How to Write an Essay Advices from Academic Writers - Paperell.com

How to Write an Essay Advices from Academic Writers How to Write an Essay? If you’re going to make a successful academic career, you should learn how to write a good essay. It will help you to get better results in class learning, on different essay contests, etc. It may take a long time but after days and weeks of efforts, you’ll be able to write persuasive and expository academic papers.After you’ve got a topic of an essay, you need to research it. There are a lot of free websites, knowledge bases, and online resources. You can also find useful information in Media sources and the library of your college.But your teacher may not accept all kinds of sources, so you should find out which of them are acceptable for him or her. Does your teacher require a certain number of sources? Does he or she allow using Wikipedia? Then you should make a list of sources and use appropriate format of citations in your essay.If you’re going to write good essays, you should read works of other respected authors. You can find high-quality academic papers on the Internet, in libraries, etc. While reading those academic papers, you can find answers to the following questions:What claims and ideas the writer makes?Why does the thesis statements sound good and grab attention?What evidence is presented by the author?What are the sources of used evidence?Remember that an essay is not a compilation of information from other sources, it also show your own ideas and research results. So you should make a list of ideas which you’re going to use in your essay.Now you’re ready to develop your thesis statement. Choose 1-3 strongest ideas from your list. Make sure they support your topic and you can prove relevancy of such ideas.The Introduction and the Thesis statement may serve as the beginning of your essay, but you also have to write all other sections. So you need to make a plan and then write the main body of an essay.You should know which number of pages your teacher requires. It may be only a few paragraphs for a sect ion, but sometimes you need to write a much bigger essay. So always ask about requirements.The title and the introduction of your essay should be compelling. It’s better when people really want to read or listen to your essay. Avoid obvious expressions which don’t tell much information to your readers and don’t help you to make a paper more interesting.The size of the Thesis statement and the Introduction depends on the full size of your essay. If you need to write a short academic paper, 3-5 sentences will be enough. If your essay is supposed to be long, the introduction and the thesis statement may be extended to the size of one page.White an appropriate conclusion. It’s not only a summary of your work, it may also ask and answer the following questions:What are the next steps in a research?What questions are not fully answered and should be studied more?How your essay proves your thesis statement and supports it?This part must be closely connected with other parts of an essay. You can also show how all the paragraphs help you to prove ideas described in the Thesis statement.After writing, you have to revise your work. It’s better to wait a few days and read an essay again. You can find many errors that you didn’t notice before. You can also find new ideas and put them into your essay. You have to correct all found mistakes, including grammatical and logical, punctuation and spelling errors.If you consider any words as repetitive, remove those words. Use thesaurus to find synonyms and vary your language. If you don’t know meanings of specific words, check them in a dictionary. It will help you to use those words appropriately.Contractions and abbreviations are not commonly used in academic papers. So you should not use them in your essay. You should also remove information which is not connected with your topic and subject.Revise the connection between parts of your work. All the next paragraphs must be logica lly connected with the previous paragraphs.After revision, read you essay to other people. They can give you advice, tell how to make your essay better and what parts should be rewritten. If nothing helps, you may use essay writing service to proofread your paper or write it from its title or sketch.

Californias Late Budget Blame it on the Legislature essays

California's Late Budget Blame it on the Legislature essays Given the fury with which many oppose the existence of a state governor who was once (perhaps still, depending on whom one talks to), more muscle than brains, one might imagine that it would be easy to blame the dreadful tardiness of California's budget on the buffoonery of the man at the top. Be that as it may, the record of the Legislature makes such a Yes, Governor Schwarzenegger does present a promising target for pundits and regular folks alikeperhaps in some ways justifiedhowever as a fall guy for the state's budget problems, the terminator simply does not fit the perp-profile. Instead, one has but to shift one's focus toward one of the only state legislatures in this great union that takes a nearly impossible bipartisan cooperation to approve a state budget. You see, whereas a full forty seven other states pass budgets with a majority vote of the Legislature, California is one of just three hopelessly misguided states to require its legislature to approve the budget by a two-thirds vote of both houses. The problem with this is a simple matter of minority rulethat is in the California Legislature, it takes only one-third of its legislators to dig in their special-interest- heavy heels to hold up the entire process. All one has to do to appreciate the magnitude of the Legislature's role in the current budget crisis is to note its history of performance during the last twenty-eight years. During that time, the Legislature missed its budget deadline a full twenty-two times. The simple truth is that the current state of the Legislature is not only responsible for the current budget catastrophe, but it is only too likely to be the cause of the next one. If the Governor is to blame in the minds of those who have yet to separate him from his movie roles, it is only in his inability to terminate t ...

