Studies of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition Essays -- Visio

Studies of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition Previous research suggests a significant difference in word recognition time between the left and right visual fields, with word recognition and response time of the right visual field significantly faster than the left visual field. The current study investigated bilateral visual fields on word recognition time by means of an online computer program consisting of 55 participants. It was hypothesized that men would respond faster than women, and the right visual field reaction times would be faster than the left. Results indicate that sex had no significant effect on reaction time. However, words presented in the right visual field were responded to significantly faster than words in the left. Supporting previous findings of a right visual (left hemispheric) advantage. The Effect of Bilateral Visual Fields on Word Recognition When examining word recognition, there are a variety of factors that come into play. These factors include the role each hemisphere plays in terms of language processing as well as the physiology of the brain. Further, when examining word recognition one must further understand the assortment of variables that come into play when dealing with word recognition. These include, but are not limited to the handedness of participants in word recognition studies, the type of words that are being studies (for example words of differing length, commonly used words versus less commonly used words), the manner by which participants are attending to the stimuli that are being presented, and the manner that words are presented. Understanding the role that each hemisphere of the brain plays in recognizing words, and the physiology of the brain is fundamental to the understanding of studies of word recognition. A primary tenet of neuropsychology is that the left hemisphere specializes in language, and language processing, while the right hemisphere plays less of a role in the processing of language (Grimshaw, 1998, Nicholls & Wood, 1998). It should also be noted that stimuli presented to the right visual field has direct access to the left hemisphere, while information presented to the left visual field must first go to the right hemisphere, cross the corpus callosum, and then be interpreted in the left hemisphere (Grimshaw, 1998, Nicholls & Wood, 1998). Because each hemisphere of t... ...bral hemispheres. Brain and Language, 80, 45-62. Leventhal, G. (1988). Cerebral dominance and attentional bias in word recognition. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 66, 791-800. Lindell, A. K., & Nicholls, M. E. (2003). Attentional deployment in visual half-field tasks: The effect of cue position on word naming latency. Brain and Cognition, 53(2), 273-277. Nicholls, M. E. R., & Wood, A. G. (1998). The contribution of attention to the right visual field advantage for word recognition. Brain and Cognition, 38, 339-357. Ohnesorge, C., & Van Lancker, D. (2001). Cerebral laterality for famous proper nouns: Visual recognition by normal subjects. Brain & Language, 77, 135-165. Proverbio, A. M., Zani, A., & Avella, C. (1997). Notes and discussion: Hemispheric asymmetries for spatial frequency discrimination in a selective attention task. Brain and Cognition, 34, 311-320. Voyer, D. (2003). Word Frequency and laterality effects in lexical decision: Right hemisphere mechanisms. Brain & Language, 87, 421-431. Weems, S., Reggia, J. (2004). Hemispheric specialization and independence for word recognition: A comparison of three computational models. Brain & Language, 89, 554-568.

Cotton Came to Harlem

Chester Himes Cotton Comes to Harlem was a great work of art, a detective novel of the American blaxploitation era in which the characters would be considered flamboyantly â€Å"super black† individuals. In the days where everyone was a ‘soul brother’ and ‘jive turkey’, or ‘bad mamma jamma’. The case to be solved in the book surrounded the accidental â€Å"delivery† of a bale of cotton to a neighborhood in Harlem, New York, far too set in the north for there to have ever been raw, unprocessed cotton there.The bale of cotton is used to steal nearly one hundred thousand dollars swindled from the Harlem constituency of a dirty, underhanded, slick talking preacher and after the bale is stuffed with the money and misplaced it is found by a beggar and then chased throughout the tale. Although there was a ridiculous amount of racism present in this work there was also some fairly hidden aspects of racial solidarity.Whereas all of the whit e police officers and detectives were racists against and clearly suspicious of Detectives â€Å"Coffin† and â€Å"Gravedigger† their immediate supervisor, the Sergeant whose name escapes me, was immensely supportive and understanding. He realized the situation that their department was dealing with and how important it was for Coffin and Gravedigger to be the ones to handle it, asserting that it was just their type of justice that was needed in such an instance and that they had a very particular way of going about the duties of their position.What is like the most controversial portion of this work is the underlying discussion of the Back to Africa Movement and the theme of African American solidarity (my second favorite part). I was extremely impressed with the attention that Himes gave to distinguishing the importance of finding and returning the money that was stolen because it was the hard-earned money of impoverished African Americans who had given all that they had and more; literally their last dollars or penny, to this preacher with a silver tongue because they felt he was the person to lead them to the â€Å"promised land†.They believed in this man and put a lot of stock in his words and alleged beliefs. He gave them hope and a vision that they felt they could have faith in. The Back to Africa Movement is an unfortunate dilemma which caught my attention having done some research on and not being a fan of Marcus Garvey for having turned out to be quite similar to the pastor in this tale. An immeasurably flawed being of great charisma in search of every dime he could get. I was disappointed in the â€Å"selling of a dream† but very pleased with the way in which Himes formed, developed and presented