Monday, September 30, 2019

Caring for Children and Young People Booklet Essay

Unit 10 caring for children and young people assignment 2 of 2, report There are 3 types of maltreatment: abuse, neglect, bullying and harassment. Abuse can be physical, emotional (intellectual) and sexual. Signs of physical abuse are: * Unexplained injuries that sound untrue or doesn’t fit in with the injury * Injuries on a non-mobile baby or head injuries on a child who is less than one year old * Nervous behaviour, jumpy, watchful and cautious, scared of psychical contact – shrinking back when touched * Difficulty in making friends and trusting others * Refusing to undress for physical education or medical examination, wearing too many clothes in warm weather to cover up the injuries * Chronic running away and school absences * Repeated attendance at accident&emergency * Self-harm and self-destructive behaviour, being bullied * Aggression towards others, bullying others * Lying, stealing, getting into trouble with the police Signs of emotional abuse are: * Delayed development – emotionally immature for age, physically small and intellectually behind peers * Nervous behaviour such as rocking , hair twisting , self-harm * Speech disorders * Extremes of passive or aggressive behaviour * Fear of making a mistake and a overreacting to a mistake * Fear of new situations but can be over friendly with strangers * Continually putting themselves down * Inability to be spontaneous * Inability to concentrate Signs of sexual abuse are: * Medical problems in the genital area, sexually transmitted illnesses, bed wetting * Being overly affectionate and sexually knowing – demonstrating sexually inappropriate behaviour, flirting or graphic, sexualised play * Changes in behaviour – withdrawn, sad or even more extreme – depression, self-harm and attempts to suicide * Eating  disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, loss of appetite or compulsive overeating * Behaving than much younger child for example thumb-sucking or having a cuddly toy * Thinking badly about them and at the same time trying to be ultra-good and overreacting to criticism * Being afraid of someone they know, not wanting to be alone with them, lack of trust * Being scared of physical contact and fear of undressing Signs of child being neglected are: * Poor personal hygiene * Underweight or constantly hungry, may be stealing food * Always tired and cannot concentrate to learn or play * Clothing inadequate for weather, too small, dirty * May have untreated medical conditions e.g. cough, cold * No friends, might be bullied, socially isolated * Destructive tendencies Risk of maltreatment can be within family, outside family for example in care setting or strangers. Children and young people are more at the risk to be maltreated by people known by them. When a child has specific learning difficulties, communication difficulties, specific development delay, genetic influence, difficult temperament, physical illness, academic failures and low self-esteem then the child is more at risk for maltreatment. Consequences of maltreatment vary depending on child’s age and the type of maltreatment. The long term consequences of maltreatment on children and young people who are not helped effectively have a personal cost and a cost to a society as a whole. Children with constant fear that is experienced when being abused can affect brain development with long life consequences. Brain scans show the difference between abused children and non-abused children. Child from 0 to 3 years needs to bond – make a secure and trusting relationship with the main caregiver in order to develop health. Ability to feel empathy, compassion, trust and love is based on these early experiences. If bonding is not there then the relationship between caregiver and child is not right. There are four theories of maltreatment: medical, sociological, psychological and feminist. The medical model of child abuse is where abuse is viewed as a disease which is called the battered-child syndrome which is a clinical condition is children who  have received abuse and is a cause of permanent injury or even death. The sociological model of maltreatment defines child abuse in terms of social judgement of parental acts which are considered inappropriate by cultural standards and practices. Sociological models focus on contextual condition such as poverty that give rise to abuse. The psychological model of maltreatment is an attachment theory and says that a child needs to develop a relationship with at least one caregiver for development to occur normally. The feminist model say that feminist believe that men like to have all power and they can get it by abusing children or to regain power if they have lost it. If child abuse is suspected then it should be immediately reported. It depends on where the child abuse is suspected, people should always follow the policies of the setting and implementing safe working practices. For example if you work in school or nursery you would talk to the designated person for example manager or head teacher. People should write down causes for concern as and when they happen recording as much information down as possible and writing down only the facts. So if a child tells you something you should write it down exactly as they said it and not what you think they mean. Depending on what has been disclosed would depend on how you react. For example if child has a bump on their head and is very quiet about it and doesn’t tell you it doesn’t mean that they have been abused. You have to know their parents too. If a child discloses something which is of concern to you for example they reveal that they have been abused then action should be taken immediately to ensure child’s safety. A person has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality according to policies of the setting. Person who is suspecting the abuse should always listen and communicate at children or young person’s pace and without any pressure and always take the child seriously. Strategies and methods that can be used to support children, young people and their families where abuse is suspected or confirmed is that person should be respectful towards these children and have a child centred approach. Active support should be provided which empowers children and young people. Their self-confidence, self-esteem, resilience and assertiveness should be supported because it is really low when people were abused and it is needed to really support children and young people because it would have affected them. You should always share information and not to keep secrets from them but giving  information according to their age because you wouldn’t want to give too much information or inappropriate information for example to a 3 year old and you would talk differently with children than with young people. For families it is important to develop supportive relationships with parent and families and involving parents in the assessment of children needs to help them not to make the same mistakes in the future and to make them know what the children needs to have. People should always help parents to recognise the value and significance of their contributions and encourage them to develop their parenting skills. To minimise the effects of abuse you should always encourage expression of feelings within acceptable boundaries to help them deal with their emotions and to help them improve their self image. Helping them to build self esteem and confidence is also really important, for example by play therapy or counselling. Rasheed, Elizabeth; Irvine, Jo; Hetherington, Alison. BTEC Level 3 National Health and Social Care. London, GBR: Hodder Education, 2010. p 224. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/southessex/Doc?id=10448710&ppg=235 Copyright  © 2010. Hodder Education. All rights reserved. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/pdfs/nfnts-childneglect_e.pdf http://forums.nurseryworld.co.uk/showthread/c23d171e-b642-4e2a-a09c-d21a022f5ca5/ The Battered-Child Syndrome, July 7, 1962. (brak daty). 03 19, 2012 http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/181/1/17.abstract

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Khafre and Seated Scribe Essay

Comparison The two pieces, â€Å"Khafre† and â€Å"Seated Scribe†, are two art pieces that have originated from the ancient Egyptian time period. These two pieces are very similar and different in many ways. With this in mind, we learn that art work, depending on the time period, may have similar meanings but also different messages and that same time. The piece â€Å"Khafre† has many differences compared to â€Å"Seated Scribe†. One of these differences is simple; Khafre, the Pharaoh that is being depicted in the piece, â€Å"Khafre† has the body build, such as muscles, that would give the viewer the idea that he is a leader. While on the other hand, the piece â€Å"Seated Scribe† shows a man sitting down with little to no body strength and shows the viewer that he had a good life that was free of physical labor. Another difference between the two pieces is that the lives of the two are completely different. While the Pharaoh shows a life of seriousness, strength, and power; the â€Å"Seated Scribe† shows the viewer a life of wisdom, alertness, eagerness, labor free, and attentiveness. Another major difference between the two pieces is that on the â€Å"Khafre† piece, the Pharaoh’s throne has plants, papyrus and lotus plants, that represent his ruling and power over the upper and lo wer regions of Egypt. With this in mind the viewer of â€Å"Seated Scribe† notices that the scribe might have been in one of those two regions of Egypt and although he shows more of a labor free life, he might still be under the law of the Pharaoh, Khafre; proving the fact that Khafre has more obvious power over the normal human being, yet alone a scribe. One last difference is in the wealth difference of the two people. While the Pharaoh sits on a throne with a backing on it, the scribe sits on the hard ground but still has perfect posture. With these differences the viewer can begin to have a better understanding of the meaning and symbolism behind the two pieces. Aside from just differences, the two pieces â€Å"Seated Scribe† and â€Å"Khafre† are also very similar as well. One of the many ways that they are similar is in their posture. The two men sit upright and alert. Their eyes focused on the task at hand. For the scribe it may be more obvious but you can also tell Khafre’s alertness by his clenched fist and his wide open eyes. The two pieces also share the similarity of service. While the scribe is shown possibly writing words for the Pharaoh, therefore doing a service for him; Khafre sits on his thrown and can be viewed as him serving his people. This idea can be shown by the way that they are seated and the way they are looking with full alertness. The last similarity between the two pieces is that the two are idealized very clearly. With the scribe you can take a quick look and have the idea that the piece is representing a person who is not of royal being and that he is a type of writer. The same can be said for the Pharaoh; you can look at the piece and automatically notice that the piece represents a Pharaoh by his body stature, his headdress and false beard. With differences in mind, the viewer of these two pieces can get a better knowledge of the art world and what they truly mean. Overall the two pieces are similar and different in many ways. But having the ability to study and have a closer look into the two pieces and get an idea of what the artist was trying to portray, is what makes art so fascinating. The two pieces are just a small part into the art of Ancient Egypt. But knowing what the two are about, is what makes the viewer and student have a better appreciation of the art of the past.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Canadian Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Canadian Movies - Essay Example Anyhow the fact that American films dominate the film industry in Canada, the homeland films is yet visible in the Quebec, where all cultural industries receive special protection. The audiences in Quebec have always liked the Canadian movies. As per the statistics, 2006e, French speaking Quebecers watch more TV than the other language Quebecers or rest of Canada. Francophone viewers spent more than 65.2% watching Canadian programs while Anglophone viewers spent more 72.2% watching foreign programs.2 Outside Quebec, its altogether a different story as mentioned above, Canadian filmmakers are unknown to the world, except those who have received acclaim outside Canada. It is because of this the attempts are on to make the audiences aware of the Canadian film industry by way of showcasing the movies in the school gyms and auditoriums, with big screens and sounds.3 It was surprising to note that most of the people didn't want to see the Canadian movies, because they are low budget and no t like a Hollywood blockbuster. In most years, the top-grossing Canadian film is a French-language film from Quebec. French-Canadian films, on the other hand, are often more successful, as with French-language television, the language difference makes Quebec audiences much more receptive to Canadian-produced film. The audiences in Toronto are more likely inclined towards the Hollywood produced movies. Most of the people don't even know the names of the movies that have grossed huge revenue at the box office.4 It is evident from the above fact that the American films have much larger impact on the people in Canada, except Quebec where in, Canadian movies are played in the theatre, being the main centre of Canadian Film Industry. Role on National Film Board The National Film Board has defined a list of primary and secondary goals to fulfill in order to meet its mandate, as well as a set of related activities that can be performed to meet those goals such as to create programming reflecting Canada's linguistic duality and cultural diversity, create programming of film and audiovisual works on subjects relevant to the general public or niche audiences, support innovative and experimental projects in new and interactive media and exploit the audiovisual heritage of the NFB. The overarching objective of the National Film Board is to produce and distribute audio-visual works which provoke discussion and debate on subjects of interest to Canadian audiences and foreign markets; which explore the creative potential of the audio-visual media; and which achieve recognition by Canadians and others for excellence, relevance and innovation.5 The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes socially relevant films that inform Canadians and explore global issues. The NFB is best known for its documentaries and animated short films. The NFB was established in 1939 with an objective to interpret Canada to Canadians. John Grierson, a British documentary film-maker, was invited by the Government to study the state of the government's film production. Grierson opined that Canada should make short, inexpensive films about Canadians and their experiences could complement more expensive Hollywood fare, while give Canadians a cinematic voice without abandoning the concept of National Film Industry.6

