Leadership in nursing practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership in nursing practice - Assignment Example The leadership theory chosen by an individual will depend on the personality of the individual, as well as the individual’s beliefs towards leadership. Leadership in nursing is supported by theories that include motivational theories, interactive theories, and transformational leadership theories (Chambers, 2011, pg. 30). Abraham Maslow hatched motivational theory of leadership. Maslow broke down motivation using his hierarchy of needs, which outlines the motivation required at each level. Motivational approaches are hinged on the belief that team members must be continually and gradually be furnished with an impetus to stay on track with organizational goals. The impetus provided can be in terms of material or appraisals. Interactive theories emphasize the Japanese style of management - theory Z. These theories are hinged on democratic principles. The fundamental principles underlying these methods are harmonious decision-making, fitting employees to their tasks, and career refuge.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theory lays emphasis on the importance of developing teams to achieve the goals and vision  set by the organization. Teams are developed through training and hand-holding sessions that are planned by the management.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every institution has a style of leadership espoused by its leaders. Styles of leadership also vary according to the individual who take up leadership positions. There are several styles of leadership, which include servant, transformational, autocratic, laissez-faire, and democratic. A leader who animates servant leadership influences and motivates members of his/her teams by building their skills, as well as by building relationships. Besides, the input of each member of the team is brought into account whenever decisions are made in the organization. A leader practicing servant

Five ways of identifying a setting Essay Example for Free

Five ways of identifying a setting Essay My essay will examine five ways of identifying a setting as inclusive. I work as a nanny in a sole charge role, in a family home. I work with a family of 3 children, one of the little girls has additional needs and she attends a special needs school. I will reflect on my life experiences and the course material within this essay and how this has influenced my understanding of inclusion. Inclusion is about feeling like you belong, being valued and feeling happy within the setting and the local community, regardless of social backgrounds, age and ability. The five criteria I have chosen are The name of the setting, social inclusion, the curriculum, setting funding, and the view of inclusion presented. I have chosen these criteria as I believe they can form the basis for a setting to be seen as inclusive. I believe that the name of the setting says a lot about what is taking place, if you are sending a child to a special unit attached to a school my view is that it should have the same name as the school. Social inclusion is important because everybody has the right to be treated the same, everybody should be interacted with and spoken to in a kind and friendly manner. I think its important that the same curriculum should be followed in all educational settings and then adapted as required for individual needs. It sets a baseline for the educational system so that essential fundamentals are met. I feel that the settings funding needs to be provided equally between main school and special units. I understand that special settings require additional equipment to support their children and needs to be taken into consideration. However, the amount of money spent for teachers should be the same. I think peoples own opinion on inclusion is important as everybody needs to work to the same guidelines in early years provision. If perspective parents are not presented with an adequate view of inclusion it could greatly effect their standpoint on certain settings. All of the five criteria are important to me when thinking about inclusion, and my own understanding of what inclusion involves. Part B Name of setting Pen green has its own name which is unique to the setting, where as Aspen 2 a special needs school has given the name as an addition to the main stream school. Aspen 2 used to be referred to as the mobile which wasnt seen as inclusive. Aspen 2 is now in the main stream school and has it owns unique unit. Deri View is a newly built primary school with a childrens centre attached the local community had a say in the design and structure of the  building. The school and childrens centre is in a poorly deprived part of Wales. Social inclusion Pen Green is a centre for under 5s and their families in Corby in Northamptonshire. Pen green shows social inclusion through its video clips. Pen Green has an open community, providing team building and meet and greet sessions. Pen Green focuses on the whole family, it allows children to progress from a very young age offering groups such as baby massage. The centre offers a wide range of groups and drop in classes, there are options to go to something everyday. Pen Green cares about all the children at the centre and gives them all equal chances at learning and play. Sheena Griffiths-baker a teacher at Pen green explains that we will being these observations to plan for him as an individual (E214,DVD2) which tells me that the setting is inclusive . Pen green offers classes for parents to learn GCSEs or computer courses, which has helped the parents to gain confidence and independence. At Aspen 2 the children all have additional needs they are included in some main stream school lessons. The Aspen 2 students are treated equally in main stream lessons they are given the same work load but are provided with learning support assistants (LSA) to help them to understand. The Aspen 2 students take part in P.E all together and its adapted to their needs. Deri View is a school with the Acorn Childrens Centre attached to it. The school offers primary aged teaching with the Acorn Centre ranging from pregnancy to 13 years old. The Acorn Centre works with the local community to provide children with a breakfast club. The centre offers adult learning and services for parents to use e.g. the crche for when they go to study at the centre. Maggie Teague the head teacher at Deri View comments 70 of our pupils parents were unemployed now that has gone down to between 30 and 40. I am certain the school has an impact, because of the number of parents who have started with us through family learning are now in employment (E214,DVD2). The curriculum The Pen Green centre offers a wide and varied curriculum staff members observe childrens patterns of learning and make action plans on the children to help with planning activities that are age and stage appropriate. The centre records videos of the children which is known as the PICLE involvement, this allows parents to view what their children have been doing at nursery and can link in with what the child is doing at home. Sheena Griffiths-baker explains about the PICLE group There are several PICLE groups, so there will be  morning afternoon and evening PICLE groups so it as available as possible to many parents, so during that time they watch of video of him, the worker discusses whats happening with the parent and then the parents reciprocates with there information of what is happening at home.(E214,DVD2) There are courses for parents to gain an education and learning together groups for adults. At Aspen 2 the local educational authority aims to develop and provide inclusion at the school. The children work to the same curriculum as the main stream school, the activities are adapted to the students needs. Sarah Wilmshurst a teacher at Aspen 2 comments I take the abilities of all children into consideration (E214, DVD2). Children are allowed to sit nearer to the front that allow for sight problems and hearing needs. Some of the children in Aspen 2 work on the gold curriculum which is part of the main stream school programme for children who are struggling. Aspen 2 children are included in sports days, music and art lessons. Richard and Sam two students talk about the Aspen 2 course programmes and that the students gain a course certificate at the end. A teaching assistant called Mary Fellows talks about how some of the children can not access the mainstream education, especially the PMLD students that she works with.(E214,DVD2) At the Deri View school and the Acorn Centre they work together to give the families the best support available, they provide respite care and work with health visitors and the local authority. The butterflies pre-school provided free childcare for children ages 2 and half to 5 years on five mornings a week. The Acorn Centre has credit union service that comes in to the centre to help parents and give advice. The children also have their own saving scheme available to them. Funding and recourses The Pen Green setting provides funding for childrens groups and adult learning courses to allow everybody to be given a chance to attend the services provided by the centre. Pen Green uses the European social fund. Deri View and the Acorn Centre work together with the welsh assembly to provide free breakfasts for children in the area, all children are included. The centre has access to the community fund. Aspen 2 is given money from the local authority to help with special equipment needed to teach the lessons. The PMLD group has bought equipment to make them inclusive. The course materials state that the mechanisms that local authorities use to distribute their resources can have an impact on the development of inclusive practices (E214, Unit 12, p.209)  Views of inclusion The community around Pen Green see that the centre is for parents, grandparents, males and females of all ages and cultures, it provides groups to suit the needs of everybody and the centre represents new schemes in the area. Pen green provides partnerships with local schools and the community. At Pen Green, Donna the Community Education Manager says Pen Greens unique as it grew out of a community and planned by the community (E214, DVD2.) Sure start is used within the centre sign language groups provide people to learn how to communicate with the deaf. The centre has been used for generations. The Aspen 2 setting is for children with serve learning difficulties. One to one LSA support teachers are provided to students. Main stream teachers provide hints on work sheets to allow the Aspen 2 children to be able to do the work. Lynne Mills a teaching assistant at Aspen 2 says in the last 8 years I have had to do a lot more training, (E214,DVD2) This is so that she has the skills provided to teach individual children. Deri View and the Acorn Centre work together and share joint management. The sure start centre is part of the Acorn Centre. The Acorn Centre provides a food co-op, midwifes and speak and language classes. There is a community bus that goes around the people who are unable to make it to the centre and has rhyme times and story sessions on board. The centre has a drop in area for parents where they can go to get a hot drink, have a chat or use the parents forums. Conclusion I feel that a setting needs to treat children, parents and adults as equals to allow the setting to be fully inclusive. All settings need to be offered the recourses needed and given funding to all departments justice. References The Open University, E214 Equality, participation and inclusion learning from each other views, 2011 The Open University, E214 Equality, participation and inclusion learning from each other, DVD 2, 2010

Football in the 1920s :: Sports

Sports: Football in the 1920's Football changed dramatically in the 1920's. Players such as Red Grange, Jim Thorpe, and Notre Dame's Four Horsemen changed the game forever. With their unique style of play, they escalated football to new heights and more competetive levels. Each had their own style of play, which made other teams try harder to get better and beat the other teams. Other things, such as the forward pass, also changed the game of football in the 1920's. However, it was the players and their talent that forever changed American football. This is a photograph of Jim Thorpe during his playing days in the old football league. Jim Thorpe was one of the first to change the game. He was an American Indian who was tremendously talented at football. He became the president of the league after he was done playing on a team. He named the league the NFL, which stands for National Football League. This name still stands today for the name of the league where the pros play. Red Grange also brought play to a higher level. In one game against Michigan in 1924, he scored five times. The most notable feat accomplished by Grange is that on his first four carries, he scored all four times! This is something no other player has accomplished in American football. He drew thousands of people to the games he played in and gave football a new popularity that it had never gotten before. He also emphasized the importance of other positions besides the running back, such as a defensive lineman to stop a running back. Next came the Four Hoursemen from Notre Dame. Historians argue that they may have been the best backfield in the history of football. Like Red Grange, they also brought in massive crowds of people, making football more popular. The Four Horsemen weren't big, but they all had speed, agility, and strength. They led Notre Dame to an undefeated season and won the college championship with ease. After they got out of college football, all of them went on to successful coaching jobs improving other teams and making better players. You can see the Four Horsemen below. Last of all, the foward pass changed football forever. Before it became popular, most teams thought passing was useless. But after a while, passing started becoming the major emphasis in football. No longer did teams have to run the ball all the time, but now they could also pass.

