Thursday, October 31, 2019

Assess which foreign policy crisis issue, North Korea or Iran, is the Essay

Assess which foreign policy crisis issue, North Korea or Iran, is the paramount one for the United States today - Essay Example We have removed the Taliban regime from Afghanistan, which Iran viewed as a mortal threat and We have removed Saddam Hussein in Iraq, which Iran viewed as a mortal threat† (Showdown with Iran). According to reports the Iran has on many occasion tried to reach out to U.S to find a solution to the exiting problems of military power, terrorism and U.S interference in Middle East. The prominent one was the fax received in Washington after the U.S victory over Iraq in 2003, the fax described various way to make a peace treaty between U.S and Iran, but the fax was neglected and no initiative was taken from the U.S government. The recent developments in Iran with regard to its work in the area of nuclear weapons, firstly the Iran’s new arrangements near to the city of qom in Iran to accomplish its need for higher amounts of uranium has the raised concerns around the globe. Secondly Iran’s plan to build nuclear weapon supported with missile has put the Obama administration in great dilemma. The Iran has not responded well to the steps taken by USA to hold talks regarding these matters. USA has then come forward and said that irresponsible actions of Iran in relation to nuclear weapon development is leading International community to charge a hike in costs to the Iran. â€Å"The Obama administration is now involved in a diplomatic campaign to further isolate Iran and apply pressure to encourage a change in the Iranian government’s behavior. The united states is urging a board of international approach on economic sanctions said the secretary of the state† (Kaufman). As per report s of International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA) in march 2010 Iranian government has denied to provide any information in regard to its work on nuclear development and at the same time has not obeyed the U.N security council’s statement on Iran to stop work on Uranium and heavy water related projects that will enhance the production of

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Central Teachings Essay Example for Free

Central Teachings Essay The central teachings of Islam are oneness of God and of humanity; prophethood and the compass of Islam; human relationship to the divine; belief in the unseen life; and belief in the Last Judgment (Fisher, 2005). Oneness of God and of humanity Islam teaches that there is only one God. This is why the first words spoken to a Muslim infant are the words of the Shahadah – â€Å"la ilaha ill-Allah Muhammad-un Rasulu-llah† (â€Å"There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God†). According to Muslims, God may be called by many names, but all the attributes assigned to those different names only make up the totality of the One God who created the universe. They contend that there must be absolute unity among all men of all races because they were all created by only one God and should therefore be brothers under the same God. Stretching this argument further, Islam maintains that no one race should be considered the chosen race, nor be considered superior than other races. Islam teaches that the individual should be one with God, therefore his or her thoughts and deeds should always be inspired by God. This oneness of God and of humanity was very emphatically expressed by Abu Hashim Madami, an Indian Sufi sage, when he said that â€Å"There is only one thing to be gained in life, and that is to remember God with each breath; and there is only one loss in life, and that is the breath drawn without the remembrance of God† (Fisher. 2005). Prophethood and the compass of Islam All the prophets from Abraham to Jesus Christ are honored, but they maintain that Muhammad was the last prophet sent by God with the final message. This means, therefore, that the Qur’an sums up all the messages from God so Islam should include all religions, including Christianity and Judaism which also trace their roots to Abraham (Fisher, 2005). Muslims believe that although God sent many messengers namely: â€Å"Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad,† the message He revealed to Muhammad was the final message intended for all of mankind (Robinson, 2007). Human relationship to the divine They believe that God created the universe for a specific purpose or purposes. To achieve His purpose/s, He set down particular laws to govern the actions of everybody. For this reason, Islam maintains that man could live in peace and prosperity only if he recognizes the laws which were set by God and faithfully abide by them. The set of laws of Islam is called the Sharia Law which has been derived from the Qur’an and the Sunna, which has been considered as the Islamic â€Å"custom or practice; particularly that associated with the exemplary life of the Prophet Muhammad, comprising his deeds and utterances as recorded in the hadith† (Robinson, 2007). Belief in the unseen life They accept the existence of the unseen life such as angels. Specifically, they believe in Gabriel, whom they have credited with bringing down the messages of God to humanity. Muhammad, for one, related that the revelations were sometimes brought to him by an angel in human form who would recite the Qur’anic passages to him. They likewise believe that Satan exists just as they believe that there are saints. Belief in the Last Judgment For them, the Last Judgment means that dead Muslims are allowed some rest before being raised from the grave for the final reckoning, after which the sinners and the unbelievers are sent to hell (Fisher. 2005). Those who lived their lives on earth believing in Allah and his prophets and messengers would enter paradise while â€Å"Agnostics, Atheists, Polytheists, and followers of non-Abrahamic religions† would be rejected. Entry into Paradise, according to Muslims, would likewise be denied to all those whose lives were dominated by â€Å"evil deeds† (Robinson, 2007).

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Culture And International Marketing Management Marketing Essay

