buy custom America Military essay

buy custom America Military essay America had stayed out of World War II until the Japanese killed thousands of Americans in an attack at Pearl Harbor. It was after the attack that America joined the World War II to battle it out with the Japanese and the Germans. The Japanese controlled the war until the Americans dropped two bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th August 1945, respectively forcing the Japanese to surrender. There were a series of land, sea, and air attacks from the Japanese and the Americans before 1944, but this paper will focus on the American military attacks between January 1944 and August 11, 1945, which led the Japanese to surrender. Furthermore, it will discuss the land, sea, and air attacks between May 1944 and April 1945 that led to the defeat of the Nazi Germany. US military operations against the Japanese between January 1944 and August 11, 1945 February 29, 1944, marked the beginning of another series of attacks on the Japanese with a 1000 military officers attached to the Fifth Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, attacked the Japanese on Los Negros (Wood, 2007). The Japanese put up a tough fight, and by March 3, 1944, most American soldiers were dead or wounded leaving Sergeant Troy A. McGill and another soldier in his squad to battle it out with the Japanese until they were both killed. The brave act won the sergeant Medal of Honor award. The next move was to attack Hollandia, and MacArthur was the man in command (Garraty, Carnes, American Council of Learned Societies, 1999). He led Adachi to believe that he planned to attack the Madang-Hansa area. On April 22 the 24th and 41st Divisions, under the command of Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger landed and attacked Hollandia. At the same time the 163d Regimental Combat Team attacked Aitape from the sea. The US saw great opportunities in coral airstrips, which were commonly used for heavy bombings (Rottman, 2007). On May 27, MacArthur and Kenney organized the 41st Division to attack the BiakIsland. The first wave was successful, but unfortunately, series of subsequent attacks missed their targets following strong currents. The US Army intensified attacks on the island, and by mid July 1944, it had captured the airfields on the island under the command of MacArthur and Krueger. The war continued all through 1944, and in January 1945, the American soldiers moved to the shores of the Lingayen Gulf before entering Manila. Once here, they fought with the Japanese until February 24, 1945. MacArthur led the liberation of Philippines, which was announced on July 5, 1945. A series of attacks and captures followed under the guidance of Major General Roy S. Geiger, who was later killed and succeeded by General Joseph Stilwell on 22 June 1945. The US captures Ryukyus giving air forces and Allied naval strategic bases, leading to intensive air attacks and naval bombardment that led to the surrender of the Japanese in August 1945. US Military Operations against Nazi Germany between May 1944 and April 1945 The US saw England as a strategic base to set up camp in order to conquer over the Nazi Germany, so the Allied set up a base in the UK in April 1942. The Allied military conducted its first attack on Germany on June 6, 1944 dubbed as the D-Day (Sylvan, Smith, Hodges, Greenwood, 2008). The US and the British troops attacked the Normandy coast in France through intense air and naval attacks. The Germans countered the D-Day attack effectively, prompting the Allied troops, led by the Americanns, to form Operation COBRA, which attacked the Germans on July 25 at the Falaise (Henry, 2002). The Americans progressed into Paris on August 25 under the leadership of General Eisenhower, then to Lyon and Besancon. The troops later captured Belgium and Luxembourg. Operation Market Garden was planned to seize the Netherlands, but once again the Germans resisted with more force (The Military Order of the World Wars, 1995). On December 16, the Germans struck the US First Army in the Ardennes, and on December 18, Eisenhower commanded Patton's Third Army to attack Germanys southern border. This move paved way for American defenders to seize some German strongholds, which destabilized the Germans. Patton and his troops continued to attack the Germans, and by the end of January, the Nazis had lost ground. In February 1945, the Allied military marched into Germany, where the US First Army seized Cologne on March 5 and the Remagen Bridge on March 7. Through airborne attacks, the US went ahead to capture the Rhine, the Rees-Wesel-Dinslaken area, and Worms. At this point, the Germans began surrendering, and Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. The Germans continued relinquishing their territories in May 1945, and on May 7, the German High Command relinquished all its forces unconditionally leading to the V-E Day on May 8, 1945. In conclusion, the US joined the World War II to fight the Japanese and the Germans. Despite being a sleeping giant at the time, America faced serious challenges in outdoing its enemies and at some point resulting to collaborate with the Allied military to gain victory. The US troops employed a series of land, air, and sea attacks to win over both Japan and Germany simultaneously. The US won over Germany in May 1945 and over Japan in August 1945 albeit several of its troops were either killed or injured. Buy custom America Military essay

ACT Guessing Strategy The Top Mistake Students Make

