Friday, January 24, 2020

Health Care Reform Essay -- essays research papers

From FDR’s New Deal to Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the United States government has attempted to centralize extensive social policies. In the early eighties, when recession and inflation were at a high, Ronald Reagan took office and pronounced that the federal government needed to take a lesser role in the lives of the American people. As Theda Skocpol comments in her book Boomerang: Clinton’s Health Security Effort and the Turn Against Government in U.S. Politics, the Reagan administration instilled a dislike of centralized government in the American people. This was a major reason, according to Skocpol, why the Clinton Administration failed to nationalize â€Å"Health Security†. It was this fear of centralized government and Clinton’s failure to reform Health Care that makes a more centralized social policy unlikely in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been a necessity in the twentieth century (due in part to the Great Depression and World War II) for big government. The legislation behind Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal called for the involvement of the federal government to create a highly bureaucratic social policy. The combination of Roosevelt’s political assertiveness and society’s willingness to allow such centralization that made big government possible. The laissez-faire mentality of the twenties was seen as the cause of the depression. The federal government and the ensuing reforms were seen as a way of insuring economic security. In the sixti...

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Corruption in Procurement

UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM BUSINESS SCHOOL| AN ASSESSMENT OF CORRUPTION IN THE PROCUREMENT PROFESSION IN GOVERNMENT: CASE IN TANZANIA. | | BY| BERNARD, HELLEN| REG. NO. 2009-06-00929 | RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. | Table of Contents 1. 0 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 background3 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM4 2. o research aim6 2. 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES6 3. 0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 3. 1 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS. 7 4. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 4. 1 CONCEPTUAL LITERATURE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 4. 3 EMPIRICAL LITERATURE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 5. 0 METHODOLOGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 1. 0. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background The Tanzania Government has long realized the importance of public procurement to the economic development of Tanzania and hence to the fulfillment of key objectives within the national Poverty Reduction Strategy. To this effect, Tanzania was one of the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to enact a law modeled on the UNCITRAL model law. Since 1996, when the first country procurement assessment report (CPAR) was carried out, the Government has been working closely with the World Bank and other development partners to enhance the economy and efficiency of its procurement system and to make it more transparent and accountable. The Government has long acknowledged that there is rampant corruption in Tanzania and has been fighting hard to reduce it. It is estimated that at the national level about 20 percent of the government expenditure on procurement is lost through corruption, mainly through kick-backs and bogus investments that have to be written off. Considering that public procurement accounts for about 70 percent of the entire government expenditure budget, this translates to a loss of TShs 300 billion (USD 300 million) per year, enough to finance the combined annual recurrent budgets of the ministries of health and education. Clearly such a loss is economically unsustainable. Major losses occur in construction and supply contracts, which are the major avenues for corruption, particularly at the local government level. The need for enhancing the transparency of the procurement system cannot therefore be overemphasized. The Government of Tanzania is fully aware that its public procurement is still weak and needs to be strengthened substantially to enable it to ensure that the procurement laws and institutions become effective tools in the efficient and transparent management of public funds. Strategic management in the public sector begins by looking up toward politics -the current expectations and aspirations of citizens and their representatives and the older political agreements formally enshrined in the legislation that defines public managers' mandates for action. Corruption had been inculcated in the political culture of most underdeveloped countries; while, it still elicits the criticism and opposition of the public, it has nonetheless been accepted as a fact in the political life. One of the primary areas of corruption is in the procurement process. Grounded on the idea that, the bread and butter of politicians exists in this aspect, the procurement process has been the locus and target of most politicians aiming to get a slice of the cake. In third world countries, this part of the cake proves to be the life of people. The foreign aid given by international organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and the government revenue from taxes is easily lost once the budget is distributed to departments and the â€Å"purchase† of equipments and materials has begun. . Earlier on we questioned the assumption or perception that corruption, especially petty corruption is a function of low pay. In our review of theories of motivation we noted that there is consensus among theorists on motivation on pay being a necessary, but not sufficient condition for an employee to perform at a minimum level in an organization. Where an employee has a perception that the level of compensation given by the employer cannot and will not meet basic living/existence needs, and the employee is not in a position to exit from the organization, he/she will adopt deviant work behavior, which will include a number of income maintenance strategies, including corruption to address the income shortfall. 1. 2 statement of the problem The procurement process has been the locus of government corruption- unless this can be addressed; the citizens of Tanzania will continue to suffer. It is necessary that strategies and measures be introduced in the government procurement profession to reduce the corruption in this process and in effect, corruption in the government. Procurement corruption is deeply rooted in the political culture and traces its roots on the nature of governments. As long as the nature of government and politics remains to be relatively immature, corruption in the procurement process will remain. Thus, the need for strategies to hamper this occurrence arises. A focus on newspaper reports, editorials and letters from readers in any of the last ten years would make one conclude that this country has been eaten away by the corruption scourge. Contrast the foregoing situation with what obtained between 1961, as we became independent and the late 1970s. The decade following Tanzania’s independence (1960-1970) did not manifest intense corruption. Where it took place it tended to be restricted to low-level officials who demanded and received negligible sums of money. As the country expanded the public sector and public administration institutions progressively decayed, entailing the rise of bureaucratic malfunctioning, opportunities for rent-seeking behavior and asking and offering bribes started creeping in. In the same period, the cost of living rose dramatically while public service pay remained static or declined. Public officials became driven by a culture of survival and they progressively adopted deviant behavior patterns discussed earlier in the paper, including the use of corruption as an income maintenance strategy. To address and control the trend of increased corruption, the Nyerere Government enacted the leadership code as part of the Arusha Declaration which had been adopted in 1967 and dedicated Tanzania to the pursuit of Ujamaa and Self Reliance as its ideology. While moral suasion through a socialist code of conduct was making its contribution to the fight against corrupt tendencies, the country came to experience a major economic crisis following the oil crisis and the after effects of the war with Idd Amin in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with double digit inflation, major fiscal deficits and negative economic growth. That situation saw the state lose its ability to pay public servants a living wage. Official salaries, even at managerial and executive levels, fell below subsistence needs, creating incentives to look for side incomes. As the state controlled economy declined, an informal one arose to take its place. Smuggling became rampant. In the end, the harsh realities of scarcity and poverty overwhelmed the dedication to socialist equality and corruption became embedded in Tanzania society. 2. 0 RESEARCH AIM This study aims to propose measures and strategies that could resolve the issue of government corruption in the procurement process. . 1 research objectives This research paper aims to: 1. Identify the different procurement corruptions in governments of Third World countries 2. Determine the stages of the procurement process and discover where corruption happens 3. Evaluate the nature of Third World Government and politics and the corruption in procurement 4. Propose measures that can reso lve the issue of corruption in the procurement profession 3. 0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What are the indicators of procurement corruption and how extensive is it mong governments (Developed, developing and Third World) 2. What are the different corrupt practices in the process of procurement? 3. Outlining the procurement process, what stage(s) does corruption happen? 4. In relation to the nature of Third World Governments, what is their relation and to what degree that these two variables (corruption in procurements and government) affect each other? 5. What are the measures and strategies that governments have employed to address this issue? 3. 1 Research hypothesis 1. The nature of government and politics in a country is significantly related to its corruption practices 2. The more accountable the government, the lesser the tendency of corruption in the procurement process 3. Further, procurement corruption is directly related to the lack of transparency in government purchases. 4. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 4. 