Culture And International Marketing Management Marketing Essay Barter (2008:37) in his paper says that the management of activities over international boundaries is of particular complexity and is an overwhelming task. In expanding business operations to international countries poses numerous challenges and problems never faced or seen in domestic markets. This complexity enables international organizations with knowledge and expertise to exploit the numerous opportunities provided by such markets. The general understanding of international marketing is an organization operating in more than one country, whose marketing strategy usually formulated on the countries differences. A different perspective of the same would be a specific activity to plan, price, promote and direct the flow of ones goods and services to various locations for a profit. Global marketing is very much different from international marketing in the fact being they perceive the world markets as a single entity and their marketing strategy is stagnated with the adoption of their standardized approach in selling their products in the same way but in a different local. The international marketing environment (Cateora Graham, 2007) is a mixture of controllable and uncontrollable factors. The uniqueness of this combination dwells over the unfamiliar circumstances posed by foreign markets. Success achieved by an organization in these environments would require a variety of strategies that would enable them to understand and cope with the fluctuating levels of uncertainty in a foreign market in order to influence their outcome to a positive one. The controllable and uncontrollable factors can be defined by into key elements by understanding the functioning of an organization in a foreign market. The controllable factors that an organization has direct control over and can be easily manipulated are elements such as price, product, marketing communication and distribution. On of the major uncontrollable factors for an organization in a foreign environment is cultural forces. When organization intends to trade in a foreign market they need to explore the countries underlying culture. Culture is the core element in the study of international marketing across diverse populations. A countries culture may embody a set of values and norms (building blocks) that are put into place for the mutual understanding of a common cause, designed for their living. A stereotypical description of a countries culture would be a collective programming of the mind that separates various human groups from each other. Each culture as we see have different boundaries which serve as a control mechanism, what may be acceptable in one country may be denounced in the other. Thus in order to achieve success in an international marketing venture an organization has to first understand a countries cultural boundaries. Even though different researchers have contributed theories and developed models with Ries and Trouts definition as a base, those existing models and theories do not include the way a company should consider cultural differences when positioning itself in different international markets. Considering the fact that most researchers define positioning as something relative to the competitors position, entering a new market should involve changes in the positioning strategy as well. Overall, little study has been made regarding the way a positioning strategy changes depending on which country the company is about to enter. International marketing literature (e.g. Kotler, 2002; Doole Lowe, 2004; Griffin, 1994), however, emphasize on the cultural differences in different nations and how these differences in culture affect the way a company should enter the new market. These cultural differences are especially important in consumer markets, due to the great impact culture has on the buying behavior for the single individual (Usunier, 2000). One way for a company to gain market shares in different markets, could be to find different advantages with the same product based on the different culture in the actual market. This could hypothetically mean that a company uses a different position with a different strategy in the new market, even though the exact same product is offered and the competitors are the same. The Economic Environment The economic environment is explained by Gilligan (1986:35) he says that the economic environment influences demand in a number of ways and its potential effect upon an international marketing program needs to be examined from two separate but interrelated viewpoints .at the macro level the marketers needs to consider people want and needs the country economic policy its state of development and the economic outlook. At the micro level he needs to focus upon the firms ability to satisfy. The economic environment that to large extent defines the marketing opportunity for international operation and it is only means of a detailed analysis of this aspect of the aspect of the environment that the marketer is able to answer two fundamental questions firstly how big is the market is able the market and secondly what is the market like it is the answer to these questions which then help to determine the firms market potential and priorities and subsequently the nature of marketing task that is to be performed by we therefore by considering a number of the elements and that make up the macro and micro economic environment and then move on to discuss how they influence marketing strategy. There are a number of steps that need to be taken before you decide to enter international markets. Analyze the international marketing environment. A PEST/STEP analysis needs to be conducted on the market you enter, to assess whether it is worthwhile or not. Lets briefly look at some factors that may influence an international decision. Political factors The political stability of the nation. Is it a democracy, communist, or dictatorial regime Economical Factors Consumer wealth and expenditure within the country. National interests and inflation rate. Are quotas imposed on your product. Are there import tariffs imposed. Social Factors Language. Will language be a barrier to communication for you? Does your host nation speak your national language? What is the meaning of your brand name in your host countrys language? Customs: what customs do you have to be aware of within the country? This is important. You need to make sure you do not offend while communicating your message. Technological The technological infrastructure of the market. Do all homes have access to energy (electricity) Standardization versus cultural adaptation Heerden and Barter state that the debate around whether marketing efforts should be standardized or adapted to country specifics has not been totally resolved. Advocates of standardization claim that global market segments are emerging and that marketing efforts not only can, but also should be standardized across markets (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863). They believe that the differences across markets and cultures appear to be lessening, and this is reiterated by Herbig (1998:31) who states that there is a converging of all cultures towards one common global culture, and that marketers should endeavor to address global (international) needs, finding areas of commonality and agreement rather than focusing on trivial differences between cultures. They advocate that organizations must learn to operate as if the world was one large market ignoring superficial country differences (Toyne Walters, 1993:422). Their pursuit is also encouraged by the major benefits or advantages from standa rdization. Although product standardization is generally increasing, there are still substantial differences in company practices depending on the products marketed and where they are marketed (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2007:328). They further add, The argument that the world is becoming homogenized may actually be true only for a limited number of products that have universal brand recognition and minimal product knowledge requirements for use. By using the same marketing strategy the world over, different markets will develop a consistent image of a particular product or brand. A global brand image will avoid the confusion that customers may otherwise face when travelling to different countries and seeing foreign media, if an organization has local campaigns in each country. Standardization will result in advantages such as the creation of synergies across markets (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863) as well as economies of scale, economies of scope and creation of a global brand image (Hill, 2001:544). . Advocates of adaptation, on the other hand, claim that the differences between cultures are so vast that standardization is not possible and that standardization results in lost competitive advantage and lower sales (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863). This strategy entails that organizations introduce a unique product in each country, with the belief that tastes differ so much between countries that it is necessary to start anew in creating a marketing strategy for each market. Each country should be approached separately as a different market and the S.Afr.J.Bus.Manage.2008,39(2) 39 marketing strategy customized for that particular market (Herbig, 1998:34). Organizations have the ability to tailor the marketing strategy to suit local markets: and proponents of this philosophy are determined that cultural differences between nations are such that a strategy that works in one nation can fail miserably in another. They believe it is exceptionally difficult to develop a single marketing strategy that would have the desired affects worldwide. Thus, adaptation allows a marketer to take such differences into account and provides the local market with a marketing strategy that appeals to them and will be effective in its function, so creating greater sales and enhancing profits. By providing a particular international market, such as India, with what they want (e.g. a non-alcoholic beverage), an organization (such as SA Breweries) can create a distinct competitive advantage for itself because it is receptive to the needs and wants of that market. The absence of the advantages that emerge from standardization is in essence the disadvantages of a daptation, and visa versa where the absence of the advantages of adaptation constitutes the very disadvantages of standardization. Given the reality of significant cultural differences between customer needs and market conditions in international markets and, at the same time, the advantages of more uniform marketing strategies, a debate that focuses on polar extremes does not contribute to a solution (Toyne Walters, 1993:423). Viewing the standardization versus adaptation debate as a black and white issue is not necessarily correct, as there is an important middle ground (Diamantopoulos et al, 1995:38). A grey area exists between the two extremes and it is called Glocalisation. This follows a philosophy of think global, act local (Herbig, 1998:43). It can be generalized and argued that absolute standardization is rendered unfeasible as an international marketing strategy and its product -, promotion-, price-, and distribution-related decisions (Baalbaki Malhotra, 1993:20) cannot and should not ignore the influence of culture. Cross Cultural Analysis One of the most common used cross-culture theories is Geert Hofstedes culture dimensions. It consists or rather identifies five different dimensions of culture; individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and Confucian dynamism. These dimensions are helpful in identifying and explaining cross-cultural differences in consumer behavior. It takes into consideration the differences peoples belief system and behavior in various nations and cultures. Hostedes model is measured against a range from 0 to 100 and is found to be based on quantitative research of different dimensions of 75 of the worlds countries and regions. Other models include cultural variables such as need for achievement and industriousness. Kruger and Nandan state that the cultural classifications begin with individualism versus collectivism. Individualistic cultures focus on self and the immediate family. The collectivist cultures include a social framework that includes the extended family, groups, and the organization where the members of a collectivist culture look after each other. For example, China and India have a strong collectivist culture with tremendous respect for customs, traditions, rules and regulations that developed over centuries (Melewar, Meadows, Zheng and Rickards 2004). For the Chinese and Indian cultures, group membership revolves around the extended family that includes grand parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as informal friendship groups and formal organizational groupings. Both cultures take pride in belonging to this in-group collectivism, which emphasizes the feminine aspect of the culture that is concerned with others and focuses on relationships rather than assertive, direct and competitive behavior. Over the centuries this in-group collectivism developed strong customs, traditions, informal rules and procedures to avoid risk or behavioral embarrassment. These customs and traditions explain Hofstedes concept of uncertainty avoidance. According to Hofstede uncertainty avoidance advocates predictable structured situations versus unstructured unpredictable situations. For example, Indian and Chinese families traditionally arranged marriages between families. These structured situations spill over into each countrys respect for authority, titles and status. This respect is consistent with the concept of Hofstedes Power Distance, which is exemplified by the Indian and Chinese respect toward the elderly members of their society. Despite the respect for the elders in both countries, neither culture embraces the gender differentiation dimension (Javidan and House 2001). This dimension measures the status and decision making responsibilities that women have within each culture. In the Ind ian and Chinese cultures the status of women and their decision-making responsibilities are historically limited. Although the Chinese equalitarian ideology focuses on society equality and individual and group relationships in China, gender status provides little decision-making autonomy for Chinese and Indian women compared to women in the United States. The human orientation dimension by Javidan and House encourages fairness and kindness, but is difficult to evaluate. The historic Chinese ideology promotes a caring and generous approach toward society as a whole, but this socialistic ideology focuses on society equality to promote fairness and generosity. Within the Chinese and Indian cultural systems specific individual or specific group rewards are not well developed or prevalent (Dessler 2007). Since China and India appear to be rapidly moving toward a semi-capitalistic approach to their economies, a more humanistic orientation might be developing within each country that is more in line with the more individualistic human resource approach present in western countries. Similar to the human orientation dimension the performance-oriented dimension in China and India, where a society rewards individuals and group members for improvement, remains questionable. However, Hong Kong ranks high on the performance-orientation dimension, a ccording to Javidan and House, because of the western influence from British rule. To enable the Indian and the Mainland Chinese to develop a more complete performance oriented system requires each country to move toward a free market economy. Since the Indian Government and the Chinese Government encourage their companies to compete on the world market, a more performance-oriented culture should develop and adapt to the international globalization trends in both countries. But the weak performance orientation present within China and India cultures has not permitted businesses within each country to more fully develop their human resource functions and marketing strategies (Dessler 2007). This lack of cultural assertiveness hinders Indian and Chinese companies, and their ability to develop a global aggressiveness strategy particularly in the marketing area, where building brand identification and image linkage can determine the success or failure of a product or service. Individualism Individualism is described as the relationship between an individual and his community in the society. When there is a high degree of individualism and self-interests in a society, an individual is expect to look after himself and his immediate family, becoming independent from different groups and organizations. In some societies where people from an early age are classified into groups and these groups are their major source of their identity, we see a low degree of individualism and are referred to as collectivism. Power distance People has unequal physical and intellectual capacities which some societies allows to inequality in power and wealth . All the societies of the world has such inequalities but some are more than the other Power distance occurs when resources of the society is not distributed equally. It reflects human inequality. A high power distance is an indicator that people believe that everyone has their rightful place and they understand that not everyone is treated equally. Usually income is a relatively big factor in these societies which cause these demarcations. In Philippines , India, France score high in power distance on the other hand countries such as Austria ,Denmark and Sweden slightly low in power distance while the United States lies below the mid-point A low power distance occurs in societies that believe that everyone has equal rights and also equal opportunity to change their social status. Uncertain avoidance Debate: Marketing of new products takeoff faster in countries that are low in uncertainty avoidance as compared to those countries high in uncertainty avoidance. Uncertain avoidance refers to the level of anxiety about the future. Societies which display a high in uncertainty avoidance try to beat any change in future prospect hence the creation of rules and regulations. Whereas societies where in there is a low uncertainty avoidance consist of people open to risk, as they accept and handle each day as it comes. Countries that are high in uncertainty avoidance show a lag in takeoff as compared to those that are low in uncertainty avoidance mainly for two reasons. Firstly, societies that are low in uncertainty avoidance are more open and willing to take greater risks, hence, they will more readily accept new products introduced to them on the market. Secondly, societies high in uncertainty avoidance consider change as dangerous and are more intolerant towards accepting change than societies in low uncertainty avoidance. Thus, we see that countries low in uncertainty avoidance will embrace a new product more easily than countries that are higher in uncertainty avoidance. Masculinity Debate: Products new to the market takeoff faster in countries having higher masculinity than those countries have a lower masculine society. Men, in most cultures tend to be more assertive as compare to the women who are more nurturing. The male behavior is associated with autonomy, aggression, exhibition, and dominance, while female behavior is associated with nurturance, affiliation, and humility. Masculinity and feminity refer to the sex role patter in society at large, to the extent it is characterized by male or female characteristics. Masculinity is usually expected to take of mainly for two reasons according to Hofstede, firstly, masculine societies attach more value to recognition and wealth, while feminine societies attach more value to human contact and living environment. The adoption of new products allows consumer to exhibit their wealth and success, which may more compatible with masculine societies. Consumer in a masculine society may show higher innovativeness, as compared to consumers in more feminine societies. Secondly, in a masculine society people tend to make decisions independently and admire the strong and the independent. When a new product first emerges, adoptions are few and require independent decisions by innovators. When we observe both societies we see that the masculine society is more accepting to a new product as their decisions are independent whereas in the feminine society the decision on a new product is made in a group decision, which may cause a low acceptance level of the new pro duct. Hence masculine countries show a faster takeoff than feminine countries. Confucian dynamism Confucian dynamism reflects culture to the degree they are universalistic and particularistic. Universalistic means that what is true can be applied everywhere and particularistic means that unique relationships and circumstances are more important considering in determining what is right and good rather than abstract rules. Religion The nature and complexity of the different religions an international marketer could encounter is pretty diverse. The organization needs to make sure that their products and services are not offensive, unlawful or distasteful to the local nation. This includes marketing promotion and branding. There was a controversy in China in 2007 (which was the year of the pig) all advertising which included pictures of pigs was banned. This was to maintain harmony with the countrys Muslim population of around 2%. The ban included pictures of sausages that contained pork, and even advertising that included an animated (cartoon) pig. In the year 2005 Frances Catholic Church won a court injunction to ban a clothing advertisement (by clothing designers Marithe and Francois Girbaud) based upon Leonardo da Vincis Christs Last Supper. Need for Achievement Debate: Countries which have a high need for achievement display a faster takeoff than countries low in the need for achievement. The need for achievement, Murray (1938) describes the tendency or desire to do things as rapidly and/or as well as possible. Need for achievement includes successfully and independently overcoming obstacles, competing with and surpassing others, and high self-regard. Veroff et al. (1962) associate a high need for achievement particularly with working harder, being less satisfied with current success, and being more oriented to the future fruits of work. All these traits may lend themselves to greater eagerness for adopting new products and greater willingness to experiment with new products as soon as they are available. Industriousness Debate: New products take off faster in countries with high industriousness than those with low industriousness. Industrious people are inclined to work and tend to value the fruits of work more than less industrious people. The industriousness of a population can affect the speed of takeoff for supply and demand reasons. Such people realize that innovations can make work more productive as well as make their rest from work more productive, so industrious people tend to be more receptive to innovations as well as to work harder to develop innovations. Thus, when a new product is available, industrious entrepreneurs, retailers, and distributors are likely to work harder to make this product available to the general population. At the same time, the people themselves are more likely to search for, try out, and adopt the new product. Thus, the new product is likely to take off faster in an industrious culture than in one that is not industrious. These different dimensions are useful for companies, who are in the process of expanding and developing its business, as they give an insight about how to act in foreign cultures. All the dimensions can be helpful in winning potential customers by adapting the marketing activities to the specific culture. Especially, the masculinity dimension is an important dimension for companies to consider when it comes to marketing in different cultures and entering new markets. Information Access Prior research suggests that peoples access to information strongly affects the speed at which they adopt a new product (Rogers 1995). Therefore, we may expect that a new product takes off faster in countries in which inhabitants have easy access to information than in other countries. We identify three factors that capture different dimensions of information access: media intensity, mobility, and education. Values and Attitudes The importance of values and attitudes vary between nations, and even vary within nations. So if you are planning to take a product or service overseas make sure that you have a good grasp the locality before you enter the market. This could mean altering promotional material or subtle branding messages. There may also be an issue when managing local employees. For example, in France workers tend to take vacations for the whole of August, whilst in the United States employees may only take a couple of weeks vacation in an entire year. The Chinese government banned China banned a Nike television commercial showing U.S. basketball star LeBron James in a battle with animated cartoon kung fu masters and two dragons, because it was argued that the ad insults Chinese national dignity in the year 2004. Technology and Material Culture Debate: The sale of new product depends on the level of technology and material culture Technology includes facilities such as there energy to power the products . Transport infrastructure to distribute our goods to consumers . The local port have large enough cranes to offload containers from ships How quickly does innovation diffuse is also of key importance, do consumers actually buy material goods i.e. are they materialistic. A clockwork radio was launched byTrevor Baylis in the African market. Since batteries were expensive in Africa and power supplies in rural areas are non-existent. The clockwork radio innovation was a huge success that was due to introduction of new technology. The car market grew 25% in 2006in China and it has overtaken Japan to be the second-largest car market in the world with sales of 8 million vehicles. With just six car owners per 100 people (6%), compared with 90% car ownership in the US and 80% in the UK, the potential for growth in the Chinese market is immense. Media Intensity Debate: Countries high in media intensity display a faster takeoff than those with low media intensity coverage. Mass media such as newspapers, radio, and television play an important role in creating awareness of a new product among potential adopters (Beal and Rogers 1960) and influencing acceptance of a new product (Katz and Lazarsfeld 1955). Mass media may also lead to greater ability of consumers to detect superior new products, and thus increase the rate at which, and the likelihood that, consumers will adopt them. Mass media also contribute to the cosmopolitanism of consumers of a country, especially if it concerns cosmopolite channels (Rogers 1995). Through cosmopolite channels, consumers in a target country can access information about innovations that have been introduced in other countries, even before the innovation is introduced in the target country (Gatignon et al. 1989). Such information can hasten the takeoff of the innovation in the target country. Mobility Debate: New products take off faster in countries high in mobility Various studies indicate that the higher the mobility of a countrys citizens, the more rapidly new products penetrates the social system. Interpersonal interaction affects the way and the rate consumers learn about various new products. Education Debate: Products takeoff faster in countries with citizen who have enjoyed higher education than those who havent had any. Education as we know it exposes people to a constant and steady stream of embracing new ideas. Introduction of technology in education also sensitizes the importance of human progress; this in turn makes them more receptive to innovations. It is a well known fact from research today that educated people are more responsive and quicker to adapt and accept a new product as compared to non-educated people. Finland follows old German model of education the education after primary school is divided to the vocational and academic systems. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, the first nine years of education (primary and secondary school) are compulsory, and the pupils go to their local school. In Uganda schooling includes 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary school), and 3 to 5 years of post-secondary education. Nine years of education is compulsory for all Chinese students. case of the Peoples Republic of China a nationwide system of public education is in place, which includes primary schools, middle schools (lower and upper), and universities. Conclusion Exploring the world international markets in a way in which culture and marketing affects and are affected by ones other culture is an eye opener to any organization contemplating to venture forth into international markets. The finding indicates that culture plays a very important role in the formulation of an international marketing strategy. Marketers cannot assume homogeneity of cultures across the globe and it is surmised that there are not similarities and congruencies among the cultures within and between countries. Heerden and Barter state that the international marketer needs to study the target market to learn what elements of the strategy might be standardized to allow for economies of scale to be achieved, but at the same time, know which elements to customize so as not to render the entire strategy unsuccessful. It is to be noted that the marketer needs to account for local culture by building it into the marketing strategy, and not expect that the culture will adapt and accept the strategy provided. Generally, the responses suggest that a marketers strategy should suit the local culture in order to reach them and have the desired effect on the target market, and not the other way around because such evolutions could take an extensive amount of time in order to achieve marketing goals. If a marketer can create a relatively standardized and cross-cultural strategy that translates across most cultures, then the goals of marketing across countries would be achieved at a minimal spend. Krueger and Nandan state that As economic and political integration transpires through globalization, local and national customs, traditions, standards, and boundaries begin to dissolve, which leads to an extremely complex diverse global environment, and provides businesses with the need and the opportunity to read, identify, and develop new cultural competence. To exemplify the risk and dilemmas associated with different cultural implications. For example, different cultures develop less visible formal and informal rituals. In Japan formal gift giving is a widely accepted ritualistic standard of courtesy. In the United States gift giving is perceived as a bribe in business. The Japanese have a low tolerance for ambiguity and are very formal, indirect and patient in their business dealings. In contrast, the United States culture has a high tolerance for ambiguity and is informal, direct, punctual, and time oriented. These cultural