ACT Guessing Strategy The Top Mistake Students Make SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT doesn't penalize guessing, so you should never leave any answer blank even if you have to take a completely blind guess. Even with this information, students still make one huge mistake. Here we expose the biggest ACT guessing strategy mistake students make, and suggest a much better approach. We've seen students improve 1-2 points immediately after applying this 5-minute strategy. The Biggest ACT Strategy Mistake ACT takers already know not to leave any questions blank – after all, the ACT doesn't penalize guessing. But many students take this to mean that they should spend substantial time on each question. These mistaken students think, "if I have to answer all questions, doesn't it make sense to spend at least 20-30 seconds looking at each?" The answer is a big, fat NO. Let me be clear: you have to give an answer for each question, but you DO NOT need to spend 20-30 seconds looking at each question. I am a strong advocate of blind guessing for many students on many types of questions. First, What Is Blind Guessing? Blind guessing is exactly what it sounds like guessing on a question without even reading it. Just filling in "C" or "G" at random. This might sound crazy, but for many students this is not a bad strategy. How and Why to Use Blind Guessing In particular, you should always blind guess when you encounter a problem way beyond your difficulty threshold. For example if you usually score a 15 on the math section, then most of the problems in the "hard" towards the end of the section will be way above your skill level. You get .20 points (in expectancy) just for blind guessing, which means you have a 1-in-5 chance of getting it right. And it takes 1 second! Now, since these are hard questions, and you usually score a 15, it may take you 2 minutes just to understand each question, and another 2 minutes to eliminate a couple of answer choices. This is a really bad use of four minutes to just get .4 extra points (in expectancy). Besides, you may not even eliminate correctly. Who Should Not Blind Guess: High Scorers High scorers, those with above a 20 on all sections, should not be using Blind Guessing. That's because, to maximize their points, they need to be spending time trying all of the questions. In such a case, since you're reading and understanding all questions anyway, you might as well make a more educated guess by eliminating some answers. When Everyone Should Not Blind Guess: Easy Questions For easy questions (those toward the beginning of the section), everyone should be trying them even if you're a low scorer, these are the questions that will give you your baseline points. On these questions, blind guessing is a big no-no. Recap As a recap, a holistic ACT guessing strategy is made up of three parts: 1. Always answer all questions, even if it means blind guessing last minute. Never leave them blank! 2. If you read a question, make an educated guess by eliminating answers you think are wrong. 3. Do not spend time on all questions: for ones that you know are much too hard for you, intend to blind guess. Read More! How is the ACT scored? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Social Media for Small to Medium Enterprises Essay - 2

Social Media for Small to Medium Enterprises - Essay Example Small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs play a crucial role in any national economy. They are a major source of employment and foster socio-economic expansion (Taprial & Kanwar 2012). To foster the achievement of their objectives, a majority of these SMEs leverage on IT-based tools to increase information content and creativity (Belo, Castela & Fernandes 2013; Laudon & Traver 2010). With this regard, many SMEs have incorporated social media strategy in their operations so as to realise the benefits that IT offers in their businesses. Joosten (2012) generally describes social media as technological systems that enhance collaboration and connection by creating personal and corporate profiles, sharing of opinions, activities and information and content creation. Among the many social media networks, Schwartz (2010) documents Twitter and Facebook as the most popular. SMEs have established their presence in a majority of these platforms. Anoto Group AB is an example of an SME that has embraced the use of social media in its operations. This Swedish high-tech company provides solutions for transmitting handwritten text from hard copies to digital media, intelligent camera surveillance and scanning printed text (Anoto Group AB 2013). To reach out to its customers and all other stakeholders, the company has presence on Twitter, Flickr and YouTube social media sites. With only 103 employees spread across Sweden, UK, US and Japan, the company is an example of modern SMEs that have adopted new IT features as change drivers to enable them gain sustainable competitive advantage over their rivals. Indeed, just like Anoto AB, many other SMEs have embraced the strategy of using social media to achieve their objectives. Meske and Stieglitz (2013) observe that 24% of small enterprises structurally use social media with another 20% using it informally. For medium-sized organisations, the

Child Abuse and Steps for Its Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Child Abuse and Steps for Its Prevention - Essay Example Baby P was admitted in hospital several times before his death in which instances the healthcare providers, who offered complete and conclusive reports on their physical examinations, noted his battered body and the bruises on his skin (Marinetto, 2011). Over the course of 8 months while his mother was living with her boyfriend (not Peter’s biological father), the child experienced physical trauma resulting in over 50 injuries. This was indicative of a trend of physical abuse from the live-in boyfriend and should have been spotted and stopped before it got to such extents.While the physical abuse was being carried out, the family interacted with agencies that could have noticed the problem over 60 times, with none of these encounters being effective in stopping the abuse. Doctors’ reports analyzed during the inquiry over his death indicated that Baby P had swallowed a tooth broken during a beating, had a broken spine and several fractured ribs. The last of these reports was dated a day before his death and according to pathological reports, should have acted as the much needed wake-up call that could have saved his life. About 9 months and then again 2 months before his death, the child was placed under the protective care of a friend of the family to ensure his well-being. The second homecoming resulted in his death and from the wealth of evidence of abuse that had been accumulated, could have been prevented by the provision