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Occupation of France through the eyes of Irne Nmirovsky in Suite Dissertation

The Occupation of France through the eyes of Irne Nmirovsky in Suite Franaise - Dissertation Example Irene Nemirovsky’s book, Suite francaise, written in two sections, ‘Storm in June’ and ‘Dolce,’ starts with an air raid siren going off in the early morning hours before sunrise, yet people are still not so anxious as of yet that they feel they must run away (Nemirovsky 3). (Indeed, many went back to sleep for just a bit longer once the sirens stopped.) Yet, in the distance, there was the sound of heavy guns firing, some of it coming closer and closer. Finally, the sun comes up and the shelling stops. There is a peaceful, yet uncertain pause in the craziness. Something is just waiting around the corner, yet to be seen (Nemirovsky 4). In this glimpse of the novel, we are made aware of the fact that people just barely understand what is happening to them and really cannot believe any rumours and reports they have been getting about the German forces moving their way or that things could be that bad (Nemirovsky 5). As is so often seen, when changes are m ade within a society coming from the outside, people do not want to believe that they are in danger. It is a case of pulling the night mask over one’s eyes so as to wake up and find that everything is alright again and back to normal. In fact, in the novel, this is the beginning of the end of whatever normal they had in their lives. It is a down-hill spiral from that point onwards. Suite francaise presents a number of people in all their diverse personalities, set in a time that will turn to a future of unimaginable horror. At the period of time that Irene writes this book, many of the horrors committed by the Nazis are still unknown definitively to most outside of the European theatre of war, but there had been rumours. Indeed, Irene may have suspected or heard through the rumour mill about what was truly happening to the Jews, of which she was one. Most, however, did not want to believe that such things were happening and it would not be until the end of WWII that the truth of the genocide of the Jewish people and other ‘undesirables’ would be fully revealed and even then, some would not believe it did take place. The background in the novel therefore provides a scenario which is perceived by the characters as they would have known their own world for that time when people did not know that much about what was happening, only that there was a war going on. In our current age of the Internet and social media of modern times, information and news travel around the world in a flash, within seconds or even milliseconds. At the beginning of WWII, however, information would have taken far more time to be dispersed to the general population in varying levels of electronic access by radio. Under the German occupation, much of that news would have been restricted and also turned to propaganda before being released to the general public. Therefore, her characters also react accordingly to what they know at that point in time of occurring history, n ot what we know in our perspective of that history many decades later. Regarding these two points of view, we see what is coming for these people but we can only shout silently to deaf ears of the characters in this story because they are not there yet in that level of knowledge. The time we know of through historical documentation, has not yet occurred for them or if it is occurring, they do not know of it yet, while we, who are in the future, already know where the story is headed, at least

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Tesco PLC expansion into Germany using Foreign Market Servicing Essay

Tesco PLC expansion into Germany using Foreign Market Servicing Strategy - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is Tesco PLC. The first store of the company has opened in Edgware, North London. The main business of the company was grocery but the company has made wide the portfolio as they started to offer their products in the following sectors. †¢ Home Electronics †¢ Clothes and Home-wear †¢ Entertainment e.g. Television, Mobile communications †¢ Pharmaceuticals †¢ Finance / Credit cards †¢ Insurance. Tesco has the core competency in strategic pricing. They are able to offer their product to every class of people using the plan of strategic pricing. Their strategic pricing plan includes branded products, premium private level, budget private level and private level. Tesco developed the online shop in the year 2007 which is a revolution in the sector. The customers can purchase the goods through online. The company has gained competitive advantage and ever since 2007 they have remained in that way. The company is present mainly in Asia and Eastern Europe where they dominate in the market. The company is present in over 13 countries. Wal-Mart and Tesco are the main competitors of Tesco. The retail and more precisely the grocery market is dominated by the low pricing competition and focusing on the private level brands (own brand products). But in the European Union the levels of competitive pricing is controlled by the regulatory bodies that control the levels of market price.. As the company is already in the E.U. they are abide by the rules of the regulatory bodies, so it will not be difficult for the company to expand their business in a new E.U. country. The company has to only maintain the country specific legislations along with the little implications of the vertical integration. Tesco Corporate Social Responsibility An accommodative stance was adopted by the company when they approach to CSR. Tesco used to organize some social and voluntary programmes; they meet the ethical and legal requirements. (Griffin, R. Pustay, M 2009, p.158). The company follows the CSR which is followed by the European Union. Lisbon Agenda is followed by the company which aims for creating better jobs and social cohesion which would ensure the economic growth for the specific country, (European Citizens Consultations 2009). The companies have to maintain the environment properly as per the P.E.S.T. analysis of the E.U. The main focus of Tesco is maintaining and improving the supplies which are environment friendly and also recycled; develop job availabilities and maintaining good relations and support for the farmers who are supplying. Market Selection W estern Europe can be a positive move strategically for Tesco as it has presence in 13 countries including Asia and Eastern Europe. The researcher argued that the western region of Europe is the most attracting part of the world for the businessman as there are lots of wealthy customers (Griffin, R. Pustay, M 2009, p.54). A short list of top 4 most appropriate countries can be drawn

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Reflective thoughts about Globalization and Selling Ideas Essay

Reflective thoughts about Globalization and Selling Ideas - Essay Example Paradigms have shifted dramatically that our former knowledge and interpretation of work and economy are already wrong. In a globalized economy where countries are interconnected, the world virtually became a one big market place as it is reduced to a global village. People too are now more interconnected with the advances in technology and can now freely more from one country to another where there is a better opportunity, better pay or better work. The advances in technology may even allow a person to move his or her work to another country or region without living his or her home which is made possible through telecommuting. In fact, technology became so advance that robots can already do many of our work. This false knowledge, and even resistance to the new knowledge because it debunks our interpretation of the world prevents us from growing and progressing. Or as the speaker would put it, â€Å"obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth† which requires us to adapt to this new reality in economic and world order for us to discover â€Å"the shape of the earth† and progress. This resistance to new knowledge and/or insistence of the validity of the old knowledge is particularly true with the older generation who still interprets the world as it used to be. I could understand them because this shift towards globalization threatens them. Competition are now stiffer in work because highly skilled people can already move to their country and may take their jobs away from them. These highly skilled people may not even have to leave their homes to do their jobs with the advent of virtual work afforded by globalization. Moreover, the advances in robotics also threatens to replace them with machines. Thus, they have to compete now with younger and more skilled competitors at work and also with machines making their work more precarious. It is just but natural for them to retreat to their comfort zone and old interpretation of the world where the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Parents Involvement in Their Children Education Research Paper

