Saturday, August 31, 2019

Memory of the Holocaust in Maus

Memory of the Holocaust in Maus It is considered a sacred Jewish practice for kids to listen to and conserve their parents’ stories because it is a way to understand and relate to their history. But what happens when most of your family and relatives are suddenly marked for death? What happens when they are confronted with the horrific reality of the massive structured and organized extermination of countless numbers of Jews known as the Holocaust?For the second generation survivors, how can one even find any means to relate to their parent’s miraculous experience of surviving in a place that could be called hell on earth? Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale confronts this issue, by revealing the psychological and physical damage which one Holocaust survivor, Vladek went through as he fought his way to live and to tell his story to his son. Vladek’s experience in Auschwitz renders him almost as a ghost, devoid of any emotion which puts a strain on his relationship with his son, Art, who in turn is living his parents’ shadows of their survival.In Maus, the narrative of the tragedy and tribulation the Holocaust survivors experienced reveals how memories can have a negative and damaging impact on the present for the survivors and later generations, suggesting that it is best to avoid the recollection of the traumatic past. Vladek Spiegelman appears a brave, valiant figure in his account of the time he endured in Auschwitz. From his interpretation, the reader gets this perception of him as an indestructible hero, similar to the Superman.We see him as a clever, bright, and determined man as he negotiates and barters his way in the camp to win a better chance of surviving. Although he constantly asserts it was due to good fortune, the majority of it came through his personal undertaking. However, in contrast to the fearless Vladek we are told about, the aged one who shares his memories is only a white ghost. The severe p hysical torture he has undergone has weakened his body and mind to the point where he becomes a neurotic who’s obsessed with the littlest details, such as counting pills and money.When Art asks him if everything is okay as he’s sorting his nails, Vladek replies â€Å"Nu? with my life now, you know It can’t be everything okay. † (I. 5. 98) All the massive strength he used to endure the pain has turned him into an paranoid and temperamental old man. His strange obsession to keep everything fine stems from the constant need to continue fighting for his life after the events of Auschwitz. It reveals how difficult it is for a survivor to let go and move on from the past since his obsessive sorting of his things in a way represents his sorting of his painful memories.As Vladek narrates his story to Art, he always stressed the importance of surviving, such as the time where he persuades a depressed Anja to not commit suicide once she learns the death of their so n, Richieu. Vladek tells her â€Å"No, darling! To die, it’s easy†¦ But you have to struggle for life! † (I. 5. 122). This hopeful young Vladek seems false since the reader and Art never get to know what his feelings were at that time. Vladek’s difficulty with communicating his emotions to his son demonstrate the damaging psychological effect that Auschwitz has left on him.Therefore it is best to only tell the facts since doing so brings back all the sorrow and grief. Maus is told from two first person narrative and so as an audience, we are allowed to see both Vladek and Art’s personal viewpoint. Spiegleman does this for the audience to form a rather deep connection with both characters. Arts’ relationship with his father, Vladek is volatile and there is a rift between the Holocaust survivor and his son. Vladek’s narration of his story is not in chronological order at all because he jumps from place to place and even forgets to mention other possibilities with what might occur in Auschwitz.Vladek’s memory fits in James Young definition of â€Å"deep† memory in â€Å"The Holocaust as Vicarious Past. † In it, Young describes it â€Å"as that which remains essentially inarticulable and unrepresentable, that which continues to exist as unresolved trauma just beyond the reach of meaning† (667). It is memory that can not be recalled at will, and for some people such as Vladek who suffered a traumatic event like Auschwitz, can’t be integrated into a storyline. His recollection of his experience in the camps is unreliable at most times so Art has the responsibility of keeping it true according to historical sources.The reader also sees Arts’ failed attempt to put it in a logical order in order to create some meaning out of it. Art’s recording of his father’s history and drawings of the events assists him in connecting to Vladek’s mind and behavior, but only t o an extent. At the end of the story, Vladek’s fading from consciousness is a type of closure and is â€Å"deep† memory in the sense that it does not offer reconciliation of the narrative. Instead, the narrative turns into anti-redemptive and more wounds open up as after Art’s father mistakes him for his first dead son.Art Spiegelman is the second generation of the Holocaust survivor and tries to represent this event by recording his father’s history. In Maus, he is seen as the observer and is sort of removed from his parent’s history. Since he is unable to access their experience or identify with them, he lives under their shadow and also his unborn brother, Richieu. Vladek transfers his survivor’s guilt onto his son and places desires on Art that he would never can achieve. Therefore Art will always feel remorse over his failure and a certain responsibility to please his dad.As a result, Art resorts to his therapist, Pavel, who also is a s urvivor of the Holocaust, as a father figure. â€Å"Somehow my arguments with my father have lost a little of their urgency†¦ and Auschwitz just seems too scary to think about†¦ so I just lie there†¦ No matter what I accomplish, it doesn’t seem like much compared to surviving Auschwitz† (II. 2. 44). Art was the son who survived but because he wasn’t an actual witness, he can’t empathize with his parents’ scars.All he can do is only acknowledge and attempt to understand it, but at times he also resents managing with their trauma. This is shown when he accuses his mother of her suicide and not letting him take the blame for their grief and heartache. Art can’t stand his dad’s overwhelming grief and in turn writes another comic, â€Å"Prisoner on Hell Planet† to express his frustration and shame. Vladek soon discovers this comic and all the emotions and grief comes back as he relives the traumatic memories of the Ho locaust.This demonstrates how influential the Holocaust survivor’s history is on the second generation, leading to a mixture of compassion and resentment regarding their relationship with the event. Art’s vexation over his inability to relate personally to his parent’s tragedy and his tenacious attempt to record his father’s past reveals the personal difficulties and stress one goes through to represent accurately the painful memories of the Holocaust. Continuing the conversation with the therapist, Pavel tells Art â€Å"Anyway, the victims who died can never tell their side of the story, so maybe it’s etter not to have any more stories. † Art replies â€Å"Uh-huh. Samuel Beckett once said: â€Å"Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness† (II. 2. 45). This is an example of Peter Weiss’ My Place, where he discusses fearful anticipation of the attempt to form an authentic connection with the suffering th e victims experienced during the Holocaust. Weiss talks about how being in Auschwitz and touching the rooms to try to reconnect his body to the space, including the concrete blocks, the Black Wall, the washroom, etc.Weiss comments â€Å"Thoughts, none. No impressions, except that I am alone here, that it is cold†¦ † (22). Despite reading about this place in books before, there is a lack of knowledge of what actually occurred since being there almost destroys all his preconceived notion of the event. Weiss’ visit to the camps to try to place himself in the minds of both the victims and perpetrators only leaves him with an overwhelming feeling of survivor’s guilt. Everything he learned about this place, he can’t learn more even when he’s here.The more he tries to confront the reality of Auschwitz by walking around from place to place, the more disconnected he feels. Likewise, the more Art tries to describe and narrate his dad’s story to e xpress this catastrophic event, the less the words mean because it is insufficient to address it this way. Weiss learns this lesson when he mentions that â€Å"yet after a while everything is silent and unmoving even here. A living man has come and what happened here hides itself from him† (28). He realizes that â€Å"he is only standing in a vanished world.Here there is nothing more for him to do†¦ Then he knows that it has not ended yet† (28). There is a questioning on the entire relationship between father and son, revealing the complexities attached with the lessons one learns and tries to understand involving a survivor’s memory of the Holocaust. The kids of Holocaust survivors can’t truly relate to the horrors their parents were subjected to. The past can’t be retrieved because of Pierre Nora’s identification of the third type of memory in the modern era, â€Å"distance-memory,† which are distorted versions of the past memo ry.It is â€Å"no longer a retrospective continuity but the illumination of discontinuity† (16). It is a past that that’s a world apart from us due to the â€Å"births† of new ideas and events rather than speaking of â€Å"origins. † There’s a discontinuity with distance memory because what happened was lost in remnants of the person’s mind. It changes every time they try to recollect it. All one can do is be a witness to their testimony and the answer lies in the attempt to learn from it.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Within the Context of 1789-1890, Was the Unification of Germany a Result of Economic, Political or Military Forces?