this character.The thing that I by far loved most about this book was the fact that it was a bale of cotton full of money. It could have been anything on this earth, a steal bucket sealed shut, a large suitcase or locked box but it wasn’t, it was a bale of cotton – the same soft and beautiful substance that kept African Americans oppressed for so many years working on plantations to harvest it. I thought the symbolism in the young lady dancing; celebrating what it meant was absolutely beautiful. It meant the overcoming of subjugation and inferiority.This longstanding symbol of oppression had turned into a symbol of hope, not for an entire race but at least for the impoverished community where it had been â€Å"lost†. I would guess that not many people saw the significance in Himes using a bale of cotton, or the fact that he was the one to write the book at all, but I did. Chester Himes was born in 1909, right after the turn of the century, soon after the abolition of slavery and right there during peak sharecropping times. I felt like cotton was something that had a stronghold on so many people for so long.Working in cotton fields was among African Americans greatest struggles, if not t he greatest of African American struggles. Cotton throughout history has signified African American oppression, but when cotton came to Harlem, it signified hope and financial freedom. I didn’t like the movie when I saw it years ago, but I am now glad that I was able to read the book. I thought it was great ad I would definitely recommended it to anyone who is interested in the underlying aspects of the African American struggle being celebrated as they are overcome.

The Aztec Culture Of America - 1236 Words

The Aztec culture was one of the biggest tribes to emerge in the Meso-America era. Their empire was known to be one of the strongest, and consisted of brave soldiers ready to fight. The Aztec culture was the dominate force in Mesoamerica they were apart of the pre-columbian civilization. The Aztec are said to be descendants of the Olmecs who are known as the Mother Culture of Central America. This culture reign and control many tribes/cities which showed the power they had, their legacy still lives in what is now known today as Mexico. The Aztec Empire was not like the Roman Empire, the Roman Empire ruled every conquered cities from the capital. The cities or tribes they conquered were never ruled by the Aztecs instead lands they conquered had to pay tribute (gold, weapons, precious stones) or be destroyed. Conquered people also had to send soldiers to serve in the army if needed. According to legend the Aztecs settled in a place where an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. They believed that it was a sign from their god Huitzilopochtli, who guided them to their new settlement. The new settlement would be called Tenochtitlan, they turned a swampy lake into a great city. Tenochtitlan is now known as Mexico city and the eagle with a snake in it mouth was adapted by the Mexican community by putting it on their flag. The Aztecs are also known as the Mexica and their original settlement plays a vital significance in the history of Mexico. Tenochtitlan wasShow MoreRelatedPost Colonialism Latin America.1426 Words   |  6 PagesPost colonialism Latin America Through the lens of post colonialism I will focus on that actions that took place in Latin America. Through my research I am looking to find advice to prove my ideology that the actions that took place between the Spanish conquering of the Aztec and Mayan had a long term effect not just on the people its self but in form on new generations being doctorate in the way they conduct themselves through religion, education, and cultural heritage. Post colonialism had happenRead MoreThe Aztecs And The Aztec Empire1459 Words   |  6 Pages Aztecs were one of the most advanced civilizations from the 1400’s to the 1500’s. They were able to create one of the most magnificent empires known to men by an Indian tribe in America. They had built cities and temples as big as cities in Europe. Aztecs were always ahead of their time. They had made technology advancements such as, advanced architecture, technology advancements, engineering and agriculture. They also introduced weapons, medicine, tools, and calendars. The Aztec people were oneRead MoreThe Aztecs And The Incas Through Spanish Eyes Essay1394 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the fifteenth century, two major state-based agrarian civilization, Aztec and Inca empires, played a huge role by making up the population of the Americas. With this being said, a lot of the Americas history lies within the boundaries of the empires. This history includes literary tradition, records about the civilizations culture, and observations of the Spanish who conquered them in the early sixteenth century. Document 12.1 concentrates on giving evidence through the eyes of two SpanishRead MoreThe Progress of an Aztec Warrior1681 Words   |  7 Pagesan Aztec Warrior taken from the Codex Mendoza gives us some idea of the highly ritualized, even religious, character of Aztec warfare (Austin 209). The dress adopted by Aztec warriors was hardly protective: from the depictions in the Codex Mendoza it appears that they fought mostly n aked. Although protected by a shield, otherwise they were adorned with feathers, flowers, and animal skins, indicating that the warriors identity was in some way dedicated to the totemic animal-gods of the Aztec religionRead MoreWhat Does Aztec Culture Mean For Mexican People?917 Words   |  4 Pages What does Aztec culture mean for Mexican people? The Aztec culture was the beginning of the Mexican culture along with other Indian territories in Mexico. The Aztecs were known because they ruled and most of the southern part of Mexico for a long period of time, but like everyone knows everything has to come to an end. Even though Aztec society is gone, their society levels, religion, and architecture can still be seen and analyzed today. The Aztecs were Mesoamerican people from the early centuriesRead MoreHernan Cortes Hero or Villain?1220 Words   |  5 Pagesconquering the most powerful civilization of America or Hernando Cortes a villain for making the Aztec Empire disappear. Hernando Cortez was an important symbol for the explorations, but killing people, ending the most