Employee Attraction and Retention in the Australian Resource Sector

What to Do and Not Do to Make More Money When the Work Dries Up

What to Do and Not Do to Make More Money When the Work Dries Up As I close in on 14 years of full-time freelancing, I find that now and then work can suddenly dry up. Whether the high-paying kind of work that I enjoy offers returns depends on how I respond to these lulls. I used to panic and go after any and all work that I could find. This so-called work included the cheapest lowball offers in and outside my niche, accepting any style, genre and subject matter. I was desperate and looked and acted it. I attracted the worst side of this business. I lost much of my confidence in getting high-quality, high-paying work again. After about two or three weeks of this behavior, my plate would fill with bad, low-paying gigs. Then, as luck would have it, a flood of my normal, high-paying work would come in too. Now I had twice the work I could handle, half of which I didnt want. I couldnt turn the good work down, and I couldnt ignore my responsibility to complete the other work I had committed to. I have since learned to spend those two- or three-week periods calmly, patiently and confidently going after the best work I possibly could. I did so with patience, not letting anyone know my situation, not acting or appearing desperate. Now at the end of such periods, there is no crap to deal with when my luck turns around. I now live and work with the confidence that every time such periods come along, if I respond in a confident manner, in lieu of fearful and desperate, everything will return to normal in a few weeks. Let me elaborate on what I do during those typically two- to three- week periods to bring a rush of new work in. First, I approach existing editors, asking them as to how they are doing and taking a genuine interest in them, both personally and professionally. I drop them an email with tips and leads or open up a discussion on topics that interest them. If that doesnt lead to an assignment, I re-read the publication and competing publications, and I look for unanswered questions and other material that may be the impetus for new pitches. Then I write longer, better and more detailed pitches than I typically do for these editors I already know. I think they respect the additional effort and commitment to the project. And the more they can see upfront, the more convincing my argument that I can finish a great story. I do likewise with new-to-me editors, but again only those with the best work and pay rates. I put together well-considered letters of introduction and samples to go with great story pitches. The more excited I am about a story, and the more research I have done to develop it, the easier it is for editors to become interested. Here is the critical theme in all this: The more you need the work, the more serious and committed you have to be. You have to make your biggest investment, your strongest commitment, and demonstrate extensive preparation in your proposals in order to get the work. More than that, show your best creative writing chops in the process. Write things that are genuinely profound in unique ways. Speak about subjects in a manner no one has ever done before. Dont be afraid to cut against the grain a little bit. But dont let them smell your fear. That does nobody any good.

Mitigation Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mitigation Strategies - Assignment Example The levees broke, leading to flooding 80 percent of the city. If levees continue to be used, Hurricane Katrina or an equivalent can reoccur. Thus, after each reoccurrence the levees network will have to be rebuilt. This will result to waste of resources and will inconvenience the people by displacing them or even causing deaths (Kapucu et al. 2013). In addition, the hurricane slayed about 1,500 inhabitants along the U.S. Gulf Coast and caused huge damage, making it the most expensive natural disaster. The continued use of levees will mean people to continue dying as a result of this catastrophe yet it can be avoided by use of a different and a better mechanism to counter this calamity. As Hurricane Katrina established, that the risks of inundation and flooding never can be completely eliminated by protective structures. Substantial dangers of living in flood susceptible to areas were not ever visibly communicated to people before Hurricane Katrina, it stated, and simply the reconstruction of New Orleans and its tempest protection system back to pre-Katrina heights would leave the city susceptible to another flooding catastrophe (Baltimore, 2009). Moreover, the first floor of buildings in flood susceptible parts of the city should be elevated at least to the 100 year flood level, which the report named a "crucial flood insurance standard." But for deeply populated metropolises like New Orleans, that standard is insufficient, said the report, part of a 5 part study by the conservatories in the event of Katrina (Baltimore, 2009). Furthermore, the 100 year standard essentially specifies protection based on the supposed worst damage of the foulest flood in the last 100 years. It regulates insurance tariffs for the National Flood Insurance Program controlled by the federal government. However, structures in New Orleans most flood susceptible areas have a 26%

Quality Management Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality Management Organizations - Research Paper Example Quality management ensures that organizations produce high quality products. Quality management in an organization has four main components. The components are quality control, quality assurance, quality planning and quality improvement. Also ix sigma is an important part of quality management (Foster, 2007, p.24). Therefore quality management is not only focused in enhancing the quality of products and services of the organization but also provides the way by which it can be achieved. In order to ensure consistency in the quality of products, it makes use of quality control and quality assurance of the production process. The study will shed light on the importance of quality management in an organization. In this context two companies have been chosen to depict the significance of quality management. The organizations have been chosen according to their total area of operations. The companies are Walmart and Walgreens Store. Now Walmart has been chosen for its national operations, while Walgreens Store has been selected for its local operation. Walmart Stores Inc., popularly known as Walmart is a company which runs warehouse stores and departmental stores. Quality management has always been an important function in the company. Wallmart gets heavily benefitted by implementing various quality management systems. Some of the strategies that Walmart uses to ensure qualities are as follows:- Short flow time: - Walmart uses very short flow time of their products. They alter or recycle their unsold products within a short span of time. This ensures that the company sells quality and fresh products to the customers. Low Inventory Level: - The Company maintains a very low inventory level in order to reduce the level of stored items. This low inventory level assists the company to provide good quality products as well as helps in reducing inventory cost. Walgreen Co. is popularly known as WAGS. As of 2012,

Cheating and plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cheating and plagiarism - Essay Example It is therefore, important to give their meaning in order to fully understand their difference. Cheating is a broad term that is used to describe behaviour that is characterised by any of the following elements: being dishonesty, untruthful or unfaithful where an individual intentionally uses falsehoods that are unacceptable to gain advantage over other people. On the other hand, plagiarism is loosely defined as the act of stealing or using other people’s ideas without properly acknowledging them. This is a form of cheating but is mainly focused on the area of academic work in schools or colleges. As going to be highlighted in detail below, the main difference between the two is that cheating is intentional in most cases and is a broad term while plagiarism may be unintentional and is particularly limited to academic circles. As noted above, when one is being untruthful or unfaithful to other people, it can be said that the person is cheating. Having extra marital affairs or being adulterous is another form of cheating that has gained considerable concern from the members of society especially during this current period. For instance, a married person who indulges in adulterous behaviour is likely to cause conflict if the unsuspecting partner discovers the bad behaviour of the other partner. Socially, it is generally agreed that cheating behaviour is not a good thing to partners who love each other as this is likely to cause misunderstandings that can lead to the disintegration of that relationship. Such behaviour is outside the generally acceptable rules or societal standards of living and the judgment given to the people who are caught on the wrong side of the rules depends on the nature of the offence and the rules of the society. In some instances, people tend to use falsehoods or deception in order to gain advantage over

Influence of Technology in Modern Life: Social Networks

