Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 35

Discussion - Coursework Example According to statistics that were produced by International Air Transport Association, the demand for global travel decreased with a percentage of 3.5 in 2009. This according to the department was the largest decrease since World War II (Transtats.bts.gov, 2015). Due to decrease in demand, an imbalance developed between demand for air travel and capacity. Capacity could not be reduced as fast as demand declined. Capacity for the domestic travel increased at the start of the recession since new planes that were ordered months before the recession were coming into service despite the deepening in recession. The reduction in demand lowered the prices of domestic air travel. During the first six months of 2008, there was a change in monthly available seats. Available seat miles increased at an average of 6.7% while load factor decreased at an average of 1.5% (Transtats.bts.gov, 2015). This was an indication that there was growth in the number of seats but the demand for the seats had reduced. Reduction in seats lowered the prices of domestic air travel. Price recovery in domestic airline travel began in late 2009. In addition to the imbalances to demand and capacity, there was an increase in jet fuel prices during economic recovery resulting to increased air passenger

Summary and 3 learnings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and 3 learnings - Essay Example Israel and United States have worked jointly to advance Stuxnet in to an extent that it can infect computers. The U.S has developed implants out of Stuxnet that infect the â€Å"firmware†; an embedded software preparing a computer’s hardware before its operating system starts. The implants are beyond the reach of most security controls and existing antivirus products, making it virtually impossible to stop it. Equation Group has been active for approximately two decades. It uses techniques of cyber attacks that surpass anything known to be sophisticated and complex in the virtual environment of networks and computers. The group has managed to perform firmware attacks, giving it the power to control almost anything concerning nuclear enrichment plants of U.S adversaries (Perlroth and Sanger). There are three issues which I have learnt from the articles. The first one is that American government Agencies do not use security software products made by Kaspersky Lab. This is because the lab was founded by a person who once served the Russian military, which is closely watched by the American agencies. The second one is that it is difficult to perform a cyber attack on computers with an â€Å"air gap system†; a system that separates computers from the outside world and is mostly used by U.S adversaries. The last issue learnt from the article is that the U.S Equation Group has made an effort of mapping out the so- called air-gapped

Professional Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional Portfolio - Essay Example Likewise, I have designed assessment and evaluation tools such as questionnaires, interview, and survey. Aside from actual Nurse Educator experience, I also have a wide range of clinical nursing experiences, which have provided me with more depth and insights regarding my experience of Nursing as a profession, as an art, and as a science. I am currently working on my MS in Nursing Education at the ------University. I have earned my BS Nursing at ----University. I have also gained Post Graduate Certification for Public Health. In addition, I have attended various seminar-workshops to hone my nursing skills and knowledge. I have attached a copy of my CV, which shows my work experiences, educational background, and relevant personal information. I look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully yours, Curriculum Vitae Name: Address: Telephone #: Email address: Education 20—to Present Master OF Science in Nursing Education ---------- University Units Earned : ( No of Units ) School Yr B.S. Nursing -------- University School Yr Certificate of Post Graduate Training in Public Health ------- University Certifications Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification Advance Cardiac Life Support Certification IV Certification Work Experiences Year Public Health Nursing Supervisor --------Health Department Conducts researches and studies regarding health issues of the Community Coordinates with the other government agencies regarding the health issues of the community Spearheads awareness campaigns Heads the Committee involved in dissemination of information, education, and training of nurses Led fund raising activities Year Senior Psychiatric Nurse Psychiatric Hospital Middle East Conducts training seminars for the Staff Plots the schedule of the Staff nurses Coordinates with the management regarding activities and concerns relevant to the Ward Monitors and provides primary care for various psychiatric cases like schizophrenia, depression, manic-depressive psychosis, ETOH withdrawal, and other similar cases Assists in procedures such as EEG, electroconvulsive therapy and other similar therapies Participates in occupational theraphy Year Associate Professor II Institute of Health and Sciences -------- University Has Taught the following Courses:------- Serves as Thesis Adviser Member of the Committee handling the evaluation of the students Year Assistant Head Nurse University Hospital and Medical Center New York City Coordinates with Sectors of the Hospital regarding the flow of patients, the number of available beds, the need for CNAs and other similar concerns Year Nursing Supervisor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center Plans the activities of the patients Conducts training of nurses Involves in the selection of hiring process of nursing staff Conducts seminars, training, and informal learning activities for the nurses Membership New York State Nurses Association Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Recognition Model Nurse of th e Year Seminar- Workshops Attended Performance Appraisal System Better Teaching Through Effective Speech Communication Empowering Preceptorship Reproductive Health Care Urban Primary Health Care Health Care Delivery System in the Urban Setting Researches 1.Beliefs and Practices on Hypertension of Selected Residents of------- 2. The