Parents Involvement in Their Children Education - Research Paper Example As children attend school, parents should participate in the education process using several approaches. These include buying uniforms, paying schools fees, assisting with homework, taking them to school and picking them. Sciarra (2004) indicates that parents should create an appropriate environment for their children by removing distractions such as excessive TV or films, too much movement or regular friends. DEEWR (2011) indicates that the home and learning environment should be favorable for children in order to boost their learning process. Parents’ contribution in their children erudition whose objective was to explain enhances their performance in school. Parents should teach their children songs, drawings as well as paintings or allow them to visit the library. As a result, parents know their children’s talents and preferred co-curricular activities. Additionally, parents get to know their children’s friends and keep a record of their progress in school. A ccording to a recent research whose objective was to explain the relationship between parents’ involvement in their children education and results, it was discovered that help with schoolwork is directly proportional to a child’s enhanced reading, understanding of numbers and improved scores. Another importance is that parents get to know their children capabilities and weakness. Additionally, parents get to know their children’s friends and keep a record of their progress in school.... of Education, claimed that parents’ participation in their children education is critical than socio-economic status of the family. This simply means that a child’s economic background does not influence their academic capabilities rather than their parents’ involvement (Sciarra, 2004). According to Sciarra (2004) parents are involved in their children’s education and social life in order to manage issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, peer influence and bullying. Financial constrain is a challenge that parents face, limiting them from taking their children to best schools, provide them with good books and educational trips (Sciarra, 2004). Sciarra claims that children who come from families whose parents suffer from sickness, mental disorders or abuse drugs are likely to perform poorly in school. These parents do not take a centre role in order to ensure children meet their academic objectives. Furthermore, children from such families do not engage in sp orts, go out on academic trips or buy books so that they do not burden their families. Additionally, such children avoid good careers such as medicine, law and engineering because parents cannot pay the required fees (Sciarra, 2004). In as much there is a broad agreement that parents influence their children education, researchers are still investigating an appropriate form of parenting that would lead to academic success of children. Theories on how parents can pass reading culture, skills and good attitudes to their children are being debated on. A significant proportion of scholars argue that some children are inherently intelligent while others are not academically talented. These scholars further claim that environmental influence or parental guiding cannot change academic capabilities. There

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Creating the Guiding Coalition Essay Example for Free