Influence of Technology in Modern Life: Social Networks The accessibility of the new information technology has led that social structures change, and with it the ways of relating to others. With this process of change has created what is known as virtual communities, Rheingold defined the virtual communities as a group of social aggregates which arises from internet when a group of people create public discussions long enough to create networks of personal relationships in cyberspace. (Rheingold, 1993, The Virtual Community,). Thus individuals create new social networks where they can exchange information anytime, anywhere, depending on their needs and desires. Issues such as that new information technologies can interfere interpersonal relationships are increasingly questioned by several studies that analyze the impact positive and negative to the use and abuse leads. The aim of this essay is to discuss the pros and cons of the effects that are producing social networks. The influence of technology in modern life entails negative and positive aspects, Bauman (2010) argues that contemporary men are desperate to relate, however they avoid a permanent relationship, for fear of the tensions that might imply, contrary to what which are not able or willing to endure, as they would limit the freedom they need. The relations are characterized by the ambiguity and they occupy the spotlight of modern individual’s liquids, being the priority in their life projects. Digital communication has caused formal changes in communicative genres and materials in interpersonal relationships (Laborda Gil, 2005). Interpersonal relationships are in constant transformation in everyday human being, and this transformation have influenced the new technological applications generating changes in interpersonal communication. The fact that digital interactions between people increases, is creating a different perception of space and time, a sense of immediacy of events and an acceleration in the process. Interpersonal relations is mutual interaction between two or more people. It involves social and emotional skills that promote effective communication skills, listening, conflict resolution and authentic self-expression. One of the first theorists to dedicate himself to the study of interpersonal behavior was Leary (1957), defining it as any behavior that is related open, conscientious, ethical or symbolically with another real or imagined collective human. Today, we tend to regard interpersonal relationships and cognitive processes as two sides of the same coin, as it begins to pay more attention to the emotional and motivational aspects involved in the interaction, and integrate the contributions from the field of interpersonal theories. This is how it leads to the deepening understanding of the cognitive processes that are involved in interactions with other individuals. However, from a critical look Bauman (2010) argues that people rather than tra nsmit their experience and expectations in terms of relationships and relationships, talk about connections, connecting and staying connected. Instead of talking about couples, prefer to speak of networks. Unlike relations, kinship, partner or any other idea that emphasizes mutual commitment; disengagement network represents a matrix that connects and disconnects at the same time. In networks both activities are enabled at the same time, ie connect and disconnect are equally legitimate elections, equal status and equal importance. The network suggests moments of being in contact and other time to snoop; in the networking the connections are established on demand and can be cut as desired, being able to be dissolved before becoming detestable. The pre virtual relationships and real relationships are replaced by virtual relationships or connections. These latter are easily to access and output, are characterized by being sensible, hygienic, easy to use, friendly for the users, as oppo sed to the heavy, inert, slow and complicated the trues. The relationship between users of social networks goes from vertically to horizontal, enabling a fictitious equality, in which any user becomes emitter producing their own content, and even as a receiver transmitter information for Caldevilla Domà ­nguez (2010) these new forms of communication and interaction, emerge new threats to privacy, if does not differ the public for each of the profiles, being one of the disadvantages of using networks, the identity spoofing and individualism as possible trend to the actual isolation from sociability network. The absence of direct perception of the body and the inaccessibility of the same in cyberspace constitute a limit whose intersubjective effects are paradoxical, as it is lived as both defect and deficiency in the relationship, or as possibility of eliminating a factor of discrimination against others. The difficulty, would lead search reinforcing relations to others through other means with which manages to avoid physical presence or direct exposure in social situations and can remain anonymous or develop a fictitious, or even personality, leave the virtual relationship without negative consequences directly perceptible. Pretend downplay changes in human relations that the new virtual culture presents is to deny the possibility of believing that a new era related between social media and individuals are emerging. These relations between both parties requires significant knowledge to recognize and use those tools to approach the other from the place that elapses your experience. It will be left to the professionals responsible for an election that contributes to the growth and welfare of those who demand service. References Bauman, Z. (2003).Liquid love. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Bergo, B. (2006).Emmanuel Levinas. [online] Plato.stanford.edu. Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/levinas/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2015]. Caldevilla Dominguez, D. (2010).Las redes sociales. TipologiÃÅ' a, uso y consumo de las redes 2.0 en la sociedad digital actual. EspanÃÅ'Æ’a: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias de la Informacion. Internet Archive, (2015).Interpersonal diagnosis of personality; a functional theory and methodology for personality evaluation : Leary, Timothy, 1920-1996 : Free Download Streaming : Internet Archive. [online] Available at: https://archive.org/details/interpersonaldia00learrich [Accessed 6 Apr. 2015]. WhatIs.com, (2015).What is virtual community? Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] Available at: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-community [Accessed 6 Apr. 2015]. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-community Bauman, Z. (2010). Amor Là ­quido: acerca de la fragilidad de los và ­nculos humanos. 1a ed. 13 ª reimp. Buenos Aires: Fondo de Cultura Econà ³mica. Laborda Gil, X. (2005). Tecnologà ­as, Redes y Comunicacià ³n Interpersonal. aà ±o XII nà ºmero II (24) / 2011 fundamentos en humanidades 229 Efectos en las formas de la comunicacià ³n digital. Anales de documentacià ³n, N °8, pp. 101-116. Leary, T. (1957). Interpersonal diagnosis of personality: A functional theory and met- hodology for personality evaluation. New York: Ronald Press. Caldevilla Domà ­nguez, D. (2010). Tipologà ­a, uso y consumo de las redes 2.0 en la sociedad digital actual. Documentacià ³n de las Ciencias de la Informacià ³n, vol. 33, pp. 45-68. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/levinas/ https://archive.org/details/interpersonaldia00learrich Vodafones Entry into Japan: An Analysis Vodafones Entry into Japan: An Analysis Globalization is regarded as a tool which has facilitated the movement of businesses from independent market economies to an inter-reliant and incorporated global economy thereby reducing trade barriers between countries and continents. (Hill, 2007). With the reduction of these trade barriers many companies have grown from Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to Multi-National Enterprise (MNE). Through international growth and globalization these MNEs are recognisable world wide. One such organisation is the Vodafone group which is a telecommunications company founded in the United Kingdom. Vodafone is currently ranked as the 11th most valued brand in the world and 2nd in Europe. (Vodafone, 2009).According to Anwar (2003) they have achieved this status by using different market entry strategies to expand their enterprise via acquisitions and joint ventures with Orange (UK), Air Touch and Verizon (USA) and Mannesmann (Germany). Although Vodafone has been successful in the above listed c ountries, its entry into Japan failed after a few years due to reasons which will be explained later in this essay. This is the main reason for the choice of Vodafone as a case study. This essay will first give an outline of Vodafones history and then provide a review of theories which influence global expansion and internationalization, as they relate to market entry, business strategy and culture. Following this a case study of Japans mobile market and an analysis of Vodafones operations and strategies as they affect its entry to and exit from the market will be provided. Finally, recommendations based on their choice of strategy will be made. Company Background Vodafone was created in 1991 as a subsidiary of Racal Telecom (RT) which was formed in 1984. RT was created from a joint venture between Racal Strategic Radio Ltd (80% which was a subsidiary of Racal Electronics Plc and winner of one of the first two cellular telephone network licenses in the UK), Millicom (15%) a US-based Communications Company and the Hambros Technology Trust (5%), a UK-based venture capital fund. The name Vodafone was coined with the first four letters of its name denoting its services (VOice Data Fone). (Vodafone, 2009) Vodafone has become a very prominent mobile operator in the world with a large presence in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Its services include but are not limited to mobile advertisement, network business, distribution business, retail shops, data services, Short Messaging Service (SMS), multi-media portal, third generation (3g) licences and data and fixed broadband services. (Vodafone, 2009) Over time Vodafone has expanded into different parts of the globe including, Belgium, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, France, Romania, USA, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa to mention a few. (Vodafone.com, 2009) Vodafones early success has been attributed to its usage of key niche strategies and first mover advantages regarding