1 Conceptual literature CORRUPTION Corruption is a very widespread phenomenon with most governments having a least some. While corruption usually meets with disapproval, it may have some redeeming features (Tullock, 1996). It may make possible smaller or no salary payments to officials who, if carefully supervised, will still carry out their functions on a fee-for-service basis (Tullock, 1996). Transparency International (TI) has chosen a clear and focused definition of the term: Corruption is operationally defined as the misuse of entrusted power for private gain. TI further differentiates between â€Å"according to rule† corruption and â€Å"against the rule† corruption. Facilitation payments, where a bribe is paid to receive preferential treatment for something that the bribe receiver is required to do by law, constitute the former. The latter, on the other hand, is a bribe paid to obtain services the bribe receiver is prohibited from providing. The cost of corruption The cost of corruption is four-fold: political, economic, social, and environmental. On the political front, corruption constitutes a major obstacle to democracy and the rule of law. In a democratic system, offices and institutions lose their legitimacy when they are misused for private advantage. Though this is harmful in the established democracies, it is even more so in newly emerging ones. Accountable political leadership cannot develop in a corrupt climate. Economically, corruption leads to the depletion of national wealth. It is often responsible for the funneling of scarce public resources to uneconomic high-profile projects, such as dams, power plants, pipelines and refineries, at the expense of less spectacular but more necessary infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads, or the supply of power and water to rural areas. Furthermore, it hinders the development of fair market structures and distorts competition, thereby deterring investment. The effect of corruption on the social fabric of society is the most damaging of all. It undermines people's trust in the political system, in its institutions and its leadership. Frustration and general apathy among a disillusioned public result in a weak civil society. That in turn clears the way for despots as well as democratically elected yet unscrupulous leaders to turn national assets into personal wealth. Demanding and paying bribes become the norm. Those unwilling to comply often emigrate, leaving the country drained of its most able and most honest citizens. Environmental degradation is yet another consequence of corrupt systems. The lack of, or non-enforcement of, environmental regulations and legislation has historically allowed the North to export its polluting industry to the South. At the same time, careless exploitation of natural resources, from timber and minerals to elephants, by both domestic and international agents has led to ravaged natural environments. Environmentally devastating projects are given preference in funding, because they are easy targets for siphoning off public money into private pockets. PROCUREMENT Procurement is the full process involved in acquiring required goods, services or works. Procurement involves identifying the requirement of the purchasing authority, building a list of minimum requirements, and then scoring any interested parties who meet the minimum requirements, usually offering the highest score based on the most economically advantageous bid, commonly known as â€Å"best value†. Part of the Procurement process is also to manage the contract once awarded, to ensure that the successful suppliers, or suppliers, are providing a quality service. Collaborative contracts are becoming more commonplace; where multiple public bodies will combine their requirements and run a single Procurement process to meet their merged requirements. Due to the higher volume of business promised by collaborative contracts, suppliers will usually offer larger discounts. Collaborative contracts are usually led by one public body, acting on behalf of the others. In addition to this, some Procurement Centers of Expertise set up and manage contracts on behalf of public bodies, allowing all public bodies to use these collaborative contracts. Some examples of these Centers of Expertise are OGC, Buying Solutions and Procurement Scotland. The stage of the Procurement cycle when suppliers are invited to submit bids is known as the Tendering process. Usually, in addition to submitting their monetary bid, suppliers are required to respond to a questionnaire which the public body has put together with the intention of identifying and eliminating suppliers who are unable to meet their basic requirements, thereby preventing their tender from being successful regardless of whether they have the most economically advantageous bid. . 2 Theoretical framework The systematic study of political corruption encompasses matters of definition, typology, cause, and consequence, linked by a common theoretical framework. A substantial body of literature explores these issues, but many problems exist. The countless definitions inadequately set out the fundamental normative and behavioral dimensions of corruption and fail to incorporate the phen omenon into a broader theoretical framework or to deal accurately with the question of private interests. Typologies of corruption, though equally rife, also seem to lack clear theoretical relevance. Existing explanations of corruption can be attacked for projecting confusing and contradictory hypotheses, for being fragmentary, and for failing to differentiate various types of corrupt behavior; those centering on the functions of corruption also seem incomplete. Some, for instance, underscore the positive effects of corruption in integrating ruling elite but fail to question whether corruption influences feelings of legitimacy toward government or inspires destabilizing protests and mobilizations. As a form of deviant political behavior, corruption is political conduct contrary to political norms. This definition underscores both its normative and behavioral components. The normative aspect of corruption centers on the evaluative standards or rules that determine political propriety: the criteria used to judge the legitimacy or illegitimacy (i. e. , the â€Å"corruptness†) of a political act; the behavioral aspect corresponds to observable actions (Morris, 1991). The norm provides the standard by which all acts of government are to be interpreted and judged. Accordingly, any private usurpation of that pertaining to the public domain, which negates this principle, invites condemnation. An important issue that warrants attention concerns the role of personal gain or interest. Including personal gain or what is tantamount to private interest in a definition of corruption presents two major problems. First, it is generally held that all acts are a function of personal gain; in formal theory, this is referred to as â€Å"rationality. † Consequently, all acts by government officials, whether corrupt or otherwise, are thought to be motivated by a rational promotion of private interest. In other words, a non corrupt act is promoted by personal interest just as is a corrupt act. Since personal interest is an assumption of human behavior and a constant, it need not be included in a definition Strategic management in the public sector begins by looking up toward politics -the current expectations and aspirations of citizens and their representatives and the older political agreements formally enshrined in the legislation that defines public managers' mandates for action. Politics, and the laws that politics produce, deserve this pride of place for three key reasons. First, it is this realm that managers must search to discover what purposes are deemed publicly valuable and can, therefore, be practically and normatively sustained as the focus of their managerial efforts. It is in and through politics that they can discover and help shapes their mandates for action. Second, political institutions grant public managers the resources they need to accomplish their operational purposes–including money and authority over their own organizations and over those beyond their organizations who can contribute to the managers' purposes. Third, it is to politics and law that public managers are both theoretically and practically accountable; their performance is graded and their reputations made within this realm. Procurement contracting often entails large monetary sums and involves widely known or powerful people inside and outside government. Thus, this kind of corruption can be especially damaging to a country in terms of distorted incentives, undermined public trust, and inequitable distribution of national budgets. This is particularly prevalent in Third World countries where the political socialization of people seems to accept corruption as a part of the political culture. Among the principal types of procurement corruption includes: collusion in bidding (leading to higher costs/prices for the city, payments for which may or may not be shared with corrupt officials); kickbacks by firms to â€Å"fix† procurement competition; and bribes to officials who regulate the winning contractor's behavior (which may permit lowball bids with subsequent cost overruns and unnecessary changes in contract specifications) (Klitgaard, MacLean, and Parris, 2000). 4. 3 Empirical literature Corruption is about economics, gaining power, maintaining power and unfortunately to some, survival (Green, 2000). Generally, it's been my experience that corruption usually involves bribery, kickbacks, gratuities and gifts to government employees from individuals doing business or attempting to do business with the government. A large percentage of corruption taking place within governments and businesses worldwide rests within the procurement of goods and services. The movement toward decentralization, accountability, and democratic forms of government at the local level is gathering momentum (Klitgaard, MacLean, and Parris, 2000). In this context, the enormous costs of corruption are being explicitly recognized, as is the urgent need to correct governmental malfeasance (Klitgaard, MacLean, and Parris, 2000). Corruption is an entrenched symptom of misgovernance often reflected in patronage, red tape, ineffective revenue-generating agencies, large scale bribery in procurement, and failure to deliver services to city dwellers When the government needs a good or service, the city government has the two broad alternatives of making it or buying it: that is, the city can provide the good or service itself, or rocure it from the private sector (Klitgaard, MacLean, and Parris, 2000). Corruption is one of the dimensions of this choice. Because contracting is â€Å"where the money is†, most government officials are tempted by the lure of procurement services often at the expense of the public. Recent developments and current trends are highlighting the role of accountants in governance. Foremost among these are: the increasing concern with rising levels of corruption, the renewal of interest in accountability and transparency as inoculations against corruption; the new government focus on results, benchmarking and value-for-money (the â€Å"new public management†) and the corresponding thrust in the private sector through business process reengineering, knowledge management and intranets — where accounting systems play a major role; decentralization and participation by citizens