Creating the Guiding Coalition Essay Major transformations are often associated with one highly visible individual. Consider Chryslers come back from near bankruptcy in the early 1980s, and we think of Lee Iacocca. Mention Wal-Marts ascension from small-fry to in ­dustry leader and Sam Walton comes to mind. Read about IBMs efforts to renew itself, and the story centers around Lou Gerstner. After a while, one might easily conclude that the kind of leadership that is so critical to any change can come only from a single larger than life person. This is a very dangerous belief. Because major change is so difficult to accomplish, a powerful force is required to sustain the process. No one individual, even a monarch-like CEO, is ever able to develop the right vision, communicate it to large numbers of people, eliminate all the key obstacles, generate short-term wins, lead and manage dozens of change projects, and anchor new approaches deep in the organizations culture. Weak committees are even worse. A strong guiding coalition is always needed-one with the right composition, level of trust, and shared objective. Building such a team is always an essential part of the early stages of any effort to restructure, reengineer, or retool a set of strategies. 1. Going It Alone: The Isolated CEO The food company in this case had an economic track record between 1975 and 1990 that was extraordinary. Then the industry changed, and the firm stumbled badly. The CEO was a remarkable individual. Being 20 percent leader, 40 percent manager, and the rest financial genius, he had guided his company successfully by making shrewd acquisitions and running a tight ship. When his industry changed in the late 1980s, he tried to transform the firm to cope with the new conditions. And he did so with the same style he had been using for fifteen years that of a monarch, with advisors. King Henry had an executive committee, but it was an information-gathering/dispensing group, not a decision-making body. The real work was done outside the meetings. Henry would think about an issue alone in his office. He would then share an idea with Charlotte and listen to her comments. He would have lunch with Frank and ask him a few questions. He would play golf with Ari and note his reaction to an idea. Eventually, the CEO would make a decision by himself. Then, depending on the nature of the decision, he would announce it at an executive committee meeting or, if the matter was somehow sensitive, tell his staff one at a time in his office. They in turn would pass the information on to others as needed. This process worked remarkably well between 1975 and 1990 for at least four reasons: (1) the pace of change in Henrys markets was not very fast, (2) he knew the industry well; (3) his company had such a strong position that being late or wrong on anyone decision was not that risky, and (4) Henry was one smart fellow. And then the industry changed. For four years, until his retirement in 1994, Henry tried to lead a transformation effort using the same process that had served him so well for so long. But this time the approach did not work because both the number and the nature of the decisions being made were different in some important ways. Prior to 1990, the issues were on average smaller, less complex, less emotionally charged, and less numerous. A smart person, using the one-on-one discussion format, could make good decisions and have them implemented. With the industry in flux and the need for major change inside the firm, the issues suddenly came faster and bigger. One person, even an exceptionally capable individual, could no longer handle this decision stream well. Choices were made and communicated too slowly. Choices were made without a full understanding of the issues. Employees were asked to make sacrifices without a clear sense of why they should do so. After two years, objective evidence suggested that Henrys approach wasnt working. Instead of changing, he became more isolated and pushed harder. One questionable acquisition and a bitter layoff later, he reluctantly retired (with more than a small push from his board). 2. Running on Empty: The Low-Credibility Committee This second scenario I have probably seen two dozen times. The biggest champion of change is the human resource executive, the quality officer, or the head of strategic planning. Someone talks the boss into putting this staff officer in charge of a task force that includes people from a number of departments and an outside consultant or two. The group may include an up-and-coming leader in the organization, but it does not have the top three or four individuals in the executive pecking order. And out of the top fifteen officers, only two to four are members. Because the group has an enthusiastic head, the task force makes progress for a while. But all of the political animals both on and off this committee figure out quickly that it has little chance of long-term success, and thus limit their assistance, involvement, and commitment. Because everyone on the task force is busy, and because some are not convinced this is the best use of their time, scheduling enough meetings to create a shared diagnosis of the firms problems and to build trust among the groups members becomes impossible. Nevertheless, the leader of the committee refuses to give up and struggles to make visible progress, of ­ten because of an enormous sense of dedication to the firm or its employees. After a while, the work is done by a subgroup of three or four mostly the chair, a consultant, and a Young Turk. The rest of the members rubber-stamp the ideas this small group produces, but they neither contribute much nor feel any commitment to the process. Sooner or later the problem becomes visible: when the group cant get a consensus on key recommendations, when its committee recommendations fall on deaf ears, or when it tries to implement an idea and runs into a wall of passive resistance. With much hard work, the committee does make a few contributions, but they come only slowly and incrementally. A post-mortem of the affair shows that the task force never had a chance of becoming a functioning team of powerful people who shared a sense of problems, opportunities, and commitment to change. From the outset, the group never had the credibility necessary to provide strong leadership. Without that credibility, you have the equivalent of an eighteen-wheeler truck being propelled by a lawn mower engine. Meanwhile, as this approach fails, the companys competitive position gets a little weaker and the industry leader gets a little farther ahead. 3. Keeping Pace with Change: The Team The central issue in both of these scenarios is that neither firm is taking into account the speed of market and technological change. In a less competitive and slower-moving world, weak committees can help organizations adapt at an acceptable rate. A committee makes recommendations. Key line managers reject most of the ideas. The group offers additional suggestions. The line moves another inch. The committee tries again. When both competition and technological change are limited, this approach can work. But in a faster-moving world, the weak committee always fails. In a slow-moving world, a lone-ranger boss can make needed changes by talking to Charlotte, then Frank, then Ari and reflecting on what they say. He can go back to each of them for more information. After making a decision, he can communicate it to Charlotte, Frank, and Ari. Information processing is sequential and orderly. As long as the boss is capable and time is available, the process can work well. In a faster- moving world, this ponderous linear activity breaks down. It is too slow. It is not well enough informed with real time information. And it makes implementation more difficult. Todays business environment clearly demands a new process of decision making (see figure 4-1). In a rapidly moving world, individuals and weak committees rarely have all the information needed to make good non routine decisions. Nor do they seem to have the credibility or the time required to convince others to make the personal sacrifices called for in implementing changes. Only teams with the right composition and sufficient trust among members can be highly effective under these new circumstances. Decision making in todays business environment This new truism applies equally well to a guiding change coalition on the factory floor, in the new-product development process, or at the very top of an organization during a major transformation effort. A guiding coalition that operates as an effective team can process more information, more quickly. It can also speed the implementation of new approaches because powerful people are truly informed and committed to key decisions. So why dont managers use teams more often to help produce change? To some degree, a conflict of interest is involved. Teams arent promoted, individuals are, and individuals need unambiguous track records to advance their careers. The argument I was on a team that doesnt sell well in most places today. But to an even greater degree, the problem is related to history. Most senior-level executives were raised managerially in an era when teamwork was not essential. They may have talked team and used sports metaphors, but the reality was hierarchical-typically, a boss and his eight direct reports. Having seen many examples of poorly functioning committees, where everything moves slower instead of faster, they are often much more comfortable in sticking with the old format, even if it is working less and less well over time. The net result: In a lot of reengineering and re strategizing efforts, people simply skip this step or give it minimum attention. Then they race ahead to try to create the vision, or to downsize the organization, or whatever. But sooner or later, the lack of a strong team to guide the effort proves fatal. 4. Putting Together the Guiding Coalition The first step in putting together the kind of team that can direct a change effort is to find the right membership. Four key characteristics seem to be essential to effective guiding coalitions. They are: I. POSITION POWER: Are enough key players on board, especially the main line managers, so that those left out cannot easily block progress? II. EXPERTISE: Are the various points of view-in terms of discipline, work experience, nationality, etc.-relevant to the task at hand adequately represented so that informed, intelligent decisions will be made? III. CREDIBILITY: Does the group have enough people with good reputations in the firm so that its pronouncements will be taken seriously by other employees? IV. LEADERSHIP: Does the group include enough proven lead ­ers to be able to drive the change process? This last concern, about leadership, is particularly important. You need both management and leadership skills on the guiding coalition, and they must work in tandem, teamwork style. The former keeps the whole process under control, while the latter drives the change. (The grids in figure 4- 2 depict various combinations of leadership and management that may or may not work.) Profiles of four different guiding coalitions A guiding coalition with good managers but poor leaders will not succeed. A managerial mind-set will develop plans, not vision; it will vastly under communicate the need for and direction of change; and it will control rather than empower people. Yet companies with much historical success are often left with corporate cultures that create just that mind-set that rejects both leaders and leadership. Ironically, great success creates a momentum that demands more and more managers to keep the growing enterprise under control while requiring little if any leadership. In such firms, much care needs to be exercised or the guiding coalition will lack this critical element. Missing leadership is generally addressed in three ways: (1) people are brought in from outside the firm, (2) employees who know how to lead are promoted from within, or (3) employees who hold positions requiring leadership, but who rarely lead, are encouraged to accept the challenge. Whatever the method chosen to get there, the end result-a team with leadership skills-must be the same. Never forget: A guiding coalition made up only of managers ­ even superb managers who are wonderful people-will cause major change efforts to fail. The size of an effective coalition seems to be related to the size of the organization. Change often starts with just two or three people. The group in successful transformations then grows to half a dozen in relatively small firms or in small units of larger firms. In bigger enterprises, twenty to fifty may eventually need to be signed up. 5. Qualities to Avoid-or Manage Carefully Two types of individuals should be avoided at all costs when putting together a guiding coalition. The first have egos that fill up a room, leaving no space for anybody else. The second are what I call snakes, people who create enough mistrust to kill teamwork. At senior levels in most organizations, people have large egos. But unless they also have a realistic sense of their weaknesses and limitations, unless they can appreciate complementary strengths in others, and unless they can subjugate their immediate interests to some greater goal, they will probably contribute about as much to a guiding coalition as does nuclear waste. If such a person is the central player in the coalition, you can usually kiss teamwork and a dramatic transformation good bye. Snakes are equally disastrous, although in a different way. They damage the trust that is always an essential ingredient in team ­work. A snake is an expert at telling Sally something about Fred and Fred something about Sally that undermines Sally and Freds relationship. Snakes and big egos can be extremely intelligent, motivated, and productive in certain ways. As such, they can get promoted to senior management positions and be logical candidates for a guiding coalition. Smart change agents seem to be skilled at spotting these people and keeping them off the team. If thats impossible, capable leaders watch and manage these folks very carefully. Another type of individual to at least be wary of is the reluctant player. In organizations with extremely high urgency rates, getting people to sign on to a change coalition is easy. But since high urgency is rare, more effort is often required, especially for a few key people who have no interest in signing on. Jerry is an overworked division-level CFO in a major oil company. Conservative by nature, he is more manager than leader and is naturally suspicious of calls for significant change because of the potential disruption and risk. But after having performed well at his corporation for thirty-five years, Jerry is too powerful and too respected to be ignored. Consequently, his division head has devoted hours over a period of two months attempting to convince him that major change is necessary and that Jerrys active involvement is essential. Halfway through the courtship, the CFO still makes excuses, citing his lack of both time and qualifications to help. But persistence pays off, and Jerry eventually signs up. It can be tempting to write off people like Jerry and try to work around them. But if such individuals are central players with a lot of authority or credibility, this tactic rarely works well. Very of ­ten the problem with signing up a Jerry goes back to urgency. He doesnt see the problems and opportunities very clearly, and the same holds for the people with whom he interacts on a daily basis. With complacency high, youll never convince him to give the time and effort needed to create a winning coalition. When people like Jerry have the qualities of a snake or big ego, a negotiated resignation or retirement is often the only sensible option. You dont want them on the guiding coalition, but you also cant afford to have them outside the meeting room causing prob ­lems. Organizations are often reluctant to confront this issue, usu ­ally because these people have either special skills or political sup ­port. But the alternative is usually worse-having them undermine a new strategy or a cultural renewal effort. Afraid to confront the problem, we convince ourselves that Jerry isnt so bad or that we can manoeuvre around him. So we move on, only to curse ourselves later for not dealing with the issue. In this kind of situation, remember the following: Personnel problems that can be ignored during easy times can cause serious trouble in a tougher faster-moving, globalizing economy. 6. Building an Effective Team Based on Trust and a Common Goal Teamwork on a guiding change coalition can be created in many different ways. But regardless of the process used, one component is necessary: trust. When trust is present, you will usually be able to create teamwork. When it is missing, you wont. Trust is absent in many organizations. People who have spent their careers in a single department or division are often taught loyalty to their immediate group and distrust of the motives of others, even if they are in the same firm. Lack of communication and many other factors heighten misplaced rivalry. So the engineers view the salespeople with great suspicion, the German subsidiary looks at the American parent with disdain, and so on. When employees promoted up from these groups are asked to work together on a guiding coalition during a change effort, teamwork rarely comes easily because of the residual lack of trust. The resulting parochial game playing can prevent a needed transformation from taking place. This single insight about trust can be most helpful in judging whether a particular set of activities will produce the kind of team that is needed. If the activities create the mutual understanding, respect, and caring associated with trust, then youre on the right road. If they dont, youre not. Forty years ago, firms that tried to build teams used mostly in ­formal social activity. All the executives met one anothers families. Over golf, Christmas parties, and dinners, they developed relationships based on mutual understanding and trust. Family-oriented social activity is still used to build teams, but it has a number of serious drawbacks today. First, it is a slow process. Occasional activity that is not aimed primarily at team building can take a decade or more. Second, it works best in families with only one working spouse. In the world of dual careers, few of us have enough time for frequent social obligations in two different organizations. Third, this kind of group development process tends to exert strong pressures to conform. Political ideas, lifestyles, and hobbies are all pushed toward the mean. Someone who is different has to conform or leave. Groupthink, in the negative sense of the term, can be a consequence. Team building today usually has to move faster, allow for more diversity, and do without at-home spouses. To accommodate this reality, by far the most common vehicle used now is some form of carefully planned off-site set of meetings. A group of eight or twelve or twenty-four go somewhere for two to five days with the explicit objective of becoming more of a team. They talk, analyse, climb mountains, and play games, all for the purpose of increasing mutual understanding and trust. The first attempts at this sort of activity, about thirty years ago, were so much like a kind of quick-and-dirty group therapy that they often did not work. More recently, the emphasis has shifted to both more intellectual tasks aimed at the head and bonding activities aimed at the heart. People look long and hard at some data about the industry and then go sailing together. A typical off-site retreat involves ten to fifty people for three to six days. Internal staff or external consultants help plan the meeting. Much of the time is spent encouraging honest discussions about how individuals think and feel with regard to the organization, its problems and opportunities. Communication channels between people are opened or strengthened. Mutual understanding is enlarged. Intellectual and social activities are designed to encourage the growth of trust. Such team building outings much too often still fail to achieve results. Expectations are sometimes set too high for a single three day event, or the meeting is not planned with enough care or expertise. But the trend is clear. We are getting better at this sort of activity. For example: Division president Sam Johnson is trying to pull together a group of ten people into an effective change coalition for his consumer electronics business. They include his seven direct reports, the head of the one department in the division that will probably be at the center of the change effort, the executive VP at headquarters, and himself. With great difficulty, he schedules a Week-long meeting for all ten of them , start with a two-day Outward Bound type of activity, in which the group lives together outdoors for forty-eight hours and undertakes strenuous physical tasks like sailing and mountain climbing. During these two days, they get to know one another better and are reminded why team ­work is important. On days three to five, they check into a hotel, are given a great deal of data about the divisions competitors and customers, and are asked to produce a series of discussion papers on a tight time schedule. They work from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., mostly in ever-shifting, but not randomly chosen, subgroups. From 7:00 to 9:30 each evening they have dinner and talk about their careers, their aspirations, and other more personal topics. In the process, they get to know one another even better and begin to develop shared perspectives on their industry. The increased understanding, the relationships built on actual task achievement and the common perspectives all foster trust. Recognizing that this successful week-long activity is just the beginning of a process, Sam hosts another three-day event for the group a few months later. Two years after that, with turnover and promotions changing the makeup of his group, he puts together yet another carefully planned retreat. Just as important, in between these very visible activities, he takes dozens of actions designed to help build the trust necessary for teamwork. Rumours that might erode goodwill are confronted with lightning speed and accurate information. People who know each other least well are put together on other task forces. All ten are included as often as is prac ­tical in social activities. Q: Was this easy to do? A: Hardly. Two of the ten in this case were very independent individuals who couldnt fathom why they should all go climb mountains together. One was so busy that scheduling group activities seemed at times impossibility. One had a borderline big ego problem. Because of past events, two didnt get along well. Yet Sam managed to overcome all of this and develop an effective guiding coalition. I think he succeeded because he wanted very much for the division to do well, because he was convinced that major change was necessary to make the business a winner, and because he believed that that change couldnt happen without an effective guiding coalition. So in a sense, Sam felt he had no choice. He had to create the trust and teamwork. And he did. When people fail to develop the coalition needed to guide change, the most common reason is that down deep they really dont think a transformation is necessary or they dont think a strong team is needed to direct the change. Skill at team building is rarely the central problem. When executives truly believe they must create a team oriented guiding coalition, they always seem to find competent advisors who have the skills. Without that belief, even if they have the ability or good counsel, they dont take needed actions. Beyond trust, the element crucial to teamwork seems to be a common goal. Only when all the members of a guiding coalition deeply want to achieve the same objective does real teamwork become feasible. The typical goal that binds individuals together on guiding change coalitions is a commitment to excellence, a real desire to make their organizations perform to the very highest levels possible. Reengineering, acquisitions, and cultural change efforts often fail because that desire is missing. Instead, one finds people committed to their own departments, divisions, friends, or careers. Trust helps enormously in creating a shared objective. One of the main reasons people are not committed to overall excellence is that they dont really trust other departments, divisions, or even fellow executives. They fear, sometimes quite rationally, that if they obsessively focus their actions on improving customer satisfaction or reducing expenses, other departments wont do their fair share and the personal costs will skyrocket. When trust is raised, creating a common goal becomes much easier. Leadership also helps. Leaders know how to encourage people to transcend short-term parochial interests.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Dissertation Quality Essay Example for Free

