Captiva Conglomerate Case Study Analysis

Major Facts: ?System specifications not clearly defined ?Contract wording is partial to S. O. Software ?Spares management module is a disaster ?Spares management module currently complicated and un-useable/outdated ? Spares management module behind schedule ?Regional and centralized inventory management system behind schedule ? S. O. Software depleted allotted financing ?The system software specifications were not drafted by S. O. Software personnel Major Problems: The contract was not reviewed by appropriate personnel prior to contract award ? The spares management module is 4 months behind schedule ? The spares management system requirements is a hassle ?The spares management module does not provide relevant data ? The regional and centralized inventory management system is 10 months late ? The contract calls for â€Å"best effort,† â€Å"whenever possible† ? The 1 million called for in the contract is used up ?17 un-priced change orders The specifications looked like they were drafted by SOS, but Jana (IT manager) had initialed each page Solutions: Best Solution: Contract Renegotiation and Restructure Advantages: ?Bring in the SME (Subject Matter experts) to relook the concepts behind the contract. Restructure the contract based on existing monies to provide the type of service required. While leverage the existing contract with the current vendor may cause for some additional funding it provides the current vendor a change to improve on its product.Providing the current vendor is agrees’ with the restructure this avenue is the most preferred in order minimize change and downtime of the current system. ?This approach allows the company to restate or clearly define the specifications, needs and current objectives, necessary to predict future cost and further invest the time, tools, and expertise necessary to ensure they get workable software systems. Disadvantages: ?The current vendor S. O.Software may not be un-able or willing to work wi th the company in order to re-negotiate the existing contract. ?A poorly executed re-negotiation strategy can destroy a valuable relationship which may hinder the company’s ability to move forward with the supplier. The negotiations approach must take on the altitude of a win-win situation in order to provide the company with a incentive to re-negotiation. Alternate Solution: T4C, Termination of Contract Advantages: ?Captiva Conglomerate is able to cut the losses with the S.O. Software Company; accurately re-define the specifications; provide an accurately cost analysis and procure a new company that is able to design a systems in accordance with the requirements within the allotted time while provide a customer service approach to address any issues that might arise. ?The ability to exit transactions with S. O. Software could have significant cost savings to Captiva Conglomerate rather than waiting for the contract to end and paying for poorly performed services. Disadvantag e: Depending on where the contract is currently in its life cycle stage may cause for compensation to S. O. Software that is sufficient to cover any loss of profits over the remaining project term. ?Termination will also damage the company’s reputation with current and future businesses world. ?The company may risk a trial or protest because of the foggy nature of the â€Å"best effort† verbiage generally demands a factual determination as to its meaning. IMPLEMENTATION: The first step would be to completely re-examine the software requirements and request a new specification document based on current needs.Secondly, I would implement an acquisition team to include program officers, contract specialist, IT personnel, finance, legal and any other relevant personnel in order to devise a performance work statement (PWS) conducive to the program. Third, engage the S. O. Software regarding current issues and concerns regarding the existing contract (simply why we have a nee ded to relook the contract: i. e. , the two systems being 4mos and 10mos behind, constant changes to the specs which led to depleted funding), then propose the new contract in a manner and fashion that provides a win-win for all vested parties.

Yvain

Yvain or The Knight with the Lion: The Introduction of Literary Strengths There are few novels today that possess the adventure which takes place throughout Yvain (aka The Knight with the Lion). Chretien’s use of structure in this poem has surely influenced the modern day novel. Yvain was one of the first books to introduce the genre of Chivalric Romance, which many authors still mimic today. The genre capturing this tale clearly defined literature thereafter and was the beginning of a new era in story-telling. In Northrop Frye’s definition of modes, we can see that this poem is clearly in â€Å"Romance Mode†.In the concept of modes, Frye identifies literary works to be classified by the hero’s power of action. By distinction of any novels’ hero, the audience can discern whether the main character or hero has powers greater, less, or roughly the same as the audience’s. The romance mode is the second mode of Frye’s distinction. In this poem, the hero of the story is human, but is certainly superior to normal humans; it is a story in which the hero has marvelous strengths and powers of endurance. The setting of the story may also slightly suspend the laws of nature in a way that allows magical things to happen.As Frye says, this is the world of legends, folk tales, and fairy tales. In this novel, the main character Yvain portrays the essence of these qualities. Yvain has many instances throughout the poem, in which he miraculously overcomes obstacles. There was not one event in which he lost against another knight or creature. The fact that Yvain intruded on a fight between a lion and a snake, is in itself, marvelous. No human in real life, would risk their life for this situation. In this scene, as Yvain chose to slay the snake by chopping it into pieces, and the lion shows a sense of gratefulness. The Lion rose on his hind feet and joined his forepaws in complete submissiveness and then he spread his forepaws out and bowed his head in great humility (pg 95). † It was after this point that they became companions, and the lion would never leave his side. This scene illustrates the Romance mode as the basic laws of nature are slightly obstructed by the lion’s ability to express feelings. Taking a closer look, we can discern the subcategory of this romance mode to be chivalric and contain courtly love. The entire story is full of many events in which even Chretien noted as chivalric.These consist of the knightly values of courage and loyalty as well as extreme respectfulness to others, especially women. In these civilized times, the royalty- living in castles and employing warriors- created these rules of combat and courtly manners that knights should carry out. It was the main goal for every knight to perform the good deeds, because it was the honorable thing to do, not because its adventure was of interest. In the poem, Calogrenant went in search for a marvel to entertain himself with adventure.But when this lead to disaster, Yvain had to stand by his side because they were cousins, and blood relatives were not to be abandoned. Yvain went out in hopes to avenge his cousin Calogrenant, â€Å"The lord did not sit down or pause; he poured some water on the great green stone. The storm came, just as he had known (pg 23). † Here, Yvain committed the same act that got Calogrenant in trouble, yet Yvain did not commit this act in hopes of a marvel, but rather to hold honor because it was the right thing to do for his family.This act reinforced Yvain’s knightly duties, furthering his intent to be chivalrous. Instrumental for the configuration of any chivalric identity in a medieval romance, this genre entices the male audience with its tales of lone adventuring, jousting with common men, killing beasts, rescuing virgins, and fighting in fateful battles. It also introduces a new side (in the medieval time period) to male and female relations, fascinatin g the idea of courtly love. The behavior of courtly love was a social phase that society engaged during the time of the poem.It was the idea that love was a service that gentlemen carried out for their women. It also reflected the principle that men and women could have conversation, and â€Å"flirt†. One could even fall in love at first sight by a physical process: in through the eyes, and passing down to the heart, and from there taking over the entire body as though captured by love’s poison. In the poem, the audience sees Yvain express his feelings through courtly love. â€Å"A new Love sweetens him with sugar and honey. Love, at whim, has hunted in her lands today, and now she gathers in her prey.His enemy has his heart (pg 38). † By this quote, we see that the force of love is overpowering, and Yvain is the â€Å"prey† wounded by love, because this woman, whose husband he has killed, now has his heart. When Yvain was published, society had just rece ntly become civilized, as opposed to their previously barbaric state. People were becoming accustomed to mannerism and sense of ruling. In the poem, we see a little of both sides of this society. In most of the story, Yvain and his surroundings are civilized, he is a proper knight and he is carrying out duties of society in a refined way.But when Laudine brought shame upon him for breaking his promise to her, we see Yvain turn to the opposite of civilized society. Yvain became so ashamed of himself he turned to a barbaric state of society, â€Å"a whirlwind broke loose in his brain, so violent that he went insane, and clawed himself, tore off his clothes and fled across the fields and rows (pg 79). † By entering the forest in this manner, Yvain indicated his complete abandonment of everything his aristocratic culture stood for—he no longer takes the part of a husband, or even a knight, but merely a wild animal.The entire poem is composed with many individual stories. W hat made this poem such an inspiration for the future genre was its completeness. Like Aristotle mentioned, a good story must have a beginning, middle and an end. Yvain, is compiled with many intricate stories chronologically placed, perfect and large enough for one to remember them all. The uniqueness of the Chivalric Romance genre had great influence on subsequent literature, but presenting three definite parts in the story is why Yvain or The Knight with the Lion became so renowned.