Numerous factors have lead to the progressive creation of a unified Germany by 1871; such factors are fundamentally related to economic, political or military origins. To accurately understand the reasoning behind the unification, one must look at the history preceding it – The after-effects of the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire; The significance of the French revolutions and Napoleonic Wars on Germanic national identity; the degradation of Austria’s national power; the introduction of the Zollverein in 1834 and the Prussian economic superiority that followed in addition to the industrialisation of the German states all contribute towards economic and political factors relating to the formation of a unified Germany under Prussia’s direction. Military factors contributing towards the unification of Germany include the defeat and exile of Napoleon Bonaparte; Otto Von Bismarck’s foreign policy based strongly around ‘realpolitik’; the significance of the ‘New Model Army’ on Prussia’s military prominence in addition to the conclusive Franco-Prussian war. The Germanic region is immersed in a rich cultural heritage extending back, within the context of recorded history to a wild, untamed land coupled with the indomitable spirit of the indigenous people who populated it. Numerous tribes took residence within Germania including but not limited to the Saxons, Franks and Chatti. Several centuries on, the Frankish territories within Germania had spread across the Central European landmass under the tactical prowess of Charlemagne to encompass large parts of Western Europe and Northern Italy, thus forming â€Å"Teutonicorum† or â€Å"Germanic Realm†. This newly formed empire was later consolidated by Otto the Great to become the Holy Roman Empire and is considered by numerous historians as the formation of the First Reich. The period from 936 C. E onwards saw the further expansion and consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire’s territory; this territory was however still rather localized to the Central European landmass. The conglomeratic nature of the Holy Roman Empire’s territory in addition to Otto the Great’s ecclesiastical reformations and papal disputes provide a poignant appreciation to French philosopher Voltaire’s phrase (1)â€Å"This agglomeration which was called and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empireâ€Å". Nevertheless, the Holy Roman Empire laid immeasurable foundations in the construction of a modern Germanic national identity; this national construct was further built on by the shared linguistic and cultural background of the denizens of Central Europe and as such, the importance of this rich heritage in the creation of a unified Germany must not be neglected. Analysis must be made in order to quantify the involvement economics played in the unification of the German states. The main economic impact on the Germanic states pre-1834 was the French Revolution and subsequent Napoleonic Wars, the French Revolution in particular stemmed partly from an economic crisis based in France; although providing unseen benefits that later amalgamated into the creation of a unified Germany, the wars were extremely taxing on the German states, such an economic drain arguably perpetuated the view that the German states would be unquestionably stronger if they were unified economically with consideration to the possibility of a future surge of French imperialism. After the creation of the German Confederation via the Congress of Vienna, inter-state trade began to increase but was severely limited by individual state tolls on goods passing through their respective territories, as such; Prussia introduced the Trade Reform Act 1818 which effectively removed intrinsic customs tariffs boosting internal trade massively. From this sphere of economic influence, neighbouring states began to adopt a similar tariff system in the interest of long-term economic growth. This indoctrination of sorts paved the way for the rapid economic development of the states that had adopted Prussia’s tariff system. Not only did this economic revolution increase the wealth of the states that adopted it, it also laid the foundations for an economic national identity which became synonymous with interstate politics. The increased political involvement between states can only be looked at positively when attributing its involvement in the creation of a unified Germany, with such involvement taking place, it is apparent that the German Confederation was already beginning to function as a single entity. With the boost in economic co-operation came a degree of cultural integration as a result of the increased inter-state involvement. It can certainly be argued that the introduction of the Trade Reform Act and the resulting economic co-operation contributed to the formation of a unified Germany. The positive effects of the newfound increased economic co-operation were further exemplified by the introduction of the Zollverein in 1834. The Zollverein’s influence furthered a national identity, both through the solid participation of the constituent states of the German Confederation and ‘monuments’ under which unification could prosper such as the customs-parliament and the formation of a governing body of the economic aspects of the German Confederation. The synonymous nature of economics and politics meant that it was only a matter of time before the latter was formalized just as the economic union of states had been formalized by the Zollverein. With the Zollverein came a rapid increase in foreign trade which bolstered the confederation’s economic armoury as a result of commercial treaties with Holland, Britain and Belgium. Not only did this bolster the Prussian-dominated Zollverein’s coffers, it paved the way for a diplomatic stability with the nations; the fact that it is arguable that the majority of the states within the German Confederation were interested in international relations is further indicative of the collective will of the Germanic states to be unified. A further benefit towards unification that the Zollverein brought was the industrialisation of the German states as a result of the increased trade and wealth that the Zollverein had provided; this industrialisation emerged primarily with the introduction of the railways. Not only did the railways further bolster trade and strengthen the bond that the Zollverein had provided for the German states, it removed a large portion of pre-existing inter-state cultural segregation and local prejudice as a result of the increased social and cultural contact made available by the addition of the railways to the German Confederation’s transport system. An additional economic aspect that must not be neglected is the effect the Zollverein had on Prussia’s main rival for unification – Austria. Due to the fact that the Zollverein was fundamentally born from the Prussian womb as a result of previous success of the Tariff Reform Act, it allowed Prussia to refuse entrance of the Zollverein to Austria despite three arguably frantic attempts to join in 1852, 1853 and 1862. This further weakened Austria’s hold over the German Confederation and as a result, it became more apparent that Prussia was to lead a unified Germany. The fact that one nation had clear dominance within the German Confederation provided a rallying point for German states under a Prussian banner and furthered the now Prussian-biased ideology of German dualism. It is also possible to consider that the German states may have used the example of Prussian economic solidarity and political dominance as a justification for a Prussian-lead unified Germany. In contrast, Lombardy was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy during 1859 as a result of the Second Italian War of Independence, further weakening Austria’s economic position due to the fact that Lombardy was a significant Austrian trade hub; in addition, this led to the defeat of the Hapsburg family. The war was a catalyst for liberalism/nationalism. From a political point of view, it can be said that political activities both intrinsic to the German states and extrinsic such as political ideological revolutions across Europe contributed to the unification of Germany. The political effects Napoleon exercised on the Germanic states and their relevance to German unification almost a century later must be appreciated in order to properly understand the political basis for unification. A principle factor was the continuation of the War of the Second Coalition and the subsequent Peace of Luneville. Although initially enforced to allow easier management of German territories, it can be argued that Napoleon had unknowingly paved the way for German nationalism. German nationalism was further exemplified by the martyr Friedrich Staps(2); his attempt on Napoleon’s life and subsequent refusal to denounce his will to assassinate Napoleon after being asked by Napoleon whether he would thank him if he was pardoned became a beacon of unification and furthered the German nationalist identity; he was quoted as saying â€Å"Long live freedom! Long live Germany! † before being executed by firing squad. The fact that an attempt on Napoleon’s life was made in the first place is strongly indicative of an inherent nationalist awareness and disagreement with French hegemony; collating to form a strong will for unification under a single identity. The Congress of Vienna was a further spoke in the wheel of unification. Although initially intended to reconsolidate existing Germanic states and quash nationalist views, the German Confederation was formed which can be considered a major step towards unification; this further amalgamated German states and as a result of the denomination of the states under a single name, caused political arguments over who should rule the confederation. Although political tensions were fierce between Prussia and Austria, it can be considered positive that there was a title of ‘ruler’ of the German Confederation to quarrel over at all; this is highly suggestive that most German states had unification to some degree planned or had at least considered it by 1820. What the Congress of Vienna did not take into account however was the growing economic power and ambition of Prussia. The Zollverein further reinforced Prussia’s political influence over the majority of states within the German Confederacy and continued to isolate Austria – Prussia’s main contender for the crown of unification due to the lack of inclusion within the Zollverein. In addition to Austria’s waning political influence as a result of the Zollverein, Prince von Metternich’s resignation in 1848 brought an end to Austria’s largely protectionist policy and allowed for a continued nationalist view with Prussia firmly secured to unify Germany. This nationalist â€Å"will† to become a single nation is supported by Heinrich von Treitschke, a German nationalist historian’s statement (3)â€Å"Every virile people has established colonial power. All great nations in the fullness of their strength have desired to set their mark upon barbarian lands and those who fail to participate in this great rivalry will play a pitiable role in time to come. † From a nationalist point of view, it is suggestive of the yearning that citizens of the German states had to be a part of the new world that was forming as a unified identity. As a result of the degeneration Austria was experiencing, Frederick William IV of Prussia took control of German Confederacy affairs and called the Frankfurt National Assembly. Although the assembly was hugely biased towards the middle class populace, boasting 325 middle class delegates and only 5 of a working class background, it was not the fact that it was unsuccessful, it was the fact that delegates from the Germanic peoples met at all. Although Frederick William IV declined the crown mainly due to opposition from the other German princes in addition to strained relations with Austria and Russia, he quickly summoned the German princes to Erfurt to create a plan to unite Germany. The activities that transpired during the Frankfurt National Assembly indicated a step away from autocracy and a step towards a constitutional monarchy, suggestive that a unified Germany was imminent. Perhaps the greatest political influence on the unification of Germany was Otto von Bismarck. He has been described by William Carr as (4) â€Å"a giant among pigmies† due to his political and diplomatic influence. Bismarck was appointment as Minister President of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1862 and had a profound effect on nationalism and the foreign policy of the German Confederation. Bismarck’s progressive domestic policy can be considered a great stepping stone towards unification. One such subjectively important measure Bismarck took was the secularization of the Klein Deutschland via the May Laws; these laws helped delegate power to the state therefore strengthening the Reich’s position within society. A principle factor of the May Laws relating to the continued unification of Germany was the state’s newfound governance of education over the Catholic Church; this helped promote modernist ideas to the future German population, thus allowing Germany’s continued survival in a progressive world post-industrial revolution. Additionally, Bismarck’s social welfare reforms further strengthened the fabric of the new society that was beginning to flourish. The introduction of sick pay in 1883 and pensions in 1889 helped quell the large socialist unrest which can be said to have helped towards the social stability of the nation. Bismarck’s foreign policy also provided a basis for the unification of Germany. Bismarck took a strong political stance of diplomatic isolation and pacification. Bismarck’s primary aim diplomatically was to maintain good relations with Russia and Austria and prevent a Franco-Russian alliance through the League of the Three Emperors as Bismarck realised that if diplomatic relations broke down with Russia, there was a strong possibility that Germany could be hit from both the Eastern and Western fronts. Bismarck maintained a â€Å"three against two† diplomatic philosophy; he is quoted as saying (5) â€Å"you forget the importance of being a party of three on the European chessboard. The foreign policy Bismarck employed enabled the diplomatic isolation and subsequent defeat of both France and Austria, the two main barriers standing in the way of a unified Germany. Following the unification, Bismarck employed a clever aggressive diplomatic move in the shadow of the Congress of Berlin’s negative effects on relations with Russia. A dual alliance was formed with Austria in 1879 in order to both coerce Russia into seeking a clos er diplomatic relationship with Germany and to secure Germany’s southern border in the event of a diplomatic breakdown with Russia. This was a very wise move on Bismarck’s part as it further pacified a real threat to Germany’s continuity. A further show of Bismarck’s diplomatic engineering unveiled itself in light of the Spanish revolution; As a result of the uprisings, the throne of Spain became available. Tensions between France and Prussia had escalated beyond all measure as a result of an offer to a German Prince to take up the throne and war was declared between France and Prussia as a result. The diplomatic supremacy portrayed by Bismarck aided greatly in the provocation of a Franco-Prussian war and as a result of the French defeat, aided greatly in the unification of Germany with one of its major enemies defeated. The Napoleonic wars and the resulting military encounters may be looked upon as a catalyst for the unification of Germany, a common â€Å"wartime enemy† gave the citizens of the German states a common goal which cumulated with the significant Prussian role within the Battle of Waterloo and the heroism shown by Gebhard von Blucher’s troops. The German revolutions of 1848 may be considered a military catalyst towards German unification. During the revolutions, Austria was mainly preoccupied with the First Italian War of Independence; this coupled with Prussia’s newfound superiority within the German Confederation meant that the German states relied upon Prussia to assist with the uprisings, this reliance further strengthened the political role Prussia played within the German Confederation and took the states one step closer to unification under a Prussian banner. The first major military effect on the unification of Germany came with the realisation in 1859 that the Prussian army was ineffectively trained and archaic, Albert von Roon, war minister of Prussia proposed the Army Bill of 1860. It planned to substantially increase the size of the Prussian army and improve its equipment; furthermore, national service was to be extended. The bill was passed by Bismarck in 1862 contrary to liberal opposition and hence the â€Å"New Model Army† was created. Despite continuous liberal opposition to Bismarck’s policies, as a result of the success his policies had, liberal support for him did grow. This is supported by the American historian Peter Viereck: (6) â€Å"The liberal university professors, Metternich's fiercest foes and now so prominent in 1848, were often far from the cloudy idealists pictured in our textbooks. From his own viewpoint, Bismarck erred in mocking their lack of Realpolitik. The majority†¦ as more Bismarckian than Bismarck ever realized. Many liberals†¦ later became leading propagandists for Bismarck, along with the new National Liberal Party,† Danish annexation of Schleswig brought the modernized German army to life and in February 1864, a combined Prussian and Austrian force crossed the Danish border into Schleswig. The Danish army consisted of around 40,000 troops and was swept away by a force superior in numbers, equipment and tactics. The Second Schleswig War accumulated into a victory for Prussian and Austrian forces, resulting in the re-annexation of Schleswig and the acquisition of the duchy of Holstein for both nations. This military move allowed Prussia to re-affirm its dominance and perpetuated to the German states that it was capable of defending its territories if provoked; this furthered nationalist views within the German states and contributed towards a unilateral notion that Prussia was able to lead a unified Germany. A further military factor of unification displayed by Prussia was the Austrian-Prussian war in 1866; through Bismarck’s diplomatic puppeteering, Austria declared war on Prussia. Austria was quickly isolated diplomatically and militarily. This isolation coupled with the Italian mobilization for the Third Italian War of Independence meant that Prussia had hit Austria at its weakest; Austria was quickly overwhelmed resulting in the loss of a thorn in Germany’s side. In addition to this, Austrian influence on German states waned due to both the defeat itself and that it became apparent that was unable to focus on the affairs relating to German states. This further solidified Prussia’s hold over both the states themselves and the Zollverein. Austria’s defeat also resulted in the further diplomatic isolation of France which would later aid Prussia in the Franco-Prussian war and make the path to unification more straightforward. By 1870, Prussian dominance was prolific across the German states, primarily as a result of the Prussian show of military force in the Second Schleswig War and indeed the Austrian-Prussian War. The interstate alliances that were formed meant that any European aggression on a German state would result in action being taken from all German states allied with Prussia, it was apparent from such diplomatic relations that the German states were at this point a pseudo-nation of sorts. As a result of the diplomatic breakdown over the Spanish crown, War was declared by France on Prussia in the summer of 1870. Napoleon III decided to invoke a strategy similar to his uncle’s strategy several decades ago however, the war was soon lost as a result of the unified German states being able to co-ordinate in addition to the Prussian military might resulting from the earlier Army Bill of 1860 in addition to the experience it had gained from the Schleswig-Holstein conflict and the Austrian-Prussian War. The British historian A. J. P Taylor summarized Napoleon III’s failure to take into account a key factor of his strategy (7) â€Å"Like most of those who study history, he (Napoleon III) learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones. † The importance of the military must not be neglected when considering the factors relating to the unification of Germany. The seeds of nationalism were planted at the turn of the 19th century as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. Military action formed a cornerstone of Bismarck’s foreign policy which subsequently can be considered a key piece of the unification. As a result of the modernization of the Prussian army, it was able to exert its dominance over both Denmark and Austria – the main contender to unify Germany and a stark opponent of the militaristic manner in which Bismarck was conducting in order to do so. Prussia was also able to eliminate France as the main rival to the formation of a unified Germany and prosper from the post-war reparations that France had been forced to pay both financially and in terms of territory thus aiding the continuity of the newly formed Germany. To conclude, it may not be accurate to attribute the unification solely, or even primarily to one set of factors but to a broad spectrum, each with their own significance, relevance and effect on other factors, for example; the Franco-Prussian war may not have resulted in a victory for Prussia had the Army Bill of 1860 not have been passed, nor would Prussian economic dominance be exerted in the later 19th century if the Zollverein had not been introduced in 1834 and as a result, Prussia may not have had the funds to introduce the Army Bill in the first place, this is testament to the theory that the economic, political and military factors relating to the unification of Germany are linked and as such, a denomination cannot be made towards the prevalence of one but indeed the combined significance of all of these factors. These interwoven strands of fate may be recognised by the Borussian Myth, a theory perpetuated by 19th century nationalist German historians such as Heinrich von Tr eitschke and Theodor Mommsen. The Borussian Myth states that German unification was inevitable; it is based off a teleological argument which suggests that all factors of an event are directed toward a final outcome. This theory is contrasted by post World War II historians searching through the immediate German past in order to better understand the root causes of World War II. It was progressively realised that Prussia was not the centre of German culture as suggested by the German nationalist historians of the 19th century and that 19th century German history wasn’t entirely centred on Prussian success attributed to accumulative fate but a time of great social, economic and cultural change for the German states. Although the Borussian Myth may be flawed by nationalist bias, the linked significance of the factors relating to the unification of Germany does suggest that Prussia was â€Å"destined† to unify Germany to some extent. Nevertheless, the unification of Germany cannot be attributed to one set of factors, but a precise combination of all factors executed with crucial timing whether intentional or not, sprinkled with a dash of luck.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management Essay