location economies. This helps gain market share which leads to economies of scale and earning curve advantages through the utilization of its core competencies in foreign markets. (Anwar, 2003; Pan et al, 1999) Vodafone entered the Japanese market in 1999 when it inherited stakes in nine regional mobile phone companies through its merger with US rival Air Touch making it the second largest shareholder in the market at that time. Another reason for their entry into the Japanese market was that they considered the market as very vibrant and it would give them a technological edge over domestic and European rivals. (Anwar, 2003; Dodourova, 2003; Kim et al, 2009) Theoretical Review In considering global expansion, companies need to make decisions about the choice of market to enter, timing, products to be sold and market entry mode. (Hill, 2007). Market entry modes refers to the way in means an organisation chooses to enter a particular market such as are exporting, franchising, foreign direct investment, international joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. (Hill, 2007; Root, 1994) Although all these forms of entry have been used by Vodafone, for the purpose of this paper specific attention will be paid to the use of acquisitions and joint ventures (JVs) as entry modes, since they have been used repeatedly by Vodafone in different locations including India, Japan, Egypt, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Australia. (Vodafone, 2009; Anwar, 2003). An acquisition is a situation whereby a firm acquires a company in an intended market while a joint venture involves the combination of two or more firms to create a company. JVs enable firms to split the necessary risk and capital required for international ventures. They usually involve a foreign company with a new product and a local firm with access to distribution and local knowledge such as culture, political and business systems. However, using JVs has its disadvantages as firms face difficulties merging different cultures and some parties may not understand the strategic intent of their partners which may lead to problems (Root, 1994; Pearce and Robinson, 2007;Hill,2007 ). On the other hand, acquisitions allow firms to make very rapid international expansions and can be accomplished quickly. However, they are very expensive and legal regulatory requirements and organisational culture may act as barriers. Despite these drawbacks they are considered a very safe means of global expansion. (Ives and Jarvenpaa, 1991, Pearce and Robinson, 2007) The internationalization model (Uppsala) advices that global expansion is a learning process and that the more experience a firm gathers it strengthens its dedication to foreign markets. (Hollenson, 2004). However, most firms have to consider the level of global integration and local responsiveness (both are at alternative ends of the standardization scale) required in the target market. This is known as I-R framework, since it is a necessity for firms operating in multiple country locations to be responsive to market (cost reduction) and governmental demands (local needs) for each location. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) divided the framework into four strategies, namely global, International, Multi-Domestic and Transnational. However, many companies tend to shift from one strategy to another in an attempt to meet local demands and capitalize on competitive advantages. (Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) in Roth and Morrison, 1990; Hill, 2007, Pearce and Robinson, 2007) Vodafone attempted to move from the global to the transnational strategy because they largely ignored local responsiveness and lost market share as a result of the international strategy. The advantages and disadvantages of the global and transnational will now be examined. Global integration indicates the fusion of different national economic systems into one global market. A key aspect is the pressure of cost reduction while local responsiveness refers to the readiness of firms to make modifications to their products, services, and ways of doing business at local levels considering local culture and needs. (Hill, 2007; Pearce and Robinson, 2007)The core focus is of the global model is on high global integration since firms sell standardized products in and across all national markets with minimal levels of local adaptation. Also, most business decisions are made from the firms central office as there is a great need for resource sharing and cross border co-ordination which is sometimes difficult to achieve. Organisations use this strategy due to high levels of competition in the global market and all Strategic Business Units are mutually dependent. As a result of this the firm attempts to maximize the advantages of location economies and the experienc e curve and it is not very concerned with responsiveness to local markets. Location economies refer to the advantages a company would accrue from being in a particular location and the experience curve that shows the level of experience gained based on reduction of production cost. Many MNEs, such as McDonalds in the United Kingdom, have used this strategy successfully. Others for example Vodafone in Japan, have failed due to the level of local responsiveness needed for the location. (Daniels et al, 2009; Hollenson, 2004; Hill, 2007; Weber, 2007, Kim et al, 2009; Pearce and Robinson, 2007; Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) in Roth and Morrison, 1990) The Transnational strategy focuses on satisfying the condition of local responsiveness and global integration irrespective of pressure levels for both factors. Its has been suggested that this strategy be used if cost pressure and local responsiveness are high or low as they fluctuate depending on the level of development of the country or location and globalization. (Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) in Roth and Morrison, 1990; Hill 2007) This approach allows MNEs to tailor their products and marketing practices to the intended market and more profit is made in a situation where cost reduction pressures are not great and the firm can increase price. Although in situations where cost reduction pressures are high the organisations make try to make profit from other means. (Roth and Morrison, 1990; Weber, 2007) According to Hill, (2007) this strategy is difficult to implement as firms attempt to balance economies of scale, attain low costs through location economies, experience curve effects, local responsiveness and global learning (Global learning refers to the transference of knowledge and products between the firms head office and its subsidiaries). The difficulty arises from organisational problems because there is a need for firm central control and organization to achieve efficiency, local flexibility and decentralization to attain local market receptiveness. This is aside from the need to acquire global and organisational learning for competitive advantage. CASE STUDY The Japanese mobile industry was considered a year or two ahead of the rest of the world and was ready for Vodafone to enter because Japans market was more technologically advanced than most other European telecommunication markets. It was the pioneer country for the third generation network {3G} and the European market was becoming saturated and competition and regulatory pressures were forcing prices lower. (Economist, 2004; Fackler and Belson, 2005; Yamauchi et al 2004). Also the Japanese market was highly competitive and Japan was the first country to introduce a packet switched wireless network {DoPa}; the first to introduce wireless internet {i-mode} in 1999; the first to introduce camera phones, 3Gs in 2000 and 3.5G in 2003. Japan had advanced broadband communications system as early as 2000. (Yamauchi et al 2004; Kim et al 2009; Chen et al 2007) In addition, the Japanese market is known for its opposition to foreign investors and has always been considered as a hard market to penetrate as consumers usually favour local brands over foreign products. Also Japans governance has a strong hold on corporate activities and many organization owners usually do not do sell or merge with foreign investors unless they are convinced of the firms performance levels which in turn makes acquisitions and mergers with foreign investors a difficult process.(Anonymous,2002) VODAFONE IN JAPAN. As mentioned earlier Vodafone entered Japan in 1999 as a result of its Acquisition of Air touch in America which gave it a 26% stake in J-Phone a Japanese mobile phone group by 2000 Vodafone had acquired an estimated 60% of J Phone. Vodafone took its time before entering the Japanese market. This approach paid off as they could not afford a hostile takeover as was the case when they acquired Mannesman in Germany because this could have affected their relationship with other Japanese stakeholders. (Anonymous, 2002; Blokand, 2007; Anwar, 2003) After its acquisition J Phone seemed to be making progress as it rose to become the 3rd largest telecommunications group in Japan by 2002 as its subscriber base had exceeded 12 million in the same year. J Phones target population prior to its acquisition was young adults and they had developed handsets with gadgets that were appealing to the young generation. They also introduced the Sha-mail (Picture messaging service) which marked the beginning of the picture messaging trend in Japan. Their marketing campaigns involved using Japanese pop stars and idols to attract new customers (Blokand, 2007; Dodourova, 2003) However, with the introduction of Vodafones globally standardized product things began to change. Vodafone introduced handsets which were acceptable in Europe to Japan ignoring the fact that Japan was more technologically advanced than Europe. As a result of this J Phone (re-named Vodafone KK in 2003) began to loose its customer base. Also in an attempt to create a global brand Vodafone delayed the launch of its 3g service (which allows customer watch