Summery of project management Essay Example

Summery of project management Essay What is project management? Key understanding of Project Management In changing world How can a small business succeed in a rapidly changing world, with changing customer desires, new competitors, new technology, and new suppliers halting us from all directions? The answer is project management. Project management helps us realize our dreams, take an advantage of opportunities, and solve our problems in changing times. Well put project management into simple language and learn how we can make projects work. Definition of basic conception; Project Management When it comes to the definition of Project, it can be defined as follows; a dream with a deadline or a problem scheduled for a solution. In general, Projects come in all sizes. In a small business, some might take months such as launching the business or opening a new store. Others might be fulfillment work for a few weeks: creating the fall catalog and mailing It out or building a new web site. Some projects take Just a few hours: finding a new supplier to replace the one that Is unreliable or holing staff for the summer rush. We will write a custom essay sample on Summery of project management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summery of project management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summery of project management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It Is a good idea to think of our opportunities and problems as projects. With regard to the definition of management, it can be said as follows; all process to evaluate, investigate, and plan how to control the business or the opposite meaning of situation where business is on out of control. Classification of Project Management. We can largely divide the project into two; internal project and external project. Firstly, some projects are Internal. They dont make money directly, but they change the way you work. Maybe you install a new bookkeeping system or you launch a new advertising campaign. For these projects, your customer Is Inside the company. Secondly, External projects are projects for customers. When we succeed on an external project, we make money and delight the customer. By making delighted customer, companies run their business stably and earn the constant profit from them. So, managing external projects souls be considered important in their management. 2. General idea to practice project management Eight Ways Projects Benefit Your Business In order to improve business, companies can throw away the conventional step to measure and practice the project, and develop the new conception what it calls 8 ways Into their business. 8 ways are as follows; firstly, companies should bring a new reduce or service to market they have something new to sell. And secondly, they Increase production so they can make more things to sell. This helps only If they have customers who will buy those things. Thirdly, they should Increase market share, for they should reach new markets or customers, for example, by opening a new location or starting to sell through a web site. For fifth step, they can market or deliver to their customers in new ways, increasing sales or lowering the cost of sales. For sixth step, they should speed up cycle time, getting products to market faster, completing Jobs aster, getting supplies faster, and making decisions faster, which makes themselves more flexible and competitive. For seventh step, they should reduce or avoid costs, changing the way we get supplies or the way they work to reduce waste and cost and increase net revenue. As for the last step, they should reduce risk and protects assets, to improve protection of their tangible assets preventing damage, fraud, and theft and their intangible assets things like customer good will, employee loyalty, and recognition of themselves and their company as reliable professionals and good citizens. Participants and their role in Project Management participants Their role Sponsors They kick off the project and provides the money Executive managers They run the company that is doing the project Customers They receive primary benefit from project results Project managers They are responsible for running the project with the team on a daily basis. Project team They work full time or the most time on the project, planning and doing the actual work to create the result Vendor They provide products or services to the project team Peripheral stakeholder They have some occasional contact with part of the product 3. Nine area of Project Management. Over the last 35 years, the Project Management Institute (PM) has worked to define the field of project management as an independent profession and certify professionals in the field. And the PM has finally discovered that there are nine areas companies need to manage to make a project succeed. It calls these the nine areas of project management knowledge. Scope: What and How Project scope definition answers the questions What are we making? and How will we make it? The goal is to define everything companies need to do to complete that, their goal is to keep scope under control. They track their work and correct their course so that they do everything they need to do. Time: Effort and Duration At the end of project scope management, companies know what work they will be doing. In time planning, they prepare activity lists they decide who will do, what and when. From this, they can plan project effort, the number of person and hours of work to be done, and project duration, how long the project will take from start to finish. Project time management also includes time estimation and schedule control to make sure theyre getting work done on time. Cost: Estimates, Budgets, and Tracking Once companies have figured out our schedule, they can estimate what the project will cost. They build a budget and then they track the time and money they spend each week. If they dont track it as they go along, their schedule and budget will go out of control. They will fall behind and not even know it. They keep on top of the project by looking at the work theyve accomplished, the time theyve spent, and the money theyve spent. Quality: Make It Good There are two aspects to quality management. One is in designing the product or service?the project results. They should ask more than What are we making? They would ask, What will make it really good? The second part of quality management is about working smarter. That is, they focus on the quality of their process?on how they do the work, manage the project, and manage business and customer value. Risk: Make Sure We Get It Done What if? is the central question of project risk management. Companies realize that the future is always uncertain they dont know what will happen. So, they should think about what might happen and write it down. Then they prepare for each thing that might change their project plan or get in the way of success. Once theyre ready or any contingency, they keep risk under control by tracking events weekly and handling things if they look like they are about to happen or when they do. Human Resources: The Project Team For small businesses, project human resources means getting the right people on the team for the Job and making sure workers can do the work well. For each person on each Job, companies ask if they understand the work, if they have the right skills, and if they have the time to do the work. Any time one of those questions gets no for an answer, they find a solution: they explain the Job, they get training or bring