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay Example for Free

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay The curriculum in todays schools has survived relatively unchanged for many years. It was created in a completely different world, one where computers were not used and jobs for the uneducated were easy to find. The world has changed significantly since then, but should the education system? The job market is a competitive one, and an extra qualification can make all the difference. One qualification that is needed for nearly every position is that of Information and Communication Technology, in other words, computers. Computers are used for many purposes in nearly every company, for example, spreadsheets in finance, databases in stock keeping and desktop publishing in advertising. The skill needed to control the software and hardware is highly desirable, but the current curriculum in high schools does not reflect this. ICT was only introduced into the curriculum several years ago, and has been taught as a minor subject, comparable to the likes of Art and Music. Throughout high school, each school only has to complete one hour of ICT per week, although it can be taken optionally as a GCSE subject, or as a GNVQ. A large number do not opt for the latter options, which leaves them with a qualification equal to half a single GCSE. I do not believe that the curriculums compulsory ICT lessons are sufficient now that more and more jobs are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. I personally think that ICT provision should be increased to three hours a week, making it on level with the main academic subjects of English, Maths and Science. This will enable pupils to study a wider range of software, and complete more theory work, which is an aspect currently neglected. These extra skills will be beneficial in the workplace. I am aware that to cope with the extra number of ICT lessons, more computers would be needed, and spaces to put them, but even with this extra expenditure, the benefits of having a full ICT qualification would be well worth it. There are quite a few things that are needed in later life that are not taught in school. These include money management, communication skills, stress management and form writing. If these skills were taught in schools, it would make later life a little easier to cope with. Many people struggle to look after their money, especially if they stay in education at university. People also struggle to understand the workings of finance, so an education in money management would be beneficial to all pupils. Quite a few pupils in schools lack the confidence to speak to people they do not know, or fail to get their point across clearly during a conversation. A course in communication would help people to speak more confidently, and to express them more clearly. It could also contain advice on how to deal with a job interview effectively. It is often mentioned in the media that our lives have become more stressful, and that we need to learn how to manage it. During exams, further education and our working lives, stress inevitably builds up, and if lessons were taken in high school on how to relieve that stress, people would not suffer from stress-related illness in later life, which can only be a good thing. Another skill that could be taught in schools is how to fill in forms. During adulthood, there are many, many forms that need to be filled in, such as application forms, benefit forms and census forms. Many people find this task daunting and confusing; they can fill the wrong boxes in, or write the incorrect information. Lessons in this skill would be beneficial and helpful to the pupils in the future. GCSEs are compulsory. Each Year 11 pupil has to take them by law, even if they havent got a chance of passing any. In my opinion, those pupils in lower groups could drop their GCSE courses and study for other qualifications. This would not solely be the students decision; parents and teachers would need to be consulted and involve in the decision swell. They would not be able to however, drop the academic subjects completely. English, Maths, Science and ICT would still need to be taken, although not at GCSE level and with no exam or qualification. By dropping many subjects, they would be able to take a vocational l course and get a vocational qualification at the end of it, like an NVQ. This would give then the skills to easily find a job, as they would already be trained for it, whilst if they had stayed on their GCSE course, they would have probably ended up with no qualifications, and would be stuck in a poorly paid job, if they got one at all. The curriculum that young people are taught today is flawed and is inappropriate for many young people. I feel that ICT should be made a subject comparable with the likes of Maths and English, essential skills needed for later life, like stress management and money management should be taught to pupils and the less-able pupils should be allowed to drop out of GCSEs and pursue a vocational qualification. These changes to the current curriculum would bring it up to date and make it more relevant for the youngsters of today.

