Personal Statement for the University Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

For the University - Personal Statement Example Studying an undergraduate degree on Accounting and Finance in University of Exeter gave me greater insights into how the subject and the function of accounting within business help to define the process. During my first year compulsory modules, Business Law for Accountants, I understood and demonstrated knowledge of the legal systems in the UK and the principle features of business law. The Hong Kong legal systems are based on the UK system and so although this module was UK-based.Knowledge of the law can help me in dealing with unexpected difficulties. During my holiday in 2011, I have travelled to a new villa in the Maldives for vacation with my friends. During this 1 week holiday, my friends and I were promised by a travel agency that there was a bar and English speakers on premise. However, when we arrived, they spoke very poor English and the bar only opened once during the week. As such, we are very disappointed with the journey. When I came back to Hong Kong, I filed suit agai nst the travel contract by applying the case "Jarvis v Swan Tours (1973)" which I had learned in my business law module. Finally, I held to be entitled to damages for my disappointment. As a result, I received 1/3 of the cost of my holiday as well as receiving â€Å"disappointment damages† for the holiday. Due to the fact that I was able to apply the case law I was familiar with in order to positively affect my own life as well as the life of my friends, I have become greatly more interested in better understanding the nuances of the law.

Shakespeare in Love a Film by John Madden Essay Example for Free

Shakespeare in Love a Film by John Madden Essay Write down 20 words that will help you remembering the plot of the film. Theatre, Queen Elizabeth, actors, audition, Thomas Kent, Viola, complicated/forbidden love, Wessex is going to marry Viola, Christopher Marlowe gets killed, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† * Describe William Shakespeare as a character in the film William’s character in the film a lot like Romeo’s. William is also charming, handsome and in love with a woman he’s not allowed to be with. * Why can’t William and Viola have each other? William is poor. He’s an actor and play writer. He’s a man who is struggling to get great money out of his work. Viola is the exact opposite. She and her family are rich and live in a big house. She even has her own nurse that takes care of her like she was her own daughter. That’s properly one of the reasons why they can’t be together; they live so different lifes, but also because William is already married and Viola promised to marry the dour Lord Wessex. I think it’s mostly, because she has to marry the dour Lord Wessex. * What does â€Å"Break a leg† mean? When you work at a theater, you usually use the expression â€Å"Break a leg†, when you’re about to make a performances because it means good look. * What impression did you get of the time when the story takes place? The way people dress, behave and talk. * How does the meeting with Viola De Lesseps change Will? A short time before William even meets Viola. He thought that, he had lost his gift. The moment he meets her, his beautiful words with just flew out his mouth like he was born too write wonderful poems. * When does Will realize that Thomas Kent is Viola? Viola is sitting on the boat as Thomas Kent and William is sitting there too and while the two of them is having passionate conversation about the love for one and other (William thinks he is speaking to the actor Thomas Kent). Viola can’t hold the secret from him anymore, because she knows that she can’t be with him any longer. And before she even thinks, she kisses him. * Why does Will think that he has killed a man? Will was the one the dour Lord Wessex wanted dead. The dour Lord Wessex knew William as Christopher Marlowe, so he sent out his â€Å"people† to kill Christopher Marlowe. Will felt guilty because if he didn’t pretend to be Christopher he wouldn’t have been killed because of him. * Why does Christopher Marlowe die? William pretended to be Christopher Marlowe, when the dour Lord Wessex demanded to know who he was. Right after he had had a romantic dance with the beautiful Viola at the dancing. I think Lord Wessex was jealous, when he saw the connection between Will and Viola. * Do you see any connections between â€Å"Romeo Juliet† and the romance between Will and Viola? I definitely see the connection. When I see Will and Viola, I see Romeo and Juliet. The characters look so much alike. When Will wrote about Romeo and Juliet and their love for each other he was properly writing about his own love affair with Viola. He only changed the names. I believe that is why the connections are so huge. * How did you like the ending of the film? The ending is very classic. And what I like about the ending of the film is that it ends well for the protagonist and terrible for the bad people in the film. * Write a review of the film. How many stars would you give it – why? Give good reasons†¦ Shakespeare in love is a movie that take us to the great love affair William Shakespeare had at the time, he was writing one of his most famous plays. We get to understand where William got all his inspiration from to write the amazing play, and how people in this life are based on the characters in the play including him. **** â€Å"A comedy that is based on true love†

