for good governance practice is that now clearly requires alignment between business, portfolio, programme and project plans, and transparent reporting of issues throughout the strategic hierarchy as well as Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6) defend that these should have a reciprocal relationship. Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.8) bring to this context that corporate strategy is not translated into project strategy by a simplistic process. It is further complex and it requires an extensive range of management competencies and a clear definition of roles and responsibilities. See Figure 1 below. Figure 1 Organisations Strategic Hierarchy Subsequently, Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.16) defend that the hierarchy of objectives and strategies, represented in Figure 1 by the interconnectivity between those 5 blocks, enable organizations to cascade strategy in a systematic way, such as the Archibalds model mentioned in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6) specifies, objectives and strategies are developed at the policy, strategic, operational and project levels and cascaded down, thereby ensuring alignment and continuity of strategy. Partington cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6), suggest three levels of strategy (See Figure 1) as corporate, business and operational being operational level focussed on programmes and projects. Yet, according to Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6), this hierarchy of objectives and strategies can generally be formed as a result of using a strategy planning process which in turn can be a highly effective mean of structuring and managing strategy, and communicating it to the organization and through out. Johnson and Scholes cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.5) highlight that, strategic management is often ambiguous, complex and dynamic, fundamental and organization-wide, and generally has long-term implications. Although, there may be pre-established strategy planning processes and practices, strategy may not be realized in a straightforward way as many planners assume according to Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6). Baker, Bard, Cooper and others cited in Srivannaboon and Milosevic (2006, p. 494) argue that aligning project management with the business strategy is not a clear process but Gomolski cited in Rathnam (2004, pp. 2-3) defend that with business ownership and accountability can lead the way to ensure alignment of business strategy. Most studies link business strategy with project management through project selection and see that as part of the alignment process. Others such as Thompson cited in Henderson and Venkatraman (1990, p.26), see alignment made not only of static elements but a combination of strategy dynamics and behaviors which are managed by external factors to the organization. Supporting this view, Mintzberg and Waters (1985, P. 271), argue that managing requires: ÂÂ ´a light deft touch to direct, in order to realize intentions while at the same time responding to an unfolding pattern of actions. Again, the interaction between projects or programmes and the organizations strategy may be both deliberate and emergent when attempting to implement the intended strategy, according to Grabher, cited in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.6). The UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.8) considers the alignment between strategy and projects to be one of the main benefits of programme management. However, this seems out dated regarding recent guidance on governance. It is expected that increasing need to understand this alignment issue will be translated in to more literature and experience based contributions on this subject. The project management has become an important business process for organizations and Srivannaboon and Milosevic (2006, p.493) support that project management and the business strategy alignment help organizations to focus on the right projects, given the objectives of the business strategy. On the other hand, any misalignment may cause an organization to lose market opportunities and the organizations recovery process might be difficult. Therefore, to effective project management and to achieve the business strategic alignment it is required to have a deeper understanding of these complexities. Accordingly to Shirley (1982, p. 268) it is in the study of such complexities in relation to internal strengths, weaknesses, and values of the organization that students and faculty are challenged and also confused with processes involved in strategy making. This is furthermore complex