The Pazzi Conspiracy Essay Example for Free

The Pazzi Conspiracy Essay Abstract: On a sunny Sunday in April of 1478, assassins from the Pazzi family attacked Lorenzo de’ Medici and his brother Giuliano. Giuliano lay bleeding on the cathedral floor, and later bled to death. Lorenzo, however managed to get to safety—not a good thing for the Pazzi family. Up to this point the Pazzi clan had been considered one of the most noble and well-respected clans. They were financiers who â€Å"feared and resented the Medici’s swaggering new role as political bosses. † 4 This failed assassination attempt doomed the Pazzi family. The Medici’s put forth swift and brutal revenge. Each of the Pazzi family who had taken part in the assassination attempt was either hanged or beheaded, and the bodies were hung from the windows of the governmental palace. As if this wasn’t punishment enough, the Pazzi’s were forced to change their surname. Every remnant of evidence that the Pazzi family had once been a well-respected clan was wiped out by the Medici’s. 4 It was Easter Sunday within the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The Priest was just bringing the Mass to a close, when assassin’s attacked the de’Medici brothers, Lorenzo and Giuliano, brutally stabbing them. Giuliano was stabbed a horrifying nineteen times, and the blood drained from his body right there on the cathedral floor. Lorenzo, however, was stabbed only once in the neck, a cut that apparently missed any major arteries, and he fought his attackers with all his might until he got free and ran away to hide. 5 Of course there was chaos within the cathedral, and some brave soul ran to pull the bell pull to send out a distress call and summon other Florentines to help ward off the coup attack taking place within the cathedral walls. Shortly thereafter every church in Florence was also tolling their bells, call the men of Florence to â€Å"defend their Republic.† Who were these Medici’s who had taken control of their government? It is believed that they were descendants of apothecaries—today’s pharmacists—and were relatively unknown in the 14th century. Giovanni Medici was the mastermind of the family and his business acumen and sheer boldness brought the Medici family from the shadows directly to the forefront of the political world in Florence. 6 Giovanni was one of five sons. He lived with their mother, a poor widow woman. A wealthy cousin of Giovanni’s acquired a position for Giovanni as an employee of the Medici Bank in Rome, and it was not long before Giovanni, demonstrating his boldness and business prowess, moved straight to the top in the bank, actually displacing his own cousin. Giovanni was a blatant risk taker, and began laundering money for Baldasarre Cossa, commonly known as a pirate. Giovanni even went so far as to put up the money to allow Cossa’s bid for the Papacy, and in 1410 Cossa was actually elected Pope John XXIII. Of course the former pirate felt obliged to reward his good friend Giovanni by making the Medici family the new Papal Bankers. Giovanni became known as â€Å"God’s Banker.† This turned out to be quite a lucrative venture for both parties involved—the former pirate, and the former nobody who rose to such a high position. The Medici bank received a hefty ten percent of everything the Church brought in. At this time in history there was a rather unscrupulous debt collection service run by the church itself. If people didn’t pay, they were promptly excommunicated, a very powerful motivator. Soon the Medici family were the third wealthiest family in Florence, much to the dismay of the older, more established families who saw the Medici family as money-grubbing interlopers. Giovanni Medici soon built an entire network of thugs and thieves who both demanded and rewarded unconditional loyalty. He set up the banks so the managers shared a stake in their bank, and even banned loans to Kings or Princes, as he felt they were absolutely the worst risks. He often advised his descendants to â€Å"Always keep out of the public eye—never show pride.† 6 It would have been better for all involved if they had taken this advice to heart. Giovanni’s son, Cosimo de Medici was trained from a very early age to take over the banking empire from his father. Cosimo was a dedicated learner, â€Å"studying classic texts, attending lectures and becoming one of the first generation of Humanists. Cosimo urged his father to turn the family’s wealth to civil patronage.† 6 When Cosimo inherited the position of Capo from his father, the Albizzi family, another wealthy, powerful, family made up treason charges against him out of sheer jealously and Cosimo was actually sentenced to death for these false claims. Luckily he bribed his way from prison and hid out for a while, later returning to Florence more powerful than ever. However, shortly after Cosimo returned, he was attacked in a dark alleyway and his attackers cut his face from ear to ear. He lived, but bore the scars known as â€Å"che brutta figura†, which translates into â€Å"revenge through humiliation.†6 Cosimo, much like his own father well understood how politics and power worked. His own advice to his heirs, which was much like his father’s advice to him was, â€Å"Do not seek power. Wait until they call you.† Cosimo had two sons, Giovanni and Piero. Giovanni was certainly his father’s favorite, and was obviously being groomed to take over the family business while Piero was sickly, and stayed out of the public limelight because of his ill health. Piero devoted himself to learning, and became well-respected as a diplomat. In fact, King Louis XI had such a high opinion of Piero that he gave him the specially bestowed honor of â€Å"permitting Piero to stamp the lilies of France on one of the balls of the Medici arms—this one ball colored blue for that purpose.