Thursday, January 30, 2020

Morality & differentiate Essay Example for Free

Morality differentiate Essay Morality is defined as the ability to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. While the concept may seem simple enough, in reality however it is much more complex than that. The main question is how does one define right and wrong? If something is deemed as â€Å"right†for one person, does it automatically mean that it is the right one for another? This rather confusing view of morality is exemplified in the current saying that â€Å"one mans terrorist is another mans patriot. † Truly, morality is not that easy to define. Morality however it seems is more often than not defined by the society at large. A society is define as a group of individuals that have common interests as well as have their own culture. This concept of society and morality is highly apparent in the novel by Azar Nafisi title â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran, A Memoir in Books. † Nafisi is in Iranian scholar who emigrated in 1997 to the United States. The book mentioned in the title is the novel by Vladimir Nabokov which tells the story of a middle aged man who has sexual obsessions with a pre-teen girl, specifically a twelve-year old girl. Although Nafisis novel isnt just about this particular book, Lolita is however one of those books considered as controversial in Iran. Novels like One Thousand and One Nights, Invitation to a Beheading, The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, are also included and their similarity to what is happening in Iran. It is Lolita however that gets a rather good exposure in the book. Nafisis novel however goes much deeper that what the title actually says. It gives a rather good view on what happens to the people when a society suddenly changes its view on things. Nafisis book gives a closer look to what happened in Iran when Ayatollah Khomeini gained power after the Islamic revolution. One of this was the decree requiring women of Iran to follow a dress code. Iranian women were now required to wear veils. An issue that Nafisis tackles a lot in her book. This simple decree caused a great deal of change in Iran. Prior to the decree, Iranian women did not wear veils. For most women, the decree was considered as a restriction to their freedom. Women who do not follow this rule are often detained. As a result, wearing the veil also restricted how people interacted with one another. One reason for this change in interaction is the differences in their reactions to the decree. While some stated that they â€Å"hated†it, others supported it saying it made them feel more â€Å"relaxed. † In general though, women who did not wear veils were considered immoral and even unchaste by the society at large. The decree requiring the veil also allowed for segregation and discrimination. The veil made women have a less status that the men. The veil did not only change the relationships that people had with each other but also on their individual roles and responsibilities. While women were still allowed to go to universities, these were still subjected to suppression by those in power. Segregation was not the only thing that was practiced in the universities but those who were found talking to the opposite sex were punished by the religious authorities. In fact, because the school where Nafisi taught was rather liberal, school officials were often asked if they believed the school was located in Switzerland, the word being connected with all things considered decadent and lax. The wearing of the veil also made women subservient to men who had to follow whatever was said to them. This change in culture actually continued despite Khomeinis death. According to Nafisi, Khomeinis real death would only come when women were not required to wear scarves in public anymore. By interjecting the novel Lolita in her book, Nafisi shows what the society truly is. A country doing its best to live in a fantasy world. In Lolita, the main protagonist Humbert Humbert, wishes to have the perfect Lolita. Implementing the decree on the wearing of the veil in reality reveals Khomeinis dream of having a truly perfect Koranic society. Nafisi argues that much like story, where Humberts pursuit eventually destroys Lolita, Iran may likely experience the same. Living in a fantasy world though may not be that bad. Nafisis book tells us that we all need to create a paradise to escape into. ( 281) She however immediately corrects this and say that â€Å"fiction was not a panacea, but it did not offer us a critical way of appraising and grasping the world not just our world but that other world that had become the object of our desires. † ( 282) Going back to Lolita and its relation with the Iranian society, Iran is much like Humbert who despite molesting the young Lolita, appears normal in other parts of his life. By implementing a standard on morality, the Iranian society was telling people that it was normal to do so in order to run the country better. And like Humbert, the Iranian society does not blame itself but others for what is wrong. Humbert wants Lolita to become what is perfect for him, no different from what the regime wants for its citizens. The Iranian regime blames the â€Å"dissidents† for what has happened to the country hence the imposition of the new rules or codes of morality. The new codes of morality while restricting activities of most of its citizens, have also made their lives more exciting. What was then ordinary activities where now being done as a secret mission. People who wanted to watch foreign films, eat ice cream, or even meet without wearing veils were doing so in secret. Thus while the citizens were openly showing their support for the rules, they were also secretly doing normal things that were now considered as taboo. The imposition of codes of morality this did not totally alter the responsibilities of the citizens and their roles but only on how they performed it. As mentioned earlier, the issue of morality is a very complex one. By imposing a standard on morality, the Iranian regime thus changed the way its citizens behaved. Women now found their freedom curtailed as they were required to wear veils and not allowed to talk to persons of the other sex. Activities that were regularly considered as norm where now being done in secret. While most people were still allowed to hold their jobs, they faced the constant scrutiny of the religious sector. While Iranian women and people around the world viewed these changes as something negative, the regime however defended its actions by stating that the change was needed. Thus even if the propagator, Khomeini, had died, the practice continued. Another effect that the rules had, specifically on Nafisi, was her having to quit the university and teaching a class and discussing books in secret. For Nafisi, the university was no longer a place where students can have honest discussion asking how could one teach when the main concern of university officials was not the quality of ones work but the color of ones lips, the subversive potential of a single strand of hair? (11) This activity leads to Nafisi bonding with her students since most of them feel that they have been made irrelevant by the new regime. The rule requiring women to wear veils becomes more oppressive when Nafisi reveals that when the students that decided to be with her came to the room, their removing the veils and scarves was an act that was not as simple as one imagines. According to Nafisi, â€Å"each one gained an outline and a shape, becoming her own inimitable self. † (5) Because of their continuous gathering, they begin to have hope. The students draw on the parallelism on what they are currently experiencing with what they are reading. Nafisi explicitly states in the book that â€Å"[h]ope for some means its loss for others; when the hopeless regain some hope, those in power the ones who had taken it away become afraid, more protective of their endangered interests, more repressive. † (276) What this tells us is that instead of just living their lives simply, getting jobs and having a family, Nafisi, her students, and maybe some other Iranians, now found a different purpose in life. They know that they have to be strong if they want their society to change. That even if hope is all that they have left, it is better than nothing. On reading the book, Heywoods point that morality is actually concerned with not only the ethical questions but also how right and wrong are different is made clearer. The question that arises is how can an individual survive if that person has a different perception on himself or herself which is different from what society says? The answer is not simply to become political and institute change. Although it can be considered that the personal is political, at the core of the fight for political rights is the desire to protect ourselves, to prevent the political from intruding on our individual lives. (273) Imagination or fantasy is the one that bridges the political and the personal. The regimes first task had been to blur the lines and boundaries between the personal and the political, thereby destroying them both. (273) In summary, we need to keep in mind what a society is. A group of individuals with something in common and that includes moral principles. When a society has different principles on morality, like what happened in Iran, nothing good can come out of it. This is most true when a society that has experienced freedom before is suddenly restricted. Some groups will feel oppressed and will fight it. Those in power meanwhile, will do what they to prevent that from happening. The one good thing about Nafisis novel is that it does not in provide any political analysis on the situation in Iran. Rather it is about what people can do despite the tyranny around them. That students can learn when they apply and feel what they have read. Morality will always be a very tricky issue. The debate on the concept of right and wrong will not end overnight. If there is one thing that Nafisis novel teaches us, it is that setting a standard for morality is not an answer.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling :: Economics

Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling appreciated by 20%. What factors might explain this increase in the value of the pound? 5. Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling appreciated by 20%. (a) What factors might explain this increase in the value of the pound? There are several reasons that contribute to the appreciation of the pound. INTEREST RATES Interest rates have a large effect in a world where financial capital can move freely between countries. If for example the UK interest rates are high relative to elsewhere this attracts inflows of money into the UK seeking to take advantage of the high interest rates. This "interest differential" boosts the demand for the currency and can cause its value to rise. ECONOMIC GROWTH Countries experiencing a rapid economic growth often find that their exchange rate is strengthening. Traders in the currency markets may take the rapid growth to be a sign of general economic growth and "mark up" the value of the currency as a result. Also economies with strong "export-led" growth may see their currency's rise in value. Japan is a good example of this in recent years. The Euro was weak during the first six months of its existence in part because the financial markets were worried about the slow growth of the European economy and the persistently high level of unemployment. INFLATION As with the UK, as there are low levels of inflation, this has meant that our goods have become cheaper and demand for our exports has increased. Foreigners have bought pounds to finance our goods. This has meant that the value of the pound has increased. However this is like a cobweb with many downsides such as a rise in inflation as exports are a component of aggregate demand. In the long run, those countries with higher than average inflation see their exchange rate fall. When inflation is high, a country becomes less competitive in international markets causing a fall in exports (a demand for a currency) and a rise in imports (a supply of currency overseas). A fall in the exchange rate may be needed to restore a country's competitiveness in overseas markets. THE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS When we operate at a current account surplus i.e. when our exports>Imports, then foreigners will need pounds in order to finance the exports we sell them. They will buy pounds. This will result in the value of the pound to increase. Selling exports represents a demand for the domestic currency from foreign importers. When US consumers buy British Whisky they supply dollars and this is eventually translated into a demand for pounds.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Profile prepared by Management Analysis Corporation