Culture of Conflict in the Philippines

Culture of Conflict in the Philippines The markers of globalisation such as the imperatives of economic liberalisation, fiscal reform, and migratory flows, which is one of tidal waves of global information, have restructured social relations existing all over the world. Even though the globalisation has been called as an integrating force, cultural conflicts have presently become the most rampant and widespread form of international violence as globalisation has accelerated (Crawford, n.d.). Undoubtedly, it is said that members of any kind of culture can hold varying degrees of commitments towards the predominant values of such culture, however being in opposition to such cultural values can set the stage for cultural conflicts. A situation similar to above can clearly be seen by examining the continuing cultural conflict that the government of Philippines have with armed communist as well as Islamic insurgent groups, which has been developed through the international interventions (Peleo, 2007). Philippines has a long history of cultural conflict, with armed groups that mainly consist of Muslim separatists, clan militias, and communists, and criminal all of which are active in the country (BBC 2012). The Muslim separatists comprises the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and the Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf and The MILF are breakaway groups of the MNLF (BBC 2012). On the other hand, the communist insurgency is propagated by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) military wing, the NPA (New Peoples Army). Since the beginning of the communist insurgency in 1960s, the government of Philippines has persistently fought with the benefit of its superior equipments, training, as well as communications. However, the government failed to resolve the conflicts mainly owing to its failure of addressing the root causes of the communist insurgency such as the social injustice, imperfect democratic process, inequitable distribution of wealth, and inconsistent delivery of services etc (Peleo, 2007). The Muslim insurgency can similarly be regarded in an ambiguous way. In contrast to the communist insurgency, this movement had not determined to replace the national government through a revolution. Accordingly, the insurgency of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) took a secessionist form with the intention of establishing a Muslim state in the areas of southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The ongoing struggle between the Philippine government and the communist as well as Muslim guerrillas has the emergence of limited internal conflicts (Brown, 1996) that may be solved yet through negotiations and stricter law enforcements. However, the formal peace talks amongst and the insurgent representatives and the government began in the 1970s and keep on until today have yet to present a final ending to the armed cultural conflict. This conflict spreads through all aspects of Philippine governance Political and security (Peleo, 2007) and both the insurgents and the government have denounced each other since the cause of the slow development of the country. Furthermore, since the 1970s, the insurgents and the government have sought to boost international involvements in a domestic’ political conflict. Nevertheless, it can be note that the international support, recognition, as well as financial and material aid gained by the government as well as by the Muslim and communi st insurgencies have not significantly diminished the hostility amongst the insurgents and Philippines government. Rather, the promise of such international aids for domestics’ cultural conflicts appears to both parties as a means of gaining military advantage sand coercive political leverage. The evidences as to the international influences on cultural conflicts in many countries existing in the world demonstrate that such international influences have not completely been effective in successfully avoiding or mitigating such cultural conflicts. In particular, Philippine insurgents have mainly been persuaded by the supposition that the foreign governments continue to and directly influence the Philippines governance (Peleo, 2007). In other words, the decisions of beginning, intensifying, reducing, or ceasing armed resistance have been encouraged by insurgents’ perceptions towards international supports for efforts of the national government for the anti-insurgent. Throughout history, the Philippines governments have all the time deferred to foreign states’ decisions on a wide range of social, political, and economic issues. Especially, much of political culture of Philippines is able to be attributed to a variety of foreign influences. For instance, the Phili ppines country was a colony of Spain during the 16th century to the late 19th century and was redeveloped subsequently as a commonwealth by the US until 1935. It was also occupied by Japan during the period of 2nd World War, and after its liberation, the country was aligned with the US till the end of the Cold War. Filipino insurgent groups were active throughout these periods, and opposed not only foreign occupations but also the Filipinos who were said to be perceived as having gained the government office through foreign endorsements. The European Union and the United State have alleged that the local insurgent groups in Philippines have expanded their capabilities and are regarded as the foreign terrorist organizations. These allegations, which were made from the perspective of the global war on terror, indicate that Philippine insurgents constitute a security threat not only for the government of Philippine but also for the US, the EU, and other foreign governments around the world. Accordingly, this renewed international interest in the insurgent conflict in the Philippine and provides evidences to the insurgents’ durability and the continuing appeal as to the idea of resistance towards a collaborationist government (Peleo, 2007). According to Reuters (2014) Muslim rebels in Philippines, on 27th May 2014 has signed a final peace negotiation, to end the conflict together with the international supports from countries including the United State. However, as far as above facts pertaining to the continuity of cultural conflicts in Philippines are concerned, this peace deal does not seems to work in long run since potential threats as to lasting peace will remain, ranging from a small breakaway of MILF faction to criminal groups, Islamist militants connected to al Qaeda as well as feuding clans (Reuters 2014). Moreover, the sustainability of peace talks between the Philippines government and insurgents may vary with the current government reactions and political stability of the country. In view of the above, it can be identified that a proper mechanism that goes beyond the peace talks is required for Philippines to cope with its cultural conflicts with various insurgents. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reduce the implications of such cultural conflicts that were exercising by people such as cultural and religion division, barriers in building care and trust for people, the continuity of culture of violence, and exposure to an environment of armed conflict together with a violent family feuds, poor access to health, education and social services (Sumndad-Usman, 2014), all of which eventually lead people to suffer and turn into rebels or bandits. Hence, it is prudent for the Philippines government to specifically admit to the systemic weaknesses within its governing regime which can motivate insurgents to resist. The government may need to sacrifice its privileged position as the victim of the insurgents’ security threats so that it can concede the legitimacy of grievance of insurgents. Although, this course of action may carries political risk to a certain extent, in particular for the government of a small state depending on a big-power state for the security, such confidence-building measure can ultimately convince both the insurgents as well as the government and that their interests are served by eliminating armed conflicts from political interactions, and by ruling out foreign influences on national governance and security issues. References Peleo, A. (2007), Living with a Culture of Conflict: Insurgency and the Philippines, Retrieved from: http://www.politicalperspectives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CIP-2007-01-04.pdf, (Accessed on 30th September 2014) Crawford, B. (n.d.), Globalization and Cultural Conflict: An Institutional Approach, Retrieved from: http://aannaim.law.emory.edu/ihr/worddocs/jamail1.doc, (Accessed on 1st October 2014) BBC (8 October 2012), Guide to the Philippines conflict, Retrieved from: www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17038024, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014) Sumndad-Usman, B. R.(25 July 2014), Building a Culture of Peace in the Philippines and Beyond, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bai-rohaniza-sumndadusman/building-a-culture-of-pea_b_5529494.html, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014) Reuters (27 March 2014), Philippines, Muslim rebels sign final peace deal to end conflict, Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-philippines-rebels-idUSBREA2Q1W220140327, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014)

