Florence,Italy Essays - Renaissance Painters, Giftedness

Florence,Italy Florence is located in central Italy. Florence was built on both sides of the Arno River, which causes flooding from time to time. Florence has many hills there hills which cause a very changeable type of climate with the help of the Arno River. Summers are hot and humid, and winters cool and wet. There are many advantages to having the city where it is at. The city was about 145 miles northwest of Rome, which is an important city to trade with. The Arno river gives Italy easy access to water and trade from the river to the Meditarian sea. The hills of the city offered some protection from outside invasions. Florence started out in 59 B.C. as a colony for soldiers for the Roman armies . In the 3rd century Florence became a provincial capital of the Roman Empire and a prosperous commercial center. In the medieval centuries, Florence was occupied by outsiders, first by Ostrogoths in the 5th century, then by Byzantines in the 6th century, and then by the Langobards. From the late 10th century onward Florence prospered, and, under the rule of Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1069-1115) In 1293 Florence adopted a constitution that required frequent changes of office to make sure that no group or individual could take over it(once every two months) During the 12th and 13th century the political as well as economic powers grew. Florentine woolen cloth industry and of banking grew. Since there was a balance between the leading merchant families, Florence was ruled by its guilds, which were divided into seven major guilds and a number of minor ones. The city's podesta, or chief magistrate and police chief, could be selected only from the major guilds. Right before the middle of the 14th century, Florence had become a metropolis of about 90,000 people, which made it one of the great cities in Europe (with Paris, Venice, Milan, and Naples). But, in 1348 the Black Death struck, killing half the people. And also the bankruptcies of the Bardi and the Peruzzi a couple of years before the Black Death had also brought down the city, and it never fully recovered from these disasters. Successful merchants and bankers, such as Cosimo de' Medici and Giovanni Rucellai in the 15th century, were able to reshape politics and culture in Florence. The French Medicis, which was an Italian family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737, (except from 1494 till 1512 and from 1527 till 1530). they had four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married the royal families of Europe. There are many great universities and academies in Florence, such as The Crusca Academy, which is an Italian literary academy founded in Florence in 1582 to study Tuscan, which was the literary language of the Italian Renaissance. The Platonic Academy, started out as a group of scholars in mid-15th-century Florence who met under the leadership of Platonic philosophy Marsilio Ficino to study and discuss philosophy and the classics. And also the University of Florence dates founded around 1859. There were also many great people (artists, inventors, scientists....) that came out of Florence. One of them was Leonardo da Vinci, he was a great artist, yet was so more then just an artist, he was a painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, inventor, designer, and engineer. Among Leonardo's most famous paintings were The Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper. He made many accurate drawings and sketches of human organs. Another famous person from Florence was Michelangelo who is considered to be the greatest living artist in his lifetime and now he is one of the greatest artists of all times. A lot of his paintings, sculptures, and architecture are among the most famous in existence. He thought of himself primarily as a sculptor. He is famous for painting the Sistine Chapel and doing David. Florence was at this time regarded as the leading center of art, producing the best painters and sculptors in Europe, and there was great competition among artists The city was, however, less able than before to offer large commissions, and Florentine artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Leonardo's teacher, Verrocchio, had moved away for better opportunities in different cities.

Billie Holiday Quotes

Billie Holiday Quotes Billie Holiday, a popular and tragic figure in jazz, was a gifted singer with an amazing voice and talent whose personal life was chaotic and troubled. Selected Billie Holiday Quotations I never hurt nobody but myself and thats nobodys business but my own. Im always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where Ive been. Youve got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn bodys sermon on how to behave. Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know whats more than enough. If I dont have friends, then I aint got nothin. Dont threaten me with love, baby. Lets just go walking in the rain. Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on. You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation. Sometimes its worse to win a fight than to lose. Singing songs like The Man I Love or Porgy is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck. People dont understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. Thats all I know. If Im going to sing like someone else, then I dont need to sing at all. You cant copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means youre working without any real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old. In this country, dont forget, a habit is no damn private hell. Theres no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country its the worst kind of hell for those who love you. All dope can do for you is kill you... the long hard way. And it can kill the people you love right along with you. About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.