Friday, October 25, 2019

Friendship and Tragedy in John Knowles A Separate Peace Essay

Friendship and Tragedy in John Knowles' A Separate Peace Some friendships last forever and others do not but in the novel, A Separate Peace (1959) by John Knowles, displays a different kind of friendship. The reader throughout this novel was very entertained. This novel takes place at the Devon Preparatory School in the years of 1942-1943. This story begins when Gene Forrester comes back to the Devon School fifteen years after his graduation to relive a tragic story. He walks up to a tree and the story then begins in the summer of 1942. When Gene arrives at the school he meets a very intriguing person by the name of Phineas also known as Finny, they end up starting the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session, where they meet every night at the big tree by the river. Later, in the story Finny and Gene decide to skip school and when they get back Gene has to take a test and fails, which he blames it on Finny. Then one night at the tree Finny is on the limb of the tree that jump from into the water Gene causes the limb to move causing Finny to fall. This fall breaks his leg. Finny is out of a school for awhile and when he returns to school there is a mock trial held in order to determine if Gene caused this on purpose. Finny is astonished by this a leave the courtroom he falls down stairs re-breaking his leg. Finny di es in the operation to reset his leg. Gene finishes out his senior year and leaves and the school is turned into an Army base. Throughout this novel both Gene and Phineas display the theme of friendship. Sometimes friendship is valued most through tragedy. From the very beginning of the novel Finny was displayed as a character that everyone wants to be around. He is a very athletic boy who excels at every... ... the night before Finny and Gene had a conversation just like they did in the early stages of their friendship. The artist of this novel states, "We started to laugh again, with a half-guilty exchange of glances, in the way that two people who had gone on a gigantic binge when they were last together would laugh" (147). This shows how they spent there last night together. Later Finny died in the operating room when they were trying to reset his leg. John Knowles had the reader interested throughout this whole novel. This novel showed how friendship is sometimes valued most through tragedy. Tragedy occurs when even a person does not mean to cause harm. A person will never truly value their friendship except through tragedy. Gene and Finny had created their "separate peace." Creating peace between them helped them get through their tough times when tragedy struck.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