in an expert, or they give project work the priority it needs to get the Job done right. Communications: Keep Everyone on Board management are. Then companies figure out what they need to hear from them and what they need to hear from head centers. They plan, manage, and execute effective communications to make sure the plan includes everyones perspective, that everyone understands the plan, and that everyone is on the same page and up to date when changes hit the project. Procurement: Getting What We Need For most small business projects, procurement is making a good shopping list and hen making sure companies get the right thing and that it comes in on time. In some cases, they may do some hunting for best prices. Sometimes, they have to deal with vendor selection and contract management as well Integration: Keeping It All Together. In ninth area, project integration management, means that companies should keep track of what is going on in all the other areas and deal with any changes to the project promptly and fully. This is also called integrated change management. That is, the eight knowledge areas in advance companies should consider are all tied together in one system. 4. Process of making problems into project Right way to approach the problem There are a bunch of wrong ways to approach problems and theyre all about blame. Blame asks questions about the past, but only to point fingers. Who did this? Who made this mess? Those kinds of questions dont get companies anywhere. Instead of asking, Who? if something isnt working, ask, What? and then ask, Why? What happened? Whats wrong? Why did this happen? Those are useful questions. Another way to avoid blame is to focus on the present and the future. Once companies understand what happened, they shift from the past to the future and ask, What can we do to fix this? Then Who? can be the right question: Who is the best person to fix this problem? And he or she might Just be the person who made the mistake. From Problem to Project Often times, while companies run their business, they obviously face some problems to block them from reaching their goal. Some companies try to avoid and ignore it. However, a problem is a problem. And when they recognize that, they put it on a schedule to fix it. As soon as they do that, the problem becomes a project. Here is a process for going choosing the best solution to a problem. 1. Picture the solution. A information. Do you need to get a price quote on repair? On a new machine? Do you need to learn about newer models? Do you need to see how much money you have available? 3. Ask if you need expertise. Are you and your team qualified to come up with the best solution? Remember that a lot of expertise is free these days between vendors who will give a price quote at no charge and internet research, we can often get the know-how we need while spending little or no money and little time. . List your options. Write out a clear description of each solution. The repair will cost $2,000 and the machine will probably last two more years. A new machine costs $6,000 and will probably last five years. . Maybe make a decision. If one option is clearly better than the others, then select that one. If not, then put off the decision by including maki ng the decision as part of the project plan. In this case, we might delay the decision until weve learned about financing options on the new machine and the money we can make selling the old machine. 5. Process of defining the scope Companies should pick one and plan out what they are doing in detail to make the project happen. The Project Management Institute calls this defining the scope of the project. Scope planning includes defining all that companies are making and layering what they are not making. When they are done planning scope, they should have a clear picture of what they are making. Once they know what they are making, they can define how they will make it?that is, they move from describing results to describing the steps of the process, the tasks that will get the work done. Here are the steps of defining scope, from the big picture down to the details. 6. Planning time and money Companies should figure out how much it will cost, when they will do it, and how long it will take. The techniques in this step are not difficult, but few take the time to really use them well. If most of them remember a few basic rules, they can avoid the most common problems in planning time and money: here are two basic key concepts; 1 . Keep allocation and estimation separate. Allocate based on the amount of time and money the company can reasonably spend to get project results. Estimate from the project plan. After both the allocation and the estimate are prepared, then see if the project is affordable. If not, change the plan or cancel the project. 2. In estimating, avoid bias. Bias means leaning one way or the other. For example, if you say, l have to do this for under $2,000, then youll try to make the numbers look right. You could end up fooling yourself telling yourself that you can do a $5,000 Job for $2,000. And the allocation. 7. Process of making quality The phases of the best project quality management For the first, companies define quality. When they build their scope statement, they should ask, What makes it good? When they focus on quality from the beginning, they can make fewer mistakes, reducing total project cost and shortening the schedule. They deliver better results with less rework, sooner, while spending less money. For the second, they should plan for quality. Through using quality control, laity assurance, and effective gate reviews, they find smart ways of workin g that deliver the best results at the lowest cost on the shortest schedule. For the third, they control quality to make sure that the product is what it is supposed to be. And then, they should ensure quality from the beginning to the end of the project. And lastly, they should deliver quality to ensure customer delight. 8. Risk management Basic concept of risk management For the first, companies should know the meaning of Risk Identification. It is about to figure out what could go wrong, and write it down. They start with knowing that something could go wrong, that something unexpected could happen. They ask, What could that be? Then they write down the answer. The best time to hold a major risk-planning meeting is shortly after the activity list is done. For the second, they should know the meaning of Risk Analysis. It is about to identify the likelihood and consequences of each risk, and prioritize the risks. It accompanies the process of naming the risk, and describing the consequences, the risk trigger, the likelihood, and estimating the significance of the risk, and finally describing options for managing he risk before or when it happens. And for the third step, and last step, they should know the meaning of Risk response planning and Risk monitoring. When it comes to Risk response planning, it is about to get ready for what might happen, item by item. They have to decide what theyre going to do about it their risk management options. By putting it on the list, theyve accepted the risk under management. And with regard to Risk monitoring, it is about to check up on the risks and update the risk control plan at each daily or weekly status meeting throughout the project,. 