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management - Essay Example Employee engagement can also be increased through rewarding them accordingly. When they reward their employees, employees feel motivated to work and put in their best efforts. HR is now not only responsible for hiring and firing and compensating the employees, but it also plays an active part in the employee development and trains them after conducting the training need analysis. HR also now conducts training evaluation so as to ensure that the training has proved to be effective or not. A: Resourcing an Organisation â€Å"Does knowledge of HRM help small and medium sized enterprises (SME) ensure they recruit and select employees who can contribute to maximizing the competitive performance of a business?† Today, the technological edge that the companies earlier used to have over each other in terms of the technology employed is now a thing of past. It is next to impossible now for the companies to try to gain advantage over their competitors by simply innovating. Yes, we canno t deny the fact that innovation is the key to better profits but hiring the right kind of employee is very important. Today firms are looking to create better profits by hiring an efficient and effective workforce. An efficient and effective workforce helps the firms realize better profits and better position in the markets if they have the right kind of employees. Earlier there was a trend in which the organizations hired employees that they felt fit the organization, but now the current trend in hiring, is to hire the person who is fit for the job, and possesses the core competencies that are required for the job. If the company has a proper knowledge about the hiring strategies and methods that the company can save a lot of costs by hiring the right people the first time the hiring starts. If a company fails to realize their real requirements and simply by gaining the bird’s eye view of the job they hire someone, the person will not necessarily be able to perform tasks acc ording the job description and will surely fail to produce the desired results. When this happens, then the company will go on look for another employee that can fit the organization. Hiring is the process that costs companies a lot, and a small business is already running on small profit margins, but if they have to spend on hiring again and again then they will end up having a negative cash flow. Having the right kind of people who fit the ideology of the company and have the right skills and competencies are really important as they will help the company gain profits. Another problem that is faced by organizations generally is that they hire on the basis of skills alone. A candidate must possess the soft skills as well as the technical skills to survive in the organization and work the right way. Companies’ whether the small businesses or the large ones are looking to hire people who are have the social fit for their organizations as firms are looking to create edge over e ach other through the human workforce that they have. If the firm possesses the knowledge about HR, then they can motivate their workforce in the right way. A motivated workforce helps to create results. The small business already possesses a very small workforce, and if that workforce is a de- motivated one then there are chances that the organization will not be able to achieve their targets. It is a general consideration that if a