Gay and lesbians today :: essays research papers fc

Gay and lesbians today In was late July of 1999, five of my buddies and I had just graduated from high school and we were enjoying one of the greatest summers of our lives in Ocean City, Maryland. We were renting out what we thought was the best bachelor pad in all of O.C. on 139th street. Even friends of ours that we graduated with and had known for several years were living at the beach as well. Life was good. But two girls in particular that all of our friends knew from Paint Branch H.S. would, throughout the remainder of the summer, indirectly change and redefine the way in which most of us thought about homosexual relationships. Mel and Kel had always been close amongst our circle of friends and naturally know one ever suspected that either of them were outfitted for a lesbian lifestyle, at least not both of them. It was during that unforgettable summer that their other lifestyle would become vividly clear to the rest of us. The majority of us openly embraced their relationship and undoubtedly respected their audacity to endure the resentment and unacceptance that they may possibly confront one day. But, it was not until two years later that Mel and Kel would challenge their friends’ opinions again, only this time concerning a much more controversial issue. Apparently over the course of the two-year relationship that Mel and Kel had spent together, a commitment had developed between them that only few of us could possibly fathom. They were convinced that the unconditional devotion they shared was worthy of a unique union, and that this devotedness they shared would endure for a lifetime.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a Utopian society most of us would rejoice in knowing that two people such as Mel and Kel who care so deeply for one another, have found each other and are willing to spend the rest of their lives together. Unfortunately we don’t live in a society of that quality and admiration. In any culture, it’s generally conceived that the family is the absolute core of a society. In that, the norms and values of a civilization are directly conveyed from one generation to another through this bloodline. But what exactly is a family? Are there distinct specifications, qualifications or even guidelines that govern the framework for what a family should be? In the Webster’s dictionary a â€Å"family† is clearly defined as: â€Å"the basic unit in society having as its nucleus two or more adults living together and cooperating in the care and rearing of their own or adopted children.

Breach of contract †contract law Essay

Spanish Contract Law provides a broad notion of breach of contract for any behavior that departs from the specified behavior in the contract in any way (time, quality, substance, etc.) or is not specially justified on legal grounds (actions forbidden by the government are not breaches since they are justified on a legal ground). The general benchmark to determine breach is the contract agreed by the parties themselves, and not external notions. However, external notions are used in important situation such as the consumer’s market where the consumer’s expectations are the primary benchmarks to assess quality and performance since there is not an explicit contract. External notions are also important in other market, where a third party may have some duty or responsibility over the contract, and therefore, is responsible (at least in part) for any potential breach. The reason for breach does not exclude the breach. What matters is the breach. The analysis of breach takes place in objective terms. Subjective factors generally do not exclude breach, although they may affect remedies. In certain contractual areas, breach of duty and fault are generally required (professional contracts, management contracts: breach requires violation of a duty of care or a duty of loyalty). In professional contracts, the fault may be of a professional who was in contract with the firm, and in management contracts, it may be the fault of the manager. 2) Remedies: Spanish Contract Law provides a wide range of general remedies for breach of contract: †¢ Specific performance: the court forces the breacher to act as it was established in the contract. If for example, the contract stipulated that the promiser had to give the promisee a product of quality 2 and he delivers a good of quality 1, then as remedy the court force the promiser to deliver a good of quality 2. †¢ Damages: the court force the breacher to pay a certain amount of money  (damages) to the other party as compensation. It is a monetary remedy. The court calculate the amount to be paid. †¢ Liquidated damages: these are also monetary compensation, but with the difference that they are not calculated by the court, but they are instead specified in the contract itself. One example are the soccer players’ contracts, or sale contracts that specifies the amount to be paid for each day of delay. Other general remedies that we can find are: †¢ Termination: if a party suffers a breach, it can contract with another party and abandon its contractual obligation. If the breacher does not agree with this, court is necessary. †¢ Reduction of prices: in case of breach of a party, a general remedy is to reduce the price to equilibrate the contract. Generally, it is the aggrieved party who chooses the remedy to be imposed. 3) Specific performance: Specific performance is a remedy for breach characterized by the fact that a failed performance or departure from required action by the contract will be imposed upon breaching party. It is also characterized by several material variants of the remedy such as: forced delivery, forced action, injunction not to do, repair defective performance and replace non-conforming good. In the case of the injunction not to do, the court oblige the breacher not to do something, such as obliging a CEO to work for the competition if in the contract it was stipulated that he cannot. Specific performance conceptually includes repair and replacement of consumer goods. The main issue with specific performance, when it is feasible, is the issue of the balance of benefits and costs of the remedy. Specific performance implies that the breacher perform as the contract establishes. However, sometimes, the cost of this performance may be higher than the benefit in social welfare terms. Take the example of the mining firm, which has a contract with the owner of the land to mine for 10 years and then clean the land. When the 10 year pass, the firms breaches the contract and refuse to clean. The cost of cleaning the land is 20 millions, and the benefit for the  owner is 1 million. So if the court imposes a specific performance to firm, society will loose 19 millions. A good alternative would be to impose damages to the firm, which would be preferred by the owner, since an agreement between the firm and the owner will be reached that maximize the social welfare. In these cases, performance may be more costly than its value for promisee: performance may be ex post inefficient. There are both positive and negative features of specific performance as a remedy. As positive features, we can distinguish low informational requirements to apply remedy (avoids cost of error linked to estimating damages) and the party aggrieved by breach appears to be satisfied in its promissory expectation. As negative features, we find performance may be more costly than its value for promisee (performance may be ex post inefficient), requires a court order and takes time, for complex performances requires costly and difficult supervision by court and performance by a party forced to comply with contract may be perfunctory (lowest effort) at best. 4) Damages: Damages are understood as general remedies that can be applied to all types of contracts and breaches of contracts. It is a remedy defined in very broad terms: amount of money to compensate any harm suffered by the injured party as a consequence of any breach of contract. We can differentiate between two kinds of damages: expectation and reliance damages. This is why it is a remedy with a variable extension. Expectation damages: Expectation damages is the sum of money that will give the party damaged the same amount of welfare and utility than if the contract would not have been breached and the final result would have been attained. Therefore, the breach party would have to pay the aggrieved party an amount of money that would compensate for the harm caused and in addition an amount of money equal to the value of the performance for this party. There are however some problems with expectation damages since they are difficult to compute and some instances of moral hazard may appear. Those who seek for damages have to provide evidence of both the existence and amount of damages. This requirement has some exceptions in case of harm in re ipsa: illegitimate use of a productive good, deprivation of a productive good, and few other examples. Expectation damages is the general rule in Spanish Law for breach of contract. It is the damage measure that accompanies termination for breach and the replacement measure of specific performance. It is awarded when there is a breach of representations and warranties, advertising and promotional communications and in cases of pre-contractual fraud that are equivalent to breach of contracts. How can we compute expectation damages? When goods or services admit substitutes or cover transactions to avoid the negative consequences of the other party’s breach of contract, the price of these transactions is relevant. If the seller breaches the contract and the buyer has bought a good, generally fungible, then the expectation damages will be equal to the difference between the price of the substitute and the price established in the contract: Psub-Pc. If the buyer breaches the contract and the seller celebrates a cover sale the expectation damages would be equal to the difference between the price established in the contract and the price of the new sale: Pc-Psub. Other ways of computing expectation damages are the following: Market damages: (for fungible good with market price) buyer will receive expectation damages consisting of the difference between the market price when the breach of contract took place (Pm) and the contract price (Pc). Seller will receive the opposite difference. Expectation damages present some limitations that reduce it scope and amount. One of this limitations is the foreseeability rule. This rule state that the breacher should only be liable for the things that are foreseen or could have foreseen at the time of contracting and that are necessary  consequence of his failure to perform. For instance, if the foreseeable harm of a breach is 100 and the aggrieved party end up suffering a loss of 1000, the foreseeability rule states that damages will amount only to 100. The foreseeability rule gives incentives to give information in the time of contracting. Those who suffer from harm must declare the value of the performance. In tort law, there is no foreseeability rule, you pay the actual damage. Another limitation is the duty to mitigate damages: the aggrieved party is under the duty to mitigate damages that the other contracting party has caused with her / his breach of contract. Reliance damages: Reliance damages: sum of money that will give the party damaged the same amount of welfare and utility than if the contract would not have taken place (the initial situation). This is why reliance damages are generally lower than expectation damages. Reliance damages cover expenses for the injured party derived from concluding the contract, specific investments that the injured party has made in reliance of performance of the contract by the other party and opportunity costs. Limited assets: Damages do not always work well. Sometimes, individuals can bear the payment of these damages, and therefore, they will have incentives to reduce them. However, this is not always the case. When the breacher has not enough assets to pay damages up to the point of optimal care, damages do not work well, because people will not pay for the consequences of their acts, and therefore, their level of care will be the optimal according to what they can pay, and not what they should pay. This is known as judgement proof problem. Damages for pain and suffering: The traditional position of the Spanish Supreme Court and Spanish Courts is: †¢ To accept damages for pain and suffering for breach of contract †¢ To award damages for pain and suffering with a relative amplitude and generosity. †¢ To award damages for pain and suffering with several functions: †¢ To avoid the problems of calculating and justifying the amount of the damage award †¢ To compensate harm in personality rights (right to life, liberty, honor, etc.). †¢ To compensate non-patrimonial values joined to economic goods and rights (discomfort, inconvenience, disappointment, frustration) †¢ To punish intolerable or egregious behaviors of breach of contract. When an individual suffer harm, her utility decreases (she goes form point A to point B, but her utility function for money will not change). If this harm is economic, we can compensate this harm with money, which will leave her at point A again. However, the harm that an individual can suffer may be non-economic, and for the same amount of money her utility decreases (her utility function changes). Money cannot restore the initial utility (a huge amount would be needed). This is the case of pain and suffering (accident and death of a relative, discomfort, etc). This is why it is useless to take insurance for death, since it would not compensate the harm. The hairy hand example: What is the difference between expectation and reliance damage? Let’s look at an example. An individual was injured in his hand and lost 50% of his use. He entered in a contract with a doctor who promised to reestablish the hand to a 100% of use in exchange for quantity of money. Before the contract was made, the individual was situated in an indifference curve that related all the  combination of hand use and money that let the individual indifferent. We assume that the individual is willing to give up hand use for money. After the contract and operation, the individual was worse off, with 25% of use. What should the doctor pay as damage? If expectation damages are used, the doctor should pay the individual a quantity of money that together with the 25% of hand use leave him with the same utiity as if the contract had succeded and he had 100% of use (situate him in a higher indifference curve). If reliance damages are imposed, the doctor should pay the individual a quantit y of money that, together with the 25% of hand use, leave him with the same utility as if the contract did not take place, with 50% of hand use (situate him in the initial indifference curve). 5) Liquidated damages: Liquidated damages are damages for breach that are not determined ex post breach by a Court or arbitration panel, but ex ante by the contract parties themselves into the contract. Such possibility of â€Å"privately stipulated† remedies for breach is acknowledged by most legal systems, typically in the form of payment of money, although other possibilities may exist. They typically replace Court damages and they can be agreed as added penalty for breach. The most important issue is whether Courts are forced to enforce liquidated damages, or they may disregard, or reduce, the amount of the liquidated damages award. The reasons why Courts allow liquidated damages are: †¢ Freedom of contract †¢ A large liquidated damages clause may be necessary to induce promisee to find promise credible and the contract sustainable. †¢ Parties are in a better position than Courts to assess benefits and costs of determining a given amount. †¢ Liquidated damages compensate systematic underestimation of damages by Courts. If liquidated damages are higher than the expectation damages, then the court will apply the second ones. There are however some economic arguments that may lead to reduce or at least control the level of liquidated damages clauses: †¢ â€Å"Excessive† damages clauses resulting from incorrect predictions or forecasts about future outcomes. †¢ External shocks unforeseen by parties that produce an unexpected increase in the damages payment. †¢ True â€Å"uncertainty† about future costs for one party. †¢ Behavioral biases that lead party to underestimate the true adverse impact of a damages clause (the â€Å"deferred cost problem†): †¢ Over-optimism concerning future performance and costs (the example of the gym) †¢ Hyperbolic discounting of future outcomes We can see the liquidated damages as barriers to entry. An excessive amount of LD is beneficial for the parties to the detriment of a third party who  may bid for the services of breaching party. Promisor agrees to pay an amount larger than ED, in exchange of higher price. Promisee uses high liquidated damages to extract larger payment from a third party interested in performance by promisor: larger payment from third party increases the surplus to the contract parties, that is shared between them. Also, excessive payment of third party are made possible by excessive damages clauses, which reduce efficient entry by third parties, and prevents them from successfully bidding for promisor’s performance. That is why the goal of reducing â€Å"excessive† liquidated damages is not to protect the breaching party, but third-parties. Sometimes, excessive LD for signaling are unwanted, since an unforeseeable contingency may appear that will cause a breach in the contract. A pooling equilibrium may be more desirable than a separating one when the distortion caused by the penalty on the â€Å"good type† is large enough. 6) Termination: Among the general remedies for breach, the last one is termination (or rescission, or cancellation, as it may also be called in Common Law jurisdictions). This remedy entitles the aggrieved party to cancel the contractual relationship with the breaching party, eliminating the obligations arising from the terminated contract. Once the contract is terminated the parties should give back what was received under the contract, unless the goods are now in lawful possession of a third party. In this case, the value of the goods would replace the goods themselves. The elimination of the effects of the contract is retroactive: it is considered that the contract did not exist. Spanish courts have established that termination does not require a lawsuit. However, if the other party disputes the termination or its conditions, restitution would require a lawsuit. Courts do not determine termination, but declare whether termination was or not properly effected by the party. The most contested issue about termination is when is termination available as a remedy. It is clear that not every breach or non-performance allows the  aggrieved party to terminate, but a qualified breach (material or fundamental breach) is required. We can define it as follow: †¢ Relevance: the breach must affect the central obligations or duties under the contract and not merely ancillary or incidental duties. †¢ Duration: the breach should not be merely sporadic or transitory, but likely to be repeated or continuing. †¢ Importance: the breach must substantially affect the interests of the non-defaulting party. Termination does not go alone, it does not exclude damages, and in fact it is naturally accompanied by damages payment.