Dissertation Quality Essay After perusing the reports on standards for different types of research, it appears that my particular dissertation should more or less be held to the highest possible standards, given the circumstances under which my research will be undertaken. The standards for quality that have been cited by the varying types of review boards have certain criteria that they share. Review boards vary mainly in the type of use that they make of the research that is submitted to them, and a large part of this variance is concerned with the availability of funds. Certain boards; like the National Science Board (NSB), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH); award sizable grants for particular research and therefore seem to have a higher degree of selectivity at the proposal level. In such a scenario, the greater part of the proposals submitted fail to be supported by these institutions and are (by default) considered of lower quality. Universities, on the other hand, are under much less of an obligation to fund dissertations and also have a more vested interest in improving the quality of proposals and dissertations submitted to their committees. Differences exist therefore because of the type of examining board to which research will be submitted. However, despite these differences, it has been found that the criteria for excellence that act as a benchmark for quality dissertations do possess similarities to those required by the various other types of research. Still, the methods of evaluation have also been found to emphasize certain criteria while de-emphasizing others. Though quality dissertations like mine usually end up being significantly longer, they are themselves generally structured in a manner similar to peer-reviewed journal articles. These products of research are expected to provide detailed explanation of the author’s thoughts and actions concerning the research from the moment of its conception through its implementation and analysis (NIH, 2001; NSB NSF, 1996; Straub, Ang Evaristo, 1994). Quality research (including dissertations) therefore contains focused information concerning the background to the question or problem being considered. My dissertation should also contain evidence of extensive research in the field of inquiry, usually demonstrated through a comprehensive literature review. The question of the research is also expected to be formulated in such a way as to facilitate direct empirical study, and the methods used should be presented in detail within the body of the research. Evidence of the statistical analysis of data should also be presented in elaborate form within the dissertation and the results subsequently discussed in detail. Finally, the major implications of the research should be reiterated, conclusions drawn, and recommendations given (2001; 1995; 1994). Despite the fact that the dissertation (like other forms of research) should follow this general pattern, certain value judgments concerning the quality of the product at each level must also be made. In general, the dissertations should be held to a standard dictating that the problem addressed within it be of some significance to the research field (NIH, 2001). This has been described as â€Å"an original and significant contribution† to the particular discipline, and demands that the research seek to expand or advance scientific knowledge in some definable way. The onus should be placed upon me (the presenter of the dissertation that seeks to be of true quality) to explicitly communicate how my research measures up to this standard. Through this measure my educational level will also be exposed, and further knowledge concerning my mastery of his area will also be gauged through my discussion of the literature that has been reviewed. This discussion should be measured according to the extent to which it demonstrates a high level of understanding of the material being dealt with, and such understanding is only enhanced by the recognition of gaps in research that the dissertation itself proposes to fill. Quality dissertations are also held to a high standard regarding the methodology chosen for the implementation of the study used to gain contemporary empirical data. The quality of my dissertation should therefore also be gauged according to this standard. As a researcher, I should be expected to adhere strictly to proper scientific methods, and express evidence must be given within the dissertation itself that this has been performed. Beyond this, however, most reports on research quality or eligibility make some reference to â€Å"intrinsic† or â€Å"intellectual merit† (NSB NSF, 1996; Lovitts, 2005). In fact, some review boards have given guidelines that appear Hippocratic in their nature—requiring not only that researchers practice good science and produce dissertations that add unique knowledge to the field, but also that they fulfill a pedagogical responsibility as well as contribute to the improvement of society (Comer, 2005; NSF, 1996). My dissertation must also be held to such a standard. Resources do play a big part in the ability to produce a meritorious dissertation. In fact, one particular report has mentioned a criterion that gauges the usefulness of the environment in the performance of the research associated with a dissertation (NIH, 2001). The availability of resources and technology that aid in research performance (or the availability of the funds necessary to procure these) will have a significant impact on how well my dissertation is written. Furthermore, the quality of my dissertation will also depend on the intellectual resources available to me—competent, qualified and knowledgeable professors and the access to journals and other scientific and peer-reviewed journals (Comer, 2005; Straub, Ang Evaristo, 1994). These variables take a great deal of money to fund, and their availability for use will actually depend on the researcher’s ability to attend a university that provides these resources. Some researchers have revealed a certain amount of skepticism when considering the methods employed for measuring the quality of research. These persons have indicated that the measured quality of research has the ability to change depending on the perspective from which it is scrutinized. Therefore, a dissertation which might appear â€Å"excellent† when viewed from one standpoint might be considered only â€Å"acceptable† when seen from another standpoint (Lovitts, 2005). Much of the merit granted to a dissertation (or resulting journal publication) depends on the reputation of the researcher, and this in turn can be gauged by a number of factors. Reports also suggest that the level of funding granted (or to be granted) has a bearing on the amount of scrutiny that a research product will undergo. However, it must be noted that reputation can be superficial. Substantial research might be overlooked because a rivaling product has been compiled by a researcher with a better-known name. Similarly, research might be given a high-quality label solely because it has been performed with the aid of a large grant. The reasoning behind this is that the grant would not have been awarded had the research idea not been highly original, innovative, and possessing of all the intellectual and pedagogical qualities named above. However, the point that such report-writers make is a valid one: that the quality of a dissertation should be judged not on such peripheral factors as the name of the researcher or grant amount, but on the intrinsic qualities of the actual research produced. My dissertation should be granted the same courtesy: it should be judged on the merit of its intrinsic qualities (as described in earlier paragraphs) rather than on other superficial variables. One particular report on the quality of dissertations has mentioned the label of â€Å"acceptable† being given to an otherwise high-quality dissertation because of the failure of the methods or the achievement of an unfavorable outcome. Specifically, one report has noted that â€Å"In experimental disciplines, otherwise good dissertations are considered acceptable when experiment(s) do not work out, and students get null or negative results† (Lovitts, 2005). It is therefore notably the case, sometimes, that theory and practice do not concur. In such a case, it appears that the quality of the dissertation is faulted (2005), though it is not certain why this should be definitively the case. Should theory and practice not concur in the execution of the experiments covered in my dissertation, consideration should be given to the value even of such a contradictory finding. Such a value would (and should) be emphasized within the dissertation itself. The scientific nature of research—even at the dissertation level—should admit all findings into the annals of research even (and perhaps especially) when practice contradicts theory. (This should, of course, be contingent on the proper performance of my experiment. Furthermore, it should also be considered that the ability to make theoretical ideas practical may be a limiting factor in experimentation. One example of this regards the ethical idea of informed consent, which works well in theory, but in practice sometimes harms the outcome of experiments (Bassett, Basinger, Livermore, 1992; Schrag, 1979). The quality of my dissertations should be measured according to my ability to provide creative and effective methods of dealing with any problems that arise from discrepancies between theory and methods. The considerations named above are applicable to me. Though some potential problems may no longer present a barrier to my completing a quality dissertation (as I have succeeded in procuring many of these resources) it must be noted that the standpoint from which my dissertation is viewed will likely have an effect on the perception of its quality. It is fair to base the quality of my dissertation on the efficacy and incisiveness of the research question and problem it addresses. It is also fair to judge its quality based on my competence, as will be revealed in my interaction with the literature reviewed. Furthermore, the methods I employ to implement the experiment must be sound and discussions insightful and comprehensive. However, research suggests that one should also consider the idea of bias, as a quality dissertation presented by certain researchers who (even within a university setting) may not be regarded as highly as others, might be overlooked or undervalued despite its innate value (2005). My dissertation should be treated with courtesy and valued as much on its intrinsic merit as possible.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Simulating Depth Of Field Effects Film Studies Essay

