Aging on women's sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aging on women's sexuality - Essay Example The following piece of writing is based on the article ‘The impact of aging on sexual function in women and their partners’. The author of this article is Sheryl A. Kinsberg. In this article the writer discusses how different physiological, psychological and social factors that are important in the sexual functioning of a woman are altered by age and how this alteration affects her sexuality. The writer also discusses how the changing sexuality of a woman affects her partner and vice versa. At the end of the article, the writer discusses the role of a healthcare provider in situations where an elderly patient comes with a problem of sexuality. This essay is a response to this article and discusses why a certain issue brought up by the writer in the article is of particular interest to me and how this information can be of use to me in my personal life. The particular issue that I find most interesting is the effect of psychosocial factors that affect sexuality in women a nd how they are affected by age. The impact of this information on my personal life is multi-faceted as I can adjust to the changes that will occur in my intimate relationships with time as well as understand what elderly people in my circle are going through right now. It also pushes me into understanding the patient in the light of her ethnicity and culture and develops a better understanding of the psychological component of her problem. After a thorough reading of the article, I feel that the area that grabs my greatest interest is the analysis of psychosocial factors that affect female sexuality. The writer uses several psychological theories to explain the changes that occur in sexuality when its psychosocial component is altered by age. Using the self-perception theory, the writer explains how older women may feel asexual because their partners show a lot more interest in sexual activity than them while in reality, interest in sexual activity varies from person to person and a person cannot be considered to be sexually dysfunctional as long as he/she enjoys sexual intercourse. Similarly the writer uses the over-justification hypothesis to explain how older people may relate sex to external benefits and decrease their interest in the act itself. This is further explained by the writer using the cognitive dissonance theory. According to this theory, if a person stops relating the enjoyment of intercourse to the enjoyment of external benefit derived from it, he/she may actually enjoy the act itself. The writer concludes this section that psychosocial studies need to be conducted in the light of the culture and ethnicity of the patient for an accurate assessment of the problem. The reason why I chose this issue is that it is the psychosocial well-being that is affected most due to sexual problems particularly in older women as they may feel insufficient, worthless or guilty due to not being able to match the performance of their partners during sexual inter course. If these psychosocial factors are studied in depth, it is possible to alter them by counseling the patient and saving her time and money. While medications and different treatment modalities can provide relief to several patients with sexual issues, eventually it is the psychological benefits that the patient is seeking. If a large part of the treatment is simply an understanding of these factors and putting them in correct order, not only can patients avoid drugs and discomfort but also adjust to their increasing age. Hence, they may start to see their increasing age as a transition rather than pathology. This understanding has to be coupled by the understanding of the patient’s cultural background. This may be unique for most patients and the alterations in lifestyle and thought process that are suggested to them may vary accordingly. Thus treatment may be several times more effective. This aspect of sexual problems in older women is of great importance to a healthc are provider. The information in this article about the psychosocial fact

Social dance Essay Example for Free

Social dance Essay Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as the 9,000 year old Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka paintings in India and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC. One of the earliest structured uses of dances may have been in the performance and in the telling of myths. It was also sometimes used to show feelings for one of the opposite gender. It is also linked to the origin of love making. Before the production of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing these stories down from generation to generation. [2] Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals. Dance is still used for this purpose by many cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert. [3] Sri Lankan dances goes back to the mythological times of aboriginal yingyang twins and yakkas (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 250 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king. Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dance. Partner Dancing in Art Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1882–83) Eadweard Muybridges phenakistoscope A Couple Waltzing (c. 1893) Dance classification and genres. Main articles: List of basic dance topics and List of dances Dance categories by number of interacting dancers are mainly solo dance, partner dance and group dance. Dance is performed for various purposes like ceremonial dance, erotic dance, performance dance, social dance etc. Dancing and music See also: Category:Music genres Many early forms of music and dance were created and performed together. This paired development has continued through the ages with dance/music forms such as: jig, waltz, tango, disco, salsa, electronica and hip-hop. Some musical genres also have a parallel dance form such as baroque music and baroque dance whereas others developed separately: classical music and classical ballet. Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be presented independently or provide its own accompaniment (tap dance). Dance presented with music may or may not be performed in time to the music depending on the style of dance. Dance performed without music is said to be danced to its own rhythm. Ballroom dancing is an art although it may incorporates many fitness components using an artistic state of mind. Saman Dance from Gayo people of Sumatra, Indonesia Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral, Wells, England An amateur dancesport competition at MIT Professional dancers at the Tropicana Club, Havana, Cuba, in 2008 Dance studies and techniques See also: Dance theory, Choreography, and Dance moves In the early 1920s, dance studies (dance practice, critical theory, Musical analysis and history) began to be considered an academic discipline. Today these studies are an integral part of many universities arts and humanities programs. By the late 20th century the recognition of practical knowledge as equal to academic knowledge lead to the emergence of practice research and practice as research. A large range of dance courses are available including: Professional practice: performance and technical skills Practice research: choreography and performance Ethnochoreology, encompassing the dance-related aspects of anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, area studies, postcolonial theory, ethnography, etc. Dance therapy or dance-movement therapy. Dance and technology: new media and performance technologies. Laban Movement Analysis and somatic studies Academic degrees are available from BA (Hons) to PhD and other postdoctoral fellowships, with some dance scholars taking up their studies as mature students after a professional dance career. Dance competitions A dance competition is an organized event in which contestants perform dances before a judge or judges for awards and, in some cases, monetary prizes. There are several major types of dance competitions, distinguished primarily by the style or styles of dances performed. Major types of dance competitions include: Competitive dance, in which a variety of theater dance styles—such as acro, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and tap—are permitted. Open competitions, which permit a wide variety of dance styles. A popular example of this is the TV program So You Think You Can Dance. Dancesport, which is focused exclusively on ballroom and latin dance. Popular examples of this are TV programs Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing. Single-style competitions, such as highland dance, dance team, and Irish dance, which only permit a single dance style. Today, there are various dances and dance show competitions on Television and the Internet. Dance occupations There are different careers connected with dancing: Dancer, dance teacher, dance sport coach, dance therapist and choreographer. Dancer Dance training differs depending on the dance form. There are university programs and schools associated with professional dance companies for specialised training in classical dance (e. g.Ballet) and modern dance. There are also smaller, privately owned dance studios where students may train in a variety of dance forms including competitive dance forms (e. g. Latin dance, ballroom dance, etc. ) as well as ethnic/traditional dance forms. Professional dancers are usually employed on contract or for particular performances/productions. The professional life of a dancer is generally one of constantly changing work situations, strong competition pressure and low pay. Professional dancers often need to supplement their income, either in dance related roles (e.g. , dance teaching, dance sport coaches, yoga) or Pilates instruction to achieve financial stability. In the U. S. many professional dancers are members of unions such as the American Guild of Musical Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association. The unions help determine working conditions and minimum salaries for their members. Dance teachers Dance teacher and operators of dance schools rely on reputation and marketing. For dance forms without an association structure such as Salsa or Tango Argentino they may not have formal training. Most dance teachers are self employed. Dancesport coaches Dancesport coaches are tournament dancers or former dancesports people, and may be recognised by a dance sport federation. Choreographer Choreographers are generally university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work on contract as the resident choreographer for a specific dance company. A choreographic work is protected intellectual property. Dancers may undertake their own choreography.

Donne’s Poem Death Be Not Proud :: Death Be Not Proud Essays

Donne’s Poem Death Be Not Proud In the poem "Death Be Not Proud," written by John Donne death is personified. The personification of death creates a feeling that death is less powerful than we think. Donne creates and image of death that is not mysterious, not in control, and a slave of low status. He does this by undermining the idea of death as bound to the rules of "fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." He insists that death is no more powerful than any mortal is. Suggesting that death is not mysterious is the word slave. Directed to death, "thou art slave" forms an unthreatening stance of death because slaves are not threatening. This is due to the connections that go with the word slave. A slave is bound in submission to a master therefore having no say in what he or she can do. Death, in being personified into a slave that has many masters, is more extremely bound. This lack of freedom that death has in choosing its victims takes away any reason to be fearful of it. Power comes from being able to control something. Here death is the one being controlled by other outside forces that have power over how and when death can do its work. Death casts fear into mortals because it is unknown as to what happens in the afterworld. This poem creates a sense that we know who death is. For example we can see how death is a poor beggar on the street. This would make death a non-threatening person. He is a low class citizen that is just waiting for an opportunity to feast when his master allows. Donne produces this low-life death figure by associating him with "poison, war, and sickness." These are all things that less fortunate mortals deal with on a daily basis. These are dreadful things that are not good. Death personified is subject to these horrible circumstances therefore is very low in stature. If death can only reap his vengeance with such low standards governing him, then death is as low as what he works for. Death becomes less mysterious and something which we are not afraid of.