Eco2a Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eco2a - Assignment Example One major difference in the recording of transactions that exists between the two types of organizations in is the fact that profit based organizations maintain only one general ledge whereas non-profit organizations maintains several ledgers depending on the number of projects being funded (Articlesbase, n.d.). Another main difference in the recording of transactions between the two types of organizations is in respect of recording equity. In Non-profit organizations, transactions are recorded under net assets while in the profit oriented organizations, owner’s equity applies. With the fund management recording system characteristically applied by non-profit organizations, each donation is classified and utilized with respect to the limitations set by specific donors or group of donors. This is, however, not the case for profit oriented organizations where funds are used and classified without such limitations (Articlesbase, n.d.). In conclusion, the main difference in the recording of information in profit oriented and non-profit oriented organization relates to the maintenance of ledgers, recording of equity, and limitations regarding the use of funds. Articlesbase (n.d.) For-profit Vs. Non-profit: The Difference in the Accounting System. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/forprofit-vs-nonprofit-the-difference-in-the-accounting-system-1548973.html Medical records management is vital for every healthcare organization. As the name suggests, the medical records department deals with the recording of patients’ medical records. A patient’s medical record includes details of bio-data, diagnosis, medical history, treatments, examinations and tests (Beck, 1989). The department helps in the efficient running of the hospital as well as in the proper care of patients. For example, medical coding and documentation helps provide quality services through the sharing information of patients’ records appropriately. The

Book Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Book Report - Assignment Example These were evident in Clinton’s reign where its continual change extended to the current Obama’s regime. Clinton disputed the former policies that yielded to severe stress to the middle class. Hence, contending that, most Americans are working hard for less (p. 324). Therefore, the only way to recover your security and to broaden your horizons is to adapt the change – to embrace, to move forward. Additionally, he argued that Reaganomics then flourished due to the low innovation of other states and America’s economic power, which was then declining. Since the tactics were becoming obsolete (p. 324). Clinton’s call for the Americans to adapt to change entailed in all classes besides extending it to the future generations. He argued that, the only way we can recover the fortunes of the middle class in this country so that people who work harder and smarter can, at least, prosper more, the only way we can pass on the American dream of the 40 years to ou r children and there children for the next 40, is to adapt to the changes which are occurring (p. 324). Clinton’s exemplary action towards advocating change was via accepting to sign the NAFTA document meant to export boom to Mexico by tearing down tariff walls, which implied from then onwards there will be no job loss (p. 324). The main purpose was to support and even uplift the middle class’ status, if the America was to uphold globe’s reputation as the champion of freedom and equality. Communist’s collapse between 1989 and 1991 saw the dawn of the â€Å"Global civilization† where American leaders of both parties spoke of an American mission to create a global free market as the path to greater worldwide freedom, which was divergent to Reaganism (p. 325). This prompted the state to embark on the idea of WTO, but to the delegates’ astonishment, the meeting came to a complete halt owing to various key equality demands from the outside protes ting crowds. They demanded the review of the pressing concerns where the meeting ought to establish the relationship between globalization, economic justice, democracy, and freedom. (p. 325). According to the protesters, the key demand was the citizen’s welfare in all matters regarding economic empowerment coupled with equality and democracy. Therefore, World Trade Organization must be replaced by a dramatic and transparent body accountable to citizens not to corporations thus, No Globalization without representation! (p.326). Clinton while giving his speech during ushering the millennium advised the Americans to celebrate the change that has already occurred and willingly embrace it. Primarily, the change encompassed equality and freedom where while making his speech he noticed how the evening that house’s meeting comprised of audience emanating from diverse American representing diverse races. He contended that I cannot help but think how different America is, how di fferent history is, and how much better, because those of you in this room and those you represent were able to imagine, to invent, to inspire (p. 338-339). Therefore, B. Clinton stated that America ought to live together as brothers and sisters, celebrating our common humanity and our shared destiny†¦

Medea and the Myth of Feminism Essay Example for Free

