A Debate Between Oedipus and Socrates on the Role of Fate

Background A very important debate that runs in our society is the role of fate in the life of a person. Many philosophers have chosen to highlight the importance of fate while many others, especially those with a scientific bent of mind, have chosen to ignore the role of fate. Many people, especially scientists, believe that fate is non-existent and that a man writes his won destiny. They believe that a man’s industry creates his fate and that there are other forces that determine the progression of his life. They cite the lives of great men and women, who had defied fate and had made a name for themselves in the society. They believe that a person must use his skills and his resources and fight against all odds to become successful in†¦show more content†¦Fate is only an imaginary belief that society and culture has bestowed on us. If we look at the origin of humans, we cans see that there was nothing like fate. Man lived his life according to instincts and completed his life cycle as his instincts told him to do so. When culture and civilizations made their mark in the world, they unfortunately also brought in a lot of limitation that has always strived to hold us back. Fate is one such belief that seeks to restrain us and keep us tied to what the society needs out of us. Oedipus: Sir, I beg to differ. The course of my life will always show you that I have lived all my life in fear of my fate. At every turn of my life, I have tried to avoid the prophecy that always hung above my head. For example, I ran away from my foster parents during my childhood years fearing that the prophecy of killing my father and marrying my mother would become true. And look what happened. Fate eventually took me to my parents and with the help of my ill-fated luck I fought and won against my own father whom I killed. Worse, fate made me marry my mother and mad me to beget my children from her. What other than fate could conquer the mighty Oedipus who had the world under his feet? What would not have I conquered if there was nothing like fate? Why did fate make me commit the grossest sins in the world? Even after I committed those sins why did fate make those facts publicShow MoreRelatedFate and Destiny7886 Words   |  32 Pages26-FEB-07 9:49 Fate and Destiny: Some Historical Distinctions between the Concepts Richard W. Bargdill Saint Francis University Abstract There has been a great deal of attention given to the â€Å"free will versus determinism† debate. However, little attention has been paid to the most common expressions from this controversy—people’s everyday experience of fate and destiny. In fact, fate and destiny are terms that are often used as synonyms as if there were no differences between the two words. ThisRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesor goal. In this sense, humans are free to choose their own destiny.   * is a philosophical term which asserts that there is a distinction between essential and non-essential (contingent or accidental) characteristics of an object. Essentialism assumes that objects have essences and that an object’s identity is its essence. Aristotle distinguished between an object’s essence and its existence. Its essence is â€Å"what a thing is.† Its essence is â€Å"that a thing is.† An object’s essence is the collectionRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesChapter 6 deals with the nature of man. Starting from the premise that man is a microcosm, the author opens with an enumeration of the characteristics which make man superior to all other creatures (pp 40-41). He then gives the familiar correspondences between the parts of the human body and those of the macrocosm. Though at first there are only reminiscences of the lhwà ¢n al-Safà ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, we soon find whole pages together which are identical with t hat work, and, in part, with the work edited by Goldziher as TheRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesSupplement C Conducting Meetings 651 Appendix I Glossary 673 Appendix II References 683 Name Index 705 Subject Index 709 Combined Index 713 iii This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Preface xvii INTRODUCTION 1 3 THE CRITICAL ROLE OF MANAGEMENT SKILLS The Importance of Competent Managers 6 The Skills of Effective Managers 7 Essential Management Skills 8 What Are Management Skills? 9 Improving Management Skills 12 An Approach to Skill Development 13 Leadership and Management

The Trail Of Tears The Rise And Fall Of The Cherokee Nation

Most Americans have at least some vague image of the Trail of Tears, but not very many know of the events that led to that tragic removal of several thousand Indians from their homeland. Indian lands were held hostage by the states and the federal government, and Indians had to agree to removal to preserve their identity as tribes. Trail of Tears is an excellent snapshot of a particular situation and will be eye opening to those who are not familiar with the story of the southern tribes and their interactions with the burgeoning American population. The Trail of Tears has become the symbol in American history that signifies the callousness of American policy makers toward American Indians in 1839 and 1839. The book The Trail of Tears: The Rise and fall of the Cherokee Nation, by John Ehle presents the full history of a Native American democratic state, the Cherokee Nation. Like the United States, it was born in bloodshed, but instead of enduring, it grew for only a few years and then was destroyed by President Andrew Jackson and the government of the state of Georgia. Ehle includes a great deal of primary sources, such as letters, journal excerpts, military orders, and the like, that serve to enrich the story. In Trail of Tears, John Ehle sketches the people and events that led to the infamous Trail of Tears, the removal of the Cherokee Nation to â€Å"Indian Territory† where they would â€Å"never† be bothered by whites again. Ehle’s bias is evident in the title; the â€Å"rise† ofShow MoreRelatedThe Trail Of Tears : The Rise And Fall Of The Cherokee Nation1315 Words   |  6 Pages Most Americans have at least some vague understanding of the Trail of Tears, but not many know about the events that led to that tragic removal of thousands of Indians from their homeland. Indian lands were held hostage by the states and the federal government. The Indians had to agree to removal to maintain their tribe identities. Trail of Tears is an excellent example of a particular situation and will be eye opening to those who are not familiar with the story of the southern tribes and theirRead MoreTrail of Tears: Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle1049 Words   |  5 PagesUS History to 1877 Trail of Tears: Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle Having little knowledge of the Cherokee removal and the history that took place in this moment in America’s past, the book Trail of Tears: Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle, offers an insight to the politics, social dynamics and class struggles the Cherokee Nation faced in the late 1830s. The book was very comprehensive and the scope of the book covers nearly 100 years of Native American HistoryRead MoreBook Review for Trail of Tears: the Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle822 Words   |  4 PagesINED 411 Book Review Trail of Tears The authors’ name of the book called Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation is John Ehle. Trail of Tears was published in the United States by Anchor Books, a division of random house, New York and in Canada. This book was published in September 22, 1989. This book has 424 pages. John Ehle is more than qualified to write on this subject. He has wrote over seventeen books, his first book was published in 1957 so he has over 30 yearsRead MoreThe Trail Of Tears By James Collins1452 Words   |  6 PagesDonald West History 201 December 1, 2015 TRAIL OF TEARS The trail of tears is also referred to as the period of Indian s removal. It was a period where Native Americans in the U.S were forcefully relocated following the removal of Indian Removal Act of 1830. Those who were forcibly moved were from Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, and Chickasaw and Choctaw nations in the southern U.S, an area initially referred to as the Indian Territory. Migration from Cherokee nation had begun in the early 1800’s whereRead MoreIndian Betrayal Essay example1211 Words   |  5 Pagesconcerning the American Indian that are filled with betrayal, but there is probably none more cruel and shameful as the removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838. Blood thirsty for money and property, the white settlers would soon use dirty methods to drive the Cherokee out of their home- lands. The United States government played a critical role in the removal of the Cherokee. â€Å"Soon the state governments insisted on the removal of the native peoples, who were alrea dy out numbered by the white settlersRead MoreThe Way the Cherokee Have Lived Through Good and Bad Times Essay3030 Words   |  13 Pages Way The Cherokee have live through good time and some bad time The American Indian History of the United States is always associated with the Cherokee Indian nation. The Cherokees were by far the largest and most advanced of the tribes. This man was Hernando de Soto was the first European explorer to come into contact with the Cherokees, when he arrived in their territory in 1540. Then he went and came in contact with Native Americans Cherokees since many of their ways and customsRead MoreIndian Removal Research Paper : Eric Powell1899 Words   |  8 Pagesof Indian culture with diminutive weal. The Nation known today as the United States of America has a foundational structure built on beliefs and forms of government that derived from Native American culture; so extinguishing Indians from existence is nonsensical. Although it did not happen overnight the removal of the American Indians from the eastern tribes was forced upon them because of greed, and caused extreme suffering for the Indians. The Cherokee had developed an economic system long beforeRead MoreEssay on Southeastern Native American Literature1215 Words   |  5 PagesStates is deeply rooted in the oral traditions of the various tribes that have historically called that region home. While the tribes most integrally associated with the Southeastern U.S. in the American popular mind--the FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole)--were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) from their ancestral territories in the American South, descendents of those tribes have created compelling literary works that have keptRead MoreThe Impact of the Indian Removal Act on Eastern Native American Tribes2203 Words   |  9 PagesPresident Jackson abused the rights provided to Native Americans under the act, which meant they were not given legal protection when they were being oppressed by white settlers or the government. The passage of the Indian Removal Act also led to t he Trail of Tears, which led to the decimation of several eastern Native American tribes. President Jackson took action which extended beyond the power given to him by the Indian Removal Act and infringed upon the rights given to Native Americans under the legislationRead MoreThe Exploitation Of Black Labor Essay1514 Words   |  7 Pagesgives a title which the Courts of the conqueror cannot deny . . .† Id. In Johnson and similar cases, courts established whiteness as a prerequisite to the exercise of enforceable property rights. Id. at 1724. Not all first possession or labor gave rise to property rights; rather, the rules of first possession and labor as a basis for property rights were qualified by race. Id. This fact infused whiteness with significance and value because it was solely through being white that property could be

Evaluation and Impact Higher Education †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the . Answer: Port operations have been greatly influenced by the increase in global market and trade. Many ports handle goods that arrive from international markets and this calls for efficient operations as well as adequate capacity for these goods, not forgetting to mention the huge responsibility of manpower around the ports. This answer is correct in the sense that to improve the efficiency of the ports, many technological advances have to be employed. Some of these advances include automation and digitalization of machines, equipment, and systems. Most operations at the port involve lifting heavy luggage and equipment as well as moving them from one place to another (Keefe, 2017). Technology has also made it possible to automate systems so that little paper work is involved in the offices. For instance, making of payrolls and identification of employees is faster and can be done by a click of a mouse. Computer technology, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering have also made it possible to use to construct robots that have become so helpful in making many operations more efficient (Nicer Allopi, 2015). In security sector within the ports, changes and improvements in technology makes it possible to enhance security apparatus and features. However, in the essay, it is shown that these improvements have impact on the employees. If there are too much automation, employees risk losing their positions as they would have very little to do. In conclusion, the pressure by globalization has forced most ports to change the way they conduct their daily chores by moving their operations toward technological advances. References Keefe, M. (2017). Port Management Through Technology: strategy, evaluation and impact. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 2(1), pp.33-44. Naiker Allopi. (2015). Additional Benefits of Automation. Higher Learning Research on Innovation, 6(4).