† 6 When Piero’s brother Giovanni died unexpectedly, Cosimo began grooming his grandson, Lorenzo to take over because he felt Piero’s health was unstable and that he couldn’t handle the job. Piero had two sons, Lorenzo and Giuliano. Lorenzo, at the tender age of seventeen was well known for his courage and boldness, â€Å"single-handedly foiling a Pitti family plot to assassinate his father Piero.† 6 Lorenzo was indeed well educated in banking and diplomacy in order to follow in the family footsteps, but he apparently also had a lust for the other side of life; wine, women and song.   He married at nineteen and fathered seven children, two of them adopted. Lorenzo was a patron of the arts and promoted such artists as Bottcelli and Leonardo DeVinci, even going so far as to take a young Michelangelo into his own home and â€Å"raising him like a son.† 6 Lorenzo’s trademark phrase was somewhat different from that of his father and grandfather: â€Å"He who wishes to be happy let him be so, for of tomorrow there is no knowing.† Giuliano de Medici was Lorenzo’s younger brother, and shared Lorenzo’s passion for life. He fathered an illegitimate child in his youth, and when he was murdered on that fateful Easter Sunday Lorenzo later adopted that son. While Giuliano loved his older brother, there was also some natural resentment involved in their relationship. As for the Pazzi family, consider this heritage: â€Å"During the First Crusade in 1088, as Christian soldiers scaled the walls of Jerusalem, a fighter named Pazzo Pazzi was the first man over the top. Pazzo was often known as â€Å"the madman.† 11 As a reward for his courage, he was gifted three small stones from the Holy Sepulcher.† 7 The Pazzi were an old Florentine family, and two of the family members were even named in â€Å"Divine Comedy,† by Dante. There were also boasts of having a knight in each generation. The Pazzi arms which reflected their long and noble history contained â€Å"crescents, battlement towers and twin dolphins on a blue field with nine crosses.† 7 The arms represented Christian faith, generosity and freedom, and the Pazzi’s displayed it proudly. Andrea de Pazzi entered into banking in the fourteenth century. He was a sharp businessman and quickly amassed a fortune. However, being one of the â€Å"grande† names in the area they were excluded by Florentine law from participating in their own government. Because of this law, Andrea decided to relinquish the status of â€Å"grande† and give his own sons the opportunity to hold public office. 7 During a visit in 1443 by Pope Eugene IV to the Pazzi family, the Pope made a deposit of 4000 florin into the Pazzi bank, showing that there were â€Å"Papal accounts that could be pried away from Medici control.† Andrea left three sons, Antonio, Piero and Jacopo, all of whom were well-educated in the banking trade and all of whom held a large fortune and extensive assets. Jacopo was the only son who would live long enough to â€Å"become enmeshed in the conspiracy to assassinate the Medici brothers.† 7 Interestingly, however, Jacopo happened to also be a strong supporter of Piero de’ Medici, Lorenzo’s father. Jacopo was known throughout for his great generosity to the poor, and although he began as an observer, he eventually allowed his nephew, Francesco, son of Antonio, to draw him into the assassination plot. Francesco, Jacopo’s nephew was known as â€Å"diminutive, pale and driven,† but apparently he harbored great resentment for the Medici’s, in fact it soon became apparent to all that his hatred of the Medici’s had overtaken every aspect of his life, and even allowed him to conveniently forget that he was in fact related to the Medici through marriage. 7 This urgency that Francesco displayed, along with his intense hatred for the Medici clan became the driving force for the assassination plot. So, now we know about the Medici clan and the Pazzi clan. The other factor in this triangle were the Pope and his court. The conspiracy planned by the Pazzi actually had the blessing of the church because Pope Sisto IV â€Å"contemplated to demolish the dominion of Medici and for this purpose he sustained the groups led by Pazzi’s family which had replaced de Medici in the office of bankers.† Francisco della Rovere was destined from his very childhood for the Franciscan order. 8 On the death of Pope Paul II, he was elected pope and called Pope Sixtus IV. Unfortunately Pope Sixtus used his position as Pope to further his own family members by obtaining political appointments for them. When Lorenzo â€Å"refused Sixtus’ demand on the Medici bank for a loan of 40,000 ducats to purchase the town of Imola,† the conspiracy was set into motion. 8 Sixtus wanted to acquire the town in order to give it to his nephew, Riario. Girolamo Riario was the nephew of Sixtus and was one of the key plotters in the assassination attempt on the Medici brothers. Riario married the daughter of the Duke of Milan, and used this marriage to attempt to sabotage the relationship between the Duke and Lorenzo. â€Å"Riario fueled Francesco de Pazzi’s inner fire by intimating that the Pazzi family would play a large part in the next government of Florence, while coveting the future Dukedom of Florence for himself.† Archbishop Francesco Salviati was born into one of Florence’s most active political families and was related by marriage to the Pazzi, Medici, Vettori, and other very powerful families. 8 Salviati was a â€Å"flatterer, a gambler, and lusted for the power that could be attained through church favour.† 8 He easily became a co-conspirator in the attempted assassinations. Count Riario himself summoned Battista to meet with himself and the Archbishop Salviati. Salviati strongly persuaded the others to agree with him about wanting a â€Å"coup d’ tat in Florence, and Riario and Salviati then outlined what they considered to be Lorenzo’s evil intentions against each of them, telling Battista repeatedly that when the Pope died, Riario and his state would be in grave danger from Lorenzo. 