9. Management of HRS and communication Management of human resource Once companies have good people with the right skills, they have the resources for the project. However, those resources have to work together well. Therefore, their best bet is to hire people with these qualities as follows; Honesty, Interest, Reliability, Attitude and Skill or Testability. But not only that, they should define Jobs very clearly. If the team members are willing to do the work, then its companies Job to work with them so that they know what to do. At a minimum, each worker should have a clearly defined goal for each day of work. And finally, companies should also ark and gets it done right, the more likely the project is to succeed. Also, people are more motivated and enjoy their work more when they figure out how to do a Job themselves. Management of communication Effective communications is essential to project success. So often, companies leave out one small detail and then they have to redo the work. To prevent this, they have to teach their team members to think through details, request what is needed in detail, and work together to get it done right the first time. Even worse, it is only human to get frustrated, upset, or even angry when things dont go well. When it moms to communications, we have to lead by example. If we communicate clearly and effectively; if they thank people for telling themselves whats going on, even when the news is bad; and if they apologize when they make a mistake and get a little snippy, then their team members will be open to learning to do likewise. When the team is ready to learn, they should consider Figure 10-2 on upper picture. This is because when companies have a project plan and then all team members make a habit of doing good level-I and level-2 feedback, something wonderful happens. By sharing the feedback which is information for better performance, They et a highly effective process called customer service within the team. 10. About Procurement Management Most of what the Project Management Institute teaches about putting out requests for proposals, comparing bids to select vendors, and managing contracts doesnt apply to companies small business folks, anyway. So, they should focus on the following issues: Purchasing for projects, Getting expertise, Getting information, Getting permission, Evaluating vendors, Tracking and saving money in the purchasing process. Although this work is a small part of our project, doing it well is a big prevention of project problems. Everything we need from outside the project every external dependency is a project risk. So some extra attention is called for to prevent problems. Purchasing for Projects When it comes to purchasing for projects, inside the company, the only way to find out all the rules, glitches, and possible delays is to talk with everyone. And even then, someone usually leaves something out. In addition, Projects are unique, so purchases for projects are often unique. Companies may be buying something from an industry theyve never dealt with before. When they dont know the ropes, theyre more likely to make assumptions and mistakes. Getting Expertise When it comes to getting expertise, it could be clearly said; sometimes, companies dont need products or services; they need expertise and knowledge. Usually, this comes in one of two forms: they need either training or guidance. In training, they and their team learn how to do something and then apply the ideas themselves. In guidance, they and their team receive specific direction on how to prepare for or to Getting Information Sometimes, companies simply need information. They may Just need to know certain facts for a project or they may need to get information as a first step toward finding he right book, the right training class, or the right vendor. The internet is an amazing timeserver here. If they dont know how to do research on the internet, they can take a few hours and learn?it will save themselves weeks of time within a year. And most of what they are looking for is available for free. Getting Permission Sometimes, companies need permission, too. An obvious case is building permits for a construction project. The challenge with getting permission is often that the person or organization giving permission cares more about not making a mistake than about helping themselves to succeed. The guard doesnt want to let the wrong person into the building. The town council wants to stop the wrong kind of development. Evaluating Vendors The bigger the project, the more important it is to evaluate vendors carefully. Companies need to look at vendors for products and short-term services in one way and vendors for long-term services differently. If they are buying a product or piece of equipment for their project, they also should consider that the vendor understands the business and technical requirements and can guide themselves in product selection and confirm that the product they are choosing is suited to the ask. Vendors for Long-Term Services Sometimes, companies want to use someone from outside their company for most or all of the length of the project. In this case, they need to do a deeper evaluation and check the vendors against their requirements more rigorously. This applies whether they are hiring a consultant to Join (or even lead) the team or they are outsourcing the project entirely to a consulting firm or vendor. 1 1 . About Procurement Management In working up the project plan, companies have looked at eight areas of project management: scope, time, cost, quality, risk, human resources, communications, and recruitment. With eight perspectives, it can be hard to see that, all together, they make one plan. But companies should see how the eight areas work together and then learn about the ninth area project integration management. Using the ninth area, theyll have one solid plan, good to go. In organizing the nine areas of project management theyll distinguish three that lead to defined, measurable results (r) and six that support these results, but that are measured by tracking their process (p). Theyll start with the three (r) results areas, which are related to one another by what is called the iron triangle. Iron doesnt bend or stretch. And theres a rule about triangles: if companies change keep the shape of the triangle. The iron triangle illustrates a rule in project management: they cant deliver more on a project (increase scope), without spending more and taking longer (increasing time and cost). This is illustrated in Figure 12-1, the iron triangle. The main use of this tool is to educate customers and executives on the fact that, if they ask for more results, youre going to ask for more time and money. 12. Change Management Sometimes, companies cant follow the original plan, because of an error in the plan r a big change or several risk events. When companies change the plan, it is called rebelling. This means that they are working to a new plan, with a new schedule, a new budget, and some new risks as well. Here are the four levels of change management and risk management to deal with these situations: Add to the scope. If, when companies evaluate a change request, they decide to add to project scope, theyre adding time, cost, and risk. If it is essential so that project results actually add value, then they do it. If it is very beneficial and early enough in he project to make the change, then they might do it. But, in either case, it is equivalent to changing the destination on their sailing trip. Drop something from the scope. Sometimes they run into trouble either a big risk event or Just a discovery that work cant go as fast as theyd hoped. Then they cant deliver everything on time and within the budget. If they cannot delay delivery and get more money, then they should intentionally drop some part of our scope. Add more time and/or money. If they run into trouble?either with a big risk event or with the discovery that their Lana left something out or Just estimated over-optimistically, they may be able to meet our original project goals by spending more time and/or increasing their budget. Reevaluate the plan. Sometimes, major changes to the company or project or a realization that something was wrong at the start force them to reevaluate the whole project plan. They might be considering project cancellation or they might Just be saying, Theyve got to figure out whats wrong here and fix it. This is called a project review. 