Bullying at Workplace

The use of harmful communication at workplace is of international concern. In various European countries and Australia, legislators have ratified and enforced laws that warn employers against using relationships that causes suffering and discomfort in the workplace (Namie & Namie, 2003). In England and the United States, laws have been propagated in an effort to afford just, safe and secure work conditions. These regulations are enforced through associations and groups responsible for safety and health of employees and agencies liable for defending against intolerance.In the U. S.,  for example regulations have been passed in the majority of states protecting workers from harassment, assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, annoyance and stalking. (Vega & Comer, 2005) At the same time, a number of recent studies suggest that exposure to moral harassment at work is a serious international problem. It is known by different names in different places, bullying in England, murahachib u or ijime in Japan and mobbing in the USA. Differing concepts have been in use in different European countries, such as, ‘moral harassment', ‘psychological terror' and ‘victimisation'.(Einarsen et al. , 2002) Though, they all seem to refer to the same phenomenon, specifically the â€Å"systematic mistreatment of a subordinate, a colleague, or a superior, which, if continued, may cause severe social, psychological and psychosomatic problems in the victim. Exposure to such treatment has been claimed to be a more crippling and devastating problem for employees than all other kinds of work-related stress put together, and is seen by many researchers and targets alike as an extreme type of social stress at work† (Einarsen et al., 2002, p. 3) Nevertheless, workers still complain that they are intimidated, abused verbally, and, on the whole, made to feel inadequate (Daniel, 2002). Circumstances in which workers are subjected to oral assaults and to intimidating an d harassing behaviours take place regularly in organizations (Namie & Namie, 2003). Confrontations that have non-fatal consequences leave workers irritated; some quit their employments or develop foremost problems with health.Scholars who recently began investigating these behaviours at workplace infer that the constant and deliberate verbal violence coupled with scorn or threatening and harassing strategies cause physical and psychological harm which they consider as a complicated phenomenon—workplace bullying (Davenport et al. , 2002). It is estimated that as many as 8-10% of European employees may suffer from exposure to bullying and harassment at work. It prevails in both private and public organisations and finds its victims among men and women alike.Studies also show that exposure to bullying at work is a severe source of stress at work and may be a crippling and devastating problem for those exposed. (Tehrani, 2001) A victim of bullying at work seems to produce severe emotional reactions such as fear, anxiety, helplessness, depression and shock. It appears to alter the victims’ perceptions of their work-environment to one of threat, danger, insecurity, and self-questioning, which may result in pervasive emotional, psychosomatic and psychiatric problems.Moral harassment also has negative effects on the organisation and lowers productivity in the workplace. (Vega & Comer, 2005) Researchers implemented the term â€Å"workplace bullying† from their counterparts in Europe, England, Australia, Canada, and other states worldwide where research has led to legislative and legal intrusions to prevent and highlight workplace bullying. Though, American and Japanese researchers have been slower than their colleagues worldwide to examine the nature of workplace bullying.Although research into psychological and emotional problems at workplace in Japan and America has led to legislative and legal acts to manage aggression, stalking, sexual harassme nt, and discrimination, workplace bullying has not been accepted in America and Japan as a special phenomenon. Consequently, legislative field in these countries concerning workplace abuse issues are underdeveloped. (Vogel, 2002) There are numerous definitions of workplace bullying; the one used at this point is â€Å"unwanted, offensive, humiliating, undermining behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees.Such persistently malicious attacks on personal or professional performance are typically unpredictable, irrational, and unfair. This abuse of power or position can cause such chronic stress and anxiety that people gradually lose belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a result† (Rayner, et al. , 2002, p. xi). Bullying refers to all situations where one or more people feel subjected to negative behaviour from others at work over a period of time and in situations where, for different reasons, they are unable to defend themselves against these actions.Typically, a victim is constantly teased, pursued, badgered and insulted and perceives that he or she has little recourse to retaliate in kind. (The Mobbing Encyclopaedia, 2006) We may distinguish between work-related bullying such as being exposed to unreasonable deadlines, unmanageable workloads or other kinds of behaviour that make the work situation difficult for the victim, and bullying that is primarily related to the person, such as insulting remarks, excessive teasing, gossip and rumours, social isolation and exclusion. This kind of behaviour is common and has been experienced by most people at work from time to time.As a single episode in a positive social climate, such actions may even be taken to be harmless. However, when behaviour that is perceived as unwanted by the recipient, is systematically and continually aimed at a particular person, and especially in a situation were the victim feels defenceless against the actions or the people performing them, it becomes an act of moral harassment. (The Mobbing Encyclopaedia, 2006) In the recent past three countries in the EU – Sweden, Belgium and France have enacted legislation to counter the incidence of moral harassment and more countries are expected to follow their lead.In this research assignment, the reasons and incidence of moral harassment are examined in different cultures, countries and legal systems to assess the current scenario, measures currently in place as well as those proposed to counter the problem, both within and outside the legal framework and possible solutions and measure, which could help in countering the issue. The countries chosen for the assignment are Britain, Sweden, France and Japan. All of these countries are developed and industrialised nations with democratic political systems, strong legal frameworks, emancipated work cultures and progressive thinking.Two of the chosen countries, namely Sweden and France have decided to introduce legislat ion to check the menace whereas the other two have not, possibly feeling it more appropriate to term it a social issue that can be solved through awareness, dialogue and discussion. Again Japan has a tradition and work culture very different from the other three and this contributes to dissimilarities in both origin and response to the issue of harassment in the workplace. It is hoped that this paper will succeed in examining the issue in detail and throw some fresh and engaging perspectives on this annoying social malaise.Background, Definitions and Legal Overview Background Moral harassment in the workplace is a global problem and exists in some form or other in all workplaces across continents and nationalities. The problem was considered commonplace even in 70’s and it was only at the initiative of Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, that the matter started receiving international attention. The British call the phenomenon bullying, a rather innocuous term hist orically linked to students in public schools being asked to run errands for their seniors.The problem is however not restricted to schools any longer. (Tehrani, 2001) In the United States it is known as mobbing, again a very unrepresentative and confusing term. Persecutors do join up sometimes to harass in groups or â€Å"mobs†, but harassment also happens in many one to one situations. The ramifications of moral harassment are thus far more extensive and represent a serious and vexing social problem, which needs eradication from civilised society. (Olweus, 2003) Workplace bullying has yet to become a regularly utilized term in the U. S.workplace or as a form of mistreatment from which American statutory law provides worker protection (Yamada, 2000). Unlike sexual harassment, which is defined by statutory and case law (Dougherty & Smythe, 2004), bullying is without a specific, unified vernacular and is often relegated to the schoolyard (Olweus, 2003). The connection to schoo lyard bullying can be stigmatising through association with childishness or weakness. Since people organize, structure, and create their experiences, interactions and realities through language (Spender, 1984), the absence of agreed upon terminology frustrates U.S. workers' efforts to name and make sense of these experiences and may contribute to their reported sense of feeling â€Å"crazy† (Tracy et al. , 2004). Workplace bullying, as a unique phenomenon, is also referred to as mobbing (Davenport et al. , 2002), harassment (Bjorkqvist et al. , 1994), psychological terror (Leymann, 1996), emotional abuse (Keashly, 2001), and victimization (Einarsen & Raknes, 1997). Mobbing, a term originating in Swedish research (Leymann, 1990), initially denoted numerous bullies singling out one person, but this distinction has since fallen away (Davenport et al., 2002). Over time, the two central terms bullying and mobbing have come to indicate virtually the same phenomenon. In actual fact workplace harassment is an omnibus list of unfair and uncalled for persecution in the workplace that can take many forms in its expression and execution. It is not limited to sexual harassment, per se, though sexual harassment is a major component of the harassment that goes on in offices and other establishments, worldwide. It could relate to and be caused because of sex, religion, creed, ethnicity, physical appearance or just plain dislike.It is a form of offensive treatment or behaviour, which to a reasonable person creates an intimidating, hostile or abusive work environment. It may be sexual, racial, based on gender, national origin, age, disability, religion or a person's sexual