Simulating Depth Of Field Effects Film Studies Essay Depth of field effects: The distance between foreground and background is called depth of field. The depth of field is the distance in front and behind the point of focus. Objects outside of the depth of field are out of focus. In most cases, the depth of field extends one-third of its distance in front of the focal point, and two thirds its distance behind the focal point. Suppose a lens is focused at area, and lens required sharpness at X distance, and the subject is approximately at X distance, now if we move subject sometime near and far away from the camera at same position, than a very minute changes happen to sharpness . So in anywhere not in camera but our eyes also have some zone through which subject is acceptable sharp and that zone itself is the distance between the lens and the subject and that is called depth of field. However, due to limitations in the human eye, subjects that are slightly nearer to the lens and also subjects slightly further from the lens are perceived to be in focus. These below are the factors which affect more and less depth of field effects. More Depth of field effects Less depth of field effects To achieve more depth of field we have to use shorter focal length of lens. To achieve less depth ofd field effects we have to use longer focal length of lens. To achieve more depth of field we have to use small aperture size. To achieve less depth of field we have to use large aperture. Larger acceptable center of confusion (COC). Smaller acceptable center of confusion (COC). Distant plane of critical focus. Close plane of critical focus. Smaller film format. Larger film format. Focus split: Selecting near and far distance which need to be held equally and acceptably in focus and setting the focus distance to suit. Factors affecting Shallow depth of field effects in cameras High contrast lenses have less depth of field effects than the low contrast lens. Consequently, a smaller diameter of center of confusion should be used in depth of field calculation.(eg- 1/2000 instead of 1/1000 ) Lighting which sharply focused details, brightly lighted objects will appear to have less depth of field effects. The use of lens filter in between the lens and the subject, which will reduces maximum definition and make a greater degree of soft focus. As usual but very common, depth of field effects situation arises with uses of wide angle lens at moderate focus distance.( for e.g. 3ft to 12 ft) Object at infinity: This is occur especially when photographed using long focal length lens( more than 55 mm lenses) trend to appear tend to appear soft because of atmospheric elements(like moisture, smoke, dust, haze, smog). There is solution too for such situation that is only either use HAZE filters available in market or using light yellow filters to increase contrast and sharpness in film. This affects when you filming or photographing in any hilly area, mountain area, beaches, waterfall, or any natural area sometime forest too). In case of shutter release Priority: A fast shutter speed used in photography in order to capture fast moving object( e.g. like if you want to take a shot of moving car), whereas a slow shutter speed used to create blur effects on fast moving object( for e.g. a fast moving car in night and you want to capture back light of car as beam using slow shutter speed) , so therefore a fast shutter speed requires a larger aperture size lets say (f1/16or f/11 ) which allow small amount of light to enter the lens hence it extended depth of field effects and in case of slow shutter speed requires small aperture lets say (f2.8, or f2) which allow more light to enter the camera and hence it produce shallow depth of field effects. When aperture is more open than it allows more light to enter the camera and fall on camera CCD, hence to control amount of light we need a more shutter speed to accumulate and to prevent the photograph from over exposed. A telephoto lens gives you a narrow depth of field effects, by moving a lens as close as to the subject and use largest aperture size of camera lens, while to get the large depth of field use Wide angle lens and move your camera and lens as far as possible and use small aperture size. The degree of magnification that the image may be subjected to when shown or projected close or near to the audience sheet to the screen. I mean to say that when Audience close to a cinema screen will be more aware of soft focus than those who are far away from the cinema screen. Focus Bias: This can occur when one subject is in focus and rest is in out of focus like in case of macro photography with small aperture and long focal length for eg a 200 mm lens with aperture value of 2.8 or 2.0. Effects of aperture and the depth of field: The depth of field effects is being controlled by lens aperture value. If you increase the f-number than depth of field effects also increased but decrease the amount of light entering to the camera and when you decrease the f-number than depth of field effects also decreased (it gives shallow depth of field effect). In motion picture its very limited use of it. Generally cinematographer take a single aperture settings for a shot and for another shot they choose another setting as par locality and they adjust exposure settings with the help of light meter device which tells actuall amount of light presents in that area. Aperture settings and exposure settings are changed more frequently in still cameras than motion picture cameras. In photography and cinematography, variation in depth of field effects used to create various kinds of special effects. Camera movement and the depth of field effects: In film making, a person who looks and takes care of responsibility of lens changing, filter changing, point to focus, maintaining depth of field, setting focal length is known as focus-puller. Focus-puller is one of the assistant person in shooting crew members or camera man. A good focus-puller has very adequate and vast knowledge of cinematography. He has to focus and shift focus smoothly in such a manner that audience cant find jerk on them. In film industry most hard job is of focus puller. He has to perform his duty very accurately because suppose if any role given to actor to act on that, and he done that, but while recording focus puller didnt check focal length and filter than actor has to act again. Doing reshot is tough to achieve same expression what he achieved in previous shot. So this was example how much focus puller important to the cinematography. His work is more technical rather than creative. He has to keep in mind all the guidelines given by the director of phot ography during shooting a shot. Cameras depth of field limits The sharpness of depth of field can be increased by decreasing by Center of confusion, but its not as easy to decrease because it also has some disadvantage that is motion blur and diffraction. As we know center of confusion has inversely relation with f-number like a smaller center of confusion need a greater f number, but need a long exposure time. if we increase f-number than diffraction also increases which will soften or soft all the part of image, thus image will no longer be in sharp. The f-number which will overcome from center of confusion is the minimum acceptable sharpness value. If we increase f- number than the sharpness at limited depth of field improved. As we know there is also maximum f-numbers through which sharpness of depth of field in image gets over. The best f-number should be chosen in between of minimum and maximum f-numbers. Depth of field and Macro or close-up: One of the main difficulties with close-up photography is that keeping the image enough in focus. The closer the lens focuses, the less depth of field you have. When using a macro lens at its maximum magnification, depth of field may only extend a fraction of an inch. With floral close-ups, a small aperture is almost always needed, but even so, it is important that the lens focuses on a key focal point in the composition, since not in the entire frame. Depth of field and shooting on bright hot afternoon: While shooting at outdoor especially in day light, the director of photography may wish to reduce amount of light and the depth of field for a close-up shot. For reducing light, a very good filter available called neutral density filter commonly known as ND filter. Suppose the light meter indicating F/22 but we have till f/16, than ND filter play a very important role. This will reduce the amount of light entering to the camera and enable you to shoot on bright sunny day. On other case, if the director of photography wants a close-up shot, and you have to reduce your depth of field, because by reducing depth of field, it will out of focused the background and puts more importance to the subject or highlight the subject. Circle of confusion While shooting the film, the focus puller must be know that which part of scene should be sharp, so therefore we need something to measure the sharpness of image in relative to film limits of the eyes resolution at the time of viewing or at time of projection on screen. For example: if a image is captured through 35 mm film projected at theater, audience must be at distance of 1/3 back from screen. Now we know that eye resolving power is 1 minute of arc. From audience I mean 1/3 back from screen, the smallest size of a dot appearing on a screen which is in perfectly focused or sharp. Now we can easily measures the distance between audience and the screen through any inch tape, from screen the previous sharpen dot which appeared smallest at back now that will be largest dot from the screen, the arc of 1 minute comes up with physical dimension on the screen for the largest dot that the audience previously seen as a smaller sharp point. Figure 1 (need to put a diagram over here) Now the diameter of dot on screen is not actual size of dot, to find actual size of dot we have to calculate diameter of big dot appearing on screen, than we have to divide with enlargement factor needs to bring the size of our 33 mm film up to size of our cinema screen or projected area. This will bring the size of maximum or big dot. When lens is focused at infinity: If any point is focused from the infinity, the distance between plane of focus and the lens become the focal length of the lens. How image size varies at different points behind the camera lens: Figure 2 (need to put a diagram over here) You can see the image is not at extract plane of focus. The image was there somewhere after plane of focus. So in this case size the dot size forming big. Now imagine if the audience sees this dot size sharpen, clearly in focus, than we can easily calculate the amount of sharpness in which part of overall image looks sharp. Near and far points of focus: Figure 3 (need to put a diagram over here) In this case point B creating a sharp image on image plane or plane of focus, while point A creating image after crossing image plane or plane of focus, which means out of focus or blur or less sharpen image. Conclusion: In film plane, both near object and far away object (Lets take Point A and Point B) expanded and become confused to larger dot than the original dot. Hence this is the circle of confusion. Figure 4 (need to put a diagram over here) Thus, a center of confusion (COC) is the diameter of largest dot which is still considers being sharp, focused, and also seen by the audience in Film Theater when it projected on screen. Focus Split: Focus split is selecting the near and far distance which need to be held equally and acceptably in-focus and setting the focus distance to suit. Lets take x as the distance of near object from the camera lens Lets take y as the distance of far away object from the camera lens Than what could be the focus area? Hyper focal Distance: Hyper focal distance is maximum depth of field that starts from infinity to the camera. If a lens is set to hyper focal distance, than the depth of field effects is half of hyper focal distance from infinity. Hyper focal distance is the distance in which lens is focused at infinity, so that the object in background and foreground both will be at sharper focused. Hyper focal distance depends on many factors, some of like Focal length of the camera lens The aperture f- value Diameter of circle of confusion Hyper Focal distance = (FL2) f X COC Where FL means focal length, f-number means aperture size and COC means circle of confusion After knowing hyper focal distance, its easy to calculate near and far point Near point depth of field = H X S H+(S-F) Far point depth of field = H X S H-(S-F) Where H = Hyper focal distance value S = Distance from camera to the subject F = Focal length of camera lens COC = Circle of confusion Focus Bias: Focus bias occurs when one object is in focus and rest is in out of focus (for e.g like in case of macro photography, with larger aperture and longh focal length, i.e f 2.8 with 200 mm focal length) In cinematography, focus plane yet depth of field effects is calculated using the entrance puple position of

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Moby Dick or White Whale :: essays research papers