John Cage Essay

John Cage was one of the artists who moved the furthest away from â€Å"tradition. † Cage himself says that he was trying to accomplish what Ives wanted many years before: to be able to sit on the back doorstep at sundown, listening to the music. In continuing and expanding the Ivesian tradition, Cage shattered the old notions of music as organized sound consisting of melody, harmony, and rhythm (Nicholls, 2007). He wondered why music had to be these things. His questioning led to new concepts of how musical elements could be freed from the restraints imposed on them by conventional thinking. Most music contains only a few of the available pitches. Melody in its most elementary sense draws attention to a single line, which is a rather primitive way of perceiving music. Rhythm in which eventsoccur â€Å"in time† is also limiting. Why, within a particular space of time, can an event not happen at any point, its rhythmic aspects thus being freed from time in the more traditional sense? As Cage puts it: â€Å"In a painting an image can go anywhere on the canvas. Why can’t a rhythm do the same thing within the framework of a piece of music? † Cage’s revolutionary ideas have led to many innovations. He is usually credited with having invented â€Å"chance music,† music created under conditions that leave certain of its parts to the vagaries of the moment (Nicholls, 2007). Virgil Thomson notes that chance in composition is rather like a kaleidoscope, and â€Å"what kaleidoscopes and arabesques lack is urgency† (Grant, 2001, p. 243). The music may not always have this quality, a condition that can ultimately hinder its expression in purely musical terms. But there is a new kind of musical awareness, a vitality of thought and of imagination. Cage has redefined the entire concept of direction in music, since he has not been particularly interested in where events are going. Rather, he is more intrigued with the moment and with the possibilities of what can happen during that moment. Cage has also thought about music’s purpose, deciding that actually there does not have to be any intent, that sounds alone can be the purpose. He says that â€Å"a sound accomplishes nothing; without it life would not last out the instant†( Pritchett, 1996). His aesthetic that everything is music is important, for it opens countless possibilities. Cage’s ideas have made a generation of composers rethink concepts that were taken too much for granted or were ruled out of musical consideration by previous generations. These concepts have, in fact, furthered music beyond its old boundaries. Many of Cage’s works are famous because of the revolutionary concepts that formed them. The composition for piano that consists of four minutes, thirty-three seconds of silence, 4? 3? , is a case in point. To dismiss the work as a gimmick or as insignificant because it really is not music is to miss the point. Composers have pondered the silences in music in previous ages, but it took Cage to realize that silence itself was an opportunity for a complete work and a complete experience. According to Cage, silence is deciding in favor of sounds that are not intended. And Cage feels that silence has philosophical overtones, for it strikes the foundations of the ego. 4? 33? is a difficult work, for there is so much to hear–nothing–and it is a memorable experience, for it shows a world of multiplicity, something that interests Cage far more than aspects of unity within a particular work (Pritchett, 1996). Because anything is possible in Cage’s compositional process, some works are highly organized, while others give an outward impression of random and unrelated orderings. Most of his early pieces, among them the 5 Songs for Contralto (1938) and the Quartet for Twelve Tom-Toms (1943), are carefully conceived and conventionally notated. Music of Changes (1951) was created with the aid of the Chinese book of changes, I Ching, one of Cage’s favorite aids in the evolution of a work (Pritchett, 1996). In addition to his novel approaches to the general aspects of composition, Cage utilizes fascinating â€Å"instruments† in some of hispieces. He has written compositions containing parts for brake drums. He has composed music for toy piano. Cage, in fact, has not rejected any possibility if that possibility has an intriguing sound. Thus, the amplified sound of water being swallowed, of a glass breaking or clinking, and of a balloon bursting are excellent sources, as good in their way as a piano or a trombone (Kostelanetz, 1991). Cage’s love of both conventional and unconventional sounds has made him reconsider the various traditional instruments and how they can be changed to produce a new result. One of these investigations resulted in the â€Å"prepared piano,† which consists of objects such as nails, bolts, pins, and other materials placed between the strings of a piano, creating a diversity of different timbres. Henry Cowell had experimented with various possibilities of piano sonorities earlier in the century, including playing on the inside of the instrument, and Cage was undoubtedly influenced by some of Cowell’s discoveries. But in most respects, Cage’s is an original concept. As a result of his pioneering efforts, the prepared piano is for all practical purposes a new instrument, reminiscent of a Balinese gamelan orchestra (Kostelanetz, 1991). Another unusual effect occurs in The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, a song for voice and piano in which the pianist plays on the piano lid and on various other wooden parts of the instrument rather than on the keys. The piano, in other words, has many sound possibilities from which Cage has realized a diversity of new and unusual timbres (Pritchett, 1996). Cage has been accused of being narrow-minded, of only working with novelties and current avant-garde fashions. This is untrue. Cage actually is an important figure whose mind is an open one and whose â€Å"novelty-fashions† in their total implications are significant and even visionary. They are not fraudulent, nor are they aimed at the destruction of Western musical civilization, although Cage has been accused of that and of just about everything else by his critics. The problem is simply that to the casual observer Cage’s music is undisciplined. But this is also false. In some of his works chance itself is the discipline, a â€Å"method† that is used to bring about that which is not necessarily intended. The compositional premises behind one of Cage’s latest works, the Etudes Australes, is proof that there is a definite method behind chance procedures and that the results can present as unified a whole as if more conventional methods of organization had been employed (Patterson, 2001). Cage reports that the pieces created the impression of serial music to some listeners, and indeed the uncompromising aspects of the method of creation and the resulting combinations of pitches from that procedure would undoubtedly give an audience an impression of â€Å"twelve-tone† writing. Strictly speaking, of course, it is usually impossible to tell if a work is serial simply by listening to it (Cage, 1966). Yet this association proves a point, for to mistake the chance operations of Cage for serial procedures is to demonstrate that two different â€Å"methods† can produce similar aural results. For a serial composer, serial procedures provide the answers to most of the compositional questions and to the continuity within a particular piece. For Cage, chance operations answer the compositional questions, and from these procedures a continuity of musical expression develops. One of Cage’s literary methods is a further example of the logical use of chance operations. In trying to find a title for a book of writings that in a typical Cage manner contains a liberal sprinkling of absurdities. Cage subjected the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to a chance operation with the help of the I Ching. The letter â€Å"m† was the winner, and the book was subsequently entitled M. Although any letter would have worked as well, Cage noted that â€Å"m† was a good choice and particularly appropriate because it begins the names of many of his favorite people and things, among them music, mushrooms, Modern Music, and Mao Tse-tung. It was an absurd method for choosing an absurd title for a book of absurdities! Another aspect of Cage’s writing demonstrates more positive and visionary qualities of his music. Prelude for Meditation for Prepared Piano Solo (1944) is early Cage, and the preparation of the piano involves stove bolts and wood screws(Patterson, 2001). This piece, like 4? 33? , can be viewed initially and superficially as one event–a monolith. Within this monolithic experience is an inner world of relationships, of sounds and events that reach far beyond the two pitch classes that Cage employs. The philosophical concept behind a work such as this is simple: why should a piece of music begin, develop itself in intricate ways, and prove itself by an infinite variety that keeps an interest going in the work itself? Why should the variety not be of a different kind? A piece of music can simply suspend itself in time, although time itself is usually conceived as a terribly limiting artistic commodity. Pieces begin and pieces end. What about what is before the beginning and after the ending? Time, itself a measured fragment of eternity, is always there on either side of an experience of any kind, and, in effect, what happens within the time of a work need not always make the time pass but rather might make it exist within a vacuum, within a world of monolithic yet many-faceted events. Cage’s work is an early example of what has become a new aspect of musical experience. Other composers began thinking about the possibilities of the monolith, and numerous examples have been written in the last quarter of a century. La Monte Young Composition 1960 #7 is a case in point. The work consists of two pitch classes, a B and an F-sharp (the relationship to Cage Prelude for Meditation is obvious), which the composer says should be held â€Å"for a long time. † In 1961 the work was played in New York by a string trio, and the forty-five minute duration of that particular reading resulted in â€Å"a whole world of fluctuating overtones† for those who were willing to listen (Patterson, 2001). Experimental composers are not nearly as outrageous as their critics might think. Even a work that attempts by its chance procedures or other random methods of construction to be formless still achieves a form, which, in turn, expands our conception of â€Å"form. † For example, if a composer writes some musical fragments on notecards, shuffles the cards, and then plays the music in the order in which it appears, there will be many different orderings but always the same music, rearranged each time. If one writes a chance piece for ten players with ten instruments, there is a limitation in the fact that the performers are ten, that the instruments are ten, and that the efforts are taking place within an inescapable time span. A composer cannot, in other words, achieve complete freedom, complete formlessness, for that is an impossibility. What a composer can do is achieve a new musical result. References Cage, John. (1966). Silence: Lectures and Writings. The MIT Press; New Ed edition. Grant, Mark N. (2001). Maestros of the Pen: A History of Classical Music Criticism in America. Northeastern University Press. Kostelanetz, Richard. (1991). John Cage: An Anthology. Da Capo Press. Nicholls, David. (2007). John Cage (American Composers). University of Illinois Press. Patterson, David W. (2001). John Cage: Music, Philosophy, and Intention, 1933-1950 (Studies in Contemporary Music Andculture). Routledge; 1 edition. Pritchett, James. (1996). The Music of John Cage (Music in the Twentieth Century). Cambridge University Press.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Three Important Contents in Nonverbal Communication

