Song Essay

The artist achieves this in the song by telling a story. Jason Michael Carroll, son of a preacher, grew up in a strict North Carolina family environment (Ortega). His father ruled with an iron thumb. Although his father r was strict, it never got to the point of Alyssa. But as a preacher, his father dealt with many families and cases of child abuse. Growing up, Jason had experience knowing what goes on in the SSE situations and how people deal with it. â€Å"Jason bore witness to realize tragedies that will take the kid right out of a child† (â€Å"Alyssa Lies by Jason†).Also as a husband and a father of four, Jaws knows what it's like to have to deal with a child on an everyday basis (â€Å"Jason Michael Carry II Biography†). It took two years for Jason to write Alyssa Lies. It was a song inspired by a poem a friend had wrote about child abuse. After reading the poem and seeing a story on the en was about child abuse he decided to finally wrote the song (Ortega) . â€Å"It's his philosophy that s ones are waiting in the ether for someone to call them forth† (â€Å"Alyssa Lies by Jason†).Hesitant to write such a powerful song, Jason would write part of the song then put it down then pick I t back up two weeks later (Ortega). Contrary to what people believe, Alyssa was not a real girl but just a name Jason came up with. Also Jason never abused as a child and the song was not a way for Jaw son to finally tell his story. â€Å"Alyssa Lies† is a fictional song about a little girl Alyssa who is constant .NET abused at home. When she meets another girl at school, she tells her what has been ha opening.Then this girl goes home to her father in tears wondering why Alyssa lies to everyone. B y this she means Alyssa makes up excuses to explain the bruises in school. When Alyssa tells her friend what had happened it affects her in a big way. Her friend goes home to her father in tears. The chorus â€Å"Alyssa lies/ To the classroo m/ Alyssa lies/ Everyday at school/ Alyssa lies/ To the teachers/ As she tries to cover every bruise† (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†), shows that her new friend notices what has been going on and that Alyssa doesn't do anything to stop it.Then, when the little girl goes to bed, SSH e prays to God saying â€Å"God bless my mom and my dad/ And my new friend Alyssa/ know she needs you bad† (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†). This shows that she cares about her en w friend and wants to help even though she knows what is going on. Children are ion .NET and do not know prejudice. For adults this is not always true. In the song, after the narrator's daughter tees him what happened, he said he just brushed it off at first.But when he got to school on Monday it was too late. Alyssa has been killed as a result of her injuries. In an attempt to tell his daughter who at happened, he did so in a way that she might understand, She doesn't lie/ In the classroom/ She doesn't lie/ Anymore at school/ Alyssa lies/ With Jesus/ Because there's nothing anyone would do (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†). In the song he describes how he felt when his dad gutter asked him why everybody looks so sad.He said the lump in his throat grew bigger w tit every question that she asked. He knew that someone should have done something sooner b t no one did and now he has to explain it to his child. This is how adults are. They all say child a buses is something terrible and something should be done but they never want to be the one to do that something. If they ignore it or hide the fact they know they think it will go away. But cometh inning like that beer truly goes away. This is how it is in the official video for ‘Alyssa Lies†.In the video, a teacher at what seems to be a high school shows the video if ‘Alyssa Lies† and tells his students to war tie about it in their journals ( â€Å"ALYSSA LIES† The Original Throug hout the music video, the students have lank expressions and there is a girls crying at her desk trying to hide her tear s. She Was wearing a black turtle neck sweater and a few times during the video she pulls her sleep eves down more or pulls up her turtle neck as if trying to cover the bruises she has herself just like e Alyssa in the video tries to cover her bruises.Towards the end of the video the young womb an grabs her stuff and runs out into the hallway in tears. This shows that at some point in her life e she was abused or is still being abused. At the end of the video, it Shasta many student came of award, one was moved from her situation and others found help and a slide saying â€Å"Help is out there waiting to hear from you† came up (â€Å"ALYSSA LIES† The Original).This shows that by shoo wing this video, even to older children, it can bring about string emotions, enough to m aka people come forward with their situation and could even save them. ‘Al yssa Lies† is not only a song used for entertainment but for real life situ actions as well. Like in the video, other schools have used this song to evoke emotions from c hillier and even college students. Universities and medical schools use the song â€Å"Alyssa Lies†

A Poison Apple Essay

In the poem ‘ A Poison Apple ‘, poet William Blake illustrates that how a person, angry with another. Through a variety of tropological element, Blake paints a picture of the angst of one individual directed toward his friend. First he uses hyperbole to emphasis the effect he has created. This is evident when he writes that his tears are causing the anger to grow between him and his friend. As written on line five and line six of stanza two, ‘And I watered it in fears Night and morning with my tears, ’. In reality, tears do not make things grow. In the poem though, Blake’s despair is growing more and more with each and very tear he sheds. The hyperbole continue with ‘ I told my wrath, my wrath did end. ’ and ‘ I told it not, my wrath did grow. ’ Wrath is something inside a person that cannot be grow like a tree. It is an emotion that people cannot always control. In the poem, Blake is showing that he can control it but in reality he cannot. That was the start of the anger to his friend. Last but not least, the way he grows the tree is a strong hyperbole to the way people do normally. ‘ And I sunned it with smiles ‘ and ‘ And with soft deceitful wiles. in line seven and line eight of stanza two, it described the way the author grow his anger and wrath. Trees should be grown in mud but Blake’s ‘ tree ’ was bombastically grown in soft deceitful wiles which is impossible to happen in real life. The anger of him was becoming more and more. William Blake does a masterful job of comparing the growth of a tree in garden to the growth in life. Unfortunately the tree that Blake is growing is a â€Å" poison tree †. If thrives on the anger and wrath of a friend, rather than on the love that should be considered. Most things grow better with love.

Atticus Finch Essay Example for Free (#2)

Atticus Finch Essay Atticus Finch Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.† Atticus Finch, in many ways, lives this quote everyday by understanding what has to be done today in order to avoid future consequences of today’s mistakes. Atticus is a kind-hearted, slow-tempered, wise man, who always knows the right thing to say. In the story, one can deduce that Atticus Finch is a kind-hearted man who knows what to do in order to fix the toughest of problems. The author remarks, â€Å"There was a brown book and some yellow tablets on the solicitor’s table, Atticus’s was bare† (138). This statement explains how Atticus is always prepared to do what is right, and still be humane about what point he is trying to get across. Therefore, Atticus must also set the example for his children by showing that he has a kind heart, so maybe his two children would learn to follow; however, in the story he is faced with many obstacles on the way, reducing his time spent trying to do the right thing. Atticus definitely knows how to react under pressure. In the story the author writes, â€Å"Miss Stephanie said Atticus didn’t even bat an eye, just took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and stood there and let Mr. Ewell call him names wild horses could not bring her to repeat† (185). This is a perfect example of Atticus having a long fuse. Even though Mr. Ewell cussed him until the cows came home, Atticus took it calmly and was relieved that Mr. Ewell finally got his steam out from the case. Whenever he is in trouble, he reacts calmly because he knows in the end it will all blow over. Atticus is obviously a very wise man, who can get the job done. In the part of the story with Mrs. Dubose, Atticus states, â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what† (93). Atticus uses many quotes like this in the book, all consisting of the wisest comments out of the whole story. In this quote Atticus is lecturing Jem after he is finished reading his book to Mrs. Dubose, and Jem realizes that Atticus was talking about him. He also said he would have made him do it eventually anyway, just to show him what real courage was, even if he would not have destroyed Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. The author indirectly says that Atticus knows what he is saying. As I have stated, Atticus is a kind-hearted, slow-tempered, and wise beyond his year’s sort of man. Atticus is the ideal human being in the story. He is also the stories main protagonist, showing all the characteristics of a gentleman. Atticus Finch. (2016, Mar 25). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Is Animal Farm produced for the sake of art Essay

Is Animal Farm produced for the sake of art - Essay Example These ‘system’ or real events influenced novels could be categorized into two types; in the first type, the setting and scenes could be an exact replica of the real life happenings. In the second type, different sentences, characters, settings, etc come in to give a new interpretation, but at the same time based on the same real life happenings. In both the cases, there will be little scope for artistic leanings. This paper will look at one such novel, Animal Farm which was based on the real life happenings, and not produced for the sake of art. So, this paper will focus on the novel Animal Farm written by George Orwell, analyzing how the characters particularly Squealer was influenced, and had clear parallels with the Soviet rulers, diplomats and even media, and is not an artistic work. George Orwell, pseudonym for Eric Arthur Blair, was a famous English author, journalist and a political commentator. He became a well-known author mainly due to his two political anti-totalitarian works, Animal Farm and 1984. Both of which were written towards the end of his life. His shift in focus to political novels particularly anti totalitarian and pro-democratic socialist novels was an intentional one, influenced by the political climate of his period. So, Animal Farm published in 1945, is a cautionary tale against totalitarianism. â€Å"Russian rà ©gime must almost certainly be hostile to any revolution in the West† (Orwell). Cautionary tale in the sense, totalitarianism was not taken head on by Orwell instead he takes poke at totalitarianism through the main characters of the novel. The totalitarian regime in Soviet Union under Stalin was one of the main influences for George Orwell while writing Animal Farm. Even though, there have been no recorded evidence of Orwell visiting Soviet Union, he based all the details in the novel from the Soviet Union he knew, read, heard, etc.