orientation. It may also encompass other forms of hostile, intimidating, threatening, humiliating or violent behaviour, which are offensive or intimidatory in nature. The central characteristics that differentiate workplace bullying from other negative social interactions at work are persistence (Mikke lsen & Einarsen, 2001), patterned negative acts (Einarsen et al., 2002), widespread harm (Davenport et al. , 2002), and escalation (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2003). Furthermore, bullying is linked to extremely hostile work environments (Salin, 2003); these environments are most likely both the medium and the outcome of bullying. That is, bullying is more likely to emerge in hostile work environments and also contributes to such environments (Crawford, 2001). Many researchers seek to differentiate workplace bullying from sexual and racial harassment (Leymann, 1996).Adams and Crawford (1992) expressly state that â€Å"although some people will insist otherwise, bullying at work is separate from the recognised problems of sexual harassment or racism† (p. 10). Others claim that the key legal issues that â€Å"distinguishes sexual harassment from bullying is that†¦ harassment is somehow based on gender†¦ and that men and women are treated differently† (Pryor & Fitzgerald, 2 003, p. 80). On the other hand, researchers may seek legitimacy for the construct of workplace bullying by closely linking it to racial or sexual harassment (Randall, 2001).For example, Einarsen and colleagues (1994) argue that, â€Å"sexual and racial harassment represent different aspects of the same problem† (Lee, 2001, p. 208). Lee (2001) argues â€Å"however, if sexual harassment and racial harassment are defined as only types of bullying, this might undermine the specificity and visibility of sexual and racial harassment† (p. 209). Interactions exist between sexual harassment, racial harassment, and workplace bullying; nevertheless, it seems important not to conflate types of harassment in a way that obscures the distinctive features of each (Lee, 2001). DefinitionsDefinitions of workplace bullying (or mobbing) vary by author, country and academic discipline, and there is no universally agreed-upon definition. There are, however, more similarities than difference s in present definitions of bullying as a unique phenomenon. This is a partial rendering of researchers who study workplace bullying, but provides the ways in which the foundational scholars and professionals have framed and defined the issue. Other researchers generally adopt one or more elements of following definitions. Consequently providing a more extensive list would potentially be more repetitive than revealing.European Parliament defines bullying as, â€Å"A lack of humanity at the workplace, personal experiences of bullying at work, a feeling of exclusion from the social community there, encountering irreconcilable demands at work and not having the wherewithal to meet these demands. † On the other hand, International Labour Office definition states that bullying is qualified as: â€Å"Offensive behaviour through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or groups of employees †¦ It involves ganging up on or ‘mobbingà ¢â‚¬â„¢ a targeted employee and subjecting that person to psychological harassment.It includes constant negative remarks or criticisms, isolating a person from social contacts and gossiping or spreading false information. † Rayner et al. (2002) state that bullying is â€Å"unwanted, offensive, humiliating, undermining behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees. Persistent malicious attacks on personal or professional performance that are typically unpredictable, irrational and often unfair. This abuse of power can cause such chronic stress and anxiety that people gradually lose belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a result† (Rayner et al., 2002, p. xi) They also argue that bullying is â€Å"a situation where one or several individuals persistently over a period of time perceive themselves to be on the receiving end of negative actions from one or several persons, in a situation where the target of bullying has difficult y defending him or herself against these actions. We will not refer to a one-off incident as bullying† (Rayner et al. , 2002, p. 24) Some researchers find workplace bullying in a huge number of harmful conditions arising out of nonverbal and verbal contact.Ramsey (2002) believe, that workplace bullying is: â€Å"Any behaviour that frightens, threatens or intimidates another person qualifies as bullying. Besides physical force, the most common types of bullying include: verbal abuse, written, spoken or implied threats, name-calling and racial slurs, vandalism, put-downs. † (p. 2) Randall (2001) argues that bullying is â€Å"the aggressive behaviour arising from the deliberate intent to cause physical and psychological distress to others† (p. 9)Australian researchers like, O’Hagan (2002) believe that workplace bullying is â€Å"workplace behaviour that is inappropriate, unreasonable, humiliating, denigrating, that offends and intimidates, and affects health , well-being and undermines productivity. † (p. 1) However, American researchers define workplace bullying as â€Å"emotional assault that begins when an individual becomes a target of disrespectful and harmful behaviours, innuendo, rumours, and public discrediting; a hostile environment is created in which one individual gathers others to willingly, or unwillingly, participate in continuous malevolent actions to force a person out†¦The individual experiences increasing distress, illness and social misery. † (Davenport et al. , 2002, p. 33) Scandinavian researchers argue that bullying lies in â€Å"harassing, offending, socially excluding someone or negatively affecting someone's work tasks. In order for the label bullying (or mobbing) to be applied to a particular activity, interaction or process it has to occur repeatedly and regularly (i. e. , weekly) and over a period of time (i. e. , about six months).Bullying is an escalating process in the course of which t he person confronted ends up in an inferior position and becomes the target of systematic negative social acts. A conflict cannot be called bullying if the incident is an isolated event or if two parties of approximately equal ‘strength' are in conflict’ (Einarsen et al. , 2003, p. 15) British researcher Glendinning (2001) posits that workplace bullying is â€Å"a management style that uses â€Å"repeated aggressive behaviour that deliberately causes physical or psychological torment† (pp. 3-4).He adds that it is also, â€Å"the repeated, less favourable treatment of a person by another in the workplace, which may be considered unreasonable and inappropriate workplace practice. It includes behaviour that intimidates, offends, degrades, or humiliates a worker, possibly in front of co-workers, clients or customers (pp. 3-4). Most literature uses the term bullying to label this extreme, persistent form of workplace abuse. Despite the common terminology in internat ional research, the term workplace bullying has yet to become widely used by American and Japanese academics (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2005).The following definition is a essence of the aforementioned body of work: Workplace bullying is a pattern of persistent, offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting, or exclusionary discursive and non-discursive behaviours that targets perceive as intentional efforts to harm, control, or drive them from the workplace. Bullying is often escalatory in nature and linked to hostile work environments. The principal effects are damage or impairment to targets and workgroups and obstruction of organizational goals and processes. Legal OverviewWorkplace bullying erodes interpersonal relationships outside of work (Davenport et al. , 2002), and evidence â€Å"points to the potential for damage to those who have witnessed bullying at work† (Rayner et al. , 2002, p. 189). Co-workers are secondary targets of workplace bullying, similar to persons who witnes s and are psychologically marked by acts of workplace violence and murder (Barling, 1996). When co-workers witness others being bullied, they make the quite logical assumption that they could be targeted in a similar fashion and hypervigilance becomes a permanent feature of work life (Lockhart, 1997).Fear, emotional exhaustion, and guilt increase the likelihood of staff turnover. Furthermore, witnesses report higher stress levels and intentions to leave than do non-observers (Vartia, 2001). Given the destructive results of bullying, many find it difficult to believe this behaviour is unintentional. Even the detailed list of examples of harassment is not exhaustive and perpetrators can constantly think up new ways of tormenting their victims.Harassment can occur in numerous ways, some of which will be obvious but there will be others, quite subtle and difficult to explain. Further examples of harassment are the withholding of information which can affect the victim’s performan ce, ignoring views and opinions, setting unreasonable/impossible deadlines, giving unmanageable workloads, humiliating staff in front of others, being shouted at or being the target of spontaneous rage. As such, harassment can take a variety of shapes and forms and can manifest itself in the unlikeliest of situations.(Tehrani, 2001) In the UK, it is important to specify and identify harassment separately as, unlike bullying, many forms of discrimination are outlawed by specific legislation to which a victim can turn for recourse. The Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom states that bullying at work is a cause of stress. They state that â€Å"stress at work can be triggered or made worse where ‘there is prolonged conflict between individuals, including †¦ bullying or where staff are treated with contempt or indifference. † (Unison, 2003)Persistent exposure to bullying is also likely to lead to behavioural and attitudinal problems among workers. It can l ead to an increase in accidents, lack of concentration and increased use of alcohol and tobacco consumption. Exposure to persistent and regular bullying may also make it difficult for workers to cope with daily tasks. Other symptoms of bullying include anxiety, headaches, nausea, ulcers, various illnesses of organs such as the kidney, contemplating suicide, sleeplessness, skin rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, bursting into tears and loss of self-confidence.