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the group oral presentation. This easy discussed three concepts related to nonverbal communication. Relevant theories inform our understanding of these concepts and each individual’s performance. The first concept aspects of nonverbal communication introduced the different aspects in nonverbal communication. The second concept barriers to nonverbal communication discussed how barriers occurred and two parts of barrier. The last one cultural difference in nonverbal communication explains the importance to effective deal with cultural difference in business today.The next part is reflection on group performance and individual performance. In this part some real examples have been discussed. This essay is for 2040 MGT Business Communication individual assignment. This essay is on the basic business area and interpersonal communication. 2. 0Definition of Nonverbal communication When people talk about successful organisations or individuals in the world of business, good communication is always listed as one of the most important characteristics.Nonverbal communications is made up of visual, tactile, and vocal signals, and the use of time, space, and image (Williams 2006). Nearly 75 per cents of all communication are nonverbal (Trompenaars, 1993). That means in every face-to-face interaction we are sending more information to the other person than we thought and no-one is fully in control about the transmission (Mead, 2005). Nonverbal communication embraces all body language communication but also includes clothing and tones of voice, even the manner in time using (Williams 2006).Drory and Zaidman (2007) suggest that use nonverbal communication in order to: replace verbal communication where it may impossible to talk; complement and modify verbal communication; contradict; regulate conversation by helping to mark speech turns; express emotions; negotiate relationships in respect of instance etc. For this way, Nonverbal communication can be very powerful tool in understanding ourselves and others. 3. 0Three concepts related to Nonverbal communication 3. 1Aspects of Nonverbal communication Are nonverbal communication and body language the same? No, they are not.Body language involves the physical behavior; nonverbal communication embraces all body language communication but also includes clothing and adornment, environmental factors and even the manner in time using (Williams 2006). Darn (2005) stated that nonverbal communication can be classified in four key elements. The first element is KINESICS means body movement and gestures. The second is HAPTICS, the touch behavior and the third is OCULESICS, the gaze behavior and eye contact. The fourth key element is PROXEMICS and stands for spatial behavior and interpersonal distance.Chaney and Martin (2000) added one further element to the key elements. They described OLFACTICS as a person’s smell. 3. 2Barriers to Nonverbal communication Many pro blems occurred in our business and personal lives result from miscommunication. Problems with any one of the stages of the communication model can become barriers to communication (Shannon, 2001). Nonverbal communication may fail for a variety of reasons: Nonverbal signal such as movement and eye contact can be read wrongly; a learner may not be able to understand what is being shown (Thorne, 2005).Maguire (2002) stated that barriers to effective communication between people and units of organizations are two parts: physical and Personal. Physical such as people talking in different ways and poor sight can be easily solved; personal barriers less obvious, is the differences in the personal and physical make up of people, these factors cause a physical barrier. Even so, these barriers suggest opportunities for improving communication (Maguire, 2002). 3. 3Cultural difference in Nonverbal communication Many businesses operate on a global scale today.It has been argued that (Crosling & Ward, 2002) effective oral and nonverbal communication plays an important role in successful cross-cultural business. Although much communication in international business is oral, the nonverbal level can be an important factor of correct understanding and interpreting oral communication. Culture is a shared system of beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations and norms of behavior (Chaney& Martin, 2000). From groups, culture differs extensively. For example, Touch is an important tool to convey warmth, support and comfort.However, in some cultural those norms of behavior may change because touching implies intimacy and familiarity, people have strict rules that who may touch whom and how (Larson & Kleiner, 2004). To learn deal with these differences and turn to your advantage can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful international business (Larson & Kleiner, 2004). 4. 0Reflection on group performance and individual performance The most successful groups understand that good communication at all levels is essential (Houston, 2002). In groups there are aspects to nonverbal communication.We been use a lots nonverbal sign communicate to each other when we having meetings and presenting. Be able to read correctly and rapidly other people’s nonverbal signals and to able to consider and control one’s own nonverbal presentation is very important in group work. Here is a benefit you and your group can achieve from effective nonverbal communication: Stronger decision making and problem solving (Houston, 2002). Use nonverbal communication effectively can make every meeting efficient instead of wasting time. When two people are conversing, they usually make eye contact to show the interest or respect (Frisch 1993).When the group having a conversation, one member was talking and the rest of us body pointed at the speaker, doing eye contact and nodding, this can be certain that we were very interested in what is being said. However, if many of us across the body like folded arms or an arm up to the face, you are seeing indications that the listeners are not absorbed. For this way, nonverbal signs have become an important communicate tools when we working together. However, Problems with any one of the stages of the communication model can become barriers to communication (Shannon, 2001).Barriers to effective communications between people and units of organizations are of two types: Physical, environmental factors can reduce or prevent the sending and receiving of messages (Maguire, 2002). It happened because people may not be able to see or hear properly. When the group having difficulty to understand others, always try to be clear in speech and visual presentation. They are usually obvious barriers. The other barrier is personal barriers; they arise from the judgments, emotions and values (Maguire, 2002). It happened because group members may not be willing and eager to receive the message.However, some people are vig ilant monitors of other people; others are less likely to notice their subtle signals. To get nonverbal communication improved instead of having barriers, we were researched four outcomes: develop skills in nonverbal communication; interpret nonverbal communication in the context of the total situation; beware of the possibility of misinterpretation; practice becoming aware of and managing one’s own nonverbal communication (Shannon, 2001). Non-verbal communication is â€Å"silent† communication, including the use of eye contact, body moment, tones of voice etc (Williams 2006).If we don’t understand the non-verbal communication from different culture, we can make a mistake of reading other person’s message. Larson and Kleiner (2004) point out some forms of non-verbal signals are the same and universal some may totally different of each other. For this way, we did a bit of research to find out the differences in nonverbal communication between the AUD and C hina. I was asking four Chinese students and four Australian with equal number of male and female to answer two questions about the culture difference.The first part of the research analyzed the distance people keep in conversations and how they feel, if the person one is talking to comes closer. It showed that Australian are willing to get a bit closer in both situations with other students and lecturers/tutors. The research also presented that Australian feel more comfortable when the person they talk to comes a bit closer. In the other part of the research we analyzed the eye contact behavior. Asians avoid frequent eye contact, whereas Australian looks most time in the eyes and face especially when talking to a lecturer.However, both parties argued they feel the other person might not be interested in the topic, if the person does not show at least the same eye contact. 5. 0Conclusion and Recommendations This essay has discussed three important concepts related to nonverbal commu nication. The first concept aspects of nonverbal communication introduced the different aspects in nonverbal communication. The second concept barriers to nonverbal communication discussed how barriers occurred and two parts of barrier. The last one cultural difference in nonverbal communication explains the importance to effective deal with cultural difference in business today.In reflection on group performance and individual performance, some outcomes from group meeting for presentation have been discussed linked to theories. People should be familiar with the aspects of nonverbal communication. For this way, effective deal with nonverbal communication to achieve the right point. To get nonverbal communication improved instead of having barriers through the ways of: develop skills in nonverbal communication; interpret nonverbal communication in the context of the total situation; beware of the possibility of misinterpretation; practice becoming aware of and managing one’s own nonverbal communication.Lastly, to learn deal with cultural differences and turn to your advantage can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful international business.References List Crosling, G. , & Ward, I. (2002). The workplace needs and uses of business graduate employees. English for Specific Purposes, 21(1), 41-57. Chaney, L. H. , & Martin, J. S. (2000). Intercultural Business Communication (2nd ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Darn, S. (2005). Aspects of nonverbal communication. The TESL Journal, 6(2), 2-7. Drory, A. , & Zaidman, N. 2007). Impression management behaviour: effects of the organizational system. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 290-308. Frisch, D. (1993). The experience of workplace politics. Academy of management journal, 23(2), 237-51. Houston, H. (2002). Health care and the silent language of Vietnamese immigrant consumers. Business Communication Quarterly, 65(1), 37-47. Larson, J. , & Kleiner, B. (2004). How to read non verbal com munication in organizations. Management Research News, 27(4/5), 17-22. Mead, R. (2005). International Management. Malden: Blackwell. Maguire, T. (2002). Barriers to communication-how things go wrong. Pharmaceutical Journal, 268(7186), 246-250. Shannon, C. E. (2001). A mathematical theory of communication. Mobile Computing and Communications Review, 5(1), 3-55. Trompenaars, F. (1993). Riding the Waves of Culture. London: Nicholas Brealey. Thorne, P. (2005). The secret codes of the ‘silent language’. European Business Forum, 20, 74-76. Williams, F. (2006). Nonverbal communication. The new communication, 11(3), 34-37.