Case 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 3 - Assignment Example In several situations such as missing employee motivation; customers’ dissatisfaction or for that matter when a change process needs to be initiated, it becomes imperative to apply EI knowledge for favorable outcomes. EI play an important role in developing remarkable leaders because empathy, assertiveness, and interpersonal relationships are the key factors that any leader must have in order to create organizational development. Specific actions are needed to enhance the use of EI frameworks in the organization; moreover, EI can be taught and promoted within the organization. EI can be a developmental experience for all, no matter what role he or she occupies. All decision makers within the organization need to understand the importance of EI and must be trained for enhancing their effectiveness in the organization. For the reasons mentioned above, EI needs to be linked with leadership competency models because EI provides a complete roadmap so that leaders can reach to their full potential. Critique Only a couple of years back, intelligence quotient (IQ) was considered everything while measuring the leadership ability. As organizations began expanding keeping focus on customers’ needs, it was soon realized that human resource plays a pivotal role in success and failure of the organization because firms now operate in a fiercely competitive arena. Organizations need not be just efficient but effective too. It is the effectiveness that provides competitive edge over competition in the market place; moreover, certain leadership qualities are essential for making the organization effective. And EQ or EI defines how effective the leadership is in managing the organizational workforce to achieve organizational goals. Roger Pearman has rightly pointed towards certain characteristics that a manger or leader needs to demonstrate. Apart from having some of the known qualities such as integrity, a vision to see beyond, and ability to communicate, they also exhibit some of the unique traits and skills that form an integral part of their compelling leadership style. These traits are essential to deal, manage and motivate workforce in the organizational for desired outcomes. These traits are measured in terms of emotional intelligence (EI) that decide leaders' empathy towards workforce; their ability to inspire and motivate employees at all levels for achieving organizational goals; problem solving capacity; resolving intradepartmental conflicts and so on. Self regulation, motivation, social skill, empathy and self regulation are cornerstones of EI. While social skill brings persuasiveness and effectiveness in bringing change, empathy imparts cross-cultural sensitivity. Ability to motivate is an important trait found in leader but self-awareness and self-regulation are extremely important traits that speak about leader’s openness to change. It is not appropriate to define EI in terms of weaknesses and threats. If EI assessment is not a simple exercise than that is only because it is relatively a new branch of estimating human strengths and therefore, it is obvious that limited experts are available to estimate and facilitate EI processes. Similarly, any new branch of knowledge is going to make people scare for the reason of natural inertia that prevents them to explore something new; however, simply because of this reason it cannot be classified as threats. Being a proven science, it provides a sure

About positive message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About positive message - Essay Example The grooming of the workforce is a win-win situation. It is a strategy which will not only benefit the organization but it will also help the employees to improve their market worth which can be cashed on later. There are some rules and regulation while taking any course. These rules and regulations must be followed by the employees so that they can get maximum benefits without any hindrance. Employees are entitled to receive scholarship for those courses which are related to their current job. Initially the courses are being offered for the permanent employees however we also believe that our temporary workers will try to work hard to get the status of permanent employee so that they can also make their market worth through these courses. Tuition fee is considered as one of the major chunk of any study. Therefore the organization has already made an arrangement for it and we hope that employees will make the arrangement for other expenses like books and stationary at their own expense. Grade ‘C’ will be considered as a mandatory requirement for the reimbursement of approved applications of the employees. Temporary employees can take some benefits from the scholarship after the completion of their probationary period with the company. Employees interested in under-graduate programs will be better of since the undergraduate programs are not taxed as per the rules of the taxation. There are very few organizations that care about the workforce to such an extent. However we also believe that these facilities are not only benefiting the employees but such a grooming is also enhancing the goodwill of the organization. We believe that employees should consider it as a life time opportunity and try to give maximum time to their courses after the completion of their work. Work experience can not benefit alone. Many HR managers expect that employees should keep themselves up to date with the latest developments related to their field. For example if