10 Riario and Salviati finally bluntly told Battista that the only thing to do was to â€Å"cut Lorenzo and Giuliano to pieces, to have troops ready in secret, and to go into Florence and do this thing.† 10. Battista was reluctant, believing they were discussing something very big, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to become involved, but the other two were persuasive. Although nobody knew at the time, there were literally hundreds of mercenary troops settled firmly within the borders of Tuscany, â€Å"poised to invade the city at a signal that never came.† It was Salviati and Francesco de Pazzi who masterminded the plot to assassinate Lorenzo and Giuliano. Riario, always working behind the scenes, remained in Rome. Interestingly enough, the plan was hardly a secret, and was fairly widely known. The Pope reportedly even stated that â€Å"I support it—as long as no one is killed.† 11 Rather a silly statement when the plot is an assassination plot. When Lorenzo escaped the assassination attempt, he locked himself in the sacristy. â€Å"A coordinated attempt to capture the Gonfaloniere and Signoria was thwarted when the archbishop and the head of the Salviati clan were trapped in a room whose doors had a hidden latch.† 11 The assassination attempt had failed, and â€Å"enraged Florentines seized and killed the conspirators.† 11 Jacopo Pazzi was tossed from a window, and if that weren’t enough to kill him, he was finished off by the angry mob, then dragged naked through the streets and eventually thrown in the river. 11 The entire Pazzi family were stripped of all their worldly possessions, and every â€Å"vestige of their name effaced.† 11. Salviati, even though he was an archbishop was summarily hanged on the walls of the Pallazo. Lorenzo actually appealed to the crowd to show mercy, but to no avail, as many of the conspirators and even those only accused of being co-conspirators were killed. Lorenzo managed to save the nephew of Sixtus and two other relatives of the plotters, and the main conspirators were hunted down throughout Italy. During the assassination plot, Marsilio Ficino, who was the son of Cosimo Medici’s physician, became important in his own right. In 1478, largely as a result of the war which resulted from the assassination plot, the plague broke out in the city of Florence. Ficino published a very different sort of work; a practical guide to the treatment of the plague, and was written in Tuscan to be readily accessible to his fellow citizens. 12 This work went on to be translated into Latin and published â€Å"alongside Galen’s work on fevers, as a standard medical work. It is easy to forget that all Ficino’s works of profound contemplation and leisurely presentation were written against a backdrop of intense social and political disturbances.† Another player in this era was Caterina Storza, an illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza who ended up married, at the age of fourteen, to Girolamo Riario, the nephew of Sixtus, and a primary player in the assassination attempt on the Medici family. Caterina came to be known as the â€Å"Machiavellian mother† in Machiavelli’s works. 1 Eventually, after the assassination attempt, the tables were turned and Riario was murdered by a group of conspirators in his own home, just after lunch. The murderous group then took Caterina, her mother, her two half sisters, an illegitimate son of Girolamo’s and her six children, captive. Although the aim of the assassination attempt was to get rid of the Medici family, and show Lorenzo in a bad light, the aftermath of the fateful Easter Sunday actually showed quite the opposite. Lorenzo had kept his head during the entire chaotic episode, and he would show time and time again as things progressed that he was intelligent and calm in the very worst of circumstances. When the conspiracy fell apart, Sixtus was furious and drew up â€Å"an ecclesiastical censure against Florence, withdrawing sacraments and the right to a Christian burial from all the citizens of Florence.† He excommunicated Lorenzo all on his own, which actually had little effect, so he formed a military alliance with King Ferrantes of Naples and began planning an attack on Florence itself. 3 The allies that had previously helped the Medici were not anxious to help the Medici fight the Pope, and even though it seemed there would be another disaster, Lorenzo’s â€Å"brilliant tact,† averted it. â€Å"Switching effortlessly from avenger to peace-maker, he personally traveled to Naples to confer with the King, and an understanding was achieved without resorting to war. From then on Lorenzo became known as the Savior of Florence.† Lorenzo followed closely the policy which was begun by his grandfather Cosimo. He managed to â€Å"maintain a balance of power between the five chief Northern Italian states, forming defensive alliances and thus keeping a check on invasions from foreign powers.† 3 The Medici Bank had been somewhat neglected since Cosimo’s time, as he had turned more and more to politics, and though Lorenzo did his best to turn this around, he found himself, for perhaps the first time in his life, in financial difficulties. To keep himself afloat, â€Å"he resorted to embezzling Public Funds, and it was this that later undermined his rule.† Although we have all been led to believe that â€Å"history belongs to the victors,† it is still very sad to understand that every trace of the Pazzi family, one of Florence’s oldest and most respected families, was wiped out following the attempted coup. 13 â€Å"The Pazzi coat of arms was torn off their buildings. A special governmental commission spent the next two years disentangling Pazzi assets with a view to confiscation. Anyone with the name of Pazzi was forced to change it. Women of the family were forbidden to marry in Florence, which was as good as not allowing them to wed at all. No portrait of any Pazzi adult is known to have survived.