of better and more adept child welfare practices by all the professionals involved. Professionals in the social fields have a very important job of putting together the pieces that indicate that an individual needs more help from them than their position affords. As a result, agencies involved in such industries operate under a model of interdependency, with practitioners forwarding the cases that another agency will pick up on. This model allows for the sharing of information and the assessment of cases that social workers would, under normal circumstances, not review. This system depends on the communication between professionals and if this is not established, a lot of cases could go under the radar, as was the case with Baby Peter. This case was repeatedly analyzed by practitioners from several departments who ended up with the conclusion that he was safe in the environment that he was in, which is clearly a fallacy. It is therefore imperative that we understand the shortcomings of the agencies and agents that handled the case to negate the possibility of such c alamities in the future. The physical aspect of child abuse manifests itself in a condition that normally requires the attention of medical practitioners. This is the first line of defense and can create awareness if the neighbors and other individuals in the child’s environment are not aware or do not respond to the child’

Informative speech - continuation career path Essay

Informative speech - continuation career path - Essay Example We have different units for dyeing, woodworking and enveloping. Taken together these different units contribute to the overall success of the business and adding to the bottom-line of the company. We supply furniture to universities, offices and hotels among others on a contract basis. We ensure good quality and reliability in our delivery that ensures repeat business from many of our clients. To come to my career plans in this business, I want to use my education as an IT major to contribute to the success of the company. I believe that with the use of IT in business, it would be possible to manage inventory and sales and purchases in a better way. To start with, we could have an integrated solution that has the components of sales and finance along with inventory. Each of these components would cater to one particular business area and would be integrated as a whole with the net result that there would be a systemic approach to the whole concept of doing business in total. I want to use my training in IT to design the system and implement it across the business. Thus, my career path would be that of an entrepreneur who uses his education to the advantage of the family’s business. To focus on the likely rewards that may accrue to me, first, I would be happy with the fact that I am helping my family along with taking care of the entire business in the future. At another level, it would also mean that I would be giving back to the country of my nationality from which I have gained substantial benefits and privileges. Taken together, these would constitute my motivation in serving my family and country. In monetary terms, I would have the satisfaction of growing the business and ensuring an augmented income stream for me and my family. The flip side of my career plan is that I may not be able to realize my earlier goals of a career in the IT industry. However, I have started taking

A Literature Study About Greed And Status Psychology Essay

A Literature Study About Greed And Status Psychology Essay This literature study focuses on the link between greed and need for status. After research, it can be concluded that need for status is a relative concept. Since people only feel fortunate when they have as much or a little more than the people in their environment. Therefore, seeing what others have is one of the most powerful influences that stirs greater and greater desires. People may not just want what others have but more than others have. In order to provide the link between need for status and greed, it was necessary to find the relative factors in greed. In this study it is assumed that three facets contribute greed namely, self-interest, materialism and desire for money. All these facets appear to have relative parts. For instance, competitors are individuals who are mainly focused on maximizing their own outcome relative to others. Therefore they always prefer outcomes that are superior to those in their environment. Materialism is defined as the importance a consumer attached to worldly possessions. However, it could also be a competitive striving to have more than others. Materialistic individuals therefore have a desire for others possessions, objects, experiences or persons and resent those who own the desired possessions. The desire for money is also relative since monetary value is inherently invaluable. People do not have a scale to sense what amount is desirable and what is undesirable. Therefore, people r ely on external reference (e.g. what others in their environment receive). Based on that information, people use to judge the merit of their own achievements, whereby it is possible to conclude that monetary experience follows the relative pattern people interpret. Table of content 1. The Seven Deadly Sins The Seven Deadly Sins have provided gossip, amusement and plots for nearly fifteen centuries (Solomon, 1999). The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, have always been popular. However, the dubious deadly have caused many speculations (Solomon, 1999: p.7 preface). Pope Gregory the First instituted the classic certification. His list of seven was confirmed and later modified by Saint Thomas of Aquinas. The list survived several centuries and now consists of the following Seven Sins: Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony (Solomon, 1999 p.2). 