and NGOs in public management are multiplying the needs for credible accounting information; the privatization of utilities in several countries is increasing the need for regulation, in which accountants have a major role in reducing information asymmetry; the globalization of corporate finance has enhanced the need for global standards of accounting and auditing; the Asian crisis has highlighted the weaknesses in transparency, in financial sector regulation and in corporate g overnance generally in a number of countries (Bennett,   2000). There are several measures that could be done in order to reduce the incidence of corruption. First, reducing the scope and role of personality politics. An increase in public policy debates and other activities of government, opening the closed doors, and permitting greater public scrutiny of official processes would clearly have such an impact. Generally, the more public government affairs become, the less corrupt they can be (Bennett,  2000). Enhancing the autonomy of the state's subsystems would also reduce the likelihood of corruption. This could be pursued, for instance, by creating an effective civil service system or merit system or opening up grass-roots political involvement. Such reforms would cripple the centralization of recruitment and thereby temper the loyalty patterns that currently prevail. Strengthening the autonomy and role of Congress or democratizing corporate organizations would be steps in this direction (Bennett,  2000). Strengthening social organizations would also impinge on corruption. This could be done by reducing the tutelary role of the state and lessening the dependency of social organizations on the state or by enhancing popular input into the organizations themselves. Not only must businesses or union’s articulate demands on the government, but such organizations must be structurally responsive to the demands of their constituents. Tying the fate of leaders of social organizations to criteria internal to the group rather than those determined by the state would greatly inhibit current patterns of corruption (Bennett,  2000). 5. 0 METHODOLOGY This chapter will discuss the method of research to be used, the respondents of the study, the sampling technique, the instrument to be used, the validation of the instrument, the administration of the of the instrument and the statistical treatment of the data that will be gathered. Research Methodology and Techniques for data collection This study will use the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research will utilize interview, observation and questionnaires in the study. To illustrate the descriptive type of research, the researcher will be guided by Calmorin when he stated: â€Å"Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation as exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. Proposed subject Population/Sample The general population for this study will be composed of government officials and personnel in the procurement process, randomly selected private companies who have been involved in the bidding process and randomly selected citizens. I will use a combination of cluster and random sampling. First, I will cluster the respondents from the government, the private sector and the public sector. To make the sampling easier for every specific cluster, I will seek the aid of any anti-corruption non-government organization to facilitate the names and addresses of the respondents or have them together in one place (i. e. in an organizational meeting) so that the surveys can be given in one session. I will pick one hundred (100) respondents per cluster for a total of three hundred (300) respondents. Validation of the Instrument For validation purposes, I will initially submit a survey questionnaire and after approval, the survey will be given to five responden ts from the government, private corporations and the public sector. After the survey questionnaire will be answered, I will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument. I will again examine the content of the survey questionnaire to find out the reliability of the instrument. I will exclude irrelevant questions and will change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, too much simpler terms. Administration of the Instrument The revised instrument will then be administered to the respondents of the study which will be chosen through a combination of cluster and random sampling. I will exclude the ten respondents who will be initially used for the validation of the instrument. I will also tally, score and tabulate all the relevant data in the survey questionnaire. Statistical Treatment of Data When the entire survey questionnaire will have been collected, the researcher will use statistics to analyze all the data. The statistical formulae to be used in the second and third part of the survey questionnaire will be the following: 1. Percentage – to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire. 2. Weighted Mean 3. I will use chi-square to relate the participation rate of the government employees, companies and the public sector. I will be assisted by the SPSS in coming up with the statistical analysis for this study. Resource, Confidentiality and other consideration The survey respondents and interviewees’ identities will be held confidential. Only I will have the knowledge on their identities and utmost secrecy will be provided. Further, personalities who do not want to be quoted in interviews will not be disclosed. REFERENCES. 1. Klitgaard, Robert, MacLean, Ronald and Parris, Lindsey, Corrupt Cities: A Practical Guide to Cure and Prevention, Ics Press, 2000 2. Bennett, Anthony, â€Å"The Role of Accounting in Good Governance†, In Carter, Williiam, Davies, Mark, El, Yassin and Ford, Kevin, Government Ethics and Law Enforcement: Toward Global Guidelines, Praeger Publishers, 2000 3. Green, Vincent, â€Å"An Approach to Investigating Corruption in Government†, In Carter, Williiam, Davies, Mark, El, Yassin and Ford, Kevin, Government Ethics and Law Enforcement: Toward Global Guidelines, Praeger Publishers, 2000 4. Morris, Stephen, â€Å"A State-Society Approach to the Study of Corruption â€Å", Corruption & Politics in Contemporary Mexico, University of Alabama Press, 1991

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

A German Perspective on World War Two Essay - 1618 Words

A German Perspective on World War Two In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a Catholic. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was nobody left to speak up. -Martin Niemà ¶ller After the First World War, most of the world suffered a deep economic depression. One of the countries kept a tight control over the German economy. German frustration and resentment steadily grew. The people were looking for three things. The†¦show more content†¦My informant, Hilda Warren, who is now seventy-five years old, was living in a part of East Prussia when Germany reclaimed it in 1938. Hilda stands about 5’1 and creates a pleasant personage, mixing her business-like hairstyle with a variety of soft sweaters and flowing skirts. She speaks English very carefully and clearly, but with a noticeable German accent. During our personal interview, recalled life in Germany during the Nazi control and WWII. When asked about the German invasion and annexation of her area, Hilda explained that the area belonged to Germany before WWI. After WWI this area was given to Lithuania. She stated: In 1938, we returned to Germany†¦ that part of the country returned to Germa ny. Further Hilda explained that the people in her area were glad to get back under German control. Since they had originally been a part of Germany, they still held allegiance to the country. However, Germany was not satisfied with just claiming territory lost during WWI. World War II began after Germany invaded Poland. Germany formed an alliance with Italy and Japan. They called themselves the Axis Powers. During the beginning of the war, Germany was the driving force of their power. When asked about public sentiment toward the war in Germany, Hilda replied, Well of course everyone was upset. Everyone had been talking about the war and it looked as if there might be one. Everybody was upset. Nobody likes war. She went on to describe GermanShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Scorched Earth 846 Words   |  4 Pageswas only barely standing at this point and its allies off in the distance. Chapter eight mentions how German leadership saw defeat as unavoidable but their last move was to keep the war going long enough for the Allied coalition to break and give Germany some negotiation power once more. This is when, in early 1943, the Final Solution was decided upon and Hitler chose to further radicalize the war and put the blame again on the Jews and seal their fate. Fritz discusses in detail the measures thatRead MoreLiterature Review on the Battle of Kursk1490 Words   |  6 Pagesof Kursk was one of the most important clashes in the Second World War partly because of the impressive amount of armored units taking part in the conflict and partly because it represented a turning point for the Soviets, as their victory played an essential role in the war. M. K. Barbiers book KURSK: THE GREATEST TANK BATTLE, 1943 provides a complex account of the conflict and emphasizes its strategic significance for the Germans, as this was their last great offensive. The fact that the bookRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front Film Analysis1498 Words   |  6 Pagesthe story of Paul Bauman, a German soldier fresh out of high school who decided to enlist for World War I. Throughout the course of the film, viewers see the general events of World War I from the eyes of the â€Å"losers†, the Germans. Through the use of a German perspective, the p ortrayal of the horrors of war, and showing the difference of opinions back home and on the front, All Quiet on the Western Front advocates for a more realistic approach for the dramatization of war and learning an unbiasedRead MoreWorld Wars and The Cold War Essay examples1312 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The twentieth century saw two lengthy and costly wars, which were then followed by a Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. World War I was deemed the â€Å"Great War† but many did not anticipate another war after it just a mere twenty years later†¦a war that was even more intense than the previous one. The Cold War that began in 1947 and lasted until 1991 but had the term â€Å"zero-sum game† tethered to it. Two differing political systems, communist and capitalist, were atRead MoreAn Extract From Fallen Soldiers : Reshaping The Memory Of The Wars1046 Words   |  5 PagesSource A An extract from Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the Wars, by George L. Mosse, published in 1990. Source B Soldiers in the trenches of Passchendaele, 1917 Source C Extract from a letter from British soldier, Robert Graves, to a friend, May 1915. Source D Extract from How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa by Joshua S. Goldstein, 2001 Source E Extract form the diary of Miss G.M West, a middle class woman who enrolled as a policewoman in 1916. Read MoreThe Book Thief By Markus Zusak1630 Words   |  7 PagesLiesel Meminger growing up in Germany during World War II. Zusak has German-Austrian parents who were children during World War II. His perspective helps us to be more empathetic towards Germans in the book because he explains to us: German children didn’t understand what Hitler was doing, not all Germans hated Jews, and Germans cared about each other deeply and helped each other out. Markus Zusak helps us to understand World War II from a child’s perspective since they didn’t comprehend what was happeningRead MoreThe Guns Of August And All Quiet On The Western Front1633 Words   |  7 PagesFirst World War took the world by storm; no person could have imagined the horrors and detriments the â€Å"Great War† would cause. Over a span of four years, millions of soldiers and civilians died. Children lost their parents, and wives, their husbands. So unprecedented was this type of vicious warfare that the countries involved were unprepared for one of the worst wars in history. Two books, The Guns of August and All Quiet on the Western Front address and highlight major themes of World War I. TheRead MoreThe Second World War I1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Second World War was just as deadly as the first, but more widespread. â€Å"Coming just two decades after the last great global conflict, the Second World War was the most widespread and deadli est war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths.†(History.com). Initiated by Adolf Hitler, the German leader, invaded Poland in 1939. World War two lasted for six years until Nazi Germany and Japan were both defeated in 1945 by the AlliedRead MoreHow The Germans Influenced Modern Day Slavery Essay1041 Words   |  5 Pages Bruce R. Kokubun Mr. Black 7th Grade World Studies P.2 16 November 2016 How The Germans Influenced Modern Day Slavery Today I will be talking about how Germany influenced slavery, war, peoples’ perspective on immigrants, and many more things and how it affected modern day life. I think Germany greatly affected today partly because of Hitler. I think he greatly influenced the world because of his personality. I also think that the German army was very strong making them feared, powerful, andRead MoreWho Is Responsible For World War I Essay1336 Words   |  6 Pages In history, there has been many controversies with who is responsible for World War I that has changed the lives of many during the twentieth century. In Taking Sides Issue 7, V.R. Berghahn and Samuel R. Williamson, Jr discusses two sides on who is responsible for World War I. Berghahn states that all of Europe’s major powers played a part in the war but Germany is responsible for the conflict. On the other hand, Williamson argues that all factors and conditions goes to all of the nations and

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Leadership Is Not A Destination - 1224 Words

were similar, to mines other was quite different. Areas of similarity included: †¢ People get promoted by who they know not what they know †¢ don’t feel appreciated or valued by their employer. †¢ don’t feel their career goals are aligned with the plans their employers have for them. On my final note on the differences between what I am experiencing and that of other employees toward the role of being promoted to leadership in our organization. I came to the realization that my organization goal is just a saying because there no one to assist or even takes a chance to help their employee’s betterment. My hope is that top leaders would realize that leadership is not a destination; it is a continuum. No matter how smart or talented a person is, there is always room for growth, development, and continued maturation. If you place restrictions on a person’s ability to grow, they will not stay. Hiring for potential should be a significant part of the talent process, especially in a high growth ever-changing environment. Talent needs to be able to adapt, learn, question and keep ahead o f what s coming at them. External Best Practices I have gained a lot of knowledge in reference to how my organization works when it comes to promoting employees into leadership position. I began to wonder how this process was handled outside other organization when it comes promoting their own leader.Show MoreRelatedEssay Realizing Vision and Goals with Six Sigma854 Words   |  4 Pagesmapping and driving directions have simplified reaching new and unfamiliar destinations. With a few simple inputs, one can map the best route, even avoiding toll roads or including scenic byways. Using an online mapping tool without knowing your origin or destination is useless, it cannot help determine the route and there are many roads which can be traveled. Goal achievement is also dependent upon an origin and a destination. A leader knows the organization needs to go somewhere, but in order to getRead MoreCanyon Ranch Case1582 Words   |  7 Pagesin order to maintain that point of differentiation, Canyon Ranch will need to build their relationships with their customers. In order to do that, they need to implement a CRM strategy. Some of the major considerations include: * Leadership: Leadership sees the potential value of information to enable better decision making, however there are still some concerns over whether it is logical to make decisions solely based on numbers instead of subjective information. * Human resource Capacity:Read MoreThe Debate Between Leadership And Christian Groups1239 Words   |  5 PagesOver the past number of years I have heard many arguments against leadership in Christian groups. Shall we account it to liberalism? Perhaps progressive thoughts? Or is it to be expected in post-modern Christianity? I hope this does not come as too much of a shock, but personally I think it is absurd, and hopefully many others will agree with me. But I will probably not be able to convince you, will I? Thus let us turn to the source of all wisdom and knowledge, the Bible: Let everyone put himselfRead MoreEssay on Communicating Goals to Stakeholders with a Vision Statement605 Words   |  3 PagesSure, most company heads know what they want their organizations to become in the future, but unfortunately unless those goals are communicated to the members who are able to position the company in such a manner to arrive at that destination, the organizations are likely to end up somewhere unintended. If those leaders fail to communicate the vision and the culture to guide the organization in the right direction, the vision of the leader is likely to never be fully realized. As Laurence J. PeterRead MoreAnalysis Of The Video For Me, The Video Of Simon Sinek1310 Words   |  6 Pagesnotion that human nature values the destination more than the journey, which was made evident by an experiment he conducted using members of a previous audience. In his experiment Sinek told his volunteers to pick a destination and walk to it in a straight line, but when con fronted with an obstacle Sinek noted that his subjects would either change their path to avoid the obstacle or pick a new destination. I believe that this example holds merit in a leadership perspective because it is the job ofRead MoreLeadership Principles And Methods Of Leadership1437 Words   |  6 Pageslearn about leadership principles and methods of leadership. Another thought was we could possibly study great leaders and what they did that made them a great leader. This was my own narrow view of what leadership was supposed to look like. I soon found out my opinion of this class was wrong. I learned so many different aspects about myself and my own leadership. Through this class I learned many theories and views of leadership, which helped transform my previous view on Leadership. I learnedRead MoreTransformational Leadership Is The Pursuit Of Happiness893 Words   |  4 Pages Transformational leaders are effective because they are moral exemplars who works towards the benefit of the people and their followers. Transactional leadership, on the other hand, is based on â€Å"give and take† selfish needs. Further, the core idea for transforming leadership is the pursuit of happiness. A pursuit toward the ultimate destination of the journey (the goal). Even if a leader does not reach that goal, the journey and pursuit is still an important dynamic. A leader must have transformingRead MoreLeadership Is The Soul Of The Organization Essay1628 Words   |  7 Pages1- INTRODUCTION: 1.1 Leadership Is The Soul Of The Organization: It is not just a word rather leadership is a process of social influence of one person on others to aid and to support their role in order to achieve the combined purpose. Leadership is thus not a role or a position, but an act of achieving the tasks assigned. So being a leader is an adventure because the whole situation of success and failure surrounds the leader’s role. It is rightly said that if youRead MoreSimon Sinek : An Amazing Speaker1345 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween management and employees will create great relationships and good employee morale. My impression of Sinek’s â€Å"clear destination† relates to achieving a goal with putting a hard work and overcome obstacles that may arise on the way to destination. By having a clear and precise destination we can look past all the obstacle and achieve the desire goals. The leadership needs to implement plans on how to achieve the determined goals, but also having an understanding on the effort necessary toRead MoreThe Principles Of Personal Leadership1263 Words   |  6 PagesSum Q Assignment 1 The principles of personal leadership emphasize that people who read the article should avoid distractions and analyze the article in its entirety. Absorbing the content will challenge the reader to think critically and respond accordingly to the material. Additionally, readers need to grasp the message within the article, so they will gain a better understanding of the content. Furthermore, I believe the article paints a visual picture on how people will celebrate your life when

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Legal System Of Domestic Violence - 1960 Words