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Final project - Essay Example The analytical skills and in-depth knowledge about the topic or discipline in question defines a consultant. Similarly, businesses have consultants who specialize in investigating and evaluating business challenges and propose the best solutions and approaches through which they can be curbed. Business consulting has been extensively used as a tool of development and has since transformed many firms. Businesses are becoming more successful through consulting. The approach that business consultants as well as their clients are currently giving consultation is not exactly the same as that of the past. Consulting in business has deep-rooted history as it did not just start the other day. However, there are modifications and changes that have been effected which have undoubtedly benefited the business fraternity. The main difference between the traditional and the new consulting systems is on the approach the two take. The ancient one focused more on the issue or problem at hand while the modern approaches are much more oriented to outcomes. Results matter more than the problem and effectiveness is preferred to efficiency. Business consultants in the contemporary society recognize that giving a single permanent approach to an issue is misleading with the changing times hence tackling an issue as it presents itself is much more tactful and effective. It is this realization that have informed the consultants that whatever the approach or strat egy they used in one organization or company and was successful may not necessarily solve another company’s problems. This is because different factors such organizational structure, human resource and customers’ dynamics, industry and level competition among others (Brooks & Edwards, n.d., p. 24). There are several changes that have been identified in the business consulting framework. The sustainability of business

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as Essay - 1

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as such cannot be managed. Discuss - Essay Example By symbolism people consciously give shape and form to their own reality. Reality does not constitute of objects to which humans react, rather it is the social environment within which people act according to their own perspective of the situation. Any object or action can be called a symbol when it has a differentiated meaning from its actual self. An object or action becomes a symbol when it is not perceived by their apparent form but by the meaning applied to it by the members of the organization. For instance a large desk is not viewed as an object of convenience for various activities, but is regarded as a representative of the organization’s power, status and influence. Thus, the desk becomes a cultural symbol of the organization’s status (Schultz, 1995, p.76). Organizational culture is imbibed with abstract aspects like feelings, emotions and thought processes of people, and also with objects for their symbolic values rather than their instrumental values. Organi zational culture is thus not easy to manage since many profound aspects of culture like visions and feelings of people must be considered with great value when objective is to bring possible changes to organizational culture. This paper focuses on the interconnection of symbolism and organizational culture. ... In the last few decades, most academics have been suggesting that the idea of culture is the environment and the climate created by the organization for management of its people. Organizational culture is the system of feelings, thoughts and beliefs of a group of people associated with an organization, and the meaning that people attach to their actions. It reflects the views of the employees about the way things are done in an organization (O’Donnell & Boyle, 2008, p.viii). Thus, culture provides a sense of identity to an organization. The culture of an organization encompasses everything that it is good at and all the things that worked in the past. These concepts are generally accepting by the employees who have been working in an organization for a long period. When new employees join the organization, they learn about the legends of the organization. With time such legends become the norm which means they become the normal and accepted pattern of behavior. (O’Donne ll & Boyle, 2008, pp.4-5) In recent times management theories have been emphasizing on the managers the importance of creating a strong cultural ambiance within the organization (O’Donnell & Boyle, 2008, p.viii). The fascinating thing about culture is that it indicates a phenomenon that is hidden beneath the surface and is invisible but has powerful impact. Culture shapes the behavioral patterns of the members of a group through the common beliefs that are held in that group (Schein, 2010, p.14). It has been suggested that â€Å"culture and leadership are fundamentally intertwined.† (Schein, 2010, p.xi) There are three elements to this – 1) the leaders are

Monday, August 26, 2019

Humanism and the Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humanism and the Arts - Essay Example Discussion All academic circles today acknowledge humanities as a separate academic discipline or field of study. However, humanists of the late fifteenth century are responsible for the development of the same. As mentioned earlier in the paper, that they named it as studia humanitatis that included grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and ethics or moral philosophy. Quite understandably, the idea of having such as an outline of subjects was twofold. Firstly, the goal was to make the students with exceptional, graceful, and elegant orators and writers (Gay, 2001). Secondly, the idea was to make sure that people realize the importance of moral values, their collective responsibility towards the society and acknowledge their power of reasoning so that they can outclass their supernatural religious dogma, contribute for the betterment of their societies and can persuade others to do the same (Kelley, 1991). In addition, it is very interesting to compare scholasticism, the idea that pervaded in much of the pre-Renaissance European society, with humanism, which to a considerable extent, became successful in replacing it. Actually, humanism was a response to the inefficiencies, loopholes, and failures of scholasticism. Firstly, scholasticism failed to give the taste of practical experience to its followers and relied heavily on abstract thoughts. As mentioned earlier, humanists proposed that physical and moral development is also important with intellectual development (Grassi, 1988).

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Fourth Amendment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fourth Amendment - Research Paper Example The enactment of the fourth amendment guarantees to every citizen â€Å"the security of privacy against arbitrary intrusion by the police† (Levy 1995, p.164) In the case of Wolf v. Colorado, the Supreme Court recognized that â€Å"fourth amendment rights are basic to a free society and are therefore, implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.† (Article 1,  § 7 of the Tennessee Constitution) It is thus evident that the fourth amendment is also enforceable against the states through the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment that also secures the rights of an individual to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The are various interpretations of the clauses contained in the fourth amendment, but’ reasonableness’ tends to be the defining factor in the legitimacy of a search or seizure conducted by government and law enforcement officers. There are some considerations associated with the reasonable expectation of privacy, although there is no bright line rule indicating situations in which an expectation of privacy is reasonable under the constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court has ruled that an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in any goods or property that is located inside the home of such an individual. There is also reasonable expectation of privacy in any conversations taking place in an enclosed phone booth. On the other hand, reasonable expectation of privacy is not feasible in activities that are conducted outdoors, in open fields or in a situation where a person has entered the house of another person without the house owner’s consent, with the intent of committing crime. A person using a computer also does not have a legitimate expectation of privacy related to information from email addresses, total volume of the users traffic or the IP address of websites the user may have visited. This is because the supreme court has long held that â€Å"an individual has no legitimat e expectation of privacy in such information, which already has been exposed to a telecommunications carrier for the purpose of routing a communication (Lasson, 1937, p. 106), although a computer user generally has legitimate expectation of privacy with respect to the contents of email messages while they are still in transmission over the internet A relevant case law involving reasonable expectation of privacy is United States v. Maxwell, 45 M.J. 406, 418 U.S. Armed Forces Ct. App. 1996 in which the court addressed the issue of email privacy â€Å"the sender of an e-mail generally enjoys a reasonable expectation that police officials will not intercept the transmission without probable cause and a search warrant. Users do have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of their text messages vis-a-vis the service provider.† (Devenpeck v. Alford, 2004) Probable cause is the situation or event that may prompt a law enforcement officer to take certain actions. In the ca se Terry v. Ohio 392 U.S. 1 (1986) the supreme court ruled that in a situation in which a law enforcement officer witnesses unusual behavior that leads the officer to reasonably believe that crime is being committed or that the suspected persons pose a threat to the officer or to other people, then the officer may frisk or search such a suspect to ascertain whether the suspect is carrying a weapon. In order to conduct such a frisk, the officer must be able to

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Influence of Health Policies and the Future of Health Care in the Essay

The Influence of Health Policies and the Future of Health Care in the U.S - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that disparities among the American community continue to reflect within the healthcare system despite establishment and engagement of various care systems to foster the improvement of the health systems. Consequently, the population continues to suffer the inherent problems as they arise within the structural organization of the state healthcare systems. Notably, several inherent issues reflect the procedures of administering and acquiring successful and effective care process to the citizens. Firstly, there arises the issue of poverty and income versus the cost of the health systems. Most of the American population consists of citizens whose income levels cannot sustain their health needs. Thus, even as they seek the coverage of the various health policies as initiated by the government to facilitate affordable care to all people, they fail to achieve the required care. Thus, the continually increasing costs of the health care system are a leading factor in contention with respect to the healthcare systems of the USA. Secondly, there is the issue of the insurance cover. The insurance systems in the country continue to charge the citizens accordingly for their health coverage. However, the insurance companies do a disservice to the citizens despite their commitment to the insurance contribution. Most of the insurance provides coverage to limited levels, meaning that certain conditions such as asthma or cancer, which require high costs for treatment, may not receive adequate financial support from the insurance companies. Thus, the health insurance policies need to reflect accordingly to support the citizens of the USA in guarding their rights within these insurance coverage systems. Further, there is a disparity in acquiring healthcare due to the establishment of factors relating to the blacks versus the whites. These aspects of discrimination within the care system result from the multi-ethnic differences and perspe ctives, leading to insufficient and unhealthy care system procedures. Thus, as an issue of concern, the health care system needs to address this section f the arising matters. Lastly, professional perspective is also an inherent issue within the provision of health care in the USA.