Thanks Giving Tower Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Thanks Giving Tower - Essay Example It shows a symbol of economic prosperity and its design and general layout can be used to tell a lot about the political as well as the economic position of the country during its construction. The building has underground tunnels that are owned by the city of Galls and the other parts of the building belong to major private companies and personalities. The structure as its name suggests acts as both a centre of thanks giving, and as major economic activities. This paper critically looks at some of the designs of the building, the influence that the environment at that particular time of construction had on the building and how the building has been able to transform over the years to the present time. The contributions of the architect Philip Johnson are also discussed in detail and how his life influenced the construction of such a marvelous structure. The Thanks Giving square has undergone a lot of transformation over the years and each time reflecting the type of technology at th at particular period of time. This particular building can be used as a tool for comparing modern buildings and technologies from post modern buildings and technologies. The thanks giving square is mainly used for religious as well as social services. This can be used to show that the society at this particular time was religious and observed religious events. For this reason, Philip decided to design a large building that could be used for religious functions. This building can therefore be used to justify the fact that the society of the 70’s was religious and that the designer as well as the owners were religious persons. The building can also tell us a lot about the culture that existed at that particular period of time (Welch 17). At the time of its construction, the US had a lot going on. There was need for unity amongst people from various states and the cold war was still a major problem. During this period, the US government being an anticommunist society wanted to p rove to the rest of the world that it had the best technology. This led to the invention of many products that were to be used in homes and other places. At this particular period, the US was present in Vietnam and there were a lot of questions about their actions. The thanks giving square can present a lot of things about the US during its construction. With its complicated design and nature, this is one of the architectural designs that were used to sell the US to the outside world. It acted as a symbol of economic prosperity, and a technological advancement. The actual services that the building provided the people, acting as a social service and religious centre showed the value that the US gave to social as well as religious activities a neglected thing in the communist states. Philip Johnson designed one of the most beautiful buildings at that particular time not only to show out his mastery of architecture but to also sell the US to the world as a successful state that was be tter than the USSR and other communist states (Jacobson 47). The building of this glamorous building also shows the characteristic of the building technologies that were present at the moment of its construction. This was the era when various skyscrapers erupted to prove to the world that the US was a superpower and that no other nation could be able to compare with it. As time goes by from the 70’s to the 21st century, a lot of changes have been seen and new technologies have emerged. The thanks giving square has been able to transform with time and hence acquire new technology and shape that reflects on the technology of that particular time. In order to be sustainable all through time, there are various changes and transformations that have been implemented in order for the building not to

Contract & Agency Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contract & Agency Law - Essay Example This requirement created the need have the separation of power within the government. The government is created to comprise three branches. They are the legislature, executive and the judiciary (Tabalujan, 2009). The legislature is responsible for the creation of laws. It formulates and presents laws that are then implemented as laws on the land. This is done upon its interpretation of the law and what is required to be drafted as law. The executive is referred to as the ruling branch of the government. The executive lays down implementation plans of the laws created by the legislature. In general, the executive implements the laws that are created (Tabalujan, 2009). The judiciary acts as an independent body but as a creation of both the executive and legislature. The judiciary interprets the laws created and implemented. This is done by creating legal provisions that are generated from the interpretation of the laws created. In addition, the judiciary dictates the legality that may arise from the implementation process. The three branches of the government to are referred to as the separation of power. The collaboration of the branches ensures the efficient creation, implementation, and supervision of laws in a state. In Singapore, separation of power is made under the concept of constitutionalism. This is aimed at limiting the mandate and freedom of the government to exercise power. The constitution in the Republic of Singapore separates power in three function or branches of the government (Tabalujan, 2009).They are the legislature, executive and the judiciary. The Singapore executive arrangement is derived from the British government system (Tabalujan, 2009). The President is the head of state. He is a member of both the parliament and the executive. However, he has a minimized role in both bodies. The citizens of Singapore elect the President and the members of parliament but