The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Religion :: Theology Religion Philosphy Research

The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Religion ABSTRACT: Clarity concerning what kind of knowledge a religious person possesses is of the utmost importance. For one thing, J. Whittaker remarks that believers must have some knowledge that enables them to make the distinction between literal and non-literal descriptions of God. (1) In the believer's perception 'God is a rock', but not really a rock. God however really is love. Whittaker suggests that making this distinction requires knowledge that cannot be metaphysical or experiential, but a more basic form which he terms 'practical' knowledge. Without going into his discussion of the metaphysical and experiential view, I would like to elaborate on this notion of knowledge in three steps. Firstly, I want to consider a short passage in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (A 132-3 / B 171-2) on judgment. This passage points out that we necessarily know more than we can say or state. Secondly, Michael Polanyi's account of tacit knowledge will be introduced to see what 'religious tacit kno wledge' could mean to be. Thirdly, analysis of a text from Meister Eckhart's Reden der Unterweisung will aim to show the relevance of this notion of practical (or tacit) knowledge in religious contexts. 1. Kant on judgment in the Critique of Pure Reason With the expression 'practical knowledge' no reduction of all forms of knowledge to the world of the tactile is intended. It does, however, commit us to the view that knowledge can never be purely notional. There is in the acquisition of knowledge an element which Gilbert Ryle has termed 'knowing how'. Calculating can be a merely mental operation (as in mental arithmetic), but that doesn't take away the fact that one has to know how to calculate. It is in this sense of 'art' that the word 'practical' has to be understood. Western philosophy seems to be marked - from its early beginning - by a certain intellectualism. Intellectualism is the conviction that wants to install a strong distinction between knowledge and abilities, between theory and practice. The theoretical knowledge-act is characterised as a purely mental event, as a kind of contemplation, while any form of practice or ability is seen as an application of previously acquired theoretical knowledge. The distinction values theory over practice because, in this view, practice depends on theory and not the other way round. In his Critique of Pure Reason Kant dedicates a text to judgment entitled 'Of the transcendental faculty of judgment in general' ('Von der Transzendentalen Urteilskraft à ¼berhaupt' A 132-3 / B 171-2).