Out of the shadows and into the limelight, the once hidden crime of domestic violence has recently emerged within the Australian community as a widespread criminal issue. This abuse of power occurs in a relationship when one partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate and control the other. Inflicting physical harm upon another human being is undoubtedly a breach of the criminal law, yet the Australian legal system takes little measures to protect the wider community from this type of violence. According to Family Lawyer Richard Ingleby, domestic violence has often been condoned by the legal system due to the fact that assaults occur in the ‘private’ realm of the home where legal measures are regarded as inappropriate, and interventionist. However, by overlooking domestic violence as a criminal offence, does the Australian legal system fail to adequately protect the family unit from this form of violence? Recent studies from the Australian Bureau of Static s have revealed that 23% of women who have ever been married or engaged in a de facto relationship have experienced violence by a partner at some time during the relationship. Due to the secrecy that once surrounded this kind of abuse, victims often feel unable to speak out and seek help, therefore even large surveys cannot provide accurate estimates of the extend of domestic violence within the Australia community (Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre, 1998). Despite the high incidence rate ofShow MoreRelated Domestic Violence: Loopholes in the Arizona Legal System2076 Words   |  9 Pages The United States has a long history of domestic violence. Nearly six million American women will be battered by their spouses every year (United Way, 1998). Tradition gives men the right to control their family including their wife. Violence is tolerated under these traditional conditions as discipline (Cohen, 1996). Domestic violence is overwhelmingly committed by men .. to discipline and coerce women (Cohen, 1996). Husbands use violence against their wives as a way of coercing themRead MoreDomestic Violence Is A Violation Of Human Rights1609 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence or family violence is defined as the behaviour that occurs in a familial relationship that is violent, threatening, controlling, or causes a victim to live in fear. (The Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975 provides a similar definition). As well as being a complex social problem domestic violence is a crime. Victims are most often women, and whilst men can also fall victim, they are most often the perpetrators. Ultimately domestic violence is a violation of human rights, denying victimsRead MorePersonal Statement : Domestic Violence1002 Words   |  5 PagesEssay: Domestic Violence Attorney An individual who is responsible for subjecting their intimate partner to domestic violence is often controlling, manipulative, aggressive, violent, and dangerous. It is important for an individual who is experiencing any form of abuse should contact authorities to prevent any further abuse in the relationship. While the victim of domestic violence is constructing a plan for a safe escape, the victim will choose a domestic violence attorney. A domestic violence attorneyRead More Injury can result from violence1613 Words   |  7 Pages Injury can result form violence Injury Can Result from Violence Injury can result from many different incidents. One specifically important incident resulting in injury is domestic violence. It is approximated statistically that 1.8 million to 3-4 million domestic violence cases occur each year, unfortunately, the number of cases that occur cannot be more accurate due to domestic violence usually occurring in the relative privacy of one’s home. (Kelly, 2003) As disturbing asRead MoreBook Review of Domestic Violence1329 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Book Review on â€Å"Domestic Violence: The 12 Things You Aren’t Supposed to Know† Written By: Thomas James T.B. James has written a hard-hitting and incisive book focusing on current myths about domestic violence in the United States that turns the conventional approach on its ear (Domestic Violence: The 12 Things You Aren’t Supposed to Know, 2003). A practicing attorney in Minnesota and founder/director of Better Resolutions Mediation Service, James’s shortRead MoreLegal Processes in Dealing with Domestic Violence1392 Words   |  6 PagesThe legal processes in dealing with domestic violence as a problem in a family relationship, address the complex and varied needs of all individuals involved. Domestic violence is an act whether physical or verbal that is violent and abusive in nature occurring in a domestic relationship. The Family Law Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and other Measures) Act 2011 (Cth) addresses many significant and substantial areas of dealing with domestic violence further to this highlighting the complexRead MoreLegal Studies Family Essay1491 Wo rds   |  6 Pagesfamily, assess the ability of the legal system to respond to differing issues concerning values Family law is the most complex aspect of the Australian legal system as it is constantly under review and reform pursuing to adopt society’s continual change in values and principles. The changing of laws in an attempt to be parallel with society is a strenuous process. Nevertheless, legislations are reflective of contemporary society’s values and ethics. Numerous legal issues arise in regards to familyRead MoreDomestic Violence Is Now Broadly Defined As All Acts Of1586 Words   |  7 Pages Domestic violence is now broadly defined as all acts of physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence committed by a family member or intimate partner. It has to do with a pattern of power and control exerted by partner or family member upon another. The constancy and severity of the abuse can vary however, it always has a negative impact on the relationship. The devastating impact can last for a long time crossing generations or a lifetime. The battered women movement goal was to seeRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Our Society Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pagesespecially true of how domestic violence is currently governed by the criminal justice system and social norms. A lack of preventative care exists and this ignores the consequences of domestic violence in our society. Incidents of domestic violence are often treated as one-time or isolated occurrences; however, in many cases abusers and victims fall back into these learnt behaviors. Therefore, domestic violence is a never-ending cycle that cannot be stopped without cultural and legal changes that focusRead MoreLaws Against Domestic Violence in Pakistan are Insufficient to Protect Victims of Abuse796 Words   |  4 Pagesago) developed its democratic systems. The current legislature has limited power and competes with parallel systems of court. Pakistan’s unique socio-cultural frameworks need to be understood in order to ensure that liberty and j ustice are available to all members of society. It is in this respect that it is important to evaluate the current system of laws protecting the rights of the subjugated in a patriarchal society, therefore, the laws on domestic abuse and violence need to be understood and evaluated

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Piers Plowman Free Essays

string(23) " Great Rising of 1381\." CONTENT Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 History of the title†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Editorial, publication and reception history†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Concluding remarks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Abstract Piers Plowman or Visio Willelmi de Petro Plowman (William’s Vision of Piers Plowman) is the title of a Middle English allegorical narrative poem by William Langland. It is written in unrhymed alliterative verse divided into sections called â€Å"passus†. We will write a custom essay sample on Piers Plowman or any similar topic only for you Order Now Piers is considered by many critics to be one of the early great works of English literature along with Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight during the Middle Ages. The poem- part theological allegory, part social satire- concerns the narrator’s intense quest for the true Christian life, from the perspective of mediaval Catholicism. This quest entails a series of dream-visions and an examination into the lives of three allegorical characters, Dowel (â€Å"Do-Well†), Dobet (â€Å"Do-Better†), and Dobest (â€Å"Do-Best†). Key words 1. Middle English poem 2. Allegorical narrative poem 3. Early great work Introduction The poem begins in the Malvern Hills in Malvern, Worcestershire. A man named Will falls asleep and has a vision of a tower set upon a hill and a fortress in a deep valley; between these symbols of heaven and hell is a â€Å"fair field full of folk†, representing the world of mankind. In the early part of the poem Piers, the humble plowman of the title, appears and offers himself as the narrator’s guide to Truth. The latter part of the work, however, is concerned with the narrator’s search for Dowel, Dobet and Dobest. It is now commonly accepted that Piers Plowman was written by William Langland, about whom little is known. This attribution of the poem to Langland rests principally on the evidence of an early-fifteenth-century manuscript of the C-text of Piers held at Trinity College, Dublin, which ascribes the work to one man called, ‘Willielmus de Langlond’. Other manuscripts also name the author as â€Å"Robert or William Langland†, or â€Å"Wilhelmus W†, which could be shorthand for â€Å"William of Wychwood†. The attribution to William Langland is also based on internal evidence, primarily a seemingly autobiographical section in Passus 5 of the C-text of the poem. The main narrator of the poem in all the versions is named Will, with allegorical resonances clearly intended, and Langland is thought to be indicated as a surname through apparent puns. This could be a coded reference to the poet’s name, in the style of much late-medi? val literature. Langland’s authorship, however, is not entirely beyond dispute, as recent work by Stella Pates and C. David Benson has demonstrated. History of the title In the sixteenth century, when Piers was first printed, authorship was attributed by various antiquarians, such as John Bale and poets to John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer, amongst others. Some sixteenth and seventeenth-century persons regarded the poem as anonymous, and/or associated it with texts in the plowman tradition of social complaint, particularly the Chaucerian pseudepigrapha, The Ploughman’s Tale and Pierce the Ploughman’s Crede. The latter was appended to Owen Rogers’ 1560 edition of Piers Plowman, a degraded version of Robert Crowley’s 1550 editions. The character of Piers himself had come to be considered by many readers to be in some sense the author. The first printed editions by Crowley named the author as â€Å"Robert Langland† in a prefatory note. Langland is described as a probable protege of Wycliffe. With Crowley’s editions, the poem followed an existing and subsequently repeated convention of titling the poem The Vision of Piers Plowman, which is in fact the conventional name of just one section of the poem. Some medievalists and text critics, beginning with John Matthews Manly, have posited multiple authorship theories for Piers, an idea which continues to have a periodic resurgence in the scholarly literature. One scholar now disputes the single-author hypothesis, supposing that the poem may be the work of 2–5 authors, depending upon how authorship is defined. In keeping with contemporary scholarly trends in textual criticism, critical theory, and the history of the book, Charlotte Brewer, among others, suggests that scribes and their supervisors