Why You Must Read the Book Hidden Figures

Why You Must Read the Book 'Hidden Figures' Books and movies have a long-standing and complex relationship. When a book becomes a best-seller, there’s an almost inevitable film adaptation in the works almost immediately. Then again, sometimes books that remain under the radar are made into movies, and then become best-sellers. And sometimes a film version of a book sparks a national conversation that the book alone couldn’t quite manage. Such is the case with Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures. The film rights to the book were sold before it even published, and the film was released just three months after the book’s publication last year. And the film has become a sensation, grossing more than $66 million so far and becoming the center of the new conversation on race, sexism, and even the doleful state of the American space program. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Kevin Costner, the film takes a fairly well-worn format- the historical, inspirational true but previously-unknown story- and transcends it by leaving that story fairly unvarnished. It’s also a nearly perfect film for this moment in time, a moment when America is questioning its own identity, its history (and future) in terms of race and gender, and its place as a world leader. In short, Hidden Figures is definitely a movie you want to see. But it’s also a book you must read, even if you’ve seen the movie already and think you know the full story. A Deeper Dive Even though Hidden Figures is more than two hours long, it’s still a movie. That means it inescapably condenses events, elides moments, and deletes or combines characters and moments in order to create a narrative structure and a sense of drama. That’s fine; we all understand that a movie isn’t history. But you’ll never get the full story from a film adaptation. Films can be like the Cliff’s Notes versions of books, giving you a high-altitude overview of a story, but with manipulation and omission of timelines, people, and events. While Hidden Figures the movie might be compelling, enjoyable, and even somewhat educational, you’re missing half the story if you don’t read the book. The White Guy in the Room Speaking of manipulations, let’s talk about Kevin Costner’s character, Al Harrison. The Director of the Space Task Group didn’t actually exist, though of course there was a Director of the Space Task Group. There were several, in fact, during that period of time, and Costner’s character is a composite of three of them, based on the recollections of Katherine G. Johnson herself. Costner’s getting deserved praise for his performance as the white, middle-aged man who isn’t exactly a bad person- he’s just so enmeshed in his white, male privilege and the lack of awareness on racial issues at the time that he doesn’t even notice how oppressed and marginalized the black women in his department are. So there’s no question that the character’s writing and performance are great, and serve the story. The issue is the simple fact that someone in Hollywood knew they needed to have a male star of Costner’s caliber to get the film made and marketed, and that’s why his role is as large as it is, and why he gets a few set-piece speeches (especially the apocryphal destruction of the â€Å"Whites Only† bathroom sign) that make him as much the center of the story as Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. If all you do is watch the movie, you might think that Al Harrison existed, and was as much a hero as the brilliant female computers that are the true focus of the story. The Reality of Racism Hidden Figures the film is entertainment and as such, it needs villains. There is no doubt that racism was prevalent in the 1960s (as it is today) and that Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson had to overcome challenges that their white and male colleagues didn’t even know existed. But according to Johnson herself, the film overstates the level of racism she actually experienced. The fact is, while prejudice and segregation were facts, Katherine Johnson says she â€Å"didn’t feel† the segregation at NASA. â€Å"Everybody there was doing research,† she said, â€Å"You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job...and play bridge at lunch. I didnt feel any segregation. I knew it was there, but I didnt feel it.† Even the infamous bathroom-sprint across the campus was exaggerated; there were, in fact, bathrooms for blacks not nearly as far away- although there were indeed â€Å"white only† and â€Å"black only† facilities, and the black-only bathrooms were harder to find. Jim Parsons’ character, Paul Stafford, is a complete fabrication who serves to embody many of the typical sexist and racist attitudes of the time- but again, doesn’t actually represent anything that Johnson, Jackson, or Vaughan actually experienced. Hollywood needs villains, and so Stafford (as well as Kirsten Dunst’s character Vivian Mitchell) was created to be the oppressive, racist white male of the story, even though Johnson’s recollections of her experience at NASA were largely unremarkable. A Great Book None of this means the story of these women and their work on our space program isn’t well worth your time- it is. Racism and sexism are still problems today, even if we’ve gotten rid of much of the official machinery of it in everyday life. And their story is an inspiring one that languished in obscurity for far too long- even star Octavia Spencer thought the story was made-up when she was first contacted about playing Dorothy Vaughan. Even better, Shetterly has written a great book. Shetterly weaves her own story into the history, making clear the connections between the three women who are the focus of the book and the millions of black women who came after them- women who had a slightly better chance at realizing their dreams in part due to the fight that Vaughan, Johnson, and Jackson took on. And Shetterly writes with a gentle, inspiring tone that celebrates the achievements instead of wallowing in the obstructions. It’s a wonderful reading experience filled with information and incredible background you won’t get from the movie. Further Reading If you want to know a bit more about the role women of all colors played throughout the history of technology in America, try Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt. It tells the fascinating story of the women who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1940s and 1950s and offers another glimpse at how deeply buried the contributions of the marginalized have been in this country. Source Holt, Nathalia. Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Paperback, Reprint edition, Back Bay Books, January 17, 2017. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. Paperback, Media Tie In edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, December 6, 2016.