Knowledge and innovation in organisations are fundamentally linked Essay

Knowledge and innovation in organisations are fundamentally linked. Critically analyse this statement - Essay Example In the internet this ranges from; data from all over the world has been categorized and catalogued by thousands of online companies making it possible for people to access and create resources online. Innovation is closely connected to the concept of creativity and although it is very commonly used, most scholars consider it a notourisily ambiguous concept since it is nearly impossible to pin it down as a single definition or measure (Terziovski, 2010). According to Galunic and Rodan (1998), innovation can be defined as the ability or capacity of an organization to constantly come up with and implement new ideas and in modern organisational management, it is considered a critical aspect of the organisational outcome. Many scholars agree that knowledge and innovation cannot be separated from each other and it is unquestionable that they are the driving force behind most economies in the world. Another way the connection between the two can be demonstrated is by perceiving innovation a s the application and transmission of knowledge from the research and development stage to the implementation and application (Gulbrandsen, 2007). Essentially, knowledge is superordinate to innovation since the former is simply a form of knowledge that has been synthesized and practically applied in a creative way. The intertwining relationship between the two concepts is especially demonstrated in the fact that organisations strive to acquire new knowledge which they then assimilate and apply so as to convert it into profit use it to drive whatever other non-fiscal or fiscal objectives that drive the company. Although it is only recently that attention has been focused on the concept of knowledge with the benefit of hindsight, there is little doubt that knowledge has always been central in human organisations. From the Stone Age era through to the modern period, creating and synthesizing new knowledge, which could also mean innovation has been the

Paul Samuelson, Abba Lerner and John Kenneth Galbraith in relation to Assignment

Paul Samuelson, Abba Lerner and John Kenneth Galbraith in relation to the idea of human flourishing - Assignment Example In one of his principles he stated that a government should maintain a reasonable level of demand at all times (Samuelson & Puttaswamaiah, 2002). In this consideration, he also added that in case of too little spending in the society; the government should reduce taxes or increase its own spending to correct the situation that also leads to unemployment. The other principle stated that by borrowing money when there is need to raise the interest rate and through lending money when there is need to reduce the rate of interest, the administration should be able to uphold the rate of interest that encourages the best amount of investment (Samuelson & Puttaswamaiah, 2002). All the two finance principles were summarized in his principles with the limiting the national debt principle so that all the needs of the people in the society are taken into consideration. John Kenneth Galbraith also had principles that argued and was based on understanding the trouble that exist currently within economics and economic policies. The works that were created by him were partly rooted to Marshall’s theory of the firm most of his principles were followed after the post war economy was dominated by bureaucratic corporations with more demand of consumers and also financiers. The principles he developed believed on expenditure as a factor that would be used to satisfy the needs of the consumer. The policies that are developed by the government are those focusing on consumer satisfaction.

Responding to religious diversity in classrooms Case Study

Responding to religious diversity in classrooms - Case Study Example her customs and norms of different cultures, but one has to be prudent enough to close argumentative statements and believes when the initial signs begin to show. One aim of every class teacher is to make her students a positive and appreciative member of society who can respect and give space to different cultural believes. Therefore awareness of diversity among children is an acceptable notion .Different sessions for students and parents can be held so to spread the awareness about religious diversity. Workshops for parents of the mainstream culture can also be held so they can train their off springs with the understanding of acceptance. Developing a sense of sensitivity in both parent and children can help in a long run to the road of acceptance. A teacher needs to study the background and the profile of the child thoroughly and before planning keeping those distinguishing factors in mind, plan an activity. And if somehow the event calls for the same activity trims and change activity for that specific child who can not perform due to his ideas or

Beatles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beatles - Essay Example A simple percussion that is consistent throughout does not dominate but simply backs the moderate tempo of the song. However, the changing progressions and phrasing throughout the song gives the illusion of a changing tempo and time signature. The instrumentation is built on top of a bass line that is an "Oom pah" sound reminiscent of a military march or civic band. In the first half of the song, this is accompanied with a strummed acoustic guitar that compliments the percussion. In the last verse, Harrison introduces a picked instrument, probably a 12 string guitar, that plays counter melody and gives the song a Mediterranean or Eastern sound not unlike the sitar used in later works. "Girl", like many of the songs on the album, was mixed with all the vocals on one channel and the instruments on the other. This was a move toward greater use and experimentation in the studio. Many of the elements of "Girl" would be expanded on and would show up on their subsequent recordings.

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Politics - Essay Example On the other hand, Canada is a country with stable and democratic politics, which are focused on conflict resolution and playing their significance. In this case, the paper will conduct an analysis on the issue related to BC Supreme Court ruling on physician-assisted suicide using the Canadian politics concepts. The ruling of the BC Supreme Court on physician-assisted suicide has recently banned the issues since it is considered unconstitutional and it can facilitate the relief and fear from the society (Yosie, 1). Moreover, there is a degree of acceptability in relation to medical practices, such as administering doses of pain medication for hastening death are accepted. In fact, the elimination of laws against physician-assisted suicide can offer a chance for some patients to end their struggle with incurable disease. There is a counter argument in relation to physician-assisted suicide, whereby if the laws against the issue were eliminated this would increase the vulnerability of members of the society like the aged, cognitively impaired and disabled. The other hand, the opponents of the resent BC decision are applying politically charged terms for expressing their concerns, though the truth lies in these extremes. Furthermore, physician-assisted suicide is not considered ultimate salvation for patients suffering from incurable diseases, and it is not a catalyst for mass murdering the elderly or cognitively impaired. The British Colombia Supreme Court ruling has eliminated the criminal code ban on physician-assisted suicide, whereby the court declared the law against assisted suicide to be invalid. In addition, there was suspension by the judge concerning the declaration for allowing Federal Government time to draft legislation with a ruling perception. In fact, during the period of suspension, there was a constitutional exemption for implementing the

New Team Leadership Essay Example for Free

New Team Leadership Essay SUMMARY: Our organization is adding a new department for the company’s strategic plan to enter a new market segment. As the manager for the new department for Team A, one must evaluate each team member to include myself. This evaluation should consist of any current situations that may arise, culture, and any urgent matters. To approach this in a sensible manner, one should use any principles or methodology along with any best practices or guidelines that can assist with coming to any decisions that may need to be made. Prior to arriving at any conclusions, meetings will need to take place with current management and the team to assess the plans put forth. These meetings with management should include a brainstorming session, while at the same time provide management the opportunity to critique and analyze any results, and therefore provide any valuable feedback that may come from these meetings. This will help to identify any strengths and weaknesses of the plans that are currently in the developing stage, thus allowing Team A to make the necessary changes to help ease the transitioning of the new department. In today’s world, teams are now becoming an intricate part of many organizations as they begin to shift toward team environments. As organizations shift towards team environments, it provide opportunities for multiple personality types to come together thus increasing the chance for success throughout the company. TEAM LEADERSHIP AND EVALUATIONS In order to develop a great team, the team must understand the company’s  goals and expectations of what management is requiring within the new department. As the leader of the team, one has to know what the team needs are and provide any tools necessary to accomplish those goals expected from us. As the manager of this new department, I will evaluate each member of the team, to include myself and try to properly define or identify the personality type of each individual. After providing the Jungian 16-Type Personality assessment to each team member, the result for one individual was the ENFP personality type and the results of the remaining 3 members that includes myself were ENTP personality type (University of Phoenix, 2014). PERSONALITY TYPES Team Member Jerry Villanueva – Jerry’s assessment score is ENFP. ENFP personality types identify individuals like Jerry as outgoing because he is people oriented. It also mentions he has a creative side and is a highly optimistic person. Another thing about an ENFP personality type is that these individuals are inspiring, expressive, social and values-oriented. They do not like to miss out on anything that is going on around them and like to experience social events (Personality Max, 2007 – 2014). Jerry can be beneficial in that his personality type provides energy to the team and is enthusiastic in this new endeavor presented to Team A. He can be an advocate through his support for the team while displaying his vision for the big picture. Jerry can be exciting for the team because he is a passionate individual and is energetic when around people (Personality Max, 2007 – 2014). Team Member Jason Sanford, Janette Salgado, and Eddie Trevizo – The remaining team members, Jason, Janette, and Eddie’s assessment score is ENTP. ENFP personality types identify individuals such as Jason, Janette, and me as innovative people who are looking for new ideas or a new way of doing things. Though we can be individualistic in pursuing our thoughts or actions, an ENTP personality type is also versatile in that one is able to do many different things or have many different uses and can embrace a variety of skills. ENTP is also entrepreneurial. In other words, one is willing to take the risk of accepting a new challenge such as becoming the manager of Team A. ENTP personality types like to be the originator through logic, curiosity, and like to invent as possibilities can seem endless in an endeavor such as this. The willingness to contribute is also a positive and  can be intellectual (Personality Max, 2007 – 2014). EVALUATING THE SITUATION Determining what is a true sense of urgency. Urgency does not necessarily mean that the new department is in crisis mode. Goals must still be met and as a manager one should take a look at the big picture to determine what needs are not being met. Do not change one’s expectations on what should get done. As a manager, one must look around to determine how to establish a sense of urgency as a positive way to re-enforce company culture through positive change. Team members should develop a vision and strategy, communicate the change, and empower the employees. Team A members need to consider how to approach employees without creating panic to take the new department into the new market segment so that it becomes successful while incorporating a new management style and new positive environmental, organizational, behavioral, and work culture. LEADERSHIP APPROACHES As a manager, one should adjust the management style to the current situation. One also must provide a vision, be trustworthy, and encourage team members and employees to receive positive reaction. The manager shall provide a proactive and powerful message to create motivation. Assure that the right tools are available for employee’s and provide the necessary training to stimulate achieve trustworthiness. Training should be provided to managers to develop understanding of how to better evaluate situations to become effective. Review the situation and involve everyone when wanting to lead across cultural barriers and become an effective leader. Leadership should follow the five dimensions which involve integrity, consistency, openness, competence, and loyalty (Coulter Robbins, 2012). PRINCIPLE TO APPLY Principles one would choose to apply from various theories such as leadership behaviors like the democratic style that involves employees in its decision making process while using feedback to coach employees. One would also incorporate the seven leadership traits which are: desire to lead, drive, honesty and integrity, intelligence, self-confidence, extraversion, and job knowledge. Combining the leadership traits and democratic style behavior can help to achieve the necessary results for the  launch of the new department (Coulter Robbins, 2012). CONCLUSION To conclude this memorandum, it is the desire of Team A to accept the challenge of incorporating different personalities and expertise to manage this new department. As manager, I accept full responsibility to ensure the success of this venture. Team A looks forward to creating a positive environment where visions, innovation, creativity, passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic individuals demonstrate and provide the drive to meet the company’s goals and expectations are met. Team A looks forward to a new and successful venture entering this new market segment and to a successful launch of the new department. References Coulter, M., Robbins, S. P. (2012). Management (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Personality Max. (2007 2014). Mypersonality.info. Retrieved from http://www.mypersonality.info/personality-types University of Phoenix. (2014). Self-assessment library 3.4. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, MGT521 website.