Team Concept, Human Behavior, Persuasion & Diversity

1. The role of the leader in the team concept is very important. Research shows that success is enhanced, if an organization understands and effectively manages five team processes. List and discuss these five team processes in Chapter 17. The five team processes are: 1. Buy-in: how the work of the team is legitimized and goals are set. 2. Accountability: how individual and team performance is managed and rewarded. 3. Learning: how performance is improved and skills developed. 4. Infrastructure: how the work of the team is systemized and resources accessed. 5.Partnering: how people interact and work together to achieve success on the team and across organizational units (Manning & Curtis, 2009). 2. Physical and emotional needs are important determinants of human behavior, helping to explain why people work, why they have certain personal goals, and what they want in their relationships with others. Psychologist Abraham Maslow divides human needs into five categories, progressing from basic needs to complex needs. Discuss Maslow’s five â€Å"Hierarchy of Human Needs. † List and discuss each one. Maslow’s five Hierarchy of Human Needs are: . Survival. The needs that are taken as the starting point for motivation theory are the physiological, or basic body tissue, needs. Taking a breath of air and acting in self-defense are normal expressions of such needs. Survival needs are strong and natural forces within the person. 2. Security. Once survival needs are satisfied, security needs become important. Freedom from threat and protection from loss are major security goals, helping explain our interest in savings accounts, medical insurance, seniority rights, and burglar alarms. 3. Belonging.When survival and security needs are satisfied, the need for belonging emerges. This is true for people in all cultures, whether aggressive or peaceful, primitive or advanced. Every individual makes a distinct effort to belong to some aspired social group. 4. R espect. Once survival, security, and belonging needs are satisfied, people are motivated by the need for respect the need to be considered favorably by self and others. The pursuit of fame, regardless of the field business, government, and the arts can be explained only by the powerful need for respect. 5. Fulfillment.After physical and social needs are satisfied, people are motivated by the need for fulfillment, which Maslow referred to as â€Å"self-actualization. † These people may or may not please others by what they do, and their efforts may or may not result in the attainment of intended goals (Manning & Curtis, 2009). 3. Chapter 18 discusses â€Å"why people do what they do. † There are nine points to remember about human motivation. With these in mind, you will better understand why people do what they do. These points can also explain the complicated relationship between personal goals and work behavior.List and discuss these nine points for human motivation. The nine points for human motivation are: a. A satisfied need is not a motivator. It is not what people have that motivates behavior; it is what they do not have, or what they have done without. b. Employee motivation and company success are related. c. Psychological needs and social values are not the same. d. The same act can satisfy any of the five motivation levels. e. All people have the same needs, but to different degrees and accompanied by different wants. What it takes to satisfy motivational needs and how much is required are unique to each person. . A person can be deficiency-motivated, bringing harm to self or others. It is possible to have an extreme fixation on a natural need, so strong that it can lead to neurotic and even destructive behavior. g. Unsatisfied needs can harm your health, as surely as if you were physically stricken. If you feel the need for recognition, but no one respects you; if you feel the need for love, but no one cares; if you feel the need for self-expression, but have no outlets, you can develop a motivation condition as harmful as physical illness. h.Leadership is important in meeting employee needs and preventing motivation problems. What a leader does will vary with the circumstances. Sample actions include improving job safety (survival needs), clarifying job assignments (security needs), offering a word of encouragement (belonging needs), providing praise for a job well done (respect needs), and offering new skills development (fulfillment needs). i. The ideal is to integrate the needs of the individual with the goals of the organization. If the needs of the individual can be satisfied while advancing the goals of the organization, he ultimate in employee morale and organization effectiveness will be achieved (Manning & Curtis, 2009). 4. Managing diversity is very important for both the leader and organizational survival. List and discuss strategies and techniques that can help both individuals and organizations man age diversity effectively. What can individuals do:  ¦ Connect with and value your own culture.  ¦ Think about how it feels to be different by remembering times when you felt that you were in the minority.  ¦ Try to understand each person as an individual, rather than seeing the person as a representative of a group. Participate in educational programs that focus on learning about and valuing different cultures, races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and political ideologies.  ¦ Make a list of heroes in music, sports, theater, politics, business, science, and so forth.  ¦ Learn about the contributions of older people and people with visual, hearing, or other impairments.  ¦ Learn more about other cultures and their values through travel, books, and films, and by attending local cultural events and celebrations.  ¦ Continually examine your thoughts and language for unexamined assumptions and stereotypical responses. Include people who are different from you in social con versations, and invite them to be part of informal work-related activities, such as going to lunch or attending company social events.  ¦ When dealing with people, try to keep in mind how you would feel if your positions were reversed. What can organizations do:  ¦ Include employees from a variety of backgrounds in decision-making and problem solving processes.  ¦ Develop strategies to increase the flow of applicants from a variety of backgrounds. Look for opportunities to develop employees from diverse backgrounds and prepare them for positions of responsibility  ¦ Show sensitivity in the physical work environment.  ¦ Form a group to address issues of diversity.  ¦ Implement training programs that focus on diversity in the workplace programs designed to develop a greater awareness and respect for differences.  ¦ Pay attention to company publications such as employee newsletters.  ¦ Evaluate official rules, policies, and procedures of the organization to be sure all employees are treated fairly. Develop mentoring and partnering programs that cross traditional social and cultural boundaries.  ¦ Talk openly about diversity issues, respect all points of view, and work cooperatively to solve problems (Manning & Curtis, 2009). 5. Historically, women in high leadership positions have come from nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public office. However, over the last few years, they are starting to come from the business world. The Center for Creative Leadership has identified six success factors for women in high leadership positions. List and discuss these six success factors for women.The Center for Creative Leadership has identified six success factors for women in high leadership positions: 1. Help from above. Women in high levels of leadership have typically received the support of influential mentors. 2. A superior track record. Held to high standards, executive-level women have usually managed effectively and have develope d an excellent record of performance. 3. A passion for success. Senior-level women have been determined to succeed. They worked hard, seized responsibility, and achieved their objectives. 4. Outstanding people skills.Successful women executives typically utilize participative leadership, employee empowerment, and open communication to foster trust and high levels of morale among subordinates. 5. Career courage. Successful women leaders have demonstrated courage to take risks, such as taking on huge responsibilities. 6. Mental toughness. Senior-level women are seen as tenacious, demanding, and willing to make difficult decisions (Manning & Curtis, 2009). Applications Exercise 19. 2 1. 4 2. 4 3. 2 4. 3 5. 3 6. 3 7. 4 8. 3 9. 2 10. 3 11. 4 12. 4 13. 2 14. 4 15. 4 Domination = 12 Collaboration = 8 Compromise = 8 Avoidance = 11 Accommodation = 11