Touch Someones Heart With Grateful Quotes

Touch Someones Heart With Grateful Quotes Wally Lambs I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet, conveys a simple message: count your blessings.Often, you fail to appreciate simple pleasures and little blessings. You keep your eyes peeled for the big prize. A fancy car? Of course, you want it. An exotic vacation in the Far East? Sounds wonderful! A bigger house uptown? Sure. But what about the things you already have? Are you not grateful for that blessing called life?You can go on and on adding items to your wishlist; little realizing the precious seconds you waste by agonizing over unfulfilled dreams. When you see your wealthy neighbor show off his brand new Porsche, you may feel that yours is a life half lived. But instead of focusing on your object of envy, try focusing on the goodness of life. Material desires come and go, what remains with us is our ability to enjoy life and make the most of it. Ambition Is Not Bad, Greed Is It is not wrong to have ambition. By all means, keep your lofty goals in sight. Your ambition can be fueled by your passions, dreams, and desires. But dont fuel your ambition with greed. The hunger for success is not the same as the greed for fame. Greed is a selfish need to achieve ones objectives, even at the cost of others. Ambition propels you to innovate while living by the rules of fair play. Ambition is good for you; greed only makes you less grateful. Learn to Be Grateful As Joseph Addison rightly said, Gratitude is the best attitude. It takes more than humility to be grateful. Gratitude is ingrained into your psyche through social conditioning. Parents and teachers teach kids the magic words: Im sorry, please, thank you, excuse me, and youre welcome in preschool. As you mingle with others in social situations, you learn social etiquette that deems it necessary to express gratitude at appropriate occasions. Are you a Grateful Person? However, mere expressions of gratitude may not reveal whether a person is truly grateful. It could simply be lip service, or politeness, conveying nothing about the persons true feelings. If you are a grateful person, you can convey your appreciation in more than just words. Did your mom help you when you were sick? After you get well, celebrate your good health with your mother. Did your friend lend you the money you needed to set up shop? Repay the loan not only with interest but also with kindness. Did your friend help you get over a breakup? Hug your friend while saying, thanks, and promise to stick together in good and bad times. Make sure to live up to that promise. Express Thanks With Grateful Quotes Why stop at thank you, when you can say more? With grateful quotes, your words will tug at heartstrings. The listener will feel overpowered with the emotion contained in these quotes. Your generous words will win over friends.Richard CarlsonPeople who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have.Anthony RobbinsWhen you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.Nancy Leigh DeMossThe grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a thousand choices.SenecaNothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.Elizabeth CarterRemember that not to be happy is not to be grateful.Edgar Watson HoweNothing tires a man more than to be grateful all the time.Francois RochefoucauldWe seldom find people ungrateful so long as it is thought we can serve them.John MiltonA grateful mindBy owing owes not, but still pays, at onceIndebted and discharged. Henry Ward BeecherA proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.Robert SouthThe grateful person, being still the most severe exacter of himself, not only confesses but proclaims his debts.George HerbertThou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing... a grateful heart!Steve MaraboliThose who have the ability to be grateful are the ones who have the ability to achieve greatness.Mary WrightWhen you say thank you it makes me feel like everything is good!Henry ClayCourtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.Lionel HamptonGratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.Melody BeattieGratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.Chinese ProverbWhen eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man wh o planted them.†Mary WrightThere is only one way to say thank you and thats just too straight up say, â€Å"Thank you.G. K. ChestertonI would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.Sarah Ban BreathnachEvery time we remember to say â€Å"thank you†, we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.Albert SchweitzerTrain yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.Benjamin CrumpYour presence today spoke volumes. Thank you all for the support.Jill GriffinLearn to say thank you every time.

Quotes From A Time to Kill

Quotes From 'A Time to Kill' Set in Mississippi, A Time to Kill is a heartrending story of a father who fights for justice after his 10-year-old daughter is brutally assaulted. The father, Carl Lee Hailey, is accused of killing the men who attacked his daughter. Jake Tyler Brigance is the young white lawyer assigned to represent him. In these quotes from A Time to Kill, you feel the sorrow of a father who does not give up his fight for justice. Gain insight into what it means to be a father in a racist society with these quotes. Carl Lee Hailey America is a wall and you are on the other side. Hows a black man ever going to get a fair trial with the enemy on the bench and in the jury box? My life in white hands?Nigger, Negro, black, African-American, no matter how you see me, you see me different, you see me like that jury sees me... you are them.If you was on that jury, what would it take to convince you to set me free? Thats how you save my ass. Thats how you save us both.The fact is you are just like all the rest of them. When you look at me, you dont see a man, you see a black man.We are on different sides of the line ... I aint never seen you in my part of town. I bet you dont even know where I live. Our daughters, Jake, they aint never gonna play together.Yes, they deserved to die. I hope they burn in hell.You Jake, thats how. You are my secret weapon because you are one of the bad guys. You dont mean to be but you are. Its how you was raised. Jake Tyler Brigance What is it in us that seeks the truth? Is it our minds or is it our hearts?And until we can see each other as equals, justice is never going to be even-handed. It will remain nothing more than a reflection of our own prejudices.Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. Now imagine shes white.I just thought our kids could play together.If this is a party, boys, wheres the chips and beef? Otherwise, your being here seems a bit like illegal client solicitation, what with Carl Lee already having a lawyer and all.Its not me, were not the same, Carl Lee. The jury has to identify with the defendant. They see you, they see a yard worker; they see me, they see an attorney. I live in town; you live in the hill.

Australian TOT(Terms of trade) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australian TOT(Terms of trade) - Essay Example On the other hand, a TOT value greater than 100% implies that the country is accumulating capital or more money is coming into the country from the exports. If the TOT of a country improves (rise above 100), it means that for each export unit sold it can be able to buy more units of the imported goods. Therefore, a rise or increase in the TOT creates a benefit in terms of the number of goods required to be exported in order to purchase a particular amount of imports. Improving TOT can also contain a valuable effect on the domestic cost-push inflation because an improvement shows falling import prices relative to the prices of exports. However, a country can undergo suffering in terms of the falling export volumes and a deterioration payments balance. Contrary to the indications of an increasing TOT, a deteriorating TOT (decreasing below 100) shows that a country needs to export increased amount of goods in order to buy a particular quantity of imports.1 Australian TOT Between the yea r 1998- 1999 and the year 2008 to 2009, the TOT of Australia have undergone or went through an unprecedented rice of 75% indicating the alterations in both the composition and prices of traded services and goods. The prices of exports grew by 86% whereas that of imports grew by 9%. The increase or rise in the prices of exports was driven by the rise in metal ores and coal while the decrease in prices of most manufactured goods assisted in keeping the import prices down.2 In the year 2011, the TOT peaked rising to a level of 105% above the preciously prevailing values from the year 2002. This particular boom in TOT was attributed largely to the staggering high prices that the foreign buyers were paying for commodities such as iron, gas, and coal. Holding down of the import prices by the recorded high Australian dollar also boosted the TOT. In the month of December 2011 to march 2012 a decline of 9.8% was reported in the TOT. From this time, a free fall has been there in the Australia n TOT a situation that economists argue is beginning to get serious. The data available for the period of June quarter on the Australian dollar and the prices of commodities suggests that the TOT decreased by another 7% bringing the total TOT decline in three consecutive quarters to approximately 16%. The TOT absolute level is still high on any particular long run assessment but the decline does not suggest that the country is at the low point of the cycle. The fall in the TOT presents a huge downside risk to the economy of Australia.3 The TOT and the TWER (trade weighted exchange rate), for the actual year 1998 to 2012 and also the indicative for the year 2012 to 2017 are displayed in the figure below. Sources: the exchange rate was retrieved from the Statistical Bulletin of the Reserve Bank of Australia while the TOT (terms of trade) was retrieved from the ABS Table 1 Cat. no. 5206.0 The Mundell-Fleming model is regarded as an open economy IS-LM version with inclusion of capital f lows as a vital constituent of the model. The model is developed for the assessment of macroeconomic policy in a little open economy regarded as a price taker in import and export markets. The economy of Australia is definitely a small and open economy thus the application of this model to analyse the macroeconomic policy. In the last decade the imports and exports of services and goods of Australia were averaged at 37.3% of the GDP. The ISLM – BP model requires the capital mobility in order for the capital flows role to be activated. From the year 1980s both the capital outflows and inflows have