powerful civilization in America and spreading diseases does not makes him a hero. With good strategy and few men Cortes defeated the Aztec Empire, first Montezuma II and then Cuauhtà ©moc. (5) Spreading disease â€Å"smallpox† to the Aztecs that then will spread the disease all over MexicoRead MoreMayans, Incas, And Aztecs Essay1586 Words   |  7 Pagesthere is one civilization that we can put the blame on, the Mayans. There were many myths and legends that come from the 3 major civilizations that we’ve all learned about; Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs. The Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs built great and legendary civilizations in Me xico, Central America, and South America and with understanding these three we get a better understanding of the early life in these places. The first of these three is the Maya civilization. Tracing back to the Mayans we go backRead MoreThe Impact of the First Europeans to the Native Cultures of America915 Words   |  4 PagesThe first Europeans arrived in North America in the fifteenth century CE. Native cultures included the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztecs, the Incas, the Mound Builders of the Mississippi region, and the Anasazi of the American Southwest. The first metropolis in Mesoamerica, was the city of Teotihuacan, capital of an early state about thirty miles northeast of Mexico City that arose around the third century B.C.E. and flourished for nearly a millennium until it collapsed under mysterious circumstances.Read MoreAp World Compare and Contrast Essay618 Words   |  3 PagesSaharan Africa and the Aztecs of the Americas developed into truly influential and powerful empires. Both empires shared a similarity in economy but a different society. The Mali and Aztecs both traded, but while Mali traded with Islamic regions developing Islamic institutions within its borders, the Aztecs traded locally consequently not being influenced by outside cultures. Both Empires differed in society in which women in Mali tended to have more rights than women in an Aztec society whom they hadRead More The European Invasion of the Aztec Civilization Essay1274 Words   |  6 PagesThe European Invasion of the Aztec Civilization Thunder on their Ships They are landing with rulers, squares, compasses Sextants White skin fair eyes, naked word Thunder on their ships. Leopold Sedar Senghor, â€Å"Ethiopiques† (Adas) â€Å"Thunder on their ships† can be used to describe Herman Cortes when he landed at what is now Veracruz, Mexico in 1519 A.D. The light skinned and bearded Spaniard led his men into territory occupied by the Aztec civilization. Little did Cortes know, but that

A Natural New World By Aldous Huxley - 983 Words

Annie Madden Mrs. Maya ERWC 18 December 2014 A Natural New World In Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, the main goal of the utopian society is to achieve a state of stability that allows the civilians to live â€Å"happily ever after.† Each person is conditioned into a certain class where they accept their assigned job. In the World State there is no such thing as family or any other relationships. The drug soma ensures that the only emotion the civilians feel is happiness. However, along with social stability comes a loss of individuality. Community, identity, and emotions, three characteristics that are natural and required in order for an individual to truly live life have been erased from society. The World State removes these elements because they are unstable and uncontrollable. Huxley shows that no amount of stability and happiness is worth the loss of everything that makes us human. That means a utopian society is impossible. The novel’s key ingredient to stability is that individuality must be absen t. The civilians are steered by ten controllers that determine all aspects of society. Through mass production of people, individualism is lost. Children are born in hatcheries where they are given certain elements that are important to proper development. The civilians seem to believe they are happy and content with their simple lives, but they do not know any better. According to the book, the motto of the World State is, â€Å"Community, Identity, and Stability.†Show MoreRelatedA Scientist, By Aldous Huxley848 Words   |  4 Pagesa curious, patient individual slaving away in a sterile environment. Scientists are often viewed by society as quite droll, but in reality, they must be incredibly creative and intuitive in order to make scientific discoveries. Children around the world often dream of making remarkable scientific discoveries, although for some, unfortunate circumstances prevent them from working in scientific laboratories. Whether it be due to a major illness or a physical defect, many inspired adolescents are keptRead MoreAldous Huxley s Brave New World1334 Words   |  6 Pageso read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is to understand the fear for the future during the 1930’s. Widely considered ahead of its time, Brave New World is one of the most influential novels regarding the destructive outcome of genetic and public manipulation through regime control. The story contrasts two worlds: the traditional world where the â€Å"savages† reside and the new World State: a negative utopia where unrestrained sexual freedom, reproductive technology, and mind numbing drugs run rampantRead MoreA Comparison of the Themes of Blade Runner and Brave New World1480 Words   |  6 PagesA Comparison of the Themes of Blade Runner and Brave New World ‘Humanity likes to think of itself as more sophisticated than the wild yet it cannot really escape its need for the natural world’ Despite different contexts both Aldous Huxley within his book Brave New World and Ridley Scott in the film Blade Runner explore the idea that humans feel themselves more sophisticated than the natural world, yet are able to completely sever relations between humanityRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley664 Words   |  3 Pagesfor the fact being in the future and in the past time has changed and many differences were made. In his Dystopian Society Huxley portrays masses of niches where the government produces clones for specific reasons. Huxley decides throughout Brave New World that cloning humans is unethical. He then becomes in contact with the society’s most powerful