1.1 Introduction of the topic A recent study concluded that The Sins are still encountered in our daily lives, despite their existence for all this time (Frank, 2001). This because they are so deeply rooted in our human nature, that not only they are almost completely unavoidable but people can never seem to limit themselves (Frank, 2001). For example, pressing the snooze button once or twice in the morning before dragging oneself out of bed? Or taking a long shower without consideration for your family members? These are only harmless examples, but sins can also cause more substantial consequences. Lately, greed has been a central subject in the economical news. Amongst others parliamentarians, journalists and prominent business men have been presenting this sin as one of the main causes for the current credit crunch (Bernasek, 2010; Trouw: Economics Department, 2009; Staps, 2008). Furthermore, De Soysa (2002) even claims that greed is the primary motivating factor behind civil wars. The main question that intrigues me is: why are people greedy? As ultimately humans and not these sins are responsible for causing credit crunches and wars. According to Wenzel (1968), greed arises due to the nature of earth. He stated that the earth is cold and dry and therefore people who lack heat and humidity are exceedingly greedy. Furthermore, when we take a look at Wachtels theory (2003), greed is known as a form of self-deception. Here self-deception is a false consciousness in which what really matters is suppressed by a single-minded focus on material wealth (Wachtel, 2003). He also concluded that these days greed is stated as a form of self-interest (Wachtel, 2003). For further understanding, it is necessary to define the many concepts of greed. The following definition is therefore utilized throughout this thesis: greed is a selfish and excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs  [1]  . 1.2 Problem statement Despite the fact that unwanted situations like credit crunches and wars re-appear, relatively little time is devoted to greed in academic research. Wachtels psychoanalytic research (2003) is one of the few clues within the subject. Though, his research is mainly focused on the link between greed, material wealth and money. However, greed is also viewed in other respects. For instance, Frank (1999) concluded that mutual influence is another important dimension in the process of greed as well. Mutual influence means that our choices, purchases and feelings are influenced by neighbors and family (Frank, 1999). In order to explain this concept, consider the perception of what looks right in clothing. Simply by living in the society, people seem to have an automatic sense about how wide a jacket should be. But when fashion changes over time, peoples perception changes as well (Frank, 1999). Wachtel (2003) made a similar comparison. He said that the envy towards the bigger boat is not redu ced by increasing the average size of the vessels. For when all boats get larger, the average persons assets still feels like just a boat. So, apparently people continuously compare their possessions with others (Wachtel, 2003; Frank, 1999). This could be emphasized with the findings of Duesenberry (1949). He concluded that a concern for status causes people to engage in imitating the consumption standard of those above them in the income hierarchy. But why is status important for people? And what kind of effects does it have on greed? In hopes of finding, the problem definition is stated as follows: What is the effect of -need for status- on greed? 1.3 Research questions In order to answer the problem definition three research questions have been formulated: What is greed? What is status? Will status influence greed? 1.4 Conceptual model After the problem definition and the research questions the following conceptual model has been defined: Greed Need for Status Need for Status (now called status) = Ones position in the world (De Botton, 2004). Greed = A selfish and excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs  [2]  . 1.5 Academic relevance There have been several studies about The Seven Deadly Sins, but only a few about greed (Frank, 2001; Solomon, 1999; Wenzel, 1968; Wachtel, 2003). However, there are studies about related topics such as conspicuous consumption, money, materialism and self-interest (Arrow Dasgupta, 2009; De Botton, 2004; Khan, 2004; Krà ¤hmer, 2006; Frank, 1999; Rege, 2006; Richins, 1994; Rucker Galinsky, 2009; Veblen, 1899). In none of these studies, greed is linked to status. In my opinion status is a missing variable in the concept, which potentially could be the underlying motive for people to keep buying material goods. This makes this thesis academically relevant due to the fact that it may contribute to the further understanding of greed and the impact it potentially has on consumer behavior. 1.6 Managerial relevance This thesis attempts to contribute to the further understanding of greed. With this obtained knowledge, it is possible to counteract unwanted developments caused by greed, such as credit crunches or civil wars. It could also raise concern and put this subject on the agenda, in order to be able to protect consumers in the future. 1.7 Thesis structure In chapter 1, the research topic is introduced and explained. The problem definition, conceptual model and research questions are defined as well. Chapter 2 and 3 cover respectively the dependent variable, need for status, and the independent variable, greed. The last chapter describes the conclusions, discussion and recommendations concerning this research. After each chapter, a short conclusion is given for recapitulation and clarification. 2. Need for Status Distinction and status are amongst others the stronger motivations of human behavior (Truyts, 2010). The importance of distinction as a fundamental dynamic was underlined by Darwin (1871). He introduced sexual selection as a selection tool. He concluded that in order to spread the population, people not only need to survive in their natural and social environment but they also need to be a more attractive partner than their same sex competitors (Truyts, 2010). This is also emphasized in more recent research, for example in sociology. Pierre Bourdieu (1979) pointed social distinction as well as status as a crucial dynamic of the social life. It is known, that in traditional and mostly ancient societies, status was hard to acquire. But it was also hard to lose status (De Botton, 2004). For example, someone could not stop with being a lord, due to the fact that it is a title that has been given to someone. What mattered was the identity at the stage of birth, because in that time people did not care about ones achievement (De Botton, 2004). Currently, status rarely depends on someones identity. Instead it depends on someones performance (De Botton, 2004). But what is status precisely? According to De Botton (2004), status is known as ones position in the world. Hereby, the world refers to ones legal or professional standing within a group (e.g. married). Solely, this is a more narrow sense of status since in a broader sense it means ones value and importance in the eyes of the world (De Botton, 2004). 