†   It is an entire piece of history completely destroyed as a result of one act. The aftermath of the Pazzi Conspiracy continued for many, many years after the event itself. As stated, Lorenzo became something of a hero, despite his embezzlement problems, and when he died at the young age of forty three, there was a â€Å"massive display of public grief and the entire population attended his funeral. He was buried in the Medici Chapel in the Church of San Lorenzo, where his brother Giuliano already rested.† 3 Lorenzo left behind quite a legacy however; his second son Giovanni and his nephew Giulio (the illegitimate son of Giuliano, who had been captured with Caterina after Giuliano’s death) were later to become very powerful popes, Pope Leo X and Pope Clement VII. 3 Works Cited 1. Hairston, Julia L. â€Å"Skirting the Issue: Machiavelli’s Caterina Sforza.† Renaissance Quarterly, Volume53, Issue 3, (2000) http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?action=printdocId=5001097598 (October 17, 2006) 2. History of Florence. â€Å"The Pazzi’s Conspiracy.† (2004). http://www.aboutflorence.com/pazzi-conspiracy.html. (October 13, 2006). 3. Lorenzo. â€Å"Lorenzo the Magnificent.† 2005. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-19-2004-53113.asp (October 16, 2006). 4. Martinez, Lauro. â€Å"April Bood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici.† Oxford University Press, USA; (April 1, 2003). 5. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Pazzi Conspiracy† (2005). http://www.3.telus.net/Quattrocento_Florence/pazzi.html (October 15, 2006). 6. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Medici.† (2005). http://www.3.telus.net/Quattrocento_Florence/pazziplayers-medici.html (October 15, 2006). 7. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Players, The Pazzi.† (2005). http://www.3.telus.net/Quattrocento_Florence/pazziplayers-pazzi.html (October 15, 2006). 8. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Pope and His Court.† (2005). http://www3.telus.net/Quattrocento_Florence/pazziplayers-pope.html. (October 15, 2006) 9. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Conspiracy.† (2005). http://www3.telus.net/Auattrocento_Florence/pazzi-conspiracy.html (October 15, 2006). 10. McClelland, Aaron D. â€Å"The Second Meeting.† (2005). http://www3.telus.net/Quattrocento_Florence/pazzi-second.html (October 15, 2006). 11. Pazzi. â€Å"Pazzi Conspiracy.† (2005). http://www.answers.com/topic/pazzi (October 17, 2006). 12. Rees, Valerie. â€Å"Marsilio Ficino Renaissance Man.† History Today, Volume 49, Issue 7, July, 1999. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?action=printdocId=5001275749 (October 13, 2006). 13. Walters, Colin. â€Å"A Florentine Family Tires of Medici Rule.† The Washington Times, May 18, 2003. http://www.questia.com/PM.gst?action=printdocId=5001929719 (October 14, 2006).

Influential Factors That Affected Athens History Essay

Influential Factors That Affected Athens History Essay Some of the most influential factors that affected Athens rise and fall were their form of government, their leadership, and their arrogance. Athens democracy greatly affected their rise and collapse because it helped them rise to power, but it also caused them to make bad choices, leading to their fall. Similarly, the superior leadership of the Athenians facilitated the growth of Athens and was also a key factor in its downfall. Because of their outstanding leadership in the Persian Wars, the Athenian self-image was boosted, and this arrogance caused many other city-states, chiefly Sparta and Corinth, to dislike Athens and bring their city-state to ruins. Athens democracy greatly affected their rise and collapse because it helped them rise to power, but it also caused them to make bad choices, leading to their fall. The democracy allowed for regular citizens of the city-state to have a say in their government. In 507 B.C., Cleisthenes created ten tribes which each had 50 representatives in the Boule. This was the start of democracy in Athens. Also, an Assembly was established where all male citizens over the age of 18 could go and discuss matters. Since anyone could stand up to speak at the Assembly, a feeling of equality was established. Now it was the common people who could make decisions for their city-state, not the selfish aristocrats. Under the democracy, many great leaders were elected, such as Themistocles and Pericles who both made great contributions to Athens. However, many poor leaders were also chosen such as Cleon, who was a leather tanner. This shows a big flaw in the democracy of Athens. How could a leather tanner, th e lowest of the low, be elected to lead a critical invasion? Also, the democracy made bad decisions. In 413 B.C., even after Nicias had reported that there was no hope in fighting the Sicilians any longer, the Athenians voted to send another 15,000 men to fight! The Sicilian Expedition was a failure, and it cost thousands of men their lives with only a handful of them making it back alive to Athens. The democracy of Athens was a major factor in its rise to power, but it also played a part in bringing about its downfall. Similarly, the superior leadership of the Athenians facilitated the growth of Athens and was also a key factor in its downfall. In both Persian Wars, great generals led the Athenians to victory over the Persians. In the First Persian War in 490 B.C., one of the Athenian generals, Miltiades, was daring and attacked the Persian army while their cavalry was away in the Battle of Marathon. This led to an overwhelming win for Athens. They only lost 192 men while Persia lost a staggering 6,400 men. The great leadership of Miltiades led the Athenians to a huge victory over the Persians. A strategic decision made by Themistocles before the Second Persian War was to use the silver that the Athenians found in early fifth century B.C. to build a navy of triremes. He knew that after losing the first war, the Persians would