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol Essay

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol. II (Cengage) hereafter AO - Essay Example In the year 1789, the assembly passed the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen. This declaration was a result of the direct consequences of what was taking place in France during this period. This declaration was important during that time since it help in annulling the right of the nobles to demand tithes, taxes and labor from peasants who were working on their family land. This was a great step in the liberation of man and the fight for human rights. This declaration was partly inspired the revolution that was taking place in America at that time (Andrea and Overfield 254). Unlike the declaration in America that â€Å"all men are equal†, the declaration made in France stated, â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The distinction in society may be founded only upon the general good†. This declaration left room for racial prejudice to take place. It stated that despite man being free there will always be a social difference. During this time, the blacks were mistreated for social purposes and were not fully given their rights in the society. Even though they were facing mistreatment from the general French public, the black French population had the right to resist the oppressions as this was provided by the declaration. The period of revolution and declaration of the right of man was volatile/ most of the churches were closed and priests were being hunted down. Politics at this time had taken a different twist and idea of persecution of the Catholics as well as the Protestants began. Several churches were closed, and others converted to temples for fear of persecution. The church was not safe no more. In respect to human rights and dignity, there was the abolishment of the water wheel and introduction of the guillotine. It is no coincidence that the universal declarations of the rights of humans, the European Convention for the human rights protection and the first treaty of the communities in Europe have their origins

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society?