Service management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Service management - Essay Example The three organizations are then evaluated to outline specific activities that are examples of excellent service management. Service refers to the interactions that occur between customers and service providers. These service providers are usually employees of organizations that provide services as their main focus of business (Patti, 2008). Services are usually different from products in several aspects. This makes their management different compared to product selling management. One aspect that makes the management of services different is that they are produced and consumed simultaneously, in the presence of customers. The presence of consumers of services during their production requires perfection since unlike products; there is no time for testing their effectiveness. Service encounters refer to the points of interaction when service providers are delivering services to the customers. The effectiveness of service delivery in satisfying customers results from excellent service management. Excellent service refers to the activities that lead to customers having the best experiences beyond their expec tation. Successful management of these activities to ensure their continuity is referred to as excellent service management. This report will examine these activities in three organizations (John Lewis, Jocobite experience Loch Ness and Citizen M Hotel) and evaluate how they qualify to be excellent service management. For a service encounter to be termed excellent, it must be viewed as a package and not as fragmented components (Smith, 2004). Viewing as a package will enable the service providers to take a holistic approach, ensuring that all aspects of service delivery that makes a good customer experience are enhanced. All the components of a service package must be uniform in the image they portray to the customers. Customers always derive experience from the

Entamoeba histolytica Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entamoeba histolytica - Essay Example The Entamoeba histolytica is the protozoan responsible for a disease called amoebiasis1. It mainly occurs in the large intestines and causes inflammation as its name suggests. The number of infections worldwide as a result of the parasite can be approximated at 35-50 million people, majority of whom are in developing countries where there is a problem of poor sanitation2. Entamoeba histolytica is a pathogenic parasite that occurs within the intestines and is the sole causative agent of amoebiasis, lack of proper hygiene can be ascribed as be one of the foremost causes of infection by the pathogen. The Entamoeba histolytica is an anaerobic protozoan that causes an infection in the digestive system of mainly humans and other primates2. It is estimated that the parasite has infected approximately 50 million people in the world over and it has had a major role in the morbidity and mortality especially in the developing countries. In addition, animals close to the home such as dogs and cats may also be infected regularly but are not believed to contribute to the transmission of the pathogen3. However, though there are numerous species of protozoa in the genus Entamoeba, not all of them are disease causing organisms. The Entamoeba histolytica is known to cause what is commonly referred to as amebiasis in humans which can either cause internal infections in the intestines or external ones2, 3. Even though some members of the Entamoeba genus are not associated with disease, they are important since they often may be confused with Entamoeba histolytica in diagnostics. Though it has a rather well distribution of incidence worldwide, there is higher incidence of amebiasis in developing countries. Medically speaking, in order for one to get infected by the protozoa, they ought to have ingested mature cysts that may be present in

Welfare policies in relation to people with disabilities tend to focus Essay

Welfare policies in relation to people with disabilities tend to focus on what people with disabilities are unable to do rather than what they can do - Essay Example The policies of states for people with disabilities usually reflect the level at which the needs of these people are respected by the local society. However, again problems and delays are identified in the development of these policies in practice. Most commonly, the welfare policies for people with disabilities focus on what these people are unable to do – rather on what they can actually do. This problem is reviewed and analyzed in this paper. Reference is made to the level at which welfare policies address the actual needs of people with disabilities; the barriers that these policies have to face are also presented aiming to show the reason why the policies referring to the needs and the rights of people with disabilities are based on these peoples’ inabilities rather and not on their potential/ capabilities. It is concluded that the specific strategy – using this criterion for developing the welfare policies for people with disabilities – can be explai ned using different approaches. These approaches are differentiated in each country; however, similarities exist on which the relevant explanations can be based. Another important finding of this study has been the fact that this trend – focusing on these people’s inabilities – seems to be expanded, probably because specific interests are served, as explained analytically below. It should be noted that the criteria used by the legislators when developing policies related to the needs/ interests of people with disabilities are not standardized; the political characteristics of each country – as these characteristics are changed through the decades – are of crucial importance for deciding on the terms under which disabled people will be supported (Chaudhary 2006, p.12). However, often the reasons for which welfare policies refer to the inabilities rather than the abilities/ skills of disabled persons are independent from the political and social ethi cs and trends – for instance, when these policies are applied across a particular organization, the criteria on which these policies are based cannot be controlled using the common ethical rules (Krieger, 2003); this issue is also explored in this study at the level that it helps to understand the trend of welfare policies to focus on the inabilities of disabled persons. 2. Welfare policies for people with disabilities – why these policies tend to focus on what people with disabilities are unable to do rather than what they can do The welfare policies developed within each society are usually related with the local social needs and culture; however, infrastructure available for the relevant policies is also considered to have a critical role in deciding the welfare policies that would be most appropriate for a specific country. On the other hand, the increase of the number of people with disabilities who do not work (Cousins, 2007, p.252) leads to the assumption that m ore funds are required for the financial support of these people; the identification of these funds can be a challenging task for a government – especially in periods of financial crisis and in countries that face severe financial turbulences – like Ireland; the deterioration of a country’s economy can be used as a justification for the limitation of the financial support provided by the state to people with disabilities. In countries where the support provided to disabled people has been traditionally related to the social ethics, the challenges that the local government has to face for retrieving the relevant funds are more; for instance

Three-river-source ecological environment protection strategy Essay

Three-river-source ecological environment protection strategy - Essay Example To achieve ecological and environmental protection in this region, an innovative environmental protection strategy is required. New developments in environmental policy, coupled with a new global awareness are sure to help the environmental cause. The establishment of a permanent ecological conservation zone will serve as a model for the region. The establishment of the Three-River source region’s ecological protection foundation is crucial, and so is building a long-term ecological environment compensation policy. The compensation policy serves for relocating people, who depend on the region, to towns and cities, in order to restore its rivers’ ecological environment. The establishment of an ecological conservation zone has become an important protection activity in natural areas around the world. The establishment of an ecological conservation zone is not only beneficial for conserving the flora and fauna, but it also generates economic benefits for communities living in rural and remote areas. Generally speaking, conservation strives to practice the sensible use of natural resources and maintains the biological diversity. It limits the adverse effects of human activities by establishing an ecological conservation zone. It serves to restore timber, improve water quality and provide an area to graze livestock. Conservation practice concerns all kinds of disciplines. It is relevant for subjects- such as philosophy, economics, and sociology - that are concerned with the social environment.

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 33

Research Paper Example It is the sixth vastest nation in the world and its neighboring nations include East Timor, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It is estimated that human habitation in the country started between 42,000 and 48, 000 years ago. For approximately 40, 000 years, the country had been inhabited by roughly 750, 000 to 1,000,000 Indigenous people who spoke diverse languages. However, this number declined rapidly after settlement due to infectious diseases. The Aboriginal Protection Act of the year 1869 led to the separation of children from their communities and families, which also contributed to the reduction in the number of the indigenous people. During the European settlement, most of the Australians were horticulturalists and hunters as well as gatherers. They also had strong spiritual values that were grounded on a major belief in Dreamtime and reverence to the land. Since the year 1951, the US and Australia became military allies after signing the Anzus treaty. After the Second World War, immigration from regions such as Europe and Asia were promoted. Consequently, the country’s culture, image, and demography were transformed (Macintyre et al. 2008; Index Mundi, 2014). Australia is the only largest nation across the globe that covers the continent. Although it has an increased space reserved for fertile lands and have various natural resources, roughly one-third of the nation is a desert. Most of the deserts are located in rural remote regions where there are high temperatures, less or no vegetation, and there is little water. Its land area comprises of around 7.7 million square kilometers and its most southerly point is the South, which is 38 degrees, 08 minutes latitudes (Index Mundi, 2014). The country has an economic zone that is 370.4 kilometers and the driest as compared to other nations. Most of its farms

A SMALL PLACE JAMAICAN KINCAID Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A SMALL PLACE JAMAICAN KINCAID - Essay Example However, as I kept on reading, I figured that Jamaican Kincaid is about a journey of a tourist, who comes far away from his every day world to have a good time. It shows the ignorance we use as bliss in order to go through an ordinary life. Starting from the customs at the airport, writer Annie John has tried to show the difference the tourist is likely to notice once he/she arrives in Antigua. The cab ride, which starts with the driver quoting a high price than the one he would charge the local people. The writer shows here that people in these countries, especially cab drivers feel that their best chance of earning easy money is to quote a high price to a western tourist as the drivers would feel that these tourists would not mind spending these amounts of money since they do not have any idea about the regular charge. The ride to the hotel might seem dangerous if narrated, with nearly no traffic rules being followed and the condition of the roads giving you the feeling that you are in Disney Land and taking a ride in a roller-coaster. However, the writer says that the tourist would not feel much of a difference as the cab drivers in New York are also from these parts of the world and would have a similar style of dr iving. The writer talks about the possible confusion of the tourist when he sees expensive cars Made in Japan, he must wonder how can these people afford it, do these people have equally expensive houses to go with this car? The writer posing this question gets the chance to take a dig at the government of Antigua which owns two major car dealerships in Antigua. The government hence makes car/auto loans easier for consumers while home loans remain stringent. Describing the god awful look of the hospitals and the quality of the doctors, Annie John makes the reader think about the helpless condition of people in Antigua. As the writer said, the ministers can take a