Do you believe that the diagnosis and resulting profile prepared by Management Analysis Corporation was a necessary step in the process of finding potentially successful general managers? ExplainThe profile prepared by Management Analysis Corporation is the first step in the process of finding a potentially successful of general managers, but it is not the only step. Actually, after MAC has understood very clearly the needs of Dancey Electronics, they could picture the perfect leader. Once this was done, they could see what skills must be innate and what skills can be learned to become a leader. Then, MAC could propose one more interview to the candidates. For example, the candidates are faced to a concrete leadership problem, and they need to solve it very quickly.MAC should analyze reactions of the candidates and pick the best one. This means picking the person who has the best ability to change and to adapt to a new situation. So, I do not know yet if Joe Morris could be the good candidate for leading Dancey Electronics.Moreover, I think that the analysis done by MAC is a good way to find a potentially successful group of general managers because it accually describes the ideal qualities of being an effective general manager and at the same time gives us ideas about the relationship and task orientation of each candidate along with analysis of some important environmental factors that might have some effect on their leadership style, such as the company’s expectation and the subordinated expectation for the behavior of general managers.However, I think Management Analysis Corporation should analyze the behavior of the followers more. This way, MAC will know what leadership style would be the best for the group.What alternatives are available to modify Joe Morris’s potential effectiveness in the new general manager position?Joe Morris has a high task orientation it means he can apply an initiating structure focused on goals and results. But it i s not enough to lead a team. Joe Morris has to be more relationship oriented. We know that Joe Morris has low skills in relationship orientation. But a leader needs to communicate with his team to have an influence on the behavior of the individuals. If Joe Morris does not change, he could only be a manager, but not a leader. As we learnt in class, â€Å"leaders do the right things, managers do things right†.According to the Fielder theory, Joe Morris can make changes to be more relationship-oriented. He can spend more informal time (lunch, leisure activities) with his subordinates. He can also request particular people for work in his group. He can be a volunteer to direct difficult or troublesome subordinates. He can suggest or affects transfers of particular subordinates into his unit. Finally, Joe Morris can raise morale by obtaining positive outcomes (special bonuses, time off, attractive jobs) for subordinates.Moreover, Joe Morris should follow a training session to dis cuss and analyze his leadership situation. This way, he can understand his performance and improve it. If Joe Morris increases his position of power, he could be a better leader because he would repair his lack in relationship orientation.Why will it be difficult for Joe Morris to modify his style of leadership?Joe Morris knows how to organize and define the relationships in the group and he establishes well-defined patterns and channels of communication, and spells out ways of getting the job done. So it is a good start. But it would be difficult for him to modify his style of leadership because it is very hard to change him. Moreover, he does not have an overall insight of the company. He needs to fit in the group to eventually change. Considering that Joe Morris is far away from a good relationship orientation, it might be very difficult for him to understand what changes he has to do to modify his style of leadership.It also may be hard for Joe Morris to change his style of lead ership due to the argument against the path-goal theory whereby subordinates play a rule  in the leadership style of the manager. In that, Joe Morris has a low score in relationship orientation which means that his relationship with the employees may not be as effective and efficient. As a result, although Morris my want to change his leadership style type, employees may not be as willing to change given his low relationship orientation which therefore makes it hard for him to change his leadership style.But on the other hand, according to the Leader-Member Exchange Approach, there is no consistent leader behavior across subordinates and Joe Morris can behave in different ways with his future followers than he used to. So he may not have to change his style of leadership and still be appreciated by his followers. Therefore he will become a good leader.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Principles Of Freedom Of An Individual - 934 Words

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The principle of freedom of an individual is the core tenet of liberalism. The foundation of liberalism is categorized into three. The first is the freedom from arbitrary rule, termed â€Å"negative freedom† which includes freedom of the press, equality before the law, freedom of conscience and right to property. The second set of rights ensures the protection and promotion of the capacity and opportunity for freedom, which is called the â€Å"positive freedom.† Example of such rights are the social and economic rights to health care, education, gainful employment, for human dignity and participation in the society. Thirdly, political rights of democratic representation or participation i.e., right to vote or be voted for to ensure that the other two rights are not infringed on (Kant Political Philosophy, 1993. p. 173). Liberalism today could slightly be different with earlier views as a result of changes in time and history however the fundamental tent of liberty and the ideals of freedom, equality, independence as expressed by Kant remains the same and paramount. Several philosophical views regarding modern political thought on state of nature, social contract and division of powers has immensely been written by both Locke and Kant in their era. REFERENCES CHAPTER TWO MAIN BODY The philosopher emmanuel kant: introduction to profound political thought He was an eighteenth-century philosopher during a period dominated by the ideas of theShow MoreRelatedThe Principles Of Individual Responsibility And Freedom928 Words   |  4 Pagesover the people; telling them that they cannot succeed except under a collective authority instead of being individually motivated and driven to succeed by the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 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