Business Law For Example Coca-Cola Research Paper

Business Law For Example Coca-Cola - Research Paper Example Further, through this report, it is clear that the company has the duty to ensure strict observance of the different laws to reduce the harm that any come as result of non-compliance. Given the sensitive nature of the business that the company (Coca-cola) engages in, it is important to ensure that the company abides by laws intellectual property. Given that Coca-Cola deals with secrets that must be protected. The advantage of this to the company is that they can protect their original ideas so that the inventions and innovations of the company. By listing their innovations and making use intellectual laws that protect their works. The essence of these laws is that they will encourage creativity in the company. Through these sought of these laws ensure that technologies are protected and that individuals who work to bring new ideas are encouraged to bring new innovations. The encouragement makes those involved in the innovation and secrets to enjoying the benefits of their hard earned labor. In this regard, the company should protect intellectual property through copyrights, patents, and trademarks (Edmonds, 2013). Through copyrights, the company is capable of protecting the expressive arts such as the shape of the bottles of soda. That would prevent any other person or organization from using or displaying such materials to the public. Patents, on the other hand, would protect the inventions of the company from being used by any other company. For example, Coca-Cola ingredients are protected and that make them exclusive to the company. On the same note, the company can make use of trademarks to protect the name of the company from being used in any other place in the world. This also applies to products made by the company.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Movie comment Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Comment - Movie Review Example As Robert Levin reviews, â€Å"La Mission is a quiet, authentic movie about life in the hardscrabble Mission District of San Francisco. It features a charismatic lead performance by Benjamin Bratt, while writer-director Peter Bratt depicts the neighborhood with a keenly observed sense of the close-knit macho culture at its core.† (Levin) Therefore, it is significant to realize that the drama film makes a perfect portrait of the old-world style milieu in order to present the interracial and other lifestyle issues in today’s urban environment. The major contribution to this effective handling of the social issues is made by the characters and themes of the movie. The characters in the movie such as Che Rivera, Jesse, Lena, Rene, and Smoke represent the various aspects of the interracial and lifestyle issues of the contemporary world. In fact, the story is narrated in the background of a father’s love for his son turning out to be his disgust for the son’s ga y relationships. However, themes such as interracial and lifestyle issues of the modern urban environment predominate the entire movie and the characters of the movie also contribute to the successful portrayal of these themes. In Emily Wilson’s interview with Benjamin and Peter Bratt the issues of Latino masculinity, power, community pride, and identity emerged and it is fundamental to realize that the filmmaker effectively merges these elements to produce a wonderful film of concurring themes. Thus, it becomes evident that the entire movie focuses on the life and social issues of the Mission and it remains as the merging force. â€Å"The brothers grew up in the neighborhood and have always wanted to make a film about the Mission, which they say had a big influence on them†¦ For Peter Bratt, movie making is about social justice, and in La Mission he wanted to explore the presence and acceptance of violence in our daily lives.† (Wilson) It is, therefore, essential to comprehend

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Physics coursework Essay Example for Free

Physics coursework Essay To make it clearer, I need to provide some graphs to my report, which would show much clearer what is happening in the experiments. On the table I have written, snapped for the end result of each experiment. This literally means that the wire has snapped at this point. Unfortunately one of the experiments snapped before the other two, this information would prove to me that either the experiment was carried out differently, poorly, or just that the wire was in different conditions. Analysis Firstly a major factor that I investigated which I believed would affect the distance that the wire stretched, was the time period between applying weights. If I applied all the weights at the same time it would snap quickly and results that I would have received would have contradicted each other, by this I mean when each weight is added it wouldnt have enough time to stretch the wire to its full potential. To resolve this I applied the weight on a two minute time period, however considering that the first 70 or so Newtons didnt have much effect on the wire, I applied them at a slightly faster rate. The following table shows the relationship between the mass and distance stretched: As you can clearly see from the graph, the first 50 Newtons have no effect on the wire, between 50 180 Newtons little change is occurring, but from that point the wire is experiencing large amounts of strain. Small stress will cause the copper wire to stretch. Remove the stress and it returns to its original dimensions. This is known as elastic deformation. If the stress is increased too far and it passes the point of elastic deformation, the wire snaps. However at this point of elastic deformation the wire yields, from this point the wire begins to deform, this is now plastic deformation. The information that I now have enables me to calculate other such factors of the physics of the experiment. I can work out stress and strain levels, and then from that, the youngs modulus of the wire. The youngs modulus of the wire tells me how flexible or stretchy the wire is. Calculations: Stress = Load / (cross sectional area of the wire) Cross sectional area of the wire = pie x r (squared) Cross sectional area of the wire = 0. 1075mm(squared) Stress = x / 0. 1075 Strain = Extension / Original Length Strain = x / 300(cm) Youngs Modulus = Stress / Strain I can add the stress, strain and youngs modulus values to my table: Mass Distance (mm) (N) Exp 1 Exp 2 Exp 3 Average Strain Stress Youngs Modulus  Snapped Snapped. The information I have received from the table will then enable me to provide the conclusion with such arguments as youngs modulus graphs: The stress-strain graph for the copper wire is pretty much a straight line, up to the point where it fractures. At the point where it fractures the wire experiences plastic deformation this is when the wire cannot be shaped back into its original counterpart. To show the stress and strain levels acting on the wire most effectively it would be clearer to draw a graph: The graph above shows the elastic region, the plastic region (extension uniform along length) and the plastic region (necking has begun). Conclusion From these results and the way that I have interpreted them I can conclude that the wire behaves to the weight applied to it, in firstly an elastic behavior pattern, then finally in a plastic behavior pattern, depending on how much weight is applied. The more weight applied to the wire, the closer it gets to plastic behavior and eventually snapping. Therefore stress and strain levels upon the wire at these points are behaving differently resulting in a youngs modulus graph, which proves the elastic/plastic behavior patterns. Some of the results that were recorded may have been affected by human errors such as applying the weights drastically and measuring the distances that wire has stretched incorrectly, but however carrying out the experiment in great detail would take large amounts of time, which would not enable me to compile three experiments and an average. Ways that my experiment could have been improved: if a weight applying mechanism were used, it would prevent the weights causing noticeable differences to the distance that the wire has stretched. Another problem, which I experienced with the weights, was the fact that more than one slotted mass hook to be applied to the wire. If a device was prepared so that weights were added to the slotted mass alternately to prevent handling the weight to apply the mass. If I were to carry out the experiment again, I would use a thinner wire, or one with a lower tensile strength. This would mean that less weight is to be applied to the wire. I would do this because if you look back at my results the first 60 or 70 Newtons dont affect the wire at all. If the wire is going to snap sooner, it will mean that the wire will stretch less. George Buse Mr Pellet Physics Coursework 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Role Of Social Media In Public Relations

The Role Of Social Media In Public Relations Technology in this age is putting a spin on how an organization establishes and cultivates an ongoing mutually beneficial relationship with its publics. Social media is an evolving, ever present catalyst in the communication realm of public relations. Public Relations in its earliest years, the era of Antiquity, acknowledged the importance of public opinion, but their scope was limited to an arms reach of their publics. Social media has become both a window and a bridge to the public relations practitioners, by enabling them to interconnect the internal objectives of the organization with the constant changing externalities. In the arena of public relations, an array of hats is essential to effectively carry the overall message of an organization into a stage of visible outcome. An organizations public relations department amongst many other tasks must build awareness, research and analyze public attitudes and perceptions, strategize, and implement crisis plans. Social media provides a way for organizations to do these things on a scale not known in earlier times when messages had to first bypass the filter of the media gatekeepers. As stated by Rupert Murdoch, Technology is shifting the power away from the editors, the publishers, the establishment, and the media elite. Now its the people who are in control (p. 1). Social media as defined by Wikipedia is an umbrella term for the various activities that integrate technology, and social interaction (p. 1). This includes internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures, and videos. Forrester, The Growth of Social Technology Adoption estimated in 2008, that 3 out of 4 Americans use social technology. It is this type of growth that makes it an inevitable, essential tool in creating a survivable existence. In the world of public relations, building awareness and brand reputation are cohesive. Social media is not only being used for its direct to audience approach, but also as an effective generator of media relations. Both awareness and reputation come on the tail of an organizations integrity. In order for an organization to build a positive reputation, it must nurture relationships. It is not science that viable relationships come from a foundation of trust. The trust that social media provides is authenticated by the fact that it allows for the relationship to be carried out in a two-way process. This type of communication permits an organization to truly listen to their publics needs and opinions, giving the organization an open opportunity to be actively responsive. Before social media, the standard press release into traditional industrial media was a shot in the dark towards reaching the true potential of interest. It is important to understand the many different branches to which an organization may utilize in building awareness and how. Through internet forums or social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn, to name a few, as well as blogs, make an organization able to centralize their audience. Instead of talking at the masses, they are able to talk with a selected tuned in, interested community. It is in these communities where a considerable buzz of web chatter stirred, enters the web world and reaches the eyes and mouths of influential mediums that were otherwise unlikely to be reached by just any Joe before. In social media, ideas can spread like a wild fire, through an effect called push and pull. According to Oden 2009, in the push aspect there is instigation of a new concept in social media situations, providing useful information and provoking discussions about it (p. 2). This creates an influence of pull which is the drive of traffic from people searching for more information. A common threaded resource between the push and pull theory is what is called Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS is a jeweled technology in the search and sift element of both public and media relations. On the side of the public relations, RSS is useful in recognizing content analysis, by keywords or concept references. This type of insight gives public relations a heads up into their competition and identifies their own strengths and weaknesses accordingly. On the side of media relations, journalists are able to receive content that is in relevance to their interests or beat. The research that takes place within the public relations department is essentially the bones of the overall success of an organization. It is a stage that is unending, and social media provides a platform for which information is delivered in real time format. Another dynamic of research affected by social media is the scale upon which surveys are able to be given. Not only do social media make it possible for samples to be gained on a global level, through certain software, presentations are part of digital exhibits and interactive sites record message resonation. Although, some may view this open door to the world mentality overwhelming, it is a way for an organization to see where their message may penetrate beyond their eyes conception. After the research, an organization must take all those pieces of information to organize, strategize, and implement into a plan. In the text Using Public Relations Research by Glen Broom and David Dozier (2009) Strategic planning is deciding where you want to be in the future and how to get there. It sets the organizations direction proactively, avoiding drift and routine repetition of activities. The quality of content is a core value in success, so developing a strategy that engages people is important. When formulating a strategy through social media the five Ws serve as an outline. Who are you trying to reach? What are you trying to accomplish? Where are these people online? When and how is the best time to reach them? Why will they care about what you have to say? In order to create a credible presence, the content must be consistent. Tactics that reinforce the strategy of an organizations power in the clutter of information is redundancy. Using multiple communication channels within social media, such as blogs and podcasts, fights entropy. Also, increasing the channels a message is delivered optimizes the search engine visibility. It is through search engine optimization that an organization leaves its footprints in the virtual world. However, these virtual footprints can have adverse affects in the light of a crisis. A constant flow of information circulating can lead to misinformation, and in turn misunderstanding (McLintic 2009). A good crisis management plan must involve actively monitoring the web for any content that could be damaging to the organizations image and reputation. Social media gives organizations a way to be transparent in their management. With a constant flow of communication between an organization and its public, it is much easier to indentify and diffuse a small problem that couldve escalated to a bigger one (Hall 2009). As with any situation, it is ideal to be proactive rather than reactive in nature. There are certain methods of preparation that can greatly change the outcome of a crisis. Through anticipation, an organization can take a front line approach to crisis planning. One way that a crisis can be redirected, is by the purchase of generic crisis terms that ensure search engine positioning of the public to landing pages set in place to address issues, before they link to others that could possibly reinforce negativity. Before venturing off deep into the social media dimension, it is a good idea to benchmark the current position of the organization, so that there is a clear start of measure on the ROI. A few simple markers Chris Lake suggests in his article 10 Ways to Measure Social Media Success would be to make a note of the obvious numbers, (facebook fans, twitter followers, dig links, etc). Make a note of the less obvious benchmarks, (SEO rankings, customer satisfaction scores). Make a note of ROI benchmarks, such as how much is being paid to acquire customers via other marketing channels. However, reality is, social media humanizes a process that was once broken down so analytically. In order to measure the success of social media, you must come to the realization that there is no true assessment by which impact can be calculated. Although, it should not go without saying that it stands as an effective means to communicate to millions, far below the cost of any other form of media. The relationship it assists in building is priceless, and retention is a pretty effective bottom line tool of evaluation. In every new media there has been resistance to change. As a product of generation Y, I have been witness to the crossover over in media convergence, and I see a world of possibilities as it evolves. In the world of PR, I feel social media is an undeniable asset to an organizations ability to connect in ways that attributes to immeasurable value in what they strive to represent and stand for. Social media is a hub to the PR obligations. To underestimate its power to redefine and shift the foundation, by which PR once stood upon as news beggars, is to remain oblivious to the treasure bestowed at our fingertips.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Government Roles in Supporting Parents