The Change Management Theory Business Essay

The Change Management Theory Business Essay Our current era is experiencing massive global and environmental changes than ever before. Observing alone the technological developments, it becomes clear that the most powerful changes have happened over the past fifty years. Managements practice and theory is that todays business environment is especially challenging for large companies because of the rapid pace at which technologies, business processes and markets are evolving. External changes, such as globalization, workforce, economic shocks, competition, and world politics are some of the vast external environmental forces that trigger change upon organizations. These forces are uncontrolled and unforeseeable and therefore it is vital that an organization has the capabilities to adapt to whatever environment changes might happen. As opposed to external change forces, internal changes forces lie within the organization. Elements such as declining efficiency, the raise of employee expectations in tact with harsh demands of the work environment are all internal forces that trigger a need for organizational change. Some theories[1] suggest that by planning carefully you can manage internal change easily by identifying the need for change, while others argue that change is not something that happens in isolated insidences, thus not something you can plan[2]or control. The changing business environment affects the organizations ability for survival, as their survival tactics are being challenged. Organizations constantly have to reeducate themselves keeping every level or department in the organization equally re-informed. Consequently, more and more organizations direct their attention towards the potential benefits of a corporate merger and acquisition (MA). MAs are often pursued in order to acquire a larger share of an existing market, enter new markets, eliminate competitors, acquire expertise or assets, transfer skills, save costs, increase efficiencies or capitalise on synergies. Unfortunately, most organizational change efforts are poorly conceived and implemented, a fact that causes most change efforts in organizations to fail[3]. Through the last century, companies paid more attention to strategy, economics and finance. However, today many researches[4] argue that a major cause of the high rate of change failures is the fact that managers do not realize that if they do not change their culture to support the changes they are making in strategy, structure, and technology. If not, the desired changes will fail and shift back into a fit with the original culture[5]. Furthermore, MA can change the cultural aspect of an organization due to new working environment. In this view, Hitt et al. (2001) argue that acquisitions or mergers can create unfriendly working atmosphere sometimes due to significant differences between two cultures of the merging firms, which can make working process difficult. However, thisprocess can be quit challanging as Schein[6] ague cultural assessment is usually not possible because the negotiations leading up to the merger/aqcusition have to be kept secret. Thus, the merging parties do not discover important differences until they face them MA is a strategic choice various companies encompases to enter rnew market opportunities and possiblity to increase revenue beyond geographical boundaries. However, new opprtunities have also broad new challanges to the organizations. When a company changes, either by changing its location or grothws this effects its internal and external environment. Researchers agree the critical importance of managing the human perspectives of the process in order to accomplish the MA goals and to achieve the needed integration. That is why this paper has chosen to focus on the cultural and people aspect of change mangement process within MA Change Management theory Change management literature is differentiated between two dominant perspectives with regard to implementing successful change in organization. One meaning refers to the systematic and planned view and the other the chaotic emergent view of organizational change.Carl Weick prominent scholer within change management breaks with the traditional wiev of organizational change and argues that orgnazationas should implement a process of chnage management. That is continous emergent change, when contrasted to the planned view, can be defined as the realization ofa new pattern of organizing in the absence of explicit a priori intentions[7] in this view changing is a continuous activity at local levels where people interact and make sense of their own social reality[8]. Continuous changing is a collaborative approach to change management where employees at the operational level as well as mangers are involved in decesion making processes. It brings a holistic view to the organization focuses on interweaving activities, interrelations, and sensemaking. Change is viwe as a continuous activity internally within the organization where people interact and make sense of their own social reality (Weick, 2000, 2001). People make sense oftheir social reality by sensemaking activities, narratives, practices, and multiple realities may be voiced and contribute to small small-scale changes. These small small-scale changes can be decisive if they occur at the edge of chaos or in a context of rebalancing and unfreezing. Small changes can have large consequences because of self-reinforcing feedback loops and relations in a social network. In interconnected systems small changes emerges through the diversity and interconnectedness of many micro-conversations (Ford Ford, 1995). Micro-level changes provide a platform and a context for transformational change on a macro-level. as in Kotter ´s eight phases or stages a company must successfully complete in order to obtain lasting change (1995) [9]and Lewin ´s Freeze change model(1943)[10]. Thus, the aim is to implement new methods and systems. This also implies that these changes lie within the organizations control although change-triggering events might have come from outside the organization. According to Kotter successful change management is achieved when management carefully plans the change initiative. His theory is based upon the 8 step model which has a very systematic view upon organizations and its environment. The 8 step model is build upon eight actions: create a sense of urgency, recruit powerful change leaders, build a vision and effectively communicate it, remove obstacles, create quick wins, and build on your momentum. If you do these things, you can help make the change part of your organizational culture[11]. Follwing the perspective of Lewin, the change process must contain three central steps; un-freezing, change and freezing[12] . Within un-freezing, inner resistance to change delimits the ability of the individual to move from the present to the desired state. Move seek to take into account all the forces at work and identify and evalutae, on a trial and error bassis, all the available options[13] . The refreezing step establishes ways to make the new level of behavior relatively secure against change (Lewin, 1947, p. 344). This step could include installing a new reward system to reinforce the new, desired behavior or restructuring certain aspects of the organization. An additional meaning refers to the complexity view s as in Ralp Stacy (2003)[14] of organizational change management. His theory is build upon the view of James Gleick. Gleick ´s theory is based on Chaos theory and complexity theory. Later on, Stacey further developed this theory and applied it to human action, as chaos theory originally intended for mathematical deterministic behavior. Chaos theory ´s key message is that our intentional interacting with each other produces intrinsically unpredictable outcomes in the long term, then our planning efforts cannot lead to outcomes we intended; something else will happen[15]. However, Stacey does not imply that then everything is utter chaos. As he states predictably unpredictable, thus a system producing patterns that are recognizable and paradoxical. Complex Responsive Processes (CPR) can give insight for top management on how to become more emergent and respond without knowing long term consequences. However, from a bottom line result, business profit maximizing perspective, this might be hard for managers to switch to instantly. It might cost millions. The strategic problem lays within top management being blind to internal need for change. The existing external commercial strategy is distant even unknown to the employees and there is no existing internal strategy statement. This causes the employees to think of their job as one project at a time, missing focus on the development of the company as a whole. This could lead to employees working without a target or a vision together with the company. CPR approach acknowledges the fact that employees are not machines and if the original strategy doesnt produce what it intended. Thus, introducing a case an acquisition between IBM and DMdata in 2004 where IBM management got surprised by the outcome of employee dissatisfaction and its complexities. This paper adresses IBMs acquisition of DM Data as the key reference in this synopsis. The case study, is used in relation to the acquisition are build upon the experiences the author of this paper had working as a trainee in DMdata both before and after the acquisition. This particular acqusition opened the authors eyes towards the challanges organizations face when implementing new initiatives follwing a merger or acqusition. Why the author find it oparticularly releveant for this course. Introduction of Case study First, I will make a brief introduction of the two companies to get a better understanding of the organizations and why these may have led to some challenges for both companies. Secondlymost relevant reasons that lead interesting to observe the case from the corporate culture point of view, which means concerning the essence of core businesses, these are essentially different enforcing different values and priorities concerning job and goals, reflecting with these important inputs potentially conflictive in the integration process. The conditions mentioned present it as a very appropriate and meaningful selection to develop a case study research. IBM was founded in 1742 and was established in the USA. It is one of the worlds leading companies in IT. historical heritage is very important for the company, in term of know-how but also, in term of marketing IBM has approximately 340.000 employees worldwide and is represented in more than 160 countries[16]. Given IBMs size and origin it brings certain values and norms to the business which is grounded in its culture and identity. On the contrary DM data was one of the biggest software companies in Scandinavia. It was established by two Danish companies; Danske Bank and Maersk Data. The company encompassed 800 employees located in Aarhus and Copenhagen. Even though the company only existed for seven years it managed to create outstanding profits per year.[17] The acquisition between IBM and DM data took place in 2004. After the acquisition, 13% of the employees resigned from their job per year. Many employees mentioned the matrix structure and the American way of doing things as the reason for resigning. [18] The differences of the organizational culture and the way we do thing in each company were fundamentally different. When you attempt to change the core of a companys values and norms its bound to create many challenges[19]. Both companies, are facing changes in their organizational structures through a MA. That is,the processes, politics, values and frame of references. Each participant of this processes either the acquiring IBM or the acquired DMdata; have to face different process and challenges. Clearly, both companies get affected part of their identity and way of doing things. However due to limited access to the IBM employees this paper focuses on the view of Dmdata employees. Analysis of IBM change management initiative IBM managements intended strategy was to incorporate Dmdata as a datterselskab to the main organization of IBM, althoughthey succesed to acquire Dmdata the acqusition broth various unintended changes with it. As mentioned earlier critically positioned employees left the organization and a hostile and confusing environment arised. The unsuccesfull change management of the new initiatives within Dmdata, resulted in inefficient resource utilization, poor products and services[20], and frusttration amon employees and management. IBM management approach to the acqusition can be characterized as a controlling. That is, Some of the DMdata employees reactions came from poor communications such as : IBM CEO Lars Mikkelgaard used the word fusion when he visited us for the first time, when it was in fact a takeover[21]. Other reactions were frustration about changing from national to an international company, from hierarchical to matrix structure and from small to big company. He emphasizes the success they had in DM data on several occasions by saying: Those who sit down and think about it, then DM-data was a success story. Built from 53 men to something IBM would buy for x billions later[22]. He feels overlooked by IBMs management style and does not consider it as suitable for Danish culture: In Denmark, IBM is derived by this American team spirit. The DM-data culture is influenced by the culture of Maersk and Danske Bank, which is very Danish[23]. And I have also been lecturing about quality in life etc. But when you are bought up, you come into an identity crisis. Furthermore, Dmdata employees lacked an incentive to adapt to the changes as they felt they new best as one employee states He stereotypes the Americans There are several States in the US where American Indians are not allowed to walk together more than four at a time. If they do, then you are allowed to shoot them.[24] And he goes on elaborating his indignation of doing things the America way are not allowed to have loaded weapon, so we can laugh a bit of it[25] here he shows that he does not take IBM seriously. The HR Manager talks a lot about how successful the company was, but ridicules of IBM to almost having gone bankrupt. IBM has also been close to going under in 1993. There it was close enough to not exist anymore. And here it is clear that one as a giant company with the ambitions one had, establishes control preparations. These are then some of the procedure which we have to comply to[26]. Follwing Lewin effective change could not tkae place unless there was a felt need be all those concerned[27]. Also in this view, Kotter agues for establishing a sense of urgency. That is people need a good reasontodothingsdifferently, faling this might have created the anxiety and unsecurity Dmdata employees felt. The second step of Kotters 8step model might have easen, having an aly . Short term wins Nadler and Tushman 1995 suggest that there are mainly two types of change that organisations are faced with, namely first- order and second- order changes[28]. . First -Order changes are characterized by small adjustments in system, processes or structures, whereas Second order changes are characterized by transformational which affects the core identity and values of an organization. Nadler and Tushman refer to transformational change as discontinuous change. They further dissects the changes as follows: incremental (tuning and adaptation). Tuning as being anticipatory and adaptation as being reactive. Discontinuous (re-orientation and recreation) change. Re-orientation as being anticipatory and recreation as being reactive. Acquisitions such as IBM/ DMdata are generally regarded as a second- order change. Although IBM and DMdata are in the same industry the size of the two companies together with the cultural heritance of the two are dissimilar. There are national cultural differences, structural differences together with strategic differences which may caused frustration among the employees at DMdata. Furthermore, it is important to into consideration when characterizing whethera change is transfomational or transactional this can be viwed from two sides in mergers and aqcusiotions.remember althought the acqusition can be carachterized as frame bending for DMdata Following Palmer, Dunford and Akin[29] any organizational change usually involves paying attention to organizational culture. That it for IBM management to provide a new vision for the DMdata employees and not simply imposing their own without any involvement from the DMdata employees. The diagnostical tools can be helpful for an organisation to know which changes it is dealing with so that it can inform its strategy selection and organisational configuration to better respond to such changes. It seems like IBM management underestimated some of the challenges it was presented to when they acquired DMdata. The strategic problem lays within top management being blind to internal need for change and adoption within DMdata. Adapting the right diagnostical tools could have helped the management to take the right action in the right context. The lack of information could have been prevented by management taking a nurturer approach. Instead of the top down directors approach. Discussion Change and how people react to it are important features of organisational life. Its vital to remember in times of change, especially transformational change such as mergers and acqusitions, employees are not machines. The way we perceive change and its consecuenses can be different and paradox. As discussed earlier, it can be helpful for management to characterize the scale and scope of the change to better comprehend the impact of a change. However, its important to keep in mind that you will always be confronted with unintended change outcomes. The main problem areas within change implementation in mergers and aquisitions lie within differences in culture, not having a clear communication, and not assigning anyone asresponsible for the change initiatives. The external, managerial and operational level never worked together as one in the IBM/DMdata case study. When merging or acquiring two companies it is critical to consider their corporate culture. The success of a merger/aqusiti on depends as much on culture fit as it does on strategic and financial.Various failed deals can be attributed to corporate culture differences never being considered, or cultural clashes never being addressed. Furthermore, if the people side of MAs are ignored, as in the case study, both companies face not meeting the anticipated purpose of the transaction. [1] Kotter, Lewin [2] Choas theries; Ralp stacey, Car Weick [3] Strategic change management class notes, lecture one [4] Gerry Johnson , the cultural web, Mary Jo Hatch Majen Shultz, identity, Edgar Schein [5] Palmer, Ian, Richard Dunford, and Gib Akin. (2009) Managing Organizational Change p. 163 [6] Schein, E.H. 1990. Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass p.178 [7] Orlowski 1996, p 65 accesed in Weick 2000 p 227 [8] Weick, 2000 p. 225 [9] Kotter 1995, Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail [10] Palmer, Ian, Richard Dunford, and Gib Akin. (2009) Managing Organizational Change p. 195 [11] [12] Palmer, Ian, Richard Dunford, and Gib Akin. (2009) Managing Organizational Change p. 195 [13] Lewin 1947a accesed through study notes from lecture 2 [14] Stacey, Ralph. (2003) Organizations as Complex Responsive Processes of Relating. Journal of Innovative Management [15] Stacey, Ralph. (2003) Organizations as Complex Responsive Processes of Relating. Journal of Innovative Management p28 [16] IBM Database [17] DM Data Handbook p 16 [18] www.computerworld.com http://www.computerworld.dk/art/40353?cid=4q=dm+datasm=searcha=cidi=4o=5pos=6 [19] Strategic change management class notes [20] As a reslut of many employees leaving many projects didnt get finished with led to many dissatisfied clientsandcostumers. [21] Malike Karatepe [22] Comment 1, Appendix 1 [23] Comment 2, Appendix 1 [24] Comment 6, Appendix 1 [25] Comment 7, Appendix 1 [26] Comment 8, Appendix 1 [27] Class notes lektion 2 by Rex Degnegaard [28] Palmer,Dunford and akin p 87 [29] Palmer, Dunford and Akin p. 9

