Analysis Paper

Justice Waite Professor Cherry Eng 111 Analysis Final Draft Can squirrels really plot? Have you ever been driving down the road and have something bad happen to you that you have to slam on the breaks? If you have, then maybe you can relate to the following commercial. Even if you have never had this happen to you, you still might be able to relate to it. The basic idea of the commercial is that no matter what happens in life, that you should always be prepared for what to do next. GEICO is not just car insurance, but they can be your friend.First of all I would like to start of this essay by telling you what my commercial is about. The commercial that I chose to write my paper on was a GEICO commercial. There are lots of commercials out there for car insurance, but I think this one is the best. When we first see this commercial on the television, they start it off by showing you a squirrel sitting on a tree stump. This stump is by the side of the road near the woods. The squirrel is also eating a nut, while we hear the birds chirping. About half way into the commercial, the squirrel jumps down from the stump and tries to cross the road.As the squirrel crosses the road, he sees a station wagon coming down the road. He than stops in front of the car and just stands there and waits for the car to hit him. Instead of the car hitting him, it swerves off the side of the road. As we hear crashing sounds from the car, another squirrel comes onto the road next to the other squirrel. As the car is crashing the two squirrels start pounding their fists together as if he made the car crash on purpose. Then the narrator says â€Å"Accidents can happen anytime. That’s why GEICO is here 24 hours a day, every day. By looking closer at what this commercial is really saying, then we can understand it better. Because this commercial was on the USA channel, during the new episode of White Collar it can help us better to figure out who GEICO is really trying to target with it. Seeing as how all Americans watch the USA channel, it is best to assume that GEICO is trying to target people in their late twenties and above. We can assume this because a majority of American families watch this channel. By looking closer at what this commercial is really saying than we can understand it better.Because this commercial was on the USA channel, during the new episode of White Collar it can help us. By putting this commercial on during a well watched television series is a great way to promote a product. This commercial is also very funny to some people. By making it this way, GEICO hopes to attract people with great personalities, and that are rather funny to be around. Comedy is always a great way to promote a product. Because GEICO references that these two squirrels are buddies, they make this commercial very entertaining to watch.Everyone knows that squirrels run across the road into traffic all the time, that is why this commercial is so great to watch. GEIC O makes it seem like all that squirrels do all day is plot how to get cars into accidents. Even though what they really do is try to gather nuts all summer for winter time. Then GEICO makes it seem like once they actually achieve this scheme of making the cars go off the road, that they are happy and pound it with each other. This makes it fell like when two young kids are playing together.If they are both boys, then we can definitely assume that they are up to no good and trying to plot to do something very bad. When they achieve what they are up to, then they both are happy and pound each others fists. Even though we all know that squirrels cant really plot with each other, the idea of it just makes it simply funny and easier to sell car insurance. I've already told you what I think this essay is about, and who the targeted audience is, so now it's time to talk about the overall idea of this commercial.In my opinion the overall idea of this commercial is that, no matter where you are or what happens, you should always be prepared for the unexpected. You could be driving down the road just like the guy was in this commercial, and have the same thing happen to you. If you are not prepared though, something bad could very well happen to you. Like going off the side of the road (in this guys case) and crashing your car. If you don’t have car insurance in this case, then you are going to be screwed.Or take for example something else like, you are on your way home for work after a long night and your house is on fire. What do you do in this case? You can't run inside of this flaming building and expect to get all of your things back. That is why you need to always be prepared and ready in case anything like this would ever happen, like having home owners insurance. Not everything though in life is always about insurance. It is just better to prepared for the unexpected than be screwed when it happens.In conclusion, car insurance is not just another thing th at you need to buy just because it is the law. Car insurance can be helpful in the most unexpected situation that will ever happen. GEICO tries to tell us this by basically using a metaphor. That they can be your friend when you need them the most. Just like a real life friend, but they use squirrels and a station wagon to get this point across. I hope by the time that you read this last sentence that you will understand this commercial better now. The way that I do, maybe you might even laugh a little bit like I did.

Differences Between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Essay

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson’s works have numerous differences. Compared to Dickinson’s short and seemingly simple poems, Whitman’s are long and often complex. Both pioneered their own unique style of writing. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson both have been hailed as original and unique artists. They each have distinctive voices that many have attempted to replicate and have been unable to do so. Whitman wrote in epic like proportions; he developed his own rhythmic structure, creating complex lines and stanzas. Whitman’s style of free verse become synonymous with his name and works, and helped distinguish him as a great American poet. By using free verse poetry, Whitman tore down the boundary and structure of traditional poetry with the rhythm of cadence, allowing all types of people to use poetry as a form of expression. Whitman’s poems tend to run on and on; there was no set length for his poems, stanzas, or even lines. Dickinson, on the other hand, wrote poems with a definite structure. She wrote ballad stanzas, which were four line stanzas alternating in iambic tetrameter and trimeter. So the structure of their poems is very different. Another difference between their poetry is the use of rhyme. As with structure, Whitman’s poetry has no rhyme. In this way Whitman also breaks from tradition. Dickinson’s poems, unlike Whitman’s, made use of slant rhyme. This is the use of near or approximate rhymes, and is a relatively modern idea. So this is yet another way in which they differ in style. First, the most forthcoming evidence of their differences would be the structure that the poets use to express themselves through. Whitman uses free verse in his poems. A clear representation of this is any excerpt from â€Å"Song of Myself†. This poem has a set rhythm, but no definite rhyme scheme. â€Å"The Yankee clipper is under her sky-sails, she cuts the sparkle and scud, / My eyes settle the land, I bend at her prow or shout joyously from the deck. † (Whitman- â€Å"Song of Myself 10. † lines 6-7) This makes the poem less appealing to read but leaves a lot more room for expression from the author. Dickinson, however, uses well planned out short lines of rhymes. Her poems don’t usually consist of many more than 6 words per line and are written in verse. This gives each poem an easier pattern and flow to comprehend. These poems may not sound as sophisticated, but are equally brilliant. â€Å"If you were coming in the Fall, / I’d brush the Summer by / With half a smile, and half a spurn, / As Housewives do a fly. † (Dickinson- â€Å"If you were coming†¦ His preoccupation with sex, the human body, and numerous other â€Å"taboo† subjects, changed the American publics view of poetry. Dickinson’s works are just as unique, due mainly to her odd placement of punctuation, unusual grammar, and simplicity of language. Her lines end abruptly, outwardly innocuous words are often capitalized, and her tendency to write meters typical of hymnals all distinguishes her from other writers Although they were both Romantics, Whitman and Dickinson were so different from each other. Whitman grew up reading a myriad amount of literary works, including Homer’s Odyssey and the Bible. His poetry is reflective of the works he read in his early years. Dickinson, on the other hand, learned how to read and write in a time period of male authority. Her poetry is metaphysical, and expressive of her soul. Together, Whitman and Dickinson marked a turning point in American poetry. In the poem, â€Å"Song of Myself,† Whitman opens with an oceanic scene of a skipper who struggles to save the weary passengers of a sinking ship that is hit by a violent storm. As the skipper watches the wrath of the storm, Whitman uses personification to bring life out of the scene. â€Å"How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the steam-ship, and Death chasing it up and down the storm† (Whitman 1). The death that chases the ship up and down the storm is the waves that relentlessly crash against the hull. In the same way that death is the end of life, the wrath of the waves is the end of the passengers. When the skipper cannot bear the tragic scene no more, and decides to save all the stricken passengers, Whitman uses a Biblical allusion to add a deeper meaning to the skipper’s heroic act. â€Å"How he follow’d them and tack’d with them three days and would not give it up, how he saved the drifting company at last† (Whitman 1). The skipper’s strife to save the drifting passengers for three days is an allusion to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, Jesus dies to save mankind from sin, and resurrects three days later. Whitman uses this Biblical allusion to bring the skipper up to the level of Jesus Christ, making the two saviors equal. As the skipper looks onward at the faces of the survivors, Whitman applies imagery to describe the passengers. â€Å"How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the sharp-lipp’d unshaved men† (Whitman 1). The passengers that survive the ship wreck are no longer the same people that stepped foot on that ship. The image of old babies doesn’t describe their age, but their sense of maturity, even though babies cannot be mature. Likewise, the image of the sharp-lipp’d unshaved men doesn’t describe their lips and hair, but their burden of being unable to save their own families from the storm, even though that is the duty of a father. At first, it may seem as if the skipper is the sole hero in the poem, but that is not the case. Through â€Å"Song of Myself,† Whitman illustrates that a hero is not defined by an act of salvation, but rather by the hardship a person endures. The skipper and the survivors of the shipwreck are all heroes, because they endure a hardship nobody knows. The skipper endures the hardship of saving each passenger and the passengers endure the waves of the violent storm. Their endurance through troubling times is what counts them as heroes. In the poem, â€Å"Success is Counted Sweetest,† Dickinson centers all attention on an ambitious soldier who comes close to victory, but fails to grasp it in his hands. As the soldier lays wounded on the ground, Dickinson uses taste to interact the reader’s senses with the moment. â€Å"Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed† (Dickinson 1). Something that is sweet tastes very good, because it creates a very pleasing sensation. In the same way that a candy bar is sweet, success is also sweet because it feels good. However, Dickinson expresses that success is sweetest to those who almost reach it. Victory means the most to the wounded soldier because he comes so close to winning, but ends up losing. It’s as if he can almost taste victory, but his tongue never touches it. When the dying soldier sees the opposing army in victory, Dickinson adds irony to apply a deeper meaning to the poem. â€Å"Not one of all the purple Host who took the flag today can tell the definition so clear of victory† (Dickinson 1). The army that has the flag is the army that wins the battle. However, Dickinson expresses that the victorious army does not know the true definition of victory. This is ironic, because the one that wins should be able to describe victory, and the one that loses should be able to describe failure. It is not the other way around. As the soldier and his comrades listen to the sound of the other side’s victory, Dickson uses imagery to end the scene. â€Å"As he defeated – dying – on whose forbidden ear the distant strains of triumph burst agonized and clear† (Dickinson 1). The solider is dying on the ground from his battle wounds and he is in complete agony. However, his agony is amplified because the soldier can hear the sound of victory from the other side. This is more painful to him than his physical wounds, because their sound of victory is the impending sound of his failure. Although it may seem as if the heroes in the poem are the victors, the dying soldier is the actual hero. Through â€Å"Success is Counted Sweetest,† Dickinson illustrates that a hero is not defined by his victories, but by his sacrifice for a cause. The dying soldier is a hero because he sacrifices his life for the cause of his army. Likewise, the victorious soldiers are also heroes because they also sacrifice their lives for the cause of their army. It doesn’t matter which cause emerges victorious, because not every army succeeds. It’s because heroes don’t always win – they sacrifice. As the greatest Romantics of their age, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson influenced American literature and poetry to the highest degree. Through his works, Whitman changed poetry by creating cadence and free verse. Again the long roll of the drummers, again the attacking cannon, mortars, again to my listening ears the cannon responsive† (Whitman ). By using free verse poetry, Whitman tore down the boundary and structure of traditional poetry with the rhythm of cadence, allowing all types of people to use poetry as a form of expression. Aside from Whitman, Dickinson was a lonely woman who wrote poetry to express her inner feelings. Having never found true love, she spent many days isolated from others, allowing her imagination to grow wild. She found ways to superficially describe objects, ideas, and feelings. However she only meant for her writings to remain in a box. Through her works, Dickinson expanded poetry by way of rhyme and meter. â€Å"If you were coming in the fall, I’d brush the Summer by with half a smile, and half a spurn, as Housewives do, a fly† (Dickinson 1). By using rhyme and meter, Dickinson opened American literature to women, showing that men were not the only ones who knew how to use ink and paper. Through her unique writing style, she took poetry to a higher level, making it a complete and concise language of the soul. Dickinson’s poetry followed a much stricter meter and rhyme scheme. She is known for her carefully worded and arranged poems. Many of Dickinson’s poems are in quatrains, which are four lines per stanza. Together, Walt and Emily are the reason behind today’s American literature. Although Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson could paint pictures with words, their contributions to American Romantic literature were not equal. They often wrote about the American hero, but both authors are the living American heroes. The greater author is Walt Whitman, because he didn’t solely speak for himself. He spoke and wrote for the American people. This is important because he wanted the voice of all American people to be heard as testimony to world peace. Dickinson, on the other hand, only hid in her house to write, not making her voice heard. She made poetry metaphysical, but Whitman made poetry powerful. Dickinson opened doors for women, but Whitman opened the houses of America’s ideology. Through cadence and free verse, or rhyme and meter, Dickinson and Whitman changed American Romantic poetry. However, Walt Whitman gains the title, Master of the Word. There are by far more differences in the writing styles of Whitman and Dickinson than there are similarities. One difference is the way they structured their poems. Basically, the structures of Whitman’s poem is the lack of any structure. Whitman’s poems tend to run on and on; there was no set length for his poems, stanzas, or even lines. Dickinson, on the other hand, wrote poems with a definite structure. She wrote ballad stanzas, which were four line stanzas alternating in iambic tetrameter and trimeter. So the structure of their poems is very different. Another difference between their poetry is the use of rhyme. As with structure, Whitman’s poetry has no rhyme. In this way Whitman also breaks from tradition. Dickinson’s poems, unlike Whitman’s, made use of slant rhyme. This is the use of near or approximate rhymes, and is a relatively modern idea. So this is yet another way in which they differ in style. First, the most forthcoming evidence of their differences would be the structure that the poets use to express themselves through. Whitman uses free verse in his poems. A clear representation of this is any excerpt from â€Å"Song of Myself†. This poem has a set rhythm, but no definite rhyme scheme. â€Å"The Yankee clipper is under her sky-sails, she cuts the sparkle and scud, / My eyes settle the land, I bend at her prow or shout joyously from the deck. † (Whitman- â€Å"Song of Myself 10. † lines 6-7) This makes the poem less appealing to read but leaves a lot more room for expression from the author. Dickinson, however, uses well planned out short lines of rhymes. Her poems don’t usually consist of many more than 6 words per line and are written in verse. This gives each poem an easier pattern and flow to comprehend. These poems may not sound as sophisticated, but are equally brilliant. â€Å"If you were coming in the Fall, / I’d brush the Summer by / With half a smile, and half a spurn, / As Housewives do a fly. † (Dickinson- â€Å"If you were coming†¦ Whitman began a new era in the writing world; he was the first not to conform to the usual standards of writing. His poems don’t have specific rhyming patterns, and some don’t rhyme at all, where as Dickinson’s poems fit more into the form that had been set at that time. Dickinson’s poems usually have at least two end rhymes in each stanza, which was usually how poetry was written. While Whitman’s poems are large and expansive, the lines long and visually descriptive, Dickinson’s works, in contrast, are highly compressed, squeezing moments of intense emotions and thought into tight four line stanzas which contract feeling and condense thought. Whitman doesn’t use metaphors in his poetry which creates a more democratic form of poetry, in which not has pride of place. His voice submerges and surfaces at odd intervals, losing itself in a†¦ She wrote her poetry for herself rather than others. Whitman tended to write as a representative of all the American people. Dickinson wished to reserve her poetry to herself, as she did not want her works to be judged by others. (Gall4) â€Å"Whitman sees the poetic act as a means of reconciling the solitary self with the world while Dickinson views consciousness as always at war with a recalcitrant, ultimately alien and unknowable universe. â€Å"(Library Journal 82) While they vary in numerous ways, Whitman and Dickinson endure as this nation’s most prominent contributors to American poetry and are our greatest understanding of the distinctively American Essence One of the hallmark differences between them is in the length of lines they use in their poems. Characteristically, Whitman employs, and is indeed the master of, the long line. Dickinson, on the other hand, makes use exclusively of short, staccato, unadorned lines. A case can be made for the notion that a relationship exists between line length and the kinds of ideas expressed by these poets. The ideas Whitman presents in his poems are more individual, personal, and emotional, whereas Dickinson presents ideas which seem more universal and at times almost factual in nature. This basic difference between the two can be supported by examining a â€Å"typical† poem by each poet. When Whitman presents the idea of death in his poetry it is very personalized, almost to the point of being unique to him. In â€Å"Song of Myself,† stanza 49, he addresses Death directly: â€Å"And as to you Death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me† (Norton, p. 33, l. 1289). He admits that Death has the power to do as he wishes, to do him harm, to take him away in his â€Å"bitter hug of mortality,† but he will not be afraid. He is not readily resigning himself to Death, and he will certainly not be intimidated. â€Å"And as to you Corpse I think you are good manure, but that does not offend me† (Norton, p. 3, l. 1294). He sees the good that can come from Death. â€Å"I smell the white roses sweet-scented and growing, I reach to the leafy lips, I reach to the polish’d breasts of melons† (Norton, p. 33, ll. 1295-96). Furthermore, even though Death may take him now, killing him, bringing him down, â€Å"(No doubt I have died myself ten thousand times before)† (Norton, p. 33, l. 1298). He is going because he has no choice, but it is not the end, and he will argue and put up a fight. He will rise above the inevitable: Emily Dickinson, on the other hand, presents the idea of death in a much different way. In her poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death,† one simple idea is expressed, that Death is inevitable. Because most people do not ask for Death, â€Å"He kindly stopped for me† (Norton, p. 52, l. 2). Then he went slowly about his business, taking her along with him on his journey. They passed by life, youth, children, and the fields and light of Earth. They â€Å"paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground† (Norton, p. 52, ll. 17-18) before continuing â€Å"toward Eternity. † Not once does she fight the inevitable tug of death. She is going just like everyone else has gone and must go. It is a simple thing. There is nothing to be done about it, so go along just like everyone else. She is uninterested in persuading or in even discussing the subject. Instead she presents her idea as it is, almost factually – Death is here and I am going with him. She is resigned to her fate, a universal fate, not particularly personalized for her. In this case, it is almost a pleasant experience, a comfortable resignation to what is inevitable. We can see then that the long and complex lines of Whitman are used for deep and complicated and emotional expression. His ideas are seldom simple, but instead, multifaceted and sprawling in scope. They are steeped in individuality, rooted in and reflecting the frequently illogical fluctuations of personality. There is plenty of room in his lines for such expression. Whereas Dickinson, due in part to the abbreviated, staccato nature of her lines, is much more limited. There is no room in her poems to expand and explore, demonstrate, preach, convince, and implore. Yet both, needless to say, say what they must clearly and beautifully.