Government Roles in Supporting Parents Introduction The unborn child influences the family and the environment which he or she will be born. In the later stage of pregnancy, the mother may have to decrease works hours or give up in order to take rest more and even changing her diet and habits. After birth, the child unbelievably influences his or her parents behavior , change of sleeping and eating pattern with changed pattern of social interaction are common, specially for new parents. Reciprocally, the babys eating and sleeping pattern are influenced by his or her family and both affect and affected by the immediate environment in which he or she lives. Any developmental delay or ignore in early stage of childhood, may influences into behavior or mental development irretrievably, therefore problems should be recognized in early stage of life. Where children have a disability or special needs, it is important that these are identified at an early age stage and that identification leads to effective intervention and support for families and their children. Young children – special needs Infant and toddler have been adopted because it emphasizes the importance of relationship and interaction in the development of very young children. Governments and parents should facilitate the perception of infant and toddlers as active agents, shaping their environment as they interact with others. There is two way relationship and interaction between young childrens behavior and personality and their home and environment. It is important that governments have intensive consideration to children under four years of age that have disability or special needs. If she or he is experiencing significant developmental delays, in one or more of the areas of cognitive development, physical development, social or emotional development and adaptive development, he or she has a condition which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. Sure Start Sure Start is a government programme which aims to achieve better out comes for children, parents communities by: Increasing availability of child care for all children Improving health and emotional development for young children Supporting parents and community Sure start covers children before birth up to fourteen years old and if they need special education or have disabilities will be extended up to age sixteen. Their services bring free , early education and better child care with great support where there is a greater need by children tax credit, children centers, and local programme. These role should be move toward transforming the life chances of young children, particularly those with special needs and disability who lives in area of disadvantages. Effort must be made to ensure the services are designed to give child care for all children in all sectors but with special attention to the particular needs or individual families and children so they feel should support more than others. It doesnt mean that all of effort should be served for special group and forget the other population. The aims should be based on reducing family poverty and improve life style, family education and prevention of antisocial behaviors. Principles Working with parents and children They have to provide up to date information to parents when they need it , and is based on discussion held with parents about their information needs. All of families should get access to proper services that will deliver better outcome for both children and parents. Services for everyone( but not the same service for every one) The needs of families is different based on location, condition of families, religion, their ability and education, ethnic and economical condition. For instance; condition of children have Mental or Emotional problem is different from other children who have physical disability. Flexible at point of delivery The services should be provide an interest to access by arrangement of appropriate opening hours, suitable location and easy access to public transportation. The role of the carer must be extend beyond the day to day care of the child to providing support to other family members or significant other in child life. Where possible the government must provide health and family support services through a single point of contact. Starting very early (at the first antenatal visit) The child care and parents support should be begin from the first antenatal visit but I believe that have to support parents before pregnancy and give useful information and consultation about future pregnancy and complete evaluation about genetic problems, because this process will be more effective and economical than treatment and support after birth. The majority of serious childhood diseases is preventive by maternity support and early diagnosis and appropriate treatment procedures, Vaccination, proper diet and life style. This means not only advice on health in pregnancy but also support of parent for returning to work or starting to work. Respectful and transparent The services should be free in order to access everybody to proper services without any limitation. The most of families who need help and advice cant afford to pay child care, education, health and treatment in private services. Community driven and professionally coordinated We should invite all professionals with an interest in care and family support or medical care to take part in this programme and search any problem and evaluate families and children needs through consultation and speak face to face with parents and children. Outcome driven Sometimes a lot of bureaucracy makes delay in services and health care, because of that parent and children may be not given appropriate services on suitable time and location when they need. Inappropriate effort and delay lead to irreversible damage in families and children. Parental support Human relation ship and interactions are the critical factors in young childrens development. Storing attachments that are characterized by reciprocal activity enhance the young childrens responsiveness to his or her environment and influence the childrens motivation to explore, elaborate and manipulate. Increasingly it is recognized that the maintenance of primary attachment relationship depends on the availability and involvement of another adult or third person who active supports and encourage these relationships. How much time are the parents able to spend with their children during childhood? What stop parents from spending more time with their children? Certainly, childhood would have been different if the parents had stayed home and looked after their children. It is obvious that the most influential setting for almost all of children is the family environment and school. Parents who are under constant pressure from their employer to do overtime, may not have the time and emotional energy to encourage their childrens school work successfully or have a effective emotional support. They should be achieve more flexible work hours, which enable them to spend more time with their children. The parents must be prepared to enjoy and to show children how to enjoy -relationships. The role that parents play in to life of a child has a tremendous impact on their experience. Parents have a key role in the education, emotional development and behaviors. Parents support is the single most important factor in childrens success at her or his life especially in education because; the majority of childs week is spent in home. The childs ability to learn is influenced not only by the competence of the teacher but also by the quality of the relationship between the school and the home. Children have a right to continuing loving relationship with both parents and need to be protected from the harm of losing contact with one parent who has a unique contribution to make their children development. Parents can become involve in their childrens learning at home by helping them and encouraging them to attend in learning programme. Parents can take part in school trips and help the children gain as much information from the trip as possible. They should provide for their children a quiet place in which to work free distractions such as television, satellite, games. They have to provide all the equipment and resources necessary for doing homework effectively. Parents must give responsibility to child for doing something according her or his ability that help to improve childrens confidence. They should encourage their children to work independently but it would be helpful if they are available to help them with any difficulties. Support Parent The supporting parents was designed to raise awareness and provide information about their childrens needs such as educational problems, Mental or physical disabilities, emotional and etc. The parents are the fort line of learning programme , therefore, they should be supported in order to support their children by providing information and advice for those whose children have mental or physical problems. The parents should improve their awareness about mental and physical disabilities, medical and social problem from fort line health services such as GPs, teachers and others professionals. Every body can help to empower and support parents by listening to them and sharing information sensitively and honestly, using understandable language and giving explanation to build parents confidence, respecting and acknowledging cultural difference and providing the facility in order to access to services. The main supporting bodies are: Government support parents Family support parents Parents support parents The final aim of all effort and support is; providing safe and effective care for the education of childhood, protection from harm, gaining life chance benefits and arising out of disability or health condition in order to leaving care when the children enter adulthood. 1. Government support The Government support is a wide spectrum of support that subdivided in many fields that I will argue about economical, education, treatment and support team. Economical and Work support Poverty- is associated with lone parenthood because of low benefits, lack of child care, education and low pay amongst woman. Similarly, problems of drug abuse and rising crime are generated by complex factors, including poverty and lack of opportunity in community and support. These problems can impose a great pressure on families and their children. In one hand generally, the relationship between growth of income of the poor and overall economic growth is one to one. That finding suggests that policies which are good for growth will be good for the poor. On the other hand, it is possible that growth from different sources has differential impact on the poor and distance between poor and rich would be greater than before which can effect on families inspect and relationship. Maternity leave and paternity leave- Maternity leave is the time a mother takes off from work at the birth or adoption of a child. Mothers are entitled to take time off for antenatal care. This may be medical appointments or relaxation and parent craft classes made on the advice of registered medical practitioner or midwife. Father who qualified for paternity leave can take time off to be with their new child and offer support to the mother when the child arrives. They can choose whether to take one or two consecutive weeks paternity leave. Proposed new regulations relating to maternity and paternity leave are sure to cause problems for some smaller businesses. Whereas larger organisations can usually provide cover internally when a mother or father is on leave, it is often much more difficult for the smaller firm, which often has no such cover internally. Flexible working and return to work- flexible working means a negotiation between the employer and the individual about their needs to determine the pattern that helps them both. Flexible working arrangement can help parents combine work and bringing up their children. Some parents want to work part time, some one interest in working from home or perhaps on particular days of the week. Flexible working can also help employers meet the increasing demand from their customers for out of hours services. Many business offer flexible working, but this is depending on individual manager and company policy. Government should provide priority for people that enable to work flexibility and return to work or start new compatible work after maternity leave. Education and child care Any number of activities will help young children learn, from singing nursing and playing number games, to reading or talking with them and everything to encourage their curiosity and love of learning. They have to develop evidence of the best practice to help early education and child care. Indeed, providers and their stuff work well with parents and professionals to whom they entrust their children. They have to provide safe and effective care for the education of children whom should be protected from emotional, physical, sexual abuse and other significant harm. Special needs and disabilities in childhood can put extra strain on families and may create additional needs such as additional cost of supporting a child with special needs or disability, provide suitable and affordable child care and education meanwhile we should not miss providing suitable housing, housing adaptation and accessing local community facilities such as transport child care and leisure services. Education and Child care option include: Day nurseries-that provide care for children from birth to four or five and beyond, often integrated with early education and other services. Pre-schools and play groups, provide play time and often early education to under five years old and can prevent from emotional and significant harm. Toddler groups- group of parents that meet locally with their children on regular basis, usually included children who are under five years old. Children clubs is define as out of school, offer children aged four to twelve a safe and stimulating environment which children can play and learn effectively outside school time (learn and fun). Treatment and care procedure- The fort line of health and social care is treatment intervention with specialized professionals and medical stuff (Doctors, nurses, psychologist, etc). First intervention in support programme is treatment of physical disabilities of parents and children with specialized team. Further more, intensive care and attention in pre-maternity and maternity period is essential. Increasingly, the professionals find themselves working not only with individual children but also with parents and sibling. Parents who have physical or sensory impairments, long term illness, learning difficulties, mental health problem or combination of them can not afford to spend effective time with their children and take part in teaching programme. Emotional disturbance and educational difficulties often can be fully understood and effectively addressed within a family. Family support parents Family support is a term covering enormous number and diversity of needs. Families caring for children with special needs or disability have the same range of feeling and hope for their children as all other families whose children are well. Some parents are very private who do not feel comfortable sharing their deepest feeling with strangers. It is important to be able to talk to some one that is the best one of family members. Traditional family support systems are sufficient and very helpful and comfortable. These families are fortunate because they help effectively and make a warm relation ship with together. Traditional families have a good relationship with parents , siblings and grandparents or other near relative family that they truly understand other member. Family support not only can reduce family poverty, crime and antisocial behavior and prevent deterioration but also can improve educational attainment, civic responsibility and quality and accessibility of suitable services. Parents support parents The parents are the best source of supporting for parents. They access a wealth of information from past and present experiences and have an understanding of the difficulties and problems than can occur when raising a child with special needs. They have a good sympathy with each others and they truly rely to the information and experiences of other parents. Through all that has happened to all of them, they have become educated and have learned things that never imagined learning. Conclusion Effective early intervention and support can produce improvement in childrens health, social and cognitive development. It strengthens the ability of family to provided effective support for their children and improves out comes for the whole family. All programme should base on providing safe and effective care for the education, protecting from physical emotional and sexual abuse. The government has to improve economical condition and provide trained, qualified and appropriate medical stuff and social workers. The support plan has to lead to leaving care by young people when they enter adulthood and wouldnt isolate and participate socially and live independent. The children with specific medical or social needs should arise out of disability or health condition and be able to live in family or other appropriate setting in the community. The children in need should gain life chance benefits from educational opportunity, entertainment programme, health and social care. The parents community should be improved in order to support effectively and share their information and experiences. The family structure must empower to provide warm and comfortable environment for support members of family. An important part of support is the establishment of effective channels for communication, a willingness to find a compromise and the development of trust between family members and Government or child care stuff.