13. Managing Scope Creep In project change management, each change requires good Judgment. Therefore, it is essential to write down the change request and take it through a process of research, decision, communication, and if the change is accepted updating the plan. In addition, companies should manage the entire load of change with good communication, planning, and finally education to prevent scope creep. Preventing Scope Creep and set up a clear project life cycle with stages and gates. Let people know that creative ideas are encouraged during the planning and preparation stage. Be sure to do walk-through and risk assessment meetings so that features, quality, value, and risks are all addressed in planning. Also, investigate the initial situation as thoroughly as companies can. Then make a list of their assumptions and check them. If companies do all of this, there will be very few surprises and very few reasons for change. 14. Time Cost Management Time management in project doing stage This part is quite related to how companies finally manage their workers inside the company so as to make time efficient. So, the key to make success in managing them has to do with the employees who need to be motivated and focused. And here are some consideration that companies should notice in managing them. ) Interruptions or conflicting priorities. When people get interrupted, they work only one-third as fast as if they are not interrupted. Also, they may be given contradictory priorities between the project and other work or may feel that there is a conflict. Work to clear time and clarify priorities. 2) The need for a can-do attitude. A can-do attitude, also called a proactive approach, is essential for project work. Because projects are unique, they bring up new challenges and demand creative thinking. Support this in your team. If any team members are more l Just do my Job, focus on avian them understand that there is no excuse for missing a deadline. If work gets stuck, then there is a reason, and team members should come to you and bring the problems, so you can get the work unstuck and they can meet their goals. 3) Overestimation of speed or ability. The plan may simply have had an over-optimistic estimate. Rather than continuing to accept a small, cumulative delay each week, ask what youve learned about how much work can be done and revise the plan so that it is realistic. Cost management in project doing stage Simply tracking expenses is an important first step. There are four other things companies can do to keep costs under management and also reduce hassle. 1) Do clear procurement in writing. Even for small items and short, inexpensive sub- contractor Jobs, write a letter of agreement saying what will be done/ 2) Keep up to date with vendors. Agree on schedules for billing and work with vendors. 3) Keep organized electronic and paper files. 4) Price shop and negotiate for discounts 15. Quality Management These days, companies have emphasized that focusing on quality from the beginning actually lowers project cost while improving the quality of results and allows them to

Effects of Windmill Essay Example

Effects of Windmill Essay Example Effects of Windmill Essay Effects of Windmill Essay A windmill is a device that is used to generate power by the use of wind energy. There are some effects that it has on the environment both negative and positive. The following document will look at the effects that the windmill has on the environment and moreover on the benefits that a clean environment enjoys. (Drachmann, 1961)IntroductionThere are some benefits that it has to the environment. One is that it is used to control global warming because it does not emit any carbon into the environment. Second is that it is a renewable source of energy. Since it is natural it can be renewed over and over. It also causes the effect of drying the environment as well as warming the environment especially in the morning. It does not have any pollution effect because it does not produce any smoke. The other effect that the windmill has is that it can cause fire easily, contamination of water can occur as well as gases that are emitted in the greenhouses cannot be saved by windmill.There are some benefits that the environment enjoys when windmills are implemented on a clean environment. One is that the power that is generated by the windmill is cheap. The environment is also not polluted by any form of particles that pollute the air like smoke. The environment stays clean and fresh. It does not use fuel for it to operate hence no air pollution is caused. There are those who say that the noise caused by the windmill as it rotates causes illness but this has not been proven. The other effect that it has on the environment is the killing of bats.ReferenceA.G. Drachmann, 1961 Herons Windmill, Centaurus, pp. 145-151

Long-Term Orientation in Chinese Business Markets Literature review

Long-Term Orientation in Chinese Business Markets - Literature review Example According to the authors, guanxi behaviour consists of three elements: affect (emotions), reciprocal favour, face preserving. In Chinese culture, trust is an outcome of guanxi behaviour. The authors emphasise that in China, affection and business go together unlike the UK or USA. Affect denotes human feelings or emotional commitments that are central to intimate social bonding in several kinds of relationships such as between teachers and students, parents and children, or between close friends. In Chinese culture, the reciprocal favour stems from certain social behaviour evoking emotional responses and feeling by one of the group member to another. As such, reciprocity is a universal behaviour that can be traced even to animal kingdom. Similarly, the importance of face preserving for any Chinese in personal and professional life is tremendous. Face preserving behaviour plays a crucial role in constructing interpersonal relationships. It is important to note that in the Chinese cultu re, any disloyal person in the group is a faceless person. Society associates a great value when members of the group go to any extent to honour their obligations. Thus, it can be said that guanxi is a fulcrum of most activities in China that fall into the purview of political, economic and social order. However, to gain more clarity, researchers interviewed over a dozen sales managers in China and Hong Kong to find out how they view guanxi in the business world. ... As replied by the sales managers, guanxi is the first step of a salesperson to establish his or her intention to do the business; however, guanxi behaviour takes considerable time to develop to the point where unfamiliarity with the buyer ceases to exist. According to the sales managers interviewed, most Chinese firms respect guanxi style of relationships while doing any business transactions. That means the higher the salesperson interacts with a buyer, the greater the trust the buyer reposes in the