Obedience vs Responsibility Essay

Obedience and Responsibility In Stanley Milgram’s, â€Å"The Perils of Obedience†, Milgram states â€Å"The essence of obedience is that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes, and he therefore no longer regards himself as responsible for his actions. † (Milgram 6) Through his experiments he shows how we obey commands against our better judgment. It my belief that we are generally obedient as long as someone else assumes responsibility for the outcome. Therefore, this poses the question; would we be fully obedient if we were held responsible for the outcome? Milgram’s experiment consists of three roles: the experimenter, the teacher, and the learner. The learner, who is actually an actor, is strapped to an electrocution device is tested on his ability to remember a word of a pair when he hears the first one again. The teacher, the actual test subject, asks the questions and administers a shock ranging from fifteen volts to four hundred fifty volts for incorrect answers. The experimenter is simply there to guide the teacher and record the findings. The experiment begins by the teacher asking the learner questions. When the learner answers incorrectly, the teacher must correct him and administer a shock starting at the lowest voltage. As the experiment continues the voltages increase and so does the reaction from the learner. What begins as minor discomfort on the learner quickly turns into screams of pain and pleas to be released. The experimenter’s job is to record the reactions of the teacher based on learner’s reactions and how long the teacher will continue to go on with the experiment. The results of the first experiment conducted on a group of Yale undergraduates, showed that about sixty percent of them were fully obedient, even to the maximum voltage. (Milgram 2) A colleague of Milgram’s dismissed the findings stating, â€Å"Yale undergraduates are a highly aggressive bunch who steps on each other’s neck on the slightest provocation. † (Milgram 2) He believed that when the experiment was carried out on â€Å"ordinary† people the results would be much different. The second experiment was conducted on professionals, white-collar workers, unemployed persons, and industrial workers. The results were very much the same as those of the Yale students. One specific experiment involving Fred Prozi, a good natured unemployed fifty year old, shows that once responsibility is placed on someone else we are content with following demands that are given. At one point in the experiment Prozi turns to the experimenter and says, â€Å"You accept all responsibility? (Milgram 4) Once the experimenter agrees Prozi continues and inflicts a 450 volt shock numerous times despite hearing the learners scream of agony and pleas to be released. This shows that once we detach ourselves from the responsibility of the outcome, we will comply with the demands given even if the effects of the demands are harmful, destructive and blatantly clear. In a variation of the experiment, the teacher was not required to pull the lever that shocked the learner; rather they just had to administer the word pair test. This removed even more of the responsibility of the teacher, since they were not actually inflicting pain on the victim. The result of the result of this experiment showed that 37 out of 40 adults continued to the highest level on the shock generator. (Milgram 7) We see this type of behavior in everyday society. People are willing to carry out the demands of others if they feel the demands are not neccassarily their views or actions. An example of this could be someone dismissing someone from a job because their senior boss ordered them to. They may not feel the same way about the employee or the descision to fire them, but they remove any emotional responsibility because they were just following orders. An even better example of this would be that of war in modern society. Since soldiers are given orders to kill by their superiors, they can remove any emotional responsibility because they were simply following orders. Likewise, the person odering the soldier to kill someone removes the responsibility on the superior because they are actually committing the act of murder. Also, many Americans can justify was because we as individuals aren’t actually fighting the war and do not see the effects of the war daily. In conclusion, it is my belief that if we were held personally responsible for the demands ordered by another most people would not comply with those demands. It is easy to put our conscience at ease when we are not responsible for the actions ordered by another, it is not as easy if we were to be held responsible. I believe that Milgram’s article proves this to be true, not just in the experiments he conducted in the article but in modern society as well.