Alphas and Betas clones. Huxley suggest in BNW that lower class groups in cloning humans to act like servants to terrorize them into working hard conditionsRead MoreThe Brave, Condemned, And Wicked1133 Words   |  5 PagesArmani Astudillo Mrs. Segovia Theory Report 07 March 2017 The brave, condemned, and wicked The advancement of technology does not imply the enhancement of humanity , within â€Å" A Brave New World†, by Aldous Huxley, shows a world in which individuality is stripped and replaced by uniformity which can be shown best in the John the â€Å"savage†. Perception has its way of fitting people s circumstances to fit their complex, and in its’ entirety that s what this dystopian novel is about. Human emotionRead MoreBeing a Human in the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley659 Words   |  3 PagesIn Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, humans are created by the World State. Also they are conditioned human souls to have a synthetic, dream-like life. In the World State, people are happy. Almost everything is thought of for the World State citizens, and people perform their duties with no complaint since they are designed to fit their job and their social status. From birth or hatching, till they become active in society, all citizens goes through psychological and chemical processing, where manyRead MoreA Brave New World and Island by Aldous Huxley1037 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the Literature Network, â€Å"Aldous was born in Godlaming, Surrey, England, in 1894† (â€Å"Automatically†) He married a woman named Ma ria Nys, she was his first wife. She had one child, Mathew Huxley, before she passed on in 1955. Her death was caused by breast cancer, but was soon forgotten. Since Aldous remarried in 1956 to Laura Archera. This just goes to show that Aldous did not show his emotions or even believe in mourning over the dead. The visible proof is that of his wife dying of breastRead More Aldous Huxleys A Brave New World Essay1452 Words   |  6 Pages Aldous Huxleys A Brave New World The New World, a man-made Utopia, governed by its motto, Community, Identity, Stability (Huxley 3). A man-made world in every way. Human beings fertilized in bottles. Identity, gender, intelligence, position in society, all predestined. Human beings classified in the order of precedence: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Every one conditioned to be a certain way. Every one works for every one else (Huxley, 74). All man-made to ensure social stabilityRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies884 Words   |  4 Pagessubject inspires different writers such as Phillip K. Dicks, Aldous Huxley, and William Golding to pursue people seek for the unknown. One of the dystopian novels, called Lord of the Flies by William Golding, tells the story of a group of children, on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean during the atomic bomb war. By choosing the character between the ranges of ages 6 and 12, the author displays the idea that men return to their natural creatures without id entity as the human nature. IdentityRead MoreHuxleys Critique of Capitalism in Brave New World1233 Words   |  5 PagesIn his novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley confronts the way in which mass production and capitalism serve to disempower the individual by cementing a self-reinforcing system of consumption and production wherein the individual is reduced to his or her utilitarian function. Although the novel touches on a number of ways in which the individual is disempowered and commodified in contemporary society, from pacifying drugs to an overreliance on technology, Huxleys critique of capitalism remains the

The Civil Rights Movement Of America - 941 Words

People making their way down city streets; Police Officers unlawfully beating and arresting young African Americans for expressing their pain; crying for not only their liberty, but the liberty of those who came before them. These can all be used to describe the Civil Rights movement; a movement that left not only many casualties, but many unanswered questions in regards to freedom in America; a question that still to this day, we are trying to answer and give context to. In the point of view of many immigrants and minorities, America is considered land of greatness and triumph; where opportunities and success are guaranteed, and where one is free of injustices and oppression; or at least that is the belief stripped into our glorious red, blue, and white flag. Though there is greatness to this land, the greatness and opportunities comes in two separate and divided segments. First, there is greatness for the white individual, a type of greatness not granted because of who you are, yo ur beliefs, morals, or ideals, but because of the skin tone you possess. After selectively awarding the white individual with the best possible sociological opportunities, whatever is left is given to the others. Perhaps your wondering why I refer to the remaining population as â€Å"others†. Though the term â€Å"others† can imply or give a derogative image, through the course of my analysis I intend to show you why to me, those who are not white are simply others. The first important point, one which IShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Rights Movement Of America1526 Words   |  7 PagesThe civil rights movement was and still is a crucial piece of American culture because it helped shaped our society to what it is today. The civil rights movement occurred at a time where Americans began to protest, in mass groups, against racial segregation and discrimination that was increasingly prominent in America. American began to think different about segregation, many did not believe in it. The civil rights movement occurred in America from the 1940s to 1960s. During this time protestorsRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of America Essay1648 Words   |  7 Pagesthe silver screens. This film changed America, it set a different tone and look for people of color, more specifically black Americans. #(CON PIECE) Injustices in America has been going on for too long. People forget that slavery was one hundred and fifty-one years ago, that segregation was fifty-one years ago. There is a need for minority voices to speak up and what better voice than a movement. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s provided civil rights to all people of color and #BlackLivesMatterRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of America1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil Rights movement was one of the many protests going on around the world that fought for civil liberties among mass people. All over the world countries were taking down flags that once flew through the wind, which made this the peak time to join the revolution in gaining rights for African Americans in the United States. During this time many black people were sick and tired of being told how and when to do things by a white person. Entire black communities in southern states were completelyRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of America1645 Words   |   7 Pages America has experienced many periods in history that shape the social system we have today. Many of our adopted attitudes and beliefs have outlined our present and nearing future into a more liberal society. Following World War II, America was placed on a pedestal admired by the world around it for success during the post-war period. America had more internal damage that was not reflective of the values the country was set on. Entering the post War period, a group of college students advocatedRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of America2055 Words   |  9 PagesUnited States of America, race has been an issue. The discussion of colored people’s position in society was discussed by the founding fathers even during the creation of the Constitution. As time passed, Americans realized the hypocrisy of the idea that all people are entitled to the rights of â€Å"life, liberty, and property.† How could a country support such an idea when the vast majority of its blacks lived in lifelong enslavement? The passage of the 14th and 15th amendments after the Civil War aimed toRead MoreAmerica s Civil Rights Movement1524 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica has seen many civil rights movements. Yet, Americans cannot say that every race has gotten the civil rights many races have fought for. African American’s, in particular, have had a very hard time in America. On average a black job seeker must put in 15 applications to get a call back while whites only have to put in 10. This alone shows that America has not moved as far forward in civil and racial rights as some would like to think. To top that, African AMerican women are stereotyped andRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement in 20th Century America1738 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil Rights Movement Until the 1950s, African Americans had experienced discrimination in all aspects of their lives. They were no longer slave, but they were definitely not equal citizens. During the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans, along with a number of other racial groups, embarked on a campaign to change this situation. This campaign challenged discrimination and fought to achieve the objective of equality that the American constitution promised for its entire people. It composed aRead More The Civil Rights Movements in Ireland and America Essay4811 Words   |  20 Pagesfaces peering over the car hood with horror and revolution in my eyes. N. Richmond is a product of the same type of oppression and violence that hacks deep into the people of N. Ireland. In the logical evolution of an oppressed people a civil rights movement was essential. â€Å"It was necessary to bravely confront our most explosive issues as a people: Racial[religious, gender, class...] hierarchy and the maldistribution of wealth and power.† 1If only for a brief moment we achieved this, at leastRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of The United States Of America2015 Words   |  9 PagesUntil the 19th century, no abortion laws existed in the United States of America. By the 1880s, most states had banned abortion except in cases where it was necessary to save the mother’s life. The cause of this shift in attitude can largely be attributed to the American Medical Association, founded in 1847. The organization wanted to stop unlicensed abortions by forcing the people giving them out of business. Religious leaders supported the American Medical Association’s move and worked withRead MoreEssay on How Did the Civil Rights Movement Change America?694 Words   |  3 PagesHow did the Civil Rights Movement Change America? Research Paper Amber Paschal Young Henderson Middle School Thesis This paper will explain how the civil rights movement changed America. The civil rights movement occurred to ensure African American rights, and plummeted during the 1950s and 1960s. if this movement wasn’t successful, the world would be way different than it is today. The civil rights movement was the time in America in which African

Ethical Viewpoint Free Essays

string(68) " care about these residual duties, the whole society may go down i\." Introduction: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is always an on-going issue that companies have to cope with. What are the responsibilities that companies should take other than the maximization of return to shareholders and by taking such responsibilities, how it may affect the operation of the firms as well as how effectively such actions could have on the society. There have been two main positions on the CSR issue. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Viewpoint or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first is the Friedmanian one stating that â€Å"there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the games† (published in the book â€Å"Capitalism and Freedom†). The other view is that companies can and should deviate from the goal of maximizing profit to take others responsibilities that help to promote the total welfare of the whole society. I will first discuss these two viewpoints and give my opinions on such reasons then, finally, draw up my conclusion on CSR. Discussion of the Friedman point of view: From the Friedman viewpoint, businessmen who seriously take the CRS such as fighting poverty, avoiding pollution†¦ are â€Å"unwitting puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis of a free society†. He stated that the responsibilities of a company rest mostly in hand of the sole proprietors or the corporate executives. However, while sole proprietors are individuals i. e. they can act on their own behave, for corporate executives, there are several reasons that restrict them from exercise any other responsibilities than maximizing the return to shareholders – owners of the company i. . usually maximizing the profit. The first reason is that in a private-property system, the executive is an employee of the shareholders, which means that he voluntarily and personally agrees to work under the direction and supervision of the shareholders in return for salary or other remunerations. Therefore, the executive has to commit with the shareholder s’ interest, which is usually maximizing the profit. In some cases where the interest of the shareholders is not economic one than the work of executive may vary but it must be in line with the shareholders’ interest. This is also enhanced by law that the shareholders have the right to appoint or dismiss the executive. Therefore, if he cannot comply with the shareholders’ interest, he can be fired, which, from a personal point of view, there is no good for him to conduct CSR on behave of the company. In short, an executive of a firm, who has a huge impact on how the firm acts, is bound by the responsibility to the interest of the shareholders. This also implies that the executive cannot deploy resources that are not owned by himself to other social usages i. e. e cannot lower the price to stop inflation, he cannot make expenses for environmental practices beyond the legislation, he cannot give the earnings of the company to charity organizations. Because by doing so, he indirectly harms the interests of the owners of those resources. It seems that the CSR does not rest on the executives but rather on the owner of the company. Therefore, it may not suitable to discuss the role of the executi ve in conducting CSR but the decisions and interest of owners are what matter here. It is not affected whether the firm wants to conduct CSR or not but whether the owners want to take such responsibilities. The question here is that whether each of us (as individuals) should sacrifice our personal interests for the common good. The second reason is that when firms do CSR, it violates the efficient division of labour in the society. Doing social responsibilities on behave of the company is the same as redistributing resources in the society, a process which is currently carried by taxation system. This raises political questions in two levels: principle and consequences. On the grounds of principle aspect, the taxation is done by the government. There are structures, mechanism to determine who will be taxed, the tax level, and how the tax money should be used. The whole process is to correct market failures and make sure a fair and balanced distribution of resources for the society, in the name of the greater good. By doing CSR, the executive has taken the tax function of government. He decides to tax shareholders, employees, customers†¦, how much to tax (how much to spend on CSR) and how should the money is used, which makes him a civil servant, not the employee of the shareholders anymore. For the consequences aspect, it is doubted that a single act of an executive can surely lead to a positive effect on the whole society. Such a reduction in price can really slow down the inflation (or just make the whole industry outputs decreases since other firms must lower their prices also to compete, and therefore, creates deficit for the economy). Spending too much on environmental practice beyond legislation may increase price and draw the company out of business because of competition. Free-market mechanism works based on the assumption that â€Å"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest† (Adam Smith – The Wealth Of Nations, Book I, Chapter II, pp. 26-7, para. 12). Therefore, by deviating from self-interest, a firm who heavily does CSR may be forced out of the market. However, Friedman has left out the case of default on duty of agent i. e. what if the government cannot fulfill its responsibilities as correcting market failures and redistributing resources. If these duties are not carried out, it then can cause harm to the whole society. We can see there is a dilemma here. If the companies take those duties, its main duty will be less efficient and cannot stand in the market. On the other hand, if it does not care about these residual duties, the whole society may go down i. You read "Ethical Viewpoint" in category "Papers" e. the economic cake is shrinking. Let me summarize the reasons of the Friedmanian viewpoint on why company should not conduct CSR: 1. The binding relationship between owners and executives does not allow the executives to deviate the goal of the company from maximizing returns to owners 2. Doing CSR is considered as taxation on shareholders or employees, or customers, which, in a democratic world, is a job of government. 3. Under the free-market mechanism, extra expenses arose from CSR can finally draw the company out of business All in all, the Friedmanian article produces a very strict and straight point the responsibility of companies: to maximize the return of owners. It makes companies seem like soulless machines designed to do nothing than maximizing owners’ interest. However, the idea is derived from the position of an executive, who does not have real power on decision making. Moreover, this model will only work in such a condition where the government fulfills its responsibility and the model also assumes that there is only one company is doing CSR (if others do not also do CSR then unfair competition may happen). Discussion of the ethical point of view: In contrast to the viewpoint which is supported by the Friedman viewpoint presented above and the belief that CSR and profit go together that the only responsibility of companies is to maximize profit (in general) and not to do real CSR – companies may conduct CSR if it helps to increase profit i. . CSR as a tool for profit maximization, not the true goal -, there may be good reasons for firm to deviate from maximizing profit. Firstly, I will discuss on how the Friedman viewpoint is refuted and then the latter viewpoint. Counter Friedman viewpoint From the three main reasons of Friedman viewpoint above, there are counter reasons to refute them: 