be back to get revenge. This turned out to be a crucial decision because the Greek win at Salamis was a turning point in the war. In the Second Persian War, Athens was given c ommand of the Greek navy. In 480 B.C., Themistocles, who was in charge of the navy, tricked Xerxes, the king of Persia, into thinking the Greek navy was in disarray. Xerxes took the bait and chased the Greek navy into the Strait of Salamis. There, the larger size of the Persian navy was of no use because there was no room to maneuver, and the Greeks destroyed the Persian navy. The trickery of Themistocles resulted in a decisive win for the Athenians and one of the most important wins for the Greeks in the Second Persian War. However, leadership was also one of the causes of the fall of Athens. In the Peloponnesian War, many bad choices by leaders caused them to be defeated by Sparta. For example, in 425 B.C., Cleon, a leather tanner, convinced the Athenians that launching a direct attack on Sparta would be smart because the Spartans would not dare attack while the Athenians were in their territory. The invading force, however, got stuck on an island just off the shore, and after two years, the invasion failed. This failure cost the Athenians a large amount of their funds. Cleons failure to think his actions through was clearly a sign of bad leadership that cost Athens. Another example of bad leadership comes from the Sicilian Expedition in 415 B.C. Nicias, a leader that was opposed to war, was the only one left in charge of the expedition after Alcibiades had been arrested and escaped, and Lamachus had been killed in battle. He turned out to be a terrible leader because he was indecisive and missed many opportunities to defeat the Sicilians. Even when he finally realized that it was hopeless to fight the Sicilians, he hesitated, and the night before the Athenian army was about to leave, their entire fleet was burned by fire ships. The Sicilian Expedition had exhausted the Athenian treasury because they had sent an unprecedented amount of men, and it had ended in an utter failure. The poor leadership of Nicias ended horrifically and resulted in the deaths of th ousands of Athenians. Clearly, great leadership was a factor in helping Athens rise to power, but ironically, it was also a major factor in its decline. Because of their outstanding leadership in the Persian Wars, the Athenian self-image was boosted, and this arrogance caused many other city-states, chiefly Sparta and Corinth, to dislike Athens and bring their city-state to ruins. Their boosted self-image can be seen best in their artwork after the Persian Wars. Before the wars, their sculptures of humans all had the same posture, with one foot forward and arms at the side. This showed a humbleness towards the gods because gods were portrayed as strong and tall. However, after the wars, sculptures of humans could not be distinguished from the gods. Humans were now portrayed with rippling muscle, tall, and freedom of movement. In the Parthenon frieze, the humans look exactly the same as the gods on the pediments, albeit smaller and in low relief. Also, they portrayed themselves as rational in the metopes, and the savages were shown as irrational and crazy. Their arrogance can be seen in Pericles Funeral Oration when he says, I declare that our city is an education to Greece. He clearly thought very highly of his city and that it was the best in all of Greece. Their arrogance caused them to become power-hungry. In the Melian Dialogue, the Athenians speak with a condescending tone towards the Melians when they try to force them into becoming part of the Athenian empire. This is evident when they say, your actual resources are too scanty to give you a chance of survival against the forces that are opposed to you at this moment. The Athenians clearly think that they are superior to the Melians. Furthermore, they did not let members of the Delian League to withdraw their membership. This was shown when Naxos tried to withdraw, and the Athenians waged war against them and took down their walls. The arrogance of the Athenians also caused them to become overambitious. They started to expand into mainland Greece, which made city-states such as Sparta and Corinth worry. Their expansion was one of the major factors that le ad to the Peloponnesian War. In the war, their overambition caused them to make many costly mistakes that eventually led to their end. The arrogance of the Athenians clearly was a key factor in their destruction. Three major causes of the rise and fall of Athens were its democracy, its leadership, and its arrogance. The democracy produced many great leaders, but unfortunately, also many bad leaders. Their arrogance was a result of great leadership in the Persian Wars, and it led to the end of Athenian power in Greece. Democracy Let ordinary people feel equal to wealthier people Triremes promoted democracy Because they felt equal and could make a difference in the government, they did not revolt against the government Everyone had a say during the Assemblies Caused downfall because they made bad decisions Supported the Sicilian Expedition After Nicias told them that there was no hope left in fighting, they sent over another 15,000 men! Lost thousands of men and only a handful of the men made it back to Athens Also allowed for bad leaders to be chosen, such as Cleon, who was a leather tanner Leadership Great generals led Athens to victory against the Persians First Persian War: Sparta refused to help Athens, so they had only 10,000 Athenians and 1,000 soldiers from Plataea against 25,000 Persians Only had 10 generals, but Miltiades was daring and attacked while the Persian cavalry was away Won overwhelmingly, losing only 192 men to Persias 6,400 Second Persian War: Athens was given command of the navy Themistocles tricked Xerxes, king of Persia, into thinking that the Greek fleet was in disarray, so the Persians attacked and