The Crusades and it's effect on Medieval Art Research Paper

The Crusades and it's effect on Medieval Art - Research Paper Example Historically, seven main Crusades have been recorded with the earliest being in 1095 and the last in 1291 marked by the fall of Acre. These seven Crusades have more recently been referred to as â€Å"The Great Crusades†. The Crusades comprised of a volunteer army ranging from peasant to laborers where women were encouraged to participate only by giving money; Moreover, a number of the crusades were named; for example the Albigensian Crusade, Northern or Baltic Crusades and Children’s Crusade (â€Å"Crusade Basics†). Impact on Medieval Art The Crusades were unsuccessful considering their initial aim as no lasting conquests over the Holy Land were made. The mutual respect between Muslims and Christians was instead destroyed and replaced by a harsh intolerance (â€Å"The Christian Crusades†). Nevertheless, not all was bad; the Crusades played an enormous role in boosting the economy of Europe as trade interactions expanded. The Medieval period was between 300 AD, end of the Roman era, and 1400AD, beginning of the Renaissance era (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). ... However, at the start of 1150, the styles changed, and this gave birth to the period termed by historians as the Gothic period. This change was attributed to a combination of aspects of art, religion and philosophy (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). The major difference between churches built at this time and those built using the Romanesque style is that they featured narrow-pointed arches coming from high pillars. Hence, this architecture gave rise to cathedrals as the structures became bigger in size than they were. This together with the unique design of stained glass was meant to relay an image of Heavenly Jerusalem, a place where human matters were to be forgotten (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). Effect on gathering of new relics and uprising of pilgrimages For assisting and protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land, military orders were established: the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. They were monastic orders where the members had to take vows of poverty and chastity and in addition, undergo military training (Snell). The Crusade era was characterized by production of sacred relics that included rings, crosses, holy water flasks and terracotta souvenir pilgrim flasks. Some of the artifacts had images that symbolized religious actions such as receiving of blessings. These artifacts were possessed by both the crusaders and the knights that accompanied them, and they went on to improve trade relations across Europe. The relics gathered during this era consisted of not only holy items, but also the remains of holy people and sites (â€Å"Art of the Crusades Era†) Through the Crusades period, the expedition from various destinations within Europe

In-Office Nuclear Cardiac Stress Lab Term Paper

In-Office Nuclear Cardiac Stress Lab - Term Paper Example This report will take into consideration the financial, health and economic implications of adding an in-office nuclear cardiac stress lab as an investment to an existing eight-physician cardiology practice while taking into consideration the expected returns, compliance to Stark physician self-referral law and recommendation on whether the project remains viable or not. More importantly, it is essential to undertake assumptions upon which the evaluation of the project is based on. One of the assumptions is that as a profit making organization, the project implemented should give high levels of returns that are of additional value to the existence of the healthcare facility as a whole. In addition, the forecasted revenues and expenses are expected to remain constant over the period in which the project is functional. Nonetheless, the initial costs comprising of marketing expenses, clinician education cost are paid only once at the initial start of the project. More so, the rest of th e expenses and revenues remain constant for the rest of the project life cycle (Moyer et al., 2012). Finally, the investment in the in-office nuclear cardiac stress lab will be a long-term project that is expected to last for a longer period. Estimated net revenue and volume projections More significantly, an analysis of the data issued based on income and expenses issued in the spreadsheet are more likely to be based on the initial costs and revenues to be recovered on implementation of the project. Nonetheless, the main question is based on considerations made in case the project become a success or failure and the revenue collected would face increase or decrease in the estimated net revenue and volume projections (Young, 2003). As a result, the changes in volume projections should influence the estimated net revenue over the years as the project is expected to be a long time. Payor mix and contract rates, including bad debt assumptions Considerably, the payor mix influence the a mount of collections that go to the contractor who is involved with the implementation of the project (Moyer et al., 2012). Nonetheless, the current contract rates through allowance of $941,223 seem to be favorable in case they are paid at the initial project outlay because it still ensures that financial benefits derived from the project remains viably high. Considering that bad debt include those revenues that are likely to be defaulted by the customers, the estimated value is high as it stands at $149,363. Capital expenditures and start-up costs In most cases, capital expenditure relates to the cash from a business that is spent on purchasing of new fixed assets that are entitled to give the business-increased benefits. More so, the capital expenditures relate to the start-up costs of investment projects for example, the implementation of the initial outlay in-office nuclear cardiac stress lab allows expenses to initiate the costs. However, it is advisable to recover the capital expenditure and the start up costs over a lifecycle period within which the project yields free cash flow (Moyer et al., 2012). Therefore, the costs that attribute to the start up costs and capital expenditu