The Power of Angels in America Essay -- Kushner Angels in America Essa

The Power of Angels in America         Ã‚  "Such ethical possibility is, however, founded on and coextensive with the subject's movement toward what Foucault calls 'care of the self,' the often very fragile concern to provide the self with pleasure and nourishment in an environment that is perceived not particularly to offer them." -Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick    "Demanding that life near AIDS is an inextricably other reality denies our ability to recreate a sustaining culture and social structures, even as we are daily required to devote such time to the details of the AIDS crisis." -Cindy Patton    Tony Kushner's two-part play (or, if you will, two plays) Angels In America is one of most famous and most powerful plays about AIDS and gay life to come out of the early 1990s. It not only engages with the political issues surrounding AIDS and homosexuality in Reaganite America, but also deals with deeply philosophical questions of identity and the nature of God. It's no surprise that this play has sparked comment, including the criticism of the conservative right. In this paper, I intend to examine two of the articles written on the play. The first, Gordon Rogoff's "Angels in America, Devils in the Wings," is quite problematic, and errors of fact that the author makes about the play lead me to wonder at its value for analysis. The second article, Charles McNulty's "Angels in America: Tony Kushner's Theses on the Philosophy of History" pose some difficult questions regarding the plays' relationship to the concept of history, arguing that Millennium Approaches1 deconstruc ts history while Perestroika moves away from this deconstruction. According to McNulty, this is a problem in the second part of the pla... ... One of Angels in America. Perestroika is Part Two of the play. Works Cited Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 1992. ---. Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 1992. McNulty, Charles. "Angels in America: Tony Kushner's Theses on the Philosophy of History." Modern Drama 39.1 (1996): 84-96. Patton, Cindy. "Teaching About AIDS." Inventing AIDS. New York: Routledge, 1990. 99-120. Rogoff, Gordon. "Angels in America, Devils in the Wings." Theater 24.2 (1993), 21-29. Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. "Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading; Or, You're So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Introduction is About You." Novel Gazing: Queer Readings in Fiction. Ed. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Durham: Duke UP, 1997. 1-37. The Power of Angels in America Essay -- Kushner Angels in America Essa The Power of Angels in America         Ã‚  "Such ethical possibility is, however, founded on and coextensive with the subject's movement toward what Foucault calls 'care of the self,' the often very fragile concern to provide the self with pleasure and nourishment in an environment that is perceived not particularly to offer them." -Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick    "Demanding that life near AIDS is an inextricably other reality denies our ability to recreate a sustaining culture and social structures, even as we are daily required to devote such time to the details of the AIDS crisis." -Cindy Patton    Tony Kushner's two-part play (or, if you will, two plays) Angels In America is one of most famous and most powerful plays about AIDS and gay life to come out of the early 1990s. It not only engages with the political issues surrounding AIDS and homosexuality in Reaganite America, but also deals with deeply philosophical questions of identity and the nature of God. It's no surprise that this play has sparked comment, including the criticism of the conservative right. In this paper, I intend to examine two of the articles written on the play. The first, Gordon Rogoff's "Angels in America, Devils in the Wings," is quite problematic, and errors of fact that the author makes about the play lead me to wonder at its value for analysis. The second article, Charles McNulty's "Angels in America: Tony Kushner's Theses on the Philosophy of History" pose some difficult questions regarding the plays' relationship to the concept of history, arguing that Millennium Approaches1 deconstruc ts history while Perestroika moves away from this deconstruction. According to McNulty, this is a problem in the second part of the pla... ... One of Angels in America. Perestroika is Part Two of the play. Works Cited Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 1992. ---. Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 1992. McNulty, Charles. "Angels in America: Tony Kushner's Theses on the Philosophy of History." Modern Drama 39.1 (1996): 84-96. Patton, Cindy. "Teaching About AIDS." Inventing AIDS. New York: Routledge, 1990. 99-120. Rogoff, Gordon. "Angels in America, Devils in the Wings." Theater 24.2 (1993), 21-29. Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. "Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading; Or, You're So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Introduction is About You." Novel Gazing: Queer Readings in Fiction. Ed. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Durham: Duke UP, 1997. 1-37.