Re-appropriating the Parable of the Sower into the Modern Context Essay

â€Å"The Word of God,† the letter to the Hebrews writes, â€Å"is living and active† (Heb 4:12). In ways more than one, this passage tells of the eternal character that marks the truths found in the Scriptures; for while the written texts of the Scriptures have long been established – read: definitively canonized – thousands of years ago, the teachings and wisdom which are contained therein are never confined into either the timeframes or specific contexts of the written literatures themselves. Instead, the truths of the Bible speak to all believers in the past or in the present (as even in the future). As indeed, it is normative even, for Christians scattered all over the world, to glean faith and life lessons from the timeless teachings of the Bible. On account of these reasons therefore, it is surely not bereft of good reasons to claim that the Bible, all things considered, is a universal source of inspiration for all peoples of all times and places. Rationale and Scope  In view of the foregoing, the roadmap and central thesis of this term paper is aimed at appropriating a particular truth of the Bible into the present context. This is done on the underlying assumption that the stories in the Bible offer timeless lessons and truths, if only they are appropriately discerned within any particular context or situation. Specifically, paper attempts to make a successful re-appropriation of the Parable of the Sower; and the modern context into which it shall be retold would be in â€Å"workplaces† – i. . , into the context of people’s professional life and, in many ways, in the manner by which they conduct business enterprises. The choice to re-appropriate the Parable of the Sower into the context of people’s affairs relative to their business enterprises or professional jobs is an option taken not without discerned reasons to say the least. Christians, ever since, have always been called to bear witness to the faith they profess by living exemplary lives right within their very contexts. And since, nowadays, many people spend most of their times in their respective workplaces, the need to bear witness to the truths of the Gospel within these types of environments surely becomes even more urgent. Schminke, citing the idea of Delbecq, in fact argues that â€Å"at the beginning of the century,† the â€Å"non-business settings† acted as the locus where peoples’ â€Å"moral character was forged†; today meanwhile, â€Å"the employing organization takes up much of people’s preoccupation and time,† and, as a consequence, it â€Å"informs and shapes both (the) behavior and character† of modern peoples (ix). There are surely enough good reasons to say that, in view of Schminke’s observation, the Parable of the Sower – as a particular truth propounded by the Gospel – can speak volumes to the manner by which people of this contemporary setting respond to the invitation to seek the ways of God right into their otherwise non-religious contexts. Retelling the Parable in a Contemporary Context Before proceeding with the re-interpretation of the parable, it may be good to note that the Parable of the Sower appears in all Synoptic Gospels –namely, in the Matthew 1: 1-23, Mark 4: 3-20 and Luke 8: 4-15. At the very least however, it would appear that the story attempted to drive home a singular lesson: that God has made salvation openly available for all people; but the quality of a person’s response is what determines if one has helped oneself make that salvation work for his or her own life. The parable, essentially, is about the manner by which human persons respond to God’s call to salvation (Suarez 2). And key to attaining one’s salvation lies in â€Å"listening intently† to the ubiquitous invitation of God to live out the message of the Gospel in every moment of one’s life (Maxwell 103). If the Parable of the Sower is about the quality of a person’s response to God’s invitation to encounter Him at every moment of one’s life, how then should the story be properly re-appropriated into the context of one’s professional or â€Å"work-related† life? First, one can note the significance of the Sower’s sowing of seeds to this end, as this is the first aspect brought into the fore by the parable. The Gospel recounts: â€Å"A Sower went out to sow† (Mat 13: 3). This first statement itself, can be interpreted in a lot of ways. But what proves to be chiefly important for this study is to note that the act of â€Å"sowing of seeds† can mean that first, that Jesus announced the message of salvation without discrimination and prejudice, and that, second, while He was aware that people can take the message in a myriad of different ways, Jesus went on to proceed with sowing the seeds of salvation nevertheless. In many ways, one must always remember that these two aspects are especially applicable in one’s professional lives. Much too often, people think that, because business environments or professional workplaces are chiefly concerned with ensuring company’s development and growth, and applying key economic concepts thereof, or maintaining a healthy level of profitability for the company, the nature of these jobs have nothing to do with religiosity or the practice of one’s faith. And at the other side of the coin, people think that spirituality, or even the basic sensitivity to God’s presence, has to be confined within the august walls of the church. But this paradigm is problematic, if not all together false. If the Sower had sown seeds on to all types of grounds – whether nurturing or adverse to the seeds – then people should realize that the nurturing one’s faith is not confined to the time one spends in the church, but embraces all aspects of one’s life, including those times spent in one’s profession and work. Which is why, the call to live out that faith demands that one must find ways to recognize the presence of God within in these environments. For at the very least, even when one is immersed in an environment which, on the surface, has nothing to do with one’s exercise of faith, the challenge to be always conscious of the religious precepts demanding ethical conduct at all times and in