Monday, August 19, 2019

the earths wind :: essays research papers

Extras Meteors A brilliant meteor, called a fireball, may weigh many kilograms, but even a meteor weighing less than a gram can produce a beautiful trail. Some of these visitors from space are large enough to survive (at least partially) their trip through the atmosphere and impact the ground as meteorites. Fireballs are sometimes followed by trails of light that persist for up to 30 minutes; some, called bolides, explode with a loud thunderous sound. Meteoroids The term meteor comes from the Greek meteoron, meaning phenomenon in the sky. It is used to describe the streak of light produced as matter in the solar system falls into Earth's atmosphere creating temporary incandescence resulting from atmospheric friction. This typically occurs at heights of 80 to 110 kilometers (50 to 68 miles) above Earth's surface. The term is also used loosely with the word meteoroid referring to the particle itself without relation to the phenomena it produces when entering the Earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is matter revolving around the sun or any object in interplanetary space that is too small to be called an asteroid or a comet. Even smaller particles are called micrometeoroids or cosmic dust grains, which includes any interstellar material that should happen to enter our solar system. A meteorite is a meteoroid that reaches the surface of the Earth without being completely vaporized. Meteorites Meteorites have proven difficult to classify, but the three broadest groupings are stony, stony iron, and iron. The most common meteorites are chondrites, which are stony meteorites. Radiometric dating of chondrites has placed them at the age of 4.55 billion years, which is the approximate age of the solar system. They are considered pristine samples of early solar system matter, although in many cases their properties have been modified by thermal metamorphism or icy alteration. Comets Now we know that comets are lumps of ice and dust that periodically come into the center of the solar system from somewhere in its outer reaches, and that some comets make repeated trips. When comets get close enough to the Sun, heat makes them start to evaporate. Jets of gas and dust form long tails that we can see from Earth. These tails can sometimes be millions of miles long. In 1985-1986, a spacecraft called Giotto visited the most famous comet, Halley, on Halley's most recent visit to the inner solar system.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sigmund Freuds The Interpretation of Dreams Essay -- Papers

Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams was originally published in 1900. The era was one of prudish Victorians. It was also the age of the continued Enlightenment. The New Formula of science, along with the legacy of Comte’s Positivism, had a firm hold on the burgeoning discipline of psychology. Freud was groomed as both scientist and Romantic, but his life’s work reflected conflict of the two backgrounds and a reaction against each one. It is my opinion that The Interpretation of Dreams was not simply written as a methodology of deconstructing dreams and assigning them meaning, but its latent content (as it were) was a critique of science’s New Formula, and was designed to question, and even undermine, the possibility of objective methodology in psychology, and indeed in the sciences as a whole. The importance of his innovations were wholly unappreciated; Freud was an anomaly. Many of his contemporaries rejected his work on the grounds of invalid methodology and inconsistency. Neurologists and psychiatrists today still continue to discount his theories. The point of Freud’s subversion of contemporary mental science, was, however, quite missed, and many critics and reviewers continue to systemically assail his work, utterly oblivious to the inclusive meaning of his theories, rather than the meanings of his words themselves. Clinical studies convinced Freud that hysterical symptoms could be analyzed and deconstructed to understandable statements expressive of some underlying and utterly logical thought. From this interest, Freud embarked on a comprehensive study of dreams, and in the process, created a theory that drew meaningful attention to the unconscious, a previousl... ...ertain concepts, such as depth of mind, latent meanings, wish-fulfilments, etc.,--all of which remain valuable in themselves, in spite of Freud’s parallel objective of crushing positivistic natural science. Freud’s work has provided a paradigm through historical findings and future investigations, leaving him as pioneer of the unconscious through his unmasking of dreams. And lastly, in spite of science and philosophy’s tendencies to exploit the theory’s weaknesses instead of strengths, the deeper aim of the text, as unmasker of Positivism’s weaknesses, can no longer be ignored in its hermeneutic exploration. Bibliography: Reference List Freud, Sigmund. (1971). The Interpretation of Dreams, Volume IV,1900. London: The Hogarth Press. Freud, Sigmund. (1968). The Interpretation of Dreams, Volume V. 1900-01. London: The Hogarth Press.