Research report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research report - Assignment Example Participants strategically disclose private information so as to create connections with others that further have impacts on their relationships. The individuals who are highly connected through social media view this as normal parts of the day to day life. The study explains the concept of cyber stalking in greater theoretical depth and uses qualitative data to examine the practice and effects of individuals surveying each other using social media sites. The study also monitors the theory of social media in promoting and facilitating stalking in the modern society. On the last section of the study, I focus on examples of discourse to show how cyber stalking is carried out in the day to day life. What motivates people to engage in it and the impacts on participants? The qualitative data of this research study draws from the use of social media and modern technologies like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The quotes in this paper are representatives of the attitudes and the practices among the participants in technologically mediated social lives and using social media to monitor others. During the study, three hundred undergraduate students were interviewed during a preliminary examination of causes of broken relationships. Ninety percent of the responses were emotions, unwanted courting that lead to termination of relationships thus extending to cyber stalking. Most of them upload photos and videos of other people making cyber stalking occur in both non-consensual and sexual fashions, and this leads to invasion of the individual’s privacy. They encroach on the private, virtual space or other peoples timeline on social media leading to sexual harassment. It is an unwelcome form of Cyberstalking as it resembles sexual harassment undertaken in a clandestine way (Easttom, & Taylor, 2011). It is clear that social crime is reciprocal. People post content with high expectations that others will view it. Some go to an extent of

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Research Paper Example Twenty years ago synthesis of biopolymers cost more than synthesis of polymers from petroleum. However, rising prices made this sphere more attaractive. Besides, biopolymers may not only substitute traditional polymers but also possess new characteristics (biodegradability, extreme strength, possibility to obtain thin and firm films) (Sample). There are three way of to synthesize biopolymers. The first way is an extraction and modification of natural polymers from plants. The examples of such materials are thermoplastic starch, derivatives of cellulose and rubber. Rubber obtained from the rubber tree Hevea braziliensis is the first known polymer. The second pathway is a polymerization of bio-monomers. Polylactic acid (PLA), polyamides, polyurethanes and polyesters can be obtained using this approach. The third pathway is an extraction of polymers produced by microorganisms. Polyhydroxyalcanoates (so-called PHA family) can be obtained using this approach (Rudin and Choi 528). Microorganisms can also produce monomers or raw materials that can be extracted and polymerized. For example, bioethanol can be produced from the sugarcane starch, wheat or corn through microbial strain and biological fermentation process. Afterward, ethanol is dehydrated over a solid catalyst to ethylene, which is polymerized to polyethylene (Babu, O Connor, and Seeram 6). The production of biopolymers uses the well-known polymerization techniques. For example, polyamides or polyurethanes can be produced using free radical, cationic, olefin metathesis and condensation polymerization. Polylactic acid is obtained from lactic acid by the combination of condensation polymerization and ring opening polymerization or by one of the mentioned techniques separately. Polymers like PHA are synthesized by microorganisms (sometimes genetically modified) and extracted using centrifugation and press