1. There is a contract that binds the executive respon sibility to the interest of the owners: Such a contract does not simply release the involved parties from others duties to other agents i. . reduce or cancel their duties to the rest of the society. This also implied a fact that executives have a special duty to the owners, which will be discussed later 2. The effective division of labour between companies and government (â€Å"taxation aspect† as an example): There are two reasons to refute this term. First, it is not the action of the executive that should be considered in this case but whether the owners would give up some of their benefits to promote other ends i. e. efute the notion that executives doing CSR as a taxation agent. Secondly, there are cases when the government cannot or not willing to do its duty, therefore, makes the whole model of ideal division of labour collapse. On the second reason, the author gives an example of Third World countries where governments are usually fail to fulfill their duties. However , this example is not so persuasive since in such countries, not only the governments default on their duties but other agents, especially customers, do not value the CSR. Therefore, if a company assumes to take the residuals value, it will lose its competitiveness and being drawn out of business. 3. The free-market competition does not allow firms to do CSR: it is reasoned that if customers, employers, shareholders, government value the CSR activities of the firm then CSR will not push a firm out of business but conversely, can even help the firm grow. The article also criticizes the Friedman viewpoint by refute the notion that â€Å"Firm has a special duty to its owners and it should takes preference over duties to others†. A special duty may be formed: when agents have a certain kind of relation to each other (the relation approach) or the universalistic approach that everyone has responsibilities to everyone else, but these general duties can be carried out more effectively if each agent is assigned special duties, which it does best, towards a limited group. For the relation approach, the firm and the owners should have at least one of three kinds of traditions: voluntarist tradition, the mutual benefit tradition or the communitarian tradition. It seems that there is a voluntary tradition existing between the firm and the owners but it does not mean that each agent can pursue their own goal at all costs since doing so, it may harm the voluntariness of other parties. Therefore, a voluntarist tradition also restricts the profit maximization. Based on the communitarian tradition, agents are partly defined by its relationships and various rights. Therefore, reducing the commitment to a group is the same as changing the agent’s personality and that special duties should only arise from relationships that are key to the agent’s identity. Miller has created some â€Å"criteria† for such relationships: (1) they belong together, (2) their association is neither transitory nor instrumental, (3) their community has distinctive characteristic, (4) there is loyalty in the sense of willingness to sacrifice personal gain to advance in the interests of the company. The relation between the firm and owners has failed heavily on criteria (2) and (4) and therefore, it fails within the communitarian framework. However, it is worth questioning here about the criteria. In such a fast changing world, especially the explosion of virtual world – the Internet, communities are formed, which can satisfy all of the above criteria (for example, the open source community, who develop computer programs and peer production together without cost to the public usages) but leave no or very little traits (identity) on the parties. As the grounds for mutual benefit traditions, it is true that there is a mutual benefit tradition between firm and owners. However, it involves far more parties, who can be customers, business partners, government†¦ Therefore, the firm’s responsibilities cannot be limited only to the owners. Nevertheless, if then, can and should the company try to satisfy all of its stakeholders. This leads us to the universalistic approach, whether the firm should have special duty towards a group (owners), which it can do most effectively. The universalistic approach is built on the assumption that agents who are assigned special duties can carry out the duties, which means that governments can effectively correct market failures and redistribute income. In practice, this is not always the case; and when the special duties cannot be done, they become the residual responsibilities of all. And it is worth notice here that division of duties is just a tool to promote the general duties. Therefore, when the government fails to perform its duty, the company should deviate from its special duty (maximize profit) and try to cover the residual duties. However, there are 2 problems with this reasoning. First of all, how can we measure if an agent has successfully performed its duty i. e. f the government has done a good job or not? Second, the residual responsibilities are rested on the entire society, not only the business. Therefore, only when other agents also try to participate in solving the responsibilities, are the general duties fulfilled. It helps to avoid the disadvantages to companies when they do CSR as mentioned in the 3rd reason of Friedman viewpoint. Only when the customers and other companies take part in the process, does the company not face the fact of being out of business due to unfair competition. In all of the relationship traditions mentioned above, the special duties of firm to owners has failed on some and partly fulfilled some. As a conclusion, the special duty of companies to owners is restricted by the duties to other agents and it may be changed (deviate from profit maximization) if necessary. CSR and profits do not always go together: It is shown, by practice’s investigation that CSR will not always lead to positive economic profit and there is a limit for CSR expending (to some point, the cost will be more than the benefit). However, there seems to be a lack of time variable here in the research. For example, if the company builds 10 or 100 hospital for the city, it does not lead to much different economic profit. However, if the company continues