when various organisations are working together to deliver the projects objectives and therefore the business strategy. Accordingly to Haniff and Fernie (2008, p.9), each individual organisation has got their one project strategy that aligns with the organizational strategy. This results in individual team members influencing at some level the project strategy by creating an emergent project management strategy. Similarly, Jamieson and Morris cited in Srivannaboon and Milosevic (2006, p.495) suggest that most of the elements of the strategic planning process, such as internal analysis, organizational structures, and control systems, are strongly linked to project management processes and activities and thereby strongly influence intended business strategies. Accordingly to Mintzberg and Waters (1985, p.272) this strategic control mentioned above may be in managers which is further recognized by the patterns and actions of managers on their own actions with in the organization configuration. Despite project management processes, other issues co-exist such as the lack of a single coherent project strategy that can lead to loss of business understanding and directly influencing the link between business strategy and project implementation which may be extremely affected according to Morris and Jamieson (2005, p.11). In addition, Rathnam (2004, p.2) draws attention to research made by others that leads us to communication and understanding to be the strategy alignment problem. Morris and Jamieson (2005, pp.7-8) also point out that the business and operating requirements of a project frequently affect the project strategy significantly. Per instance, in the IT industry as Rathnam (2004, pp.4-5) shows, the lack of business strategy, lack of focus on business process, misalignment between business areas and organization structural barriers, lack of an enterprise-wide view, business against IT mentality, lack of awareness in need for strategy alignment, difficulty in communicat ing and understanding IT, resistance to escalate misalignment conflicts to executive management and rapid rate of technological change where considered the main gaps for strategy alignment. Cicmil et. al. (2006, p.679) argue that, If projects fail because of miscommunication and failure to meet expectations, what is it about project management that makes this happen so much in a project environment? Projects are very complex and characterized by issues related to uncertainty, control and mutual interaction among project intervenients according to Cicmil et. Al. (2006, p.676). In addition Cicmil et. al. (2006, p.683) claims that management actions to accelerate perturbed projects make the problem worse which is the case when the project is heavily time-constrained. Avots (1969) adds that the wrong man appointed as project manager, lack of support from the company management, inadequate task definitions, management techniques not appropriate or project termination not well planned are also the reasons for a project failure. Despite the fact that organisations may be using projects to secure business benefit, Midler cited in Maylor et. al. (2006, p.669) question whether this is actually being achieved by these management practices. The existing concepts for what constitutes a project may not be in agreement within the project management practitioners community. Also the temporary organisation (project team) and expectancy of the project outcomes may not be consistent with all intervenients. This is a result of organisational projectification and as such we shall reconsider the term project given this paper. It is evident that in a multi project level is where we can find a bigger gap in maintaining the strategic alignment through project management and projects. Therefore this presents an area of great interest for both practitioners and scholars. Different project management approaches and methodologies are now being used by organizations at all stages of the project life cycle with project strategy development, review and optimization occurring at specific points. A high percentage of organizations define the personal project management competencies required to develop project strategy. Several organizations stressed the leadership qualities that they expected of their executives in shaping and delivering strategy, at both the project level as well as the corporate level. It can be concluded, therefore, that although project strategy management is an underexplored and insufficiently described subject in the business and project literature, it is, in fact, a relatively well-trodden area, deserving of more recognition, formal study, and discussion. (Word count: Max 2500)