2.1 Biological evidence for the importance of status A range of medical and biological evidence testifies that status induces something real to happen in the human body and brain (Truyts, 2010). For example, Long et al. (1982) found in their study that test persons show a higher heart rate and blood pressure when confronted with an experimenter who bears signs of a high status such as a name tag, suit or formal language (Truyts, 2010). But also evolution-based theories suggest that the desire to be perceived as wealthy, attractive and of high status may be built into our genes (Buss, 2005). So part of the desire for status is defined by our genes and this partly suggests that we enjoy status for the sake of status itself (Truyts, 2010). But is this the only reason why people seek status? 2.2 Signaling status According to Wright (1994) people are always looking for achieving high status in society. But, how do people reach this coveted desire? De Botton (2004) stated that people could generate high status due to their importance, achievement and income. This is also emphasized in the study of Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh (2010). They stated that high status could be achieved through either dominance or prestige (Griskevicius et al., 2010). Godoy and his colleagues (2006), concluded that nowadays, people spend time and resources in order to communicate their status to others (Godoy et al., 2006). Several researches have concluded the same thing. In relatively simple economies, people equate status using their resources on displaying their skills as providers of food (Gintis, Smith Bowles, 2001; Hagen Bryant, 2003; Hawkes Bliege Bird, 2002; Henrich Gil-White, 2001; Scaglion 1999; Sosis, 2003). This while in more industrialized economies, people associate status with earnings and they signal their potential through public displays of wealth and income (Godoy et al., 2006). This is also emphasized in several other researches. Because in order to communicate status, people rely on several strategies including producing or consuming goods and services (Bliege Bird Bird, 1997; Bliege Bird Smith, 2005; Blurton-Jones, 1984; Patton, 2005; Smith Bliege Bird, 2000; Wilson, 1998; Winterhalder, 1996). This is also emphasized in a recent paper of Heffetz (2004). He noted that, because people are members of social groups they derive satisfaction both from the direct act of individual consumption and from how others perceive their individual consumption (Godoy et al., 2006). 2.3 Status and the others Duesenberry (1949) stated that eventually everyone is looking for more status than other people in their environment. In order to test this theory, he used households as respondents. Afterwards, he concluded that households not only care about their own consumption level but also about their consumption level relative to others (Leibenstein, 1950). This because, according to De Botton (2004), Duesenberry (1949) and Leibenstein (1950), people only feel fortunate when they have as much or a slightly more than the people they grow up with, work alongside or have as a friend. For example, when all people are small they will not be troubled by the questions of size (De Botton, 2004). But if others are taller, people are eligible to feel dissatisfied (De Botton, 2004). It therefore can be concluded that people only envy members of their reference group (De Botton, 2004). Hereby, Wachtel (2003) concluded that seeing what others have is one of the most powerful influences that drives greater and greater desires. People may not just want what others have but more than others have. Or more for mores sake, regardless of any able need on their part (Wachtel, 2003: p.105). In academic research, this is referred to as relative position. 2.4 Relative position The importance of relative position has a long history in economic theory. Veblen (1899) introduced the concept conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure. This emphasized the importance of actions designed to display ones relative position in society (Veblen, 1899). Galbraith (1958) stated that most consumer demands do not stern from innate needs, but are largely determined by society. More recently, Duesenberry (1949) used the idea of the demonstration effect to explain how a familys consumption is influenced by the purchases of its neighbors. However, the most comprehensive and recent exploration about relative standing, is written by Robert Frank (1985). He concluded that position externalities occur when a persons action alters an important frame of reference for others (Frank, 1991). Hereby, the so called positional treadmill refers to the process by which each person strives to gain advantage but since all are trying to get ahead, all remain in the same relative position (Frank, 1985). People care about their relative position in society for many reasons. For example a high standing in society can yield respect, admiration and power (Solnick Hemenway, 1998). Hereby, Solnick and Hemenway (1998) stated that feeling good in society is typically more affected by the relative positions than by absolute wealth. Therefore, envy is one of the reasons why individuals care about their relative status (Solnick Hemenway, 1998). For example, Bannerjee (1990) stated that it seems unquestionable that for some people, the pleasure they get out of a particular consumption will be less if they feel that everybody around them has more than they have. However, when they feel that they are on par with the rest of their group they feel better (Bannerjee, 1990). Hereby Frank (1985) declared that someone whose close associates all earn $50.000 a year is likely to feel actively dissatisfied with his material standard of living if his own salary is only $40.000. Yet, the same person would feel good, if his closest associates would not earn $50.000 but $30.000 a year (Frank, 1985). This is also stressed in a number of literature studies, while using experiments called stated preference research. 