World Religions Study Guide free essay sample

Review for final exam Definition of religion Religion Is belief that social norms, traditions, myths and symbols will Impart wisdom, comfort, hope and balance and enable one to transcend death Definition of church, denomination, sects, cults An official religion of a country or state Is a major societal religion in a country or state A small, anti social religion with a closed membership A small, antl social religion with a closed membership, and a living charismatic founder Founders of rellglous studies sgmund freud- religion in a mere illusion Shamans Are people who are attuned to the spirit world of animals and people and deal with that world on behalf of others Tocabogas belief in three souls Their shadow, their Image in a pond, and the pupil of their eye Burial customs of Neanderthal Food, tools, and weapons left for the afterlife Burial customs of Cro-Magnon Ornaments such as shell bracelets and hair circlets, stone tools, weapons, and food. We will write a custom essay sample on World Religions Study Guide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Deceased were painted with red ochre Bear cult of Neaderthal Setting apart the skull for possible reverence Muhammad Founder of Islam, angel Gabriel, the last prophet Quran reciting, only be read in Arabic, holy scripture Kaba Was built by Abraham, was a big black metor and landed in mecca Meaning of the term Islam Submission and peace Meaning of the term alQaeda base A1-Ghazzali Synthesized sunni teachings with sufl mysticism Sufism Mysticism, wool clad Sunnis and Shiite and their origins Death of all caused the split between the sunni and shlltes Tanak Jewish scripture Torah Hrst Tlve DooKs In lanaK Moses Received an oral covenant Abraham Received a written covenant Effects of Zoroastrianism on Judaism Inspired influx of Jews worry arab settlers Mishna repetition, thousands of legal instructions Holocaust Anti Semitism(henry ford), hitler, forced intp ghettos, extermination camps, caused Jews to do soul searching Sephardim Jews who fled Spain to the middle east Ashkenazim Jews who fled Poland and surrounding areas Yiddish German and hebrew Reform Very relaxed, not strict at all, they can eat whatever and they have women rabbis and bat mitzvahs Orthodox Very strict adderance to the tanak, they only have men rabbis and bar mitzvahs, also kosher Conservative They have women rabbis and bat mitzvahs but they also do there ethical teachings from the torah Zionist movement Toleration of Jews was short lived and superficial Nation of Israel, formation and battles Israel survived battle for existence against Arab neighbors after British allowed its independence. Orthodox Jews protested against formation of Israel. Palestinian-Israel conflict. Resurgence of Anti-Semitism Historical sources for Christianity Dual nature of Jesus Body+ soul holy spirt+divine soul Pentecost Birthday of Christanity, holy spirit descends down on them and gives the girft of languages and courage Transubstantiation The transformation of bread and wine into Jesus body and blood Constantine and he legalization of Christianity he needed to hold the empire together so to gain more power he decided to make christianity the state religion Martin Luther and the 95 Thesis Martin Luther, German Augustinian monk, rebelled against indulgences, 1517 (95 Theses). Protests expanded to sola fide and sola scriptura. Excommunicated. Henry VIII and the Church of England He couldnt get a divorce Theological difference between a statue and icon Statues are 3-dimensional, and icons are flat (2-dimensional) images. Icons tend to be somewnat styllzea, wnere tne statues are more IITe 11Ke. More or less. I ne use Is ifferent though. Icons tend to be a focus for prayer. They are not prayed to, but, put God in ones mind.

Free Essays on Jasons Quest

The myth of Jason is one of a great quest not only for a fleece but within one’s own self. Jason, who is favored by Hera, gets help along the way by her, but in return this angers Zeus and suffers his wrath. The tasks in which Jason must face are not only mentally challenging but also physical. From the Clashing Rocks to the Harpies Jason must think as well as put his body on the line. Jason’s final venture was to go back home, and once there, deal with Pelias and his other demons. This is not only a quest for a Golden Fleece but one of overcoming great oppression, physical strain, and mental anguish. Hera and Zeus, with the help of the other gods, work to advance and obstruct Jason on his path. Jason helps an old lady, Hera, across a river and for this wins her favor. In return Because of Hera’s favor upon him, Zeus is angered and Jason must than suffer the consequences. Zeus and Hera battle back and forth over Jason. Zeus makes it so that Jason crashes into Poseidon; Hera in return makes him ease up. Hera commands Cupid to make Medea fall in love with Jason so that she would help him get the Fleece. Zeus later takes off the spell on Medea to try and get her to leave Jason but to no avail, because she will not leave him. No matter how much the one tried, the other would always counter act what the other one had done. Jason faces many tasks on his journey and he must not only use his brawn but also his brain to overcome each one. When Jason makes it to Table Top Island he must find Phidaas. Phidaas agrees to give out the location of the Fleece for a price, food that is guarded by Harpies. Jason agrees his plan is to sneak in and get the food and distract the Harpies. While they are distracted, the Argonauts collapse the temple in which they roost and kill them. Jason’s next task was that of the Clashing Rocks, they would destroy any thing that dares pass trough them. Jason devises a plan to send a dove thr... Free Essays on Jason's Quest Free Essays on Jason's Quest The myth of Jason is one of a great quest not only for a fleece but within one’s own self. Jason, who is favored by Hera, gets help along the way by her, but in return this angers Zeus and suffers his wrath. The tasks in which Jason must face are not only mentally challenging but also physical. From the Clashing Rocks to the Harpies Jason must think as well as put his body on the line. Jason’s final venture was to go back home, and once there, deal with Pelias and his other demons. This is not only a quest for a Golden Fleece but one of overcoming great oppression, physical strain, and mental anguish. Hera and Zeus, with the help of the other gods, work to advance and obstruct Jason on his path. Jason helps an old lady, Hera, across a river and for this wins her favor. In return Because of Hera’s favor upon him, Zeus is angered and Jason must than suffer the consequences. Zeus and Hera battle back and forth over Jason. Zeus makes it so that Jason crashes into Poseidon; Hera in return makes him ease up. Hera commands Cupid to make Medea fall in love with Jason so that she would help him get the Fleece. Zeus later takes off the spell on Medea to try and get her to leave Jason but to no avail, because she will not leave him. No matter how much the one tried, the other would always counter act what the other one had done. Jason faces many tasks on his journey and he must not only use his brawn but also his brain to overcome each one. When Jason makes it to Table Top Island he must find Phidaas. Phidaas agrees to give out the location of the Fleece for a price, food that is guarded by Harpies. Jason agrees his plan is to sneak in and get the food and distract the Harpies. While they are distracted, the Argonauts collapse the temple in which they roost and kill them. Jason’s next task was that of the Clashing Rocks, they would destroy any thing that dares pass trough them. Jason devises a plan to send a dove thr...