Building the team Essay

2.1 Explain what behaviours you have developed in order to maintain trust in your detachment. In order to main trust at the detachment I aim is to set aim example in the way I present myself and behave. . A good leader should possess characteristics that encourage the formation of a close knit, solid team. Many of these are my own natural and personal characteristics, but to some have to be learnt. I have been told that I have an approachable demeanour and I am genuinely a caring person. I am also trustworthy and loyal, with a deep sense of integrity and fairness, and high, but not narrow, moral values. I am enthusiastic and encouraging to others, showing my upbeat, positive nature. As a firm believer in self discipline and hard work, I am reliable and punctual. My natural tact, diplomacy and understanding mean that my team are happy to discuss any matters freely. Communication and listening are essential for building a good team, ensuring that time is allocated for them Having been supplied with knowledge, through training with the Cadet Force, and gained qualifications I have become more confident and decisive, not afraid of using my own judgement to address issues which are causing problems. By ensuring that I have up to date information I can plan ahead, be forward thinking, but maintain a degree of flexibility. Committed to the detachment I am willing to take responsibility and stand up for the team, supporting them as necessary. I have learnt to deal with issues in a calm and straight forward manner. 2.2 Explain why confidentiality is important in building and maintaining trust within the team. To earn a reputation of reliability you need to earn the trust of the other  team members. Respecting, and keeping confidences, is paramount as team leaders need to be able to be trusted with private and confidential information. You should never share information that you have been asked to keep confidential and use your judgment when it comes to matters of implied confidentiality. You must keep things confidential that are intended to be so even if a there are problems within the team. There are exceptions to keeping rule, such as when someone’s health or well-being is at risk, or if there is a likelihood of someone being endangered. It’s not an easy commitment to vow never share anything that must be kept confidential, but you should remember that their decision to share or not to divulge information that may affect how others view that person. When consider sharing information you should ask yourself if there is any chance that the person who imparted the information would like it kept confidential. If that is the case, you should not share it. When things are kept confidential that should be confidential, a reputation as a person who can be trusted will be gained. Trust and confidence in leadership is one of the most reliable indicators of satisfaction in an organization, encouraging openness. Maintaining trust avoids conflict within the group. Many issues are resolved by team members trusting their leader sufficiently to approach him with any problem they may have, however large or small it may be. 2.3 Give one example of a group and one example of a team within the Cadet Force. Justify the classification of examples given. An example of a team within the Cadet Force is the Detachment staff i.e. the adult instructors. They have individual and mutual responsibilities but they work together in decision making, discussion, planning, problem solving, focusing on team goals. Defined individual roles, responsibilities and tasks help the team to  do its work. These are often shared and rotated. Each member of the team is concerned with results achieved and challenges they face. The team’s purpose, goals and organisation is shaped by team leader along with other team members. An example of a group within the Cadet Force is the cadets who attend the detachment. The cadets are not involved in the planning the aims and objectives. They have each have their own accountability and work to achieve individual results and goals. They come together to train and learn but are responsible for their own outcome and challenges. The cadets each have individual roles but work as a group to attain results. The group is lead by the team and its leader, the detachment staff and commander, and guided in its aim, goals and approach to training. 2.4 Describe the stages of an established model group formation using examples from your experience to illustrate these if possible. In 1965 Bruce Tuckman developed a 5 stage model of group development, focusing on the way a task is approached and completed from the start to the end. Stage 1 – Forming: The group comes together and gets to know one other and form into a group. Stage 2 – Storming: Differing ideas are raised on how to complete the task and trialling of theories. Stage 3 – Norming: Agreement is reached on how the group will operate. Stage 4 – Performing: The group practices its processes and plans. It becomes effective in meeting its objectives. 10 years later an additional stage was added. Stage 5 – Adjourning and Transforming: The process of ending the project, letting go of the group structure and moving on. The group can reform at any phase to review their goals or change members of the team. This can meaning  reverting to the first stage, but it will progress rapidly as the new member is included in the group. In the Cadet Force an example the group is seen during field craft training. The cadets are formed into groups of up to eight, to create a ‘section’. They need establish the leader, 1IC, second in command, 2IC, and the duties of the remaining members of the group. They need to discuss and plan how they are complete the task, perform the section attack and review how they feel they performed. 2.5 Explain how a Commanding officer could benefit from knowing team member’s preferred team roles. Most cadet detachment teams are made up of people with a varied range of experience, abilities, knowledge, confidence and commitment. Each and every one of them has their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Knowing the team member’s preferred role enables the team leader to allocate roles that are most suited them and were they will produce the best results. For instance someone who is expert in First Aid should be allocated responsibility for that training. Likewise a person who has a lot of experience in a field craft role can be utilised to co-ordinate that training. In 1985, Margerison and McCann produced a classification list for members of a team. They identified these roles in terms of those who were most happily suited to innovating, promoting, developing, organising, producing, inspecting, maintaining and advising. This forms an excellent basis on creating an efficient, confident team that is able to produce results. Different personalities require different styles of leadership and guidance. Knowing an individuals personality will enable the commander to adapt the style of leadership for that person. For instance a new team member, with little knowledge of the Cadet Force, will need direction, tutoring and demonstration of the tasks he will be undertaking. A member who has several years of experience may need refresher training or be required on take on new responsibilities. These can make them feel insecure and unsure. This situation may require coaching from the commander, reaffirming their abilities. Someone who has sufficient experience, knowledge and skills will only need support and guidance to achieve results. An experienced instructor who is confident in his abilities would resent close supervision and would prefer to be left to deal with a given task on his own. The commander would be able to delegate responsibilities to this person freeing him to pay closer attention to those who need it. Knowing the detachment staffs’s preferred roles and leadership requirements would enable the team leader arrange tasks and training in an efficient way creating a well balanced, team with good morale.

Theories in phsychology of business Essay

Television advert and website are the devices of promoting that have an extensive variety of achieve and they have been overlooked to a greater degree. Individuals have an idea that TV adverts are for those rich individuals and website advert are for who have a machine or the individuals who oftentimes have sufficient energy to visit a digital or can get to machine. In no time, advancing and progressions on the World Wide Web are essentially conventional. Associations are making Web pages now and again just to show exceptional. Using the Web for publicizing requires certain supplies and authority, including getting a machine, getting an Internet organization supplier, acquiring (for the most part renting) a Website name, arranging and presenting the Website delineations and diverse limits as needed (for example, an online store for e-exchange), propelling the Website (through distinctive web hunt apparatuses, inventories, et cetera.) and keeping up the Website. Various people don’t much consider TV advancements because of the inclination that the commercials are greatly extravagant. They are more extravagant than an extensive share of noteworthy sorts of publicizing. In any case, with the extending number of telecom organizations and stations, associations may find incredible game plans for setting attachments or diverse sorts of plugs. Television notices regularly are assessed with near considerations to radio advancements, that is, the amount of advancements, the length of advancements and when they are placed reporting progressively. Television types of publicizing can be utilized to reach numerous gathering of people at once and regardless of where demographic the crowd fall, there is a system airing fitting projects together with advertisements. Website ad have an extensive variety of achieve and they are not confined to topographical obstructions and regardless of where the group of onlookers is in any piece of the world and have admittance to web joined machine they can get the advert. Maslow`s theory                  Maslow’s pecking order of requirements is a hypothesis in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It is referred as hypothesis of human inspiration. Maslow broadened his thought in including his perception of human’s inherent interest Maslow’s chain of importance of necessities is regularly depicted fit as a fiddle of a pyramid with the biggest, most key levels of requirements at the base and the requirement for self- completion at the top. Maslow’s hypothesis recommends that the most fundamental level of requirements must be met before the individual will firmly want the auxiliary or more elevated amount needs. Maslow’s hypothesis is utilized in both TV advert and site in that when advert is continuously made the most imperative things are highlighted initially emulated by the needs that need self-completion. In site the needs that the business needs to promote are sorted from the most essential to the paramount ones and they are posted on the organizations site or any partner showcasing. Hertzberg’s theory                  Two- factor theory essentials otherwise called HERTZBERGS theory has mentality and their association with modern mental wellbeing are identified with Abraham Maslow’s hypothesis of inspiration. As per Herzberg, people are not content with the fulfillment of lower-request needs at work; for instance, those needs connected with least pay levels or sheltered and average working conditions. Rather, people search for the delight of more elevated amount mental needs needing to do with accomplishment, distinguishment, obligation, progression, and the way of the work itself. Herzberg added another measurement to this hypothesis by proposing a two-component model of inspiration, in view of the thought that the vicinity of one set of employment qualities or motivators prompts specialist fulfillment at work, while an alternate and separate set of occupation attributes prompts disappointment at work. Subsequently, fulfillment and disappointment are not on a co ntinuum with one expanding as alternate lessens, yet are free phenomena. This hypothesis recommends that to enhance work disposition and benefit, heads must perceive and go to both sets of attributes and not accept that an increment in fulfillment prompts diminish in unpleasable disappointment. Two –factor hypothesis basics is not utilized in either the TV advert and website since this hypothesis is essentially planned for workers and not clients. Vroom expectancy theory                  It accepts that conduct results from cognizant decisions among plan B whose reason it is to expand delight and minimize torment. Together with Edward Lawler and Lyman Porter, Victor Vroom proposed that the relationship between individuals’ conduct at work and their objectives was not as basic as was initially envisioned by different researchers. Vroom understood that a worker’s execution is focused around people components, for example, identity, aptitudes, information, experience and capacities. Vroom anticipation hypothesis is based to look the certainty of the workers, feelings and view of the organization. This hypothesis is not utilized in TV commercial and the web ad. Freudian theory                  As per Freud psychoanalytic hypothesis, all psychic vitality is created by the drive. Freud additionally accepted that much of human conduct was roused by two driving senses: the life impulses and the passing impulses. The life impulses are those that identify with a fundamental requirement for survival, propagation and joy. They incorporate such things as the requirement for nourishment, haven, love and sex. He additionally proposed that all people have an oblivious wish for death, which he alluded to as the demise impulses. Self-dangerous conduct, he accepted, was one interpretation of the demise drive. In any case, he accepted that these demise senses were to a great extent tempered by the life impulses. This hypothesis is nearly utilized in the television and site advert since the adverts made are regulated to individuals with fixation at specific stages and with obsession at specific purposes of advancement. The organizations needs to comprehend thei r customers’ charisma they are planning to draws in consideration. Behavioral Theory                  Behavior argues that concepts like conflict, anxiety and fixation do not explain behavioral of an individual. Behavior of individual is guided by punishment one receive or rewards given that reinforce the behavior and increase the chances of behavior occurring. Behavioral belief that observable stimuli in the environment causes organisms to act in a particular way. This theory is related to Freudian theory and is basically employed in both form of advertisement in this paper. The anxiety of people is capitalized by most of the TV broadcasting station and when audience are longing to continue with their favorite programme there is a break for adverts to be made. For website it happens when a client visits a certain website and before it opens there are some adverts that pops there. In both cases advertisers capitalizes the behavioral theory in concepts of anxiety. Cognitive theory                  This theories emphasizes mental processes in development such as logic and memory. Piagel proposed that each of us begin life with a small repertoire of sensory and motor scheme such as looking , tasting, touching and hearing we use each scheme becomes better adapted to the world. We possess mental scheme as well and most developed in childhood and adolescence. Mental schemes allows us to use symbols and thinking logically. Cognitive theory is much employed in advertising and much in TV and website advert. Advertisers have to use the logic while advertising in abide to capture the attention of the clients or audience. In cognitive theory, the audience are not passive learners and the audience development has to be taken in to consideration before advert is made as shown by Freudian theory. Comparison                  Both covers extensive variety of group of onlookers over any demographic dissimilar to other type of showcasing like magazines They both covers all race of gathering of people particularly channels like BBC and CNN although their group of onlookers needs to comprehend the dialect utilized as a part of show. Contrast For television adverts there are those one planned for adult individuals and they are brought when certain system is broadcast. For Website anybody can get to the advert despite the fact that they were not expected for that age. My recommendation is that there the installment made to each advert in TV and site ought to be publicized possibly in a week or a month to make individuals have boldness to promote with them. The correspondence commission of each nation ought to meet up and draft the principle to be followed in making adverts that will reach anybody on the globe. References Farmer, W. (2001). 5. In Latent trait theory analysis of changes in item response anchors: Final report (2nd ed., Vol. 2, p. 95). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine ;. Gardener, L. (1972). Theories in phsychology of business. In Attitude and motivational in languages learning (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 211). Rowley: Newbury house. Kandoyan, N. (2002). Theories in phsychology of business. In A study of performance efficiency in public and private sector organizations (1st ed., Vol. 2, p. 47). Baltimore: John Hopkin University press. Laban, J. (2003). Phychology of thoughts. In Phsychology of customer in business (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 37). Newyork: Jameson publisher. Martin, S. (1990). Business and people. In Learned optimism (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 101). Newyork. Maslow, A., & Hoffman, E. (1996). Future visions: The unpublished papers of Abraham Maslow. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Maslow, A. (1999). Maslows theory. In Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed., Vol. 2, p. 120). New York: J. Wiley & Sons. Orlando, F., & Orlando, F. (1978). Freudian theory. In Toward a Freudian theory of literature: With an analysis of Racine’s PheÌ€dre (1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 143). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Source document

Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animals - Essay Example Mostly compared in the debate on the best pet are cats, dogs, reptiles (turtle, tortoise, and fish). The other point worth noting is that each kind of pet has its own advantages and disadvantages and it depends on what its owner expects of it. In addition, the nature and behavior of a pet also determines whether it is the best or the most appropriate (Radford 24). For an illustration, a dog may be quite laid back by nature while one may acquire and keep a cat which has uncharacteristically high energy. Similarly, if one wants a pet to take a stroll, play, and go places with, then a dog would come highly recommended. On the other hand, cats are easier to care for and are thus recommended for pet owners interested in a more relaxed atmosphere while dogs are for fun and outdoor people. The comparison is however not always about dogs and cats; sometimes dogs and cats are compared with other kinds of pets such as reptiles and fish. In these comparisons, a good pet is defined on the basis of characteristics such as temperament and the ease of care and upkeep (Radford 43). Many pet lovers also concur that the best pet is not only gentle but also good natured and easy to take care of. This paper compares dogs and cats on one side and fish and reptiles on the other. Cats and Dogs versus Fish and Reptiles There are several advantages that dogs and cats have over reptiles, which make them better pets over the latter. Among the positive aspects of cats and dogs are loyalty, easy to manage, simple feeding/diet, easy to find feed, they are playful, and are fun to be with. However, there are several bad aspects of keeping cats and dogs as pets. For instance, they need medications/shots for diseases such as rabies, mange, cough, worms, and they must be licensed. In addition, dogs and cats need to be neutered and are costly. The main advantage of fish and reptiles such as lizards, tortoise, turtles, snakes, and fish is that they are kept in cages hence easy to keep and manage. Moreover kid, especially boys love reptiles. Since they are mostly in cages, they require little attention from their owners once they are fed and have few problems of running away from home. Nonetheless, there are several problems that make reptile pets a bit difficult to keep. That is, they may cause salmonella-related infections, more so to kids, who should always be kept away from such pets. The second problem with reptiles is that they require specialized diets and costly tanks and cages for fish, snakes, lizards, and turtles. These cages must also be cleaned as regularly as possible since reptiles, more so fish are rather delicate. The other pets often compared with cats, dogs, and reptiles are bunnies, which happen to be fun to play with for a lot of people. In addition, bunnies are easy to feed, smart, social, and play a lot, thus entertaining and easy to bond with. A rather boring aspect of keeping bunnies is that one cannot walk and play games such as â€Å"catch† o r swim with them. Further bunnies do not like being held a lot and are rather frail. From the mentioned advantages and disadvantages of cats, dogs, reptiles, and bunnies, it is clear that each pet has its own good and bad sides. As mentioned earlier, what determines the best pet is the owner’s personality, lifestyle, the nature of the pet, and the expected role of the said pet in the owner’s life. In fact, some people have compared pets to children. For example, for someone always working, with little or no time to take care of a pet, a cat would be highly recommended instead of a dog since cats are mostly indoors. This scenario presented by a cat is quite unlike the case of a dog,

Legal Ethical Nursing Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal Ethical Nursing Situation - Essay Example (Scott, 2000) Practice sisters in GP group practices who often do the actual disease notification are not the ones to receive the statutory payment. Senior HIV/AIDS discharge co-coordinators (nurses) and research nurses have been employed with part of their job defined in terms which are normally part of the doctor's role. Needless to say, they are paid less than doctors. There is generally a lack of recognition and concern for the dilemmas nurses are faced with in this field. Although the ethical codes of both the medical and nursing professions are not at odds on these matters, the actual practice is. In fact, the nursing code in particular is quite advanced and very clear, but the conflicts and power struggles which still exist between medicine and nursing make it very difficult for nurses-advocates of the patients-to live by the letter and spirit of their code. Not only does the individual nurse suffer in this situation, but any decent nurse is forced into defending the rights of the patient in opposition to the quality of the data collected. This is not an argument against nurses entering the field of epidemiology, but rather an argument for bringing the rights of the individual patient and the public aims of epidemiology and health policy together. Nurses are often in the best position to identify these problems and should be listened to. (De Selincourt, 2000) Literature Review/ Case Study A young woman, Amanda, is pregnant. She attends the antenatal clinic, where a midwife takes her health history and runs a series of tests, such as blood, urine and blood pressure. She is counseled by the midwife on, among other things, the implications of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) and of being tested for it. Although the midwife has no reason to believe that Amanda has been exposed to HIV, she offers her an HIV test. Amanda declines, as there seems to be no need for one. She is also aware of the difficulties in obtaining a mortgage if she has this test. The blood sample taken by the midwife is sent to a laboratory for analysis for hemoglobin content, rubella antibodies, and syphilis. At the same time a small amount of blood from this sample is placed in an unnamed test tube which is then sent to a central laboratory to be tested for HIV. The midwife is completely unaware that this has occurred so cannot inform Amanda. The next time that Amanda visits the antenatal clinic the other blood results are returned to her and, as they are normal, she continues with her pregnancy uneventfully. Unknown to her the anonymous blood sample has been tested and found to be HIV antibody positive and this is recorded at the national surveillance centre, where data on HIV and acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other infectious diseases are collected. The information accompanying this sample includes Amanda's age range (i.e. between 35 and 40 years), her gender and the geographical origin of the sample. In this case the epidemiologist will not have information about the means by which HIV was contracted. The data will provide information about the trends of HIV among pregnant women who attend antenatal clinics over a five-year period. Amanda's pregnancy

Change and Continuity in Australia under Gough Whitlam Labor Essay

Change and Continuity in Australia under Gough Whitlam Labor Government - Essay Example This paper will examine change under Whitlam but also aspects of continuity Whitlam is regarded an iconic figure in the political history of Australia, because he was remarkable as an exponent of political and other changes, where many of the changes he pushed for yielded positive impacts – irrespective of the fact that, the benefits of the changes were not openly visible in many cases (Staveley, n.d). Following the diverse interpretation of the effects of the then government – on Australia and also the political rivalry between the opposition and the government headed by Whitlam – the Governor General of the state, John Kerr took the measures of removing Whitlam from office; such a step had not been taken before, throughout the history of Australian politics and administrative roles. The dismissal of the Prime Minister in 1975, led to the end of an administrative era, which was celebrated among some, but which also reshaped the meaning developed around the polit ics of Australia (LINKS, n.d). ... For example, Whitlam’s election in 1967 marked a change from the election of members that held experience as workers prior to their enrolment in politics. The election of Whitlam marked the start of a new system of politics and a new generation of leaders, where the change continued to be mirrored in the parliamentary caucus (Bramble and Kuhn, 1999). The change was continued into the future, which was evident from the statistics that 63 percent of senate and House of Representatives from the Labor party were those from a blue collar background. Following Whitlam’s government, there was a change from the limited focus of the government on international affairs, to the case where it actively participated in international society affairs. The involvement in internal society affairs was marked by the country’s increased engagement of international organizations, and also its participation in the making of international agreements (Australian History, 2006). This chan ge was evident through activities like the opening up of state relations with Communist China (National Archives of Australia, 2009). As an active change agent, he travelled widely, more than the Prime Ministers that came after him, which marked an iconic era in the government’s participation in international affairs. There is also an evident thread of discontinuity from the labor policies of the era under Whitlam’s government. Many of the changes reflect a change from more radical to a more moderate outlook of policy formulation, like it had been suggested by Maddox. Some of the discontinuities mark the changes that appeal to increased capital accumulation, where the scope of programs has been

What kinds of Social control does religion has on an individual Essay

What kinds of Social control does religion has on an individual - Essay Example Death is the fate of all men but the choice of where to spend eternity; either in heaven or hell is left to every individual and the fear of eternal death in hell leads to some social characters exibited by those who practice religion. Religion is an asset to the society which has a great impact and control on the individuals who practice true religion. The practice of religion either fable or geniune helps in governing a society in different aspects. Organization in the setting of democracy or a government by the use of religion in taking an oath of office. While in the rule of law religion plays a vital role in witnessing by swearing by his or her belief. People that practice religion are less likely to be caught up in societal ills such as, crime, addiction, alcohol, drug abuse, suicide, and other bad vices. Religion bring social stability mixed the norms and beliefs from religious beliefs. Patrick(1996), shines more light to the issue of religion on the social status of an individual health thereby promoting longevity, improving the chances of recovery from any sickness, and reduces the probability of being infected by deadly diseases. One of the such deadly diseases is AIDS which is primarily transmitted via sexual intercourse, this is highly prevented not by protection of practicing safe sex but by total abstainance. Total abstainance is mainly practiced by those who have religion and this is one of the many impacts of religion in the society. â€Å"The absence of self-esteem weakens the personality and put the person at greater risk for crimel, addiction and other social maladies.† The absence of self-esteem renders an individual empty, thereby giving room for depression. Depression alone leads to many societal ills which all started from a crippled pesonality. Another point by Patrick is â€Å"†¦ the practice of religion has a significant

1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

1 - Essay Example The paper is made from trees and is responsible for increasing deforestation which is having serious repercussions on the ecology system. The gradual depletion of the natural resources through deforestation became responsible for the slow death of the plants and animals which were interdependent on each other. Lack of trees and plants is also one of the main reasons for barren land because the loose soil tends to blow away the seeds, saplings and essential minerals which are prerequisite for fertile land. The forest with its tall trees also protects the species from natural catastrophes like storms and hurricanes. There are many socio-economical concerns like growing population, housing problems, water and sanitation etc. that might necessitate deforestation but a sustainable development strategy would ensure regeneration and safeguard of natural resources. It is especially true in the contemporary time when the need for sustainable development has become one of the most crucial factors of our life. The use of plastic goods and non biodegradable products has adversely impacted the ecological system. Through the evolving process of entrepreneurial creativeness, people must make efforts to adopt ‘green’ habits and promote goods and services that are intrinsically linked with environment conservation and preservation. The creative ideas have the power to even transform and add value to the ordinary, old household items and make them into fashion accessories of great beauty and value. The goods made from recycled paper, therefore, need to be used in our daily life to promote sustainable promotion activities. The fast changing socio economic dynamics have created a fiercely competitive business environment and organizations tend to adapt to the constantly evolving business environment. The main objective of any

Hunger in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hunger in America - Essay Example This is significantly above the figure of Americans who go hungry daily. This shows the irony that underlines the food situation in America. Hunger is mostly associated to poverty. It is, therefore, natural that one should expect that the groups that are affected by hunger are the low class and the homeless, generally the social classes that belong to the low-income categories. This is, nevertheless, not the scenario as highlighted in the video Food For Thought, which shows the shocking reality that the middle class is adversely affected by hunger. Statistics support this with America recording 3.5 million homeless individuals. This number is significantly low as compared to the mammoth number of 35 million who are affected by the hunger issue. Though the number of middle-income individuals who suffer from hunger is not as large as that of the lower social classes, they make up a significant number of the number of the affected population. The reason cited from the problem is loss of income through unemployment, which jeopardizes individuals’ ability to access food (Donavan and Mash, p1). It is, therefore, imperative that America takes measures to curb this dire situation. This will involve putting measures in place that will reduce food wastage. Initiatives should also be put in place to distribute food and to empower individuals economically hence curbing

Financial Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Financial Decision Making - Essay Example The company can also increase or improve on its sales so that however much the payments are, the receipts will still be more in order to for the company to meet its current liabilities. In case of surplus, the company can plough back the surplus into investment and in order to increase future sales hence better future receipts. Net Present Value is the difference between the present value of the cash inflows and the present value of the net outflows. Project cash flows are discounted using an appropriate rate which is the minimum rate of return required by the investor. In the case of these two projects; Alpha and Beta projects, the discounting rate is 10% which is used to calculate the discounting factors with the formula 1/(1 + r)n where r is the discounting rate and n is the number of years. The appropriate cash flows are the after tax cash flows, therefore the net cash flows should be estimated on the after tax basis. However, in these projects, there was no tax involved and no p roject had a residual value after the completion period of 5 years. Computation of cash flows requires a special treatment of non-cash expenses such as depreciation though in these projects, there is no depreciation considered. However, in case of depreciation, it has an indirect effect on the cash flow since it is a tax deduction expense. The general criteria for Net Present Value is that the project with a negative net present value should be undertaken since it increases the wealth of the shareholders and a project.