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society? The question of whether ‘class is still a relevant concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain has two components to be analysed, firstly is class still and do social divisions exist in Britain? The results of this research indicate yes to both questions, that although class and the nature of its existence have changed since Marx, Weber and Durkheim’s eras, it is very difficult to get past the important and definite existence of class and social divisions within Britain today. Neo-Marxists, neo-Weberians as well as functionalists and other theorists analysing it from a post-modern, post industrialisation perspective support this opinion. Class itself is a concept that has been traditionally hard to define and continues to be so. As Bradley states in Fractured Identities (1996, p. 45), ‘class is everywhere and nowhere’. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. It has a shifting identity with few definite physical signs or markers to monitor. Part of the difficulty to define it categorically is that it involves many terms and viewpoints: class awareness; class consciousness; class imagery; class interest; class position; contradictory class location; false consciousness; middle class; petite bourgeoisie; proletariat; status; stratification; underclass; working class, the list is extensive. As Bilton et al (1987, p. 36) states: ‘Structures where economic relationships are primarily called class societies, and in these cases we refer to the different unequal groups as classes. There is considerable despite over the precise definition of this term, but we shall use class to refer to a group sharing a similar position in a structure of objective material inequalities, produced by a particular system of economic relations characteristic of a particular mode of production.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 36; Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6). Analysing class has historically formed a set of debates, emanating from the initial positions taken by theorists such as Marx and Weber, this debate has continued with neo-Marxists and neo-Weberians. In Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Rosemary Crompton (1998) suggests there is now a movement that involves a split between those who study class structure and mobility using statistical research and those who focus on class formation and consciousness by using historical or ethnographical approaches. This conflict has resulted in a stalemate of sorts where some sociologists have lost interest in the importance of social class. While anthropologists, historians and sociologists identify class as a social structure emerging from pre-history, the idea of social class entered the English dictionary approximately in the 1770s. It is valuable for this reason that any changes that may have been made since its induction should be evaluated. (Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6; Taylor, 1999, pp. 97-8). Marx saw class categories as relating to the ownership of property, and production relationship. He founded a revolutionary concept in social order – communism, in a communist state there would be no stratification. The two groups were the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production, and the proletariat the workers. He believed this relationship was based upon exploitation and conflict. Marx predicted a revolution in which the proletariat would defeat the bourgeoisie and share ownership of the factories equally between themselves. Although this did not occur in Britain, it did in Russia, in 1917. The proletariat revolted and all means of production fell into public ownership, forming a socialist state. This was close to Marxs ideological dream of communism. However, ownership despite being equal still existed and there was divisions still existed, some people had better, more highly respected, jobs than others. There was still inequality and competition. (Albrow, 1999, pp 155-9; Bilton T, et al 1987, pp 27-8). Weber was influenced by Marxs work but disagreed with his theory, he thought it was too deterministic. Being a structuralist, he believed people were shaped by the society in which they lived and capable of social action. He also disagreed with Marxs theory on stratification. Marx based his view of class structure on ownership of the means of production whilst Weber believed it was dependant on life chances. Life chances depended on wealth and skills; the upper class had the most advantageous life chances, and the poor (e.g. the unemployed, elderly and homeless), the least; economic situation, market situation, status and political party could determine class. Whist Marx split society into two distinct classes; Weber saw that social structure was more complex. The four main strata he identified were the upper class, the middle class, the working class and the poor/underclass. However, within these groups, were other, more subtle divisions, which depended on a number of variables incl uding differences in income, opportunities for upwards mobility, security of employment, language, life-style and social estimation of others. However, Weber perceived class as somewhat different, he believed that class consciousness was essentially conditional –that consciousness could occur depending upon circumstances. He acknowledged, as Marx believed, that classes and social groups were likely to experience conflict in attempts to gain status honour or class movement. (Taylor, 1999, pp. 99). Neo-Marxists come in many varying forms, but they share a common acknowledgement of the importance of gender/sex divisions. Nevertheless, it was still placed less important than class divisions under a capitalist society. Consequently, they thought the primary basis of exploitation in society was class, not gender. This implies that capitalists have more power over workers than men have over women, not an uncontroversial view. Issues of race and ethnicity were also viewed as less important than class. Functionalists take the view that social stratification is both essential to the running of society and inevitable. They believe that all social phenomena exist because they have a positive function to fulfil. Durkheim, a functionalist, described society as a living organism in which different organs with specific functions such as education, work, and government are inter-related. According to Bilton et al (1987), ‘the education system is a vehicle for developing the human resour ces of an industrial nation.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 308; Swingewood 2000, pp 137-140). In Class and Stratification, Crompton challenges the claim that class is dead and is in fact very much alive. In the vein of this belief, Goldthorpe and Wright critically examine ‘post-modern’ theories of ‘post-class’ societies, as well as the most recent contributions of quantitative sociological approaches. It is argued that despite their theoretical differences, the work of these two authors has been undergoing a process of convergence in recent years. Crompton analyses how the death of class is the contemporary increase in the event of social and material inequality. Definitional difficulties of class are only one aspect of the decision by many sociologists to question its relevance. Cromption explores social inequalities including gender and the feminisation of the middle classes, the significance of recent changes in work and employment, consumption and citizenship. (Bradley 1996, pp. 59-62; Crompton 1998, pp. 113-5) In most modern industrial societies, including Britain, the system of social stratification is fluid through generations or perhaps in their own lifetime, people can move up or down the social scale. A number of modern thinkers have tried to define what makes a particular ‘social class’. Is it accent, surroundings, occupation, income, wealth? If we simply spoke only about class as it was first defined and existed since Marx/Weber times we would not taking into account societal changes such as the increase in unemployment, health care crises, resulting in a concept of society that has always existed yet, become more prevent and occupied: the underclass. It seems that any social divisions that may exist stem from the pretext of social class and its restraints and the difficulty to move from one class to another is problematic. (Bilton T, et al 1987, 308). Thatcher’s Conservative Party did not believe in the concept of society, rather than society had no existence outside of individuals. Her party’s main aim was to reduce the role of the state in the economy, through various means such as the privatisation of British Rail, council houses and the introduction of poll tax in 1989. She advocated strong welfare reforms and created an adult Employment Training system that included full-time work done for the dole plus small top-up, based upon the a US workfare model, called the ‘Social Fund’ system. It placed one-off welfare payments for emergency needs under a local budgetary limit, and where possible changed them into loans, and rules for assessing jobseeking effort by the week, were breaches of social consensus unprecedented since the 1920s. All very strong and harsh steps only seeming to increase the already obvious class inequalities and difficulties in British society. By 1990, opposition to Thatchers polici es on local government taxation, her Governments perceived mishandling of the economy -especially the high interest rates which were undermining her core voting base within the home-owning, entrepreneurial and business sectors, as well as other factors finally made her and her party seem increasingly politically vulnerable. Her rein was over, yet her affect on British society remains strong and well-felt by general society. So it seems given all the variants and backgrounds that we have discussed that class divisions still exist and thus are still very relevant. The old saying the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer certainly was true of Thatcher’s era (Taylor, 1999, pp. 111-3; Albrow, 1999, pp 56-7; Margaret Thatcher: 2006). The Rowntree Report in 1995 exposed that unemployment rates in Britain were rising high and more rapidly than in any other industrial country – a very worrying finding, that unemployment, insecurity and deprivation were still very much prevalent in the working classes. Examining the existence of the underclass leads us to the question of whether it is a convenient label, and a powerful rhetorical label, as Marxists argue, or is it a post-industrial phenomenon? Considering that we are analysing British society post-industrialisation, this is an interesting question to ponder. Some theorists believe that it is a term that victimises and blames people and keeps them in their socio-economic spot without the opportunity or resources to move. (Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, p. 21; Bradley 1996, p 46; Taylor, 1999, pp. 113-5). To answer our original question of whether class can still be used as applicable concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain, the answer is most definitely yes, but it has changed from the days of Marx and Weber and initial sociological conceptualisation. It seems that to analyse this process highlights the parts of society that may be disadvantaged through their social class or class immobility. Awareness is an important part of the process of changing and at the very least, compassion and societal responsibility. Bibliography Albrow, M, 1999, Sociology: The Basics. Roultedge, London Bilton T, Bennett, K, Jones, P, Stanworth, M, Sheard, K Webster, A 1987. Introductory Sociology. Macmillan Education Ltd, Hampshire. Bradley, H, 1996. Fractured Identities. Changing Patterns of Inequality. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Crompton, R, 1998. Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Erikson, K, 1997, Sociological Visions, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc, USA. Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, Creating Unequal Futures? Rethinking Poverty, Inequality and Disadvantage. Allen and Unwin, Australia. Giddens, A 1993. Sociology, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Taylor, S, 1999, Sociology: Issues and Debates, Macmillan, Great Britain. Swingewood, A 2000. A Short History of Sociological Thought, 3rd Ed, St Martin’s Press, New York. Psychological/Sociological Paradigms, retrieved 7th April 2006, from:Â  http://webpages.marshall.edu/~carter12/eda705a5.htm. Wikipedia, April 2006, Margreat Thatcher, retrieved 11th April 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism :: Geography History Historic Essays