Leadership and its impact on motivation and performance Essays

Leadership and its impact on motivation and performance Essays Leadership and its impact on motivation and performance Essay Leadership and its impact on motivation and performance Essay Introduction There is no ideal definition of leadership. 221 explanations were provided by Bass (2008): he highlighted the fact that any single definition would lack certain features (Van Wart, 2013). In this paper we consider the following interpretations. The first definition states that leadership is interpersonal influence that is used for directing others in order to achieve certain goals (Guetzkow, 1961). Hence, effectiveness of a leader can be measured by the level of his followers performance and motivation to work. Leadership can often be confused with management and administration: owever, it is evident that not every administrator (manager) is a leader and vice versa. Leadership is about power, i. e. eagerness of the followers to follow, whilst administration and management about authority vested in a persons position. What is more, management as well as administration is considered in this paper as maintenance activity, whereas leadership mostly deals with change. Leaders are people who shape the goals, motivations, and actions of others. Frequently they initiate change to reach existing and new goals Managing is maintaining efficiently and effectively current organizational arrangements. While managing well often exhibits leadership skills, the overall function is toward maintenance rather than change (Bush, 2008). To sum up, orientation on change and informal power are distinctive features of leadership the authors of the paper base their further analysis on. Theoretical concepts Nowadays there are several theories and models produced by a lot of studies, which analyze leadership from different sides such as personal qualities and leadership styles. The major theoretical concepts can be summarized into 3 groups: trait-based models, situational/contingency models and functional leadership models. Trait- based models The trait-based theory implies that a person can only be a leader if he or she is born with a special gift, i. e. special characteristics or traits without which a leader would not be able to perform managerial functions effectively. The topic was very popular in the first half of the twentieth century. The researchers tried to find correlation between innate traits and leadership criteria, but the results were inconsistent and unclear. Mann in 1959 concentrated his study on seven personality characteristics: intelligence, adjustment, extraversion, dominance, masculinity, conservatism, and ensitivity (Zaccaro et al, 1991). However the study made by Mann was not successful because he found that no trait had a median correlation higher than . 25 with leadership criteria (Zaccaro et al, 1991). The more fruitful research was made by Digman in 1990, who found a positive correlation between personality and leadership. Digman evaluated the leader by the following personality parameters: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Colbert et al, 2012). However this study still did not answer some questions concerning the relation between leadership and personality. Behavioral models This models focus on the way leaders behave with subordinates. Compared to the previous model, the emphasis was shifted from the leaders personality to leadership itself. The model was elaborated by Blake and Mouton (1964) in The managerial grid, and was aimed at improving interpersonal effectiveness and development of leadership skills (Alvares et al. , 1976). The model implies that a leaders success is generally based on the concern for production and the concern for people: the combination of both features is the optimal strategy for leadership accomplishment, hich makes subordinates more motivated with their tasks; feel important to the company; clearly understand the goals; achieve the high level of performance. (Alvares et al. 1976) Situational/contingency models In contrast to trait-based model, situational/contingency approaches presume that there is no ideal leadership style and that the most effective style depends on the situation, employees attitudes, conditions of work, etc. Leadership style may and should adjust to changes in the situation and only that way it would be effective. In other words, leader has to be flexible. This model enco mpasses the following pproaches to leadership. Three styles model Kurt Lewin (1890-1897) is told to be the leading psychologist of his generation (Burnes et al. 2013). Lewin introduced the so-called field theory, which states that individuals behavior depends on the environment, field. He found that three styles prevail in leadership behavior: democratic, authoritarian and laissez- faire style. Authoritarian style is about giving specific tasks and providing employees with direct instructions about how and when they should work, all decisions are made by the leader himself. Democratic style implies that a leader directs the rocess less, rather participating in it, helping subordinates to solve the problem and motivating them. Laissez-faire leadership is considered to be the most ineffective. The essence of this style is that a leader neither participates in team work, nor encourages employees. Followers are free to choose their own policies and methods, which is supposed to increase their creativity. The results of his studies show that democratic group performs best, stimulating creativity from the members and positively affecting productivity. However, the group with authoritarian style is a bit ore productive, but less creative and, what is important, fewer subordinates are satisfied with their Job. As for laissez-faire group, it is not effective: practically no creativity, poor performance and little satisfaction are observed. Summarizing Kurt Lewins findings we may build a table (App. 1) of three styles and its effects on motivation and performance 00b satisfaction is included, though it is out of our analysis scope). However Kurts theory was criticized for too narrow approach to leadership styles that ignore various shades between authoritarian and democratic behavior. Leadership continuum model That is why Tannenbaum and Schmidt offered their Leadership continuum model. The authors concentrated on the problem of combining democratic and authoritative style taking advantage of both approaches. (Tannenbaum et al. , 1973) Tannenbaum and Schmidt introduced the so-called continuum of styles, where styles have different variations from authoritarian to democratic, and can be used by a person in different situations (App. 2). An important benchmark is circled with red color: from here to the right a manager makes decisions only after consulting with the employees. The authors also mentioned that apart from choosing an appropriate eadership style it is extremely important that your employees understand the rules of the game, i. e. the style youVe chosen. Pretending to listen to employees opinion while in fact making decisions on your own not only spoils the relationships between an employer and his or her workers but decreases performance and motivation. Fiedlers contingency model Fiedlers contingency model (1964) presumes that performance of groups is contingent upon the interaction of leadership styles and the favorability of the situation for the leader. Mitchell et al. , 1970) Fiedler proposes that leaders can be ivided into two categories task-oriented and human-oriented. Effectiveness of the two categories of leadership depends on the task structure and the leaders position power. For example, task-oriented leaders are more effective in either very easy or very difficult (unstructured) situations. Human-oriented leaders perform best in m edium difficulty situations. Path-goal theory The theory was elaborated by Georgopoulos et al. (1957) and House. The model pays particular attention to the subordinates expectations. House, 1971) It states that management is responsible of setting clear goals, clarifying paths for achieving oals, implementing reward systems based on achieving higher performance (Mulki et al. , 2009). House devised 4 leadership styles depending on the type of work, followers characteristics and their expectations: directive, supportive, participative and achievement oriented. 1) Directive style (in case of unstructured, but interesting tasks and inexperienced followers) clear explanation and guidance on what employees should do. ) Supportive style (when tasks are simple, group cohesion is poor, but workers are experienced) leader should improve the working atmosphere and support the workers. ) Participative style (unstructured and complex tasks, experienced workers) leader should consult followers and listen to their opinions. 4) Achievement-oriented style (Unstructured, complex tasks, experienced workers, who think they lack power to accomplish task) leader should motivate and encourage followers. Situational model The authors of the situational model (Hersey, Blanchard, 1969) presume that one should choose leadership style only after he/she assessed the employees readiness to perform a specific task and adapt leadership styles to changing environment. (Butler et al. 1991) Situational Leadership Theory focuses on two aspects: (1) competence and (2) confidence and commitment. These two may be high or low (App. 3), and leader should make emphasis on either task or relationship aspect depending on the situation. Four frame model The last model in this group is Bolman and Deals four frame model. The researchers introduced four frames which leaders should pay attention to in different circumstances. These are structural, human resource, political and symbolic. Structural frame focuses on setting the goals, clarifying tasks and responsibilities. Human resource frame concentrates on peoples needs, their motivation and interests. Political frame is about resolving conflicts that arise in the organization. Symbolic frame deals with the sense of common goal, teambuilding and inspiration. A leader should be able to identify the main problems an organization faces and after to choose one or several frames to focus on, changing them after accomplishment of the goal. Otherwise it negatively impacts employees performance and motivation. Transactional and transformational leadership theory Transactional style is characterized by providing directions and guidelines, focusing n Job completion. Such leader defines group activities, describes the role each member is expected to assume and sets clear goals; clarifies the link between achievement and reward. Motivation is limited to formal procedures: bonuses and sanctions. Transformational leadership is guidance through individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational, and idealized influence. (Choudhary et al. , 2013) Leaders of this style want employees to share common values and orient them towards the companys goals, create environment of psychological support and friendliness; incorporates employees suggestions into the ecision-making process and, thus, influence Job satisfaction and commitment. (Mulki et al. 2009) There are a lot of different opinions concerning which leadership style is more effective and if a person can display different styles. Some scientists have described transformational and transactional leadership styles as two competing approaches to motivating followers or employees: a person can perform either transformational leadership or transactional one, but not the both styles. Other researchers have a different opinion, assuming that these s tyles are not competing ones, but complementary to each other. Bass et al. 1993) Despite the fact that it is often supposed that outstanding leaders perform both transformational and transactional styles, it seems that transformational leadership can be more effective in a lot of cases. Previous researchers have discovered the evidence of a strong positive correlation between the application of transformational leadership style and the performance of working teams, presidential administrations and business units. (Cameron et al. , 2011) Functional leadership models There are also functional leadership models based on functions a leader must be ble to carry out. Morgeson et al. , 2010) One of the approaches proposes to divide the leadership functions into two phases or stages: transitional and actional phase. The transition phase is a period of time when teams focus on activities related to structuring the team, planning the teams work, and evaluating the teams performance. (Morgeson et al. , 2010) Actional phase is consequently the portion of the teams performance cycle when the team is focused on activities that directly contribute to accomplishing its goals. Morgeson et al. , 2010) (App. 4) Both phases re crucial for establishing cooperation within the team and, thus, high level of overall performance. An effective leader should define the phase of companys development and act accordingly. John Adairs Action-centered Leadership model. John Adair introduced the three circles diagram, which illustrates three main tasks of a leader (App. 5). 1. Task circle means the need to solve the problem and achieve particular result; 2. Team circle means that leader must create the working atmosphere, where employees will perceive the goals as our; teambuilding; 3. Individual caring about every worker of the team, trying to satisfy his/her needs. Leadership is effective only when all three functions are combined (the intersection of the circles). Changing salespeoples performance through leadership The problem Salespeople often work under direct supervision and are under high pressure to produce results: the management style has a strong impact on their performance. Leaders set an example of appropriate conduct. The study was conducted in a North American subsidiary of an international pharmaceutical company X to analyze the issue (Mulki et al. , 2009). The problem of the company was unethical behavior of salesmen with clients physicians: 50% lie on sales calls, every third makes nrealistic promises, every fifth imposes products on customers the latter do not need and bribe physicians to get them prescribed to a particular brand of drugs the behavior which was tacitly approved by senior management as long as sales goals were achieved. The revealed facts of inappropriate behavior ultimately led to the decline in the overall trust to the company X and the undermined reputation of pharmaceutical companies in general. The challenge Establishment of new company-wide ethical standards is a complicated issue, but existence of such standards is essential for controlling for the overall employees erformance, especially nowadays, when firms shift from a traditional office with opportunities of direct supervision to field offices, where employees are more independent in their actions. The industry trade association, PhRMA, issued voluntary industry guidelines for salespeople, which regulate the interaction of salespersons with physicians, directed to 90 large pharmaceutical companies of the U. S. The guidelines were rather strict, and required a strong commitment from senior management to be complied with. To face the challenge, it was decided to implement the path-goal theory and to use the features of leadership style of management tarting from the senior positions of the company. The aim was essentially to change the companys ethical standards, incorporating compliance with ethical rules and policies into the salespeoples system of values. Methodology The survey was conducted to identify leadership styles present in the organization and their impact on Job satisfaction and performance of employees. The employees were asked to measure leadership styles of management with the following 13 items, 9 of which represent considerate leadership, and 4 represent instrumental leadership (App. 6). The employees were also asked to estimate their satisfaction with upervisor, Job satisfaction, their efforts and Job performance. Results of the analysis showed that over 72% of the variance is explained by two factors instructional leadership and transformational leadership styles of management. Another random survey of salespeople was conducted 1 year later after the start of the transition to check for the impact of the new rules and standards on employees Job satisfaction, efforts and Job performance, as well as to reveal some of their considerations about relationships with clients. Results While transformational leadership plays a role in establishing good relationships etween management and subordinates and has a significant influence on the employees satisfaction with the supervisor, the analysis of implementation of the model to the company X showed that transactional leadership is more successful in setting corporate standards. It plays the crucial role in this process: a directive leader prescribes the space within which there is still room for decision-making, but the lines which an employee should not cross are clear: this is particularly important for salespeople as they should know that compliance with ethical rules and policies prevails over getting a substantial contract. It is also evident that establishment of these guidelines should not necessarily be the result of a consensus between all the employees, when everybodys views are taken into consideration. Clarity and established boundaries motivate the salesman to be creative in meeting customers needs without feeling uncertainty and vulnerability from the point of view of refusing to comply with the firms standards and management disapproval: it enhances subordinates trust in management and significantly reduces stress. What is more, customers are more open to new ideas and suggestions from an ethical organization, hich standards are high and clear. The trust, freedom and flexibility enable salespeople to be client oriented and increases the amount of effort employees put in their activities. This, in turn, creates a sense of Job accomplishment (Mulki et al. , 2009) and essentially improves the overall performance. To sum up, the new company-wide standards established in the company X with the help of the path-goal leadership theory and based on the difference between the two styles of leadership, increased the employees performance level significantly, improved the client- salesman long-term relationships and brightened the overall image of harmaceutical industry. Supplier integration in the automotive industry: the impact of buyer-side leadership on motivation among suppliers The problem Due to the shortage of RD capabilities and basic management skills, domestic suppliers of Chinese automotive industry are not well-developed. As a consequence, the majority of key components are manufactured and imported from other suppliers with operations in China. However, the foreign suppliers try to integrate as many domestic suppliers as possible because of local production requirements and the specifics of an automotive industry: it is a networked field where it is almost mpossible for an individual firm to possess all the necessary expertise to produce complex machinery. Supplier integration is a complex issue that requires the understanding of the situation from different perspectives. In our case the problem of creating trust and commitment between buyers and suppliers is analyzed, and how changes of Chinese automotive suppliers mindset, competences and motivation to collaborate can be stimulated (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). Here the Hersey and Blanchards situational leadership model can be implemented as it takes into account the environment where a manager operates. Methodology In order to collect the data, the number of semi-structured face-to-face voice- recorded 2-hours interviews was conducted with 30 purchasing, quality and general managers from automotive companies, which were then transcribed. The reliability of the study was further ensured by a detailed case protocol enabling systematic data collection. A detailed script was sent to every participant during a week after the interview for review. This way a high level of dependability and reliability was achieved by researchers. Results Several assumptions can be made about the managers in the industry: first, they ave a positive attitude towards their work in general. Second, they are sure that they influence their suppliers and make them follow. Third, the managers demonstrated positive attitude towards combination of operational work and strategic planning. The study showed that in 23/30 cases (76%) cooperative/transformational leadership style prevailed in their behavior, while assertive/transactional leadership style was used in 27% of cases, and 6% choose empowering style. 27% of respondents tend to change their management style depending on the situation, using the situational eadership model to motivate a supplier when he or she does not live up to a managers expectations. As one of the managers put it, you need a carrot to motivate and a stick to implement (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). The first managerial challenge is to stimulate collaborative efforts of suppliers in order to drive supply chain performance, such as cost reduction, quality assurance, delivery reliability etc. (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). The managers actively worked on a personal level to convince suppliers to adopt the formers values and beliefs, persuading them to invest in technologies and innovations. Thus, transformational leadership is perceived to influence the suppliers mindset and commitment, motivate the latter to adapt and collaborate. However, the difficulty in managing production and delivery performance was highlighted. Despite the willingness to learn and to improve the activity (8 cases), the lack of targets and action plans as well as unstable feedback channels led to worsening of the results. That was one of the reasons why reactive attitude and hierarchical communication are met in 40 and 37% cases, respectively, although the value of personal relationships is high (57%). It was found that in most of the cases concerning production issues the buyer side took the initiative and responsibility for involving domestic suppliers in product development activities. Domestic suppliers tend to be rather reactive than proactive. Thus, the level of innovations initiated by domestic suppliers is very low. In terms of strategic planning, which includes capacity, demand or product planning, as well as sharing new ideas and setting long- term goals, only 30% of companies shared ideas with domestic suppliers, 13 firms involved domestic suppliers in capacity planning, 8 in demand planning and 9 firms lanned everything collaboratively sharing financial information with domestic suppliers (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). The time of conducting business also matters: among 8 firms which communicated strategic goals, 6 worked with suppliers for more than 10 years. The respondents of these firms stated the satisfactory level of trust and commitment. Still, it was evident that the perceived stronger supply chain partner [foreign in this case] usually dictates the activities (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). Overall, we can see the cooperative leadership style prevails in the majority of cases oncerning personal buyer-supplier relationships: the relationships with Chinese suppliers are built gradually, and the levels of trust and motivation do not heavily rely on contracts. Still, it is acknowledged by managers that it is extremely hard to motivate the person and ensure high performance level with cooperation and coaching only. The clear goals should be set and action plans elaborated, which require assertiveness of the leader, to push the supplier in the preferable direction: the supplier only learns when it hurts (Lockstrom et al. , 2010). Conclusion Overall, considering all the different leadership approaches, models and theories, it can be concluded that there is no single most efficient leadership style in terms of motivation and performance. Different leadership styles should be used depending on situation. For instance, when there is little time to make a decision and where a leader has significantly more experience or expertise than the rest of the team, the transactional leadership style would be more effective, while in a motivated group with a higher level of expertise, the transformational style should be more efficient. The chosen style should be the one that most effectively achieves the goals of the group while considering the interests of its members. Therefore, leadership style mostly depends on circumstances, time of execution and personal and professional characteristics of a leader and team members. Reference list 1. A Path Goal Theory of Leader Effectiveness. / House R. // Administrative Science Quarterly -September 1971. 16(3) pp. 321-339. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. 2. Antecedents to supplier integration in the automotive industry: A multiple-case study of foreign subsidiaries n China / Lockstrom M. , Schadel J. , Harrison N. , Moser R. , Malhotra M. J. // Journal of Operations Management Vol. 28, N. 3 (May 2010) P. 240-256 3. Are authentic leaders associated with more virtuous, committed and potent teams? / Rego, Arm? ©nio, Vitoria, Andreia, Magalh? ¤es, Ana, Ribeiro, Neuza, Cunha, Miguel Pina // Leadership Quarterly Feb 2013 Vol. 24 Issue 1- pp. 61-79. 4. Assessing the trait theory of leadership using self and observer ratings of personality: The mediating role of contributions to group success / E. Colbert, Amy, A. Judge, Timothy, Cho, Daejeong, Wang, Gang // The Leadership Quarterly, 2012 Vol. 3 pp. 70-685. 5. Bases of power in relation to leader behavior: A field investigation / Atwater, Leanne E. ; Yammarino, Francis J. // Journal of Business Psychology- Fall 1996- Vol. 11 Issue 1 pp. 3-22. 6. Choosing a Values-Based Leader: An Experiential Exercise / Reilly, Anne H. ; Ehlinger, Sara // Journal of Management Education Apr. 2007 Vol. 31 Issue 2 pp. 245-262. 7. Critical Role of Leadership on Ethical Climate and Salesperson Behaviors / Mulki, Jay P. , Jaramillo J. F. , Locander W. B. // Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 86, No. 2 (May, 2009)- pp. 125-141 8. Effects of positive ractices on organizational effectiveness/ K. Cameron, C. Mora, T. Leutscher, M. Calarco// Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 2011 Vol. 47 pp. 266-308. 9. Ethical leadership and Job performance in China: The roles of workplace friendships and traditionality / Liu, Jun, Kwan, Ho Kwong, Fu, Ping Ping, Mao, Yina // Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology Dec 2013 Vol. 86 Issue 4 pp. 564-584. 10. From Management to Leadership: Semantic or Meaningful change? / Bush T. // Educational Management Administration and Leadership 2008 Vol. 36. pp. 271-288 Access: http://ema. agepub. om/content/36/2/271 . full. pdf+html (Accessed November 13, 2013) 11 . How to choose a leadership pattern / Tannenbaum R. and Schmidt W. H. // Harward Business Review May-June 1973 pp. 162-180 Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 12. Impact of Transformational and Servant Leadership on Organizational Performance: A Comparative Analysis. / Choudhary A, Akhtar S, Zaheer A. // Journal of Business Ethics -August 5, 2013 116(2) pp. 433-440. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 13. Kurt Lewins Field Theory: A Review and Re-evaluation / Burnes B. , Cooke B. // International Journal of Management Reviews Vol. 15 pp. 408-425 Access: http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ Leadership and Organization: A Behavioral Science Approach / Guetzkow H. // American Sociological Review October 1961 Vol. 26(5) pp. 804. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 15. Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership Structures and Processes. / Morgeson F. , DeRue D. , Karam E. // Journal Of Management January 2010 -Vol. 6(1) pp. 5-39. Access: http://Jom. agepub. com/content/36/1/5. full. pdf *html (Accessed November 13, 2013) 16. Leadership style and regulatory mode: Value from fit? / L. Benjamin, J. Francis // Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2006- Vol. 100(2), pp. 216-230. 17. Leadership Style and Sales Performance: A Test of the Situational Leadership Model. / Butler Jr. J, Reese R. // Jour nal Of Personal Selling Sales Management. Summer 1991- Vol. 11(3). p. 37. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 18. Lessons from Leadership Theory and the Contemporary Challenges of Leaders. Van Wart M. // Public Administration Review July 2013 Vol. 73(4) pp. 553-565. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 19. Self-Monitoring and Trait-Based Variance in Leadership: An Investigation of Leader Flexibility Across Multiple Group Situations / J. Zaccaro, Stephen, A. Kenny, David, J. Foti, Roseanne // Journal of Applied Psychology 1991 Vol. 76 No. 2- pp. 308-315. 20. The Contingency Model: Criticism and Suggestions / Mitchell T. R. , Biglan A. Oncken G. , Fiedler F. // Academy Of Management Journal September 1970 Vol. 13(3) pp. 253-267. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA (Accessed November 13, 2013) 21. The Managerial Grid as a Predictor of Conflict Resolution Method and Managerial Effectiveness / Bernardin, H. John; Alvares, Kenneth M. // Administrative Science Quarterly Mar1976 Vol. 21 Issue 1 pp. 84-92. 22. Transformational le adership and organizational culture/ B. M. Bass, B. J. Avolio, // Public Administration: An International Quarterly 1993. vol. 17 pp. 112-121. Appendix Appendix 1 Kurt Lewins Three styles model Authoritarian Democratic Laissez-faire Motivation Less High Lowest Performance Highest High Low Satisfaction Less satisfied Satisfied Not satisfied Source: Kurt Lewins Field Theory: A Review and Re-evaluation / Burnes B. , Cooke B. // International Journal of Management Reviews Vol. 1 5(2013) pp. 408-425 Appendix 2 Continuum of leadership behavior Source: How to choose a leadership pattern / Tannenbaum R. and Schmidt W. H. // Harward Business Review May-June 1973 pp. 162-180 Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013 Appendix 3 Situational Leadership Theory Task emphasis Relationship emphasis Low competence, low confidence and commitment High (instructions, directions) Low disregard of emotions) Low competence, high confidence and commitment High (instructions, persuasion) High (encouragement, incentive) High competence, low confidence and commitment Low (consultation) High (involving, teamwork) High competence, high confidence and commitment Low (consultation, delegating responsibility) Low (trust, empowerment) Source: A Preliminary Investigation of the Applicability of Situational Leadership In Other Cultures / Ramkisson A. / International Journal Of Business Strategy [serial online]. March 2013 Vol. 13(1) P. 43-48. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. Appendix 4 Main leadership functions according to the functional leadership model Transitional phase (Stage 1) Action phase (Stage 2) Compose team Monitor team Define mission Manage team boundaries Establish expectations and goals Challenge team Structure and plan Perform team task Train and develop team Solve problems Sensemaking Provide resources Provide feedback Encourage team self-management and support social climate Source: Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership Structures and Processes. / Morgeson F, DeRue D, Karam E. // Journal Of Management [serial online]. January 2010;36(1):5-39. ) Appendix 5 John Adairs Action-centered Leadership model Source: Action-centered Leadership (Second Printing) (Book). // Personnel Psychology [serial online]. September 1980;33(3):674-675. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. Appendix 6 Scale of leadership styles used for subordinates assessment. Source: Critical Role of Leadership on Ethical Climate and Salesperson Behaviors / Mulki, Jay P. , Jaramillo J. F. , Locander W. B. // Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 86, No. 2 (May, 2009)- pp. 125-141

Malnutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Malnutrition - Essay Example The study focused primarily on children under the age of five and their caregivers. The sample population consisted of 1978 caregivers and 2201 children. Through a survey consisting of structured questionnaires, the researchers sought the caregivers’ input regarding their feeding practices, and this information, coupled with anthropometric measurements, helped the researchers to deduce the children’s overall nutrition and health status. The researchers discovered at least five prominent health-related problems that affected the children. These problems included widespread stunting among the children as a massive proportion of the children were underweight and wasting. Secondly, the researchers discovered that caregivers in the 7 counties breastfed their children for short durations particularly among children below 36 months. Another critical issue discovered in the counties was the lack of exclusivity in breastfeeding children under 6 months. With regard to breastfeedi ng, the researchers further discovered low prevalence of sustained breastfeeding up to the age of one year. Another critical problem was the inadequate delivery of complementary foods to some infants aged between 6 and 8 months. The last major issue discovered through the research was an increased prevalence of stunting among children who had never received breast milk, as well as those who had not been breastfed for at least 1 year. In addition, it was discovered that stunting was quite prevalent among children whose feeding practices comprised primarily of poor quality semi-solid foods (Zhou, Wang, Ye, Zeng & Wang, 2012). Based on these issues and findings, the researchers determined that poor feeding practices such as lack of exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first 6 months, provision of complementary foods between 6 and 8 months, or provision of poor quality foods, were the primary causes of malnutrition among most children in the 7 counties of China. The primary themes d iscussed in the article include poverty and ignorance, which detrimentally affect caregivers’ provision of superior quality nutrition to their children, particularly those under the critical age of 5 years. The authors hypothesize that there is a close link between poverty and ignorance on the feeding practices of children, and this subsequently results in malnutrition. As a consequence, Zhou, Wang, Ye, Zeng & Wang (2012) proposed the implementation of additional programs to enhance the level of knowledge on effective feeding practices among caregivers. The researchers further suggested that these programs should be implemented in all remote and impoverished regions of China so as to improve the overall health of children under the age of 5 years. The study’s main strength lies in its execution. The study comprises of comprehensive sections that examine different aspects that play a part in asserting the study’s hypothesis. The study, therefore, manages to affir m its hypothesis showing that there is a close link between feeding practices of children below 5 years of age and malnutrition (Zhou, Wang, Ye, Zeng & Wang, 2012). However, the study’s primary weakness involves the ethical requirement of informed consent for all participants. Although the researchers give details of the number of participants and the form of questioning used to