Evaluation of Starbucks Dilemmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Evaluation of Starbucks Dilemmas - Essay Example It also enhances the relationships between management, stakeholders and the society. Business ethics involves decision making process which focuses on moral awareness which leads to moral judgement or moral motivation. From prior studies, it can be evidently stated that ethical considerations provided by organisations in the post-modern era not only tends to boost its industry relations, but also tends to strengthen its existence in the market. Thus, ethical concerns by organisations play a crucial role in rewarding the company with competitive advantages in its targeted market (Shaw, 2010). Hereby, this paper will intend to provide a brief description of Starbucks, a coffee company in relation to its ethical considerations. With this concern, the paper will focus on the ethical dilemmas faced by the company and its ethical practices implemented in the recent company operations. From a rational perspective, these facts will be further analysed so as to obtain a comprehensive explanat ion business ethics related issues faced by the company based on which recommendations will also be suggested. Overview of the Company It was in the year 1971 that Starbucks was founded in Seattle, Washington. The main reason in instigating the company was the love and desire for coffee in the then American community. As days passed on, this company grew up slowly with its branded coffee and by the year 1981, it established a well equipped coffee roasting plant. It had also built four retail stores that sold the whole bean coffee in the markets around Seattle. Starbucks continued growing rapidly into the market with continuous development of retail stores and establishment of new enterprises. Within five years, the number of Starbucks’ stores grew nearly about tenfold with various locations prevailing in different countries like U.S, Japan, and Singapore among others. In the year 1998, Starbucks partnered with Conservation International (CI), which is a non-profit organisatio n and it enormously helped Starbucks to promote bio-diversity especially in the coffee-growing regions in order to support the producers of shade grown coffee. The result with this partnership has also laid impact on the positive response towards the environment and also among the farmers engaged in the initial level of the company’s supply chain. From the very beginning Starbucks made some strategy of loan guarantees that helped to provide loans to the farmers and with this financial support they enabled themselves to double their income which facilitates farmers’ motivation (Stanley, 2002). Issues or Dilemmas Facing by Starbucks One of the major and most hazardous operational issues faced by Starbucks was that it had limited control over fluctuating global prices. As a consequence, increase in the commodity prices in the global market forced the company to increase its product price. Furthermore, with an increase in its product price and simultaneously in its profit earned, Starbucks should also require taking appropriate measures for community services which can be observed as an ethical issue faced by the company. For instance, the farmers play a very crucial role in the production process of coffee in the supply chain of Starbucks. But unfortunately it was these groups of people who are observed to suffer a lot of hardships that can hamper the production process to an extent which is likely to have significant influence into the

Definition of Dismissal Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definition of Dismissal - Literature review Example This method, however, is not included in the contract laws but it is a discovery of the judges, it is based on the principle that employees are paid wages for the work that they do therefore if they do not work they should not be paid. When the employee accepts not to work for the employer even though he has the will and potential to work, it is deemed that he has accepted the repudiation, otherwise he would have stayed at home and sued the employer for payment of wages since the contract would still be valid (Akin, 2004, p569). The provisions in the dismissal of an individual explain that an employee should only be dismissed without notice under three situations, the first one is if the employee has not completed one month since he started to work for the employer. Second is if the terms of the contract have the provisions for dismissal without notice, and the third is when an employee act in a manner that acts to betray the confidence and trust that the employer had placed in him. The notice period before a dismissal is usually written down in the contract should be a minimum of a week and in case the contract does not state the notice period the common law is applied. Common law requires that the employer should give the employee a notice of at least one week for employment period lasting from one month to two years and then one extra week for an additional year above 2 years that the employee works up to a maximum of 12weeks. However, common law can give an employee up to 12 months depending on the seniority, expertise and the length that the employee has been working for the employer. The remedies available for wrongful dismissal in of an employee include compensation in a tribunal and damages in a court of law, the employees will, however, be required to apply for the compensation within three months after they have been dismissed (Geare, 2007, p276). The employer is liable to pay the dismissed employee the loses that include his notice period including a ny benefits or pay rises that he was entitled, otherwise in the case of wrongful dismissal the employee can only sue for lost earnings and damages due to the spoiling of his reputation. For an employment relationship to be considered to exist there must be objective conditions, this means that the features that are existing in regard to the way the worker performs his duties and how he is remunerated by the employer must be put into consideration (Bird, and Charters, 2004 p212). The rights of employers and employees depend on the duration of contract where the employee performs the assigned duties by the employer in return for her wages, if the employee fails to perform the assigned duties, then he breaches the contract for employment and is therefore liable for dismissal. In Jordan, the workers are protected by the labor act that stipulates that a worker be employed either indefinitely or for a specific period, in the agreement for a specific period, the contract is deemed to have been terminated at the end of the period. However, if the employee continues to work after that period the law considers the contract to have been renewed and is considered to have been an indefinite contract from the beginning.  Ã‚  