were destroyed by the Greek triremes When Athens found a huge deposit of silver, Themistocles suggested that it be used to build a huge fleet of triremes Turned out to be a great idea in the Second Persian War Bad leadership in the Peloponnesian War caused their defeat by the Spartans Cleon, a leather tanner, convinced the Athenians to launch an attack on Sparta Invading force got stuck on an island just off shore Failed after two years Spend a huge amount of funds on this invasion Alcibiades convinced the Athenians to approve of the Sicilian Expedition which was intended to cut off supplies from Sparta and Corinth Sent a huge force, larger than any other Athens had previously sent anywhere, to take Syracuse Spent almost all of the money in the treasury Alcibiades was arrested the day the expedition left for defacing public statues, but he escaped and told Sparta all of his plans Lamachus was killed in the first few days of fighting, so only Nicias was left Nicias missed many opportunities Athenians decided to send another 15000 men, commanded by Demosthenes, to attack, but it failed Even when the orders had been given to sail back to Athens, Nicias was hesitant, and that night, the entire fleet was burned by fire ships Arrogance Arrogance after winning both Persian Wars Shown in their artwork and sculptures Portrayed themselves the same as gods in the Parthenon frieze Humans were shown as rational and the savages were shown as crazy creatures in the metopes of the Parthenon Statues of humans could not be distinguished from gods Showed the ideal human being Tall and strong Freedom in movement Before, they portrayed humans as all uniform in shape and they all held the same posture Pericles Funeral Oration I declare that our city is an education to Greece. Shows he thinks very highly of Athens Melian Dialogue your actual resources are too scanty to give you a chance of survival against the forces that are opposed to you at this moment.] Clearly condescending Arrogance caused overambitious actions Started to expand into mainland Greece Made some city-states worry such as Sparta and Corinth, which caused the Peloponnesian War Forced members into the Delian League and would not let them leave

Compare, Contrast and Evaluate the Sociological Perspectives on the Ro

The role of education is to educate individuals within society and to prepare and qualify them for work in the economy as well as helping to integrate individuals into society and teach them the norms, values and morals of society. Yet there are three sociological theories that differ greatly between them on the role of education. These are Functionalism, Marxism and Liberalism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Functionalists view the role of education as a means of socialising individuals and to integrate society, to keep society running smoothly and remain stable. Emile Durkheim, creator of the Organic Analogy, was a functionalist during the 1870’s. Durkheim believes that society can only survive if its members are committed to common social values and that education provides these to children and young people as well as raising awareness of their commitment to society. Durkheim also believed that schools teach young people that they must co-operate with their peers and be prepare to listen to and learn from their teachers. Individual pupils eventually learn to suspend their own self interests for those of society as a whole, work together and that success in education, just like in society, involves commitment to a value consensus. Similarly, Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore, functionalists during the 1970’s, believed that education is strongly linked to social stratification by members of society and that education ‘sifts, sorts and allocates’ people to their correct place in the economy and society. By rewarding the most talented and most dedicated by allowing them into the highest paid and highest status jobs, education performs the function which is always necessary to Functionalists – differentiating all members of society so that the system runs smoothly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like the functionalists, Marxists agree that education is functional in that it maintains the dominance of certain powerful groups in society. Unlike the functionalists, however, Marxists do not believe that it works for the benefit of all. Instead Marxists argue that the education system sustains one small group’s ideas about appropriate forms of schooling and assumptions about what knowledge is. The system also maintains different levels of access to knowledge for different groups and thereby prohibits the widespread dissemination of knowledge to everyone. Bowles and... ...cess in the economy of an individual is not always linked to success in school as well as the hidden curriculum being to restrictive as it does not allow society to gain a sense of self. The Marxist view that when the working class develops a class consciousness and realise that they are being exploited they will gather together to create a social revolution and overthrow capitalism and seize back the ruling class wealth and assets, does not apply to modern British society as there are very few people as the underdogs Marx describes are very few as the majority of society is fairly well off. Equally, the Liberalist view of the role of education is not applicable to modern British society as the majority of children are not yet ready for the responsibility to teach themselves, nor is society on a whole ready to accept the liberalists views on education. For these reasons Marxism is most applicable to modern British society as it takes into account the hierarchy within society and the inability to apply meritocracy due to our capitalist society. Therefore Marxism is the theory that has the most in common with modern British society and the theory most likely to apply to our society.