videos and use teleconferencing) because they wanted to create a global product allowing their local competitors such as the KDDI group and NTT DoCoMo to commence 3g usage one year ahead of them. Eventually, when Vodafone KKs 3g package was finally launched supply was limited because the 3g handsets were being shipped from overseas. (Hill, 2009; Blokand, 2007; the Economist, 2004) Also inadequate investment in network infrastructure caused Vodafone to suffer bad network connection that caused them to lose subscribers. (Euro-Technology, 2009) Vodafones choice of strategy for its expansion into Japan is obviously the global strategy advocates the standardization of all products and services irrespective of the level of local responsiveness required in the location. Vodafone attempted to change strategies by involving so level of local responsiveness(from global to transnational) via the introduction of handsets tailored for the Japanese market to rectify its underestimation of Japanese customers peculiarity by offering them what they required instead of what the company wanted. Also the Japanese government in 2004 brought in new regulations against handsets which could be roamed since there was a propensity for them to be used by criminals. (Euro-Technology, 2009; Anwar,2003) However due all the above listed reason Vodafone KK struggled to retain its market share from 2002 to 2004 (See Diagram) .Its competitors like DoCoMo, who was the market leader with about 56% share and KDDI with about 23%. Diagram I: Mobile Phone Subscribers Net Growth Source: The Economist, 2004(September 30th Edition) By 2004 when KDDI had moved most of its subscribers to the 3G technology and DoCoMo had moved about 10%, Vodafone had been able to connect only 1% of its subscribers (Economist, 2004). By February 2005, Vodafone had gained 527,300 subscribers while KDDI and DoCoMo had gained 10 million and 17 million 3G subscribers respectively. By October 2005, Vodafones figures dropped by 103, 100 subscribers while DoCoMo and KDDI had attracted 1.65 million and 1.82 million subscribers respectively. At this time, Vodafone KK had captured only 4.8% of the market. (Blokand, 2007; the Economist, 2004; Lewis, 2006) Vodafone sold its Japanese branch to Soft Bank in March 2006 and by October in the same year Soft Bank reported a year-on-year sales revenue increase of 144.3%, with operating profits up a staggering 260.4% because they used a purely localized approach and catered to the markets needs. (Jing, 2009) Nevertheless, Vodafones global strategy succeeded in Germany although according to Weber (2006) Germany was a few years behind Japan considering the obtainability of mobile services, such as data services, 3g, cameras and music phones. It was able to utilize its economies of scale and experience curve advantages, to maximize profits. Vodafone applied a slightly different strategy in entering this market as it merged with Mannesmann via a hostile bid for the company whilst it was in financial trouble. Mannesmann acquired Orange (UK) in 1999 and faced difficulties recuperating its investment. Vodafone saw this opportunity and bid for Mannesmann to subvert other companies like WorldCom or ATT acquiring the company. (Boemer, 2007) On entry into the market in 2000 Vodafone divested some of Mannesmann subsidiaries to recover funds. However, it is apparent from the above that the challenges Vodafone in Japan were much more complex in comparison to Germany. Its main competitors are T-Mobile, E plus and O2. At inception the Vodafone introduced its standard products from the United Kingdom like Voice calling and SMSs, mobile internet was not introduced until 2003 as it was not popular and Vodafone decided not to begin this service in Germany till 2005. (Boemer, 2007; Weber, 2006; Henten et al, 2004) Vodafone utilized different forms of marketing approaches but the most successful was its loyalty packaged dubbed stars introduced in 2002 helped it increase its market share substantially. Furthermore by 2005 Vodafone had gained 35% market share followed by O2 which had 32% then E Plus with 19% and T-Mobile had 14%. This was a total opposite of Vodafone performance in Japan. (Von Kuczkowski, 2005) In addition Japan is noted for being at the helm of technological development called gijutsu rikkoku in Japanese which means technological nation building and it exports its technology. Therefore it is possible to assume that the Japanese would be more interested in high-tech gadgets and services than Germans. (Boemer, 2007; Weber, 2006) The difference in cultural practices must not be ignored because the German business circle was not controlled by Guan Xi which refers to the relationships between people in a community the higher and tighter the level of Guan Xi a person has in China and Japan the better his business prospects within the country .(Yeung and Tung, 1996) Vodafone Japan did not generate a trustworthy brand image in the Japanese market and failure to tailor their product to the needs to its customers, which is a major faux pas in marketing and company survival made matters worse. Recommendations Vodafone in Japan would have succeeded if it had avoided using a global strategy as it had the capability to succeed, if it had considered the tastes of the people and attempted a transnational approach to its expansion plans. Also, Vodafone should have used its competitors products and services offering as a benchmark for its own services. Instead of taking a one size fits all approach into Japan as this had a negative impact on its services and performance. Similarly, if Vodafone had tried to satisfy its customer base of students and the younger population before endeavoring to penetrate a new market of families and the corporate world. Moreover, considering that J-Phone had been on a market increase streak for over five years, Vodafone should have used J-Phones local knowledge of the market and combined its experience create a winning team instead of trying to create a global brand and cut cost by introducing a large number of handsets that could be sold throughout the world. Private and Public Self: A Comparison of Identities Private and Public Self: A Comparison of Identities Private self is the information regarding to a person which he/she has difficulties to express publicly. Public self is the perspective other people view an individual as portrayed in public information, interaction with others and public action. Generally, public self relies on the public for definition but it’s also the individual’s perspective of the way he/she appears and steps taken when in public. Mostly, public self and private self is revealed in speaking and actions. Private and public speaking is generally feared almost by everybody. Some people will avoid public speaking at all costs. Sometimes, the avoidance may lead to missing a great chance to make an impression which is good and/ or long-lasting, opportunity to sell their product or themselves. Development of authentic speaking has made it easy for the improvement of the way people come across, and reduction of the people’s feeling of fear before and during their presentation. Authentic speaking de fers from other approaches since it doesn’t inculcate any other methodology or technique to the individual and the learning involves experience. Authentic speaking gets the individual to meditate on what he or she is thinking before speaking. Once the speaker opens their mouth to speak, he/she should be relaxed, comfortable and in a good mental state. Therefore, thorough preparation and mental awareness of the speaker’s own talk is paramount. In order for the individual to feel better and prepared for the task ahead, he/she should acknowledge the â€Å"script† and then rewrite it. This is due to the fact that the task (talk) has a profound impact on how the individual will feel. Physical posture is also necessary in creating confidence in a presenter. The presenter may adopt an upright and proud posture, but not trying to hide from the audience. Mostly, the reason as to why people fear public and private speaking is due to self-consciousness. Self-consciousness refers to an acute sense of self awareness. It is opposed to the philosophical definition of self-awareness since it is a pre-occupation with one’ self, the awareness that an individual being exists. An individual may have an unpleasant feeling of self-consciousness when he/she comes to know that other people are watching or observing him/her. The unpleasant feeling of self-consciousness is occasionally paired with paranoia or shyness. When an individual is self-conscious, he/she becomes aware of his/her own actions no matter how small they are. A person’s ability to perform complex actions can be impaired by such awareness. a person may be shy or introverted if he/she has a chronic tendency towards self-consciousness. Being excessively conscious of a person’s appearance or manner is at times problematic. Shyness and embarrassment, where the resul t is low self-esteem and lack of pride can be paired with self-consciousness. During high self-consciousness period, people come to the closest understanding themselves objectively, and this has potential to have impact on development of identity. The impact of self-consciousness has varying degree in people since; some are self-involved or constantly self-monitoring while others are quite and totally oblivious about themselves. Private self-consciousness is a norm to examine or introspect one’s inner self and feelings, while public self-consciousness is self-awareness resulting from other people’s views. Both types of self-consciousness are objectively personality traits which are considerably stable over time though there is no correlation between them. Public self-consciousness may lead to social anxiety and self-monitoring. Behavior is affected by various levels of self-consciousness since it is normal for people to act differently if they â€Å"lose themselves in crowd†. This can result to an inhibited and regularly