Explain and Evaluate Two Approaches to Explaining Moral Development Essay Example for Free

Explain and Evaluate Two Approaches to Explaining Moral Development Essay Moral development is what we consider to be right, wrong, good or bad. It is developed from infancy through to adulthood and is the principles we use to determine what is right or wrong, fair or unfair. Each individual has their own understanding of what morality is, however generally this is determined largely by the culture or society we live in and the rules that we conform to within this society. In psychology there are many theories around the beliefs of moral development, and how morality is developed from childhood to adulthood. The reason for the different theories is due to the methods, ways of study adopted by the psychologists to study human behaviour. These theories allow us to compare and gives us the opportunity to take into consideration all views and ideas and not to settle for just one argument or approach around this subject. (http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/97420082403.pdf) The aim of this assignment is look at the two different approaches to moral development, firstly the cognitive explanation to moral development by Jean Piaget. Then moving on to the social learning theory, and Bandura’s contribution to how morality develops. Criticisms of these theories will be discussed and evaluations based on the two studies will be made. Piaget was the first psychologist to study cognitive development in children. His work dates back to 1932 and his findings stated that morality develops through childhood and adolescence. He believed that children pass through different levels of morality according to their cognitive development. Piaget conducted a number of experiments and from these tests concluded that children up to the age of three or four could not make moral judgements as they were not able to understand rules at this age. He stated, if the children were unable to understand the rules and that they were breaking then they were unable to make moral judgements. He believed that once children could understand the rules, and that they were breaking them then this was the age that moral development began. From his research, this started at the age of about eight years old. Woods B, (2004 pg.72) Piaget believed that moral development in children of this age takes place in two stages. Stage one- heterononmous morality described as morality imposed from outside. This is when children see the rules as been made by parents, teachers or God and that they are unchangeable. Morality at this stage is based on moral punishment, you do something wrong and you will be punished. This stage is described by Piaget as the pre-operational stage of development where the child is only able to make his judgement based on the consequence of the action. The second stage- Autonomous morality described as morality which is based on the child’s own rules is apparent when the child is able to decentre and distinguish the intent behind the action along with the consequence of the action. It is the stage at which children are able to understand that rules are flexible to change and according to the situation. Woods B, (2004 pg.72) From Piagets experiments he was able to conclude that morality is based on the amount of cognitive development, how intelligent one is. The strengths of Piaget’s theory are that whilst conducting his experiments he did focus on children alone as learners. He contributed hugely to our understanding of education and believed that this was the key to saving our society. Piaget’s moral theory was described by his experiment with children that involved rules whilst playing a game of marbles. Children under the age of five showed they had no rules, children aged between ages 5-10 saw the rules as fixed and children 10 and above realised the rules and also adopted them by mutual consent. Moral dilemmas were also presented to children by Piaget to develop his theory further. He gave children a pair of stories where there first child deliberately caused a small amount of damage due to his actions. The second child caused much more damage but his actions were a result of an accident. Piaget asked the children to describe which character deserved to be punished in his attempt to understand children’s reasoning in their answers. His conclusion from his experiment was that younger children focused more on consequences, whilst the older ones took into consideration intent. From Piaget’s theory we have a greater understanding on the influence of mental processes on behaviour, we have greater understanding on perception and thinking. Along with the above, Piagets theory has had practical benefits such learning skills to improve memory and improving problem solving skills. Dwyer D Charles C (2006 pg318) Both of the above experiments have been criticised. Other theorists have claimed that games of marbles do not represent a childs entire perception of morality. Piagets use of moral dilemmas has also been criticised. It has been claimed that younger children only focused on consequences because the story was narrated, however the results may not have been the same if the stories were watched on video. Younger children may have been better able to consider intentions if they were. Other theorists conducting similar research found that, although younger children had some conception of intent, they still preferred to judge in