Life Choices as Represented in Robert Frosts Road Not Taken Essay

Life Choices as Represented in Robert Frost's Road Not Taken Choices are never easy, facing hundreds upon thousands of them in our lifetime, man has to make decisions based upon these choices. Some decisions are clear while others are sometimes not clear and more difficult to make. The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a prime example of these choices in life. This poem is a first person narrative that is seen by most people as being told by Frost. The poem opens up with the narrator encountering a point in the woods that has a trail diverge into two separate paths. In the poem Frost presents the idea of man facing the difficult predilection of a moment and a lifetime. I believe this idea in the poem is embodied in the fork in the road, the decision between the two paths, and the decision to select the road not taken. Someone's life could be metaphorically related to a walk through the woods filled with many twists and turns. Throughout this journey there are instances where choices between alternate paths have to be made and the route you choose to take is not always an easy one to determine. For most people, the fork in the road represents the speaker's encounter of having to choose between two paths knowing that this decision will affect the rest of his life. Frost presents to the reader a moment in anyone's life where a strenuous and problematic choice has to be made. The two paths represent the options that someone has to choose from. Faced with these decisions, he or she has to weigh their options carefully to make this choice. While reading this poem I was able to visualize the speaker looking far down both paths to see what each of them would bring. Though the speaker's sight is somewhat limited, on... ... is simply taking a stroll trough the woods because he says in line 13, "I kept the first for another day," which leads me to believe that the next time he is walking in those woods he'll take the first path. I guess that Frost did his job because this poem has caused so much controversy and debates over the years. I just can't really fathom that this path was the meaning of life in a way. I know that my view of the piece is not the only true way to go but I also know that this is poetry and it is meant to be looked at from different angles. I wouldn't be surprised if someone took the angle of saying that Frost was drunk and couldn't find his way home. There is no real answer to what this poem is about and I'm just taking the realist approach and saying that "The Road Not Taken," is not about life's ultimate choice but rather simply about a walk in the park.

The Churches Of Christ: A Comparative Essay :: essays research papers

The Churches of Christ: A Comparative Essay Over the past ten years there has been much controversy in the Christian and secular media about the International Churches of Christ (ICC), and the United (or mainline) Church of Christ (CoC). This controversy has stemmed from the ICC's misuse of funds, doctrinal problems, member abuse, and mind-control. The differences between the CoC and the ICC are important for Christians know and understand. The CoC began in 1957 when these four groups merged The Congregational Churches, The Christian Church, The Evangelical Synod of North America, and The Reformed Church in the United States. These churches had firm Protestant roots in England, Germany, Sweden, and the United States, totaling over 49 years in their own traditions and fellowship. On June 25, of 1957, the four churches held a synod meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, to commit more fully to unity, liberty, freedom in Christ, and the evangelism of the world. These groups, under the head of the Uniting General Synod, became the United Churches of Christ. Today the CoC has over two thousand registered churches in the world. By 1979, the roots of the CoC were firmly in place. It was then that Chuck Lucas, a pastor at the Gainesville Church of Christ (mainline), met a young college student, Kip McKean, and began discipling him. Kip was a bright student and showed great potential for leadership in the church. However, something in the discipling process went wrong. Kip was expelled from the Gainesville church later that year for reasons dealing with departure from the CoC doctrine, manipulative attitude, unclear motivation, and controlling of other's lives. Kip and his wife Elena moved to Boston and started a small church that grew rapidly from thirty to over three hundred disciples in two months. Kip (who, by this time, proclaimed himself as "God's man for God's mission") then declared in his Evangelism Proclamation speech in 1981 that disciples of his Boston church would be sent out to start sister churches in London, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Providence, Johannesburg, Paris, Stockholm, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Bombay, Cairo, and throughout the United States by the year of 1985. His success with this goal led him to present another Evangelism Proclamation in 1990 that said that every city in the world with a population of over 75,000 will have a sister church by the year 2000. Today the ICC is in over seventy two countries, with a recorded attendance (as of January 1997) of 920,000 people. It is important to note that the ICC's current "fall-away (members who leave the church) rate" is

Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essay

1.Be able to promote equality and diversity in work with young people. 1.1Identify the current legislation and code of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity. SEN code of practice 2001 This act was created to strengthen the rights of SEN children and their parents to a mainstream education. The act was designed to make a difference to the education of SEN children by allowing them to have access to the educational facilities available all children. This is done by offering support tailored to the needs of the individual and their families whilst taking the opinion and wishes of the child into account with regards to any decisions made. It focuses on the need for a partnership between the child, their parents, teachers, agencies involved in their care; with the need for regular reviews and progress reports. Educational act 2002- 2006 The educational act is designed to set out the responsibilities of the heads of all school environments, local educational authorities and governors and to ensure that all children are provided a safe environment. The act is continuously update and in 2002 revisions were made with regards to the responsibilities placed on governors and staff. In 2006 further amendments were made to emphasise the duty of schools to promote community cohesion by working with other community organisations. A good example of this is â€Å"pop in†, set up by the school and the chapel in Marshchapel, where students and elderly members of the community meet up on a weekly basis to have lunch and share stories. Data protection act 1998 This at was written with regards to the keeping and storing of records and data and it regulates the sharing of information. The act concerns both paper and electronic data. Any organisation which collects or stores information must be registered with the data protection commission and the information they collect must only be used for the purpose which it was intended. To protect the information given by individuals data must remain on site in a locked cabinet or a password protected computer and must only  be share with the consent of the individual. Freedom of information act 2000 This act of the UK parliament defines the ways in which members of the public may gain access to government held information. The act creates a right of access when requested by an individual to information held by public authorities, promoting openness and transparency whilst minimising the risk of harm to any individual entity. Equality act 2010 The act is a consolidation of the numerous arrays of complicated anti-discrimination acts and regulations already present in the UK. The main bodies of legislation incorporated into the act include the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. It focuses on strengthening the rights of all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender (with special protections put in place for pregnant women), relationship status, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief. With additional specifications put in place for disability that state employers and service providers are responsible for making modifications to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced by disabled people. Children Act 1989 and 2004 The Children Act 1989 was designed to help keep children safe and well. It intends to help children to live with their family by providing services appropriate to the child’s needs. The act was updated in 2004 following the death of eight year old Victoria Climbie; its purpose was to make England a safer place for children and emphasised the importance of communication between agencies responsible for the welfare of children. It also included guidance specifically aimed towards the aid and welfare of disabled children. Every child matters 2003 Following the death of Victoria Climbie the government produced a paper titled Every Child Matters with the aim that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances should have access to the support they need. Below is the mission statement from that report. Every Child Matters, 2003 Be healthyEnjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle Stay safeBeing protected from harm and neglect Enjoy and achieveGetting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood Make a positive contributionBeing involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour Achieve economic  well-beingNot being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential Race relations act 1976 and 2000 This act makes it illegal for school to discriminate, directly or indirectly. They are expected to provide the same opportunities to all children and to improve academic developments across the board. Schools are required to have their own race equality policy which is linked into an action plan and must promote equal opportunities and improved relationships between racial groups 1.2Explain the importance of promoting the rights of all children and young people to participation and equality of access. It is essential that all children have full access to all areas of education to allow them to fully develop in every way possible. There is much legislation in practice to aid this including every child matters, the SEN code of practice and the disability discrimination act. Schools are required to allow every child to follow an individual learning plan catered specifically to their personal needs. In addition to this all children have the right to an equal education in a mainstream school with the opportunities to play and learn together. There must be no discrimination for any reason towards any members of staff, parents or pupils. This attitude towards inclusivity not only promotes better development both academically and socially but is also a more efficient use of resources. Each school must have a code of practice in place containing information relating to equal opportunities and a policy concerning the schools practices surrounding special educational needs to protect and benefit all students and staff. Schools should focus on the individual needs of all students and allow opportunities for them to become integrated with not only their peers but the local community. There are  certain groups that may be more vulnerable to exclusion or segregation. These groups include families who hold English as a second language, students who are gifted and talented or are new to the school. In addition to these, families who are of a cultural or ethnic minority, parents whose views and values differ from that of the school or looked after children may also be susceptible to various forms of exclusion. It is important that we are mindful to treat all individuals the same regardless of their beliefs, capabilities or background. Children, staff and parents with special educational needs can often be exposed to exclusion and unintentional segregation. It is vital that resources are put in place to enable all individuals to be fully included in every aspect of life and that all opportunities are available to them. 1.3Explain the importance and benefits of valuing and promoting cultural diversity in work with children and young people. Promoting cultural diversity at an early age and exposing children to a vast array of beliefs will benefit them greatly as this knowledge will prevent them from becoming single minded. Educating children about cultural differences will enable them develop a mutual respect for all beliefs and will show them that all cultures including their own are valued. Knowing this will allow children to feel settled and secure within their environment. Schools are encouraged to implement a number of strategies to ensure that families from all cultural backgrounds feel welcome, regardless of their beliefs or background. These include: Without these methods of exploring and celebrating a diverse range of cultures and beliefs children may become closed off to the views of others. Children and families who are in the minority may feel segregated or excluded. Children who feel this way may then develop feelings of anxiousness and unease, which in turn will have an adverse effect on their ability to socialise and their academic development. 1.4Interact with children and young people in a way that values diversity and respects cultural, religious and ethnic differences. Observed in Setting 1.5Demonstrate ways of applying the principles of equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice in your own work with children and young people. In my working environment I come into contact with children from a variety of different social and cultural backgrounds. There are many families with differing and varied beliefs, which are celebrated and respected by staff, children and their families alike. All children have the right to attend school and must be given the opportunity to be included in every aspect of school life. In cases where children have additional needs lessons and activities must be modified to give them the same opportunities as their peers. This may include the use of additional resources or equipment specific to the learners needs. Sometimes it may be necessary to seek addition training to aid and enrich the learning opportunities of a child, for example learning makaton, how to use braille or PECS (picture exchange communication system) which can be useful to communicate with children who have a wide range of communication differences including autism. Sometimes additional support may be all a child requires, or simply the time to learn and complete tasks at their own pace. A child using PECS to request a desired item Simply put, anti-discriminatory practice is creating an environment where nobody experiences discrimination regardless of factors such as their race, gander, ability, culture or ethnicity. It is the ability to give fair treatment and equal learning opportunities to all individuals. To practice this in my school and classroom I must ensure I treat those around me with trust and respect. Children who witness this positive attitude and the relationships it creates will mimic my behaviour and in turn will be able to create their own open and positive relationships. It is vital that I celebrate the differences and similarities between all people in our diverse society and actively practice this in my daily life and the way I treat others. If I become aware of discriminatory comments or actions made by others I must challenge this and where necessary report it to the appropriate person.