all places, by choosing to adhere to the â€Å"framework of general principles of right or wrong,† and learning what one ought to do, and what one’s duties are,† ultimately has to be dealt with no matter what (Guy 22). Secondly, the significance of the four types of grounds on to which the seeds fell merits considerable attention in this regard. As indeed, it is certainly wise to ask how these characterizations best exemplify the context of people who find themselves at the heart of domineering culture of business enterprises. Jesus continues on with the parable: â€Å"As he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them† (Mat 13: 4). And, purporting its corresponding interpretation, Jesus furthers: â€Å"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown along the path† (Mat 13: 19). Pavements, because they is too often â€Å"packed so tightly†, as well as finished in a manner evened and leveled, makes a good place for â€Å"easy pickings for the birds† (The Bible Church). If taken into the modern context, Jesus here may be argued to be referring to people who, far from being ignorant, do not just give much thought about their belief system or faith. Herein it makes sense to call these people as atheists – people who, while not directly denying the existence of God, nevertheless â€Å"do not make any assertion whatsoever about him† or about the need to believe in Him (Gaudium et Spes 919). These are the types of people who manifest wholesale disinterestedness in asking questions about God or His precepts, since they find it meaningless. And in many ways, there are a lot of people of this nature in the world of business enterprise. Among others, these people are the ones who do not feel chiefly accountable to a higher authority in conducting business. Surely, it is not surprising to hear of unethical practices being committed within workplaces. In fact, it is a commonly held assumption that the â€Å"practice of business enterprise† smacks of a â€Å"dark side: narcissism, greed, political ruthlessness and injustice perpetrated on employees† (Schminke x). If these phenomena say something about the point in contention, it merely speaks of the manner by which â€Å"the modern world itself, though not of its very nature but because it is too engrossed in the concerns of this world, can often make it harder to approach God† (Gaudium et Spes 919). The Gospel proceeds: â€Å"Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away† (Mat 13: 5-6). In view of this description, Jesus explains further: â€Å"As for what is sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the world, immediately he falls away† (Mat 13: 20-21). By right of observation, one can attest to the fact that rocky grounds are indeed replete with small weeds. But since there is â€Å"no place for a hardy root system to develop†, no plant ever grows from among the rocks (The Bible Church). The cited passage can be reinterpreted as a description referring to people who readily assume that faith is but a matter of intellectual exercise and conceptual frameworks. In modern society, there are a lot of people who, without knowing it, belong to this categorization. Suarez maintains that it is â€Å"risky† for believers to treat the truths of the Gospel as â€Å"mere object of ingenious intellectual dissertations (as well as) of brilliant and polemical but superficial essays† (2). For all its promises however, this type of attitude towards faith lacks breadth and depth, and ultimately, does not change one’s behavior for the better. In the field of business, many people are exactly such type of believers. These happen when, despite being idealistic about doing things rightly in the first place, certain individuals start to trade off moral precepts demanded by religion – such as honesty, justice, transparency and truth – for certain self-serving interests such as good name, promotions and sizeable profits, in the long run. Lack of conviction breeds a kind of faith lacking with the courage of bear witness. And like someone who hears the Word of God but, apparently, does not listen, a person who cannot bear witness to the truths of the Gospels in his or her workplace surely is reluctant to practice what he or she so delightfully hears on account of the difficulties that arise with the obedience is demanded corollary to it (Suarez 4). By and by Jesus continues the parable: â€Å"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and chocked them† (Mat 13:7); and, explaining it further, He argues, â€Å"He who received seed among thorns is he who heard the word; but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he became unfruitful† (Mat 13:22). Immediately, one may rightly surmise that this categorization reflects, in many ways, the general atmosphere of modern society. In fact, Cardinal Hume firmly believes that the contemporary milieu is gripped with a controlling desire towards consumerism and materialism; and, such unmistakable preponderance to what the world offers, endangers peoples’ faith as a consequence (61). To be sure, it is certainly not difficult to re-interpret this particular passage in the modern context of business enterprise for the plain reason that it is normative for nearly all types of business outfits to engage in trades that ensures growth and progress. Surely, such preeminent emphasis (which companies lay) on accruing profits has significant impacts in the peoples’ – read: employees’ – belief and value systems. Put in other words, if the company puts higher premium than most on achieving worldly success, the people employed under are said to follow suit, without them even realizing it. Guy even contends that â€Å"company traditions† can â€Å"creep into a person’s normative judgments† easily (47). And concretely, this happens when the company unreasonably demands from its employees’ their unqualified attention and time – on account of the need to work for higher earnings – and thereby not leaving them with space for their relational and spiritual needs. The results can therefore prove to be detrimental to the peoples’ faith; for if many people would simply shrug off the need to attend to their spiritual needs, by saying that â€Å"they just do not have