destructive behavior. Different people have varying tendencies of self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is the means of communication where a person reveals himself/herself to another. It includes all that an individual choses to disclose to the other person about him/herself, to make him/her known. The information can be evaluative or descriptive and can comprise of aspirations, feelings, thoughts, successes, fears, failures, dreams, goals, as well as one’s favorites and dislikes. As social penetration theory poses, there are two self-disclosure dimensions which are breadth and depth. These dimensions are essential in developing a relationship which is fully intimate (Modell, 1993). Breadth disclosure is the range of topics which two individuals discuss while depth disclosure is the degree to which the revealed information is private or personal. Breadth disclosure is easier to be expressed first in a relationship since it has more accessible features which comprise layers of personality and daily live s such as preferences and occupations. It is considerably difficult to reach depth disclosure since its inner location comprises of painful memories and traits we keep secret from most people. Intimacy relies much upon self-disclosure which is expected to be reciprocal and appropriate. Assessment of self-disclosure can be done through analysis of costs and rewards. During early relational development is where most self-disclosure takes place but more intimate disclosure comes later. As social penetration theory poses, development of a relationship is relative to systematic changes in communication. Generally, relationships start with exchange of superficial information and eventually move to conversations which are more meaningful. It is essential to increase breadth and depth of a conversation if partners need to develop a more intimate relationship. Conversations between partners usually begin with â€Å"small talk† which provides little revelation about the speaker’ s information. It reaches the intimate level where the breadth and depth of the conversation increases and more personal details are revealed till it reaches the very intimate level where couples share extremely private information. Development of intimacy in relationships can only develop if both parties reciprocate disclosures. If only one partner reveals more intimate details while the other continues to disclose superficial information only, intimacy will not develop. The reciprocity process needs to be gradual and partners should match the intimacy level of the disclosures. Revelation of too personal information too soon causes an imbalance in the relationship and therefore making the other person uncomfortable. The gradual process differs from relationship to relationship and may depend on the communication partner. Reciprocity is the positive response from a person with whom one is sharing information. It can be described by three theories which are: norm of reciprocity, social exchange theory and the social attraction-trust hypothesis. The norm of reciprocity poses that reciprocating disclosure is a social norm and failure to adhere to it makes a person uncomfortable. The social exchange theory states th at people try to maintain equality in disclosing themselves since an imbalance in self-disclosure makes them uncomfortable. Social attraction-trust hypothesis states that people disclose themselves to one another since they have the belief that the person who they disclose the information to, likes and trusts them. There are two types of reciprocity which are extended reciprocity and turn-taking reciprocity. The extended reciprocity is where disclosure takes place over a period of time while turn-taking reciprocity is when there is immediate self-disclosure between partners. Disclosure and responsiveness form the key components for intimacy. The range of topics which individuals disclose (breadth) also varies in different cultures. For example, people from the American culture tend to reveal more personal topics like relationships, body, finances and other issues concerning their health and personality than any other cultures. This is not the case when it comes to individuals from the Japanese culture. The Japanese are very conservative and mostly don’t reveal their personal issues to the public. Also, the degree of how personal the topics to be reveled are also varies across different cultures. These include feelings, thoughts and also more impersonal topics like hobbies and interests. Some individuals prefer not to reveal their feelings and private thoughts while holding conversations as they feel that this will make them seem vulnerable or insecure. The negative or positive aspect of the topic to be revealed is also an important factor that also varies in different cultures. For example a person participating i n a debate may feel that revealing a real life event that took place and had a negative effect on them may help them prove their point. However, this person may end up hurt as their opponent may not get this and may also end up using the fact to their own advantage. The individuals that tend to reveal more personal issues than others undergo more psychological problems. When establishing a relationship, there is a time period that one takes before they can fully disclose to the other. Individuals from cultures that are more conservative tend to withhold much information until they feel that the relationship has grown and they can trust the other party. Revelation of too much personal information before the relationship has grown is considered inappropriate, some other cultures however, disclosure is done after a very short period of time. The target party, to whom an individual discloses themselves, is also an important factor that is considered in many communities. For example, spouses trust each other hence, they self-disclose almost everything. Some consider the age of the target and what topics are appropriate to disclose to them. According to Alder and Proctor (2007), self-disclosure is important and at the same time it can have unfavorable outcomes. For instance, self-disclosure can help strengthen the relationship between two individuals by improving the trust between the two. It can also increase one’s influence over the other individuals and can also be used as a way of bringing out the good qualities in an individual. At the same time self-disclosure may reflect vulnerability in one’ self and may also make the other party develop a negative attitude towards the relationship leading to its termination. There are various factors to consider before a person decides to self-disclose. Sometimes, disclosure of information can be harmful than helpful. The discloser must weigh if the probable benefits level the risk. Self-disclosure is most useful when used constructively and when revealing relevant information in reasonable amounts to a person who reciprocates with their own disclosures equally. It is also crucial to reveal information that could probably save someone from harm or to help them. References Adler, R.B., Proctor, R.F. (2007).  Looking out looking in (12th Ed.). Belmont, CA:Thomas Learning, Inc. Baumeister, R. F. (1986). Public self and private self. New York: Springer-Verlag. Modell, A. H. (1993). The private self. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

The Patient Griselda, by Giovanni Boccaccio Essays -- Literary Analysi

â€Å"The Patient Griselda†, by Giovanni Boccaccio, has hidden meanings to it. Domestic violence from Gualtieri to his chosen wife, Griselda is apparent. Gualtieri feels as though his is condoned to such abuse of his wife because of her low-born social class status, her non-nobility. He further oppresses his power over her by disallowing her to have control over the upbringing of their children. Gualtieri, a young Italian marquis, was pressured by his servants to marry. His subjects were in fear that there would not be an heir to maintain the stability of their state. Gualtieri agrees to marry, but makes it clear to his subjects that he will he will find his own wife. The marquis makes his people promise that they will not question him nor criticize his choice for a wife. â€Å"My friends, since you still persist in wanting me to take a wife; I am prepared to do it, not because I have any desires to marry, but rather in order to gratify your wishes. You will recall the promise you gave me, that no matter whom I should choose; you would rest content and honour her as your lady†, (Boccaccio 164). The beginning of the marriage was peaceful. Then Griselda gave birth to a daughter. It is at this time that Gualtieri begins to â€Å"test† Griselda. His tests are actually forms of emotional abuse. He begins by testing Griselda’s obedience by having the child taken away to be raised elsewhere by woman kinfolk. He told Griselda that their daughter was dead, that he had her killed by his subjects. He repeats this same test with the birth of their son a few years later. Griselda, with no words of protest, surrenders both her children to their deaths by their own father, her husband. Griselda was abused by Gualtieri from the beginnin... ...ers as you would have others do unto you†. If it had been Griselda putting her husband through these so called â€Å"tests†, the outcome would have been very different. There would not have been any kind of a â€Å"happy ending†. Works Cited Boccaccio, Giovanni. everything2.com. Tuesday November 2000. 4 August 2010 . Campbell, Emma. "Sexual Poetics and the Politics of Translation in the Tale of Griselda." (2006): 17. Damrosch, David and David L. Pike. The Longman Anthology of World Literature Second Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009. Davis, Walter R. "Boccaccio's Decameron ." The Implications of Binary Form (2003): 20. Fulton, Helen. "The Performance of Social Class:." Domestic Violence in The Griselda Story (n.d.): 42. Jaster, Margaret Rose. ""Controlling clothes, manipulating mates: Petruchio's Griselda"." (2001): 13.