Medea and the Myth of Feminism Essay Medea the Myth of Feminism It is only males who are created directly by the gods and are given souls it is only men who are complete human beings and can hope for ultimate fulfillment; the best a woman can hope for is to become a man (Plato 90e). Euripides Medea was written in a time where even the word feminism did not exist and yet he gave Medea a role of substance and a stature of strength. It is a wonder whether or not Euripides knew Just how much power he put into the hands of this woman as well as many more in the creation of her character. Perhaps not in his time and perhaps not y intention, but since then Medea the play and Medea the woman have filled a symbolic role in the area of feminism, the debate being for or against it. In countless cultures and streams of media, the woman stands timeless. What this paper intends to explore is the levels of the performance and how they stack up to the idea of feminism by framing Euripides possible intent, understanding various audience response to various productions, and finally studying Medea herself to see whether her roots of vengeance are in feminism or rather immorality. At the beginning of our quest we find the author, alive at a time in which ancient Greece was overwhelmingly patriarchal, but where did Euripides find himself? Is it possible to suspect that he may have allied himself among other voices which held sympathy for the plight of women? Could he have been the model of a proto-feminist or was he a misogynist? In either case, Medea seems to be the place to look. While pursuing her ambition, Medea disregards many of the feminine characteristics of the patriarchal Greek society. She questions the inequality of women, contradicts Jasons chauvinist beliefs, challenges the stereotype that women are weak and passive and ltimately completely disregards the feminine role of motherhood. Euripides portrays a woman who completely subverts feminine norms, overcomes masculine bonds and, given that his depiction of Medea was highly influential and replicated to some extent by most later authors, the Medea viewed as a figure of feminine power in modernity is at least in part dependent on Euripides (Mastronarde 52). Honing in on the text, one might examine Medeas opening speech, a fine feminist harangue (Hadas 81), showing that, Medea has been treated unjustly by men, and her eloquent indictment of womens lot is never denied (Foley 265). This speech is the first introduction to Medea as a strong and independent woman, but the words are not hers alone. These lines have sometimes been seen as Euripides bitter reflections on his own isolation as an advanced and intellectual poet. There is much truth in this view, but the lines are also Medeas, the complaint of a woman of great intellectual capacity who finds herself excluded from the spheres of power and action (Knox 314). It is this exclusion that leads her to the inexcusable action of killing her children, or is it so inexcusable? When focusing on Euripides intent one might see that: Euripides made Medea herselt choose to murder ner chi Idren as the hurtful part of her revenge against Jason. It perhaps sounds at first as if this might tell in favor of the idea that Euripides was hostile to women. But in fact it turns out to have quite the opposite result, because of the way Euripides treats his material Euripides has created this new Medea who chooses to kill her own children. He condemnation the murderous deed: shows us with painful insight and utterly without mind of the woman who has the ability to do such a the torment before the final decision, the ultimate grief, and, here in he final scene, the inevitable results. Medea is now finally untouched, untouchable by human hands and by human emotions (March 35-36; 43). By this evidence it would appear that Euripides has molded a woman for women. Unfortunately, while the presentation of this piece could certainly cause a discomfort among male audience members, it equally might encourage greater suspicion and scorn by males of females. Euripides Medea questioned prevailing norms and beliefs, primarily those of the heroic masculine ethic, though perhaps at the expense of women, and not in their support. The meaning of Euripides words cannot be eciphered simply by picking and choosing sections of the play to analyze. To understand his intent there is the need to understand the totality of the narrative as well as the audience he wrote for. Playing to a primarily male audience, Euripides does not introduce Medea immediately but has the chorus and nurse tell of her first, giving the audience a misconception of Just how much power the woman holds. In fact supported by Medeas cries of anguish heard offstage she is first represented as emotional and submissive. By Euripides authorial intent, he lulls the audience into a state of pity here there should be fear. Skillfully contrived is the choral passage in which we first hear the agonized voice of Medea from offstage. If we had been prepared to see a woman of monstrous power and witchery, a being of preternatural passion and resource, we are deceived (Musurillo 54). Medea is first painted as nothing other than what you would expect of a woman, a merit of pity though not empathy, however when first seen she shifts to reasonable and calculating. Returning to analyis of her first speech, one can more deeply apply what she is saying to her situation. Her eloquent first speech on the wrongs of women deceptively applies only in part to herself. For Medea is far from the passive victim of marriage and masculine brutality that she claims to be (McDermott 259). Within the world of the play Medeas deception makes sense in winning the approval of the chorus, however to spectators the mismatch of her words to her situation carries a different meaning. It