About Architect Michael Graves and Postmodernism

About Architect Michael Graves and Postmodernism Architect Michael Graves postmodernist designs were provocative and innovative. He brought color and playfulness to tall, office buildings, while at the same time designing everyday objects such as teakettles and kitchen trashcans for ordinary consumers. Paralyzed late in life, Graves also become a spokesman for universal design and Wounded Warriors. Background: Born: July 9, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana Died: March 12, 2015 in Princeton, New Jersey Education: University of Cincinnati, OhioHarvard UniversityFellow at the American Academy in Rome Important Buildings and Projects: Michael Graves home, New Jersey, now part of Michael Graves College at Kean University1982: Portland Building, Portland, Oregon1983: San Juan Capistrano Library, California1985: Humana Tower, Louisville, Kentucky1987-1990: The Dolphin and Swan Hotels, Orlando, Florida1990: Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado1991: Team Disney Building, Burbank, California1993: U.S. Post Office, Celebration, Florida1995: Engineering Research Center, Cincinnati, Ohio1997: United States Federal Courthouse, Washington, DC1998-2000; 2013-2014: Washington Monument Illumination, Washington, DC2011: The Wounded Warrior Home Project at Fort Belvoir More Than Architecture: Household Designs Michael Graves has designed furnishings, artifacts, jewelry, and dinnerware for companies such as Disney, Alessi, Steuben, Phillips Electronics, and Black Decker. Graves is most famous for designing more than 100 products, ranging from a toilet brush to a $60,000 outdoor pavilion, for Target stores. Related People: Robert Venturi and Denise Scott BrownPhilip JohnsonPart of the New York Five,   subject of the MoMA exhibition and book Five Architects, along with Peter Eisenman, Charles Gwathmey,  Richard Meier and John HejdukDisney Architects Michael Graves Illness: In 2003, a sudden illness left Michael Graves paralyzed from the waist down. Confined to a wheelchair late in life, Graves combined his sophisticated and often whimsical approach to design with a deeper understanding of the importance of accessibility. Awards: 1979: Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA)1999: National Medal of Arts2001: Gold Medal, American Institute of Architects (AIA) More About Michael Graves: Michael Graves is often credited with moving American architectural thought from abstract modernism to post-modernism. Graves founded his practice in Princeton, New Jersey in 1964 and taught at Princeton University in New Jersey for 40 years. His works range from grand projects such as the Public Services Building in Portland Oregon to designs for furniture, teapots, and other household items. Borrowing heavily from the past, Graves often combined traditional details with whimsical flourishes. He was, perhaps, at his most playful when he designed the Dolphin and Swan Hotels for the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Dolphin Hotel is a turquoise and coral pyramid. A 63-foot-dolphin sits on top, and water cascades down the side. The Swan Hotel has a gently curved roof-line topped with 7-foot swans. The two hotels are connected by an awning-sheltered walkway over a lagoon. What Others Say About Graves: Michael couldn’t abide students who didn’t take their work seriously. But he was especially generous with those who did, and unlike most other teachers, he could draw every building he taught them. He was a consummate talent, an artist-architect, and a teacher who challenged how we think by how we see. Very few can do that. Very few ever try. Michael did try, and therein is the mark of a hero, a master of the discipline who passed on everything he knew.- Peter Eisenman, 2015 Learn More: Five Architects: Eisenman, Graves, Gwathmey, Hejduk, Meier Sources: Peter Eisenman quote from A Special Tribute to Michael Graves: 1934–2015 by Samuel Medina, Metropolis Magazine, May 2015; Michael Gravess Residence, Rejected by Princeton, Is to Be Sold to Kean University by Joshua Barone, The New York Times, June 27, 2016 at www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/arts/design/michael-gravess-residence-rejected-by-princeton-set-for-sale-to-kean-university.html [accessed July 8, 2016]

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What Is A Good SAT Essay Score

What Is A Good SAT Essay Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT Essay scoring can be tricky to figure out. Maybe you've already created target goals for your SAT score, following our guide, so you at least have that score goal set. But where does your essay score fit into all this? What is a good SAT essay score? This article will answer those questions. Note: The information in this article is for the old (pre-March-2016) SAT essay, which was scored out of 12 and part of the Writing section. Scores for the March 2016 SAT were only released May 10th, 2016, which means that data on percentiles and averages aren't going to be available for a while yet. We'll update this article as soon as the information comes out. feature image credit: Doing Great by Eli Christman, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. What Is the SAT Essay Out Of? Before you can know what a good SAT essay score is, you need to know how many points you can get total on the essay. So what's the SAT essay out of? Currently, the SAT essay is scored on a scale of 1 to 6 by two graders, for a total essay score out of 12. Your essay is scored holistically, which means you don’t get bumped down to a certain essay grade if you make, for instance, a certain number of comma errors. Instead, SAT essay scorers use the SAT essay rubric to grade your essay as a whole. Note: SAT essay scoring will change beginning with the March 2016 SAT. For more information on that change, read our other articles on the new SAT essay prompts and the new SAT essay. What Is a Good SAT Essay Score? As with most things on the SAT, a good essay score depends on what your goals are. These goals should be concrete and determined by the colleges you’re applying to - after all, if your reach schools have an average essay score of 9, then there's no need to burn yourself out trying to get that elusive 12. To some extent, your essay score goal will also be influenced by your performance on the multiple choice section of SAT Writing. If you do better on multiple-choice questions, you may be able to cut yourself some slack in the essay department. But how do figure out what your SAT Writing (and SAT essay) goals should be? Use our three-step process, explained below. Step 1: Know Your Target SAT Writing Score If you’ve read our free ebook on calculating your target SAT score, you may already have figured out your target SAT Writing score. If not, it's time to calculate it! I'll walk through the process using the example of Virginia Commonwealth Unversity. First, download this worksheet. It's designed for calculating your target SAT score out of 2400, so you'll have to modify it a little bit. Fill in the schools you want to apply to in the leftmost column. Here's what the worksheet will look like for Virginia Commonwealth University: Next, google "[name of school] average SAT writing" to get the middle 50% of all SAT Writing scores. For instance, if you're interested in Virginia Commonwealth University, you'd do the following search: There'll usually be a collegeapps.about.com link that has this information. Sometimes (as you can see above) the college website will also pop up, so you can use that to double-check your numbers. You're looking for the 25th and 75th percentile scores on the SAT Writing section. A quick refresher on what "percentile scores" mean: 25th percentile means that 25% of the students attending have a score at or below that number (below average). The 75th percentile means that 75% of students have a score at or below that number (above average). In essence, the 25th/75th percentile score range covers the middle 50% of all students admitted to Virginia Commonwealth University. If the sites don’t list a specific SAT Writing score range, you can divide the top and bottom of the overall SAT score range by 3 to get a general idea of what your Writing score needs to be. In this case, there is information about the SAT Writing score range, so we can fill that in on the worksheet: Do the same for all of the schools you want to apply to. Include dream or â€Å"reach† schools, but don’t include â€Å"safety schools† (schools you think you have at least a 90% chance of getting into). Once you've filled in the information for all of the schools you want to apply to, average the 25th percentile and 75th percentile columns, then choose a target SAT Writing score with that information. As it says on the worksheet, we recommend that you take the 75th percentile score as your target SAT Writing score. It'll give you a very strong chance of getting into the schools you’ve listed. If you’re applying to humanities programs, you may even want to consider a higher score target for SAT Writing. Step 2: Find an Official SAT Writing Score Chart The next step is to take a look at an SAT Writing score chart to find out the range of essay scores that will get you your target SAT Writing score. The chart will differ in precise score differences from test to test, but it can at least give you a broad idea of the range. Let's say that your target SAT Writing score is 576 (rounded up to 580). I've highlighted this in green in the following SAT Writing score chart (from an official SAT practice test): Writing MC Raw Score Essay Raw Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 0 49 800 800 800 800 790 760 750 730 720 710 690 680 48 800 800 780 770 750 720 710 690 680 670 650 640 47 790 770 760 740 720 700 680 660 650 640 630 620 46 770 750 740 720 700 680 660 650 630 620 610 600 45 750 740 720 710 690 660 650 630 620 610 590 580 44 740 730 710 690 670 650 630 620 600 590 580 570 43 730 710 700 680 660 640 620 600 590 580 560 550 42 720 700 680 670 650 630 610 590 580 570 550 540 41 700 690 670 660 640 610 600 580 570 560 540 530 40 690 680 660 650 630 600 590 570 560 550 530 520 39 690 670 650 640 620 590 580 560 550 540 520 510 38 680 660 640 630 610 590 570 550 540 530 510 500 37 670 650 640 620 600 580 560 540 530 520 500 490 36 660 640 630 610 590 570 550 530 520 510 490 490 35 650 640 620 600 580 560 540 530 510 500 490 480 34 640 630 610 590 570 550 530 520 510 490 480 470 33 630 620 600 590 570 540 530 510 500 490 470 460 32 630 610 600 580 560 540 520 500 490 480 460 450 31 620 600 590 570 550 530 510 500 480 470 460 450 30 610 600 580 560 540 520 500 490 480 460 450 440 29 610 590 570 560 540 520 500 480 470 460 440 430 28 600 580 570 550 530 510 490 470 460 450 430 420 27 590 580 560 540 520 500 480 470 450 440 430 420 26 580 570 550 540 510 490 480 460 450 440 420 410 25 580 560 550 530 510 490 470 450 440 430 410 400 24 570 550 540 520 500 480 460 450 430 420 410 400 23 560 550 530 510 490 470 450 440 430 410 400 390 22 560 540 520 510 490 470 450 430 420 410 390 380 21 550 530 520 500 480 460 440 420 410 400 380 380 20 540 530 510 490 470 450 430 420 400 390 380 370 19 530 520 500 490 470 440 430 410 400 390 370 360 18 530 510 500 480 460 440 420 400 390 380 360 350 17 520 500 490 470 450 430 410 400 380 370 360 350 16 510 500 480 470 440 420 400 390 380 360 350 340 15 510 490 470 460 440 420 400 380 370 360 340 330 14 500 480 470 450 430 410 390 370 360 350 330 330 13 490 480 460 440 420 400 380 370 350 340 330 320 12 480 470 450 440 410 390 380 360 350 340 320 310 11 480 460 440 430 410 390 370 350 340 330 310 300 10 470 450 440 420 400 380 360 340 330 320 300 300 9 460 450 430 410 390 370 350 340 320 310 300 290 8 450 440 420 400 380 360 340 330 320 300 290 280 7 440 430 410 400 380 350 340 320 310 300 280 270 6 440 420 400 390 370 350 330 310 300 290 270 260 5 430 410 390 380 360 340 320 300 290 280 260 250 4 420 400 380 370 350 330 310 290 280 270 250 240 3 410 390 370 360 340 320 300 280 270 260 240 230 2 390 380 360 350 320 300 290 270 260 250 230 220 1 380 370 350 330 310 290 270 260 240 230 220 210 0 370 350 340 320 300 280 260 240 230 220 200 200 -1 350 340 320 300 280 260 240 230 210 200 200 200 -2 340 320 300 290 270 250 230 210 200 200 200 200 -3 320 300 290 270 250 230 210 200 200 200 200 200 -4 and below 310 300 280 260 240 220 200 200 200 200 200 200 As you can see in the chart above, there are theoretically over ten ways to get a 580 on SAT Writing, with anywhere from a 25-46 multiple-choice raw score and a 0-12 essay score. But is it really realistic to expect to score a 12 on the SAT essay if your multiple-choice raw score is only a 25? Probably not. In 2015, the average SAT Writing score was a 484, and the average SAT essay score was a 7 (data from the CollegeBoard; for more on this, read our upcoming article on average SAT Writing scores). Based on this information (and on an official practice SAT Writing score chart), we've created a table of realistic essay scores you can expect to achieve if you're scoring in a certain range: SAT Writing Score Range Realistic Essay Score 200-340 4 or below 340-440 5 440-540 6 540-640 7 640-740 8 740-800 9 or above So while you can get a 580 on SAT Writing with an essay score from 0-12, you're more likely to do so if you can score a 7 or above on the essay. Step Three: Take a Timed SAT Writing Section and Score It The final step is to see what your multiple choice score is now so that you know how much prep time you'll have to put in. To do this, you'll need to take a timed SAT Writing section and calculate your multiple-choice raw score. The best way to get a realistic idea of what your raw multiple-choice Writing score is would be to take a full-length practice test (because it’ll give you an idea of how tired you get from the other sections and how you deal with switching back and forth). If you don't have the time to do this, just take the Writing sections from an official SAT practice test, adhering to the time limits. How do you calculate your multiple-choice raw Writing score? Use the following equation: Your raw score = (# of questions you got right - # of questions you got wrong x 0.25) For example, if you answered 34 (out of49) questions right, skipped 7, and got 8 questions wrong, your raw score would be: 34 – (8 x .25) = 34 – 2 = 32 With a raw score of 32, you can get anything from a 450 to a 630 on SAT Writing, depending on your essay score. If you stay at the same multiple-choice raw score, you'll need an essay score of 9 or above to make your target Writing score of 580. This is a tough essay score to get for anyone, especially considering the average essay score for 2015 was a 7. As you increase your multiple-choice raw score, the essay score needed to get your target score will drop. To use the example from before, if you're aiming for an SAT Writing score of 580, a realistic essay score would be a 7; according to the SAT Writing score chart above, this means you'll need to increase your raw multiple-choice score to a 37 (a far more manageable goal for most students than raising their essay scores to a 9). Actions To Take Figure out your target SAT Writing score, using the worksheet above. Use an SAT Writing scoring scale to figure out the essay grade you’ll need to shoot for to make your target SAT Writing score. Figure out how you’re doing on the Writing multiple choice questions and how much you need to improve (both on the multiple-choice questions and on the essay) to meet your SAT Writing score goal. What’s Next? Get the inside scoop on what really goes on behind the scenes with our strategies based on interviews with real essay graders. Can you write a high-scoring SAT essay in less than a page? Discover how essay length affects your score in this article. Still confused about how the SAT essay is scored? Try our article that explains the official SAT essay scoring policy and what strategies you should use to take advantage of it. Curious about how well everyone does on the SAT essay? Read our article to find out what’s an average SAT essay score. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this SAT Essay lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get your SAT essays hand-graded by a master instructor who will give you customized feedback on how you can improve. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