Greek And Roman Mythology Essay

Divine Myth; †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"True myths† or â€Å"myth proper†. Stories in which the main characters are super natural beings. Generally explain some aspect of the world †¢Example would be Zeus over throwing his father and the related stories; creation of myths and of the ancient greeks †¢Nyx (Night): the abstract concept of night given to a few human characteristics. Union of Nyx and Erebus (Darkness) produced their opposites, aether †Radiance† and herma â€Å"day† Legends (Sagas) †¢Latin word is Legenda â€Å"something that must be read†. Originated referred to Christian Stories of the saints. †¢Stories of great deeds from humans. (Semi-divine), usually narrates the events of the human past †¢Stories of the Trojan war and the exploits of Achilles and the other Greek heroes fit into this category. Troy and Legend †¢Heinrich Schliemann 1822-1890 †¢Believed that Homer’s stories about Troy were based on historical truth †¢Funded archaeological digs at Troy and later at Mycenae †¢Founded a huge horde of gold and jewels, â€Å"Priam’s Treasure† Folktales †¢Stories whose characters are ordinary people or animals; folk takes serve both to entertain and teach or justify. †¢Greeks had a work for folk talk, â€Å"Ainos† (Simple fable) †¢Hesiod Works and Days â€Å"The hawk and the nightingale† Motifs †¢Regular appearance of certain identifiable narrative patterns in a story †¢The modern novel we see the motif of water or light which consistently comes up n the story, serves as a thread running throughout †¢Simple motifs include; double (Twins, doppelgangers); dragons, etc Theories of Myth Allegory †¢Greek word meaning â€Å"say something differently† †¢Similar to symbolism Physical Allegory †¢THEAGENES (6TH CENTURY B. C. ) †¢First use of allegory to interpret myth †¢Myths about battles between gods really represented natural conflicts between natural  causes †¢Based his interpretations on opposites. †¢One god may represent fire and another water. Clashes represent eternal conflicts between fire and water False Etymologies †¢Means getting to the root of a word †¢Cronus (father of Zeus) †¢Greeks tried to relate Cronus to Crono (Time) †¢Cronus eats children (Time devours everything) †¢However Cronus and Crono are not etymologically related words Historical Allegory Euhemerism †¢An interpretation created by Euhemerus (ca 300 B. C. ) †¢Opposed to physical allegory, Euhemerism says myths tell us historical truths not philosophical truthsÃ'Ž †¢Gods are historical figures, human kings ruled long ago and were transformed into stories by gods †¢Related to Euhemerism and false etymologies is the idea that myths were formed by an understanding. †¢Actaeoniane are not torn apart by his dogs, but ruined by spending all his money on hunting dogs The Minoans †¢Ca 2200 B. C. E – ca 1450 B. C. E †¢Elaborate palaces; significant wealth and technology †¢Bull is an important religious symbol †¢Worshipped female fertility goddess †¢No defensive structures- mastery of the sea †¢Non Indo-Europeans †¢Non Greek Speakers (Linear A script not deciphered) Thera (Modern Santorini) †¢A rich Minoan culture that was destroyed ca 1630 BCE The End of the Minoans †¢ca 1450 B. C. E Minoan Civilization was destroyed and palaces burned †¢Palace at Cnossus Mycenaean †¢Ca 1600 B. C. E- 1150 B. C. E †¢Indo-European Greek Speakers (linear B script) †¢Mycenae’s ruled by powerful king †¢Warlike people- Bronze weaponry, chariots. †¢1150 B. C. E, palaces destroyed by fire. Linear B language lost for 400 years until Archeic Period †¢Re-emerged as Greek Alphabets Near Eastern Influence †¢Mesopotamia â€Å"Land between Rivers† (Tigris and Euphrates, modern Iraq) Important source for myths †¢Non Indo-Europeans speaking society. ( linguistic group than the Greeks) †¢Greek myths of the origin of the present world order, a universal flood and other myths show the influence of the near east. †¢Other important peoples that influenced Greek myth; Sumerians, Semites, Akk September 12, 2013 Creation Myths 1: Hesiod’s Theogony †¢Ca. 700 B. C. E †¢2 works survive intact (fragments of some of his other works are extent) †¢About the origin of the universe and the ascension of Zeus to â€Å"kings of the gods† †¢Works and Days: The account of the fall of man from a golden age to one of the iron †¢Elaborated on the personification of various aspects of life. Eg Gaea is the mother nature †¢Gaea is in pain because of Uranos’ hatred of their off spring †¢Uranos imprisons his youngest children to Tartarus †¢Succession myth (Uranos feared that his children would take his power away from him) †¢Gaea encourages Cronus to exact revenge †¢Cronus threw Uranos genitals into the sea, which gave rise to Aphrodite (God of love/sexuality) †¢The Giants (Erinyes, Furies) and Melian ash-tree Nymphs sprang from Uranos spilled blood †¢Cronus warned by Gaea (Mother) and Uranos (Father), would be afraid of their off springs †¢Cronos (Time) and Rhea had ; Zeus, Poseidon (Earth Shaker), Hades, Hera, Demeter, and  Hestia †¢Once born, Cronos eats his children to prevent from being overthrown †¢Rhea, advice from her parents hid her youngest child, Zeus on the island of Crete in a cave. †¢Rhea gave Cronus a stone in place of Zeus’s place †¢Zeus raised in a cave by nymphs and fed milk from the goat Amalthea and the honey from the bee Melissa †¢Protected by the Corybantes (Whirlers)/ Curetes â€Å"young men†Ã'Ž †¢Metis (Cleverness) give Cronus an emetic (causes him to vomit his sons and daughters) †¢The stone become the famous omphalos placed in Delphi (Center of the earth) †¢Rhea and Cronos, and Gaia and Uranus  The Titanomachy (War against the Titans) †¢Titans led by Cronus, Olympians led by Zeus †¢Some of the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires (the â€Å"Hundred-handers†) helped Zeus. The Cyclopes fashioned Zeus’s thunderbolt. †¢Eventually the Olympians won †¢Zeus banishes Cronus to Tartarus, along with the other Titans where they are watched by the Hundred-handers †¢The women were neutral, they were not banished. Epimetheus, Prometheus, and Atlas were spared. †¢Atlas’s punishment was that he had to hold up the sky at the edge of the world Typhoesus/Typhons/Typhus †¢Typheous is the youngest son of Tartarus and Gaea  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢He was so terrifying that the Olympian gods fled to Egypt and disguised themselves as animals. †¢In a fierce battle (hurled, torn to sinews) Zeus defeated Typheous- Mt. Etna(Typheous was being held down there) †¢Dragon combat motif (Characteristics where they are born inside the earth) (Dragons represent feminity; Zeus represents masculine values Birth of Athena †¢Zeus escapes the pattern of the succession myth (overthrown) †¢Zeus has married Metis and she was pregnant †¢Zeus swallowed Metis (Assimilated intelligence into himself) †¢Gave him a headache (Cracks his skull into allowing Athena to come out of his head) †¢One of Zeus’s favorite children Gigantomachy †¢Not mentioned by Hesiod †¢Giants were urged