Parents as Educators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parents as Educators - Essay Example This paper investigates that anyone who plans a career in the field of young children’s education must have a clear understanding of the value of play because this is an important medium through which children learn about the world. Children are vulnerable to many dangers in childhood, and it is important for me to identify the needs of any child in my care and work in collaboration with others to ensure that each child has the best possible start in life. I feel that it is essential to work alongside parents and carers, supporting them in their own individual approaches to childcare. School and playgroup environments can provide some additional support, but there is nothing that can fully replace the family based bonding and relationships that help a child to become socialised in the world.This research stresses that  children grow up within a family and the family in turn is located within a whole social environment consisting of the wider family members, the neighbours, a nd various other known persons and strangers. Imaginative engagement by a caregiver is an important way of passing on cultural values and instructions on how the child should fit in with his or her local social environment.   One international study compared for example American Irish and Taiwanese families, and noted that there are some universal features, relating to developmental milestones for the child, and some variable features related to the culture of the family group in the way that caregivers initiate and support play with young children.... hool and playgroup environments can provide some additional support, but there is nothing that can fully replace the family based bonding and relationships that help a child to become socialised in the world. One aspect that I have reflected on is the need to be aware of different cultural contexts and to learn about varieties of play that may be preferred on different social and cultural groups. Some parents may be very achievement oriented, and they may be more or less child centred in their family environment, while others prefer passive storytelling activities, for example. II think it is part of my role to help families extend their repertoire so that parents and children both gain from productive kinds of play. Why family engagement supports early child development and learning Children grow up within a family and the family in turn is located within a whole social environment consisting of the wider family members, the neighbours, and various other known persons and strangers. Imaginative engagement by a caregiver is an important way of passing on cultural values and instructions on how the child should fit in with his or her local social environment. One international study compared for example American Irish and Taiwanese families, and noted that there are some universal features, relating to developmental milestones for the child, and some variable features related to the culture of the family group in the way that caregivers initiate and support play with young children (Haight et al., 1999). Similarly Farver and Howes (1993) found that there are differences between Mexican and American mothers’ strategies in guiding their children’s play, and this suggest that wider social norms are an important factor, as well as individual differences in each