Re-write an old report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Re-write an old report - Essay Example An electronic chart is ECIDIS only if it adheres to the performance standards authorized by International Maritime Organization (IMO).Basic measure of IMO standard is; feature assessment, and functions for a safe utility to serve the navigation purpose (IMO, 1995).With integrated Global Positioning System (GPS), ECDIS assist and enhance navigation performance by automatically determining the position (Gould et al.2009).In this way locating position becomes a simplified task, however, according to Sauer et al. (2002)the system monitoring requirement increases with ECDIS. But ECDIS has got edge which can not be ignored. Its most important advantage is designing and monitoring. Route designing was manually done in past, ECDIS made it much easier and the process more efficient. Moreover, manual designing can damage the chart and can hide important description on the chart (Yu-xin et al. 2004). 2.1.The basic purpose of Transas Navi-Sailor 3000 ECDIS Navi-Sailor 3000 provides the navigator with all the information from different navigational sensors presented in electronic navigational chart. All the information provided at on chart assist in ensuring a safe passage. Route planning functionality is enhanced by different functions and integrations (ZORA, 2009).According to TRANSAS (2009), Navi-Sailor 3000 is developed to not only meet SOLAS convention but also to meet the requirement of IMO resolution to be implemented in all commercial vessels and Military ships. 2.2. Feature Appraisal of Navi-Sailor 3000 Software Navi-Sailor 3000 ECDIS assist the navigator in understanding marine environment by numerous functions and features. Nearly all the features that ensure safe navigation are available by the software, for instance, beacons, buoys, lighthouses, areas, and dangerous objects. Some of the functions used are: Positioning Route planning and monitoring Alarms Electronic log and Playback Function ECDIS and Navi-Sailor 3000 Integration 2.2.1. Positioning The system is fully prepared to assist the navigator by providing all the essential information. Current ship position and motion vector is displayed at top position as shown in figure 1.In addition, radar/ARPA information and AIS data is also obtained from this system. Furthermore, Navi-Sailor 3000 also provides a feature of ship contour display according to parameters and chart scale. Additional date is obtained from system’s navigational sensors. Figure 1: Current ship position (TRANSAS, 2009) 2.2.2 Route planning and monitoring Through route planning feature, Navi-Sailor 3000 ECDIS provide; geographical data, such as course and waypoints, scheduled information, such as, estimated time of arrival and departure, and average speed, weather calculations and other updated information. In addition to route planning function, ‘Check Route’ function is also available. It enables route checking from threats to navigation. There are customization options to set the mode by user acc ording to varying safety contours and depth. Planned route can also be checked and amended simultaneously. In addition to route planning and checking, planned route can also be monitored by Navi-Sailor 3000

Crisis management japan earthquake Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crisis management japan earthquake - Assignment Example The effect of this earthquake was felt in Tokyo that is 300 miles away from the place of the crisis. There were no damages reported after this crisis. The major reason for this is because it was far off the coast. In this section, we are going to focus on the social media. In this era of technology, the social media can be used to manage a crisis or even to make the crisis worse than it already is. Whenever one is dealing with a crisis, there is need to come up with a disaster management team that will look into the possible ways to quell the effects of the crisis. In the 2013 Japan Earthquake among the modes used to reach out to the people was through the social media. Firstly, in the 2013 Japan earthquake, the social media was used to inform the world about the crisis. The social media was used as one of the communication channels used to deal with the crisis. There are people who could not watch the news but with their mobile gadgets, they followed up the whole incidence from wherever they were. The social media was also used to warn people against staying in the areas that had been affected by the crisis. This information was important as a precautionary measure incase another disaster was triggered by the earthquake. The survivors of the disaster also used the social media to tell their experiences during the crisis. The social media was also used to pass messages of encouragement to the victims of the crisis. Through the social media, those people who had to relocate to higher grounds got the assistance from the donations that the social media users raised. As stated above, the social media can be for the good of a crisis as well as an avenue for more disaster. Through face book sharing and re-tweeting options, people who would have been helped were not helped. It came to the attention of the authorities that it was not possible to locate the source of the information. In future it is important that

Consciousness and Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consciousness and Mind - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The experiences in which the artist sees his phantasy formations, or more precisely, that peculiar internal seeing itself or bringing to intuition of centaurs, heroic characters, landscapes, and so on, which we contrast to external seeing, to the external seeing that belongs to perception† (Meraud, 27). Husserl is of the opinion that phantasy is quite fairly evolved in the artist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While Husserl asserts â€Å"aesthetic consciousness† in artists, Noe (2000) argues, "Art can make a needed contribution to the study of perceptual consciousness" (123). He means that artwork of artists can provide us the opportunity to gain a reflective experience. That is how one can do phenomenological investigation.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To put forth his point forward, Noe (2000) illustrates cases of Smith and Serra. Both create metal sculptures appropriate for outdoor installation. While Smith's works are created based on mathematical or geometrical ratios; Serra's works are purely experiential. Smith’s creation attempts to combine certain shapes such as terahedrons so as to fill out space. They are demonstrative pieces to show that space can be filled. In contrast, Serra's pieces depend upon their scale, their milieu and their complexity. Smith's pieces can be viewed as universal. Smith is more concerned with geometry, form and internal relationships while Serra's sculpture invokes consciousness (Noe, 2000). He categorically emphasizes that works of some artists do qualify for phenomenological study meaning "Experiential art enables us to do this†.

Web Services Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Web Services - Coursework Example Every operation in the TIDL interface contains additional parameters for transmission and reception of transactional data. A commit operation is either an ‘all’ or a ‘nothing’ affair. When a string of operations in a transaction fail to completed, a rollback must restore the system back to its pre-transaction state. To ensure rollback, a typical system logs every operation that takes place within the scope of a transaction, including the commit operation. A recovery or transaction manager uses these log records to redo or undo partly completed transactions when there is an exception scenario. When a transaction includes a number of distributed resources, for instance, a database server hosted on two different networks, the commit process will involve operations spanning two different systems. Here, each system will have its own log records and system manager. RPC is one of the first technologies to be used in the area of distributed computing. For an RPC call to be made, both the client and the server need to have stubs (client-side programs) for the remote service. The stubs are generated using Interface definition language (IDL). During an RPC, the arguments that the client sends across a network undergo marshalling and un-marshalling at the client and the server side respectively. The calls are synchronous. CORBA again is a technology used for objects to communicate in a distributed computing. The similarity between CORBA and RPC ends here because of the difference in the way CORBA works. In addition to a server and client, CORBA applications consist of an ORB (Object request broker). This ORB is responsible for mapping the client and server which will perform the request initiated by the client. The ORB marshals the arguments and routes the call over a network to the target objects ORB. The ORB has many more features such as objects look

Scaling Study on the Dining Preference of People Research Paper

Scaling Study on the Dining Preference of People - Research Paper Example Research methods employ several ways in the data collection process, and data can be classified as qualitative or quantitative. In data collection measurement of the responses by assigning numerical values to be used for data analysis is an important aspect. Scaling methods in measurement can be classified into nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Nominal data can be figures just meant to represent a particular response. A questionnaire using multiple-choice items can be nominal data. In this type of response choice, A can have no direct relation to choice B, etc. Ordinal scales or ranking scales are values arranged according to levels in increasing order such as great, greater, and greatest. Responses have direct relationships with each other. Interval measurement uses responses arranged in equal intervals such that if response A is 1 unit lower than B then response C must be one unit higher than B, etc. A ratio is an interval data but a measure of two values. These data classification although widely used and accepted have faced several criticisms as to its validity (Velleman & Wilkinson, 1993). In studies involving surveys, the most common approach is obtaining responses using a list of possible replies or rating an idea through a given scale. Based on the above classification, these data can be nominal or ordinal. The study involved 10 respondents and the data were obtained using the questionnaire presented in Appendix A. Using questions with multiple choice responses, respondents were asked about frequency, reasons, and other concerns in dining out. The result of the survey showed that 60% of the respondents dine frequently from 3 to 5 times in a week, 30% dine at least once to 2 times weekly while about 10% dines more often at more than 6 times weekly or an average of 1 meal every day.  

Human Factors in Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Human Factors in Security - Essay Example It only takes a single lapse to put the classified data and information resources at risk. Thus, the sensitive data may be acquired unlawfully, damaged, or modified because personnel have either become complacent or are assuming new responsibilities without specific security awareness. Therefore, efficient security indoctrination measures must be planned and applied to manage all risks associated with Information and Communication Technologies. Managers at all levels have to ensure that, the indoctrination of AAN personnel commences on induction and continues throughout the progression of their career. 2. The Report In the following paragraph a brief report is presented by AAN managers in order to raise a winning bid for a huge contract. 2.1 Highly Secretive Organizations AAN Limited is involved in designing hundreds of small electrical products and consists of highly professional manpower. Over the last 3 years, the company has been exploring the Asian markets. In order to make a su ccessful bid for winning a huge contract for Indian government, the company is required to change its overall structure and working environment. In order to gain the optimum confidence level of Indian government, AAN Limited is going to change itself into a highly secretive organization. It means the company has to create a highly secured and protective environment to keep all of its business projects confidential not only from external factors but also from any unauthorized persons even belong to AAN. On the contrary, a constricted deliberation related to security devices as a whole may initiate a counterfeit confidence in the system (Turn & Ware, 1975). A cultural shift surrounded by in-depth awareness of information security is needed to win the desired contract. AAN can execute this project through its short and long term strategic objectives. This can be achieved by close coordination of planning, communication, peer review, and documentation (Kevin, Gene, & George, 2004) (a) E stablishment of Department of Information Security Management at headquarters level and IT Centre at section levels (b) Formulation of information security doctrine (c) Designation of IT Officers at section level (d) Provision of information security awareness to all personnel (e) Ensure the use of only officially procured and registered hardware and software (f) All hardware and media is to bear appropriate security marking (g) Ensure that no unauthorized hardware is used 2.2 Human Factors in Security 2.2.1 Roles and Responsibilities Roles and responsibilities of all personnel with respect to information security have been clearly defined by all stakeholders. The word ‘security’ means the controlling methods by which a computer, some other devices, or information contained in them are modified (Miller, 1971).