be regarded as editors with semi-authorial roles in the production of Piers Plowman and other early modern texts, but this has nothing to do with Manly’s argument. Piers Plowman is considered to be one of the most analytically challenging texts in Middle English textual criticism. There are 50–56 surviving manuscripts, some of which are fragmentary. None of the texts are known to be in the author’s own hand, and none of them derive directly from any of the others. All modern discussion of the text revolves around the classifications of W. W. Skeat. Skeat argued that there are as many as ten forms of the poem, but only three are to be considered authoritative- the A, B, and C- texts- although the definition of â€Å"authoritative† in this context is problematic. According to the three-version hypothesis, each version represents different manuscript traditions deriving from three distinct and successive stages of authorial revision. Although precise dating is debated, the A, B, and C texts are now commonly thought of as the progressive (20–25 years) work of a single author. According to the three versions hypothesis, the A-text was written in around 1367–70 and is the earliest. It breaks off, apparently unfinished, at Book 11 and Book 12 is written by another author or interpolator. The poem runs to about 2,500 lines. The B-text (Warner’s ur-B text) was written around 1377–79. It revises A, adds new material, and is three times the length of A. It runs to about 7,300 lines. The C-text was written in the 1380s as a major revision of B except for the final sections. There is some debate over whether the poem can be regarded as finished or not. It entails additions, omissions, and transpositions; it is not significantly different in size from B. Some scholars see it as a conservative revision of B that aims at disassociating the poem from Lollardy and the religious and political radicalism of John Ball during the Great Rising of 1381. You read "Piers Plowman" in category "Essay examples" Ball appropriated Piers and other characters in the poem for his own verses, speeches, and letters during the Rising. There is little actual evidence for this proposal, and much against it. Skeat believed that the A-text was incomplete and based his editions on a B-text manuscript that he wrongly thought was probably a holograph. Modern editors following Skeat, such as George Kane and E. Talbot Donaldson, have maintained the basic tenets of Skeat’s work: there were three final authorial texts, now lost, that can be reconstructed, albeit imperfectly and without certainty, by rooting out the â€Å"corruption† and â€Å"damage† done by scribes. The Kane, Kane-Donaldson, and Russell-Kane editions of the three versions, published by the Athlone Press, have been controversial, but are considered among the most important accomplishments in modern editorial work and theory in Middle English. A. V. C. Schmidt has also published a parallel edition of A, B, C and Z, the promised second volume containing a full textual apparatus indicating his editorial decisions was finally published in 2008, long after the first volume fell out of print. A. G. Rigg and Charlotte Brewer hypothesized the existence of a Z-text predecessor to A which contains elements of both A and C. The Z-text is based on Oxford MS. Bodley 851, which Rigg and Brewer edited and published. It is the shortest version, and its authenticity is disputed. Ralph Hanna III has disputed the Rigg/Brewer approach based on codicological evidence and internal literary evidence; consequently the Z-text is now more commonly viewed as a scribal corruption of A with C elements. More recently, Lawrence Warner has shown that what was thought of as B in fact incorporates matter produced as part of the C-revision: if B circulated before C, it looked nothing like what had been assumed . There are some scholars who dispute the ABC chronology of the texts altogether, Jill Mann foremost amongst them. There is also a (minority) school of thought that two authors contributed to the three versions of the poem. Neither of these reappraisals of the textual tradition of the poem are generally seen as very robust. Editorial, publication and reception history John Ball, a priest involved as a leader in the Great Rising of 1381 (also known as the Peasants’ Revolt), included Piers and other characters in his writings. If Piers Plowman already had perceived associations with Lollardy, Ball’s appropriations from it enhanced his and its association with the Lollards as well. The real beliefs and sympathies at work in Langland’s poem and the revolt remain, for this reason, mysterious and debatable. No doubt because of Ball’s writings, the Dieulacres Abbey Chronicle account of the revolt refers to Piers, seemingly as a real person who was a leader with Ball in the revolt. Similarly, early in the history of the poem’s dissemination in manuscript form, Piers is often treated as the author of the poem. Since it is hard to see how this is credible to those who read the poem, perhaps the idea was that Piers was a mask for the author. Or, as the ideal character of the poem, Piers might be seen as a kind of alter-ego for the poet that was more important to his early readers than the obviously authorial narrator and his apparent self-disclosures as Will. Ironically, Will’s name and identity were substantially lost. In some contemporary chronicles of the Rising, Ball and the Lollards were blamed for the revolt, and Piers began to be associated with heresy and rebellion. The earliest literary works comprising the Piers Plowman tradition follow in the wake of these events, although they and their sixteenth-century successors are not anti-monarchical or supportive of rebellion. Like William Langland, who may have written the C-Text version of Piers Plowman to disassociate himself from the Rising, they look for the reform of the English church and society by the removal of abuses in what the authors’ deem a restorative rather than an innovative project. The most conspicuous omissions from William Caxton’s press were the Bible and Piers Plowman. Both may have been avoided for political reasons. It is possible that Piers may have been banned from print under prohibitions against histories, but this is uncertain; the language and metre might also have been obstacles. However, as in the case of Adrian Fortescue, as late as 1532, hand-copying of Piers manuscripts was still going on, and a staunch Roman Catholic like Fortescue could appreciate it as a critical, reformist but not a revolutionary, Protestant text. Robert Crowley’s 1550 editions of Piers Plowman present the poem as a social-gospelling Protestant’s goad to the reformation of religion and society. The poem’s publication probably did have resonance. Many texts evoke Piers or Ploughmen for reforming purposes: one of the Marprelate tracts claims Piers Plowman for its grandfather. Many scholars assert that Piers Plowman was a banned book, that it was published as â€Å"propaganda† for reformist interests backed by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset or other high-placed aristocrats, and that Crowley added interpretive glosses and substantially altered the text of the poem for propaganda purposes. These inferences exceed the evidence, even if Piers Plowman was politically sensitive, as many books were in the Tudor period. The political nature of the poem- its mention of and association with popular rebellion- would obviously be unacceptable to the king, Somerset, and others, reform-minded though they were. In the passus summaries in the second and third editions, Crowley emphasizes material in the poem warning of political instability and widespread corruption when the king is a child. Other contemporary Edwardian and later Elizabethan publications by Crowley show that he was at this time concerned that the elite were using the Reformation to gain power and wealth, while the common people suffered economic and spiritual malnourishment. Piers Plowman likely functioned for Crowley as a reformist text with polemic and prophetic qualities, but the text and apparatus do not overtly convey that impression. Some of Crowley’s marginal glosses and his passus summaries are clearly polemical, but there are very few glosses in the first edition. The assertion of propagandistic editorial intervention by Crowley exaggerates both his glosses, and the evidence that he deliberately deleted â€Å"Catholic† elements of Langland’s poem- a few references to purgatory, transubstantiation, and some praise for monasticism. In the econd and third editions, where the glosses were substantially increased, almost half are biblical citations. Aside from Raphael Holinshed who merely quotes John Bale, the only sixteenth-century references to â€Å"Robert Langland† as the author of Piers Plowman come from Bale and Crowley in his preface to the various impressions. In 1580 John Stow attributed Piers Plowman to â€Å"Jo hn Malvern,† a name that surfaces again with John Pitts in 1619 and Anthony a Wood in 1674. Wood also supplied â€Å"Robertus de Langland† as a possible alternative, and Henry Peacham attributed the poem to John Lydgate in 1622. Except for Crowley and Francis Meres William Webbe is the only person to comment on the alliterative Piers Plowman favorably, since he disliked verse with â€Å"the curiosity of Ryme. † However, Webbe still disparaged the poem’s harsh and obscure language. Several other writers regard the poem’s matter approvingly, seeing it as anti-Catholic satire and polemic. The Ploughman’s Tale was printed more and over a longer period of time than Piers Plowman, it was also printed as a Chaucerian text and included in many editions of Chaucer and mentioned as a familiar text in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Such associations gave it far more exposure- and positive exposure- than Piers Plowman. Yet in many cases it seems that readers read or heard of The Ploughman’s Tale or another ploughman text and thought it was Piers Plowman. Given the diffusion of different Piers/Ploughman texts, it is usually not possible to be certain about what someone means to refer to when they mention â€Å"Piers Plowman† unless they provide specific identifying details- and most writers do not. When Langland’s poem is mentioned, it is often disparaged for its barbarous language. Similar charges were made against Chaucer, but he had more defenders and was already well established as a historical figure and â€Å"authority. † Despite the work of Bale and Crowley, Langland’s name appears to have remained unknown or unaccepted since other authors were suggested after Crowley’s editions. Sometimes â€Å"Piers Plowman† was referred to as the author of the poem, and when writers refer to a list of medieval authors, they will often mention Piers Plowman as an author’s name or a substitute for one. One gets the overall impression that Langland and Piers Plowman had less existence as author and text than did the fictional figure of Piers, whose relationship to a definite authorial and textual origin had been obscured much earlier. With its old language and alien worldview, Piers Plowman