Ishmael, the narrator, announces his intent to ship aboard a whaling vessel. He has made several voyages as a sailor but none as a whaler. He travels to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he stays in a whalers’ inn. Since the inn is rather full, he has to share a bed with a harpooner from the South Pacific named Queequeg. At first repulsed by Queequeg’s strange habits and shocking appearance, Ishmael eventually comes to appreciate the man’s generosity and kind spirit, and the two decide to seek work on a whaling vessel together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They take a ferry to Nantucket, the traditional capital of the whaling industry. There they secure work on the Pequod, a savage-looking ship adorned with the bones and teeth of sperm whales. Peleg and Bildad, the Pequod’s Quaker owners, drive a hard bargain in terms of salary. They also mention the ship’s mysterious captain, Ahab, who is still recovering from losing his leg in an encounter with a sperm whale on his last voyage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Pequod leaves Nantucket on a cold Christmas Day with a crew made up of men from many different countries and races. Soon the ship is in warmer waters, and Ahab makes his first appearance on deck, balancing gingerly on his false leg, which is made from a sperm whale’s jaw. He announces his desire to pursue and kill Moby Dick, the legendary great white whale who took his leg, because he sees this whale as the embodiment of evil. Ahab nails a gold doubloon to the mast and declares that it will be the prize for the first man to sight the whale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the Pequod sails toward the southern tip of Africa, whales are sighted and unsuccessfully hunted. During the hunt, a group of men, none of whom anyone on the ship’s crew has seen before on the voyage, emerges from the hold. The men’s leader is an exotic-looking man named Fedallah. These men constitute Ahab’s private harpoon crew, smuggled aboard in defiance of Bildad and Peleg. Ahab hopes that their skills and Fedallah’s prophetic abilities will help him in his hunt for Moby Dick.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Pequod rounds Africa and enters the Indian Ocean. A few whales are successfully caught and processed for their oil. From time to time, the ship encounters other whaling vessels. Ahab always demands information about Moby Dick from their captains. One of the ships, the Jeroboam, carries Gabriel, a crazed prophet who predicts doom for anyone who threatens Moby Dick.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Lessons about Writing in the Works of Various Artists Essay -- essays

Most recently, I have read several powerful essays in Exploring Language, by Gary Goshgarian, which give straightforward advice about becoming a better writer. One such essay is ?Writing for an Audience,? by Linda Flower. She believes that a good piece of writing closes the gap between the reader and the writer. Another essay that I will be looking at is Getting Started,? by Anne Lamott. She believes that good writing is about telling the truth. Patricia T. O?Conner wrote an interesting essay titled ?Saying is Believing.? In it, she tells us that a good writer is one that you can read without breaking a sweat. Which leads me to the final essay that has helped influence my writing style, ?How to Write with Style,? by Kurt Vonnegut. He contends that your own winning style must begin with ideas in your mind. The essays written by Flower, Lamott, O?Conner and Vonnegut have supplied me with a multitude of lessons and advice, so that I may improve my writing skills and engage my reader better. The first thing that struck me as important is that the writing style must change to meet the different needs and demands of the individual reader. Linda Flower states in her essay, ?Writing for an Audience,? that ?a good piece of writing closes the gap between you and the reader? (156). Before I knew this, I tended to write for an audience of robots, while I now understand that my reader?s have unique faces and personalities of their own. In her essay, Ms. Flower gives concise explanations of my audience?s needs. What does my reader?s need to know? Can they easily digest what I am writing about? What is my audience?s attitude towards my subject matter? For example, I?m going to write an essay about my dog. First, I need to d... ...l quickly loose interest and almost immediately toss my work aside for something more thought provoking. My goal is to continue learning how to improve my writing. Each essay brought valuable information that I will continue to use throughout my college years and beyond. I found it intriguing that some of the essays conveyed the same lesson, an example, ?Writing With Style,? Mr. Vonnegut stresses that language is very important within an essay, Ms Flower concurs with this advice in ?Writing for an Audience.? The essays written by Flower, Lamott, O?Conner and Vonnegut have supplied me with a multitude of lessons and advice so that I may improve my writing skills and engage my reader better. In conclusion, I would like to say with Patricia O?Conner that, ?[a] good writer can express an extremely complicated idea clearly and make the job look effortless? (180).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Playdough, Paperweight, Snowball: An Analysis of the Bell Jar Essay

â€Å"I saw the years of my life spaced along a road in the form of telephone poles, threaded together by wires. I counted one, two, three †¦ nineteen poles, and then the wires dangled into space, and try as I would, I couldn’t see a single pole beyond the nineteenth.†(Plath 123) This quote fully embodies the whole mood of the book, The Bell Jar by Silvia Plath. The main character Esther is constantly at war with herself, she can’t figure out what to work towards or where her life is going. She is unable to see past the nineteenth post in her life, it’s as if her life was never supposed to move on. This mind set pushes Esther into a deep depression and drives her to attempt suicide many times. In the novel Ester Greenwood, a young aspiring writer, battles a war within herself everyday. She starts out high on life; she was one of the winners of a writing contest so she is living in New York experiencing a very affluent lifestyle. Her life is as colorful and wonderful as brand new Play Dough. Then one day she realizes she is no longer herself, she is trapped in an image that others have molded. She stops and thinks, who am I? Where am I going? What am I doing with my life? Much like that wad of Play Dough she too wore out, she was now dull, hardened, and futureless. Though it is still called Play Dough, it no longer serves the same purpose or is anything like its old self. Simply a shell of the girl she once was she no longer has her old friends, she didn’t make it into her college honors writing class, and she cant even bring herself to write anymore. Battling a civil war daily wore Esther down farther and farther until there was nothing left of her soul. For Esther the troubling question was no longer just who am I? It was a much more serious question of why am I here? Why am I alive? She has a very hard time getting through each day, â€Å"I couldn’t see the point of getting up. I had nothing to look forward to.† (Plath 117). She doesn’t know what to do with herself, she tries to learn new things, but she can’t stay focused for more than a few mere minutes. She is convinced that she will amount to nothing, that her life is going nowhere, and she will be a paperweight for the rest of her life. She is so disgusted with who she is and her life she can no longer stand to live in her own skin, she always feels as if there is something inside her that she wants to kill. â€Å"But when it came right down to it, the skin of my wrist looked so white and defenseless that I couldn’t do it. It was as if what I wanted to kill wasn’t in that skin or the thin blue pulse that jumped under my thumb, but somewhere else, deeper, more secret, and a whole lot harder to get.† (Plath 147) She attempts many times to end her life, but she always makes it out alive and well. Nobody knows what to do with her so they try some treatments, but those don’t work so she is placed in a special facility. Stuck in this asylum she goes up and down, she gains freedom but then has a relapse and it right back to square one all over again. After many hard years of wanting to die and hating herself, she finally finds people she trusts and it starts to get better. â€Å"All the heat and fear had purged itself. I felt surprisingly at peace. The bell jar hung suspended a few feet above my head. I was open to the circulating air. † (Plath 215). In this quote Esther speaks about the bell jar lifting above her, throughout the entire book it was on her, suffocating her, but finally it had lifted and she could start living again. She starts over like a rolling snowball, starting small yet gaining more trust and confidence by the second; before she realizes it she is a huge snow boulder rolling gaining speed, size, and confidence. A major theme in the novel is places of entrapment. Whether it is Esther feeling trapped within her own body, or if she is trapped in a hospital she is always under something. â€Å"The more hopeless you were, the further away they hid you.† (Plath 160). At the beginning Esther is forced into going to many events at various places whether it’s a luncheon or a fashion show. From there she goes back home which ends up being almost like solitary confinement. She is bounded in a lifestyle that is very different from her own. Her mother was constantly trying to teach her shorthand, a skill which Esther has no wish to learn. Also when at home she finds herself unable to sleep. This traps her in the world of thinking, which works against her because of where her life is. This is where her depression first starts, and it takes he life on a downward spiral. After many suicidal attempts Esther is put into a psychological hospital. She moves from hospital to hospital, but for years she is always under rule of doctors in nurses. Plath used many things to convey the feeling of suffocating under pressure throughout the book. Though Plath wrote an entire book through the eyes of a depressed young woman, she still kept the book easy to read. The book flowed well from scene to scene. It kept the reader wondering if Esther was going to break out of her depression or if she was finally going to succeed and end up ending her life. She uses complex yet easy to understand wording that a wide range of readers can comprehend. â€Å"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.'† (Plath 90). This quote not only shows how Plath created a novel easily read but it shows how there was hope; Esther did have the capacity to feel happiness, she was capable of living a happy life. The struggle through the book was if she was going to overcome her illness, or be consumed by it. Plath wrote an in depth story about a young woman suffering through depression. Though the topic was no happy in any way, Plath kept it light and hopeful. Keeping the reader always wondering if she was going to get better. Also, she it was so descriptive with her writing that the reader felt like he could relate with Esther. Overall, The Bell Jar is a very well written book that can be read easily. It leaves one with the feeling of hope, and believing any situation can heal. â€Å"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.† (Plath 243).