Rethinking Marketing Essay

Companies today have technology that enables them to interact directly with customers. Firms must make use of this technology to focus on customer needs and develop into customer-oriented companies rather than product oriented ones. In order to facilitate this change a change in the company’s strategies as well as structure becomes necessary. This change includes reinventing the organizations marketing department entirely. One such change in strategy involves customer cultivation. Companies must move from being traditional companies to customer cultivating companies. A customer cultivating company is one that focuses on individual or small groups of customers as opposed to a traditional company that focuses on the mass. Many firms today are trying to make this strategy work. For example IBM, Tesco and American express. Next we come to change in structure, which involves reorganizing the marketing department. * Firstly CMOs must be replaced by CCOs (chief customer officer). The CCO’s job is to plan and implement the firms customer relationship strategy and supervise all customer-facing functions. * Secondly under the CCO will work the customer managers who identify the customer’s needs and direct brand mangers to fulfill those needs. * Customer- facing functions: some functions such as the customer relationship management that forms a part of the IT department must be made a part of the customer department. CRM (a tool for gauging customer needs and behavior) contains the data needed to implement customer cultivation strategy and hence essentially forms a part of the customer department. * Market research: market research changes to become more customer focused as well. * Research and Development: marketing and R&D must be integrated so that the customer itself can be brought into the process of designing products. * Customer service: the customer department must handle this service to ensure both quality and building long-term relationships with customers. With change in strategy there comes a need to change the measures that gauge the effectiveness of the strategy as well. These changes in measures are as follows: * Product profitability to customer profitability * Current sales to customer lifetime value * Brand equity to customer equity * And lastly market share to customer equity share. All in all the article considers reinventing the strategies and structure of companies to make them focus on building lasting customer relations rather that building brands.