salesperson. Surprisingly, business transactions are done on the basis of trust at personal level rather than at the organisational level. That is why many transactions with overseas firms are done on the basis of personal contacts. People are more loyal to their superiors rather than their organisation. A buying firm's trust on the salesperson is due to his or her expertise on the subject and ability to deliver. Similarly, the higher the status or position of the salesperson, the higher the trust the buying firm will repose on the selling firm. This is so because higher status of the salesperson signifies greater control on the firm's resources to fulfil agreed obligations. The researchers formulated various hypotheses to understand how a buying firm develops trust on the seller firm including the factors such as salesperson expertise and his or her status responsible for generating this trust. In the process to measure all the three elements of guanxi as mentioned above, the authors served the questionnaire to 250 respondents; however, only 51.2% respondents returned the questionnaire. Those who responded were in their current positions for last 4 years and in relationship with

Aboriginal history Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aboriginal history - Coursework Example A survey was conducted that revealed that 38% of children were taken away from their families. Many families are still in search of their members, and many of them never had a chance to see each other again; this has caused the natives an immense emotional stress. This practice has led to the erosion of the nation’s culture and values; this is termed as the ‘Stolen Generation’ by the historians2. Keeping in mind the history of Australia, it is essential to have a vast knowledge of the aboriginal history for a teacher to hand down the facts of the existence of the land where people dwell and to reclaim the culture that was lost to the bills and acts passed by the European invaders3. Teaching the history of Aborigines will make the students familiar with the legacy, culture and norms of their country and the ongoing impact of colonialism on the society that they have become today. It will contribute to their knowledge that their identity dates back to 40,000 years ago; they will know that they belong to one of the oldest cultures in the world. Moreover, students have to face linguistic barriers which contribute to the trends of attendance; however, evidence suggests that the use of their native language influences the numeric figures greatly. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) released a report which suggested that learning Torres Strait Islander, or Aboriginal, language could contribute to the academic results for all the students. Therefore, non-indigenous students will develop a significant knowledge of the cultural dissimilarities and mutual respect along with gaining insight into the history of the land where they live4. The historic accounts will also help the teachers to know the trick to teach Aboriginal students. Many schools in Australia have white teachers who do not know the history of Aborigines. Therefore, they misinterpret the behavior of the Aboriginal children; for example, it is against ethics to have an eye contact with

Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Example for Free

Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Robert Frost, â€Å"Out,Out—â€Å" 1. In line 15, Frost describes the saw as being sinister. He infers that the saw has a mind of its own, by stating that the saw jumped out of the boy’s hand and cut the boy’s hand terribly. Frost also makes it seem as if the saw is in a way, like a friend. He does this by demonstrating that using the saw is an advantage for the boy because it is making his job ten times easier. Without the saw, the boy would spend hours cutting through the wood. 2. In Frost’s poem, the people that surround the boy must be his family. It could also very much be friends, or members of his community, along with the doctor and nurses working on his injury. The tone of the poem leads me to conclude that the â€Å"they† in the poem weren’t very surprised or moved by the boy’s injury, or death, because this might have happened before, or they just didn’t care for the boy. 3. Frost’s reference to Macbeth’ contributes to my understanding of â€Å"Out, Out-â€Å"that this poem’s theme is about death. From the reference to Shakespeare play, Macbeth, I can expect read about someone dying, an unexpected death. In my opinion, the theme of this poem is the cruel, emotionless, merciless relationships adults had with their children back then in America. Children weren’t given the opportunity to enjoy their childhood. They had many responsibilities and tasks to fulfill. 4. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out-‘† resembles the medieval folk ballad, â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† in its theme. Both poems are relaying a message about death. In Frost’s poem, the boy acknowledges the fact that he is going to die when he realizes he is losing a lot of blood. In â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† the sailor realizes he is coming face to face with death when he reads the letter the king has sent to him. Both of the protagonists in the poems are on the verge of dying a sudden, unexpected death. Robert Browning, â€Å"My Last Duchess,† 1. Throughout the entire poem, it is almost impossible allocate who the Duke is addressing. Towards the end of the poem, lines 49-52, it is disclosed that the Duke is speaking to a servant, or worker of a Count. This specific Count seems to have the Duke interest, because he wants to marry the Count’s daughter. The Duke appears to be hosting some sort of gathering in his home. I inferred this from lines 47 and 48. 2. Throughout the poem, the Duke emphasizes on his last Duchess, kindness and flirtatious attitude. In the Duke’s opinion, and observance, the Duchess was easily impressed, and fulfilled. Everything and anything made her happy. She would always say thank you to anyone, and everyone that would bring her things, or do things for her. The Duke interprets the Duchess’ kindness, and mannered behavior as flirtatious, which leads to his distrust in her. Based on the Dukes description, the Duchess, in my eyes was a well mannered woman. She wasn’t mean, or sought herself above anyone. Which is how he, the Duke wanted her to act. He wished she’d be a greedier or unfulfilled character. 3. In lines 34-41, the Duke explains why he never sought to confront his Duchess on her behavior. He states he didn’t have the eloquent skills to do so. He claims that he didn’t posses the speech to confront her. â€Å"Who’d stoop to blame/This sort of trifling? Even had you skill/ In speech-(which I have not)-to make your will/† This in my opinion is a lame excuse. I believe that he was simply afraid of confrontation. The Duke also states that if he had confronted the Duchess on her behavior, she would have made an excuse for her actions. 4. From this poem, I conclude that the Duke himself murdered, or gave orders to murder his Duchess. There is no clear evidence to support this, but I believe it is a clear interpretation. The poet should have included the Duchess’ fate in the poem. It would leave little room to assume her fate. 5. Robert Browning makes a direct connection between the Duke’s art collection, and the attitude towards his wife. The Duke has the portrait of his wife; his last Duchess displayed in his home, behind a curtain. A curtain, which only he can draw back, or remove. In other words, he, the Duke, controls the Duchess; or he wishes to control his Duchess. The Duke wouldn’t want anyone to see the portrait of his Duchess, with her blushed cheeks, unless he was there. The same can be inferred from the last few lines of the poem, line 54-55, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though,/Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!