The Right To Be Free Essays - A Lesson Before Dying, Free Essays

The Right To Be Free Essays - A Lesson Before Dying, Free Essays The Right To Be Free The Right to Be Free In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, although Grant is an educated black man in the era of a racist society he has struggles greater than most men of his decent. I feel sorry for him because of his limitations, even though I view him as a coward. He cannot break free of his background and family. The three main female characters in the novel, Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Vivian, restrict and limit Grant's choices. Grant realizes that freedom means leaving his small town and creating a new life, yet each woman holds a chain that keeps him from his destiny and the right to be free. First, Tante Lou, his aunt holds Grant from his dreams by refusing to let him go his own way. Tante Lou wants Grant to stay at home with her and take care of her. But, in the time the novel takes place, it wasn't common for young men stay with their elders and help out, especially when Grant has a college degree and can accomplish so much. Tante Lou took advantage of this in any means necessary, using the fact that Grant is family and in essence owes it to her to stay and help out. We can see this on page 14 when Tante Lou forces Grant to talk to Mr. Henri about seeing Jefferson. You are going up there with us Grant, or you will not sleep in this house tonight. Tante Lou denies Knodt 2 Grant choices that men his age have. Next, Miss Emma, who doesn't have a family relation to Grant, also restricts his choices in life. Miss Emma plays an important role in the novel by being Jefferson's godmother, and in a painstaking situation. She asks Grant in a way that gives him no real choices to teach Jefferson to be a man. Leaning on her ability to persuade, and using her power as an extensive friend to Tante Lou she can basically tell Grant what to do and gets away with it. She knew Grant did not want to go and teach Jefferson, but still went ahead with it. Driving along the St. Charles River I could feel Emma not looking at me, not looking at anything..just thinking. Like my Aunt she knew how much I hated all of this.(p.68) Miss Emma therefore forces Grant to do matters that she wants, not what Grant thinks he is capable of doing. Thirdly, Vivian, the love of his life, is also limiting Grant's ability to make decisions based strictly on his own intent. She understands Grant's need to leave and see new things, but has restrictions in her life that will not allow her to help Grant begin a new existence. Vivian is in the middle of a drawn out divorce and needs to see it through so she can maintain custody of her children. We see an example of this on page 93. Let's go somewhere and spend the night. Baton Rouge, New Orleans- anywhere, Grant asks. I can't, My Babies. This sentence alone describes the turmoil she is going through with her own threatening aspects and how it effects Grant's choices. I think the book is an intriguing novel and surfaced important issues dealt with in society. Religion, racism, and many other articles of today are just a few. But, Grant is a complex character and can be depicted thoroughly. His education holds him to a new Knodt3 standard not expected of people back then, but withholds him from reaching his dreams. He cannot find what he is looking for in this small town that A Lesson Before Dying takes place in. I feel sorry for him until Jefferson teaches him other factors involved to being a real and distinct kind of man. He evolves dramatically. But, his need to be free is still restrained by Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Vivian in different, yet important ways.