terms of consequences because they found this easier. Piagets theory has also been criticised to be culture specific. It has been said that it is based on moral universals. It has been claimed that the moral development of children in non western cultures may differ from that of the children Piaget investigated. (http://everything2.com/title/Piaget%2527s+theory+of+m oral+development) Critics of Piaget’s theory have also stated that his research was not very scientific, that his findings were biased as he worked alone. Researchers conducting scientific experiments need to have two or more observers; Piaget observed and noted his findings alone. He was criticised for making generalisations with his findings by being culture specific and not taking into account background, tradition and upbringing of each child. An example of this is using clinical interviews to study the thinking of children. His sample size was criticised for being too small and did not give much consideration to social understanding. Due to all the criticisms above regarding Piagets work we can evaluate his theory as weak hence leading to errors in his conclusions. Haralambos M Rice D. (pg 522). Social learning theory approach to moral development is based on the idea that moral development happens as a result of observing and imitation. Albert Bandura 1977 studied this concept and came up with findings that concluded that children learn through recognition, reward and punishment. Social learning theorist, focus particularly on observational learning, imitation, recognition and reward. Woods B, (2004 pg. 126) Bandura conducted a number of experiments observing children’s behaviour towards an inflatable doll also called a Bobo doll. The children were separated into groups and the first watched an adult behaving aggressively towards this blown up inflatable doll. This was the aggressive model conditioning. The second group of children, the adult played with the other toys and was the non aggressive model condition. Along with a control group, which included children from the group who had witnessed an adult being violent and aggressive towards the Bobo doll. This group was then left in a room with a number of toys but not allowed to play with them in an attempt to build up the children’s frustration. The children were later left in a room and results were noted. The children who witnessed the adult being aggressive towards the Bobo doll imitated this behaviour and those from the non aggressive model displayed lower levels of aggression and violence, hence showing that children learn through imitation. (http://psychology.about.com/od/classicpsychologystudies/a/bobo-doll-experiment.htm) Bandura also believed that children learn from their social environment, this he believed provides models of behaviour and expectations of appropriate behaviour. He believed that children learn through observation, imitation and reinforcement which are all closely linked. Woods B, (2004 pg. 126) Along with Piaget’s theory, Bandura’s theory also has its criticisms. Bandura’s social learning theory takes into consideration cognitive learning but concentrates more upon the idea that morality is developed through positive reinforcement, imitation and the social environment. Woods B, (2004 pg. 71) When evaluating Bandura’s, experiment in attempt to understanding moral development, it is important to point out that the experiments were conducted in a laboratory and hence the results may not be true in the real world. Critics have also pointed out that there may be selection bias as the children in the experiment were all from the same socio economic background, making the results invalid and not true to society. The long term effect of this experiment is not known as the results were noted immediately, and the reality is very different to an experiment. Even though the children displayed violent behaviour towards the doll this does not prove that they would be violent towards another person. The children could also have demonstrated this behaviour to please the adult, again making the findings of this experiment inaccurate. (http://psychology.about.com/od/classicpsychologystudies/a/bobo-doll-experiment.htm) The aim of this essay was to explain and evaluate Piaget and Bandura’s theory. Both the theorists have contributed to understanding of moral development in today’s society and both equally face criticisms to their work. The main aspects that have been pointed out and open to attack are that both Bandura and Piaget have given little consideration to feelings, culture and religious beliefs. There sample was small not allowing general conclusions and findings to be widely acceptable. There experiments have been attacked for not being scientific. They failed to recognise that moral development has different content and meaning in different cultures and moral judgement is hugely influenced by society’s common law and traditions. Parents role and child nourishment are vital in how children and adolescents develop morally. Both Piaget and Bandura failed to take these important points into consideration when conducting their research. Piaget has studied cognitive development and his contributions are invaluable in the development of today education and the human development theory. Bandura looked more at social learning model one is amongst one of the most influential psychologists of our time. (http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/97420082403.pdf)