Political Parties in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Political Parties in Nigeria Essay Democracy no doubt is the world’s current new bride. To the extent that everyone Politicians, Journalists, statesmen and even laymen – call themselves democrats while those who wish to defend a regime no matter its nature call it democracy (Williams 1995:65), one could aptly say the world is in the age of democracy. But as democracy is gaining currency the world over, it need be stated that the Institution of political party constitutes the lubricant of the current democratic wave. This is because, political parties serves as vehicle for expressing myriad of world views held by citizens as well as an instrument to garnering the informed and active participation of the citizens in the political process which constitutes the hallmark of any democratic practice. As noted by Hague and Harrop (1987:141-142), party competition is the hallmark of liberal democracy because it is the device which makes governments responsive to the electorates by providing voters with some choice while simultaneously restricting that choice to a few broad alternatives. In other words, the greater the number of parties and / or the latitude of freedom, the more democratic the political system is or becomes while the the more they are conscripted, the lesser the likelihood of a democratic political system. This view was also shared by Anifowoshe (2004: 59) when he noted that the condition of the political parties in a political system is the best possible evidence of the nature of any democratic regime. It must however be stated that while parties constitute the piston in the engine of democracy, the nature and activities of political parties themselves may constitute a stumbling block in the way of democratic growth and sustenance. This has been the paradox of party politics in Africa where the institution has remained largely underdeveloped. Instances abound where activities of parties have been a major factor in the decline of democratic politics or outright termination of democratic administrations and their subsequent replacement by military authoritarian regimes. In this context, the Nigerian state is a reference point. Nigeria became independent in 1960 after years of colonial rule. Independence ushered in a multi party democracy under a Westminster parliamentary model. However, due to a number of circumstances including intra and inter party bickering and, political excesses of parties and their leaders among others, the first democratic republic was truncated in January 1966 following a bloody coup detat championed by the five Majors. The abrupt termination of the first republic also ushered in a thirteen-year long military rule that lasted till October 1, 1979. Nigeria had another taste of multiparty democracy between October 1979 and 31st December 1983. However, like most of the parties of this period themselves, the problems of the first republic reincarnated to mare the democratic processes, culminating in the military coup of December 31st 1983 and the beginning of a second phase of military rule in the country. Indeed, the second phase of military rule in Nigeria which lasted between December 1983 and May 29, 1999 was the most dramatic and traumatic in the history of the country. It was a period mostly characterized by series of coups and counter coups, political maneuverings and above all, endless transition to civil rule programmes or what Diamond et al (1997) has aptly dubbed ‘Transition without End’. But while the political imbroglio of that period cannot be blamed out-rightly on the excesses of political parties and their leaders, the need to avoid such was always advanced as a defensive mechanism for continuous tinkering with the then transition process. For instance, reasons for dissolution of the 13 political associations that first prelude the third republic and their consequent replacement by government created SDP and NRC and, annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that eventually calumniated in the abortion of the third republic were carefully crafted under the need to avoid repeat of mistakes of the past republics. Detailed work on this has been done by scholars and need not be recounted here (See, Diamond et al 1997). However, what must be stressed here is that, Nigeria’s current democratic experience was the end product of a long and tortuous journey through the woods of military autocracy. Although the decade of the 90’s generally was characterized by external pressures for democratization around the world, the resilience and perceptions (rightly or wrongly) by Nigerians that democracy holds prospect for a better life was also a major factor that sustained the struggle. Also, perhaps, in acknowledgment of the sanctity of the party institution to democratic sustenance, the country has continued to operate a â€Å"growing† multiparty democracy since 1999. Thus, from three parties in 1999, it currently has over thirty political parties with prospects of more to be registered. Against this long background, this paper seeks to examine the role of parties in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy. Further to this are: To what extent do Nigerian political parties conform to their expected role in the political system or in sustaining democracy? What are the encumbrances (if any) on their performance in Nigeria? What is / are to be done to place Nigerian political parties on the part of vibrancy vis-à  -vis democratic sustenance? Unraveling these problematic calls for rigorous inquiry. But to start with, situating the role of parties in a universal context is essential. Political Parties and Democracy: Theoretical Framework Political party is one of the genuses of intermediary groups in a political system. Others include interest groups and pressure groups. Thus, the relationship between viable political party and democratic governance is no doubt axiomatic. Political parties are the lubricant of democracy and without which, democracy based on the western model cannot function (Adele 2001:35). This is essentially because it provides a credible means of harnessing the variety of public opinions essential in sustaining a democratic society. While democracy rests on the informed and active participation of the people, political party is a viable tool in this regard. This perspective is shared by political scientists. As Anifowoshe (2004:59) remarked: Democracy exists where the principal leaders of a political system are selected by competitive elections in which the bulk of the population have the opportunity to participate. As a matter of fact, the condition of the parties, in a political system, is the b est possible evidence of the nature of any democratic regime. Implicit in the above statement is that a party’s level of institutionalization, cohesion and social base, determines the extent of its viability and the extent to which it could be said to be performing its functions in a democracy. In other words, viable political parties contribute to democratic growth much as unviable ones may result in democratic regression. Although there are myriad of definitions on what constitutes a political party, yet they all revolve around electioneering and the control of government. For instance, political parties has been conceived as an instrument for contesting elections for the purpose of selecting candidates and party(ies) to exercise political power (Yaqub 2002:122). This definition is in consonance with that which sees political party as an organization, which is principally, absolutely and actively involved, in the electoral process, in a democracy, with the major intent of winning political power and controlling the government (Onuoha 2 003:137). The import of these definitions is that the major goal of political party is to capture and control governmental powers. This it does through participation in electoral process in which it fields candidates to contest for various posts. Yet, it must be stated that while the major goal of a political party is to capture and maintain control over personnel and policies of government, such at times may have to be done in coalition with other party(ies). This is especially the case where electoral victory is not based on ‘first past the post’ system or where a single party could not win the minimum electoral seats necessary for it to constitute a government. However, beyond fielding candidates for elections and controlling governmental apparatuses, political parties also perform other functions which on the one hand set them aside from other organizations such as interest groups and more importantly on the other hand, makes them sine qua non for democratic development. These include; the task of political recruitment and training, education, socialization, breeding consensus, providing alternative world views and political communication among others (see Okoosi-simbine 2004:85-86; Yaqub 2002:112; Aina 2002:10-12, Onuoha 2003:137). It is the extent to which parties are able to discharge these functions that determine the extent of democratic growth in the country. Important in carrying out the above functions is that part ies especially in culturally variegated societies such as Nigeria must eschew those intervening variables that are likely to mar programmes and policies of the party such as salience of ethnic, religious or other sectional interests. Where this is not avoided, the tendency is that a party will find it considerably difficult in harnessing or mobilizing mass support for democratic growth. The emphasis here is that parties are formed not only to promote policies but also to secure social interests. It therefore follows that parties must have broad social bases in order to be able to aggregate interests rather than articulation of specific sectional ones. Also central to democratic growth through the party system is party institutionalization. That is, the process by which parties become established and acquires value and enduring stability (Huttington, 1965:394). Although the extent of party institutionalization varies with party systems the world over, it is usually measured based on some factors such as party age, count of splits and mergers, electoral stability, legislative stability and leadership change (Janda, 1993:167). Of equal importance is party coherence, which has been defined as the degree of congruence in the attitudes and behaviour of party members’ (Janda 1980:118; 1993:173). There is no gainsaying the fact that the degree of coherence among party members bears direct relevance to party strength and stability. This is because a strong and coherent party in terms of membership and structure is usually stronger and coordinated both in articulating view and garnering electoral support than are fragmented one. It is also the factor of coherence that enable parties to effectively discharge the function of National integration which they are expected to perform especially in plural societies. It must be stressed that, while parties in the advanced countries of Europe and America, are observed to have attained the status described above, those in the developing countries tend to be a little far from it. In other words, political parties in the developing countries cannot be ranked on equal scale with those of the advanced countries in terms of viability of the institution. Hence, it could be reasoned that the difference between the two worlds accounts for the different levels of democratic growth between them (e.g. Nigeria and USA). Although Nigeria has returned to democratic practice since 1999, yet there is a growing concern over the sustenance of its democracy. These concerns obviously owe their origin to the nature of political parties and party politics or activities in the country. Issues surrounding this dilemma are examined next but before this, description of the character and general tendencies of current political parties is essential. Roles and Functions of Political Parties From various literature on political party, it is evident that democracy, especially the liberal majoritarian version would be practically impossible without the institution of political party. This no doubt is anchored on the expected roles of political parties in deepening the democratic process. One major role expected of any political party is the task of political recruitment and education. The centrality of this function lie is the fact that it is directly connected with fulfillment of the common aim of all parties. That is, the aim of fielding candidates for election and capturing or exercising political power either singly or in cooperation with other parties (see, Yaqub 2002:164; Ball 1988:73). In other words, in the process of trying to capture political power, political parties serves as a major instrument/platform through which candidates for public offices are recruited at all levels. This is the case in both socialist as well as competitive liberal democracies. According to Ball (198:77), in such political systems where parties are absent (such as in zero party situation) or weak, political elites are usually recruited from traditional elites or through religious and military organizations. However, such sources of recruitment usually have implications for stability of the regime because they lack the more popular base of political parties. In other words, the institution of political party provides an avenue for recruiting politically ambitious persons into the political elite class. In this, we can also accommodate parties’ role as a credible means of political succession. This is because parties would have narrowed down the number of competitors for a particular office to what it considered the best choice at the material time. This process help reduce pressures on the political system as well as streamline citizens choice. In addition, in the process of campaigns for elections, parties inform and educate the public on important s tate policies and actions much as they do while in power. Even for parties out of power, they provide a constant source of critique of government policies which attimes help to change, modify or improve the quality of policies and programmes. Related to the task of recruitment and education is the role of parties as socializing agents. Generally speaking, most conceptions of socialization agreed that it is a process by which individuals incorporate into their own attitudinal and behavioural patterns, the way of their respective social groups and society (Babawale, 1999:218). If this is true, it follows that in the course of preparing candidates for elections, campaigns and other political activities, the individual within the society is acquiring some attitudinal or behavioural patterns necessary to make a politically vibrant individual. In addition, knowledge about political institutions and processes are acquired and internalized by the individual. Perhaps, this informed why political socialization have been conceived as all formal and informal explicitly or nominal political learning at every stage of the life circle that affects political behaviour, such as learning of politically relevant social attitudes and the acq uisition of politically relevant personality characteristics (Greenstein, quoted in Babawale 1999:219). Another major role of political parties in any political system is in the area of serving as link between rulers and the ruled through what is known as political communication. That is, parties provide a means of expression and information flow, both upward and downward, in any political system. Although, the flow of information is crucial to the survival of any political system, the direction of information flow however varies. For instance, in a liberalized multiparty system, there is tendency for information flow to be tilted more in favour of upward flow. This would allow the ruling party to feel the pulse of the populace as well as respond positively to policy demands. But even for parties out of power, it has a tendency to reinforce collective consciousness of party members and strengthen the level of attachment to the party. On the other hand, where there is a single party, the tendency is that information flow will be more from the top to the bottom. For instance, Hague and Harrop (1987: 140) had noted that in Stalin’s Russia, ‘the democratic’ expression