supporting 10 hospitals for 10 years then it can create a commitment between the company and the community, which then results in customers’ loyalty. The profit from CSR should not only be measured at a fixed moment but also spread through a period of time. All in all, the ethical point of view states that companies do not have special duty to only the owners but it must act in a way that can comprehend its other duties to different parties in the society and in order to do so, it may have to deviate from its ultimate goal i. e. maximizing profit. However, in contrast with the conditions for Friedman viewpoint, this assumption requires a condition where the government cannot fulfill its duty and other parties (competitors, customers, suppliers†¦) must act in the same manner as the company (deviate from their own special duties if needed). Conclusion: Both articles provide very interesting opinions on if firms should take on CSR or not. While Friedman viewpoint, which based heavily on the assumption of private-property democracy and free-market mechanism, states that firms must only focus on one ultimate responsibility: maximize owners’ return, the ethical viewpoint states that firms must also sacrifice its own self-interest i. e. profit in order to promote other ends for the society. I agree on the assumption that executives have a special duty against the owner and that efficient division of labour should be respected in normal cases. A company can never satisfy all the responsibilities it has towards all other parties equally or effectively. Only by dividing the general duties and assign them to subgroups, it makes sure they are done in the most effective way. Moreover, as an executive, if he or she tries to conduct CSR against the will of owners then the effect of such actions is neither material or long lasting since the owners, according to law, have the right to appoint and dismiss executives on their will. This assumption also implies that social responsibilities do not rest on firms but rather on individuals. It is not whether firms do CSR or not but if each of the owner wants to sacrifice their own interests for the common good. CSR, at its best understanding, involve the participation of the whole society i. e. companies do not stand alone is this field and so, should not be considered solely when debating on CSR issue. Other factors such as how the government does its duty and how customers, suppliers†¦ value the CSR have huge impact on the fact that should companies conduct CSR. Free-market mechanism is a very strong force that as long as our society depends on it, we must comfort it. Only when the customers’ demand for such CSR value increases, does the companies do CSR. If this is not the case, companies are killing themselves. Therefore, no matter how intensive firms are on CSR issue, it will be immaterial and short-sighted if by doing so, threat the firms out of business. The debating question here is not about firms conducting CSR but about how society value CSR, which will then guide the behaviours of firms. In conclusion, in current situation under the force of free-market mechanism, firms’ decisions are not the main forces that affect the CSR issues but how well other agents (especially government) fulfill their own duties and how society value CSR. The available solutions are that government must improve its performance (tighten the legislation, prevent corruption, protection for firms doing CSR†¦) and the society’s awareness of CSR value must be raised so that society will value CSR seriously (through education programs). Only then, can firms truly perform CSR without facing the dilemma of trade-off for economic profit, which is the main reason for firms to exist. All in all, for now, I agree to the statement of Milton Friedman that â€Å"responsibility is to conduct business in accordance with their (owners) desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom†. The question is how such â€Å"basic rules† will drive the behaviours of companies. How to cite Ethical Viewpoint, Papers

Gitanjali free essay sample

Gitanjali Gitanjali an illustrious work by Rabindranath Tagore echoes the true Indian Philosophy. This memorable piece of work is actually to address the rich to serve the poor than serving God. ‘Gitanjali’ is a collection of 103 different Bengali poems mostly translated into English. ‘Gitanjali’ means ‘Offer to the Almighty with songs’. W. B. Yeats published the first volume in 1913 and from there on it underwent numerous changes. The specialty of this ‘Gitanjali’ is that it is one of the most translated set of poems in various languages like Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Russian, Armenian, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Pashto and Urdu. Rabindranath Tagore is known as poet, philosopher, musician, writer, educator, noble laureate, and above all a great person. He was born in Calcutta into a wealthy Brahmin family. On the way over to England he began translating, for the first time, his latest selections of poems, Gitanjali, into English. We will write a custom essay sample on Gitanjali or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Almost all of his work prior to that time had been written in his native tongue of Bengali. An honest person named Rothenstein took help of his friend W. B. Yeats, and finally published the book. The rest is history. It happened in 1912 and in the year of 1913 Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize. | Gitanjali is a collection of English poems and this is the translated version of Bengali poems by Rabindranath Tagore. This collection of poems is very famous in the west. Gitanjali was first published in England in 1912. This English volume, although it shares the name of one of Tagore`s earlier volumes of Bengali verse, is actually comprised of poems from several of Tagore`s previous volumes of Bengali poetry. Tagore heavily altered the structure and also the content of the poems when he translated them into English. Because of this, it is appropriate to use the year 1912 for the purpose of dating the poem`s creation Tagores poetry has been set to music by various composers, among them classical composer Arthur Shepherds triptych for soprano and string quartet, Alexander Zemlinskys famous Lyric Symphony, Josef Bohuslav Foersters cycle of love songs