Fostering citizen Information Literacy Essay Example for Free

Fostering citizen Information Literacy Essay For social and economic developments in a country there has to be a good information system (IFLA 2003). For an empowered nation all the citizens should have an easy access to information most especially the developing nations. This will make the citizens make decisions easily hence develop the country. Libraries should be well equipped and structured with programs that will enhance information flow amongst the citizens (Chagari 2005). Libraries should therefore be used to transform nations by providing for their information needs. Information literacy is the process by which information can be extracted from various sources, analyzed and used correctly for decision making. This is the main mission to be achieved in the information age (Australian Library and Information Association 2001). Current information literacy is a necessity in the societies. Opportunities are availed in the modern societies whether cultural or educational requires citizens to be information literate (Drotner 2005). Information literacy will be a motivation factor to many people to acquire knowledge in pursuing their studies through out their lives hence personal empowerment (Chagari 2005). Fostering citizen Information Literacy According to Chagari (2005), public libraries have played a very important role in fostering information literacy amongst the citizens. Public libraries have actively engaged in giving information based services to citizens that have no access to the required information. All the disadvantaged groups or individuals have been identified and everyone including the sick, disabled, unemployed or low income earners has access to information without discrimination. Public libraries have helped in nurturing information literacy in many ways. These included through instructing the users. Tutorials have been made to help train the library users on how to access the required information and use it. There are printed materials in many public libraries to guide the users on how to access the required information (Chagari 2005). These handouts enhance learning and usage of such facilities. Librarians can also provide reference materials to the library users. The librarians may identify certain area and show the learners how to carryout a research in that area thereby lessening their work. The areas chosen may be on specific research areas for example; The users may be showed how to use references available in written materials, how to access online materials using online interactive models. For instance the virtual reference desks connected to internet. Interactive databases can be used to help in decision making. All these methods will enhance learning as a result of improved access to information (Chagari 2005). Public libraries have promoted collaborations amongst various library users and researchers. Through the public library usage, a teacher learner partnership is most likely to be formed. Librarians have to interact with other researchers based on different fields to get the relevant information about the information they have. Through this collaboration information literacy is enhanced (Chagari 2005). Both governmental and non governmental organizations have partnered to help gather information about a particular problem or issue in the organization. This has also been observed through local associates and writers dealing with literature. Promotions and marketing have been done by the public libraries to create awareness amongst the citizens about information literacy. This is to ensure that the citizens’ requirements are met. To ensure every citizen is aware of such services, public libraries have used electronic, printed and vocal communication means to create awareness. Internet, newspapers and televisions have been used to help disseminate such information. Information literacy awareness has been popularized in many countries hence an awareness to the citizens (Chagari 2005). There have been posters or bill boards to help distribute materials about information literacy, training programs, talks, exhibitions and meetings. All these are aimed at creating awareness to the public to encourage citizens to take part in information literacy programs. There has online library sites created to allow for online access of the library information. It may at times require face to face meetings to negotiate on the legal requirements between the local and governmental organizations. Public libraries have made it possible to allow for the arrangement of materials depending on events hence to attract people (Libraries for lifelong Literacy 2004). Revenues have been collected from such services. The revenue collected can be used in developing the systems to be more efficient to the users (Chagari 2005). Suggestions have been made to help support certain groups for instance the women groups to make them computer literate (Kargbo 2004). Public libraries have suggested for both public and private bodies to support adult trainings on areas such as sanitation, nutrition, health, consumer rights, management of food, water, income amongst others (Chagari 2005). These are areas that require public interests to develop a country hence a way to involve many citizens. Such training promotes empowerment hence citizenship. Public libraries have come up with the youth training programs. The libraries provide for the youths needs and hence empower them to meet their goals. Information literacy institutions have been established. There have been associations formed between colleges and research libraries to help develop library attendants. This ensures that the librarians can assess well and ensure improvements in the information literacy programmes available (Chagari 2005). Most undergraduate programs have been advanced to include the information literacy programs. To nurture information literacy amongst citizens, there has to be public libraries in the countries. Through the libraries citizens will get access to information easily and also embrace the new technology of acquiring skills. Government should ensure a global access to information and communication materials or devices (Lough 2002). The only way that societies can ensure active participations in cultural, social, political and economic development is through the digital divide (Bennett 2001). Technology is very fundamental for citizenship in the modern society (BECTA b 2001). There has been an increased use of technology amongst the societies (Home Office 2001b). Computer usage has been introduced in most homes, schools, offices and hence an increased access to information (Home Office 2001a). Countries have introduced computers in their libraries. This is in order to provide equal access to information and enhance digital information access (Serbia 2004). Digital information access in the public libraries will promote information literacy and at the same time provide an extended learning opportunity to the citizens. IFLA as the international body that represents the interests of library users and information service providers requires an equal access to information amongst the citizens. According to Serbia (2004), there are policies and rules that have been formed to ensure standards in public libraries. The standards are based on services as follows; purposes and roles, financial and legal structures, customer or user satisfaction, development strategies, attendants’ qualifications and the management and marketing. All public libraries have to meet quality services based. All public libraries have to have their mission stated somewhere to show the citizens the services they provide. These may include free access to information communication technology to all irrespective of the age to foster and support information literacy. There has been emphasis from governments worldwide on corporate responsibility in developing our nations. A publication has been made on information literacy to promote citizenship empowerment by the UNESCO (Correia 2002). The document was aimed at assessing the policies that govern literature study and to give a way forward to ensure information literacy programmes are implemented in all countries worldwide. In developing countries there is a lot of information available to the citizens. This mass information requires a lot of management to make more useful to the citizens. Librarians have been trained and employed to aid the public library users in accessing such information efficiently (Qvortrup 2007). To promote information literacy, citizens are therefore required to have the basic knowledge to find the required information and use it appropriately on their own. Public libraries have transformed societies in many ways. This is because the libraries have broadened their roles in the societies not only to benefit everyone but also to empower citizens through equitable access to information (Konera 2008; Stipanov 2005; Howley 2004). According to Collection Development Policy (2003), for public libraries to foster information literacy for the well being of the citizens there has to high standards of integrity and services adopted. The librarians should learn how to interact well with the information systems and at the same time how to take good care of the citizens as learners. The librarians should foster intellectual freedom to facilitate information flow and decision making. The librarians should also respect intellectual property hence exercise their power or responsibility on their duty. Clients rights should always be protected giving them access to the required information always. The librarians should be sensitive to the citizens’ requirements or suggestions to ensure all their needs are catered for adequately. Supporting Citizen Information Literacy Public libraries have supported information literacy in many ways. Public libraries use computer systems to store records of information available in the libraries. According to Chagari (2005), computer and networking devices have facilitated learning during the programs organized for information literacy. Through multimedia materials the learners’ participation was enhanced. Coaxial cables have popularized in many countries hence used in many libraries to reach many users through networking. Networking is very cost effective especially when used to access people that are geographically away from each other. Through using the coaxial cables both rural and urban residents can be reached. Information access can also be achieved any where provided you are within the network. The training programs can be video taped and telecasted to targeted groups anywhere within the country (Chagari 2005). With both entertainment and educational opportunities provided by the computerized programs citizens can be easily attracted and motivated to acquire the required information. Mass media communication has been used to broadcast the information literacy programs. Radios, televisions and newspapers can be easily accessed by the majority in many countries. These can be used as tools to sensitize people on the need for information literacy. Librarians have dealt with the context based programs to help them identify the areas of importance to most users for instance political, social, cultural and economic. This was based on the fact that to optimize participation from the citizens their areas of interest must be tackled (Chagari 2005). This encourages citizens to strive for the best in life. The librarians are therefore supposed to ensure every citizen is aware of such services. According to Serbia (2004), communities are different depending with the nation. The requirements of such communities will be different depending on their cultural and social differences. Structures and systems to be devised in the public libraries will therefore be different (BECTA b 2001). Each public library in each country should therefore have their own vision and mission to state their service objectives. The mission statement will help address the individual needs of the public library users. This will also show the technology to be put in place. Opinion on Public Library Preparedness for fostering and supporting citizen information Literacy According to UNESCO public library manifesto (1994), public libraries had their mission since 1994 (Forsyth 2005). Amongst their missions was to ensure equal and reliable access to information for all citizens. It follows that public libraries started emphasizing on information literacy from that time. Institutions were formed to facilitate information literacy. Public libraries came up with policies to ensure its services are free of charge and available to every citizen. Public libraries opted for a nation wide network to facilitate researches and information sharing globally (Hancock 2004). All these were to be funded and hence implemented in all libraries. In this sense, I think public libraries were prepared to ensure equal access to information by citizens. Public libraries have developed programs to help attract, train and develop different members of the societies (Chagari 2005). I think this is a sign of preparedness and they still want to involve more and more. Public libraries have trained their staff to facilitate their ability to train the library users, manage the information in the libraries and collaborate with other people to ensure learning. There is increased level of management in many libraries. Information access has been enhanced for instance the librarians have arranged the information depending on the events or certain topics and authors for easy access. In my own opinion, public libraries have been well prepared to nurture and support information literacy in societies. This is because other than the traditional information sources, libraries have embarked on technology use allowing the citizens to get access to information from various sources. This ensures increased availability of information to the citizens. Public libraries have availed information in video or disc tapes, portable disks. Information has also been simulated and recorded to help in demonstrations where human beings are likely to be exposed to high risks (Chagari 2005). According to John (2002), a library should be able to provide the following services to the users or citizens. Similarly, a library is a place to provide the citizens with information, informing and helping them in making decisions (Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education 2002). I think public libraries should therefore keep the citizens up to date with the information about their daily life and provide them with the adaptive features. Public libraries have provided all these services hence a sign of preparedness to create awareness to promote citizenship. It is my opinion that public libraries have been well prepared to support and promote information literacy amongst citizens. With the advancement of technology this was going to be easily achieved. Public libraries have embraced technology making all citizens computer literate hence bridging the gap between the digital divide. This shows how determined public libraries are to ensure every citizen has access to the required information as a sign of empowerment. Public Libraries have come up with projects that promote sharing, support and researches through organized meetings, conferences, forming partnerships (John 2002). I think this is in order to facilitate quality training, gather the required information and to reach as many citizens as possible Public libraries have even cooperated with other organizations to lend information materials, purchase jointly or even achieve joint storage facilities hence share the costs. This is a sign of preparedness. The libraries are ready to help citizens acquire the required information at all costs. According to Bundy (2003), there was a research done in 2002 to help find out the educational requirements of international students. The research was aimed at identifying the difficulties experienced by the students in access information. Information is power and hence acquisition of the right information by every citizen is a sign of empowerment. I think, public libraries therefore wanted to ensure everyone has access to the right information everywhere. In this sense the libraries prepared well to provide for everyone and hence an equal chance to meet their goals as individuals. I have a strong opinion that public libraries have been well prepared to foster and support information literacy to citizens. Information is a democratic tool and hence can be used to achieve democracy. Information alone may not guarantee democracy one has to struggle to know how to use it well in decision making (Bundy 2003). This calls for information literacy. Public libraries have been on the front line to sensitize all citizens on various issues that affect our societies. Through public libraries various groups in our societies have been trained and informed about cultural, political and economic factors that affect them. I think public libraries have prepared well for information literacy amongst citizens. Since the emergence of technology, there came a need for information literacy. Public libraries formed institutions like National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL). Such institutions have been used by many countries to ensure their citizens get access to information or to be information literate (Bruce 2002). NFIL has been used by many countries to solve the library issues to foster information literacy in our institutions (Durrance 2005). I think that all the countries that participated in NFIL wanted to ensure non-discriminative access to information by all citizens hence empower all to build our nations Conclusion Library Information literacy is a process of getting access to information, retrieving it and manipulating it to be used in decision making. In most countries worldwide citizens are accessed to basic information only. This is not enough to empower the citizens and promote citizenship. There is therefore need to train people on ways of getting easy access to the required information (Bawden et al 2002). With the advancement in technology Internet and computer use has enhanced the way information can be accessed globally. There are universally used standards to enhance information access (Boaz et al 2000). Through computer use and networking devices information access and reliability has been enhanced. A global reach can be achieved through networking or using the network cable like coaxial (Chagari 2005). There are increases information sources other than the traditional ones. I think this promotes information access, flow and management in the societies. People can even access the library information online anywhere in the world. This an added advantage to most tourists, researchers and students. Reference: Australian Library and Information Association. 2001, Learning for the Future: Developing Information services in Australian schools. Australian School Library Association and Australian Library and Information Association. 2nd ed. Curriculum Corporation, 2001. Bawden, David and Robinson, Lyn. 2002, Promoting Literacy in a digital age: Approaches to training Information Literacy. Learned Publishing, Vol. 15(4). P 297-301. BECTA b. 2001, British Educational Communications Technology Agency The ‘Digital Divide’: A Discussion Paper. Bennett, M. 2001, Reaching those in need. Benton Foundation Buildings, Books and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age. Public Library Journal,Vol. 16 (4), p. 105-7. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://benton. org/Library /Kellogg Booz, Allen Hamilton, 2000, Achieving Universal Access. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://number10-gov. uk Bundy, A. 2003, Opportunity and accountability: Information literacy and libraries in Higher education Paper presented at the Tertiary Alliance Libraries Group. Information literacy Seminar University of Waikato, Hamilton NZ 4 September. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. library. unisa. edu. au/about/papers/opportunity-and-accountability. pdf. Bruce, C. S. 2002, Information Literacy as catalyst for educational change; A background paper, July 2002. White paper prepared for Unesco, the US National Commission on Libraries Information Science, and the National Forum on Information Literacy. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. nclis. gov/libinfor/infolitconf. pdfme/papers/bruce-fulpaper. pdf Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education. 2002, University of Leicester. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://le. ac. uk/education/centres/citizenship Centre for Democracy and Technology. 2002, Bridging the Digital Divide: Internet Access in Central and Eastern Europe. Chagari, S. 2005, 140 SI Management and Marketing with Information Literacy Information capability building: Role of information Literacy Programmes. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifla. org. sg/IV/ifla71/papers/043e-Chagari. pdf Collection Development Policy. 2003, A statement on free access to information. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. strl. nsw. gov. au/CDP%20Appendices. pdf Correia, A. M. R. 2002, Information Literacy for Effective and Active Citizenship. White paper prepared for UNESCO, the US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the National Forum on Information Literacy for use a the Information Literacy meeting of Experts, Prague, the Czech Republic. Drotner, K. 2005, Library innovation for the knowledge society. Scandinavian Public Library quarterly, Vol. 38(2): 20-23. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. splq. info/issues/vol38_2/07. htm Durrance, J. C. 2005, The Vital Role of Librarians in Creating Information Communities: Strategies for Success. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. si. umich. edu/helpseek/Publications/LAMApub. htm Forsyth, E. 2005, Public libraries and the millennium development goals. IFLA journal, Vol. 31(4): 315-323. Hancock, V. E. 2004, Information Literacy and long life learning: Information Literacy For Lifelong Learning. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. libraryinstruction. com/information-literacy. html Home Office a. 2001, Annual Abstract of Statistics. 8. 4. Home Office b. 2001, Social Trends. (HMSO) 31. Howley, S. 2004, Routes to Knowledge. Library and Information Research, Vol. 28 (88): 42-46. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. lirg. org. uk/lir/pdf/88_howley. pdf. John, N. R. 2002, Civil Society and the Role of Libraries: Fostering Civil Society, Yerevan, Armenia. University of Illinois at Chicago. Viewed on23rd May 2009. Available at http://indigo. lib. uic. edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/10027/64/1/civil. ppt. Koneru, I. 2008, Revamping Public Library system for equitable access to knowledge: NKC recommendations on libraries. Available at http://icfaiuniversity. academia. edu/documents/0009/2907/NKC_Public_Libraries. doc. IFLA. 2003, Information for all: the key role of libraries in the information society. Report prepared for: libraries @ the heart of the information society. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at www. unige. ch/biblio/ses/IFLA/rol_lib_030526. pdf Kargbo, J. A. 2004, Adult education in Sierra Leone: what role for libraries? World libraries, Vol. 14(1). Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. worlib. org/vol14no1/kargbo_v14n1. shtml Libraries for life long Literacy. 2004, Unrestricted access to Information as a basis for Lifelong learning and empowerment. In IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifla. org/faife/report/FAIFE report 2004. htm Lough, V. 2002, Citizenship, Computer Literacy and the changing role of the Public Library Service in the United Kingdom. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. odeluce. stir. ac. uk/docs/Lough. pdf. Serbia, B. E. 2004, Strategic planning and Organizational Development for Libraries. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. nb. rs/view_file. php? file_id=812. Stipanov, J. 2005, Knowledge Society and Public Libraries. Paper presented at the Naple Conference, Supetar, October 6-7, 2005. Available at http://www. naple. info/supetar/stipanov. pdf. Tise, E. 2009, Access to Knowledge through Libraries: Information Services and Information Literacy Today. Library and Information Services Stellenbosch University, South Africa; IFLA President-elect 2007-2009. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifladeutschland. de/de/downloads/keynote_tise_suedafrika. pdf. Qvortrup, L. 2007, The Public Library: from information access to knowledge management: a theory of knowledge and knowledge categories. Information research, Vol. 12 (4). Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://informationr. net/ir/12-4/colis/colis17. html Unesco Lobrary Manifesto. 1994, UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at www. fundaciongsr. es/documentos/manifiestos/mani94en. pdf