2.5 Stated preference research Stated preference research puts respondents on a hypothetical spot and asks them to state their preference for the option they believe would maximize their own interests (Truyts, 2010). For example, Solnick and Hemenway (1998) asked their respondents to choose between two companies. A is the more relative company, in which the respondent is worse off in absolute terms but better off than the others. B is the more absolute company where a respondent is better off in absolute terms, but worse off than others. Solnick and Hemenway (1998) made the following distinction: A: Your yearly income is $50,000; others earn $25,000 B: Your yearly income is $100,000; others earn $200,000 After the experiment, it could be concluded that 80% of the respondents prefer the relative case A (Truyts, 2010). A similar experiment was attempted by Tversky and Griffin (1991). They let respondents choose between jobs at a magazine. Hereby one earns at magazine C, a salary of $35,000 and others $38,000. By magazine D one earns $33,000 and others $30,000. Tversky and Griffin report that 85% of the respondents prefer magazine C, but that in a second experiment 64% believe to be happier at magazine D. 2.6 Conclusion Part of our desire for status is defined by our genes. But there are also other reasons, why people want to achieve high status. These days, people are a part of a social group. They therefore derive satisfaction both from the individual consumption and from how others perceive their individual consumption. According to several studies, people only feel fortunate when they have as much or slightly more than the people they grow up with, work alongside or have as a friend. It therefore can be concluded that seeing what others have, is one of the most powerful influences that stirs greater and greater desires. People may not just want what others have but more than others have. Or more for mores sake, regardless of any able need on their part. 3. Greed 3.1 Avarices arise Greed is a vice, which exists for a long time (Childs, 2000). Formerly, it was known as avarice and it dates from the time of the ancient Egyptians. In 2400 B.C.E. they stated: beware an act of avarice, it is a bad and incurable disease (Childs, 2000). Of course, today people do not believe this kind of warnings. However, the declaration from the movie Wall Street (1987) is memorable. Its statement, greed is good, has become a mantra for amongst others the American lifestyle (Childs, 2000). These days, CEOs want more money and the kids want more electronic stuff. However, it is stated that greeds excess is not necessarily in the amount of money or goods acquired (Childs, 2000). Childs concluded that although, frequently such correlations may appear wealth is not always correlated with greed and greed is not always correlated with wealth (Childs, 2000). According to Childs, the excess of greed is in its excessive self-concern and excessive self-enlargement. He also stated that there a re three facets to human greed. First of all it is the excessive desire for goods and wealth. Secondly it is the inordinate desire for acquiring and hoarding money. And last but not least, it is closely related to greediness, which includes the desire for the possessions of others (Childs, 2000). 3.1 Greed and its facets Although greed exists ever since, little academic research has been done about the subject. Therefore it is necessary to stress that in academic literature, greed is mainly approached by looking at related facets. For example, Wachtel (2003) found a relationship between greed and desire for money. This while Childs (2000) found three related facets of human greed namely; desire for goods/wealth, desire for money and greediness. Though, it is also stated that greeds excessiveness lies in its self-concern and self-enlargement (Childs, 2000) which is also retrievable in the definition of greed. According to several dictionaries, greed is a selfish and excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs  [3]  . Based on these theories, the facets; desire for money, materialism (for desire for goods/wealth) and self-interest (for selfishness/self concern and self-enlargement) will be discussed in the upcoming chapters. Currently, it is assumed that these three facets altogether contribute greed (Wachtel, 2003; Childs, 2000). 3.3 Chapter structure This thesis mainly focuses on whether there is a relationship between greed and need for status. The literature study in chapter two already showed that status is relative concept. This implies that for reaching consistency in this thesis, it is necessary to look at the facets in a relative way. Therefore, a -status- paragraph is included in each chapter which provides the link with need for status. 4. Self-interest Once, Aristotle wrote the good man should be a lover of himself for he will both profit himself by doing noble acts and will benefit his fellows (Aristotle, 1987). This statement implies that only if someone loves himself, he can help others. Striking is that time changes values, opinions and assumptions. Paul, Miller and Paul (1997) concluded that nowadays the concern for ones own interest is considered a nonmoral issue, while concerns for the interest of others are considered obvious. Since, people are trying to find a proper balance between the pursuit of ones own interest and the good of others (Paul et al., 1997). Moreover, Van Dijk, De Cremer and Handgraaf (2004) claimed that in situations of social interdependence, people vary explicitly in their expressions and acts. For example, some people seldom cooperate genuinely. They only help others when it serves their self-interest (Van Dijk, De Cremer, Handgraaf, 2004). But how come, that people are so reciprocally different in th eir behavior? According to research, this is due to a persons social value orientation. 