the time† for it, then there are reasons to think that â€Å"the many cares and snares of this world† truly render Christian faith unprolific, if not meaningless altogether. Finally though, Jesus speaks of the Good News to end the parable in an optimistic tone: â€Å"But the other seeds fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit; some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold† (Mat 13:8). To such description, Jesus appends: â€Å"But he who received seed into the good ground is the one who heard the word, and understood it; which also bore fruit, and brought forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty† (Mat 13:23). In here, Jesus’ parable reaches its climax; it offers its central thesis – namely, that the way towards a meaningful life lies in listening to what the Lord says, understanding the message thereof, and putting its lessons in one’s life (Suarez 8). Interpreting this aspect into the modern context of conducting business, and living in the world of business altogether, is surely not difficult to do. This is because there are faithful Christians – immersed, as they were, into the morally-adverse structure of business enterprise – who still are able to discover the presence of God right into their otherwise difficult situations. One may perhaps cite how many business ethicists believe that there are still a good number of employees feel that it pays off not resorting to malpractices at the expense of compromising opportunities to practice ethical and religious principles (Guy 22). For instance, it is not uncommon to hear of stories involving high-profiled dissenters and whistleblowers who tried to rectify incidences of corruption, fraud or theft in their workplaces. Even when their decision to come out into the open comes with a high price – e. g. eing frowned upon by colleagues, or worse, losing their jobs ultimately – these exemplary people have shown exactly how one should practice the mandate of the Gospel and seek God’s ways in every moments of life. People who act ethically and observe religious precepts faithfully in workplaces too often show the world what faith in God truly means. For faith, as the learned John Constantino writes, â€Å"deals with the nature of God, with the essence of spirituality, and with the quintessential manifestation of that spirituality in our day-to-day lives† (4). Conclusion  By way of conclusion, this paper ends with a thought that affirms the tenability of re-appropriating the Parable of the Sower into the lives of modern people, who spend much of their times in their respective workplaces. In the first place, it was learned that the parable can lend an insightful thought which affirms the universal character of God’s call to salvation – i. e. , God sows the seed of salvation to all types of environment, even those – like the business environments – that may appear to be adverse to persons’ religious and spiritual ideals. In the succeeding discussions which were developed, it was likewise seen that Jesus’ description on the four types of soils can be taken as analogical references to the four types of attitudes that may be exercised in the workplace. But in the final analysis, the paper also affirms the fact that modern Christians are called to emulate the seed that fell into the good soil, and thereby put into practice the truths that are found in the Scriptures itself.

A Compare and Contrast of the New Product Development Model Essay

New product developments are one of the main sources of competitive advantage for companies today. Companies need new product to keep up with its’ competitors. New product development can be considered as activities that aim to bring new products to market. The objective of NPD is to minimize the risk of failure. As NPD absorbs both financial and human resources from a company, it is therefore necessary to develop and implement a methodology for assisting in the introduction of new products. NPD models can help to identify problems at an early stage and assist in directing the NPD effort in the right direction. It can be used as a roadmap and provides an indication of magnitude of the project required in order to develop and launch a new product. It also helps to reduce risk and uncertainty at every stage by giving guidance regarding what information is required. An example of well known model is Booz, Allen, and Hamilton Model (1982). It has been argued that pass-the-parcel approach to NPD might extend the overall development time. However in more recent models, focus has been given to parallel-processing. The next section mentions about three model of NPD. Cooper’s stage-gate model A stage-gate model (Cooper, 1988) is improved from BAH model. The stage-gate model attempts to overcome pass-the-parcel issues which do not suitable for communicating the horizontal dimension of the NPD process. The stage-gate model uses parallel-processing to acknowledge the iterations between and within stages. The idea of parallel processing advises that major functions should be involved from the early stages of the NPD process to its conclusion. This allows problems to be detected and solved much earlier than in the classic models. The idea of dividing the new product development process into distinct phases or stages is the same as BAH model, but in the stage gate model the phases are more clearly separated from each other with management decision gates. In addition to the discovery gate, the model consists of five action stage: scoping, build business case, development, testing and validation, and launch. Stages are cross functional and each activity is undertaken in parallel to enhance speed to market. To manage risk, the parallel activities in a certain stage must be designed to gather vital information – technical, market, financial, operations – in order to drive down the technical and business risk. Each successive stage is also more costly than previous stage. The idea is to allow an increase in spending on the development of projects as the uncertainty goes down. Preceding each stage is a decision point or gate which serves as a go/kill and prioritization decision point. The advantages of the stage-gate are