Opinion of reading for Journalism class Assignment

Opinion of reading for Journalism class - Assignment Example It is their job to present facts and that only – of course, having put to mind the ability of knowing the limit of what must be presented or not. During the early parts of the second half of the twentieth century, the media allegedly had not been able to do its rightful job. Disputes between the â€Å"black† and the â€Å"white† Americans were told to be [worsened] by the way the media had presented it to the public. With already prejudiced opinions about the â€Å"blacks,† they – as the Kerner Report found out – â€Å"have failed to communicate† the truth. A breach of confidence over knowing what was true – or not – had evolved. Today’s situation, fortunately, is unlike the past. Although there are still issues between the conflicting â€Å"colors† in America in the present, having elected a â€Å"black† president must now prove that the â€Å"white† Americans have accepted that there is [really] no race superior than the other; and with their ability to influence the public’s idea about something, the media must take serious steps toward realizing that with their â€Å"almost-unlimited† right to free expression, considering the civil right of a person, a society or an organization is one essential idea that must not be put

Religion Western Religion Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion Western Religion Islam - Essay Example Muslims believe that practicing Islam puts them in a state of righteousness and obedience to the will of God. However, they take it a bit far when they state that it is better for all mankind to become Muslims and submit to the will of God because nothing can be better than this. This presupposes the dominance of Islam over the other religions and its inherent superiority, as every Muslim would like to believe. However, I believe that it is more correct to acknowledge other religions as well, like Christianity and Judaism. In fact all three of these faiths emerged from a common continent and have many similarities of belief. For example, all of them believe in Adam and Eve as being God’s first human creations and the subsequent banishment from the Garden of Eden. Islam recognizes around 124,000 prophets as being sent by God at various times throughout the history of mankind. However Muslims regard the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Allah’s last messenger and the founder and first proliferater of Islam. The Muslim faith of Islam is based on five pillars or tenets which are as follows: (1) Shahada or Creed; (2) Salat or Daily Prayers; (3) Sawm or fasting during Ramadan; (4) Zakat or Alms-giving; and (5) Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, to be undertaken by a Muslim if he has the means, at least once in his lifetime. To a Muslim, these five basic acts are obligatory and a framework around which lies their commitment to their faith (Hooker, 1). The Quran itself presents these tenets as basic signs of commitment to the faith of Islam. They must be observed and practiced by every Muslim. An equivalent would be the observance of the sacraments in Christianity, I guess. Observing the five tenets of Islam and what is applicable to an individual of the seven sacraments in Christianity would keep each believer in a state of grace and strengthen their position with God. While all of us may not agree with it, Muslims believe that Islam is the best

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) Essay

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) - Essay Example An engineer should avoid deceptive tactics when delivering services since this tarnishes the reputation of engineering in the community. In addition to that an engineer should ensure that health and safety of the entire public is not compromised. An engineer just like any citizen he has an obligation to play as a citizen of United States. First he should use his profession to enhance the quality of life of other Americans. Above all, an engineer should ensure that his due taxes are paid in time. Maintaining peace and defending America when performing his services adds up to good citizenship of the United States. Stewardship can be defined as leading by example accepting responsibility for the activities carried. Engineers are involved in developing and managing complex projects and as human being errors do occur. A professional engineer should admit responsibility on his part rather engaging in blame a game that would lead nowhere. However, this does not mean that engineers should be reckless in their duties, but try to minimize such scenarios. Stewardship also encompasses admitting responsibility for excellence in service delivery, though most people only focus on the

The Impact of Information Technology in the Vodafone Group Research Paper

The Impact of Information Technology in the Vodafone Group Organization - Research Paper Example This paper discusses and describes the Vodafone Group business Organization structure with a focus on the role of IT in its business Organization structure. Vodafone Group is a multinational British telecommunication company, whose main office is in London, with a registered office in Newburry Berkshire. Vodafone company started as a joint venture between Hambros Technology Trust , Millicom and the subsidiary of Racal Electronics PLC’s strategic Radio Ltd in 1982 with its name being derived from a company’s goal of establishing data services and voice services over mobile telephone networks. Hence its network was called Racal Vodafone. The company was renamed Recal Telecom in 1988. In 1991, Racal Telecom became demerged from the Racal Electronics there is when the mobile telephony giant came into existence. In 1996, the company bought people phone and acquired 80% of the Astec Communication, a move that so it increase its shares of UK mobile customers. According to the report findings since 9th December 2010, the key elements of the Vodafone Organizational structure are as described. The operating companies for the group are under two operating regions reflecting the different geographies or different nature of assets, as well as to reflect the differences in development of the sector considering various economies. These included Europe which comprise all existing controlled business located in Europe, in addition to Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Hungary. At the helm, as the regional CEO, Michel Combel is in charge of the Europe Region.

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) Essay

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) - Essay Example An engineer should avoid deceptive tactics when delivering services since this tarnishes the reputation of engineering in the community. In addition to that an engineer should ensure that health and safety of the entire public is not compromised. An engineer just like any citizen he has an obligation to play as a citizen of United States. First he should use his profession to enhance the quality of life of other Americans. Above all, an engineer should ensure that his due taxes are paid in time. Maintaining peace and defending America when performing his services adds up to good citizenship of the United States. Stewardship can be defined as leading by example accepting responsibility for the activities carried. Engineers are involved in developing and managing complex projects and as human being errors do occur. A professional engineer should admit responsibility on his part rather engaging in blame a game that would lead nowhere. However, this does not mean that engineers should be reckless in their duties, but try to minimize such scenarios. Stewardship also encompasses admitting responsibility for excellence in service delivery, though most people only focus on the

Taoism and the Yin Yang Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taoism and the Yin Yang Philosophy - Essay Example Taoism Taoism serves as both a philosophy and a religion. Its roots can be traced back to ancient Shamanism. The Tao Te Ching which is the second most translated book in history codifies Taoism. Lao Tzu the sage wrote the 81 poems in 500 BC. Taoism is centered on a number of fundamental principles. Just like any other philosophical point of view, it gives a way of perceiving and comprehending reality. The word â€Å"Tao† means the way. The meaning is inclusive of both the way in which individuals view the world surrounding them and the way they interact with life. Our path of action and way of being in the world is influenced by how we view reality. The key principle of Taoism is that all manifestation and life is part of a whole which is inseparable. It is an interrelated organic unity that originates from a mysterious, deep and basically unexplainable origin that is the Tao itself. This principle comprises of everything imaginable. A number of Western translators have likene d this concept to the idea of God, absolute reality or universal mind among others (Centre of Traditional Taoist Studies, 2009). Basic principles of Taoism All aspects of existence are unified by the Tao Te Ching. It brings together both the spiritual and earthly dimensions with principles that operate at the same time in metaphysical, mental and physical realms. Classical Taoist instruction therefore included philosophy, meditation, physical exercise and religious ceremonies to strengthen how core principles exceed dimensions. There are nine key Principles of Taoism that precisely explain its cornerstone religious doctrines. The first principle is that the goal is contentment. Contentment is defined as the only measure that should be used to estimate personal success. Taoism teaches that a physical existence that is content will best make the soul ready for the time when the body will be cast off (Centre of Traditional Taoist Studies, 2009). The second principle is oneness-a holist ic view. Taoism as a religious and philosophical system is built on a view of reality that is holistic. It uses principles that cut across the seen as well as unseen dimensions to unify all existence. Universal oneness is represented with white and black colors that rotate in a circle using its renowned yin-yang symbol. The third principle is the manifestation of the Tao. Since reason alone cannot be trusted, Taoism avoids conceptions that cannot be tested and affirmed by practical application. This requires a Taoist to not only rely on speculation but learn by looking at concrete demonstrations of larger universal forces. The fourth principle is that nature is unkind. Seemingly, since all effort is committed towards survival, there is little compassion in the natural world. Taoists are therefore encouraged by Lao Tzu to adopt an outlook of harsh unconcern towards everyone except a few loved ones. The fifth principle is that of society versus the individual. Taoism is mainly a philo sophy for the individual. It perceives society to be inclusive of confused individuals that freely resign to alluring social patterns. The Taoist therefore distinguishes effective beliefs from ineffective ones. This is by understanding the presence of useful individual beliefs and possibly useless social values (Centre of Traditional Taoist Studies, 2009). The sixth principle is th