† The Duke is implying, that he himself is Neptune, and his last Duchess is the sea-horse. No one could have imagined that a sea-horse could be tamed, but Neptune achieved it. Identical to the way that the last Duchess herself was tamed. Adrienne Rich, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† In her poem, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† Adrienne is describing the protagonist’s feelings towards her marriage. In lines 9-10, the protagonist feels that she is a prisoner of her marriage, and will only be set free when she dies. The protagonist uses the tigers as a symbol of who she wished she could be. In the first stanza of the poem, Adrienne describes the tigers as being un-fearful of the men. A trait she wishes she possessed. Sharon Olds, â€Å"Rite of Passage,† 1. The speaker describes the first-grade boys at her son’s birthday party as men. Their behavior is pure imitation of the men they have been around. Her description of them is ironic, because how can first-graders realistically be grown men? She also uses the concept of violence a lot in the poem. 2. In the last two lines of the poem, the author compares the first-graders to generals, and states that they are playing war. This is ironic, because she is inferring how (grown) men glorify war. The first-graders are innocent and naà ¯ve to the truth behind war. They don’t understand the sadness, and deaths behind it. To them, it is a reason to celebrate and rejoice. What is even more ironic, are the lines prior to the last two lines of the poem. The speaker quotes what the little boy has said. In line 22, â€Å"We could easily kill a two-year-old†. Little boys should not be speaking of death. But just like (grown) man boost up their ego by feeling superior to others and educing violence, these first-graders are doing the same. 3. From line 15-20, the mother describes her son as being innocent. She paints her son to be better than the other first-graders, because she seeks him out to be more mature than they are. Throughout the rest of the poem, due to the speaker’s description of her son, it can be inferred that the speaker’s on is the leader of the group. He is the mediator; the peace maker. Suji Kwock Kim, â€Å"Monologue for an Onion,† 1. The tone of this poem is mocking, and judgmental. It implies that humans live their lives chasing false hopes; searching for a truth that does not exist. The poet symbolizes this by using the analogy of shaving an onion to get to its heart; searching for a heart that does not exist. It depicts that humans are hopeless, and helpless. Humans are viewed as lost creatures. The speaker expresses hostility towards the human. It begins to mock humans by describing them as an idiot, thirsty (to find the truth), soulless, foolish, and destined to die. The speaker does this by comparing how a human cuts an onion over and over again, even though the onion makes the cutter cry relentlessly. 2. In line two, â€Å"I mean nothing† is projected to be interpreted on two ways, â€Å"intend†, and â€Å"signify. The poet is saying that the onion’s intentions aren’t to make the â€Å"cutter/human† cry. As the onion is cut, it forces the cutter’s eyes to fill up with tears. A reaction that is not intended, but occurs automatically. The poet also uses the phrase â€Å"I mean nothing† to symbolize that the onion feels like it is no one. It feels as if it has no value, or meaning of existence. 3. If someone said this to me, it would prove how close-minded and naà ¯ve they are. Poems generally convey a meaning far beyond what the poem explicitly reads. In poetry, you must read between the lines to understand the underlying significance of the poem. The poet is using the analogy of an onion’s (chemical) reaction to a human’s tear ducts to deploy how foolish human beings can be, and are. Continuing to cut through an onion, knowing that the onion will force us to cry is foolish. This simple action is identical to human life. Human’s cut through life searching for a truth they never attain. 4. I personally feel that the author is trying to give everyone a wake-up call in this poem. Suji Kwock Kim is trying to give her readers a few words of wisdom. She is exploring, and revealing a new approach on how one should view the world. Trying to encourage her readers to refrain from what an onion cutter is doing: cutting away at life causing them harm. Anne Bradstreet, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† Anne Bradstreet’s poem, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† is a complex narrative concerning the conflicting emotions and thoughts an author can have for a piece of literature he or she has written. Through metaphor and personification, Bradstreet examines the similarities between being a parent and being an author. The love, discouragement, and fear that all come into play when something is going to be revealed to the world at large are present in both a parent and a writer. Metaphor is used to relate authorship to parenthood in order to convey to the reader the complex emotions the narrator is feeling about sending a book he or she wrote out into the world. As the narrator points out, â€Å"Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain†, drawing the parallel between the author and a parent and all of the complicated emotions that go with it (line 1). The narrator refers to the book-child as â€Å"My rambling brat†, revealing the negative side of the emotion (l ine 7). As a frustrated parent with a child who will not behave, so the narrator feels towards the book because it is not as perfect as he or she would want and the narrator sees this as a reflection upon the author, just as a parent would see a naughty child as a reflection on themselves. But later the narrator writes, â€Å"Yet being mine own †¦ affection would thy/Thy blemishes amend† demonstrating the conflicting emotions associated with love (lines 10-11). The metaphor of the book as a child reflects the conflicting emotions of the narrator as the book is seen as an extension of the narrator, just as a child is seen as a reflection of a parent. Personification of the book as a child creates empathy within the reader and makes it easier for the reader to relate to the anguish and love felt by the narrator. â€Å"I washed thy face† the narrator writes, speaking to the book, giving it life even as the book’s qualities as an inanimate object are examined (line 13). The narrator cares for the book’s presentation to the world just as a parent would care for the presentation of a child to the world. â€Å"I stretched thy joint to make thee even feet† the narrator writes, emphasizing the care needed for the book (line 15). The personification of the book and the metaphor of the book as a child work together to give the reader a full and complete understanding of the complex emotions felt by the narrator towards the book. The understanding needed and the guidance required to make the book the best possible so that it reflects well on the narrator is cast in light of parenthood and the ways in which a parents must care for and bring up a child. There is shame and the love that go along with an imperfect child, but it all is ultimately overshadowed by the pride felt in the final product.