1. Why do you think people are ?religious?? What particular aspects of

People are religious for many reasons. These include the difference religion makes in life and how religious beliefs influence actions. Religion structures a religious person’s life. More than three quarters of the world’s population consider they belong to a religion. All aspects of religion are reasons for a person to be religious. For some, the difference that sacred places, books, prayer and celebration make is significant. Others, the belief that there is something beside our own world or the difference having a figure to follow can change a life. Sacred places can help a person to have an ambition in life, a reason to live – to reach this sacred place, for example the Holy place of Mecca for Muslims, a pilgrimage is taken, and this is a life experience for many Muslims. Books help many understand life, and much of being religious is about understanding. They answer questions and instruct you in the right direction in life. Prayer can be seen in two ways, in my opinion. The first is to pray to a God, to keep you and your loved ones safe, for security. Secondly, it gives a person a daily or weekly ritual, which can help in structuring lives. By having this structure also gives a person security and sometimes controls emotions in a very complicated society we live in. Celebration can be an appeal to religion, if a not strong one. Celebrating a belief among others passes on the faith to the future generations. The dictionary definition for â€Å"religious† is â€Å"Pertaining t...

The Biological Importance of Water

The Biological Importance of Water for Living Organisms Water is made up of two elements, 2 positively charged hydrogen molecules and one negatively charged oxygen molecule. Water molecules have uneven charge distribution as one end of the molecule is slightly positive and the other slightly negative, this is called polar. Ionic substances such as sodium chloride dissolve easily in water because the positively and negatively charged ions are separated due to the dipole nature of water. As water is dipolar, the positively charged atoms of one water molecule attracted the negatively charged molecule of another water molecule.This is called hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen bonding between each molecule results in water being liquid at room temperature as it takes a lot of energy to turn it into gas due to its high heat capacity. Hydrogen bonding makes water extremely cohesive. Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type (e. g two water molecules). Water is very cohesive due to the dipolar nature of the molecule. Cohesion helps the water to flow which is important in its transportation and enables substances to be easily dissolved and transported.Waters dipole nature also makes it a good solvent. A lot of substances which take part in biological reactions are ionic, which means they are either made of one positively charged atom or molecule, or one negatively charged atom or molecule. As water is dipole, it means that the positively charged hydrogens will be attracted to the negative atoms or molecules, and the negatively charged oxygen will be attracted to the positively charged atoms or molecules, resulting in ions being totally surrounded by water molecules.In other words, the atoms or molecules will be dissolved by the water. Water is important to living organisms because its molecules can move freely enabling chemical reactions to occur easily in solution. For example, seminal fluid is mostly water which enables fertilisation to occur easily an d allows sperm to swim towards the egg. Hydrophilic substances (water loving substances) such as glucose and amino acids dissolve easily due to the nature of their polarity of their charged groups (-OH for sugars, -NH? and COOH for amino acids). As hydrophilic ubstances such as glucose can dissolve in water, it is beneficial for plants as they take up minerals and substances in solution. Furthermore, oxygen is a component of water which also allows organisms to respire in water. Blood Plasma is the main component of blood. Plasma is made of 90% water which enables blood to carry its essential nutrients such as glucose and amino acids as well as respiratory gasses. As respiratory gasses are able to travel through blood plasma, it allows essential processes to take place such as respiration.The plasma also carries other materials such as platelets which allow clotting, this is helped to be transported by the plasmas composition of 90% water. Waters high specific heat capacity allows i t act as a buffer. This is essential in endothermic organisms that need to maintain a constant body temperature in order to optimise enzyme activity and regulate its metabolism. The large number of hydrogen bonding makes it difficult for the water molecules to evaporate. When water molecules do evaporate, an exothermic reaction takes place which acts as a cooling mechanism.Water is able to remain a liquid over a large span of temperatures which is essential for metabolism and aquatic organisms. It is beneficial for aquatic organisms who are cold blooded as some may not be able to control their body temperature. It is beneficial as there is a minimal temperature fluctuation which keeps organisms body temperature constant. Keeping a constant temperature is important. In order for living organisms such as enzymes to keep functioning at their best, water needs to be kept a constant temperature to keep the enzymes working at their optimum temperature and stop them from denaturing.Further more, water also provides internal support for many living organisms. For example, water fills up in the cells of plants to stop them going flaccid as apposed to their turgid structure. Keeping the cells turgid keeps the plant upright which also benefits the plant when it comes to catching as much light as possible when photosynthesising. Water can also be taken in through the xylem of a plant in a continuous column which is also a benefit for photosynthesis. In addition to that, water also provides internal support for mammals whose fetuses are surrounded in amniotic fluid.This will not only provide protection for the fetus but also allow minerals to pass in and out of the fluid via osmosis. As well as internal support, water also provides external support. Water has a high surface tension which allows some organisms to stay afloat. An example of an organism which uses this to its advantage is a pond skater. They use the high surface tension to walk/glide along the waters surface, as there is a high tension, it prevents it from sinking. Furthermore, a high surface tension allows ice caps to stay afloat which provides insulation for aquatic organisms underneath.Another reason for why ice caps stay afloat is that water is less dense when frozen. This means that the ice caps do not fall through into the water as it is less dense so it remains on the waters surface. Water is also essential for many chemical reactions such as photosynthesis and hydrolysis. In photosynthesis, water is transparent which allows light to penetrate through to the chlorophyll to absorb as much sunlight as it can. It also allows water to absorbed up the xylem in a constant column which also aids photosynthesis.During hydrolysis, water breaks certain polymers which helps to break up salts when they are being dissolved. Water also provides lubrication to bones as it makes up synovial fluids in bone joints and the pleural fluid which surrounds the lungs. Lastly, water also has a significanc e in the food chain. Producers which are mainly made up of water such as lettuce and leaves are relied on to provide water for consumers. Water has a huge biological importance for all living organisms as it is the building blocks to each individual organism. Without water, there may not even be the life forms we see on this earth today.