60s America Through Images Essay Example for Free

60s America Through Images Essay The 1960s proved a tumultuous time for the United States in how there were so many historical developments in the mere space of a decade. Throughout the 60s Americans experienced and witnessed many events such as war, civil rights campaigns and protests, assassinations, technological developments and the emergence of a popular culture and counterculture. Photography came to the fore at the start of the 20th century and a huge emphasis was put on the visual to experience culture. The historical developments of the 60s can be seen clearly through the visual culture as they portray the historical events of the time through the medium of imagery. With the growing popularization of television, imagery could be rapidly distributed to each home and this is one of the main reasons that visual culture had such a profound effect on those who witnessed the events portrayed. â€Å"By the end of the decade 90% of Americans had access to television sets† this staggering amount of led to a high level of influence though reception of imagery. For instance when we look at the portrayal of the typical American family one would often see an image of a close-knit family sitting together watching television. In the space of a decade from the 1950s television was incorporated in the American family (see fig. 1. ). Pictures such as this defined the family of the late 50s early 60s and incorporated the television into American families. With the television being a vital part of family life there was a constant flow of imagery available for the family to view. We can clearly see through images such as this that the US population began to regularly consume what the television provided. The photograph captures the importance television as a family pastime and how it gradually became the main focus of family time. Therefore we can see that the visual culture through the media such as television, newspapers and the images they provided to the population had a serious impact on historical developments of the 1960s. Information was constantly received by the population usually alongside images of events and the visual culture affected the historical developments of the 60s in how it influenced reactions to events. It is also evident that visual culture heavily influenced the 1960s due to the amount of images and videos from the time that are still available for viewing today. Figure 1. Everett F. Baumgardner. Family watching Television. 1958. Photograph. Nation Archives and Records of Administration. http://web. archive. org/web/20071226081329/teachpol. tcnj. edu/amer_pol_hist/thu mbnail427. htm One of the most important events to happen in the 1960s which greatly affected the US was its part of was the Vietnamese War. The war had a vital part in the 60s decade as it spanned through the whole of the 60s up until 1975. The war was the first of its kind as it was reported in great detail through television and newspapers. Essentially the Vietnam War and visual culture of the time went hand in hand as the relationship between the two was constant throughout the 60s. For over a decade people could get a visual insight into the war which had never been available before and many believe this is one of the main reasons that the US lost the war. President Lyndon seen this and argued that â€Å"if the previous wars had been televised, the United States would not have preserved in fighting them. Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman would have lost support for their policies even as he lost support for his, forcing the abandonment of his campaign for his re-election. † It was due to the constant visual bombardment of the ugly realities of war on the US people that turned them against the war and forced many to protest the war (fig. 2 and fig. 3). Figure 2. Horst Faas. A father holds the body of a child. 1964. Photograph. Available at Photographer Collection: Horst Faas http://blogs. denverpost. com/captured/2012/05/15/photographer-collection-horst-faas-vietnam/5689/ . Figure3. Horst Faas. Lt. Col. George Eyster of Florida. 1966. Photograph. Available at Photographer Collection: Horst Faas http://blogs. denverpost. com/captured/2012/05/15/photographer-collection-horst-faas-vietnam/5689/ Photographers such as Horst Fass gained their reputation for showing the horrors of the Vietnamese war through their photographs. Faas captured some of the most controversial photographs that showed the suffering of both sides of the war. When we look at these photos we can see the influence of the Vietnamese War on the visual culture of the United States. Pictures such as these were received on a daily basis and they dominated the decade visually becoming some of the most well known images from the 60s and the war itself. The graphic pictures show the ugly side of the Vietnamese War and photographs such as the father clutching his daughter’s body in front of soldiers dealt with the death of civilians while the photo of injured soldiers showed frailty of US troops. At the time these photographs seen showed the truth about the war and Fass would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for his work in Vietnam. When we look these images it is clear that both reflect on the dark chaos of the war and the ugly realities which the civilian population had never seen before. The visual culture greatly affected the population’s war morale as it provided frail images of US soldiers either dead or wounded something which was not shown in previous wars. The reporting of the Second World War and the Korean War was different in that it was filtered with most hearing reports through radio broadcasts and newspapers which were controlled by the government. By the 60s there had been major developments in media reporting in that they had become more liberated. By the 60s multiple channels were emerging with their own news reporters providing multiple stories and recounts of different parts of the war. Therefore there was a vast increase in the amount of broadcasts and images being sent into the American homes greatly influencing a majority of the population. With photographers such as Faas working in Vietnam and capturing images showing innocent civilians being killed the United States population saw an unseen side to its army throughout the Vietnamese war as the army was shown in a very negative view. It can clearly be seen that photographers such as Faas greatly influenced the visual culture of the US throughout the 60s and these images had a significant impact in historical developments leading to the war effort becoming unpopular and encouraging anti war efforts. Figure 4. Ron Haeberle. My Lai Massacre. 1968. Photograph. Available at Life Magazine. Vol. 67. No. 23 . The negative view of the US army was perhaps most emphasised in the My Lai massacre in 1968. Throughout past wars the US army was seen as a symbol of justice and a manifestation of the good in that they were fighting to save the world but with the emergence of images and reports of events such as the Mai Lai Massacre there morality and ethics were questioned. Some even compared the US army to the Germans of World War Two in their way of psychologically thinking. â€Å"Two researchers concluded that Americans were deflecting the responsibility with the same defence mechanism the Germans used to rationalize the Holocaust. † The photography which emerged from the massacre by Ron Haeberle shocked the world and spurred many of the US into protesting against the war. (Fig4. Here we can clearly see why many considered comparing the US army’s actions to that of the German holocaust, the brutality and graphic detail which Haeberle’s photos captured had never been so widely distributed before. The terror on the faces or the sheer number of bodies appearing in some of the images had not been captured on camera before and these pictures were seen by thousands when they were published in magazines such as Life and greatly affected the visual culture intake of the American population. These particular photos had a huge influence on historical developments later in the war such as the protests and the investigations into what happened in the war. From looking at images such as photographs taken from the 1960s we can clearly see that the Vietnam had a huge influence on visual culture at the time and visual culture that would later emerge in the 70s. This was due to the fact that the war took up so many aspects of American life as it was a constant through the entire decade of the 60s. Regular exposure to the ugly realities of battle is thought to have turned the public against the war, forcing withdrawal of American troops and leaving the way clear for eventual Communist victory. †The visual culture was hugely influenced by the Vietnam War in the 60s it was mostly through photography and videos shown to the public by the media but later it influenced visual culture through art such as sculpture and painting. After the war ended in 1975 countless memorials were erected and many artists were inspired by the photographs this is evident in the sculpture The Three Soldiers Memorial sculpted in 1984 by Frederick Hart displayed in Washington. From looking at the Vietnam War throughout the 60s it is evident that it influenced the future of the visual culture as much as the visual culture influenced the developments of the war. The 60s decade can be defined as a decade of social revolution within the US. Many different causes gained strength and a massive following through their protests to further their cause. During this decade many protested for different reasons such as anti-war campaigners and those looking for the equal rights. There were movements for many different causes such as the African American civil rights movement, Hispanic and Chicano movement and the Gay Rights movement. For example with the Vietnamese War came protests against the war throughout the 60s. Those who were influenced by the atrocities shown in reports and images sent from Vietnam protested avidly throughout the 60s hence we can say the visual culture of the US had a great influence on the historical developments of the 60s, However although in the 60s protesting became very popular it was introduced through the Civil Rights movements in the late fifties early 60s and its idea of peaceful protesting. The 60s became a time associated with protest due to the vast amounts of protests staged for different reasons throughout the 60s. One of the major protest movements of the 60s was the Civil Rights Movement. These protests initially started in the late 50s but peaked in the 60s and were a catalyst of many other protests in the 60s. Those who protested for civil rights did so in a peaceful way and this greatly influenced the other protests such as the anti-war protests. Once again we can see that the visual culture through the medium of photography greatly influenced the development of these protests. Once again the population of the US was provided with images shocking to behold. The most influential case is perhaps the protest in Birmingham Alabama in 196 where the police reacted with unneeded violence. â€Å"Many argue that the dramatic clashes between nonviolent civil rights demonstrators and southern law enforcement in Birmingham and Selma were the principle impetus behind the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, respectively. † Photographers of the time captured the violence of the police force and once again widely distributed and impacted on the community causing widespread support for the movement. When we look at what photographers such as Bill Hudson and Bob Adelman captured in their photographs we can see why the visual culture had such an impact on the historical developments regarding the Civil Rights Movement (Fig. 5 and Fig. 6). The image of the youth being attacked by the police dog is very harrowing and controversial, through this image the US seen the severity of racism and its unneeded violence. This photo became a huge part of the visuality of the Civil Rights Campaign’s attempt to gain support from the rest of the US population due to the severity of the photo and how controversial it was. Meanwhile Hudson’s photo of the protestors grouping together to take cover from water cannons can be seen as a symbol of unification of the protestors against the oppression of the police force and the city of Birmingham. There are countless images such as these two that were taken from the Birmingham Campaign This protest was a rally point for the Civil Rights Campaign and the images taken from Birmingham united and encouraged other people to protest in the south. The visual culture greatly influenced the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement as the Birmingham protest was captured in photography and gave the rest of the US an insight into what was happening in the South. These images had a significant impact on 1960s America and provided a major boost for the campaign as it received national attention leading to desegregation and equal opportunity for the coloured population. This protest was a rally point for the Civil Rights Campaign and the images taken from Birmingham united and encouraged other coloured people to protest in the south. The visual culture greatly influenced the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement as the Birmingham protest was captured through the photographers and gave the rest of the US an insight into what was happening in the South. These images had a significant impact on 1960s America and provided a major boost for the campaign as it received national attention leading to the gradual desegregation of the US and eventual equal opportunity for the coloured population. Figure 5. Bill Hudson. Birmingham Protest. 1963. Photograph. Available at Iconic photos http://iconicphotos. wordpress. om/2010/06/26/birmingham/. Figure6. Bob Adelman. Ingram Park Birmingham. 1963. Photograph. Available at J. Paul Getty Museum. http://www. getty. edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails? artobj=258562 . The Civil Rights Movement provided an example of peaceful protest which became a popular way of protesting throughout the 60s. The social group which held a majority of the protests at the time were third level students . â€Å"From the civil rights demonstrations of the early sixties, students have turned to protest both the war in Vietnam and the policies of their schools. It is no exaggeration to give college students credit for making Vietnam a national issue. †They were influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and based their protests on the same ideology in peaceful protests. The 60s were a time of constant protest for students. The issues of the student protest movements range from racial discrimination, the war on poverty, and the war in Vietnam, to particular policies of the universities. However it was the anti- war protests that spurred the most conflict between the students and the authorities. The visual culture made impressions in developing the protests through the use of printing presses as seeing photos such as Faas’ or Adelman’s spurred the student bodies into action. With the emergence of the My Lai massacre and other such atrocities protests escalated to a climax at the end of the 60s with the Columbia University protests of 1968. Students discovered that the university was secretly affiliated with the Department of Defence’s weapon research and openly protested this affiliation with occupying university buildings and this eventually led to their violent removal. However it was this violence by the authorities that increased support for the protestors. â€Å"In his study of the Columbia Crisis in the spring of 1968, Barton (1968) found that the use of excessive police force against demonstrators had the effect of increasing the sympathy of faculty and students for the tactics (a sit-in and a general strike) employed by the demonstrators. † This violence recorded through the news and photographs once again captivated the US and encouraged many to take part in the protests (Fig. 7). The imagery taken from the by photographers such as Morris captured the harsh measures the authorities and when these pictures were published in newspapers and magazines people began to empathize with the protestors. It is evident in each movement that the media greatly influenced the historical developments through imagery such as photography. Through photography and the media it can be said that the visual culture impacted the outcome of many movements such as the African-American civil rights movements, the anti-war protests and the gradual end of the war. Figure 7. Larry C. Morris. Police forcing Columbia Students out. 968. Photograph. Available at The New York Times. Imagery was a huge part of protests throughout the 60s through photographs of the events but other visuals emerged with the protestor’s use of posters. With the gradual growth of homemade printing presses simple yet colourful posters began to emerge at protests. At protests there was a constant bombardment of simple yet very controversial. The poster entitled ‘it’s the real thing for S. E. Asia’ was simple, eye catching and precise the bright colour of the posters caught bystander’s eyes and presented its argument outwardly in the face of the public (Figure 8. . Posters such as the ‘it’s the real thing for S. E Asia’ were a common site at protests against Vietnam and mocked capitalism and the military tactics that were employed during the time. These protests were against the stupidity and brutality of the war emerged in the early 60s with controversial posters such as this one becoming a more common sight. Anti-war protests provided the majority of the controversial posters as they attempted to highlight the problems with the war. By nature these posters