of opinion from the grassroots of the Communist Party was negligible compared with the â€Å"centralist† flow of directive from the top. This notwithstanding, what is important is that, irrespective of the strength or direction of information flow, political parties have the onerous role of serving as a two-way communication process between the government and the people. The formulation and implementation of collective goals is yet another major function of parties. This is because in the process of seeking to capture power, they formulate programmes and policies either through conventions, meetings and even manifestoes which they hope to implement while in office. Some of these issues eventually constitute the collective goals of the society. Related to this is the mobilization role of parties. Indeed, parties are known to have been in the vanguard of mobilizing the citizens. This they do through mass rallies and other forms of display of unity that emphasizes identification between the individual and the party. Hague and Harrop (1987:140) noted that, parties have been the prime movers in the revolutionary upheaval of the modern age. They alluded that the enormous transformations of Russia and Chinese societies in the last century were led by vanguard communist parties committed to radical social changes. So also were the nationalist parties of the third world who played critical role in the attainment of independence and the subsequent attempt to weld new nations out of traditional societies (Hague and Harrop 1987:140-141). In the process of developing collective goals, parties also serve as important agents of articulating and aggregating the myriad of groups and individual interests in the society. Although this is not an exclusive function of political parties as it is also performed by interest groups, but parties are able to do this on a wider and / or national scale. Indeed, all parties have social base that cuts across ethnic, religious, occupational and class divides. It thus serves as a platform through which the diverse interest base are articulated and aggregated to form coherent whole. The underlying assumption here is that parties are able to synthesize and reconcile the multitude of competing interests into a broad national value. It must however be stated that this function of political parties, though important, need not be stressed too far. This is because, most often, parties mainly respond to interests and demands that are consistent with their ideology or in line with controlling int erests in the party. In this context, parties are important agencies in determining which interests are represented in politics and which ones are left out. From discussions so far, it is apparent that the relationship between political parties and democratic sustenance is axiomatic. Indeed, the various roles performed by political parties in the political system are expected to strengthen the democratic processes. This demand also implies that political parties and political leaders must in themselves be democratic. What this translates to is that the extent to which individuals within the party and the party organization itself assimilate democratic tenets to a large extent affects the extent to which they are able to discharge the above roles as well as the quality of democratic growth in the political system. In other words, having democrats is precondition for democracy to take root. How these intricacies of party politics and democratic sustenance have played themselves out in Nigeria will be our next focus after a preview of political parties in the country’s current fourth republic. Parties in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic Political parties in Nigeria’s fourth republic emerged against the background of a military managed transition prograamme which began in 1998 and reached its climax on May 29, 1999 when a new civilian administration was ushered in (see Momoh and Thoeveni 2001). Before this experience, Nigeria has had previous democratic republics between 1st October 1960 when it gained political independence from Britain and January 1966 when it was rudely terminated in a military coup; another one was between October 1, 1979 and December 31, 1983 while a third one was not allowed to take root in the early 1990s because it was eventually truncated by its own architect. What is remarkable about all the republics is that, with the exception of the aborted third republic which had only two parties dejure, all others were characterized by multiparty system. Extensive work on previous republics have been done by Coleman (1971); Joseph 1991; Diamond et al 1997; Ujo 2000 and Yaqub 2002). To begin with, parties in Nigeria’s current fourth republic have been characterized by what could be described as a seesaw numerical transition. This was because, at inception of political activities in 1998, several political associations were registered (though provisionally) as political parties but was later prone down to three before the 1999 elections and by 2003, several others came back on the stage. This numerical transition deserves extensive comment. Upon commencement of political activities in 1998, close to fifty political associations sprang up but at the close of nominations, only twenty-four of them had applied for registration with INEC. After thorough scrutiny, only nine of these parties were formally registered (provisional) by INEC according to its guidelines. These are Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Peoples Party (ANPP), Democratic Alliance Movement (DAM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), United Democratic Party (UDP), United Peoples Party (UPP) and Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ). However, the future and continuous existence of these parties was tied to passing the acid test. To continue to exist and function as a political party, a parting was expected to score at least, a minimum of five (initially ten) percent of the total votes in at least 24 states of the federation during the December 1998 local governments elections. Thus, of the nine parties, only the APP and PDP clearly met the criteria having scored at least five percent in over 24 states of the federation each. The AD was third with 5 percent of votes in 14 states of the federation. However, in addition to the APP and PDP, the AD was also registered partly to assuage the south westerners who were still aggrieved by the June 12, 1993 election imbroglio and most importantly, because of provisions of the electoral laws that the third best party would also be registered in the event of only two parties meeting the recruitments. Consequently, based on the modified criterion, the AD, APP and PDP were registered to contest the 1999 general elections. Following increasing pressures for registration of more parties, three other associations, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), National Democratic Party (NDP) and United Nigeria Peoples’ Party (UNPP), were registered in June 2002 out of over twenty that applied for registration. The registration of these three parties however heightened agitations by those yet to be registered until they were finally registered later in the year. Those factors that made their registration inevitable included subtle blackmail by other associations seeking registration, fragility and growing intra party deputes among existing parties and above all, the resort to litigation by those not registered among others (see, Anifowoshe 2004: 63) Added to this was increasing factionalisation of existing parties. Indeed, the ruling by the Federal Appeal Court in Abuja, FCT, which favoured the registration of more parties, was a major and perhaps most significant factor that prompted registration of more parties by INEC to the extent that about thirty political parties freely contested the 2003 general elections. It must be stated that, although thirty political parties contested the 2003 general elections, the trio of PDP, ANPP and AD have remained dominant since 1999. While the PPD is currently controlling 27 states (previously 28 before the court order that awarded victory of Anambra state governorship election to the APGA candidate earlier this year), the ANPP has seven states and AD, one state. They all however, have their men in the national parliament, though with varying strength. Also, there has been a growing rate of factionalization, crises of succession and internal bickering within the parties. This is with the consequence that more parties and political association have continued to emerge from them to the extent that Nigeria is currently having about 37 political parties with prospects of more to come. The new bride of parties include the ACD, MRDD, Action Alliance †¦ For instance, the rate of factionalization within the ruling PDP have gone to an extent that several factions have emerged as new parties on their own. This was the case with the MRDD spearheaded by a former national chairman and other prominent members of the party. The same account could be read for the recently formed ACD which from all indications is spearheade by imcubent Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Indeed, the PDP is not alone in the troubled waters of dissent. Even notable members of the AD and ANPP are now either full members of one of the newly registered parties or fraternizing with the intention of becoming one. This was the case with the incumbent protem National Publicity Secretary of ACD, Lai Mohammed, who was hitherto a strong member of the AD. Indeed, in the build up to 2007 general elections, there seem to be general disarray among political parties in the country. While new parties have emerged after 2003 general elections, there is nothing to suggest that more will not spring up before the next 2007 elections. But if the deepening or defense of democracy is a prime factor which politicians have always adduced for the alignment and realignment of forces leading to formation of new parties, to what extent have Nigerian political parties with its increasing numbers satisfied this aspiration? Or better still to what extent have they fulfilled the expected roles of parties in a democracy necessary for deepening the process? This is our prime concern in the next section. Nigerian Parties and Democratic Consolidation Perhaps a good way to access the impact of parties on democratic sustenance is to align our thought in this direction with the expected roles of parties in a democracy. Indeed, Nigerian parties by whatever angle they are looked at are political parties properly so called. At least, to the extent that the common aim, as parties elsewhere, is to capture political power and control machineries of government. By implication therefore, they are practically veritable instruments in the recruitment of political leaders and political elites. In fact, viewed against previous experiences, one would observe an increasing sensitization and political education of Nigerians. However, one must be cautious in stressing this argument too far giving the contradictions inherent in the ways and practices of the parties. This is because, at the facial level, parties may have been recruiting candidates for various elective posts, but beneath we may ask: what is the quality of candidates being recreated? Are the parties democratic in their recruitment process? Obviously, answers to these questions are negative. To anchor this further, we may begin on the premise that to have (or sustain) democracy, first, there must be democrats either as individuals or party organizations. It is obvious that at inception of the current democratic administration in 1999,and with exception of the PDP then which had a consensus candidate in Chief Olusegun Obasonjo, all other two parties were not particularly democratic in selecting their presidential aspirants. For instance, the decision of the A D under the influence of Afenifere, a pan Yoruba socio-cultural organization to select chief Olu Falae as the party’s presidential flagbearer at a meeting held in Ibadan by party elders without allowing proper democratic contest between him and Chief Bola Ige cannot be described as democratic. In fact, the undemocratic nature of what is now the ‘De Rovans Hotel’ episode has been adjudged as a major factor in the crises that has been rocking the party since 1999 (see National Interest June 18 2006:18). So also was the case with the APP between Dr. Olushol Saraki and †¦. The later was eventually selected in a rather spurious manner. Expectedly this action stired controversy within the parties leading to factionalization in the case of the AD and protest votes against the party by Dr Saraki and his supporters in the APP in the 1999 presidential elections. In addition, many of the three parties’ aspirants for other posts were either hand picked or selected in a surreptitious arrangement. Indeed preparations for the 2003 elections witnessed an almost complete disregard of democratic tenets in the process of recruiting candidates for elective offices. Although many of the parties attempted to pick their aspirants, especially presidential nominees, through national conventions, but unfolding events and protests by other aspirants after the conventions smacks of fluidity of the process. The implications of all the above is the increasing factionalization of the parties and rising level of intra party crises. Worrisome as these situations appear, there is nothing yet to suggest advances in democratic direction by the parties even for the 2007 elections. The recent convention of the PDP in which it was resolved (or maneuvered) against the wishes of some other members that its candidates for elections will be by affirmation is a pointer in this direction. Also is the case of the NDP which has already adopted a candidate, Rtd. General Babangida, as its presidential flag bearer for the 2007 election without holding a convention. What we can derive from the above analysis are two fold. First is that a faulty premise cannot produce a sound conclusion. A party whose internal machinery is undemocratic cannot nurture democracy in a larger societal context. Second is that the candidates so recruited have not gone through any democratic training within the party nor tested democratically to ascertain their level of subscription to democratic tenets. In this case, such candidates while in office will likely be intolerant to opposition and above all, perpetuated through undemocratic tendencies. Current unfolding occurrences in the country manifesting in succession crises, third term agenda etc. tend to confirm all the above assertions. In other words, the bottom line remains that, neither Nigerian political parties nor politicians could be regarded as democrats thus cannot effectively and sufficiently contribute to maintaining the system. In terms of political communication and serving as link between the government and the people, Nigerian parties grossly parade a deficit balance in this regard. This is because none of the parties has a functional formal communication channel. The reality is that most of the parties’ structures especially at the grassroots are only vibrant at the approach of elections. After this, they fade away while the party continue to exist only at National and state headquarters. Indeed, the critical ingredients and means of political communication necessary for a vibrant democracy are conspicuously absent in the parties. These include avenues for expression of opinions by citizens, free information flow (upward or downward) among others. These elements help strengthen attachment and loyalty to the party thereby holding prospect for increased political participation. However, Nigerian parties are not forthcoming in this regard. What is apparent is that relations within the parties are mo re of client-patronage relation. Party leaders and elected officers most often become alienated from other party members and even the electorates immediately after election. For the parties in power, the only relation that there from exist between party elites and other members usually is occasional distribution of patronage in order to preserve members support and loyalty while those out of power fizzled away only to re emerge at the approach of another election. For this reasons, harnessing citizens’ initiative or sustaining a vibrant political