to attack Olympus †¢Another test of Zeus’s powers †¢The Olympians defeat the Giants, in a great battle. †¢Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divide the world among themselves †¢Prophecy of the son of a mortal mother; Hercules. (Was the hero Zeus needed to defeat the giants) †¢Giants urged to attack by Gaea Creation Myths 2: The Fall of Man The Punishment of Prometheus †¢Prometheus cultural hero (Gives mortals a chance) †¢Said to be the creator of humans †¢Prometheus tricked Zeus at Mekone unto reserving the edible parts of the sacrifice for humans  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Gods get the bones and fat †¢Etiology (Explains the reason) Greek sacrificial custom †¢For the trick, Zeus punishes the humans (Withholds the fire) Prometheus and Fire †¢Prometheus steals the fire back from heaven in a fennel-stalk †¢Punishment for this trickery Zeus sends Pandora to men and chains Prometheus, years later freed by Hercules. †¢Prometheus gets a visitation from an eagle every day to peck out his liver Pandora (All gifted) †¢Name means â€Å"all-gifted† because of all the gods contributed to her creation and endowed her with many charms. †¢Hephaestos- Fashions her from the earth †¢Athena- Gives her domestic skills. †¢Aphrodite- gives her grace, beauty, desire and the ability to spark sexual longing †¢Graces and Persuasion: Necklaces †¢Epimetheus (after thought) is told by his brother Prometheus (fore thought) to not accept any gifts from Zeus †¢He sees Pandora and accepts Pandora †¢She carries a JAR ( not a box) †¢In the jar, it contains all the evil and good things †¢When she opens the jar, all the evil things fall to earth while the good things fly to heaven/ †¢Only â€Å"hope† is caught in the jar 4/5 Ages of Men; Hesiod’s Works and Days and Ovid’s Metamorphoses Ovid †¢43 B. C. E – 17 B. C. E †¢Works include Art of Love and the Metamorphoses. †¢Exiled by Augustus Zeus : Father of Gods and Men †¢Derived from the Indo-European Sky God: di-cf. Germanic Tiu and Indic Dyaus Ritar – Roman Jupiter †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cloud Gather† †¢Aegis bearing Zeus – â€Å"Goat Skin† a magical object that represented Zeus power, it often represented as a shield with snake headed tassels. Zeus lent it to Athena †¢Many Lovers: (Eurynome (Graces); Mnemosyne (Muses): Ganymede (cup-bearer to the gods): Themis (rules and order) †¢Many offspring (Sarpedon, Zeus’s Son, Minos’s brother; Moerae â€Å"fates†: Clotho â€Å"spinner†, Lachesis â€Å"apportioner† and Atropos â€Å"she who cannot be turned aside†; Horae â€Å"Seasons†. †¢Zeus is renowned for his physical strength which guarantees his preeminence over all beings †¢Signature weapon which was the Lightning Bolt; Zeus Kataibates – â€Å"Zeus who descends† †¢Zeus is associated with the bull (Crete, power, fertility) and the Eagle †¢God of law and justice Dike- from the root â€Å"to point out† †¢Xenia (Formal guest friendship) cf. Xenophobia †¢As â€Å"The father of gods and men†, Zeus is a figurative father who oversees all that occurs on earth and in the heaven. †¢Literal father to a large number of gods and heroes- famous for his numerous consorts and paramours. 114 at some counts. †¢Sexual procreation as a metaphor for agricultural production- rain; semen, earth- the womb †¢Famous story from IIiad associates Zeus’s exploits and the growth of vegetation – Aphrodite’s girdle/belt (a symbol of sexuality and sexual consent) & Hera’s use of it leads to grasses, flowers and plants springing from the earth on which they reclined. Hera: Who sits on a Golden Throne †¢Hera (Juno) †¢Zeus’s wife †¢Marriage and child birth †¢Mother of Ares (by Zeus), Eileithyia, Hebe(personification of youth) & Hephaestus (Crippled and made fun of ) (Two versions of parentage) †¢Persecutes Zeus’s mistresses and illegitimate children. †¢Quarrels with Zeus incessantly †¢Seduces Zeus to turn tide of the Trojan War – Zeus; â€Å"remember when I strung you up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poseidon: Dark-Haired Lord of the Deep †¢God of the sea and earthquakes †¢Associated with the horse (drowned in a pool to sacrifice to Poseidon) †¢Produced Pegasus with the Gorgon Medusa (grotesque offspring: Polyphemus) Hades :Pluto’s â€Å"Wealthy One† †¢Name means â€Å"invisible† – unseen dead and the facelessness of death (Helm of invisilibty) †¢Never willingly allows anyone who comes to his â€Å"house† to leave †¢An immortal god but not an Olympian. Apollo †¢Origin of Apollo unknown; Lycian = Lycia (Asia Minor)? Or association with Hyperborean ( 3 Winters mos. In the far north)= Nordic Origin? †¢Born on Delos ( Floating island – Hera’s persecution of Titaness Leto â€Å"light of day† †¢Artemis is his twin sister †¢Depicted as a physically perfect young man and un-bearded and with long hair. †¢God of music, aristocratic concerns and light (later came to be associated with the sun) †¢God of illness (arrows- â€Å"Lord of mouse†, they bring disease) and healing (Asclepius, his son was the god of medicine) †¢God of prophecy; killed Python to establish his Oracle of Delphi (Dragon-combat: cf. Marduk vs Tiamat and Zeus vs Typhoeus)- shaman. †¢Known for his unhappy loves: Daphine, Cassandra, Sibyl at Cumae, Coronis (Asclepius Mother) Hermes; Psychompus; Mercury (Soul guide, or the leader of the souls) †¢God of travel, commerce, boundaries, theft and trickery (God that was worshipped from the thieves and bandits, and try to trick people) †¢Messenger to the gods (Called quicksilver because he was fast) †¢Important myths: Births, Invention of Lyre( by killing and gutting a Tortoise), Killing of Argus (Monster with 100 hundreds, watcher of 1 of Zeus’s lovers) †¢Worshipped as a Herm at crossroads and even doorways †¢Zeus had an affair with a star, and Hermes was born. Pan †¢Son of Hermes †¢Hoofs and legs of a goat with human features †¢The god’s name is likely from Indo-European root meaning â€Å"to feed† (cf Pasture) †¢The inspiration for later representations of the devil Hephaetus, God of Smiths †¢Lame smith god- highly skilled and ingenious †¢2 versions of his birth: Born from Hera alone (b/c of Athena) or son of Zeus and Hera †¢2 versions of expulsion from Olympus: Zeus threw him off for taking Hera’s side in an argument(landed on Lemnos); or Hera threw him from Olympus in disgust (Hephaetus’ golden throne of revenge and his subsequent return to Olympus) †¢Typhoeus’s jailer in Mt. Etna †¢Husband of Aphrodite (Ares & Aphrodite trapped in bed) â€Å"Hateful† Ares (God of War) Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena Sept 24 †¢Aphrodite â€Å"Of the Golden Daughty† †¢Goddess of Love †¢Born from sea-foam (ophros)- Hesiod (Roman: Venus †¢Always accompanied by Eros (Winged boy with bow and arrows or flaming torch) Also Himmeros= desire and the Graces) †¢Only Athena, Artemis and Hestia (Virgins for life, did not want to endeavor into Aphrodite’s powers) were immune to Aphrodite’s powers †¢Not originally Greek (cf. Eastern fertility goddesses, Inanna, Ishstar, Astarte)- Cyprus (transit point) â€Å"Cypris† & â€Å"Cythera†. Cyprus