History and Origin of the Ancient Olympic Games Essay

The ancient Olympic games represent a part of Ancient Greek history that the world continues to celebrate today. Every four years world nations gather at a specific site to compete in the Olympic games. This coming together of world nations symbolizes a time of peace and unity among the world. With every victory came honor, glory and pride for the winning athlete and their country. The history and origin of the Olympic games includes religious celebrations, mythical stories as well all embracing Greece’s’ love and respect of pure athleticism. This paper will discuss the history and origin of the ancient Olympic games. It will elaborate upon the fact that the history and origin of the Olympic games include religious celebrations, mythical stories as well as embrace Greece’s love and respect of pure athleticism. Establishment of Games in Olympia The Olympic games pertain to a key event on the international level, which features winter, and summer sports and invites thousands of athletes for the purpose of participation in various competitions. The Olympic games are acknowledged as the leading competition of sports globally, in which there are over 200 nations as participants[1]. The Ancient Olympic games were established in Olympia in 776 BC, creating an institution that would continue throughout the world for thousands of years. Initially, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, the ancient Olympic games got their origin in Olympia, Greece. Many studies give an account of the ancient Olympics, which, according to their observation, were held in Greece approximately 3,000 years back. Though they were very ancient in origin, they started being considered and called as â€Å"classical games† already by the end of the 6th century BC. By that time, there were three sporting festivals, which had gained remarkable significance as well as  popularity. They included: the Nemean Games at Nemea; the Pythian games, held at Delphi; and the Isthmian Games, which were held near Corinth. Later, there were various similar festivals, which took place in around 150 cities, including Odessus, Alexandria, Rome, Antioch, and Naples. There have been various legends and myths connected with the background and origin of the ancient Olympic games. They are a mirror image of the Greek civilization’s mythic-religious nature. For instance, in the ancient Greece, it was a tradition and religious binding that all the festivals and celebrations were to be performed in honor of a particular divinity. Thus, these Olympic games and related festivals were conducted under the patronage of the Greek leader of the pantheon of gods, Zeus. It is said that the Olympia was marked by Zeus as his revered zone through bolt of thunder, which he flung on Mount Olympus from his throne. It is said that to mark that divine spot, a stunning altar of Zeus was created at Olympia, which is situated in the North from his spectacular temple. Then, there is another very remarkable myth regarding the Olympics with reference to the Hercules, the greatest Greek hero. It is said that in order to get freedom from the slavery to King Eurystheos of Argos, the hero had to complete twelve labors. Once, the Hercules was done with it, he celebrated the success by making a clearing in the orchard, laying out the borders of the Altis, and establishing the Olympic games in honor of Zeus. He determined the distance for the race in a special way: for six hundred times, he placed one foot in front of the other[2]. Establishment of the Olympic Calendar The Greeks had a different calendar for holding the Olympic games. They observed that 99 lunar months made eight solar years. Therefore, they established a new calendar, which was known as the octaeteris and was around 99 lunar months. They arranged the calendar in such a way that there were eight years in which each of the five years contained twelve months and the rest three years comprised of 13 months. The extra three months were inserted in the 3rd, 5th, and 8th years. It was believed by the Greek historians that the Greeks kept the 8-year calendar when the Olympic games were invented in the 776 BC. Later, the two four-year periods were measured as the octaeteris: one of the 50 months and one of 49 months; and they made  these 4-year periods known as the â€Å"Olympiads†[3]. These four years’ periods exist today as well, and in the month of February, after every four years, a leap day is added up and the Olympics are conducted. Thus, the Olympic games are held according to the Olympic Calendar based on a four year Olympiad. Sacred Truce The truce carries the meaning â€Å"the break of hostilities† and â€Å"the holding of hands† in the Greek language. It had begun in the form of a month-long â€Å"Holy Treaty† between King Lykourgos of Sparta, King Iphitor of Elis, and King Kleosthenes of Pisa in 824 BC. A bronze discus had the terms of this truce carved upon it, and it was kept in Altis, in the Temple of Hera at Olympia. The Truce was mainly meant to deliver peace and harmony all across Greece. It covered the following clauses: âž ¢ Armies and weapons were not permitted to enter Elis; âž ¢ The hostile areas were safe for travelling of the attendees whose city-state was at war; âž ¢ There was no permission for the death penalties. Before the beginning of the Olympic festivals, the news of the truce was spread through the three news bearers, decorated with garland of olive, and staff carriers, who went to every city of Greece. It was the duty of the herald to confirm the festival’s date in order to invite the residents to participate and attend as well as to proclaim the truce of Olympic. Thus, they were known as the â€Å"truce-bearers† (spondophoroi) and the permanent legal advisors to the Eleans and official warrantors of the truce. The sacred truce played an important role in the Olympics. Before the truce, the mainland Greece region was disturbed by the unrest and civil wars. However, after the safety was guaranteed to the people by â€Å"sacred truce,† the ancient Olympic games got popularity and became a source of unity and peace amongst the people of Greece. Athletes in the Olympic games Until the 1970s, the Olympic athletes were not permitted to accept any sort of prizes or endorsements, and no professionals were permitted to enter into the competition of Olympic games. The professional athletes were thought to have undue gain over the participants who played the games as their hobby. The victor in the ancient Olympic was given first prize when the competition  ended. The herald announced the name of the winner, and, a Greek Judge, Hellanodikis, would put a palm branch in his hands, and the audience threw flowers at him and cheered him. In order to symbolize victory, red ribbons were tied on his hands and head.4 On the last day when the games completed, an official award ceremony would be conducted, at the prominent foyer at Zeus’ temple. The Olympic winner’s name, with his father and homeland’s name would be announced loudly. The Hellanodikis would then, place the holy wreaths of olive tree, or kotinos, on the head of the winner5. In the ancient Olympic games, the participants were all the free male citizens of Greece, irrespective of their social status. Diagoras, a member of a royal family from Rhodes; Polymnistor, a shepherd; Orsippos, Alexander I, son of Amyndas and King of Macedonia; a general from Megara; and Democritus, a philosopher, all participated in the Olympics. The only people not allowed to participate in the ancient Olympics were the married women. 4 †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012, 5 †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012 However, those women who were single were permitted to attend and watch the competition. The goddess of fertility, priestess of Demeter, was permitted an honored place next to the altar of Stadium. Athletic Events Divisions divided between men and boys would divide athletic events. According to the writings of Pausanias, the first Olympic event was the foot race. The victor was Coroebus.6 This initial foot race was known as the stadion. The athletes would sprint for one stade or the length of the stadium. 7 Fourteen festivals later the double foot race was added. This race was known as a two-stade race or two lengths of the stadium. Long distance races were added ranging from seven to twenty-four stades. 8 Another stade event involved athletes running between two and four stades wearing full military armor. This armor weighed about fifty – sixty pounds. The Pentathlon would be added as well. The Pentathlon included five different events. The events included discus, javelin, jumping, running and wrestling. This event is still included in todays Olympic games. Chariot racing would be one of the equestrian events the ancient Greeks included in the games. There were two and four horse chariot races. According to Plato, the â€Å"folk with the battered ears† (Plato) described the athletes who participated in the sport of boxing. 9 6. Pausanias, 5.1-15 7. perseus.tufts.edu/edu 8.Pausanias, 5.1-15 9. perseus.tufts.edu/edu Rome and the Eventual End of the Olympic games The family memorial monument of the Philip II of Macedonia was being constructed at Olympia, and his son, Alexander the Great, witnessed the completion. Philip II and his offspring attributed a huge importance to Olympia. They offered financial help and gifts to the Olympia and were a source of inspiration for the other rich donors, who started doing the same. When the Classical period was near its end, the attitude towards the Games started to diminish, which also reflected the eventual downfall in ancient Greece’s history.10 Where once Zeus was worshipped, winners now placed their coronets at the foot of their benefactor god; and where once all the triumph and success was credited to the help of the deities, now it was ruled and commanded by the athletes in the glory of their personal achievements and successes. The religious importance of the Olympic games begun to decline, and it became more of a world-premiere athletic contest than a religious festival. This era focused mainly on athletes instead of the divine spirits, and it was clear in the construction of facilities at Olympia. It was between the 1st and 3rd centuries that more facilities to assist the athletes were built, which included the development to the athletes’ baths, a â€Å"palaistra,† a big practice gym for the track competitors, and a stadium sort of place to help the athletes train and practice for the jumping and combat events. In the earlier years of the 2nd century BC, there begun the Roman intervention in Hellenic affairs, and they end up directly imposing rules on Macedonia and Greece and ending the independence of Greece in 146 BC. Thus, it was the end of the religious Olympics and the fall of Greece.It was the end of Greece, the beginning of the Roman period, and the beginning of the end of the Olympic games. 10. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Olympics/olympics.html Reinstatement of the Olympic games The short renaissance of the ancient Olympic games was marked by the  political stability and economic and cultural revival of the Roman occupation. However, the games were no longer holy festivals; they turned into gladiator contests, which were extremely bloody and violent. Later, these games were also acknowledged as â€Å"international† under the wide-ranging coverage of the Roman citizenship and were then appreciated and enjoyed by many regions including Egypt. Royal benefaction contributed to the improvement in the location of Olympia, and it befitted that of a Roman showpiece. Comprehensive repairs and modifications were made to the temple of Zeus; many other buildings were also modified according to the new construction trends. Moreover, athletic facilities and new monuments were also dedicated for the holding of Olympic games. Conclusion The ancient Olympic games were rich in culture and traditions. The origin of the Olympic games has enthralled and fascinated many students, historians, and archeologists in their quest to uncover the mysteries behind them. Throughout time, the ancient Olympic games have survived wars and natural disasters, they were briefly abolished but brought back to life, and now it is a worldwide-celebrated tradition. Bibliography 1. †Ancient Olympic Games†, Olympic.org. 2012. http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games 2. Olympic-Legacy. Myths &Legends:http://www.pe04.com/olympic/olympia/legends_o.php 3. Pausanias, http://www.theoi.com/Text/Pausanias5A.html#7 4. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/index.html 5. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Olympics/olympics.html 6. Vaughan, Valerie. The Origin of the Olympics: Ancient Calendars and the Race Against