following: Well organized innovation can be a source of competitive advantage. -Accelerated product development. Necessary because of shortening product life cycles. -Increased success chance of new products. Prevents poor projects early and helps to redirect them -Integrated market orientation. Multiple convergent model The multiple convergent model (Baker and Hart, 1994) follows parallel processing – like the stage-gate model – which allows iterations among participants within stages. However, there are two problems with parallel processing. First, it ignores the important inputs to NPD that are provided by customers and suppliers. Second, if functions are to work in parallel then when do the processes take decisions and move on to the next stage? The multiple convergent model overcomes the issue by using convergent point, where is defined as â€Å"to move or cause to move towards the same point† or to â€Å"tend towards as common conclusion or result†. The model takes account of the functionally distinct tasks which must be carried out simultaneously at specific points throughout the NPD process and that the results must converge. And, due to iterations in the processes, this convergence is likely to happen several times. As the process moves from one step to another, the information gathered becomes more precise and reliable and the decisions are made with greater certainty. This model is therefore advantageous over the stage-gate in that the framework can easily accommodate third parties, provides mechanisms for real integration throughout the process among different functions set in the convergent points and fit into the most appropriate NPD structures for the company. Network model The multiple convergent model fails to highlight the importance of â€Å"inter-organizational collaboration† in a firm’s network. Networks in NPD could and should be considered at two different levels: external and internal level. And it should be realized that the functioning of the internal networks directly influences the efficiency and efficacy of the external network. According to the network model (Trott, 1998), the development and management of knowledge is one of the most important traits of the new product development. It represents the process of accumulation of knowledge crossing continuously over different internal functions, through which both internal and external knowledge is integrated in the process. Four different internal functions are related to new product development: marketing and sales, finance, engineering and manufacturing, and research and development. Different external inputs such as competitors, suppliers, partners, customers, university departments and so on are also presented. Conclusion NPD is a process of transforming business opportunity into tangible products. In order to reduce risks of failure associated with developing a new product, many models have been developed to assist in NPD activities. These models have evolved from the simple linear models to the more complex network models. And, in order for developers of new products to be successful, they must take into consideration the critical success factors in NPD.

A comparative essay between the novels Artemis Fowl and The princes and the goblin.

A comparative essay between the novels Artemis Fowl and The princes and the goblin. The elements of comparison that immediately come into focus when there is mention of the book ‘princess and the goblin’ and ‘Artemis fowl’ range widely. The variance of themes span from the essentials that describe a society such as food, clothing, money and the fundamentals that describe a place such as its geographical landscape or terrain. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparative essay between the novels â€Å"Artemis Fowl† and â€Å"The princes and the goblin†. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The landscape at the heart of the story in the book ‘princess and the goblin’ is a mountainous terrain that has very many subterranean hollows. Winding caves and caverns characterize the landscape in this book. Some of the caverns have water coming out of them, while some shine when light gets inside these structures. In this book, two characters of very distinct ba ckgrounds and with very different lifestyles get to interact, and end up being friends. The two come from the two different social groups that define the living standards of the region. Irene, the princess, born of the king and therefore enjoys every ounce of leisure life could offer. She has spent her life enjoying the comfort of the palace built by his father on one of the mountains. The palace is beautiful and it is what the princess has grown up to believe is the whole world, until her curiosity leads her out of the palace into the outside world beneath. There are seemingly a different type people beneath the palace, strange people who it seems have different lives, and are of a different race, these are the goblins. Legends attribute their existence to the fact that they all lived together in the same kingdom, until the king levied upon them higher taxes, tried to impose more severity, and handled them with stricter rules. As a result, these people escaped from the kingdom, b ut instead of going far away from the kingdom, they sought refuge in the underground caves and caverns from where they came out only at night (Macdonald, 1990). The tale has it that these people hardly walk in groups, they come out only in the dark and never show up to large groups of people. This tale goes on to say that they operate in large groups of people in the areas of the mountain that are least visited, deeper into the mountain and that they even gathered in the open air. As a result of them hiding away from the sun, dwelling in the cold and dark dungeon that was the mountain, their bodies had changed greatly both in form and texture through the course of time. They looked abnormally strange to the extent that no literary genius could put to pen the matching description of their appearance. Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The goblins, in as much as th ey grew more disheveled in face and form, they grew smarter and brighter in the head. They had advanced intellectually to the point that they could do things that were unheard of in the world of mortals, yet all this creativity they dedicated to making the life of the people living on top of the mountain a living hell (Macdonald, 1990). This community was very cruel to the people living on the mountain (suns), but they treated others of their type with affection and love. Their wits saw them establish a government run by a chief. The main business of this government besides running their own personal affairs was devising trouble for their neighbors on the mountain (Macdonald, 1990). They held onto the grudge they bore against the suns people with a passion, they professed it with a near religious zeal; their perception of the suns was negative. They viewed them as the people who occupied their former abodes, and more so as the descendants of the king who caused their expulsion from the mountain. For this reason, the princess had never seen the sky at night the whole of her life. Also at the heart of this kingdom is a young girl called Irene, she happens to be the king’s daughter; the princess. On one, boring, rainy day she decides to take a stroll through their old huge kingdom house. Due to the complexity of the structure of the house, she gets lost in the rooms and wanders her way into her great grandmother’s secret room. Her grandmother been living beneath their house for ages and therefore knows a lot about the kingdom, yet the occupants of the kingdom didn’t know she was there. She is stunningly beautiful for a grandmother and Irene soon bonds with her. Upon returning to the castle, she tells her nanny Lootie about her encounter with her grandmother, an assertion to which Lootie does not believe and a quarrel ensues. On the first sunny day, they set out for a walk and stay out late. This is their first encounter with the scary gobli ns, but they are saved by a young boy called Curdie, who sings rhythms which the Goblins find unbearable and they leave the two alone. Curdie has saved their lives and Irene promises him a kiss but Lootie interrupts. This marks the beginning of a relationship that would go along way affecting the lives of the people around them, at one point even the fate of the kingdom. This happened when they boy eavesdropped on some goblins and heard them talking and planning an attack on the suns kingdom. He also got to know that their heads were hard but the lower parts of their bodies were weak (Macdonald, 1990).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparative essay between the novels â€Å"Artemis Fowl† and â€Å"The princes and the goblin†. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Artemis Fowl is a book based on the story of a young boy living with his mother. The father, who happens to be a crime lord, has deserted the family and they are the only members. This boy, at only twelve ears was intelligent, a genius for that matter and had the determination, zeal and desire to be rich. In his quest to attain wealth, he conducts an extensive research on fairies and discovers their existence. He hatches out a plan to kidnap a fairy, this involves trailing them and learning their ways. Artemis and his friend, Butler track down a rogue fairy pretending to be a healer in Vietnam, they intend to get from her the ‘book of the people’, a holy book for fairies that is written in gnomish. At the same time, a police captain Holly short happens to be going after another troll which has escaped from the fairy city deep underground from the earth’s surface. (Colfer, 2001) Captain Holy is assisted by her friends and they debilitate the troll, this exercise consumes all of her magical ability, forcing her to carry out a sacrament that would help bring back her magic. Using his wits, Artemis trans lates the book using a computer, and while at it he learns the essentials of the ritual. From the details in the book, they locate over 100 places where the ritual could be conducted. Four months later they find Holly on the spot conducting the ritual, they tranquilize him with a hypodermic syringe. The Fairy council sends a group of fairies to examine Fowl Manor. The members are equipped with a special ability that allows them to travel faster than the human eye can follow, this was called shielding ability, but Artemis expects this and installs a camera that could resonate with their speed by freezing the image. Butler debilitated the threat while Root cordoned Fowl Manor by initiating a time stop and entered discussions (Colfer, 2001). The amount demanded to release Fowl manor was 24 carats of gold. Artemis, armed with the knowledge he gained from decoding the book, took the chance to disclose his ability to undo the time stop. Following Artemis guidance, they break into the Ma nor. He digs underground to get to the house and finds a safe where a copy of the book was stored. This gives a hint to where Artemis got his knowledge about fairies. In the meantime, Holly digs a space through the concrete wall of her cell, gets an acorn that had been smuggled inside. She takes it and completes the ritual, this enables him to regain his magic and he sets off to the main house. The fairies honor their end of the bargain and give Artemis the ransom they had initially agreed upon. They give him the gold, but in the face of all that and coupled with all the riches bestowed upon him, he cannot cure his mother’s condition. He requests holly to grant him a wish; he wants her to cure his mother’s insanity, which had been caused by the loss her husband’s disappearance (Colfer, 2001). As result she is bed ridden. Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In return Holly offers to grant the wish and cure her mother’s insanity but at a price, he demands to be given half the gold Artemis had. The fairies had other intentions, they intended to kill Artemis by infecting him with a biological bomb and get the gold, but this flops when Artemis drugs himself and his comrades with sleeping pills. The sleeping pills enable him to escape the time-stop, when he wakes up he finds his mother’s health in top condition, having recovered from her insanity. In both stories, there is a common theme that comes to light. A theme that has been a factor in both instances, it has also been the driving force behind most of the events in these books. This is money. Because of money the goblins were expelled from the kingdom that they rightfully belonged, one that was rightfully there’s. The king used it to expel them from the kingdom by raising the tax rates imposed on them, purposefully in order to get rid of them. Money has caused the re to be division and classification according to how much one had, them that lacked had to escape the kingdom, and moved to inhabit the subterranean dungeons. As a result of the limited exposure to the sun and other environmental factors, they had grown scarily grotesque. This had caused all the difference in the lives of these people, hence the contrasting lifestyles. The people who had money lived and enjoyed their lives, though they were not at peace wherever they were, its like they lived in total seclusion, in that some of them had never seen the sky, let alone know. They were confined in their freedom, and did not even know the beauty and glory that lay beyond the confines of their kingdom. In Artemis’s case, the quest for money and wealth almost caused him his life were it not for his intelligence and ability to see ahead and think faster than his adversaries. The biological bomb they had sent him kills all forms of organic life, and his life, however bright was no ex emption. After outwitting them all and having amassed all that wealth that was to the tune of twenty four gold carats, he discovers he still has needs that the money can not buy. The money cannot buy him happiness; it cannot repair the broken relationships, it can neither heal illnesses nor better them, and certainly too much of it does feel uncomfortable. It surprises us at the end when he gives out half the amount of gold he had worked so hard to attain, but what is all that when the person who is closest to you, your mother, is still sick? It surpasses logic. He did it out of the love, it is what matters most and that is what counts. He was happy eventually when the mother recovered, and he still had half the gold. In the case of the kingdom, this people harbored anger and scorn towards each other. The goblins were so cruel to the suns to the point the established an own government whose sole purpose was to create disturbance and mayhem to the suns people. Money had caused this problem, the goblins wanted to attack the sun people, and submerge their kingdom as a result of the hate they had for the suns (MacDonald.1992). This is salvaged after a boy overhears their conversations and alerts the suns . The get ready to protect the kingdom so by the time the goblins attack, they defend. These two, Irene and Curdie, save the kingdom not for the money but because of the love and the indifference of heart they saw among the people of the two communities. In both cases, money has been of utmost disservice to the peace that has existed. Whenever the characters considered money as a factor, there was division and war. Money has proved its ability to buy almost anything that has economic value, but it has failed to buy virtues upon which good life is based upon, such as love, peace and harmony. It happens that people who have all the money don’t have it all when it comes to these virtues; instead money cultivates greed, envy, war and instability in the case of kingdoms and power centers. Money could not buy the suns people the peace they so yearned for, neither could it heal Artemis mother of her condition. He had to make a wish to the Fairy, it is only because the fairy had been frustrated by Artemis that he decided to punish him by charging him half the gold he had. Artemis needed joy and happiness, and he could stop at nothing to get it, his only joy was his mother’s well-being, and he reaped the fruits when he sacrificed half his wealth. His mother was well, the other kingdom was rescued after the money factor was put aside and they all lived happily ever after. Colfer, Eion. (2001). Artemis Fowl: Artemis Fowl series. NY. New York. Vicking press. MacDonald, George (1990). The princess and the goblin. Paperback. Trafalgar Square Publishing.

The Mind of a Serial Killer essays

The Mind of a Serial Killer essays In the last three decades the USA has been troubled by an approaching problem, the serial killer. A serial killer is a person who kills a number of people, usually considered over five, with a cooling off period between each murder, usually one murder at one given time). Two murders at one time occasionally happen and these murders may go on for a period of months or years until the killer is caught. Throughout the last three decades the US serial killer rate has risen 94% and it is estimated that by the next millennium it will claim an average of 11 lives a day. Serial Murder is an epidemic; there are at least 35 serial killers active in the USA today who claim one third of the annual murder rate. The USA has 6% of the world's population yet it has three quarters of all serial killers. Not only are serial killers appearing in more numbers in the US but also all over the world countries are terrorized by serial killers, which are appearing in more numbers year and year after. A serial killer is a typical white male, 20-30, and most of them are usually in the USA. Their main motives are sex (even though the act of sex may or may not take place), power, manipulation, domination and control. The sex motive is usually rape for an organized killer and sadism for a disorganized killer. They act in a series of 5 or more murders with a cooling off period between each murder. Serial killers can go on for months and years before they are usually caught. The victim is usually the same for every killer - prostitute, hitchhiker etc. Their victims may also have the same or similar attributes in gender, age, race, general look, residence etc. Serial killers also stick by their modus operandi very closely and may change it with experience. Most murders occur by strangulation, suffocation, stabbing etc. Serial killers act by a sex-murder fantasy based with their control, they usually live in this dream world in their teens until they...