Monday, September 16, 2019

Metabical Case Essay

Metabical is revolutionary product and forecasted to be the first FDA approved prescriptive drug for overweight individuals with weight-loss goals. The previous prescriptive drugs have a negative side effects that out weighed its positives. Metabical, on the other hand, did not display as many negative effects in its trail runs and thus was being strongly endorsed by the medical community. The current weight-loss drugs can be classified as prescriptive drugs or over the counter remedies. OTC drugs were not as a popular among overweight individuals due to lack of regulation and safety concerns. OTC drugs lost out to diet plans, exercise plans and meal replacement/ weight management products, as they were safer options. The only drug that was approved by the FDA for over-weight individuals was Alli. Alli used to block the body’s absorption of fat, leading to weight loss. However, it had a lot of side effects, which could cause dangerous medical situations. Metabical, on the other hand, was a dual layer, controlled release formulation. It acted as an appetite suppressant and also had a fat blocker and calorie absorption agent. The over-all product was far superior in achieving weight-loss, over its competitors, for over weight indiciduals but not for obese and severely obsess individuals. Therefore, Merabical was aunique product, which was focuses towards a particular segment of the market, the over weight segment. It was the first of its kind and had that advantage. There were other products, but they were not as popular in the market segment Metabical was targeting. It was pictured as a low-risk, high returns drug and had built good support in the medical community, who were needed to prescribe this drug. 2. What are the pros & cons of the forecasting methods presented by Printup? If you had to estimate demand for this product, how would you go about it? What would your demand (unit) forecast look like for the first 5 years? Answer: In her first approach forecasted demand by looking at the number of overweight individuals in the United States and narrowing down that population to those who were actively trying to lose weight. She felt those potential users should be narrowed to the 15% of those who were comfortable  with weight-loss drugs. The second approach specifically addressed consumer interest in a prescription weight-loss drug for the overweight and 12% were ready to go to their health care provider to request a prescription. The third approach was the target market. Even though Metabical would be attractive to all overweight individuals, Printup established a primary target for the purpose of developing a communications strategy. The ideal Metabical consumer was found to be overweight females, age 35 to 65, who were college-educated. All those three methods seem well-structured and provide the reasonable ways to project the demand for Metabical. However, the problem was method one and three were based on assumptions. Before making any recommendations, she must explore and analyse the assumptions to see if it’s true. She must also guarantee that the three models must be achievable before proceeding in with the new product. Focus not only on the ideal target market, statistics says more males would be interested in weight loss products, therefore it would be better if Printup could expand the target market. I would probably recommend to go for the third forecast as dataonly focused on our targeted market. In five year there would be about 50% of targeted population captured in this market. 3. What considerations should be taken into account when making decisions about the package count? What package size would you recommend? Answer:   Printup said that the standards for prescription drug dosing rang from one week supply to a three month supply. The 12 week pricing tag would be too much for some targeted individuals financially. They must have a breakeven/ balance for the pricing and the 12 week supply of the weight loss drug. (ie. You will be able to achieve optimal weight loss within 12 weeks of the drug, however paying for 12 weeks of the product is out of some people’s wage.) In the case, Printup decided that the design of the packaging should be â€Å"blister† style package, which will allow patients to see each pill and keep track of the dosing. So I think the best strategy is the 4 week to 6 week package that could allow patients to refill once or twice.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Week 2 APA Paper

The Industrial Revolution would usher in a new era type and publication, particular with Lord Stanhope†s invention of the all cast-iron printing press, doubling the usable paper size and drastically reducing the use of normal labor. In 1810 the halftone process was developed, allowing for the first photo to be printed on a range of full tones. This in turn introduced a wave of sensationalist tabloids and the launch of a new craze: celebrities.Tabloids like the New York Daily News and the New York Daily Mission prohibited photo spreads [sometimes real, sometimes manipulation] of stars like Rudolph Valentino with eminence success. One reason that it was so successful was that it reduced the manpower it took to run the press and all though movie stars sure loved those new presses. These days, our lives are much easier than before, from new inventions such as cell phones and ‘pods. But to answer this question I have to go to the books.As technology advanced and mass productio n flourished, cities in Europe and the United States grew rapidly as people sought employment in factories. Political power shifted from the aristocracy, to the capitalist manufactories, merchants, and the working class. The capitalist replaced the landowner as the most powerful force in the western world. Investing in machines for mass manufacturing became the basic for change and industry. As this supply and demand became the force behind the output. It was a time for optimism and wealth, but not without it's social cost.Long thirteen-hour days, unsanitary and filthy living conditions, women and children among the workforce, overproduction, economic depression, and the loss of Jobs due to new improvement in technology took their tolls. Critics of this new industrial age declared that civilization was shifting from humanist values to a preoccupation with material goods. But with all this new technology, public education, literacy flourished nd the need for reading material became m ore important and widely available.Mass production of goods brought with it an overpowering need for mass communications. The nature of visual information was profoundly changed. A greater range of typographic sizes for broadsides and letterforms exploded. The nineteenth century was a prolific period for type face design and brought about such new classifications as egyption and sanserif, as well as outrageously decorative and novelty type faces.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Symphony No in Cm

There are many similarities between Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C Minor and Mozart Symphony no. 40 In G Minor. For example, both works have extremely recognizable motives. These works have been played on commercials, In advertising, and in places most people can't even pinpoint. One of the main reasons is that these works carry strong motives that reoccur both rhythmically and melodically throughout the pieces. The opening four notes to Beethoven's work may possibly be the most recognizable in all of music history.Throughout this entire piece, you hear the repetition and imitative polyphony of these four notes resounding throughout every section. The French horns bellow this motive during the development section, which creates a grandiose feeling Into the next section. Mozart Is not quite as demanding in his use of these motives, but rhythmically speaking it is very present. The repeating rhythm of two eighth notes and a stressed quarter note can be heard all throughout. They both use harmonic minor to ensure a stronger V to I resolution.Without this â€Å"raised† note, the progression Is Just not as convincing. They both depict the new style of Classical music by employing more dynamics; the long crescendos In the building string lines create a more dramatic effect when reaching the climax of the phrase. Where as they both use the V to I cadence for a driving effect, Beethoven uses the diminished chord very effectively in some of his abrupt stops. The listener is left totally in suspense as to what will come next. Beethoven's use of a motive Is unfailing.Almost every phrase Is an answer or imitation either directly reciprocating the previous melody or rhythm In every orchestral section. This creates more of a sense of urgency to get to the end of the lines. He also uses his orchestra a bit more effectively. From the opening sequence of notes bowed with severity in the low octaves of the stringed instruments, the listener is left with a feeling of inte nsity about the piece. Mozart orchestration sounds a bit more â€Å"light and airy. † He uses many scales and runs that resemble a â€Å"nicer sound almost from the Baroque era.It reminds me of listening to contrapuntal lines from a Bach Fugue; the virtuosity Is there, but the passionate and emotional feelings are Mozart use of the brass section is not as big and pompous as Beethoven's is. French horns really stand out in Beethoven's work; It gives a more poignant sound that is different from the driving string sections. Whereas horns cannot be nearly as virtuosic in running lines, it is extremely effective to use them to bolster the grand theme heard. However, both composers utilize their woodwinds sections effectively.With the opening themes primarily driven by strings, they both translator towards the middle of the pieces to sweeter melodies carried by the flutes and clarinets. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 In C Minor resonates more with me than does the other piece. It defi nes the minor tonality more distinctly and makes it more of a moody piece, which I prefer more. I like his string writing more than that of the Mozart piece. I really enjoy hearing the basses come above the top of the ensemble ND dominate the sections.This, of course, may be why I am a bass player at heart. I chances for a change in emotion. In movie scores, they use the big fully diminished chord spelled out in the entire orchestra as a suspense hanger; he does the same thing in these giant crescendos and immediate stops. At one point, the piece modulates into its relative major which creates a sense of completion. Mozart doesn't do this; it sounds like a series of scales and runs that never comes to full fruition of a climax.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Character Analysis Of Hamlet

Character Analysis Of Hamlet Hamlet is very brave in that he does not fear a challenge. Hamlet at times can prove to be very cautious, at times he thinks when he should act, however when you are king there can be advisors for such matters. â€Å"Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man.† (William Shakespeare, â€Å"Hamlet†, Act 1 Scene 3) Many times in history leaders should have thought, when instead they acted on impulse, for example Odysseus, from â€Å"The Odyssey† when he and his men escaped the island of the Cyclops instead of tucking his tail and being happy with his slight victory after taking numerous loses, he instead taunted the Cyclops and brought harm near his crew and to himself. For Odysseus di d not know that the father of this monster was the water god Poseidon. Odysseus like all heroes, his main downfall was hubris, and because Hamlet thinks so before he acts he avoids mistakes like this adding to his attributes as a good leader. He can also be as brave as Hercules, for instance when he travels to see the Ghost of his father for the first time, he could have sunk back and ran from the very sight of it, but instead he ran after it and confronted the Ghost and demanded answers. He did not fear what he could not understand as his companions that accompanied him did, instead he was assertive and got to the bottom of the matter. Another account when Hamlet showed quick thinking and bravery was when he intercepted a letter from his Uncle Claudius to the King of England ordering the death of Hamlet on his arrival to England, instead of running and hiding Hamlet used his wits and changed the letter from his head to be had to that of his deliverers. Then in a challenge of swords by Laretes, known to be one of the very best swordsman in his land, Hamlet does not back down. Hamlet takes the challenge head on proving his worth in battle. The fact that Hamlet is his father’s son is very important, he was there behind his father always watching and observing how a king did and should behave, he saw his father’s bravery and his mistakes and Hamlet could use all these experiences to make himself a better king even better than his father. He is of a bloodline of kings, a tradition that is to be kept and Hamlet would have been next in line. The job of taking the throne was in his blood when he assumed the responsibility, ready or not he would have known what to do. â€Å"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.† (William Shakespeare, â€Å"Hamlet†, Act 2 scene 2)