paints a new picture and a new woman who is willing to exaggerate and lie in order to achieve her goals. It becomes clearer as the play progresses that Euripides initial ortrayal of Medea serves as a baseboard for growth from helpless to dangerous, parallel to the audience reaction as it stems from pity to loathing. An ancient Athenian audience would have found little to no fault in Jasons actions, by a public standard, Jason satisfied his marital obligation toward Medea and returned favor for favor by bringing her to Greece (Walsh 295). This leaves it to Medeas character to be the cause of any unsettlement. Her ultimate action of killing her children, makes her most territying, tor sne is not a victim and not vulnerable†that is, not teminine†yet he has been identified as and with other women (Rabinowitz 132). With this information, only fear is struck by Medea in the name of women. Regardless of Euripides intent, proto-feminist, misogynist, or most likely of all neither, his audience rests at the wrathful hands of a powerful woman, but empathy is unlikely. It is important however, to take into account various audiences beyond simply that of Euripides time. A present audience interprets a performance of Medea much differently than ancient Greeks would have and there are countless Medea inspired adaptations which ancient Greeks never had the chance to experience. It is these productions and these audiences that are next to be studied on the road to feminism. To approach from another end of the spectrum, a drastically different style of performance than that of western culture may be studied. Carol Sorgenfrei provides this with her 1975 work, Medea: A Noh Cycle Based on the Greek Myth. Noh theatre, like many traditional Japanese theatre forms, prioritizes stylization above realism in performance, a practice that aligns well with a myth of murder and revenge. The stylization draws away from the brutal acts, allowing the audience a chance to accept Medea for her motives instead of unquestionably condemning her. By adhering to the structure of Noh, Sorgenfrei creates a world where time, place, and gender are transcended in favor of larger-than-life emotions and issues (Edelson 1). It is also worthy of note to state that Noh theatre is an all-male performance style (as it would have been in ancient Greece as well). One might take it upon themselves to understand by this knowledge that the theatre form is inherently sexist, yet, since the 1960 s, theater practitioners have drawn on these traditional forms to rediscover feminine and feminist messages (2). Furthermore the stylization and art that go into the intricacies of embodying a female are no Joke within the ritualistic practice. As denoted in the title, Sorgenfreis piece is a cycle play referring to the five different plays that would be performed in a traditional Noh performance. These plays are thematically based, in the order of God, Warrior, Woman, Frenzy, and Demon. Drawing inspiration from Noh style, Sorgenfreis Medea, develops the Medea myth through her plays five scenes, which progress through the different traditional categories despite the thematic linkage (2). As for the audience of this particular performance, it is no surprise that not only is it drastically different than that of Euripides and ancient Greece but also vastly different than that of Zeamis and the fifteenth century (the roots of Noh theatre). Sorgenfrei writes very consciously for a feminist audience in 1975. This retelling of the Medea myth from a female point of view in a beautifully feminine style of Japanese theatre, despite its male performance history, allocates the piece among cultural feminism, praising what is feminine while still acknowledging the differences among men and women. Feminine, however, is not the same as feminist. For that title we might analyze Medea in the fourth scene, the frenzy play, where Medea gives birth to herself as the Sun God. In one sense, the birth metaphor is emblematic of the mother/daughter bond, but its glorification of motherhood also implies that a womans self-fulfillment can best be attained by fulfilling her biological capabilities (Dolan 30). Seeing as Medea is a mother to herself though, it would appear that Sorgenfreis intent is that, birth is a metaphor tor revealing ones true selt, becoming oneselt, independent ot a partner or arents. Not only does Sorgenfreis Medea serve as the antithesis to the glorification of motherhood, but she also subverts the concept of birth as something that can be successfully and independently accomplished without the aid of man (Edelson 6). If this transformation is not convincing enough, then the transformation of Jasons character in the final demon play certainly thrusts the play into feminism. At this point in the cycle play Jason and the children reveal themselves as demons and, by displacing Medea and focusing solely on Jasons (and the childrens) transformation n Demon Play, Sorgenfrei forces the viewer to explore the cause of Medeas suffering instead of only investigating the effect of her actions (7). The audience, throughout Sorgenfreis production, due to the stylization of noh performance as well as the cycle transformations, is able to question Medeas past and her motives instead of assuming the worst from the start. Sorgenfreis as well as many other variations of Medeas tale open the doors to inquiry for viewers. As performances vary, so does the message of femininity, but it really comes down to the character herself and the motivation behind her actions. If her strength is solely for the sake of revenge then women