White Collar Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

White Collar Crime - Essay Example Additionally, the law enforcement agencies do not focus their attention on the rich as they have the money to go to the law. This is the reason there are many poor in prisoners. While the poor fill the prisons, the rich are making more money. The other reason the rich want to get more than they already have is solely that they want to have more power over the powerless. In the sense that, the poor do not have an ability to measure up to the poor; because there is power inequality that is mostly caused by the rich having more than the poor. In additional, the poor do not have the ability or the resources to commit sophisticated crimes making them susceptible to jail, as they do not plan. This is because crimes committed by white-collar criminals compared to those committed by blue-collar criminals are sophisticated in nature because of the resources required to commit such crimes (Siegel, 2013). In the case of Ponzi scheme, the rich use the poor to make money because the scheme uses new users to pay the old investors and the new investors are mostly the poor. Therefore, it is correct to state the rich want to be richer because of power and maintenance of social

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Argument for Managed Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Argument for Managed Care - Research Paper Example Long-term managed care often involves the care of chronically ill individuals. As the term implies, the chronically ill often spend a significant amount of time in long-term care facilities or under constant supervision and care in the community setting. Such long-term care also implies various health needs including medicines, health personnel, and rehabilitation, and similar needs. This health needs all add up to significant financial costs for health insurance and for health authorities, and most especially for families. In the current climate of economic hardships, the health sector has not been spared from the financial crisis. In fact, in the past few years, budget cuts have been made for health allocations. Health rationing and rationalization practices have been considered in order to establish effective ways of health financing. With the significant costs of long-term care, health authorities review the possibility of reducing long-term health costs. The implications of this decision impact on the quality and on the availability of health services for those who are under long-term care. These patients would likely impact them negatively, and yet, the financial burden of long-term care is a significant issue which is weighing heavily on the health care industry as a whole. In applying health care rationalization processes, budget cuts to long-term care in relation to other health services would seem more rational. Based on these assumptions, this study shall then consider the financial burden of long term managed care and the implications of health rationalization on the delivery of adequate long-term managed care. Tentatively, this study answers the query posed by expressing that long-term managed care has a significant financial burden on the health care system and that based on health rationalization, long-term managed care would have to suffer financial cuts. Discussion of Findings The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (2008) discuss th at long-term care is the blanket term for various services which are meant to meet the medical and social needs of a patient. Patients under long term care mostly include elderly patients and the patients with permanent disabilities or those who are terminally ill. These care facilities include assisted living facilities; these are facilities meant to cater to those who need assistance with their daily activities, but are otherwise able to live on their own (DHHS, 2009). The Continuing care communities are small communities which include various housing apartments, small houses, and nursing homes. These communities cater to the needs of those who are still active and healthy. Home care includes care which is offered by private agencies delivering care in the patient’s homes. Hospice care is also considered long-term care. This type of care is usually offered to those who are terminally ill, helping make the patient and his family as comfortable as possible during the last day s of his life. Long-term care involves numerous activities and services. For nursing homes, the care includes room and board, meals, assistance in activities of daily living, housekeeping, 24-hour supervision, skilled nursing

How science should inform drug policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How science should inform drug policy - Essay Example It is proposed that there should definitely be more of the following: drug prevention for youth; drug intervention for young adults; and drug rehabilitation for older adults. This way, the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse can be severely limited or possibly even eliminated to a certain extent in reaching out to various age groups. Drug policy in the UK definitely has the potential to be influenced by the scientific research that is being done by Robinson and Berridge, as well as George F. Koob and his own colleagues, too. Drug prevention for youth should be put into place in order to prevent young people from sustaining neural damage due to drug usage. Alcohol and drug usage can severely impair brain function and cause neurological damage that is irreversible. According to Sussman and Ames (2008), â€Å"Robinson and Berridges (1993, 2000) incentive- sensitization theory focuses on the influence of neural adaptation (ie, sensitization) to drugs and drug-conditioned stimuli as the underlying mechanism perpetuating drug use† (pp. 81). Obviously, one of the concerns that plagues parents and teachers is the possibility that youth are exposed to alcohol and drugs early on—and as such, they are worried that their young charges and students may fall prey to peer pressure. Not only that, but it is a worry that the use of alcohol and/or drugs will be, unfortunately, used in order to stave off problems associated with reducing alcohol and/or drug usage. Additionally, it is a fear that young people will turn to alcohol and/or other drugs for recreational purposes.