fell into obscurity until the nineteenth century, particularly the latter end. Barring Rogers, after Crowley, the poem was not published in its entirety until Thomas Whitaker’s 1813 edition. It emerged at a time when amateur philologists began the groundwork of what would later become a recognized scholarly discipline. Whitaker’s edition was based on a C-text, whereas Crowley used a B-text for his base. With Whitaker an editorial tradition truly began in the modern sense, with each new editor striving to present the â€Å"authentic† Piers Plowman and challenging the accuracy and authenticity of preceding editors and editions. Then, as before in the English Reformation, this project was driven by a need for a national identity and history that addressed present concerns, hence analysis and commentary typically reflected the critic’s political views. In the hands of Frederick Furnivall and W. W. Skeat, Piers Plowman could be, respectively, a consciousness-raising text in the Working Man’s College or a patriotic text for grammar school pupils. Piers Plowman has often been read primarily as a political document. In an 1894 study, J. J. Jusserand was primarily concerned with what he saw as the poem’s psychological and sociopolitical content—as distinct from the aesthetic or literary—in a dichotomy common to all modern humanistic studies. Four years later Vida Dutton Scudder compared the poem with socialist ideas from the works of Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and the Fabians. Concluding remarks Piers Plowman  is considered to be the biggest challenge in Middle English textual criticism, on par with the Greek  New Testament. There are 50-56 surviving manuscripts, depending on the number deemed to be fragments. None of these texts are in the author’s own hand, and none of them derive directly from any of the others. All differ from each other. Moreover, the language of  Piers Plowman  is remarkably plain. Langland went to extensive lengths to ensure that his poem was not bogged down by a dense vocabulary How to cite Piers Plowman, Essay examples Piers Plowman Free Essays Elyssa-Beth Bender British Literature Dr. Zeiger 14 March 2013 William Langland: Piers Plowman The life of William Langland is a mystery. There is very little known about the man who wrote the Middle English, alliterative poem known as Piers Plowman. We will write a custom essay sample on Piers Plowman or any similar topic only for you Order Now I did gather that he was born in the West Midlands around 1330 and may have died in 1386 (William Langland). Though much not can be found on Langland’s life, one can infer that he had many different life experiences in which he may drawn from to write Piers Plowman (Calabrese 123). Whether one looks at the elegant trial of Lady Meed at the King’s court, to impoverished life lived on Piers Plowman’s half-acre. Also the narrator in Piers Plowman seems to indicate that Langland may have been exposed to a higher education (Calabrese 123). There are three different versions of Piers Plowman, known as the A-text, the B-text, and the C-text The A-text is the earliest and shortest of the three versions and is about 2,400 lines long (Greenblatt 297). The B-text is an revision of the A-text in which the original 2,400 lines are still there but turned into a 4,000 line piece of work. During my reading of the B-Text, I found that it was more poetic in its form (Greenblatt 297). What I also found was that the C-text was almost a full revision of the B-Text with not much more added. The A-text seemed to be written in 1370 while the B-text. The C-text may have been written in 1381 during the â€Å"Peasants Revolt of 1382† (William Langland). The opening lines let the reader know what to expect: a man named Will on a religious quest that is set in a dream-like, vision state. He wakes up in Field Full of Folk in the opening scene. It is quite obvious to the reader that Will is a very righteous man as he is described to be wearing â€Å"shroudes as [he] a sheep were, / In habite as an heremite unholy of werkes. † (line 124). This indicates that Will is in clothes made of sheepskin, a symbolic meaning to The Lamb (Calabrese 4). However, it could also make the reader conclude that he may also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The uncertainty is loathsome. The reader might think, â€Å"Is he good or evil? Will he hurt or help? † (Calabrese 124). The phrase, â€Å"unholy of werkes† seems like Will could be evil, but by the end of the poem, we see that it meant that spiritually Will was only just a child and needed to mature. In continuation with this idea, in the prologue of Piers Plowman, Will is born metaphorically into his vision and faith. In the first passus, Will is confronted by a female named, Holy Church and becomes quickly engaged in learning how to be a good Christian (line 153). Holy Church represents a holy and pure church that is uncorrupted by man (Daegman 274). She is vital for teaching Will the basics of Christianity. I found that her presence was the best way to teach Will the holy and pure way to be a Christian untouched by the corrupt hands of man. She also teaches Will that the body and soul are in constant struggle for power. Holy Church explains that Will must find the balance between physical self and spiritual self lead by the soul; what may be good for one may not be good for the other(line 209). Will must learn at this point what moderation is. Moderation is a vital step of self-control and awareness in Piers Plowman. Will is now faced with a few new characters named, Kynde Wit, who tells him the way of common sense; Reason, who tells him what reason and moderation mean; and Truth expects Will he must be truthful in speech, work, and intent of the heart and soul (700-1235). Before Will could fully comprehend what Truth meant, he need to find out what truth is not: falsity or the character â€Å"Falseness†. After meeting with these characters Will had learned everything they could instill upon him. However, since Will is in a dream-like, vision state, he fears that he will not have the capability to make the right decision with his own free will. In his early education with Holy Church, she fails to explain what Falseness means for Will. However in the story of Lady Meed, concept is explained (line 1456- 1729), Lady Meed seems to be the bastard daughter of Falseness and about to be wed to Fals Fikel-tonge (line 1464). â€Å"Whore of Babylon in Revelation,† she is described as, with her magnificent scarlett, silk robes (1468). Lady Meed represents the corruptive influence of money, bribery, prostitution, and is found in every aspect of society. In this story of Lady Meed, she represents good use of money. However, since Lady Meed can be used by anyone, she often falls into the wrong hands and used for corrupt purposes. Lady Meed’s marriage to Fals Fikel-tonge is ceased by Theology, who pursues that the King is the one who should decide whom Lady Meed marries (1475). In the royal court, Lady Meed and her follower voyage off to London at the expense of men of legal authority. The King calls upon Conscience for his advice. At this point he swears he will have nothing to do with the evil, wickedness of Lady Mead and her fate is left to the courts (1509). With the advice of Concscience, the King decides to find out what kind of person Lady Mead is. The King decides that the best thing for Lady Mead was to marry Conscience to know where the line is drawn between right and wrong (1534). Though the King’s intentions were in good reason, Lady Mead was known to be easily corrupted. The King believed Conscience was the perfect mate to control Lady Mead and make her submissive to his good morals. However, Conscience explained to the King that this would not be possible because though his morals were pure and righteous, he would soon eventually be consumed by the power of Lady Mead (1547). Since Lady Mead can be easily used by anyone, she os quickly corrupted by those around her. She is accused of corrupting the pardoners who forgive the sins of the common (not of the clergy) people. As we recall back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Pardoners of this time were very ill-willed men who would only accept money and power to pardon the sins of people. This corruption is said to be the work by the hands of Lady Mead. In this part of Piers Plowman, It is the responsibility of the character Penance to steer Will away from the ill-will and corruption of Lady Mead’s influence on the pardoners’ business (1609). Before a marriage with Conscience, Lady Mead discusses her character. While she shows him all the wonderful aspects of her existence, Conscience reminds her of her malevolent ways (1613). It is clear to the King that Conscience is right, however the King is blinded by Lady Mead’s conveyed character of good will. At this point, the King orders Conscience to give her a kiss on the forehead, which is to signify there to be peace between the two characters (1645). However, Conscience would not give her a kiss of peace unless Reason was summoned to asses the pros and cons, essentially, of the situation (1647-49) . The King, a benevolent creature, decides to honor the request of Conscience and summon Reason. The King decides to bring Wrong to the court to defend Lady Mead and convince the King his ways are correct (1664-1672). He believes he should be allowed to bribe his way out of the charges of rape, murder, and theft. Reason snaps back at this and urges for hard punishment to be inflicted on Wrong. The King, swept up by all these testimonies, decides in favor of Reason and Conscience, whom were selected to be his counselors. Wrong is punished and the King’s eyes are now open to Lady Mead’s benevolent aspects. He is no longer naive. At this point, the King’s court has flourished since Conscience and Reason became his advisors. Holy Church explains to Will that Conscience and Reason are two things that every person has within them on some level. She also explains that the King is not a character that is based on royal heritage. The King is a being that represents the challenges that every common man faces (Burrow 318). Explained even further in an article by J. A Burrow every man faces the challenges of Right and Wrong, and often seeks to find Conscience and Reason in their lives. At this point, the scene fades into the Field Full of Folk once again as Will wakes up and then falls asleep shortly after. Next, Will is confronted with the character of Reason who fashions the wardrobe of a clergymen. He urges Will to repent (2573). After urging Will to confess his sins, he brings out the Seven Deadly Sins. This section of the story where Reason speaks to each of the seven and teaches Will that if he lives with The Seven Deadly Sins in his life, he will never find salvation. The next section starts with the Will waking up briefly from the vision and reflecting on his experience so far. However, our dreamer, Will quickly falls back into his dream. In this next part of his holy vision quest, he enters upon the Feast of Patience ( 2798-2906). Seven people attend the