Renaissance humanism

I naively assumed that none of this would be controversial, and I was quite unprepared for the hostility it provoked among some legates to the congress, chiefly from Northern Europe, who represented what I came to perceive as the Lutheran Establishment. This group was concerned to insist on the total originality of Luther and the uniquely German Origins of the Reformation. The paper would, I think, be more generally accepted today . It was first published in Luther and the Dawn of the Modern Era: Papers for the Fourth International Congress for Luther Research, De.H. A. Barman, Studies in the History of Christian Thought, Volvo. 8 (Elided: E. J. Brills, 1974), up. 127-149. It is reprinted here by permission of the publisher . Since the peculiar mixture of responsibility and presumption in the title of my paper will scarcely have escaped the notice of this distinguished audience, I feel some need to explain at the outset that it represents an assignment on the part of those who planne d our meeting.The significance of the problems to which it points is suggested by the great historians who have grappled with it in the past, albeit (a fact that should constitute something of a warning) with somewhat contrary results, among them Michelle, Diluted, and Throttles. [l] Its practical importance lies in the need of most of us to place our more limited inclusions in some broader historical framework; we must therefore reconsider, from ? 226 ? time to time, the relationship between Renaissance and Reformation.In spite of this, the subject has recently received little systematic attention, and many of us are still likely to rely, when we approach it, on unexamined and obsolete stereotypes. Obviously I cannot hope to remedy this state of affairs in a brief paper. Yet the progress of Renaissance studies in recent decades invites a reassessment of this classic problem, and I offer these remarks as an essay intended to stimulate further concussion. What has chiefly inhibited l arger generalization has been the extension and refinement of our knowledge, and with it a growth both in specialization and in humility.Thus we are increasingly reluctant to make broad pronouncements about either the Renaissance or the Reformation, much less about both at once. For as scholars we are divided not only between Renaissance and Reformation, or between Italy and Northern Europe; even within these categories most of us are specialists who would claim competence only in a particular aspect of Renaissance Florence or Venice, in one phase or another of Renaissance humanism, in Machiavelli or Erasmus, in later scholasticism or the history of piety, in Luther or Calvin or the sects.Under these conditions few students of the Renaissance have cared to look as far as the Reformation; and although Reformation scholars have been somewhat bolder, they have rarely pursued the question of Renaissance antecedents farther than northern humanism. Humanism is, indeed, the one subject tha t has recently encouraged forays into the problem of this paper; but although Barren, Devour, Spits, Libeling, and especially Charles Trinkets, among others, have made valuable intrusions to discussion,[2] the problem is still with us, primarily, I think, because we have not fully made up our minds about the meaning of Renaissance humanism.A result of this difficulty has been a tendency to focus special attention on Erasmus as a touchstone for the Renaissance, a role for which?for reasons that will emerge later in this paper?I think he is not altogether suited. It is, however, one measure of the complexity of our subject that we cannot approach the question of the relationship between Renaissance and Reformation without somehow first coming to terms with the implications of humanism. I should like to do so, however, obliquely rather than directly.It seems to me that although humanism, which assumed a variety of forms as it passed through successive stages and was influenced by diffe ring local conditions, was not identical with the more profound tendencies of Renaissance culture, it was nevertheless often likely to give them notable expression, and for reasons that were not accidental but directly related to the rhetorical tradition; whatever their ?227 ? differences in other respects, most recent interpretations of Renaissance humanism have at least identified it with a revival of rhetoric. ] What has been less generally recognized is the deeper significance of this revival. The major reason is, I think, that in our time the term rhetoric has become largely pejorative; we are inclined to couple it with the adjective mere. But for the Renaissance there was nothing shallow about rhetoric. Based on a set of profound assumptions about the nature, competence, and destiny of man, rhetoric gave expression to the deepest tendencies of Renaissance culture, tendencies by no meaner confined to men clearly identifiable as humanists, nor always fully expressed by men who h ave generally been considered humanists.I shall try in this paper to describe these tendencies, which seem to me to have exerted intolerable pressures on central elements in the medieval understanding of Christianity. And I will suggest that similar tendencies underlay the thought of the great Protestant Reformers. Thus the significance of Protestantism in the development of European culture lies in the fact that it accepted the religious consequences of these Renaissance tendencies and was prepared to apply them to the understanding of the Gospel.From this standpoint the Reformation was the theological fulfillment of the Renaissance. I Fundamental to the cultural movements of the Renaissance was a gradual accumulation of social and political changes: an economy increasingly dependent on commerce rather than agriculture; a political structure composed of assertive particular powers; and a society dominated by educated laymen who were increasingly restive under clerical direction and increasingly aggressive in pressing their own claims to dignity and self-determination.A commercial economy and the more and more openly uncoordinated conduct of politics supplied the social base for a new vision of man's place in the world, and of the world itself. Social experience rooted in the land had perhaps encouraged a sense of broad, natural regularities ultimately responsive to cosmic forces and inhibiting to a sense of the significance of change; but the life of a merchant community and the ambitious operations of independent rulers made all experience contingent on the interaction between unpredictable forces and the practical ingenuity and energies of men.Under these conditions the possibility of cosmic order seemed remote, but in any case of little relevance to human affairs; and the obvious rule of change in the empirical world encouraged efforts at its comprehension and eventually ? 228 ? stimulated the awareness of history, that peculiarly Hebraic and Christian?as opposed to Hellenic or Hellenic?contribution to the Western consciousness.Meanwhile new political realities and the claims of laymen undermined the hierarchical conceptions that had defined the internal structure of the old unified order of the cosmos, within which the affairs of this world had been assigned their proper place. [4] It will also be useful to observe at this point that these developments were by no meaner confined to Italy; I will touch briefly at a later point on the implications of this fact for the Renaissance problem.It is not altogether wrong to emphasize the positive consequences of these developments which, by freeing human activity from any connection with ultimate patterns of order, liberated an exuberance that found expression in the various dimensions of Renaissance creativity. Bureaucrat's insight that the autonomy of politics converted the prince into an artist of sorts may require modification; yet the new situation made all human arrangements potentiall y creative in a sense hardly possible so long as the basic principles of every activity were deduced from universal principles.The notion of the state as a work of art points to the general process of colonization and reminds us that the culture of the Renaissance extended far beyond its brilliant art and literature, and was perhaps even more significant in its implications than in its accomplishments. It had, however, another and darker side. It rested on the destruction of the sense of a definable relationship between man and ultimate realities. It severed his connection with absolute principles of order, not so much by denying their existence as by rejecting their accessibility to the human understanding.It deprived him of a traditional conception of himself as a being with distinct and organized faculties attuned to the similarly organized structure of an unchanging, and in this sense dependable, universe. Above all, therefore, it left him both alone in a mysterious world of unp redictable and often hostile forces, and at the same time personally responsible in the most radical sense for his own ultimate destiny. For he was now left without reliable principles and? because the directive claims of the church also depended heavily on the old conceptions?reliable agencies of guidance.These darker aspects of Renaissance culture eventually squired, therefore, a reformulation of Christian belief, and we shall now examine them a bit more closely. Renaissance thought has sometimes been represented as a reassertion of ancient rationalism against the supernaturalism of the Middle Ages. The formulation is, of course, both inaccurate and misleading. In the thirteenth century some intellectual leaders had been notably hospitable to Greek philosophy, and had tried to coordinate it with revelation.But ? 229 ? it was precisely the possibility of such coordination that Renaissance culture?insofar as it differed from what had preceded it?characteristically denied; in this se nse Renaissance thought was less rationalistic (if not necessarily less rational) than that of the Middle Ages. In fact it was inclined to distinguish between realms, between ultimate truths altogether inaccessible to man's intellect, and the knowledge man needed to get along in this world, which turned out to be sufficient for his purposes.Thus the Renaissance attack on scholasticism had a larger implication as well as a specific target; it implied, and occasionally led to, the rejection of all systematic philosophy. From Patriarch, through Salutation and Villa, to Machiavelli, Pompano, ND the Venetians of the later Renaissance, the leaders of Renaissance thought rejected any effort to ground human reflection or action on metaphysics: and at the same time they insisted on the autonomy of the various dimensions of human concern and the relativity of truth to the practical requirements of the human condition.In this sense, although truth was robbed of some grandeur, it was also made more human; and if Aristotle was less and less respected as a vehicle of eternal wisdom, he could be all the more admired as a man. [5] Under such conditions philosophy could evidently contribute nothing to theology; indeed, its virtual effects were likely to be adverse since it encouraged malice and pride. Related to the attack on metaphysical speculation was an attack on hierarchy, which rested ultimately on metaphysically based conceptions of the internal structure of all reality.The repudiation of hierarchy was most profoundly expressed in Nicholas of Cuss's conception of the infinite, which made every entity equally distant from?and thus equally near to?God;[6] a similar impulse perhaps lurks behind Villa's rejection of Pseudo-Dionysus. [7] But partly because the formulations of Susan smacked too such of metaphysics, partly because the problem of hierarchy was peculiarly related to social change, the attack on hierarchy was likely to receive more overtly social expression.It to ok a general form in the effort to substitute a dynamic conception of nobility through virtue for the static nobility of birth,[8] a specific form in the impulse (often expressed in legislation and the practical policies of states)[9] to consider the clergy in no way superior to other men but, on the contrary, as equal in the obligations of citizenship (if generally less competent in practical affairs), at least as alienable to sin, and in as desperate a need for salvation as other men, whom it was their obligation to serve rather than to command.This suggested at least that social order was unrelated to cosmic order, but it also raised the possibility that order per SE was of a kind quite different from what had been supposed. For the age of the Renaissance was by no meaner oblivious to the ? 230 ? need for order, which indeed historical disasters had converted into the most urgent of problems. But its very urgency intensified the necessity of regarding order as a practical rather than a metaphysical issue. Bitter experience seemed to demonstrate that order had to be brought down to earth, where it could be defined in limited and manageable ways.And, as the occasional intrusions of the clergy into politics appeared periodically to demonstrate, the attempt to apply ultimate principles to concrete problems was likely only to interfere with their practical solution. This was a central point not only for Machiavelli and his polities successors; it also molded the numerous constitutional experiments of the Renaissance, with their repudiation of hierarchically defined lines of authority in favor of order through a balance of interests and their appeal to immediate local needs and the right of local self- determination.The best arrangements, in these terms, were not those that most accurately reflected some absolute pattern but those that best served the specific and limited human purposes for which they were instituted. But although a sense of the limitation of the human intellect was basic to the thought of the Renaissance, this negation had a positive corollary in a new conception of the human personality which also seemed to correspond better to the experience supplied by a new social environment.Men whose lives consisted in the broad range of experiences, ontogenesis, and human relationships that characterized existence in the bustling and complicated modern world could no longer find plausible an abstract conception of man as a hierarchy of faculties properly subject to reason; instead the personality presented itself as a complex and ambiguous unity in which the will, primarily responsive to the passions, occupied a position at the center.One result of this conception was to undermine the contemplative ideal; if man's reason was weak but his will strong, he could only realize himself in this world through action, indeed he was meant for a life of action. Another was to reduce suspicion of the body; in the absence of the old psychologica l hierarchy, the body could no longer be held merely base and contemptible. Action required its use, and the new integrity of the personality reduced the possibility of attributing the human propensity to evil primarily to the physical or sensual aspect of man's nature.Human passions now also acquired a positive value, as the source of action. [10] This new anthropology, articulated by Patriarch, Salutation, and Villa, required a reconsideration of the problem of immortality and led eventually to the ardent discussions of the soul in which Pompano figured. It also pointed to the political and historical conceptions of Machiavelli and Caricaturing, who emphasized the primacy of will and passion, as well as to the psychological interests of a host of Renaissance writers. 