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism Describe how settlement patterns set-up the regionalisms of the United States. Throughout history, people from cultures around the world have come to America seeking a new life or a change from their current conditions. They may have come to avoid persecution, to avoid overpopulation, or to attempt to be successful in an entirely new world from the life they formerly knew. As the immigrants arrived, some found that their dreams had been attained. Conversely, some found that the New World was not as fantastic as they were led to believe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an influx of British citizens arrived on the shores of America. The arriving British population came from a particular area of Europe, but there was distinct individuality within the group. The diverse British immigrant population would be the first of many groups to add cultural variety to the United States population, for which America continues to be known today. After reading Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer, it is apparent that the four major British groups arriving from 1620 to 1776 and their patterns of settlement would shape the development of American regionalisms known throughout the country. Four major British groups immigrated to America within a span of less than two hundred years. Although they all migrated from the British Isles, each had a distinct set of standards and a very set culture carried from the other side of the Atlantic. Not only were the people of early America diverse, so were the motives for which they migrated to the New World. The Puritans arrived from 1629 to 1641. This group was a culture devoted to the Bible and following its every word. Because of their extreme beliefs, they had been persecuted in England. Their goal in America was to create a Promised Land based on their beliefs. They moved from the eastern sections of Britain known as East Anglia and settled in New England, primarily in Massachusetts. The Puritans' influence shaped the New England image to how it is known today. For example, the pattern of settlement of small towns in the New England region was carried over from those of eastern England. These towns were centralized along a main road, with a few farms or homes outside of the village. Even today, this type of town is well known throughout Massachusetts and the other New England states. Another example of well-known New England characteristics concerns their food preference.