An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay Example for Free

An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay In his essay, â€Å"An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share†, Roger Cohen describes in detail the way other countries view the actions of the United States Government and President Bush (New York Times, 2004). Mr. Cohen’s main idea throughout the article is how the United States government is reacting, or not reacting, to world issues due to the focus on 9/11/01. The author uses countries such as South Africa, and Brazil to make his point that these countries are facing severe problems and the USA, which has always been seen as a â€Å"helping country† is now focused on terrorism. Supporting viewpoints of his main idea are the fact that in Canada, a recent statue of President Bush was erected in the same form as Iraq’s past leader, Sadaam Hussein. In addition, the author notes the AIDS epidemic in South Africa; and the economic factors in Latin America. Mr. Cohen continues his main idea by making the suggestion that any good the USA government has done (i. e. giving money to support AIDS education), is overshadowed by the fight on terrorism. Mr. Cohen’s point in this article is to inform Americans about how the rest of the world views their country. His central argument seems to be that despite the good our government has done, it is completely overshadowed by our dire need to revenge for 9/11 terrorist attacks. The author uses facts to back up his argument from what seems to be reliable sources, such as the government of these nations, and Ambassadors for these countries. The tone of this article is informative, the author presents his arguments without bias and his personal judgments are few. The author uses a logos appeal, presenting his argument as a logical, reasonable one. Although it does not appear that there are many weaknesses in his argument, some information is excluded, namely that of President Bush’s view, because Bush’s view was not clearly stated, this alone may make the author slightly biased towards the other countries, who are in effect asking for our help. This writer accepts Mr. Cohen’s argument. I believe that all the good the USA may be doing for other countries, IS overshadowed by what seems to be revenge for not only 9/11 but for the Gulf War as well. The fact that our government is intent on punishing Middle Eastern countries, which had little or no involvement in 9/11, speaks volumes about what is important (fighting and not assisting). In this article, the author states, â€Å"The problem is the perception that Bush uses immense power in an egotistical way. (NY Times, 2004) This writer strongly believes this to be the truth as evidenced by the fact that Hussein of Iraq was a main focal point of the terrorism instead of the one who committed the crimes (Bin Laden). As assumed from this article, President Bush is not well-liked by other countries and even Americans are growing tired of Bush’s so-called priorities. In sum, Mr. Cohen has presented an aptly named title of how the world negatively views our government. Unfortunately, most Americans do not differ on this viewpoint.