Is accounting profit figure a measure of true profit of an organizations

Is accounting profit figure a measure of true profit of an organizations Accounting rules and regulations are a mish-mash of rather conflicting concepts'(e.g. relevance and neutrality), giving managers discretion in deciding which principle to and not to apply(1). Profit is no simple figure which can be computed easily(2), infact it is a thorough process of naming and counting(3); identifying, calculating and summarizing many references generated. Some of these items donot exist, and hence are brought into existence by identifying and assigning monetary values, some involve quantifying the qualitative, while calculation of others may involve managers choosing between different rules and methodologies(revenue recognisation, inventory, depreciation calculation using different techniques), all of which are accepted, by providing a simple reasoning or justification for the choice. Hence, earning management itself is allowed in the profession giving managers the discretion to twist and turn certain figures to meet their criteria, provided a proper reasoning is given. Prudence-an important rule in history, guiding managers that should a conflict arise, a conservative approach to be adopted, as not to be over-optimistic about performance. But now, it is a mere subset of reliability, replaced by faithful representation by IASB, following FASB(4). Should we now expect more use of creative accounting? Given the current credit crunch is it fair to follow USA? Does this mean that instead of using a careful approach as to which colors to use, managers are free to paint the picture in any way they like? Similar implications apply for the use of fair value accounting (driven by Hicks,1975, income and opportunity cost theory), affecting asset valuation and income recognisation. Also given diverse and conflicting rules, what maybe true for one company or country, maynot be true for another(due to different accounting bodies). Therefore profit is merely creating rather than reflecting reality'(5). Another point to discuss is PAT(positive accounting theory); based on unrealistic assumptions as long as they are a good prediction, and underlying hypothesis are never rejected if proven wrong(6). The diagram below shows that in every step of PAT methodology there is a lot of subjectivity, and half of the time they donot tell what assumptions have been made. PAT is based on Adam Smiths rational economic man stating that all choices are based on self interest and accumulation of private wealth; hence accounting methods will be chosen to mislead and disguise performance'(7). Agency theory (Jensen Meckling, 1976) is closely related to this, displaying conflict of interest amongst shareholders and managers, which justifies why managers may resort to earning management, especially if performance-based salaries are used (management compensation hypothesis, Watt and Zimmerman 1986). Shareholders appoint auditors as a protection of their rights and assurance that managers are managing the company to the best of their ability, to maintain decision making efficiency, but auditors donot have access to all the information, and only base their decisions on the information provided by managers and given accounting regulations, does this information asymmetry means that auditors really provide a fair and truthful analysis of company reporting? Given the limited figures that auditors are given, can they analyze that profitability as shown by the company is actually correct? The answer is NO, and we have many examples such as Enron, Sunbeam, which despite been given unqualified audit reports, failed ultimately. Furthermore, as Watt and Zimmerman argue that PAT only gives a prediction of which method managers might use, but doesnot tell which accounting method should be used, for example a large company is likely to use income reducing methods to avoid political attention (political cost hypothesis), debt hypothesis states that a company which is close to breaking its debt covenants will choose policies to ensure such covenants are not violated(8). Also, it is too simplistic to state that it is the only truth. Infact even if profit figure is aligned with companys actual performance, according to coherence theory it is just a truth'(9), and not the ultimate reality. Although some might claim the contrary, as the media only compares the profit figures and doesnot refer to the variety of accounting policies that can be adopted(10). My argument ends with the viewpoint, that although accounting policies and audit reports are designed to protect stakeholders from false reporting, but due to gaps in rules, managers still maintain the discretion to choose policies, which is exploited to meet their objectives, hence shareholders and auditors should use a pool of resources, such as return on investment(11), key performance indicators, share price and economic profit (bank interest and return on other assets-12) to assess performance. Information is not stable, clear and self-evident(13), it is subject to constant change, and can be generated and interpreted in different ways. Truth is not in the numbers, it is only constructing reality using space, time and value machine'(13), therefore users of accounting information should use their own judgment, knowledge and opinions before reaching any conclusion and not base decisions blindly on profitability alone. NOTES: Rhoda lecture notes: The Growth of regulation: International standards and conceptual frameworks of accounting. My first reflective piece Lecture notes Ann-Christine Frandsen: Where do we find accounting Lecture notes Dr Fiona Anderson Gough: Early standards and normative theory, the influence of past on present Hines 1988 Friedman, The methodology of Positive Economics 1953 Adam Smith, The wealth of nations, 1776 Lecture notes, Rhoda, Positive accounting theory (PAT) Lecture notes, Dr Fiona Anderson Gough, Portraying success Deegan and Unerman, 2006 Lecture notes, Ann Christine Frandsen Ball and Brown, 1968 Frandsen A-C (2009), Information Organisation

What I Remember About September 11 :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