4.1 Social value orientation Social value orientation is defined as the individual difference in the way people evaluate outcomes for themselves as opposed to others (Messick McClintock, 1968). A number of social values have been identified but usually two opposing orientations are used. Namely the proself and prosocial orientation (e.g. Declerck Bogaert, 2008; Knight Dubro, 1984). In 1978, Kelley and Thibaut presented an analysis about social value orientation. They concluded that the difference between prosocial and proself is partially caused by social interactions (Kelley Thibaut, 1978). Another important difference between prosocials and proselfs is known as the triangle hypothesis. Hereby, Iedema and Poppe (1995) attempted to identify how these two groups scope the social world. Their hypothesis suggests that prosocials have a more heterogeneous scope on the social world and they assume that others can have either the same or different social value orientations (Iedema Poppe, 1995). In contrast, prose lfs tend to hold a more homogeneous scope on others. They believe that all people have the same social value orientation namely proself (Iedema Poppe, 1995). Therefore, the proselfs will make self-serving choices as they believe that the people in their environment will do the same (Iedema Poppe, 1995). Now we know that there are differences between the two orientations but what are the differences when it comes to the need for status? 4.2 Prosocials and status Research showed that status can be achieved either through dominance (e.g. force) or prestige (Griskevicius et al., 2010; Henrich Gil-White, 2001). When talking about prosocials, we focus on status achieved through prestige. Meaning that status is gained through freely conferred appreciation (Henrich Gil-White, 2001). According to several theories, prosocials always tend to maximize outcomes for both themselves and others (e.g. Van Lange, Otten, Bruin Joireman, 1997). This is also evident in their behavior because prosocials always try to minimize differences between themselves and others (Van Lange et al.,1997). Griskevicius (2010) therefore concluded that prosocial behavior can have important functional consequences (Griskevicius, 2010). For instance, engaging in environmental conservation can build a prosocial reputation (Semmann, Krambeck Milinski, 2005; Wedekind Braithwaite, 2002). Having a reputation as a cooperative and helpful group member, can be extremely valuable for that such individuals are not only seen as more trustworthy (Barclay, 2004) but they are more desirable as friends and romantic partners (Cottrel, Neunenberg Li, 2007; Griskevicius et.al 2007; Iredale, Van Vught Dunbar, 2008; Miller, 2007; Stiff Van Vugt, 2008). But also, self sacrifice for the benefit of a group of strangers has been shown to increase the individuals status in a group (Gurven, Allen-Arave, Hill Hurtado, 2000; Hardy Van Vugt, 2006; Milinski, Semmann Kranbeck, 2002). Thus, being prosocial is associated with status in a group and therefore, if individuals desire to have positions of power, prosocial behavior may be a viable strategy for attaining status (Griskevicius et al. 2010). 4.3 Proselfs and status In contrast with prosocials, proselfs tend to only maximize outcomes for themselves (Van Lange, Otten, Bruin Joireman , 1997). In most theories, the proselfs are subdivided in two categories namely; individualists and competitors (e.g. Van Lange et al., 1997). Individualists tend to maximize their own outcomes with little or no regard to others. They are only concentrated on their own goals and they do not respond well to the well-being of other people (Van Lange, Agnew, Harinck and Steemers, 1997). This appears because individualists are not interested in long-term benefits. Competitors also tend to only maximize outcomes for themselves. However, the difference with individualists is that competitors are ultimately seeking for relative advantage over others (Van Lange, Otten, et al., 1997). Therefore, they generally exhibit low levels of sacrifice and they are most concerned with not being exploited by their partners (Van Lange, Agnew et al., 1997). Competitors are also not willing to engage in prosocial behavior (Kuhlman Marshello, 1975; Sattler Kerr, 1991). Not even if they could benefit themselves in the long haul. In fact, Van Lange, Liebrand, Messick and Wilke (1992) reported that competitors may refuse to accommodate their behavior to the cooperative but punitive opponent because a tie cannot satisfy their real motive of outdoing the other (Van Lange et al., 1992). Even when this strategy has proved hopeless, competitors may fail to score as many points for oneself as they could due to the fact that they only focus on limiting their partners (Van Lange et al., 1992). So, it is possible to conclude that competitors always prefer outcomes that are superior to those in their environment (Van Lange et al., 1992). 4.3 Conclusion A number of social values have been identified, but usually two opposing orientations apply namely the proself and prosocial orientation. It may be concluded from the theory, that prosocials achieve status mostly through prestige. Their reputation can be extremely valuable because it has been shown to increase the individuals status in a group. However, it is possible to conclude that this group is not so vital for this research due to the fact that it does not fit the definition of greed. For the excess of greed lies in its excessive self-concern and self-enlargement. However, it is possible to conclude that proselfs are important for this research. These individuals are mostly focused on maximizing outcome for themselves whereas competitors fit the theory of status best. Competitors are mainly focused on maximizing their own outcome relative to others. Therefore they always prefer outcomes that are superior to those in their environment. 