lose merit, however if she acts in defiance to a patriarchal society she is a voice for feminism. In studying the woman we might discover hints as to whether or not she, as a character, is a feminist. The obvious first argument is that feminism is not an option for Medea as a character. The time period in which she is set in the play and in which her character was created do not allow such a term. However, for the sake of this paper and staying true to the idea that characters never die, it is now assumed that she is still alive oday and thus feminism exists. Now, to discover whether Medea is a feminist or not it seems vital to set aside any notions of her being simply a victim of patriarchy. To see her only as such is to exclude very important aspects of her character which tie her to humanity. It is her darkness that is relatable and takes her beyond a pitiable subject to be observed. It is the independence throughout her struggles that makes her more than two dimensions. Medea is a compelling character. Through plays, films, operas, paintings and novels, we have heard her story told again and again and e remain fascinated by her. Our fascination is not without reason, for Medea brings us face to face with darkness that lurks within anyone and catastrophe that can befall any marriage. We watch and listen to her because she speaks to us of ourselves (Fuller 3). Her story is not uncommon, the betrayal of a spouse and the desire for revenge. This theme can be found reinterpreted within films such as War of the Roses and The First Wives Club. Both embody the spirit of Medea, the story of a woman who gives up everything for a man only to be left for a younger woman. So it s seen that the character lives and changes as time passes. What these film adaptations lack is the darkness that individualizes Medea and the accumulation of this darkness to the point of murdering her children. However, this theme too may be found in literature such as La Llarona and even in history such as the Andrea Yates trial. Its clear that Medea, even in her darkness, is an influence to art and to life, but another question rises in this darkness. By throwing her maternal nature aside does she also discredit the female race or does the strength it takes to murder ones own hildren become commendable? Motive is the question at hand and Medea does nerselt no tavors at tirst glance . The decision to murder ner children in return tor the joy she will receive in witnessing Jasons anguish gives Medea little respectability. It is precisely at this point, where rage and pain and revenge come together, that Medea creates a problem for feminism (5). She flaunts her immorality, showing no remorse whatsoever for her actions. While it is admirable of a woman to overcome her situation, Medeas display of heartlessness after the fact of murdering her hildren leaves her alone, independent, and selfish. On the other hand it is so difficult to grasp the understanding of killing a child and the action is so inconsistent with Medeas prior feminism. Her original revenge was upon Creon, Jason, and his bride. It is reasonable to consider based off this knowledge that Medeas hand was moved by the authorial intent of Euripides rather than by her own will. Perhaps this was essential though, perhaps with a loss of darkness comes a loss of complexity and then what need would there be to discover why this troubled woman acted as she did. There would be no question of her feminist nature because there would be no care. A last note on Medea herself, she is not human, at least not fully. She is a mythical creature who by the end of the tale is taken into the sky by a chariot. So, take into account the action that takes place within other greek myths, birth from Zeus thigh, rape by Zeus in the form of a swan (among other animals). By these mythological standards is child murder something that can be Judged by mankind? By keeping in mind that Medea has a part of the divine within her, her actions become less of an atrocity and more of a symbol. Seen in this light, that Medeas are not the acts of a literal person but rather are symbolic, the child murders then become more understandable (11). Her children too then become a symbol of her marriage which is destroyed and thus the children must be destroyed. Seldom do women, let alone feminists, act out so much as to murder their children over the betrayal of their husbands, but divorces and custody battles do not stray too far from it. Medeas actions, when taken literally, may be unforgivable by a feminist society, but symbolically she hits right on target. Children become the battleground for the arents rage and disappointment and most often they are the collateral damage in the marital wars (13). Medea lives on, struggles on with a voice unafraid to speak out against the wrongs done to her. This is the voice that feminists cling to while they avoid acknowledgement of the rash action of murder. When it comes down to it though, Medea is studied because she is relatable, darkness and all. In order for a woman to know herself, she must come to terms with her own capacity for darkness, rage, and power and this is what Medea has to offer. There has yet to be an adaptation in hich she experiences the same pain and anger without the result of destruction, but maybe that is the standing lesson. Medea continues to struggle because women continue to struggle and as women evolve so shall she as she has before. In order to stand for women, it is not essential to be a model woman, only to continue on in the struggle, to continue fighting, and so she does.

Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme

Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994. Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994.

Ethics and Communication

RESEARCH PAPER ON: ETHICS AND COMMUNICATION Abstract It’s obvious that technology has played a huge role in the way we conduct business today. Have these technological advances created a new breed of easily distracted, inefficient employees? Are employees cheating their own corporations out of time, money, and overall productivity? Many agree that the advent of email, instant messaging, and the world-wide-web have created an easy way for employees to take unnoticed and unregulated personal breaks throughout the work day. Beyond the lack of productivity created by these employees, this type of behavior also has the potential to create other serious problems for the organization. For these reasons, many employers must decide whether or not to implement internet usage policies. Many of these policies may even use monitoring devices for email, IM, and website history. We will examine the ethics and the consequences of employees taking personal time on the company dime. Ethics and Communication: Personal Time on the Company Dime In the workplace, there are numerous ways for employees to communicate with co-workers, friends, and family. Traditional communication channels were limited to phone, mail, and face-to-face interaction. Technological advances over the last twenty years have given employees a surplus of new ways to communicate. Employees now have the ability to use e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, face-to-face video-conferencing, and networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. All of these new electronic capabilities have enabled employees to contact friends and family within seconds. There is no question that these technological advancements have improved our quality of life. In contrast, they have also decreased the overall productivity of many employees. Employees across the globe are taking advantage of these available resources and using them for personal time at work. According to a survey taken in 2005 by Salary. com and AOL, more than 10,000 employees admitted to wasting an average of 2. 09 hours per day (Sahadi, 2005). This study showed that the time wasted by employees in 2005 totaled around $759 billion (Sahadi, 2005). These figures illustrate the economic severity of allowing employees to use their work time for personal reasons. Studies have shown that e-mail is the most widely abused way of stealing company time. According to a survey by Harris Interactive, â€Å"55% of the 1,711 respondents said that they send and receive personal  e-mail  on their work accounts. † (Schweitzer, 2007). This clearly lowers productivity. However, there are many other negatives associated with using personal e-mail in the workplace. Many viruses are spread through e-mail attachments. Viruses can destroy important files, hardware, and entire networks. Also many personal e-mail accounts are highly vulnerable to hackers who gain unauthorized access in order to steal financial data or critical trade secrets. An electronic disaster like this could cost a corporation millions of dollars. An additional nuisance caused by using work accounts for personal use is excessive â€Å"spam†, or junk e-mail. According to a study by Nucleus Research Inc. in 2003, the average employee receives 13. 3 spam e-mail messages per day (NRI, 2003). N. R. I. lso found that in 2003 â€Å"spam† will cost the average organization 1. 4% in productivity, or $874 per employee per year (NRI, 2003). As the research confirms, the use of personal e-mail at work has the potential to be devastating for corporations and its employees. The ethical option for all employees is to resist using work e-mail accounts for personal matters. Additionally, they should avoid using their personal e-mai l accounts at work. Instant messaging is a different tool that many employees utilize to chat with co-workers, family, and friends while at their desks. Instant messaging services such as AIM or Yahoo! Messenger offer free instant messaging by simply downloading the software. It enables employees to chat in real time with people all over the world. Unfortunately, these instant messaging services are highly unsecured. They are easy targets for hackers looking to steal important corporate information. These programs also allow the transfer of files from one user to another with ease. This makes the transfer of viruses just as easy. Also, IM’s are an easy way for disgruntled employees to spread confidential information to competitors (Gaudin, 2002). Many co-workers like to use instant messaging for its ease and speed when working on projects. However, some of these employees also use the technology as an electronic â€Å"water cooler† to gossip and chit-chat. They are now able to talk without having to keep an eye out for the boss; thus sacrificing productivity. Generally, instant messaging should be used very carefully by employees to avoid any of the headaches it can create. Many people in the U. S. spend a large amount of their free time surfing the web. This habit tends to transfer over to their work time. According to the 2005 [email  protected] survey, â€Å"93% of all employees in the U. S. spend at least some of their time at work accessing the Web, up from 86% a year ago† (CNN, 2005). Of that 93%, they spend an average of 3. 