The California Wetlands Essay -- Wetlands Environmental Nature Essays

The California Wetlands Smelly, insect infested, and disease ridden are many words that people have used to describe the attributes of wetlands in our country. Until recently it was thought that wetlands served very little use as a part of our ecosystem. However, as the developers began to drain and destroy these wetlands in order to build housing developments and commercial buildings environmental scientists emerged from the woodwork. These environmental scientists found the value and absolute necessity for wetlands and brought it to the attention of politicians. The politicians are the only ones who could slow the destruction of wetlands with their policies. Before the politicians could begin to construct policies to protect the wetlands they needed the scientists to give them a good working definition that they could use to classify wetlands. This is a very difficult process since many wetlands are transitional meaning that they may appear wet or dry according to the season. However in 1987 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published guidelines to classifying wetlands. The criterion included that wetlands must contain hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology. M. Dennison et. al. 1993 With this new information politicians were able to legally define wetlands with the Clean Water Act, which states: "The term ‘wetlands’ means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas." Through the study, classification and legal defining of we... ...o be able produce a synthetic ecosystem the scientists must be able to observe what an ideal naturally occurring wetland looks like. With the mass desecration of California wetland it is near impossible to find an intact wetland. Most wetland scientists construct these synthetic wetlands be a theory of how things "should be" if they were not previously contaminated by influences (i.e. abusive farming, golf courses, housing developments, and recreational vehicles (i.e. Gas guzzling boat, waverunners, etc.) In conclusion it is simple to see why the destroyed wetlands should be repaired. Not only would the function of the wetland resume, but all of the surrounding humans would benefit from cleaner water and a flood overflow container. However, it is slow process informing the public of why they should leave a swamp intact instead of building more bay front property.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Ensuring People Support for Education and Training Programs Essay

A collaborative effort is a key to success in the field of continuing education.   That is to maintain partnership with the learners, the supervisors and, the managers.   To ensure support from each participant it is important that there is connectivity before, during, and after the training program.   After all, learning is effective when it is applied as well as teaching is assimilated when it is explained. In Cafarella’s book, the five primary purpose of education was explicitly stated that is; â€Å"to encourage growth, to assist with practical problems, to prepare people for current and future opportunities, to assist with change for desired results, and to examine community or social issues (Schultz, 2002).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Educators are tasked to elaborate from the beginning the reason of the training program and if it is presented to learners as useful and not mandatory support from the learner is ensured even from the start of the program.   Key people or the supervisors can be invited in the planning process so that they can tell the planner or the educator actual experiences on how the knowledge will be applied.   Also it is best to include the supervisors in giving decisions on when is the training program be scheduled so that critical schedule in their operations will not be hampered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During trainings learners should get involved in the discussion by inviting them to give examples and with those actual situations mentioned by the participants, trainers should help the learner to reflect on the subject and how it could be applied.   Supervisors at the same time can be asked to mentor or assist in the on-going program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training program does not end at the venue but probing whether the learning process is blocked after instruction was given ensures effectiveness of the course.   Learners should be encouraged to help one another and evaluate the learning process.   Supervisors should be asked on the feedback if the course has been effective by checking if what is learned was applied in each participants actual work situation.   To ensure continuous support and partnership, endings should be addressed whether it is positive or negative (Caffarella, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Managers are tasked to implement goals and objectives; they are the one who manage change.   To ensure their support from beginning to end, they should be asked to provide consultations before and after.   They should be convinced that the program is helping their organization to grow. References Schultz, J. D. (2002). Book Review: Planning Programs for Adult Learners, 2nd Edition by Rosemary A. Caffarella [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 12 February 2008 from http://www.exchangesjournal.org/reviews/review_1107.html. Caffarella, R.A. (2002).   Planning Programs for Adult Learners (Chapter 5), 2nd Edition, 403 pages ISBN: 0-7879-5225-7.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Small and Medium Scale Mining

PROJECT TOPICÂ   :Â  SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (A Case Study of Cassava Processing Industry) PROJECT PROPOSAL BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Interest in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their contribution in the development process continue to be in the forefront of policy debates in developing countries.The advantages claimed for SMEs are various, including: the encouragement of entrepreneurship; the greater likelihood that SMEs will utilise labour intensive technologies and thus have an immediate impact on employment generation; they can usually be established rapidly and put into operation to produce quick returns. SME development can encourage the process of both inter- and intra-regional decentralisation; and, they may well become a countervailing force against the economic power of larger enterprises.More generally the development of SMEs is seen as accelerating the achievement of wider economic and socio-economic objec tives, including poverty alleviation. Staley and Morse (1965) identify a ‘developmental approach’ to SME promotion which has as its objective the creation of ‘economically viable enterprises which can stand on their own feet without perpetual subsidy and can make a positive contribution to the growth of real income and therefore to better living levels’.This approach emphasises the importance of efficiency in new SMEs. Small producers must be encouraged to adopt new methods, move into new lines of production and in the long-run, wherever feasible, they should be encouraged to become medium- or even large-scale producers. The presidential Initiative on Cassava Production and Export has increased the awareness amongst Nigerians of the industrial crop, popularly referred to as the ‘new black gold’.Started in July 2004, the initiative seeks to generate $5 billion in export revenue. Fortunately, Nigeria, according to the Food and Agricultural Organi sation, FAO, in its 2004 report, is currently the largest producer of cassava in the world at 34 million tons yearly, but with a poor yield of an average of 10 tons per hectare over an estimated cultivated land size of three million hectares.Nigeria is closely followed by Brazil and Thailand, which have a capacity to produce 24 million tons and 20 million tons and a yield of 13. 6 tons per hectare and 19. 4 tons per hectare respectively. Unfortunately, experts at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Oyo State, believe that up to half of the harvested cassava is wasted by production and post-harvest inefficiencies while the rest is consumed as food.Brazil and Thailand, which rarely consume the cassava products directly, have fully developed the cassava industry for the export market. | | Nigeria should not focus on the exportation of cassava but develop the enormous local and regional markets for cassava that exist in the country, West African sub-regio n and Africa as a whole rather than start exporting the industrial raw material to Europe. Nigerians should be encouraged to add value and process them for industrial application.The main thrust of this research work shall focus on the development of small and medium scale enterprises in the cassava processing industry justifying the need for agro-processing industries that convert cassava fresh tubers into primary cassava-based commodities that are tradable in domestic and international markets. STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM The Small Scale Industry is acknowledged to have huge potential for employment generation and wealth creation in any economy. Yet in Nigeria, the sector has stagnated and remains relatively small in terms of its contribution to GDP or to gainful employment.Activity mix in the sector is also quite limited – dominated by import dependent processes and factors. Although there is no reliable data, imprecise indicators show that capacity utilization in th e sector has improved perceptibly in the period since 1999, but the sector is still faced with a number of constraints with lack of credit availability as the principal constraint. Credit is the largest element of risk in the books of most banks and failures in the management of credit risk have led to the weakening individual banks and in some cases the banking system as a whole, have contributed, to many episodes of financial instability.OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main purpose of this study is to identify and consequently analyze the most effective and efficient way through which small scale enterprises could be financed and promoted, thereby taking into consideration various conditions such as economic, political, social, psychological e. t. c under which small-scale enterprises are encouraged to operate with particular reference to the cassava processing industry in Nigeria. In so doing, the researcher intends giving an in-depth information and analysis on the various strategie s through which small-scale enterprises can be developed and encouraged.In view of the above, the researcher intends to find out the following: (i) The role played by government towards promotion and development of small-scale enterprises in Nigeria. (ii) To identify the economic potential of small-scale enterprises in the cassava processing industry. (iii) To identify the constraints confronting the development of small-scale enterprises in the cassava processing industry in Nigeria. (iv) To examine the financial support given to SMEs in Nigeria. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The study would examine the following questions: 1.What role does the government play in the promotion and development of small-scale enterprises in the cassava processing industry in Nigeria? 2. What impact do small and medium scale enterprises make to Nigeria’s economic growth? 3. What are the constraints confronting the development of small-scale enterprises in the cassava processing industry in Nigeria? 4. Wha t is the trend of the financial support given to SMEs in Nigeria? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF DATA The two main research methods to be used are survey research and content analysis.Survey research method is used to study variables and their relationship as related to human observation and opinions about their experience as it concerns the subject matter of study. Interview schedules shall be applied to some operators while the questionnaire schedule shall be applied to some small-scale entrepreneurs. The data, which would be collected from the questionnaire, will be analysed using the simple percentage method and chi-square, goodness of fit. This will make the analysis of the data more concise and simple. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY This research covers the area of promoting small and medium scale enterprises n the cassava processing industry, paying attention to the role of the government and other external factors that can affect positively the development of small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria. The research intends to study the essential problems encountered by small and medium scale operators in the cassava processing industry and suggest ways by which they can be adequately and efficiently financed and promoted. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Small and medium scale enterprises in Africa rely largely on own savings, not only to grow but also to innovate.Firms often need real services support and formal finance assistance, failing which under-investment in long term capabilities (training and R & D) may result, (Oyelaran, 2003). Besides finance, there are critical elements (including: knowledge, skills and experience of staff; capacity and quality of internal facilities; information and knowledge of market; intellectual and managerial leadership; external infrastructure and the incentive system at the micro and macro levels) that are lacking within technology support institutions themselves.These undermine the effectiveness of their support to SMEs. This study is significant because it would help to evaluate the operations of a vital segment of the industrial sector – small and medium scale industries, which have been identified as having very high potential in promoting economic growth and development. The evaluation shall be done with special focus on the small and medium operators in the cassava processing industry in Nigeria thereby adding to the existing literature on the subject matter.OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS In Chapter one, which is the introductory part; the background of the study, the statement of the research problem, the objectives of the study and the methodology to be adopted shall be discussed. Chapter two will deal with the literature review. The methodology analysis and theoretical framework shall be examined in chapter three.Data presentation, analysis and interpretation will be covered in chapter four while the concluding part of the research work will be chapter five where in a nutshell the summa ry, the conclusion and the recommendations would be discussed. REFERENCES Staley E. and Morse R. (1965) Modern Small-Scale Industry for Developing Countries. London: McGraw-Hill Publishing. Oyelaran O. (2003) Financing and Development of Small-sale industries in Nigeria. Central Bank of Nigeria Economic and Financial Review. 24(4), December.