The Golden Age Of Athens

The Golden Age Of Athens The Golden Age of Athens, the Age of Pericles, and Pentekontaetia are all names for the time period when Athens reached its height of power and prosperity. It began in 478 B.C. and lasted for approximately fifty years until 431 B.C. In the beginning of its so-called Golden Age, Athens was just coming out of the Persian Wars as leader of the Delian League, and they were beginning their rise to power. At the end of this prosperous era, Athens had made huge advancements in their government, architecture, art, literature, science, and philosophy. Their accomplishments in these areas influence essentially every aspect of society today. Before the Golden Age, Athens was like other city-states in Greece. They were not the superpower of the country; in fact, they were not very significant at all during this time. Athens was located on the peninsula of Attica, and it was the only part of mainland Greece that remained Ionian and did not submit to the Dorian invasion. After the Dorian invasion, Athens did not have a Democracy; they had an oligarchy like many of the other city-states in Greece. In Athens, the Acropolis which was the highest part of the city, was the first site of settlement because it was easily defendable with its steep slopes. Eventually, a central fortress was built, and it encompassed the city. The first law code of Athens was created in 621 B.C. by Athenian nobleman Draco. However, this law code was harsh and only favored the oligarchs, and there were rules such as: a creditor could enslave a debtor if they didnt repay the debt, and the death penalty was given for the smallest crimes. Eventually, in 594 B.C., Solon changes Athens laws. He abolished all of Dracos harsh rules, and he gave citizens a larger voice. Solon created the first Assembly; however, poor citizens were not allowed to hold government jobs. He also helped establish the idea of Democracy, although Athens would not become a full Democracy until 5th Century B.C. The Greeks fell under Persian rule, but although they were not enslaved, they had to pay taxes and annual tributes to the Persians. In 499 B.C, the Ionian Greeks, led by Aristagoras, revolted against Persian rule. There were several battles between the Greeks and the Persians before they were independent once again. The first major battle was the Battle of Marathon fought in 490 B.C, and it was essentially between Athens and Persia. At this time, Athens did not have the strong fleet that it had during its Golden Age. The Athenians needed help, so they sent Phidippides, a professional runner, to ask Sparta for help. Yet, the Spartans did not send soldiers until well into the war, and the battles outcome looked bleak for the Greeks. However, hope was not lost for the Athenians; they received help from Plataea, who sent 9,000 men to join the Athenians at Marathon. The Greeks used the hoplite formation to defeat the Persians. At the end of the battle, 6,400 Persians died, whereas the Athenians only lost 192 men. Phidippides was then sent from Marathon to Athens to alert the Athenians of their victory. The run was a little over twenty-six miles long, and he died immediately after giving the good news. Today, the marathon races run today represent Phidippides journey and they are held in honor of him. It was David versus Goliath, with little David winning. Furthermore, for the first time, a battle was fought on which our whole modern way of life seemed to dependà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If the Athenians had lost at Marathon, Athens would have been destroyed, and then (many people think) Greece might never have gone on to develop the peak of its civilization, a peak whose fruits we moderns have inherited [Isaac Asimov, pg. 104 ]. Another important battle of the Persian Wars was the Battle of Thermopylae, which was fought in 480 B.C. 7,000 men were led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and his 300 Spartans were the backbone of the army. This battle was mostly between the Greeks (led by Sparta) and Xerxes, the Persian leader. The Greeks lost the battle because of a Phocian traitor that told Xerxes a way around the mountain pass they were stuck in. Although every soldier died fighting, their valiant battle inspired the Greek lovers of freedom, who continued fighting against the Persians. There were other battles like Salamis, Himera, Mycale, and Plataea, and all of these were victories for the Greeks. Finally, in 478 B.C, the Persian War ended, and the Greeks were free from Persian rule. After the Persian War, Sparta and Athens emerged as the two most powerful city-states in Ancient Greece. However, Sparta became extremely jealous of Athens because the Athenians had received most of the credit for the victory against the Persians. The Confederacy of Delos, or the Delian League, was an alliance of Greek city-states formed during the Persian War that was headed by Athens. Yet, although many of the city-states were involved in the alliance, most of the money from the Delian League was used to glorify Athens. The Spartans were upset that Athens was using all of the money, and also because of the fact that they were not the head of the League, so they formed their own alliance called the Peloponnesian League. In time, Spartas jealousy and growing dislike of Athens became so great that a civil war broke out, which led to the downfall of Athens Golden Age. Athens great Golden Age began in 478 B.C. and lasted for Fifty Years. This period of peace, prosperity, and progress in every aspect of culture and science flourished under the leadership of Pericles. Pericles was an aristocrat from a pro-democratic family, so it was natural that he believed in and supported democracy. He was a good speaker and planner of Athens policies. He commanded the military and carried out foreign policies of the people; he was not only respected by the people, but also by his colleagues. Pericles encouraged the arts and built great public buildings, such as the Parthenon. The Greeks, specifically the Athenians, were happy with what Pericles was doing with Athens. By making Athens seem more beautiful to other countries, Greece seemed to be more respected by the world. Pericles seemed like somebody who would be comfortable around others, especially because he was such a charismatic figure. However, he avoided social activities and had very few friends. His one passion in life was for politics; he never mentioned gods or any sort of piety. Pericles was a well-educated and honest man that did not accept bribes or abuse his power. This led the Athenians to like him even more, and he had more power than a king or a tyrant would have had. It was this power that allowed him to bring Athens to its height and turn it into the foundation of Western Civilization. Pericles favored equality for all in Athens, excluding women of course. He passed a bill that gave a salary to jurors, which allowed the poor to serve. He also eliminated laws that allowed only the rich to hold a high office and paid officials, which permitted all citizens of all social classes to participate in the government. Pericles strengthened Athens by building walls from the city to Piraeus in order to safely move food and supplies. These walls became known as the Long Walls, and it was completed in 458 B.C. He was the very basis of Athens Golden Age and after his passing, life in Greece would never be the same. Their most glorious age had reached a sudden end, and their most terrible ordeal was about to begin [Don Nardo, pg.]. While leading Athens during its Golden Age, architecture was very important to the Greeks. Pericles believed the citys greatness should be seen by the world, so he supported major construction of great structures. He had the Acropolis built, and its buildings contained Doric and Ionic columns. These were made of marble, and they represented the strength and grace of the Athenians. On top of the Acropolis was the Propylaea, or entrance way. The Propylaea incorporated traditional, Doric, and Ionic styles. It was designed by architect Mensicles circa 437 B.C. Another structure on top of the Acropolis is the Erechthium, which is the Temple of wingless victory. Perhaps the most famous building from the Golden Age was the Parthenon. This structure was built in 447 B.C., and was the spiritual center of Athens. It was designed and built by architect Ictinus, Callicrates, and sculptor Phidias. The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and it was Doric in style. The building was a symbol of Athens power, and demonstrated the blessing the city received from the Gods. It is 237 feet long, 110 feet wide and 60 feet tall. It denotes harmony and symmetry in the way that the building is completely symmetrical. According to Greek Scholar John Miliadis, the Parthenon is more the work of inspiration than of calculation. It is a new vision of life, the vision of classical Athenians. Phidias was a friend of Pericles, and died in prison because of the aristocrats of Greece that disliked him. He was believed to be the greatest sculptor during Pericless Age. He carved a 525 foot frieze, which is a band of sculptured figures, around the perimeter of the Parthenon. He also sculpted a statue of Athena Parthenos, which stood 40 feet tall, and was composed of wood, ivory, and over 2,500 pounds of gold. The appearance of Athens was extremely important to its people, and this was clearly displayed through its architectural projects. The Parthenon, the Erechthium, and the Propylaea were all clear examples of Athens power and greatness. Pericles believed that Athens was the leader of the Greek World, and therefore, they had the responsibility of showing the world how cultured they were. Much of the money from the Delian League went into the building projects of Athens. Most members of the League were not upset about this however; on the contrary, they were somewhat glad that Athens was representing Greece well. Art was also a significant part of Athens Golden Age. The purpose of their art was to preserve something visible, such as an idea or a feeling, by revealing its most prominent component. Greek sculpture was intended to be displayed in public places, which meant that it had to be worthy of the gods. The style of art shifted from Archaic to Classical. The most important change in the art style may have been in the poses of the sculptures. Before, the sculptures were a bit in stiff, unrealistic poses, and the faces of the people always seemed very calm. However, in Classical art, the poses of the sculptures were much more natural, and their faces depicted various kinds of emotion. This style of art focused on balance, completeness, proportions, and realism. Sculptors would try to create the perfect person that would be almost god-like. The ancient Greeks believed that the closest thing to perfection was the young athletic human body of a male. There were fewer structures of women than men, and their bodies would always be clothed. The mindset of the average Greek from this time period was: women are not equal to men; therefore, women cannot be anywhere near perfection. This kind of attitude was the reason why there were fewer works of art of women. Like architecture, Greek art during the Golden Age was very important in representing their country to the world. The phenomenal artwork heightened the worlds respect for the Greeks, which was what any country wanted. The Greeks, particularly the Athenians, believed that is they showed the world how cultured and sophisticated they were, their country would be seen as superior and more powerful. The sculptures of Athens Golden Age also captured the beliefs and ideas that people had at the time. They believed in beauty, balance, and harmony, which were clearly depicted in their art. Drama and literature was another area that flourished during the Golden Age. During this time, tragedies and comedies emerged, along with poems and epics. Poetry was regarded as almost a second religion, in the way that many people respected this type of literature. Poets would write about anything that they believed was appropriate to write about. The epics usually featured a hero, and its plot was both exciting and tragic. Famous epics include The Iliad and The Odyssey which were written by the blind poet, Homer. Two of the most prominent types of ancient Greek plays were tragedies and comedies. Tragedies were very serious and intense, and they often showed man as uncertain, fragile, and dangerous. The relationship between God and mans relationship was often seen in tragedies. These tragic plays were based on serious themes which came from history and mythology, such as Aeschyluss The Persians. The greatest writers of tragedies were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Aeschylus lived around 525 B.C., and he fought at the Battle of Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea during the Persian War. He was the first person to use dialogue in plays, and he was also the first to use costumes, high shoes, and masks. Aeschylus wrote well over 90 plays, however only seven of them have survived. It was through his experience in the Persian Wars that he was able to write The Persians. Sophocles lived around 495 B.C., and his most famous play was called Oedipus Rex. He wrote over 100 plays, but like Aeschylus, only seven of them exist today. Euripides lived circa 484 B.C., and he was interested in human psychology. He had his characters talk in everyday language unlike Aeschylus and Sophocles. Although he wrote over 92 plays, only 18 of them have survived. Tragedies usually had very dreadful endings, with the main characters punished for any action they choose. These plays were performed in an amphitheater, where the acoustics amplified the actors voices. They used masks not only to portray their expressions, but because the mouthpiece of the mask was shaped like a megaphone, which further magnified their voices. More tragedies have survived than comedies, and they all contain universal themes such as love, hatred, revenge, duty, and morality. On the other hand, comedies were optimistic plays that usually focused on human flaws and allowed the audience to laugh at their own mistakes. They were full of slapstick gags, and they lacked cultivation by todays standards [Don Nardo, pg. 75]. Comedies usually involved music and dancing, and they would often include current events. Comedies were also performed in amphitheaters, and they would also be performed at festivals celebrating Dionysus, God of Wine, along with several tragedies. Aristophanes lived in roughly 448 B.C., and he wrote most of the surviving Greek comedies. His weapon was biting wit and sharp satire against the weaknesses of the time and against individuals of whom he disapprovedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Isaac Asimov, pg. 135]. These individuals included everybody from rich people to poor people, and even extended to politicians as well. He wrote approximately 40 to 50 comedies, but unfortunately, like all of the other Greek dramatists works, only a number of them have not perished; 11 to be exact. Greek drama was the main form of entertainment for the ancient Greeks. They had no televisions or movie theaters to go to, so they watched plays instead. Not only were these dramas entertaining, they were both informative and a way for people to express themselves. Greek drama taught valuable lessons such as what the most important things in life really are, and they also taught people about human flaws. Ancient Greeks also learned to have a voice because of drama, which correlates to the type of government they had. The Golden Age of Greece also brought the first known historian in the world, besides its other accomplishments. This man is also referred to as the father of history, and his name is Herodotus. Herodotus began the system of writing down history texts, and if it were not for this historian, much of ancient Greeces