5. Materialism The message we receive today is that the pursuit and possession of material goods, income and wealth is the route to increase quality of life (Kashdan Breen, 2007). Even self-identity can be defined by possessions and consumption: I am what I have and what I consume (Fromm, 1976). 5.1 Possessions and the self The term materialism has several definitions. Belk (1985) defines materialism as the importance a consumer attached to worldly possessions while Bredemeier and Toby (1960) refer to materialism as the worship of things. Additionally, materialistic people are characterized by their tendency to define their successes in life by the quantity and quality of their extrinsic possessions (Kashdan Breen, 2007). However, the assumption that people regard their possessions as part of themselves is not new (Belk, 1988). William James (1890), laid the foundation for the modern conception of the self. His definition is stated as follows: A mans self is the sum total of all that he can call his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his lands, and yacht and bank-account. All these things give him the same emotions. If they wax and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast down,-not necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all (p. 291-292). So, the self is not limited to objects but it also includes persons, places and group possessions (Belk, 1988). 5.2 Materialism and psychological needs Guides have similarly insisted that focusing on attaining material possessions detracts from what is meaningful in life (Kasser, 2002). However, Kasser (2002) concluded that such advice is largely drowned out by todays messages, proclaiming that material pursuits and accumulation of things provides satisfaction (Kasser,2002). He concluded that these days, newspapers headlines exalt the lottery winner and get-rich-quick books climb to the top of the best seller list (Kasser, 2002). But will the pursuit of money and possessions bring the good life? Well, for materialists it can. For instance, research found that materialists tend to value financial success significantly more than other life goals such as community (Kasser Ryan, 1993). It is also proven that there is a strong relationship between materialism and desired income (Richins Rudmin, 1994). The income that is necessary to satisfy the needs of a materialistic person is about 50 percent higher than for those low in materialism (Richins Rudmin, 1994). 5.3 Materialism and its motives Fromm (1976) stated that materialistic persons vow possessions as the essence of their lives. However it is not just about purchasing products. Richins and Dawson (1992) found a deeper motivational motive to induce materialism. According to them, materialistic people measure their own success by the number of possessions (Richins Dawson, 1992). For instance, Kashdan and Breen (2007) concluded that materialistic values were positively correlated with the meaning of life, relatedness to others, feelings of competence and gratitude. This corresponds with the results of Kasser (2002). He concluded that positive self-regard and self-acceptance is related to possessions, money, power and image to the world (Kasser, 2002). However, there is also a link between materialism and personal insecurity (Chang Arkin, 2002). For instance, it is shown that self-doubt is a significant predictor of materialistic orientations (Chang Arkin, 2002). 5.4 Materialism and status We learned that materialistic people are characterized by their tendency to define their successes in life by the qu

The Rise of Intercollegiate Football and Its Portrayal in American Popu

The Rise of Intercollegiate Football and Its Portrayal in American Popular Literature With the success of the Merriwell literature, juvenile sport fiction became abundant. In all subsequent stories, the model for traditional juvenile sport fiction, even continuing today, is the illustrious Frank Merriwell (Oriard, 1982). As the Merriwell series dwindled to a halt in the 1910’s, books began to dominate the world of children’s sport fiction. Oriard (1982) suggested the popularity of these books rose because â€Å"the juvenile sports novel combined the action of the dime novels with the middle-class morality of the Alger (rags-to-riches) novel† (p. 47). In 1912, the year Gilbert Patten retired as the author of the Merriwell stories, Owen Johnson published his children’s novel, Stover at Yale. Dink Stover looms as the hero of Johnson’s novel, which follows young Dink from his freshman year to the beginning of his senior year at the illustrious Yale University. Johnson’s novel while similar to the Merriwell series, establishes a ne w era in juvenile sport literature that starts the maturation process of the collegiate athlete-hero. Many of Frank Merriwell’s challenges did occur on the playing field at Yale in a multitude of sports that included football, baseball, crew, and track. During most of these events, however, the precocious hero and his comrades usually solved a mystery or righted some wrong. In addition, Merriwell left college for a few years, and this respite from college life enabled the multifaceted young man to write a play, purchase a champion thoroughbred horse, and travel the world in his pursuit to stamp out all wrongdoing, all activities contrary to the ideals of amateurism. Stover receives the hero worship typical o... ...mith, R.A. (1988). Sports and Freedom: The Rise of Big-Time College Athletics. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Smith, R.A. (1993). â€Å"History of Amateurism in Men’s Intercollegiate Athletics: The Continuance of a 19th-Century Anachronism in America.† QUEST. Vol. 45, pp. 430-447. Standish, B.L. (1900). â€Å"Frank Merriwell’s Policy; or, Playing Columbia for Practice.† TipTop Weekly. No. 238. Standish, B.L. (1901). â€Å"Dick Merriwell at Fardale; or, The Wonder of School.† Tip Top Weekly. No. 291. Thelin, J.R. (1994). Games Colleges Play: Scandal and Reform in Intercollegiate Athletics. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Valenzi, K.D., Ed. (1990). Champion of Sport: The Life and Times of Walter Camp, 1859-1925. Charlottesville, VA: Howell Press, Inc. Watterson, J.S. (1988). â€Å"Inventing Modern Football.† American Heritage. Sept./Oct., pp. 102-113.