On September 11, 2001 our nation sat and watched in fear as unknown terrorists attacked American people on our own land. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was sitting in class, bored out of my mind. Somebody outside the classroom yelled, â€Å"Turn on the television†! My teacher quickly turned on the television. I noticed that the south tower was on fire. Gasps and stifled cries ran through the room. A few 'oh my god's were said, as we ran out to find and tell friends. I was late to my marketing class. Walking in, with tears streaming down my face, I was the one who told my marketing class what had happened. We turned on the television, sat, and listened. We listened as the other plane hit. A man was interviewing a woman on the radio, right near the towers. Suddenly, a rumble was heard and we could hear her scream 'oh my god, we're going to die.' That was when the first tower completely fell to the ground. I finally realized that something atrocious was happening. I sat there in my desk in shock and terror. I began to feel a knot in my throat getting tighter and tighter. People were dying!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That whole day I worried about my friend, Roey, a chef in a restaurant in the Twin Towers. I was going crazy. This just couldn’t be happening. I just sat there in disbelief. I thought for sure he was dead. Every single channel, every single radio station said the same thing: America will never be the same again. And it's true. Nothing and no one will ever think or act the same as the did prior to 8:30am on September 11th. The television repeatedly showed the buildings plunging to the ground. I felt extreme sorrow for the families of those who didn’t make it out alive. What did the United States do or not do that resulted in the loss of so many innocent American lives to be taken away? These victims did not do anything wrong. All of these American citizens that are now deceased were expected to return home that night. American citizens are grief stricken, left in fear, and full of revenge to the people who committed such an awful thing.

The Evolution of the American Dream Essay -- Essays on the American Dr

Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materia lism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties. â€Å"Money is the root of all evil†(Levit). Man and his love of money has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Men have fought in wars over money, given up family relationships for money and done things they would have never thought that they would be capable of doing because of money. In the movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author demonstrates how the love and worship of money and all of the trappings that come with it can destroy lives. In the novel Jay Gatsby has lavish parties, wears expensive gaudy clothes, drives fancy cars and tries to show his former love how important and wealthy he has become. He believes a lie, that by achieving the status that most Americans, in th... ...the 1920’s hopefully in the next decade we will repeat the American dream of the 1940’s. Works Cited "Ain’t We Got Fun - Lyrics - International Lyrics Playground." International Lyrics Playground - Songs From Europe, North America and Around The World. Foreign Language Lyrics, Christmas and Holiday Lyrics! Web. 20 May 2010. . Applebee, Arthur N. The Language of Literature. Evanston, Ill.: McDougal Littell, 2006. Print. "New International Version." Bible Gateway. Web. 19 May 2010. Rockwall, Norman. Freedom From Want. About.com. Web. 19 May 2010. . The Great Gatsby. Dir. Jack Clayton. Perf. Robert Redford, Mia Farrow. Paramount Pictures, 1974. DVD.

Pertaining to psychology Essay

An article in Psychology Today regarding the concepts of alcoholism as a hereditary factor is analyzed and discussed with attributes to scientific facts and statistical claims. Written by the Psychology Today staff, the article; Is It In The Genes? Driven to drink: Does alcoholism run in the family?, begins by proclaiming that 60% of alcoholics have at least on alcoholic parent. Given this number, the question is then raised as to whether the â€Å"disease† is caused by â€Å"wayward genes or lost dreams.† Though claimed as a mystery, the article foreshadows an answer by stating that studies say both sides may be right. The article states that investigators have concluded that there are two types of alcoholics among men – those with beginnings to alcohol abuse before the age of 25, and those whose disease progresses at later periods in life. Of these two types, those with the early beginnings are more inclined to have incidence of family related alcoholism, which suggests a genetic predisposition. Astonishingly, this particular group is stated to comprise 40% of the estimated million male alcoholics in the United States. Not surprising however, this group is most commonly associated with violent behavior. On the other end of the scale, the men who have shown to become alcoholic later in life show a commonality of less family involvement. Their abuse is attributed more to a sought relief from stress and/or anxiety. Given these results, and the possibility of genetic predispositions, many research studies have been conducted in an effort to single out a common chromosomal defect. Fingers have been pointed at a gene which affects the ability of brain cells to respond to dopamine, which is believed to be a reason that alcoholics abuse alcohol – an unaware effort to boost dopamine levels. Other beliefs sway toward what is called a â€Å"mean gene† that impairs the proper actions of serotonin, a chemical stimulant in the brain. As these studies and the researchers who have concluded them debate about the actual culprit, a recent opinion has been declared by Frederick K. Goodwin, M.D. who is the head of the National Institute of Mental Health. Per the article, Goodwin states that there may be more than one single gene involved with alcoholism, much the same as with diabetes. Goodwin also believes that future research may conclude a common genetic predisposition to a complete host of addictions of any range. In sum, Goodwin believes there may be a common thread among all addicts, but that specific characteristics may perpetuate certain cases. Pertaining to psychology, this article is a fantastic way of raising the questions of psychological issues in addiction. It contradicts the actuality that alcoholism, or addiction altogether, is strictly a sect of the psyche which can be overcome through psychological treatment. This article gives simple, yet concise examples and statistics which proclaim the possibility of hereditary predispositions to alcohol addiction, thus ruling out a strong possibility of psychological defect. Though it could be argued that a psychological predisposition could be genetically evident, the concepts of hereditary factors appear to be more supportive of genetic makeup and not learned behavior, which is a common belief toward alcoholism in European societies. This article is very informative of the most recent approaches toward the diagnostics of alcoholism, and as to where the modern understandings of its illness are derived. In conclusive reaction, this particular article is educational to those who are both aware of the dynamics and characteristics of alcoholics and those completely ignorant of the issue. I am pleased with its content, directive, and overall conveyance of matter. BIBLIOGRAPHY: The PT Staff;   Psychology Today – Is It In the Genes? Driven to drink: Does alcoholism run in the family? Sussex Publishers, LLC 2006