International Business Environment Of Countries Hg Operates Economics Essay

International Business Environment Of Countries Hg Operates Economics Essay To identify and gain an understanding of the environment for international business in Germany, several factors will be reviewed. A countrys geography, culture, population demographics as well as political and economic structure can all play a role in either contributing to or working against the existence of a climate favourable to international business. By examining issues such as Germanys participation in area economic integration, its attitude toward foreign direct investment and its participation Germanys Geography Germany is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with almost 83 million people inhabiting 357,022 square kilometres of land. The country consists of 16 federal states and 32 kingdoms, principalities and small towns. The countryside is quite diverse with five major landscape types, including sandy beaches along the North and Baltic Seas, hills and lakes in the North German Plain, numerous islands, fertile lands, lowland bays, and mountain ranges in the Alps.    The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 feet above sea level, while its highest point, the Zugspitze   Mountains, reaches 9,721 feet. Germanys major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine. Natural resources present include iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt and nickel.   Ã‚   Germanys Population Demographics The estimated 2006 population of Germany is 82,422,299 with a population growth rate of -0.02% Balance of Trade Germany continues to be a very export focused, as noted below in its current account balance. Germany exports account for more than one-third of national output. Although production costs within Germany are very high it continues to be a top exporter of goods. German export sales are concentrated in motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, and heavy electrical equipment. France is Germanys second-largest trading partner, with the U.S. being the second largest. Trade with the U.S. totalled $89.1 billion in 2002; U.S. exports to Germany totalled $26.6 billion while U.S. imports from Germany totalled more than $62.5 billion. Foreign Debt Obligations Germanys focus on being a lead exporter lends it to continue to carry a positive trade/debt ratio compared to that of competing countries such as the U.S. Estimates based on 2005 data show that the U.S. continues to run a current account deficit compared to that of Germany. Germany continues to run a positive current account balance; this has been one of the factors supporting the increase of the euro compared to that of the dollar. World Trade Organization Involvement Germany was one of the inaugural members of the World Trade Organization founded in January of 1995. Today it remains committed to promoting multilateral trade and in 2000 began a series of contributions to the WTOs technical assistance and training activities.    Germanys most recent donation of EUR 1.7m in 2006 makes it the second biggest voluntary contributor to the WTO. Currency of Germany Germany is the worlds third-largest economy and the largest in Europe, but has recently been one of the slowest growing economies in the European Union for a number of reasons including: the continued integration of the eastern German economy, inflexible labour practices which continue to increases unemployment rates to 11.7%, taxation and high social insurance cost.    The bureaucracy associated with labour practices have led German employers to consider investing in oversee operations or automating production rather than to create jobs in domestic facilities.   Historically Germanys main currency was the Deutschmark, but in 1999 the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used within its members financial institution and by January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for all member countries. As of the November 30, 2006 the euro was trading at 1.3167 compared to that of the U.S. dollars, this is an increase over the 2005 average of .8041. (Yahoo Finance)    Due to the creation of the euro it is difficult to determine Germanys overall impact on this increase of the euro compared to that of the dollar, however, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) information illustrates Germanys dramatic impact on the increase. Although Germany has experienced a high level of unemployment in recent years, 11.7% in 2005, it continues to hold a major labour force of approximately 43 million; Analysing the above data shows that although the growth rate has been low in recent years Germany has experienced a relatively stable economy with the potential to increase it performance. Conclusion Although Germany has experienced recent slow economic growth and the cost of producing goods is higher than other foreign countries, Germany offers an environment that strongly supports international business, evidence of this includes the presence of a highly skilled and productive worker force and its prime location in the heart of Europe. Investing in Germany appears to be a sound business decision; various incentive packages can offset real costs as well as provide tax incentives in future years. To help structure a successful integration with German consumers, companies should ensure that they have a high quality innovative product. Culturally, German consumers do not focus on the cost of a product but are extremely focused on the quality of a product. Promising sectors to consider for international business opportunities in Germany include computer software, management consulting services, drug and pharmaceuticals, and telecommunication equipment.   United Kingdom Major Elements and Dimensions of Culture in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is rich in cultural heritage. The country is a tourist destination known for its landscape, art galleries, architecture, parks, palaces and museums.    Although the sites are remarkable, the culture is distinctive.    In the United Kingdom, their culture is considered a reflection of their diversity. Languages The official language of the United Kingdom is English which is said to be spoken by 95% of the population.    Although the Unites States speaks English as well, they are very different.    The dialects are not only different between the United Kingdom and the United States; they are also very different between the regions in the United Kingdom.    The American English and the British English are the reference forms of English that recognized in the rest of the world. Economic value The United Kingdom is the third largest trading and financial center in Europe.    Over the past few years, the United Kingdom has been focused on growth of the economy and reduction within the social welfare system. The government of the United Kingdom has been researching possible ways to stimulate the economy; however, they are currently facing economic slowdown, high unemployment, declining home prices and increased consumer debt.    The rate changes in the United Kingdom are driven by the rate moves of the Bank of England; this is similar to the moves that are driven in the United States by the Federal Reserve (The economy of, 2010). When doing business with the United Kingdom, it is first necessary to determine whether you have established a presence with your business activities.    If your business with the United Kingdom is simply exporting goods, then there is no a presence established.    If there is a permanent base in the United Kingdom, then the a business has a permanent establishment that will require consideration which will possibly be taxable in the United Kingdom, if business is conducted from that base with regularity (Bryan Cave, 2009). If a permanent establishment is created there are additional considerations the United States based company must consider. The United Kingdom has a tax system has gone through many changes.    It is based on an income system, much like that of the United States.    When a business has been permanently established in the United Kingdom they are subject to taxation in the same way that the local businesses are.    The tax systems measures the rates based on cash flow, instead of profits as it has been in the past.    According to a study of King and Fullerton the corporate tax rate for the United Kingdom has changed consistently since the war.    They have continued to experiment with the rates with legislative approval.    In addition to the corporate taxes, they also have social security tax and capital gains tax. Banking It is important to understand that to conduct business in the United Kingdom will be required to establish a local bank account.    Due to increased issues surrounding corruption and money laundering, the United Kingdom establishes the Money Laundering Regulations. As a result of this program, the banks in the United Kingdom have undertaken a process for due diligence, which is required as part of this law Imports and exports Since the beginning of 2011, UKs monthly trade deficit has hit record levels of more than  £4 billion per month. The monthly deficit in the UK for 2011 is also exceeding the previous record level of  £3.5 billion per month reached in 2007. Total value of exports: US$405.6 billion. Primary exports commodities: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Primary exports partners: US (14.71 percent), Germany (11.06 percent), France (8 percent), Netherlands (7.79 percent), Ireland (6.89 percent), Belgium (4.65 percent), Spain (4 percent) Total value of imports: US$546.5 billion Primary imports commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs Conclusion Scanning the business environment is an activity that needs to be conducted on a continual basis by all international businesses. The reasons are diverse when dealing with countries risks. When global companies enter into the international arena, consistent efforts must be made to understand the ever-changing business climate in each country that they are involved in .Thus company objectives and policies must be aligned accordingly to meet these changes. In dealing with country risk, strategic usage of joint ventures and partnerships may be used to minimize the risk involved. P2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Describe how the following mechanisms regulate international trade: the work of the WTO in international trade; Quotas and Tariffs; The legislation on product safety and reliability. WTO The WTO as an Organization was created on January 1, 1995, as a result of the Uruguay Round Negotiations. Currently consisting of 140 members worldwide, it is based with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and has a secretary staff of over five hundred. The organization of the WTO consists of a head Ministerial Conference, with branches of a General Council, Trade Review Body, and Dispute Settlement Body. Below these branches lie several councils and committees to deal with many different trade issues. One branch consists of a committee with the name Trade and the Environment, which concerns itself with issues relating to trade and the environment. Overseeing the organization of the WTO is the director-general, currently Michael Moore. The basis for all WTO decisions lies in its multilateral trading system, where a large amount of agreements that are negotiated and signed by members must finally be ratified in each countrys individual Senate. While the individual agreements are signed and ratified by each countrys government, the primary purpos e of the legislation is to assist the countrys producers, exporters, and importers. The overall goal of the WTO is to make trade freer, resulting in, claims the WTO, a promotion of peace worldwide, an increase in income and a stimulation of economic growth. As part of its preamble, the WTO claims an interest in the environment, and thus created the Committee on Trade and the Environment to make decisions when environmental issues are involved. The preamble itself states it will promote trade while allowing for the optimal use of the worlds resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, seeking both to protect and preserve the environment. The organization, in the past few years, however, has encouraged a lower tariff universally, thereby encouraging producers to look towards less developed countries as prime places for cheap labour and low regulations, especially low regulations relating to the environment. These less developed countries, or LDCs, are known u niversally for having very cheap, productive labour, and are not even close to having the environmental protection efforts seen in the United States and Europe. So these countries are encouraged to make waste of the land and save profits. Yet the WTO maintains that freer trade will benefit all, and their concern for the environment is shown in the existence of a council concerned with only environmental matters. The tariffs   The discussion of tariffs covers both tariffs on quantities within quotas and those outside. Traditionally, the tariff reductions that resulted from trade negotiations came from bilateral product-by-product bargaining, or they were based on formulas that applied over a broad range of products, or combinations of the two. How the reductions will be handled in the present negotiations is still undecided. Some countries such as Canada and the US are advocating that in addition, sectoral liberalization should be negotiated. In some sectors, in past negotiations these have sometimes meant zero-for-zero deals. It would include negotiating the complete elimination of tariffs (and possibly other measures such as export subsidies or subsidized export credits) by at least the key WTO members in specific sectors such as oilseeds, and barley and malt. Some countries for example Japan have said they do not support this. One country, the US, has gone so far as to argue that because so many agricultural tariffs are high, the negotiations to reduce tariffs should start with applied rates (the tariffs governments actually charge on agricultural imports) and not the generally higher bound rates (the legally binding ceilings committed in the WTO as a result of previous negotiations). This has proved quite controversial because it would break a tradition of basing negotiations on bound rates. A number of countries have also countered that they should be given credit for unilaterally applying tariffs that are more liberal than the negotiated bound rates, instead of being forced to make even deeper cuts than countries that kept to their higher bound rates. Some countries that recently joined the WTO also feel that they accepted low tariffs in order to become members and therefore should not have to reduce them much further. A number of developing countries also complain that they face difficulty if they try to increase their incomes by processing the agricultural raw materials that they produce. This is because the countries they see as potential export markets impose higher duties on processed imports than on the raw materials known as tariff escalation in order to protect their own processing industries. Some countries see tariffs and other import barriers as necessary in order to protect domestic production and maintain food security. For this reason, some countries are linking lower import barriers with disciplines on other countries export restraints and export taxes if producing countries do not restrict their exports, then importing countries can feel more secure about being able to obtaining food from them. Some developing countries say they need flexibility in deciding the level of import duties they charge to protect their farmers against competition from imports whose prices are low because of export subsidies. The tariff quotas Quota administration is a technical subject, but it has a real impact on trade on whether a product exported from one country can gain access to the market of another country at the lower, within-quota tariff. Methods used for giving exporters access to quotas include first-come, first-served allocations, import licensing according to historical shares and other criteria, administering through state trading enterprise, bilateral agreements, and auctioning. The terms can also specify time periods for using the quotas, for example periods of time for applying for licences, or for delivering the products to the importing countries. Exporters are sometimes concerned that their ability to take advantage of tariff quotas can be handicapped because of the way the quotas are administered. Sometimes they also complain that the licensing timetables put them at a disadvantage when production is seasonal and the products have to be transported over long distances. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and many WTO members acknowledge that it can be difficult to say conclusively whether one method is better than another. Several countries want the negotiations to deal with tariff quotas: to replace them with low tariffs, to increase their size, to sort out what they consider to be restricting and non-transparent allocation methods, or to clarify which methods are legal or illegal under WTO rules in order to provide legal certainty. Who has tariff quotas?  Ã‚   43  WTO members currently have a combined total of 1,425  tariff quotas in their commitments. The numbers in brackets show how many quotas each country has. Australia (2) Barbados (36) Brazil (2) Bulgaria (73) Canada (21) Chile  (1) China  (10) Chinese Taipei (10) Colombia (67) Costa Rica (27) Croatia (9) Czech Rep (24) Dominican Rep (8) Ecuador (14) El Salvador (11) EU (87) Guatemala (22) Hungary (70) Iceland (90) Indonesia (2) Israel (12) Japan (20) Korea (67) Latvia (4) Lithuania (4) Malaysia (19) Mexico (11) Morocco (16) New Zealand (3) Nicaragua (9) Norway (232) Panama (19) Philippines (14) Poland (109) Romania (12) Slovak Republic (24) Slovenia (20) South Africa (53) Switzerland (28) Thailand (23) Tunisia (13) United States (54) Venezuela (61) P3  Describe  how the environment and culture of another country affects HGs business operations.  You are asked to present a PEST (L) analyse on both the Netherlands and China. PEST Analyse The Kingdom of the Netherlands General Facts Full name: The Kingdom of the Netherlands Population: 16.6 million Capital: Amsterdam; seat of government: the Hague   Dependencies: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany Area: 41,864 sq km (16,164 sq miles)   Major language: Dutch Major religion: Christianity   Export commodities: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs GDP per Capita: $ 47,042 Political Risk Factors Political Structure Analysis   The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy (since 1815) and a parliamentary democracy (since 1848). Dutch monarch has no real political power: from the representative side head of state (Queen Beatrix), from the executive side person uniting the divided parliamentary politics. Thus, the Netherlands is usually governed by an alliance of different political parties. Prime minister comes from the party, which won the most seats in the elections, and forms the new government. These days Dutch government is in uncertain situation due to its collapse in mid-February 2010. Whichever government alliance comes to power after the June 2010 election will continue to focus on managing the after-effects of the political and financial crisis. Limits of press freedom Dutch constitution guarantee freedom of the press, as is free speech. Moreover, journalists dont present flagrant news in the light of tabloid sensationalism. But government limits press freedom establishing rules especially regarding countrys secret service. Every day there is papers confrontation with the government. Journalists have to make out where are secret information and not. And government needs to clarify free speech statement. Key Internal Political Risks Political unrest in the light of financial crises. Decision-making of financial crises results is held up at least until the general election in June due to the collapse of the government in mid-February. The two main parties failed to agree on whether or not to withdraw troops from Afghanistan as planned in 2010 and it served the main reason for government breakup. Indeed, the future of a new road pricing suggestion (the kilometre tax), based on charging motorists for the distance and time driven, has become uncertain. This scheme has been hanging in the air since its initiator, Mr Eurlings, has announced his departure from the political scene and this question hasnt got its following consideration. The kilometre tax question isnt a sole problem that previous government hasnt had time to solve them. New solutions of residual tasks will be founded when new government comes to the office. Corruption and private property Private property and contracts are secure. There is no difference between citizens and foreigners purchasing real property. Although intellectual property rights are generally protected, there is piracy of optical disc media as everywhere. Government needs to increase arrangements against these criminal organizations. Corruption is on the minimal level. So the Netherlands ranks 6th place among 180 countries in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index (2009). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments    Anti-Bribery Convention leads struggle against corruption by penal offense. However low-level law pressure corruption doesnt have to allow government to relax its attention regarding corruption. Key External Political Risks The Netherlands Antilles as a part of the Netherlands The Netherlands Antilles are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acknowledge the Dutch monarch. In comparison with its motherland, the Netherlands Antilles dont have very low political risk. In 2010, Curacao and St. Maarten (two largest islands whose production accounts more 70% of GDP) will achieve independence from the rest of the islands and the Netherlands Antilles probably will desist to exist because of    financial insolvency (poor tax collection and high social spending contribute). Economic Risk Factors The Netherlands has one of the most advanced economies in the world, which is modern and diversified, with institutional strengths in the sphere of legal framework and impregnability of property rights. Exports and imports account more than 60 % of nominal GDP. Strategic geographic position and a small size of its domestic market play a key role on the world arena and by attracting foreign investments. The Netherlands showed significant economic performance and GDP growth in the nineties. The economys main focus is export commodities. Dutch trade mainly comprises chemical products, fossil fuels and agricultural products, machinery and transport equipment. Exports contributed 70 % of GDP in 2000 in comparison with 58.3 % of GDP in 1996. In 2001 the rate of GDP decreased sharply and the economy didnt see growth improvements at all in 2002-2003. Cyclical shock was caused by lower rates of export growth as part of the global economic slowdown. 2006 however, showed a promising 3% growth, which steadily accelerated to 3.5 % in 2007. The economy still grew 2 % in 2008, but due to global financial crisis the economic activity had been shrinking; exports and imports dropped rapidly in 2009, by 8.4 % and 8.9 % respectively. The Public Sector Fiscal policy in the Netherlands is designed to reduce taxes and to create a favorable climate for business investors. The Income Tax of 2001 represented significant tax cuts since the war. Total tax revenue was 37.5% of GDP (2005), which is below the EU average. In January 2007 Dutch government has deducted corporate tax to 25.5%. The following tax reform gave international companies a green light for FDI in the Dutch economy. Dividend tax has also been diminished from 25% to 15% and a patent box with a 10% tax rate on income from innovations was proposed. The Dutch tax system combines 30% tax break for top qualified foreign workers, wide tax treaty network and participation exemption. The Monetary Sector The Netherlands joined economic and monetary union on January 1st 1999. European Central Bank controls monetary policy and sets interest rates in euro zone. The Netherlands is a member of the euro zone. Inflation level between 2006 and 2008 has been relatively low, averaging 2% and is expected to stay low at about 1.5% in the coming years.   Refinancing rate was raised by 25 basis points eight times to 4 % since December 2005. Due to recent financial turmoil intervention rates have risen very rapidly to 4.7 %. Since 2009 these rates remain unchanged and likely to continue to do so in 2010. The External Sector The Netherlands had strongly positive balance of payments in 2005 estimated at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31.5 billion, because more than two-thirds of GDP was derived from merchandise trade. Top leading export markets in 2007 were Germany with 28.2 % of the total export share, Belgium with 15.6%, the United Kingdom with 10.5 % and France with 9.8%. Germany topped the list as leading supplier to the Netherlands with 20.5 % share of imported goods. From these figures it becomes obvious, that Germany is the most important trading partner of the Netherlands.    According to EIU World Investment Prospects foreign investments increased particularly in 2007 on a worldwide basis. Inward foreign direct investments to the Netherlands have skyrocketed from US$ 635 billion in 2007 to US$ 796 billion in 2010. (see Appendix 4) The Netherlands showed good results in co-operation with multinational companies from emerging industrial companies, like India, China and Korea. The Labour Market The Dutch labour market and welfare system is similar to the German model. Policy making and industrial relations are key elements in dealing with most issues. In recent years the labour market has become more flexible than in Germany. Labour regulations are relatively strict in the Netherlands. The non-salary cost of employing a worker is high, and dismissing an employee is costly and unenviable process. The pension system is financed by pension funds, which invest pension contributions in shares and other assets. One unique characteristic of the Netherlands labour market is a large number among women, who work at part-time jobs. The one and a half earner model has become very popular in Holland, in which man has a full-time job and a woman works part-time. The current labour market is in a structurally better position.   Social Risk Factors   Ã‚   Social Spectrum of Netherlands Introduction to Social Structure of Netherlands   The Netherlands is a country where native population is nearly 81%. Dutch society is tolerant to the homosexuality but undergo Islamic conflict. This country also is well-known for the most comprehensive system of social security in the EU. It is also one of the worlds most densely populated nations. As in many European countries, there is the tendency of growing 65s population that lead to greater demands on the welfare system. Facts of social structure of Netherlands: Population: 16,715,999   Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.4%;  15-64 years: 67.7%;  65 years and over: 14.9%   Median age: total: 40.4 years; male: 39.6 years female: 41.2 years   Population growth rate: 0.412%   Net migration rate: 2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population   HIV/AIDS: people living with HIV/AIDS: 18,000   HIV/AIDS: deaths: fewer than 200   Ethnic groups: Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Netherlands Antilles Aruba 0.8%, other 4.8% Religions: Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006) Key Social Risks   Over the past decade there is trend of the politicization of childhood which links with certain risks. In many countries, these risks are known as the new social risks (services for the elderly and disabled; services for families with children; active labour market policies). One of the reasons for it results from income and service gaps in post-industrial labour markets. This is one social risk of insufficient income security. Besides there has also been an increase in the female employment rate and virtually all adults are now expected to be involved in employment. (see Appendix 7) In addition, changes of labour markets and transformations of family and demography create challenges of social care (especially child care) when young families lack access to affordable and quality child care and yet all adults in the family must enter the labour force.   Demographic changes   Around 68% of its population is aged between 15 and 65. A short term risk Netherlands faces is the very low birth rate. Declining working population and low rate of migrant inflow are present these days. In the Netherlands, the legality of guest workers that arrived in the 1960s to work temporary for Dutch industries but never left the country afterwards leads the countrys current migrant labour situation and conflicts what link with it. The social care sector has some difficulties in immigration sphere. Government officials maintain that there is no demand for migrant labour in the social care sector, and hence there is wide field of activity for low-skilled labour. Religious restrictions   Nearly a half    (42%) of Netherlands citizens are atheists but Muslims are the main problem for the country . There is no evidence which suggests strict religious regulations in this country. In general, religious restrictions risk hence remains very low but government should continue improve situation regarding Islamic groups.   Technical Risk Factors Superior logistics and technology infrastructure The Netherlands is located in the center of Europe and provides a strategic location to run international businesses with global market leaders. Rotterdam is one of the worlds largest seaports and Schiphol Airport is considered as one of the busiest hubs in Europe.   The Netherlands is ranked as one of the most wired countries in the world, because of dynamic communications, e-commerce boom and outsourcing; but although the quality of transport and high speed Internet, cable communications network is fantabulous, the railway and road density thousand citizens is relatively low. Total government spending on rail, harbor, road and airport infrastructure improvements is one of top priorities and this plan is estimated to cost a total of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬37 billion. Highly qualified workforce The Netherlands labour market predominantly consists of highly educated and competent workers. Dutch prof