11] ? 231 ? In addition man was defined as a social being; if he lost one kind of participation in a larger reality, namely his abstract position as a member of the human species in the cosmic hierarchy of being, he, obtained another with, perhaps, more tangible satisfactions: his membership as a concrete individual in the particular human community in which he lived, now an essential rather than an accidental condition of is existence. Thus the values of human community now achieved full recognition.Human virtue was defined not as an abstraction but as a function of relationship with other men; man's active nature was understood to achieve full expression only in a life of social responsibility, and indeed his happiness was seen as dependent on human community. Furthermore, since effective participation in society required some wealth, the conception struck another blow at medieval asceticism. On the other hand the demands of life in society also stimulated a vision of human existence very different from that implicit in the contemplative ideal.For life in society was patently marked by a conflict of opposing interests that could rarely (if men were honest) be identified with absolute good or e vil; and to incessant struggle with other men was added, in social existence, the temptations that inevitably beset anyone who chooses to engage with rather than to withdraw from the world. The life appropriate to men in this world was thus not repose (however desperately one might long for it) [12] but a constant and morally ambiguous warfare, with the outcome ever in doubt. By the same token earthly life had also to be seen as dynamic, as subject to change in all its aspects.Human communities could be seen to rise, flourish, and decay; and the philological investigations of Renaissance humanists supplemented common experience by revealing the general outlines of ancient civilization and thus demonstrating how much had changed during the intervening centuries. [13] They also wrote histories that communicated not only this perspective on the past, with its implication that human culture is not an absolute but relative to its times, but in addition other aspects of the Renaissance vi sion of life: the active and social nature of man, the values of community, the incapability of conflict and change.This vision found its fullest expression in the rhetorical culture of the Renaissance. Humanist oratory was based on the conception of man as a social being motivated by a will whose energies stemmed from the passions. This conception led in turn to a distinctive concern with communication as the essential bond of life in society, as well as to a new human ideal of the well-rounded, eloquent, and thus socially effective man of affairs.The purpose of communication, in this view, could not be the transmission of an absolute wisdom, which the human mind was incompetent to reach, but the attainment of concrete and practical ends. Ђ? 232 ? Such communication had above all to be persuasive; it had to affect the will by swaying the passions, rather than merely to convince the mind; in short it needed to penetrate to the center of the personality in order to achieve result s in visible acts. And the significance of the need for persuasion should also be remarked.It implied a life in society that could not be controlled by authority and coercion through a hierarchical chain of command but depended instead on the inward assent of individuals. It was therefore no accident that the rhetorical culture of Italian humanism achieved its fullest development in republics. In addition the needs of broad communication pointed eventually to the development and use of vernacular languages, a more important concern of Renaissance humanism than has sometimes been recognized. 14] II It should be immediately apparent that this set of attitudes imposed great strains on traditional Catholicism. [1 5] It undermined the effort to base earthly existence on abstract principles identified with divine wisdom, and to relate the visible and changing world of ordinary experience to the invisible and immutable realm of the spirit. Both the comforts in this relationship and its imp lications for the guidance and intro of lower things by higher were seriously threatened.From a Renaissance perspective the arguments by which it was supported seemed at best frivolous, at worst a specious rationalization of claims to power in this world on behalf of a group of men whose attention should be directed exclusively to the next. And behind such suspicions we may also discern the perception of man as primarily a creature of will and passion. In this light intellectual claims were likely to be construed as masks for motives that could not bear inspection; dogma itself might be no more than an instrument of tyranny.In addition, since a contemplative repose now seemed inappropriate to the actual nature of man, as well as a breach of responsibility for the welfare of others, the ideal form of the Christian life required redefinition. Finally, the problem of salvation was transformed. Alone in an ultimately unintelligible universe, and with the more fundamental conception of s in and the problems of its control opened up by the new anthropology, man could no longer count on the mediation either of reason or of other men in closer contact with the divine than himself.His salvation depended on an immediate and personal relation with God. Here it is necessary to pause for a more searching look at one of the key terms of our title: Renaissance . The conceptions I have so far reviewed ? 233 ? have been based largely on developments in Italy, and this would suggest a vision of the Renaissance, or of Renaissance culture, as initially and perhaps primarily an Italian affair.But this audience is well aware that the tendencies I have described were also present in a variety of movements outside Italy, if in somewhat different forms. It is obvious, for example, that later medieval piety exhibited similar impulses; ND that, in spite of the antipathy of humanists to scholastic speculation (though here we need to be more precise about what was actually under attack), t he later schoolmate played a major if largely independent part in bringing underlying assumptions to the surface and in attempting to accommodate theology to them. 16] Perhaps, therefore, the time has come to expand, as well as to make more specific, our conception of what was central to the age of the Renaissance, and also to abandon the traditional contrast between Italy and the North, which seems to me to eve been in some measure the result of a failure to get beneath surface differences.If I have concentrated on Italian thought in this sketch, I have done so partly to bring out the fundamental unity of European spiritual development, partly because the affinities between Protestantism and later Scholasticism have been more regularly a concern of Reformation scholarship than the parallels with the Renaissance in Italy. What is nevertheless increasingly clear is that the process of redefining Christianity to bring it into correspondence with the new assumptions about man and the w orld as gradual, and that it was taking place simultaneously throughout Europe.Largely because of the recent profound book of Charles Trinkets, it is unnecessary to review in detail the process by which the pressures for religious change implicit in the assumptions of Renaissance culture operated among the humanists of Italy. They are already discernible in Patriarch, and they seem to have reached a climax in Lorenz Villa. In a general sense they may be attributed to the special loneliness and despair of men who could no longer regard religious truth as a body of knowledge of the name order as other knowledge that was communicable through similar kinds of intelligible discourse.Nor could the institutional fiddles encouraged by ecclesiastical authority as an alternative to rational theology provide a satisfactory solution to the problem. Not only did the idea of implicit faith clash with the growing sense of individual spiritual dignity among pious laymen; in addition, discredited by its impotence, its worldliness, the presumed irrelevance of its abstract theology, and a sacramental and disciplinary externalities increasingly inadequate to assuage the secularly intense guilt of the age, the church could no longer be regarded as a dependable guarantor of truth. Ђ? 234 ? Thus, driven by a profound yearning for immediate contact with the eternal,[17] the humanists of the early Italian Renaissance moved perceptibly toward a simple religion of grace based on the Scriptures and apprehended by the individual through faith. Patriarch typically began with insights into his own inner conflicts and the discovery that these could only be resolved by throwing himself on God's mercy in a faith that was at once the highest form of knowledge and at the same time different n kind from all other knowledge; confusion on this point seemed to him the most dangerous error.Salutation, concerned as a sterner moralist to protect human freedom and responsibility within a religion of grace, wrestled with the problem of predestination. And with Villa Justification by faith received an even fuller exploration, the role of priest and sacrament in the economy of salvation was correspondingly reduced, and that of Scripture, the Word whose authenticity could be established by philology and which spoke directly to the individual, was enlarged. 18] Corresponding to the distinction between philosophy and faith was the demand or a sharper distinction between the church and the world; the separation of realms in one area seemed to lead naturally to separation in others. In its demands for a spiritual church, the new historicism of the Renaissance collaborated with the insistence of the Italian states on freedom from clerical interference and with their grievances against Rome as a political force. [19] The study of the historical church revealed the spiritual costs of the confusion of realms. 20] At the very least, as men of the Renaissance with some political experience were in a position to know, the effective use of power in the world was always morally ambiguous;[21] and meanwhile the growing participation of popes and prelates in secular politics had been accompanied by an increasing neglect of the spiritual mission of the church. Thus, if reform required a return to the past, the reason was above all that the early church had been true to its spiritual characters. [22] Only a spiritual church, devoted to that which does not change, could stand above history and thus resist decay.Villa's attack on the Donation of Constantine was not an isolated document;[23] it fleets a concern with the church, its earthly role and its spiritual mission, that runs through much of Renaissance historiography, from Muscat at the beginning of the fourteenth century to Machiavelli, Caricaturing, and Far Paolo Carpi. [24] The rediscovery of grace was closely related to the new vision of man; philosophy, as Patriarch recognized, was incapable of converting man at the crucial center of his being. â€Å"It is one thing to know,† he declared, â€Å"another to love; one thing to understand, another to will. What was required was a transformation not merely of the intellect but of the ? 235 ? hole personality, so that Christian conversion would find appropriate expression in a life of love and active responsibility for the welfare of others. And, as in the world, the essential meaner for such a transformation was not rational appeal to the intellect but rhetorical appeal to those deeper levels in man that alone could move the will. Thus Patriarch argued for the superiority over rational philosophers of moral teachers who could sow the love of virtue in the very hearts of men. 25] For Villa rhetoric was thus the only branch of secular learning (except for philology) applicable to theology. 26] The implications of this position for the importance and character of preaching seem clear. A new conception of man was also reflected in a changed conc eption of God, in accordance, perhaps, not only with Renaissance emphasis on man's creation in God's likeness and image but also with Calling's recognition of the reciprocal relationship between man's understanding of himself and his knowledge of God. 27] Like man, God could no longer be perceived as a contemplative being, as Aristotle unmoved mover, operating in the universe not directly but through a research of intermediate powers. [28] Laymen active in the world required a God who was also active, who exercised a direct and vigilant control over all things, like that to which they aspired for themselves.God too had therefore to be perceived as primarily will, intellectually beyond man's grasp yet revealing something of himself? all, at any rate, that man needed to know?in his actions, above all as recorded in Holy Scripture. And from Patriarch's sense of the free, mysterious, and incalculable nature of God,[29] Salutation went on to defend the anthropomorphic representations f G od in the Bible as a form of communication appropriate to men's capacities. [30] Villa was, as one might expect, even clearer that the God of philosophy could not be the God of faith. 31] In spite of all this, it is nevertheless undeniable that the culture of the Italian Renaissance did not culminate in Protestantism, although even on this point our old sense of the immunity of Italy to the impulses of the Reformation is no longer altogether tenable. [32] Yet it remains true that the religious thought of Renaissance Italy remained no more than an incoherent bundle of monumental insights, and it was unable to rid itself of fundamental contradictions; again, however, the contrast with Northern Europe seems hardly absolute.Above all it failed to complete its conviction of man's intellectual limitations, which pushed him only part of the way into the realm of grace, with full conviction of his moral impotence. Even here its vision of man suggests a deepening in the understanding of sin and the human obstacles to salvation; and there is abundant evidence of a pessimistic estimate of the human condition in Patriarch, Salutation, Pogo, Villa, and later, in a different form, in Machiavelli andCaricaturing. Yet Renaissance emphasis on the central importance of the will frequently served chiefly to nourish the moralist that so deeply permeated later medieval piety,[33] contributing both to the notion of Christianity as the pursuit of moral perfection and of the church as essentially a system of government; [34] Renaissance humanism remained, in Lather's sense, Appealing.The consequence was, however, that Renaissance culture in Italy, like Scholastic theology in the north, helped to intensify, from both directions at once, the unbearable tension between he moral obligations and the moral capacities of the Christian that could at last find relief only in either a repudiation of Renaissance attitudes or the theology of the Reformation. But it could not resolve the problem itself, and we must ask why this was so. Part of the explanation is connected with the fact that some among the figures we have cited were lacking in theological interests, while the rest were amateurs whose major activity lay elsewhere.The result was an inability to develop the full implications of their assumptions, which was supplemented by prejudice against intellectual labor too closely resembling the Scholasticism they despised. In addition, closely attached to particular societies in which, traditionally, no distinction was made between Christianity and citizenship, they were unable to ach