Clean and green Essay

The term junk food itself defines to the foods that do no good to your body and they are completely unimportant to the body. Junk foods have no or very less nutritional value and irrespective of the way they are marketed, they are not healthy to consume. Most of them are high in saturated fats and sugar components and also excess of salts and lack any fiber. The only reason of their gaining popularity and increased trend of consumption is that they are ready to eat or easy to cook foods. Also the ease of manufacturing and consumption makes the junk food market spread its influence so rapidly. People, of all age groups are moving towards junk food as it is hassle free and often ready to grab and eat. Soft drinks, chips, wafers, noodles, pizza, burgers, French fries etc. are few examples from the vast variety of fast food available in the market. Let us discuss some ill-effects of consuming fast food: 1. The characteristic of fast food is to cause a spike in the energy levels and hence luring one back to eat up another makes it even more harmful. This eating pattern is likely to cause aggravated energy levels that fail to come down even at sleep time in the night and result in sleeping disorders. 2. Moodiness is another implication of regular consumption of junk food. 3. Reduced levels of concentration can result from eating junk food. 4. The most common bad effect is obesity which has become very common even amongst children aged as low as 3-5 years and causes many other chronic diseases and hormonal imbalances in the obese person. 5. Heart diseases, increased levels of blood pressure and sugar are more likely to happen if the person is a regular consumer of oily junk foods. 6. Since junk foods are not easy to digest and consume larger amounts of energy from the body in the process, people consuming them experience lack of oxygen levels which gradually causes the brain to function poorly. 7. Not only heart, but liver can be damaged due to excessive cholesterol formed in the body due to junk food habits. 8. More people are diabetic early in life because they eat junk food more often. 9. No fiber in junk food means strain on stomach and digestive system resulting in problem of constipation. All the points discussed about junk food above lead us to conclude that junk food does all harm to your heath without providing any health benefits. In order to enjoy good health and a happy life, it is important to cut down on junk foods. Nutrition experts have researched the bad affects of junk food and come to the conclusion that junk food manufacturing companies are fooling the people by showing deceptive ads that market show junk food as healthy. We must substitute junk food with healthier food like fruits and vegetables. A junk food fanatic has to suffer the ill-effects of eating it in high quantities . So the next time you think of grabbing that burger, hotdog, pizza, samosa, kachoris or even ice creams in a restaurant, eating joint or a party, stop your instincts and look for some healthier food options instead