jane eyre :: essays research papers

When General Rochambeau met General Washington in 1781 to determine their next move against the British, Washington wanted to attack New York City. Rochambeau convinced him that the wiser move was to move South. Word had come from General Lafayette in Virginia that Cornwallis had taken up a defensive position at Yorktown. Cornwallis was situated next to the York River. If they could surround the city by land and cut off Cornwallis' escape route on the river, Washington and Rochambeau would strike an enormous blow to the British forces. Planning for the elaborate campaign began immediately. French Admiral de Grasse, stationed in the West Indies, would sail with his fleet to the Chesapeake Bay and secure the mouth of the York River. Meanwhile, Washington and Rochambeau would march south to Yorktown and form a semicircle around the city. The plan was simple in concept, but it would take great military skill to execute. First, Washington and Rochambeau started to march towards New York City. They stationed approximately 2500 men at the American forts near the city to fool the British into believing that Washington's entire force was still there. Then the combined Franco-American army raced south to Virginia. As they marched south, Admiral de Grasse's fleet arrived at the Chesapeake Bay. They defeated the British fleet of Admiral Thomas Graves and won control of the entire bay. More importantly, this meant that they controlled the mouth of the York River and could prevent both Cornwallis' escape and any British communication with Cornwallis. On September 28, 1781, Washington and Rochambeau, along with Lafayette's troops and 3,000 of de Grasse's men, arrived at Yorktown. In all, there were approximately 17,000 men converging on Cornwallis' camp. The stage was set for the final showdown in America's fight for independence. The combined forces approached Yorktown from the South. The French, under Rochambeau, formed the left flank of the attack, while the American troops, under Washington and Lafayette, approached from the right. The city was soon surrounded and under heavy fire. On October 14, the Franco-American forces captured 2 major British redoubts. Cornwallis' options were running out. He even tried sending blacks infected with smallpox over enemy lines in an attempt to infect the American and French troops. After a futile counterattack, Cornwallis offered to surrender on October 17. On the 19th of October, the papers were signed and he officially surrendered. jane eyre :: essays research papers When General Rochambeau met General Washington in 1781 to determine their next move against the British, Washington wanted to attack New York City. Rochambeau convinced him that the wiser move was to move South. Word had come from General Lafayette in Virginia that Cornwallis had taken up a defensive position at Yorktown. Cornwallis was situated next to the York River. If they could surround the city by land and cut off Cornwallis' escape route on the river, Washington and Rochambeau would strike an enormous blow to the British forces. Planning for the elaborate campaign began immediately. French Admiral de Grasse, stationed in the West Indies, would sail with his fleet to the Chesapeake Bay and secure the mouth of the York River. Meanwhile, Washington and Rochambeau would march south to Yorktown and form a semicircle around the city. The plan was simple in concept, but it would take great military skill to execute. First, Washington and Rochambeau started to march towards New York City. They stationed approximately 2500 men at the American forts near the city to fool the British into believing that Washington's entire force was still there. Then the combined Franco-American army raced south to Virginia. As they marched south, Admiral de Grasse's fleet arrived at the Chesapeake Bay. They defeated the British fleet of Admiral Thomas Graves and won control of the entire bay. More importantly, this meant that they controlled the mouth of the York River and could prevent both Cornwallis' escape and any British communication with Cornwallis. On September 28, 1781, Washington and Rochambeau, along with Lafayette's troops and 3,000 of de Grasse's men, arrived at Yorktown. In all, there were approximately 17,000 men converging on Cornwallis' camp. The stage was set for the final showdown in America's fight for independence. The combined forces approached Yorktown from the South. The French, under Rochambeau, formed the left flank of the attack, while the American troops, under Washington and Lafayette, approached from the right. The city was soon surrounded and under heavy fire. On October 14, the Franco-American forces captured 2 major British redoubts. Cornwallis' options were running out. He even tried sending blacks infected with smallpox over enemy lines in an attempt to infect the American and French troops. After a futile counterattack, Cornwallis offered to surrender on October 17. On the 19th of October, the papers were signed and he officially surrendered.