Feast, Conscience, Clergy and his wife, Scripture, Patience, Will, and The Master of Divinity. The food was simple and elegant which was to show will what penance means (Burrow 319). Later in the poem,Will is though of as a fool (3015-3016). At this point of Will still being a foolish man, he is intorduced to Anima, who tells Will the importance of putting into action all that he has learned (3025-3120). Anima prepares Will for a vision of the Tree of Charity. In a vision conveyed to Will by Piers Plowman himself, a tree is an image of fallen humanity. Piers Plowman is said to be represented as Jesus (Burrow 320). There are three kinds of fruit: human souls of wedlock, widowhood, and virginity, and it is supported by three planks. The three planks have been explained to will as the Holy Trinity (Greenblatt 399). However the Tree being threatened by Covetise, who is the Fiend of Flesh. The tree represents the tree that bore the fruit of knowledge, much like the fruit referenced in Genesis. The tree contains knowledge that is not to be consumed by man. However, in this section of Piers Plowman, The Devil is pursuing Covetise to extract fruit from the tree for evil intentions. Toward the end of the poem, Will goes to mass on Easter Sunday and, during the middle of mass, falls asleep and dreams of Piers Plowman. Piers is identified this time as the eucharistic host at the moment of consecration during the Mass when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Greenblatt 399). The mystery of the Body and blood of Christ is mysterious to Will as he cannot understand at what point these common items become holy. The answer is conveyed appearance of Piers before the people. Will turns to Conscience for an explanation of the mystery. Conscience recalls the life of Jesus by explaining the sacrament. The miracle at Cana involves the changing of water into wine, a type of wine turning into blood in the Eucharist. Thus, the Three Lives are put into the perspective of the ministry of Christ, and the message is clear: it is impossible to do well, do better, and do best without divine grace, and this grace is available to all through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance(Burrow 380) . If Dowel is the sacramental wine, Dobet is the eucharistic bread, as it is paralleled to the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Greenblatt 399). That Piers is granted the power of binding and unbinding sins reflects back upon the early association of Piers and the Good Priest (Daegman 7) . Piers is a variation of Peter, suggesting the apostle and first pope. Piers remains behind after the Ascension, and it is to him that Grace gives the four evangelists and the four church leaders (3321-3364). Piers is known to be Jesus Christ whom is a part of the eternal, divine Church. Noticeably, the forces of Pride wait to attack until Piers until he has featured once more at the end of Piers Plowman. By the end of the poem there are no good clergy. (Daegman 8). The Barn of Unity that Grace tells Piers to build is another image of the whole Christian community (3433-3457). However, since the Tree of Charity is under constant threat, so is the Barn of Unity. Covetise and Pride try to confuse Conscience with their so that he can not tell the difference between a Christian and a dark worshipper. Conscience advises the Christians to leave the area to find safely form the the malevolent qualities (3458-3465). Events turn dark for Will and is in need of consulting Need. It can be a humbling factor, but it can also be a convenient excuse for doing what one wants to do rather than what one ought to do. Will falls asleep after being reproached by Need and dreams of the coming of Antichrist. Conscience consults Kynde, Old Age, and Death. Though Will has become an old man, he manages to keep somewhat in good humor. His appearance has changed dramatically. He has become bald, deaf, toothless, and a bit incompetent due to his old age. During this last part of Piers Plowman, Will is confronted by the inevitable character named Death (3502- 3696). As Will’s time is coming to an end, he begs Kynde for him to spare him. Kynde advises Will learn what love is (3757) . This could be compared to what Holy Church told Will in the first section. Though Piers Plowman is a lengthy alliterative poem, it ends considerably curtly. Conscience vows to undertake another quest, this time to find Piers Plowman, and he calls upon Grace for help. Then the Dreamer simply wakes up and that is the end. I found that the ending lines of the poem had no emotion to it. I was not able to feel if Will felt like his total experience was positive or negative. Will’s attitude does seem to show the slightest bit of positivity as he learns to find what it means to be a Christian and learns the value of good morals. Piers Plowman is a series of journeys in a dream-like vision in search for answers. The narrator named Will goes from one higher authority to another. However, as the quests move along, the main point of the journey changes. The quest was originally to find how a Christian is expected to live, however, as time goes on it becomes about finding a way to do the best and be the best one can be (Daegman 273). When the poem finishes, Will is faced with yet another quest. this indicates to the reader that a Christian’s search for salvation is eternal (Daegman 273). Works Cited Burrow, J. A. The Ending Lines in Piers Plowman. Notes Querles (2012). vol. 59 Issue 3, p 316-400. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Calabrese, Michael. Piers Plowman: A Parallel-Text Edition of The A,B,C, And Z Versions. Journal of English Germanic Philogy. (2012): vol. 35 issue 12 127-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Deagman, Rachel. The Formations of Forgiveness in Piers Plowman. Journal of Medieval Early Modern Studies (2010). vol. 40 issue 2 p. 273-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"William Langland† Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Online Web. 27 Feb, 2013 Greenblatt, Stepehn. â€Å"William Langland:Piers Plowman† The Norton Anthology English Literature vol. A. New York 397- 408. How to cite Piers Plowman, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Hunting with Dogs Running for your life, but yet knowing deep inside you that youre going to be ripped limb from limb Essay Example For Students

Hunting with Dogs Running for your life, but yet knowing deep inside you that youre going to be ripped limb from limb Essay Running for your life, but yet knowing deep inside you that youre going to be ripped limb from limb. The last thing you hear is your screams for help and the sound of cheering by a group of humans. The last thing you see is your killers face covered in your blood. Some people call this morally wrong act of cruelty a sport. It is turning into a more common sport around the country and it needs to stopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not for the distant future, but NOW! Reports and tests show that 96. 9% of animals hunted and then killed by dogs die a slow painful death due to their atrocious injuries. The other 3. 1% of animals killed by dogs die from exhaustion and die more quickly from its injuries. Either way the hunted animal dies from the effects of being hunted. Surely this has to stop? Why do you say? Well why do hunting packs only hunt foxes, deers, hares and minks? Ill tell you why, its because these animals dont defend themselves against the hounds. They arent strong enough to attack back. They just run, run as far as they can go, until the hounds catch up and kill them. Easy targets. More animals hunted in one go. Quick and effective games. If this isnt cruelty to animals, then I dont know and cant see, what is! RSPCA, CPHA and LACS are the most highly praised organisations that try to prevent these hunting games from carrying on. They try to their highest ability to try and ban hunting with dogs, but sadly the government and the House of Lords are too strong and believe this morally wrong blood sport is perfectly normal. They say the sport can go ahead because it keeps control over the numbers of Foxes, Deers, Hares and Minks. However, studies show that the number of those animals doesnt need controlling and could decrease at alarming rates in the near future. If they thought this sport helps keep control and that its the only way, well theyre wrong! Scientists show that the only rightful way to keep control over the numbers of animals is not to hunt them with dogs but to shoot them with a type of tranquilliser which would cause the animal to die a quiet, non painful death. This is kind to the animal without the outrage of a bloodthirsty dog ripping them limb from limb. Are the government and the House of Lords being stubborn? Scared to face up to the situation and the blood sports team members? Among the supporters of hunting there is a fear that if it is banned there will be a severe shortage of jobs in rural areas. However I feel that this argument does not stand up in todays modern world with its very low overall unemployment rates. In addition to this the rapid increase in opportunities for working at home coupled with the advances in computer technology and the associated training courses available make it easier to replace any lost jobs. Hunting is natural. Humans have been hunting since the moment we were created, so why stop now? says Mr Robert Burns, a farmer from Somerset. Everybody aggress initially we were barbaric in nature but surely were suppose to have progressively become more civilised. Or have we? Picture the scene: Youre looking for food for your loved one and your 4 children. You hear a noise, which youve heard before, but you carry on hunting for food for your family. Then suddenly out of the bushes jump 15 hounds, thirsty for blood, your blood. You run until you can run no more; you collapse. .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .postImageUrl , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:hover , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:visited , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:active { border:0!important; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:active , .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76 .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u15d669d799278660f0b2dd16c4472f76:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: As evening approaches on the planet Eternia, the Masters of the Universe â€Å" guardians of good â€Å" gathered outside of the Castle Grayskull EssayFighting for your breath, you try to get up but before you know it youre being ripped apart. Youre dead. Your body is covered in blood and taken away by a human on a horse. Your skin to make clothes. Your flesh to be eaten by your killers. Your bones crushed to mark various items. Your family is left to starve. Your family is dead. But worse the, perpetrators revel in it. The question we need to ask is, who are the real animals, the Foxes, Deers, Hares and Minks, or US? Let us make positive steps to change this situation b y getting the law changed to ban hunting with dogs.