4 hours per week surfing the internet for non-work related reasons (CNN, 2005). The survey also asked a very interesting question; â€Å"Which would you rather give up, your morning coffee or your internet connection at work? † (CNN, 2005). Over half of the respondents chose to give up their caffeine addiction; perhaps these employees are also â€Å"addictedâ€Å" to surfing the net. The most popular sites to visit among employees are news sites, online banking sites, and online shopping sites. Some employees even admitted to visiting pornographic websites while at work. Pornographic websites are breeding grounds for viruses, spyware, adware, and many other programs that can destroy company computers and networks. There are also legal issues that can arise from inappropriate â€Å"surfing†. If any other employees are exposed to these pornographic images, a sexual harassment complaint could be filed. The corporation can then be held liable. As an employee, it’s important to be ethical in the manner you use the internet. All employees need to understand that the websites they visit at work not only reflect themselves, but the company as a whole. All of the various problems associated with personal e-mailing, instant messaging, and surfing the web need to be addressed by management. First, it is important that the corporation has a strong code of ethics. Many of these issues could be avoided by implementing and enforcing a strong code of ethics throughout every level of the organization. The next step is to create an internet usage policy. There are many disagreements between managers regarding how strict these policies should be. For example, many employers advise a â€Å"zero tolerance† policy. This type of policy restricts any and all use of company resources for personal use. Some managers feel this type of policy is even more harmful to overall productivity than no policy at all. Geoff Haggart of WebSense comments; â€Å"The solution lies in balancing employees' needs for personal use of the Web at work without draining overall productivity, morale of the company's bottom line. (CNN, 2005). I agree with this rationale. I think the key is making sure that there is a limited amount of free time that employees receive in order to take care of appropriate personal matters while at work. Additionally, it is important that management is very clear in their definition of what is appropriate and what is not. There is no room for a gray area in a usage policy. Af ter the guidelines are set, a monitoring system should be set up to enforce the policies. Many employees complain about the lack of privacy in monitoring employees. I agree that employers should try to keep employees happy; however, I feel this is a sacrifice that management should be willing to make. Either way, corporations have the right to monitor any employee’s e-mail and internet use. In my opinion, employee monitoring is necessary in order to protect the corporation from the many dangers of irresponsible internet usage. In conclusion, it’s important that employees and employers are on the same page when it comes to the responsible use of electronic resources. Employees should be ethical and monitor their own use of company resources for personal matters. Likewise, employers need to recognize that some employees need short breaks throughout the work day to stay productive. Like many things in life, a compromise between the two is necessary to ensure a pleasant and productive work environment. References Sahadi, Jeanne. (2005). Power Slacking On The Job. CNN. com. Retrieved September 17, 2009, from http://money. cnn. com/2005/07/08/pf/wastedtime_job/ Schweitzer, Tamara. (2007). Seven Out of 10 Employees Admit to Abusing Office Computers, Phones. INC. com. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www. nc. com/news/articles/200701/workers. html Gaudin, Sharon. (2002). IM Security Risks Spark Workplace Monitoring Debate. Datamation. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from http://itmanagement. earthweb. com/secu/article. php/1458241 Spam: The Silent ROI Killer. (2003) Nuclear Research Inc. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://www. spamhelp. org/articles/d59. pdf Web surfing ‘as addictive as coffee'. (2005, March 19). CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://edition. cnn. com/2005/BUSINESS/05/19/web. work/index. html