history may not be known. Herodotus goal was to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of our own and of other peoples; and more particularly, to show how they came into conflict [Don Nardo, pg. 76]. Science made great advances during the Athens Golden Age. The progressions in science provided a hypothetical basis for all happenings. Science was necessary for many things such as architecture; matter, space, and motion; math-specifically geometry; and even music. Scientists and mathematicians were the first Greeks to not rely on Mythology to explain the happenings of the world, and they used information from ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians to help them. However, the Greeks did not use experiments to find out how things work. Rather, they investigated the world around them and observed, guessed, and discussed their ideas with each other in order to reach a conclusion. One of the most famous scientists was Hippocrates of Cos. He lived in 460 B.C. and introduced medicine into 5th Century B.C. Hippocrates collected data and made inferences. He also experimented on animals to learn physiology, which helped the Greeks deal with fractures and head wounds that resulted from wars. Hippocrates founded the first rational theory of medicine, one that did not depend on gods and demons. It is for this reason that he is often called the father of medicine. [Isaac Asimov, pg. 136]. He believed that illnesses were not caused by gods, but that these were excuses doctors used when they were too embarrassed to admit that they didnt know the cause of a disorder such as epilepsy. There were also many other scientists and mathematicians of ancient Greece that accomplished many things. One of them, Leucippus, believed that matter was composed of tiny particles, and not substances that could be divided infinitely. He was the first person to ever suggest this, and his views were carried on by his student, Democritus. Democritus then began to call these tiny particles atoms, and his views on atoms were very similar to modern views on them. However, other Greek scientists were not yet ready to accept his ideas, so naturally, they shot them down. There was also Eudoxus, who established that a year was not exactly 365 days long, but was six hours longer. Heraclides, a Greek astronomer, was a student of Plato that was the first person to believe in the rotation of the Earth. Aristarchus was also another astronomer, and he suggested that Earth and all other planets revolved around the Sun, but this too, like Leucippus and Democritus views, was unaccepted by other astronomers. Pythagoras was a mathematician that lived in the 6th Century B.C. He introduced the Pythagorean Theorem, which is used to find the length of a side of a right triangle if two lengths are given. He also believed that what separated humans from animals was reason. Science changed Athens and the Greek world by allowing people, for the first time, to realize that not everything depended on the gods and goddesses of their myths. People began to question everything around them, instead of leaving everything up to the will of the gods; and this would eventually reach out to other parts of the world. As a result, of science becoming more prominent in Athens, people were more educated about themselves and the world that they lived in. One of the most important achievements Athens made during its Golden Age was in its government. Athens created the first democratic government the world had ever seen. Meanwhile, other Greek city-states such as Sparta had an oligarchy. Their oligarchy consisted of a small group of aristocrats that made important decisions for Sparta, and the rest of the citizens were equal. The main difference between these two types of government was that in Athens democracy, all citizens had the right to vote, and each vote counted as much as anybody elses vote. Athens democracy was a direct democracy, meaning that its citizens spoke for themselves and not through representatives. Their type of government valued law, order, and freedom. Every citizen, from the poorest man to the richest one, was allowed to hold office. All decisions were made by the Assembly, which consisted of any Athenian citizen that wished to participate. This group met 40 times a year, and they made decisions like fees for public service, which allowed the poor to hold office. There was also the Boule, which was a 500 man council that met daily to discuss issues that were urgent, and they also prepared the Agenda for the Assembly. As a result of Athens change in government to democracy, more Athenians gained equal rights-besides women and slaves, though, they were not considered citizens of Athens. The differences in rights between the social classes in Athens grew very small, which naturally angered those in the upper class. The important matters of the city were decided by its people; however, some people doubted the judgment of those who were less educated. Nonetheless, Athens democracy continued to expand and strengthen as the Golden Age went on. The Greeks idea of liberty was the freedom to do or realize his full potential, speak freely, and make decisions without interference [C.M. Bowra, pg. 12]. However, the beginning of the Peloponnesian War brought an abrupt end to the Golden Age. It began with Sparta declaring war on Athens in 431 B.C. and ended with Athens surrender in 404 B.C. Spartas hatred towards Athens increased over time, until finally; they could not contain their animosity anymore. Greek city-states did not get along very well; they were separated by their mountainous geography, which resulted in different governments, cultures, and customs. The difference was particularly great between Athens and Sparta in everything from their government to what they valued the most. What angered Sparta the most was that Athens received all the credit for defeating the Persians during the Persian War; and this further increased tensions between the two city-states. The war began when Athens imposed a trade embargo on Megara, an ally of Sparta. They refused to let any Spartan ally trade in any ports belonging to the Delian League. Most of the ports were controlled by the Delian League, which meant that Spartan allies essentially had nobody to trade with. The Megarians began to starve as a result of this embargo. Pericles goal when imposing the trade embargo was to discourage the Spartans from war. However, his plan was disastrous, and resulted in Sparta declaring war on Athens. Sparta was in control of the greatest army in Greece, and they decided to use this to their advantage. The Spartans did not want a long and drawn-out war because that would result in many casualties and put a great strain on their city-state. They marched an army of 35,000 hoplites into Attica, and destroyed the entire countryside, leaving people in fear and chaos. Sparta cut off Athens grain supply, hoping to force them to surrender, but the Athenians were well supplied behind the Long Walls. The Spartans wanted to keep the war on land because of their strong military, and they continued to attack Attica relentlessly every year. Athens, meanwhile, had a better navy and treasury than Sparta. While Pericles was in charge during the Peloponnesian War, he ordered all people to retreat behind the Long Walls. He was aware that trying to defeat Sparta on land was near impossible, so he planned to fight on the water. By having all of the Athenians behind the Long Walls, they would be able to receive supplies from cargo ships and hopefully tire out the Spartan army. Pericles plan worked throughout the first summer of the war, and when the Spartans left in the winter, the Athenians went back to their homes. The enemy attacked in the spring of 430 B.C., and the Athenians were forced to retreat behind the Long Walls once again. However, this time, there was something far more dangerous than the Spartan army that was attacking Attica; and this was disease. A fast-spreading plague struck the Athenians and killed approximately 20% of the population. The plague lasted for four years, and after many people had died, the Athenians decided to leave the protection of the Long Walls and fight the Spartans. Unfortunately, Pericles was a victim of the plague as well, and his death in 429 B.C. left Athens weak and divided. Pericles death left several people vying for power over Athens. Among these people were Cleon and Nicias. Cleon wanted to fight Sparta until the Athenians reached a total victory. Nicias, on the other hand, favored peace. Cleon won power over Athens, but soon died in battle. Nicias saw this opportunity to influence Athens to make peace, but Sparta and its allies refused peace and they continued to fight Athens without mercy. Eventually, Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 B.C. after its fleet was destroyed at Thrace. The Spartan fleet cut off Athens remaining lifeline, which forced the Athenians to put an end to the war. The Spartans were not happy with just winning the war, though. They forced Athens to give up its fleet and foreign possession, take down the Long Walls, and change their cherished democracy into an oligarchy. After a while, the Athenians were allowed to restore their democracy, but the damage was done-their Golden Age came to an end. The Peloponnesian War left Athens devastated; the land was completely destroyed, the food supply was scarce; and the physical resources were nearly completely gone. The war is best known through Thucydides, an Athenian general. He wrote about the war in great detail, and was not biased; he wrote only about the facts of the war. No one could have guessed that the conflict would bring about Pericles downfall, the end of the Fifty Years, and the exhaustion and cultural decline of all the city-states, [Don Nardo, pg. 80]. The Peloponnesian War stripped Athens of its power and greatness, and left Greece vulnerable to any foreign invasions. With the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians were faced with the grueling task of rebuilding their city-state. People began to look for a principle that explained why things are the way they are, which began the rise of philosophy. The ancient Greeks believed that philosophy and science came from the same branch of study; which is why scientists proved things using logic and reason. Philosophers were travelling teachers that wanted to learn the truth and sought wisdom through different methods. The three most famous philosophers of ancient Greece were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates was the earliest of the Greek philosophers, and participated in the Peloponnesian War. He was born in 469 B.C. and he lived as a very plain and poor man. During the Peloponnesian War, he came to the conclusion that Man-not the universe-was the enemy of man. He believed that everybody knew more than they thought they knew, and he also believed that mans conscience was a better guide to right conduct than what society said. His method of teaching was by asking questions, and has come to be known as the Socratic Method. Socrates was proclaimed the wisest man in Greece by the Oracle of Delphi after stating, All I know is that I know nothing. Despite being the wisest man, he was unpopular among the Athenians. He was arrested on three charges at the age of 70. The first charge was for corrupting the youth; the second charge was for not believing in the citys gods; and the third was for introducing new deities to society. He was brought before a 501-man jury in 399 B.C., convicted of corrupting the youth, and then sentenced to death. He was convicted by the slim majority of 281 to 220 Athenians. Socrates had several opportunities to break out of jail, and yet, he refused to do so. He did not want to break the law by breaking out of jail, so he stayed in his cell, drank the poison hemlock, and died. Many people today believe that the unjust death of this wise philosopher, which was the result of a vote of the people, is an example of the dangers of a direct democracy. Plato was another famous philosopher of Greece. He was Socrates student, and wrote down all of his teachings, for Socrates did not record anything. Plato believed that all souls were immortal and knew all truths, but as they grew up, they forgot everything. He believed that it was his job to help students remember these truths through the power of logic and reason. In 387 B.C., he founded the Academy, the first school for higher education in Athens, and he also wrote a book called The Republic. The Republic describes his Utopia which was a state ruled by philosophers. In this ideal state there were three classes: the Guardians who governed the state, the Auxiliaries who were the military, and everybody else. In his book, he expressed his strong dislike for democracy, which he believed was the reason why his teacher, Socrates, had died. Plato also wrote The Dialogues, which displayed Socrates ideas along with his own. The Dialogues were composed of discussions that Socrates would have with other students while he was alive. In Platos eyes, Socrates was the wisest and most just and best man [C.M. Bowra, pg. 138]. So naturally, his death was an extreme loss to Plato. One of his philosophies, Platonism, stated that physical beings were imperfect, and that the spirit, soul, and body of a person were separated. These ideas passed into Christianity later on, where they influenced certain beliefs. Platos philosophical system and marvelous language make him one of the most gifted men who ever lived, [C.M. Bowra, pg. 140]. Over time, his ideas spread over Europe, and they eventually reached across the Atlantic Ocean, where it helped form the basis of Western Philosophy. Aristotle was the last, and perhaps the most influential, philosopher from the ancient Greek world. He attended Platos Academy at the age of 17, and he studied there for 20 years. He was born in 384 B.C., and he travelled to Athens to attend the Academy. There, he studied science, ethics, politics, and mathematics. Aristotle, unlike his teacher Plato, believed that research was the method people should use to investigate the world. His philosophy consisted of the power of direct observation to draw conclusions. He relied on the five senses, while Plato believed that they were not reliable. Evidently, these two philosophers did not agree with each other, yet they respected each others ideas. Aristotle was particularly interested in natural philosophy which was the study of natural phenomena in the world, which includes many fields of science. Here, he made great advances, and was the most successful in his studies of biology. He classified animal species, and also concluded that dolphins were not fish, which proved that he was a full 2000 years ahead of his time. Aristotle also ways of observation to find a solution influenced Francis Bacon, who founded the scientific method. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all famed philosophers that changed their times. Their philosophies helped the Greek population to become more educated, and their ideas provided some guidance in rebuilding Athens after the Peloponnesian War. However, despite their great efforts to revive Athens former state of glory, the Peloponnesian War had indeed brought the end of the Golden Age of Athens. Their ideas and philosophies, although taught in vain, have become a great addition to Western Philosophy. The achievements that occurred during the Golden Age of Athens continue to affect the modern world. Although most people do not realize it, more than half of what is taken for granted, can be attributed to the Athenians. Pierre Leveque stated, One need only to look closely at our own language, our political institutions, and our culture, to discover to what extent the Greek experience lives on. Despite the fact that Athens Golden Age was over 2000 years ago, all of its accomplishments have not been forgotten, and they are being lived through Western Civilizat