Comparing How Various Anthropologists Discovered Anthropology as a Care

Comparing How Various Anthropologists Discovered Anthropology as a Career Anthropologists have reasons for entering a field of work just like any other person has reasons for Choosing science over music or medicine over business. The reason a person may enter a particular career can be from stumbling upon a field that they knew little. Once discovering it they have ambitions of being the best they can be. It could also stem from a desire as a child to know more about a specific subject. Reasons may be distinct or similar to another person's in the same field. I will compare various anthropologists to how they started in anthropology and how they are different from one another. Anthropologists have stumbled upon or discovered the world of anthropology in their own ways. Barbara Smutts decided that she would study anthropology at the age of 13 (Rosenthal, 23). After reading Jane Goodall's first article about chimpanzees and with her love of animals and science she knew that anthropology would be her career (23). Adrienne Zihhnan, like Smutts, stumbled upon anthropology after reading an article. She read a book by Margaret Mead for a course at Miami University (Shell, 38). After reading it she changed her major and transferred to a college with the major (38). Zihhnan has made Paleoanthropology her specialized area. The origination of the two­legged gait has been her focus (Shell, 40). Smutts has studied Primatology and observed olive baboons and the bottle­necked dolphin (Roshenthal, 24 & 26). The discovery of a career through reading an article makes a person wonder if all big decisions could be that simple. Aslihan Yener discovered anthropology after transferring to Robert College to study art history (Bass, 64)... ...n/legkey http://www.anatomy.su.oz.au/danLiy/anthropology/anthro­1/bio­graphies/thorton "Linguistics." Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology: vol. 1, 1996. "Linguistics." The New Encyclopedia Britannica: vol. 7, 1993. Mead, Margaret. Leaders of Modem Anthropology: Ruth Benedict. New York: Columbia University Press, 1974. "Paleoanthropology." Academic American Encyclopedia: vol. 15, 1996. "Primatology." Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory. 1988. Rosenthal, Elisabeth. "The Forgotten Female." Discover. Dec. 1991: 22­27. Shell, Ellen Ruppel. "Flesh and Bone. Discover. Dec. 1991: 37­42. Spencer, Robert F. Methods and Perspective in Anthropology. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press, 1954. Steward, Julian H. Leaders of Modem Anthropology: Alfred Kroeber. New York: Columbia University Press, 1973.

How Music Influences Memory Essay

I lay in my bed listening to the endless stream of music coming through my headphones. My iTunes is on shuffle, some songs I skip but most of them I let play without interference. Zoning out only enough to let my mind wonder, I relax and take in the sounds surrounding me. I feel restful, at piece. A brief moment of silence from the time one song ends and another begins. I hear the first five notes on a piano — instantly, I have a lump in my throat, my heart quickens, and my eyes begin to sting. â€Å"Through the Years† by Kenny Rogers has just come on. After fifteen seconds of a piano introduction, Rogers’ soothing voice starts in, â€Å"I can’t remember when you weren’t there†¦ I am reminded of my family. I am taken back to a time when all my grandparents were still alive and well. My father’s mother’s face comes into view, she has been gone twelve years but I can almost feel her presence. I think of the love my family and I have for each other. I think of my sister. My cheeks and ears begin to feel warm. The air I’m breathing suddenly becomes thick, my vision is blurred by the water filling my eyes. The chorus begins, â€Å"Through the years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My eyes overflow and tears silently fall down my face. After the second chorus the song builds on itself, it rises and keeps on rising. The tension is broken by Rogers’ voice full of love and sincerity at the bridge. I have graduated from softly crying to full on sobbing. My face, my ears, my neck and my pillow are wet with tears. What I am crying about, I am not entirely certain of. What I am certain of, however, is that this wave of emotion that I am drowning in was induced solely by this song. Now in the fetal position, cuddling the blanket and bear that I have had since I was born, I gasp and choke a deep breath in and cough it out as I sob. â€Å"As long as it’s okay / I’ll stay with you / Through the years† The song ends, and after a short while I return to the restful state I was in prior to my breakdown, noticeably more tired. All of this because of a song. This experience and countless others like it (varying in memories and emotions) that made me wonder about the power of music. We have all been influenced by music at one point in our lives; oose bumps, shivers, hair standing on end, tears, dancing, tapping to the beat. Music is all around us, and it is there no matter where you go; it transcends borders and cultures, it is the one universal thing that does. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best: â€Å"Music is the universal language of mankind. † Music has the ability to elicit emotions and trigger memories of our past, transporting us to a specific moment or time in our lives. Music can help us cope, the proof of this is in the success of break-up songs. We rely on music. But, what is it about music that makes it so powerful? How is it able to influence us the way it does? Studying music from a scientific approach is relatively new practice, especially music and its effects on the brain. Thanks to advances in neuroscience such a study is made possible. Neuroscientists use fMRI and PET scans to study the brain and what music does to it. When we listen to music different parts of our brain are stimulated. What scientists have learned is that music activates more areas of the brain than anything else. Elena Mannes, author of the book The Power of Music: Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song, identifies some of parts and functions of the brain that are used to process music: †¦the auditory cortex (first stage in the listening process, perception and analysis of tones), the motor cortex (foot tapping, playing an instrument), the prefrontal cortex (the creation of expectations triggered by musical patterns and the violation of patterns/expectations), the sensory cortex (tactile feedback, as in playing an instrument), the visual cortex (reading music), the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala (emotional reactions), the hippocampus (memory for music), the cerebellum (also movement and emotional reactions). (Mannes, 32). When we listen to music our brain is actually extracting something from the music and making sense of it. Some scientists believe that this could contribute to our brain’s ability to remember songs so well. (Kunz). An intriguing aspect of music and how we relate to it is our seemingly instinctual ability to analyze a piece of music. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University, discusses in his book, This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, how our brain perceives and understands music. When we start out we have thousands of neurons in our brains that are completely free, not tied down or associated to anything. However, as we grow and learn, these neurons are shaped by experience and make connections. Through our experiences our brains learn the rules of whatever music we are exposed to. For example, we have songs that we recognize as happy or sad, even if it is only an instrumental piece. We are able to recognize the mood or feeling of a song from its elements; in Western society we tend to associate a fast tempo with energy and spiritedness and a slow tempo with sadness. These associations, or connections, are learned from our experiences. (Levitin, 87-89). There are a variety of different factors that contribute to our physical and emotional reactions to music. Music often mirrors the natural world and picks up on cues that are prevalent in human behavior. Expectations not fulfilled, surprise, when something happens not as planned, often in life these are what elicit our strongest emotions. Composers employ structural devices that imitate these real-life occurrences and thereby prompt a reaction from the listener. An easily relatable physical reaction to music is called frisson, or more commonly referred to as goose bumps or shivers down one’s spine. These reactions can and are most commonly achieved through the use of an enharmonic change. A simple example (in simple terms, the following chords and notes do not actually exist) of an enharmonic change is when chord(x) is played and harmonizes melody note(a), (this chord is often played again at least once, if not more) then chord(y) is played and re-harmonizes melody note(a), so it is the same but different. The composer creates an expectation and then those expectations are not carried out and that elicits a reaction from the listener (Mannes, 283). A myriad of elements contribute to the influencing power music has over our emotions. Two of the main reasons people listen to music is for emotional impact and regulation (Chanda and Levitin, 180). Music can provide us with a wide range of feelings, such as happiness, sadness, excitement and tranquility Music is also known to produce feelings of euphoria, and what some even describe as a high. Scientists have discovered the reason for this so-called high: the areas in the brain that are activated by drugs or during sex are also activated by listening to music that we enjoy. Listening to pleasurable music activates the production of neurochemicals. The most recognizable chemical that is produced is dopamine, the feel-good hormone, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation. Prolactin, the comfort or satisfaction hormone, normally associated with mothers breastfeeding their infant, is also produced. The third chemical produced is oxytocin, the cuddle or trust hormone commonly associated with sex and bonding with other people. The production of these hormones explain the â€Å"euphoric† feeling people sometimes experience when listening to music. These hormones also influence our mood and perception (Chanda and Levitin180; Mannes, 35). Another factor that contributes to our emotional response to music is our emotional connection to a song. Often times, memories that we associate with a particular song that we heard in a particular time in our lives are triggered when we hear that song. Researchers have found that there is a significant difference in brain activity when we hear a song that we have emotional connections to. A potential and simple explanation for this is that we are not only processing the music but we are also recalling past events. Memories are stored as proteins in different parts of our brains, when memories are triggered, different parts of the brain are put into action to recall those memories. Both functions (processing music and remembering) use a large portion of our brain on their own, combine the two and that is a lot of brain activity (Kunz). Memories triggered by music are often times much more powerful than when triggered simply by thought. For example, a friend might say, â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and we reminisce with our friend about a time or an event of past. We may laugh, or feel a sentimental twinge of longing, but usually, not more than that. When a memory is triggered by a song, however, we are somehow transported back in time and are able to experience the feelings we had at that time. There has been speculation for why our memories are much more vivid when triggered by music. Some have theorized that because our brain has already done the work of processing a particular piece of music, we recognize that we have done it before. The recognition of that precise action manifests itself through our feelings. For example, when I hear the song â€Å"Crazy† by Gnarls Barkley, I am immediately taken back to the summer of 2006. I am instantly overcome with a feeling that I can only describe as being the feeling I felt the summer I was sixteen. It’s a happy feeling; a feeling of freedom mixed with confusion and carelessness. My senses are activated; I am able to smell the salt air from the beach, I can taste the Arizona Raspberry Iced Tea that I perpetually consumed, I am almost able to feel my jean shorts around my legs, I even have a clear vision of Highway 33 from the passenger’s seat of mine and my sister’s car as we make our way to the beach, the scene before me shaded by the sunglasses I wore. When a memory is triggered by one of the senses, the other senses are triggered as well. Our senses dictate what we perceive, and therefore, influence how we feel. At that time in my life when my brain was processing that song, it was also processing all of my other senses, all of these elements combined and gave me a very specific feeling. So now when I hear that song, my brain processes it and says something like, Oh, I have done this before, this is the result. It can be likened to muscle memory (Kunz). Intrigued by the power music has, I interviewed Matthew J. Kunz, a researcher currently exploring potential methods to treat patients suffering from neurological injuries and illnesses. One medium of particular interest to him is forms of music therapy. It has been proven that music engages and even enhances motor and auditory skills. Music could potentially serve as a form of physical therapy after an injury or an illness that has impaired an individual’s motor skills. A great example of this is Parkinson’s disease. Humans are instinctively able to march or walk to a beat. By providing someone with a rhythm track their actions, e. g. walking, could be improved if accompanied by music (Kunz). Another neurological illness that is being treated by music is Alzheimer’s disease. However severe a dementia is, even if the patient has lost language, they almost never seem to lose the memory or ability to respond to music. Not only can it assist in the recalling of memories but it can also strengthen areas of the brain. Some music therapists have the patient learn and play music. Somehow, the ability to do this stays in their brain, once the song is in there (their brain) it stays. Through learning and playing music the patient exercises their brain, and as a result, functions of the brain, like motor skills, are improved. Even severely demented patients will recognize old songs and be delighted by them. Kunz confesses, â€Å"If nothing else, the patients are able to experience joy. Even if that’s the only thing it gave them, it would be worth the work that is being done now. † Kunz’s heart is in the right place regardless of the outcome of the research, however, studies have already shown the positive benefits of the diverse forms of musical therapy (Kunz). Whether we want to feel rapture and be delighted by something, or shed a few tears, if we are in need of therapy, or simply want to break the silence, music is there for us. The power music holds is so strong that we depend on it and integrate it to nearly every aspect of our lives. Ill, or injured, or completely well, music is therapeutic to us all; it can bring groups of people together or provide a sense of company when one is alone. It makes our highest highs higher and our lowest lows lower, but that is the magic and power of music. I am certain that our existence and experience as human beings would be far less than what it is if it were not for music.