participation of members becomes difficult with the result of docility in party activities. Indeed, communication is the life wire of any organization the lack of which may result in the organizations eventual death. The party organization and indeed the political system is no exemption in this regard. Perhaps, we can make bold to say that the near zero communication level of Nigerian political parties is a major factor in their inability to institutionalize or funct ion effectively as lubricant of the democratic project. As already noted in this text, parties also play mobilization roles as well as articulate and aggregate the myriad of opinions held by individual and groups within the society. This no doubt facilitates development of collective goals. A careful observation of the Nigerian experience however reveal parties as playing contradictory roles to the above. First, mobilization of citizens has often been limited to periods of electoral campaigns. For Nigerian parties and politicians, election periods are periods to galvanize the people and exhume powerful oratory remarks. The average politician is always willing to visit the nooks and crannies to mobilize and solicit support for the party and candidates. But while this is part of the mobilization function of parties, it need not be confirmed solely to an election period routine. Rather, it is a process that must continue in order to bring out the best from the citizens in terms of input into policies and programmes of the government. But given the psyche of the Nigerian politician and their end-means orientation of politics which is to acquire political power in order to secure economic resources, citizen contribution / input into policies and programmes is of inconsequential effect. This crave for economic security at whatever cost by the political elites could therefore be adduced as a contributing factor to continued non alignment of policies with realities confronting the Nigerian electorates. Another dimension of the faulty mobilization function of parties in Nigeria is that even where they, as elsewhere, have wider social base of support, political maneuverings often create a situation whereby parties resort to politics of ethnic and/or religious mobilization. Indeed, mobilization politics along the lines of ethnic, religious or some other forms of cleavages have been a major character of party politics since independence. For instance most parties of the first republic used divisive mobilization politics to garner electoral support. So also were parties of the second republic. With the exception of AD which is rooted in the south west and maintains affinity with Afenifere, a socio cultural organization in the region, all other parties of the current era could not be said to have their support base restricted to a particular region. However, in the process of electioneering campaigns, many members wittingly or unwittingly often whip ethno-religious sentiments as strategies to mobilize support. Consequently in the prelude to the 2003 general elections, the mood of many Nigerians was that, Religion will play a prominent role in their choice of leaders†¦. Muslim- Christian rivalry was so intense that none of the 30 political parties in the country has managed to develop a firmly national support base. Muslims consider Obasanjo’s ruling peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a Christian party. The all Nigerian peoples party (ANPP) of his nearest rival, Muhammad Buhari is considered by Christians to be a Muslim party (Marahatha Christian Journal, 2003). The emphasis therefore is that, where mobilization is carried on, on a faulty premise, it becomes extremely difficult to articulate and aggregate programmes and policies that serves the national interest. In this context, programmes and policies often articulated are those that are in consistent with that of the dominant interests within the party, be it socio, cultural or economic. In terms of political socialization, it may be argued that there is a tendency for negative socialization among Nigerian political parties. Socialization, conceived in terms of the process by which the individuals incorporate the ways of their respective social groups and society into their individual patterns and behaviour, is expected to be facilitated by political parties through campaigns, rallies and other political activities. In Nigeria, however, this has a negative content arising from series of violence and atmosphere of insecurity that often mare electoral processes in Nigeria. Nigerian parties and politician alike have a penchant for recruiting and making use of political thugs mostly recruited among motor garage boys, unemployed Youths and even Students at moments of campaigns and elections. Such behaviours and orientations which are antithetical to civic culture obviously are imbibed by younger generations. The consequence is that this erodes democratic senses of bargaining and compromise and instead creates the impression that force and crude militancy are the best ways to live and achieve political goals. The negative impacts of the socialization process is already being exhibited at other levels of politics below the state such unionism, especially student unionism. Indeed, student unionism at the tertiary level is expected to evince civic and enlightened qualities by virtue of the place of tertiary institutions in the country. However, a common observable trend in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria is that campus politics has often time been characterized by intolerance, maneuverings, money politics and a host of other negative traits exhibited by Nigerian political parties to the extent that institutions authorities may at times impose sanctions or outright ban on campus political activities. Situations like this no doubt have implications for their future political engagements and by extension, democratic growth in Nigeria. Our endeavour so for has been to trace whether there is an alignment between the expected roles and functions of political parties in sustaining democratic process and the activities of political parties in Nigeria. For one, while the role of parties in democratic sustenance is in controvertible, the Nigerian political parties have not been seen playing these roles. Why is this so is our focus next. Observed Weaknesses of parties in Nigeria From discussions so far, it can be gleaned that the indispensability of political parties to democratic sustenance is not in doubt. What is perhaps worrisome is the ability of Nigerian political parties to function effectively as catalyst for democratic growth. Gleaned from a number of observable trends, some factors serve to explain this unfortunate mess. First we may note ideological emptiness of the parties. Conceived as a set of coherent ideas which guide and tailor behaviour, ideology is expected to fire and sustain inspirations of party members. According to Scruton (quoted in Okoosi-Simbine, 2005:24), parties ideology are moral systems that enshrine the sanctity of contract and promise between them and the electorate because they constitute the political doctrine from which a programme of political action emanates and upon which basis citizens choose how they will like to be ruled. Essentially therefore, parties as organizations with diverse social base must be bounded by such set of common beliefs and ideas in order to help propel a vibrant democratic society. Unfortunately, Nigerian parties and politicians are merely playing survival game. Prime to them from observable trend is the desire to capture and maintain political power irrespective of what this takes. Consequently, this drive to capture power by all means possible tends to erode the performance of other functions necessary for democratic growth. The lack of ideology also serves as conduit for series of political vagrancies that characterized the political terrain. As observed by Aina (2002:19), Nigerian poiticians behave like political bats, changing affiliation in response to perceived fortunes or electoral advantage. Akin to the issue of ideology is what we may refer to as poorly digested manifesto of the parties. The manifesto is basis upon which contract between the rulers and citizens are sealed because it is the representation and/or expression of the political party’s direction, purpose and how it hopes to achieve them while in government (Onuoha 2003:141). It is the party’s statement of intention about how it hopes to achieve good governance. It is therefore the basis upon which performance of an incumbent government can be assessed and balanced against the need for change. Unfortunately, manifestoes of Nigerian political parties have proved to be manifestations of emptiness, similar in content and providing no choice for the citizens. The only difference between them as observed by Okoosi-Simbine (2005:22) is the emphasis they give to the programmes articulated or in a few cases, the strategies for carrying out the objectives. In other words, their manifestoes are more a replica of the other. Again, this close similarity in manifestoes can be hinged on their inability to develop a coherent ideology. As onu0oha (2003:145) rightly observed, any meaningful and functional manifesto must spring from a profound party ideology. Thus, a manifesto without a party ideology is like a body without a soul. In this context, rather than lubri cate democracy, parties constitute more of a burden on democratic practice. Prevalence of primordial sentiment may equaled be adduced as responsible for the inability of Nigerian parties to respond positively to the challenges of democratic sustenance. Indeed, the ability of a party to effectively perform its role especially in multi cultural settings is usually circumscribed by the socio-economic structure of the society. Therefore, since parties are institutions competing for spheres of influence in the socio-economic and political configuration of the society, there is every tendency that there activities will be likely be intertwined with prevalent socio-political sentiments of the society (Suleiman and Muhammad 2006). This is suggestive of current Nigerian parties. Indeed, post independent Nigeria has witnessed party’s base being deeply rooted in ethno-regional and religious sentiments to the extent that the major parties of the first republic (AG, NPC and NCNC) and their second republic successors (especially NPN, NPP and UPN) are often regarded as ethnic pressure groups. While parties of the current fourth republic may not be so deeply rooted in a particular region, nonetheless, the continuous use, overtly or covertly , of ethnic and religious sentiments in party politics reinforces social divisions among the populace which in turn weakens party structure and organization. Needless to stress that, a weak party in terms of internal structure cannot function optimally in deepening the democratic process. We can also speak of poor financial standing of the parties which made them susceptible to hijack by money barons who eventually use them to achieve personal benefits. Politics generally is an expensive activity and the role of money in contemporary Nigerian politics is indeed overwhelming. Although the government, through INEC, is currently financing the parties, but considering the spending pattern of the parties, government finance is generally considered insufficient. Consequently, additional funds are sourced through party financiers that include influential business men, party members in government and so on. For instance, the Plateau state governor, Joshua Dariye, sometime ago claimed he gave the PDP part of the 1.6 billion naira ecological fund he was accused of mismanaging. Similarly, only recently the ANPP caretaker committee chairman and gover nor of Bornu state directed all the seven governors on the platform of the party to contribute 20 million Naira each to the party’s purse within two weeks while all presidential aspirants and senators were to contribute 10 million Naira each towards the administration of the party (The Punch Editorial, †¦June, 2006:16). The implication of this is that Nigerian parties will likely for long be hijacked by money barons who will eventually constitute godfathers within the parties. Second is that credible aspirants who cannot afford to pay the huge sums would have to forget or submerge it while thirdly, internal party democracy becomes jeopardized. The resulting effect of all these is that parties becomes constrained as popular organizations capable of being the vanguard of democratic growth. Rather, they become characterized by frequent conflict and internal party squabbles. Also as a fall out of the above circumstances, programmes and policies that are often articulated and implemented reflect more of the interests of the so-called godfathers rather than that of the formal party organization. Thus, as the International IDEA (2006:8) have noted, given this context, Nigerian party life is characterized by a very low level of debate on policy options. Another observed weakness of Nigerian political partie s is the absence of political education. It is a common fact that Nigerian political parties have not been carrying out programmes aimed at enlightening the populace and even party members. This is because the party organization has been confined to mere instrument of contesting elections. Thus after elections, most of the parties become docile both in terms of recruiting new members and organizing activities to enlighten citizens about the political process. According to the country report on Nigeria by the international IDEA (2006:8), all the parties surveyed do agree that their members are active only during elections. The import of this is that once elections are over, only very few things link the party with its members thus, the expected role of political communication and education wanes out. We may also note the long years of military rule as another factor for the nonperformance of Nigerian political parties. Indeed, Nigeria’s long reign of military rule from 1966 to 1999, except for the brief period of 1979 to 1983, have affected the psyche of the average Nigerian politician. Military rule as it were is undemocratic. But its long reign in Nigeria with all its undemocratic tendencies have walked its way into the subliminal consciousness of most Nigerian. Thus, even though the military is out of power and democracy in place, the legacy of authoritarian tendencies still permeates the orientations and behaviours of the political class. The implications of this are that Nigeria currently has a short supply of tested democrats while democratic institutions remain large underdeveloped. In other words, while the success of any democratic experiment is predicated on the availability of individuals who are democrats in themselves, Nigeria’s long years of military tutelage has done no less than wipe out the last vestiges of democratic qualities among Nigerian politicians. Conclusion So far in this work we have tried to examine the link between political parties and democratic sustenance in Nigeria. It is observed that the institution of political party is indispensable if democracy is to be strengthened. This is by virtue of the various functions they perform which transcend the mere activity of fielding candidates for elections. However, the Nigerian situation is observed to be a deviation from the norm. if anything, Nigerian parties have not only failed in discharging these roles, but are equally working in the direction of democratic regression. In the main, the poor financial base of these parties, lacks of institutionalization, empty ideological content among others are part of their major constraints. Against this background, it is suggested that the government should improve on its funding of these parties in order to avoid their hijack by selfish money barons. Equally, the INEC should put in place mechanisms that would ensure these parties are internally democratic. Internal democracy of the parties no doubt will magnify into useful premise for democracy to thrive in the larger Nigerian society. Above all, there must be the political will by politicians themselves to allow democratic tenets to take root in the country. The above, it is believe are good recipe for democratic sustenance in Nigeria. 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