American Music Composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Music Composers - Essay Example These learnings were then inculcated in the styles and forms apt to American culture and tradition to be able to compose "American classical music" (Sherrane 2007). This may be so, but the song and music heritage of the United States credits many American composers who have contributed to the musical history of the country. Among these composers is Charles Ives (1874-1954), hailed as the greatest American Composer by Time Magazine and Leonard Bernstein (Gutmann 2002). The History of American Classical Music is very rich and deep in its context. There are many contributors to American Classical music and they have indeed shaped what American music is today. These composers and musicians have worked hand in hand to establish music that has shaped how music is composed, played, performed, and listened to. The great American composers have sought to define music and contradict the form and style to be able to create new music that is apt for American culture and tradition. Born and raised in Danbury, Connecticut, Charles Edward Ives was a democrat who was described as fierce, optimistic, and idealistic in his ways of creating music that unified the voice of the American people with music derived from European classical music form and style (Swafford 1998). What emerged from the genius of Charles Ives was music that surpassed the expectations of man and his imagination. His music was in every essence bursting of American culture yet unique in its every note, tempo, and form. The primary influence and driving force of Charles Ives in his musical pursuit was his father, George, who was then leader of the Danbury Village Band. At five years old, he was found by his father drumming his fists on the piano and was hence given drum lessons (Swafford 1998). It was also his father from whom he received his first lessons in piano and other instruments. Until the maturation of his musical career, Charles Ives was infamous for "requiring a board to play the Concord Sonata" (Swafford 1998). This lead to what is now called the "tone clusters" (Swafford 1998). His interest in bi-tonal forms, polyrhythms and quotations was as well instilled by his father (G. Schirmer Inc. 2006). As his father loved exploring acoustics, dissonance, happenstance, and counterpoint, Ives was raised with an inquiring and transcendental approach to music (Gutmann 2002). As George Ives would always then say to him: "Don't pay too much attention to the sounds--for if you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a wild, heroic ride to heaven on pretty little sounds", Charles Ives sought to capture the emotion, the story, and the spirituality of life using music (Swafford 1998). Ives was thus driven to search for that heroic ride to heaven. What resulted from this was his creation of music so radical and original in its technique and style that it was surprisingly complex and very tricky to perform. In 1893, Ives left Danbury to study in Yale, New Haven. There, he underwent training under the supervision of Horation Parker, who was then famous for his high-Victorian oratorio Hora Novissima (Swafford 1998). It was in Yale that Ives created his First Symphony and First String Quartet, that he later subtitled "From the Salvation Army" in an attempt at a joke (Swafford 1998). It was during these four years in Yale that he got a better grasp of large scale forms, and his works then revealed a developing maturity

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Critical Analysis of Lee Smith's All the Days of Our Lives Essay

Critical Analysis of Lee Smith's All the Days of Our Lives - Essay Example But the scene she sets is dreamy and romantic, full of color, yet devoid of emotion. The reader is made more aware that Helen lives life in a haze of Salem cigarette smoke, romantic daydreams and unrealistic perceptions. The picture she paints of her ex-husband Howard firmly places him in a tidy, orderly, realistic place, with a similar personality, her opposite, it emerges. She cries in bouts of self-pity throughout the story, but there is unconscious humor in the picture painted of a lonely, old lady cutting frozen dinners in two. And still we are in Helen's car, as she segues into the image of herself as a nurse, all in white. Her stream of consciousness has deftly moved the reader from the hot interior of an automobile to the cool, dark sea, and back again to the mundane reality of a divorced woman with too much on her mind, a vivid imagination and a way with words. The 'solid sun', coupled with the 'pest control man' lend an air of irritation and frustration, and her character begins to emerge as less empathetic when she refuses to respond to her apparently helpful neighbor. Within the setting of her home, her attitude to her children, her soap on TV, her lack of impetus, all serve to further dispel the idea of a woman with some spirit. Her 15 year old daughter, Denise, appears to have more common-sense, determination and grasp on reality than her mother. "In some funny way, she is not young at all" and "Denise will never have a ball in her life, and both of them know it." (Smith, p. 3) The reality of the toddler, the put-upon teenager and angry little boy, all gathered in a small, chaotic domesticity are not to her liking, but she can block them out with the imaginary drama, the luxury and wealth on the screen which she prefers to immerse herself in. The question arises as to whether Helen is selfish, weak, ineffectual or a victim of circumstances beyond her control. The answer may be that she is all of these. The atmosphere she soaks up from her TV serves to remove her from the reality of her life. She gives desultory attention to real people, avid interest to soap actors. It becomes more apparent when Judy, her childless sister arrives, that Helen is dependent on others. Judy faces life as it is and she acts as a catalyst to bring Helen down to earth for a time, reminding her of the eccentricities of Howard. She takes off Helen's 'rose-tinted spectacles', with honesty and humor and the result is that: "Even tragic Helen has to laugh." (Smith, p. 6) Their interaction has defined the differences in the sisters and the roles they play for each other. It has made Helen think about marriages, her sister's, her parent's and shows the reader that despite negative experience, Helen's perceptions remain detached from reality. "Helen had known all about marriage anyway, that it was like a beautiful pastel country out there, waiting for her to

Comparison of Heroes in Flood Stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Heroes in Flood Stories - Essay Example He was also mentioned in stories depicting episodes of his drunkenness and the ensuing "Curse of Ham." (Wenham, 2000) Noah's story was greatly influential in the West and was the focus of much elaboration in the following Abraham-ic traditions. In Islam, Noah (Nuh) is believed to be a prophet of Allah (God) (Khan, Anand, & Anand, 2001) and Christians likened the Christian Church to the Ark of Noah (Wenham, 2000). Noah in the book of Genesis lives for a total of 950 years, with the great flood happening in his 600th year. In Quran, Nuh (Noah) is already 950 when the great flood happened and was told to have spent his lifetime preaching the belief that there is only of God (singleness of Allah) (Wenham, 2000). In later stories, only 83 people are willing to become Muslims (submit themselves to Allah) and only these 83 people were saved with Nuh. Mankind's stubbornness ultimately brings God's wrath on the non-believers (Wenham, 2000). In Quran, the theme of the flood story is the need to seek peace with and the unity of Allah. The element of the account focuses totally on the great flood, and does not include the accounts of episodes of Nuh's drunkenness. The "Curse of Ham" story's likelihood is in fact totally disqualified: Quran's Nuh has two sons, not like the Christian Bible's three, and that son does not follow his father despite Nuh's ultimate plea for salvation, "O my son! Come ride with us, and be not with the disbelieve

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

American Music Composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Music Composers - Essay Example These learnings were then inculcated in the styles and forms apt to American culture and tradition to be able to compose "American classical music" (Sherrane 2007). This may be so, but the song and music heritage of the United States credits many American composers who have contributed to the musical history of the country. Among these composers is Charles Ives (1874-1954), hailed as the greatest American Composer by Time Magazine and Leonard Bernstein (Gutmann 2002). The History of American Classical Music is very rich and deep in its context. There are many contributors to American Classical music and they have indeed shaped what American music is today. These composers and musicians have worked hand in hand to establish music that has shaped how music is composed, played, performed, and listened to. The great American composers have sought to define music and contradict the form and style to be able to create new music that is apt for American culture and tradition. Born and raised in Danbury, Connecticut, Charles Edward Ives was a democrat who was described as fierce, optimistic, and idealistic in his ways of creating music that unified the voice of the American people with music derived from European classical music form and style (Swafford 1998). What emerged from the genius of Charles Ives was music that surpassed the expectations of man and his imagination. His music was in every essence bursting of American culture yet unique in its every note, tempo, and form. The primary influence and driving force of Charles Ives in his musical pursuit was his father, George, who was then leader of the Danbury Village Band. At five years old, he was found by his father drumming his fists on the piano and was hence given drum lessons (Swafford 1998). It was also his father from whom he received his first lessons in piano and other instruments. Until the maturation of his musical career, Charles Ives was infamous for "requiring a board to play the Concord Sonata" (Swafford 1998). This lead to what is now called the "tone clusters" (Swafford 1998). His interest in bi-tonal forms, polyrhythms and quotations was as well instilled by his father (G. Schirmer Inc. 2006). As his father loved exploring acoustics, dissonance, happenstance, and counterpoint, Ives was raised with an inquiring and transcendental approach to music (Gutmann 2002). As George Ives would always then say to him: "Don't pay too much attention to the sounds--for if you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a wild, heroic ride to heaven on pretty little sounds", Charles Ives sought to capture the emotion, the story, and the spirituality of life using music (Swafford 1998). Ives was thus driven to search for that heroic ride to heaven. What resulted from this was his creation of music so radical and original in its technique and style that it was surprisingly complex and very tricky to perform. In 1893, Ives left Danbury to study in Yale, New Haven. There, he underwent training under the supervision of Horation Parker, who was then famous for his high-Victorian oratorio Hora Novissima (Swafford 1998). It was in Yale that Ives created his First Symphony and First String Quartet, that he later subtitled "From the Salvation Army" in an attempt at a joke (Swafford 1998). It was during these four years in Yale that he got a better grasp of large scale forms, and his works then revealed a developing maturity