is the doorway between the East and the west †¢Temple prostitution (Corinth & Cythera) Important Myths †¢Birth (theogony) †¢Hermaphroditus (fused with Nymph Salmacis, became both genders by fusing with him) †¢Priapus (Dionysus or Hermes)- Boned †¢Aphrodite & Ares-Boned †¢Aphrodite & Anchises (Aeneas; lone survivor of the Trojan War)-Boned Artemis Potnia Theron †¢Mistress of Animals †¢Not a Greek Name- earlier (possibly as far back as the Paleolithic Period) †¢Twin sister of Apollo (Roman: Diana) †¢Virgin goddess, but alluring (dangerous) †¢Huntress (bow and arrows, deer) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Struck by the arrows of Artemis†. †¢Scared animals include the bear – (Braurania ritual and the Arktoi- â€Å"little bear†) Important Myths †¢Iphigenia (Sacrifice) Daughter of the great Greek general †¢Niobe (Boast about having more kids than Leto) Leto ask Apollo and Artemis to honor †¢Orion (constellation) tried to rape Artemis and Artemis put a scorpion on his head and he died. †¢Actaeon (Human Sacrifice? ) Turned into a Stagg because he saw Artemis nude. Then Actaeon’s dogs killed him Athena â€Å"Mistress of the City† †¢Takes her name from the city of Athens ( Not the other way around) †¢Roman: Minerva †¢Associated with the owl (owl-eyed). †¢Often represented with the helmet, shield and spear, wears the Aegis around her shoulders †¢Goddess of war (justified, defensive, strategic) †¢Goddess of domestic crafts ( especially weaving) Important Myths †¢Birth †¢Contest with Poseidon †¢ BIRTH OF ERICHTHONIUS (1ST KING OF ATHENS) HEPHATUS JIZZED ON ATHENA’S HIPS AND SHE wiped it off and she threw it off the ground on Athens and spawned the legendary king Erichthonius, he was snaky because he spawned in the earth †¢Arachne (Athena turned her in a spider) She weaved something that made fun of the gods. Athena slashed her face. She then committed suicide. Athena felt sorry for her  suicide and turned her into a spider September 26, 2013 Demeter †¢Meter means â€Å"mother†, De- unknown meaning †¢Greek Goddess most closely associated with the great mother-goddess †¢Goddess of grain and the harvest †¢Story of Demeter and Persephone comes from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter †¢Close association between the female, the underworld and the cyclical nature of existence †¢Demeter’s daughter by Zeus is Persephone, also known as Kore—Daughter or girl †¢D. and P. are often called â€Å"the two Demeters† or â€Å"the two goddesses†. The rape of Persephone †¢Persephone is taken to the underworld with Zeus’s permission- cf.marriage in ancient Greece †¢Persephone picked flowers as Hades arose from the depths to abduct her †¢Only Hecate and Helius heard her cries †¢Finally, Demeter heard her daughter’s cries and searched the entire earth for her Demeter’s Search †¢Nobody mortal or immortal would tell Demeter what happened †¢She wandered the earth for nine days with torches in her hands †¢Refused to eat ambrosia or drink nectar and did not bathe †¢Hecate finally told Demeter part of the story and then Helius filled in the rest †¢In disguise, Demeter left Olympus and descended to the towns and cities of men where she eventually came to Eleusis (Town outside Athens, center of the Eleusinian Mysteries) The Eleusinian Mysteries †¢At Eleusis, Demeter rested at the â€Å"Well of the Maiden† where she was approached by the daughters of Eleusis’ king Celeus †¢They asked where she was from and offered her hospitality †¢They hired Demeter as a nanny to their mother, Metaneira’s child, Demophoon †¢Lambe tries to entertain Demeter by telling her dirty jokes †¢Metaneira offered Demeter, Kykeon, as barley-drink †¢Demeter tried to repay their kindness by making Demophoon immortal. (Demeter would take the baby and put him in the fire, burning away his mortality). †¢Eventually, Celeus decreed a glorious temple be built in honor of Demeter. Tough Times for Humanity †¢In anger over her daughter’s abduction, Demeter withdrew all agriculture from the earth †¢Zeus demanded that Demeter relent but she refused. †¢Zeus sent Hermes to Hades to convince him to release Persephone and he agreed (etiological myth re: seasons). The Epic of Gilgamesh and Heroic Myth Oct 1 †¢Legends are stories about exceptional humans doing exceptional things which are said to narrate episodes from the human past- heroes. †¢Heroes were noble or well-born, originally living and breathing people-Homeric kings  and warriors. †¢Eventually these great individuals came to be worshipped as powers dwelling beneath the earth †¢The name of places of the individual’s cult where they were worshipped, were called Heroa †¢Heroa were often huge earthen mounds visible on the landscape for great distances eg Achilles at Troy’s Pelops at Olympia and Aenea’s near Rome. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Heroic Pattern †¢Few ancient cultures produced heroic myths; however the Mesopotamians and Greeks did †¢The Epic of Gilgamesh greatly influenced later Greek heroic myth(movement of ideas from the East to West in Archaic period) †¢Gilgamesh was a real man who rules the Sumerian City of Uruk c 2600 B. C. E (cuneiform lists of kings) evidence that heroes likely lived at one time. †¢This influence on Greek heroic myth is shown by shared motifs: Shared Motifs †¢One of the hero’s parents may be divine (eg Gilgamesh) but he is like all humans, destined to die. †¢Miraculous or unusual birth of which we know little (Part is missing from the Epic Gilgamesh) †¢Hero is outstanding in his strength and is a menace to those around him, friend, and foe alike. †¢Hero has a male companion (Enkidu created by the gods from clay to temper Gilgamesh’s spirit) †¢Hero falls under enemy power and is forced to complete impossible tasks (eg. Kills Humbaba) †¢Taboo broken by hero, terrible price demanded (Enlil the storm-god was angry that Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed Humbaba) †¢Hero resists the temptations of a dangerous woman (Ishtar asks her father Anu to send Bull of Heaven) †¢Hero responsible for friend’s death (Enkidu dies after he and Gilgamesh kill Bull of Heaven – cf. Patroclus & Achilles) †¢Hero goes on a quest to defeat death; even traveling to the underworld (Gilgamesh travels across the waters of death to see Utnapushtim (cf. Ziusudra, Atrahasis, Noah, Deucallion) †¢Has help of gods, spirits, or magical objects (Gilgamesh magical stilts/poles) †¢Hero returns home, atones for his misdeeds and accepts his mortality (after failing twice to achieve immortality- unable to stay awake for 7 days, loss of prickly herb at the bottom of the sea) †¢Hero given a great reward (Gilgamesh honored by people of Uruk) †¢Hero given a great funeral and may become a god (Gilgamesh given a fine funeral and his memory will never die) Rationalism and Allegory †¢THEAGENES (6TH CENTURY B. C. E) THEORIZED THAT BATTLES BETWEEN THE GODS REPRESENTED clashes between natural elements (e. g in the Lliad 20.54ff Apollo (representing fire) fights Poseidon (water) †¢Cronus is identified with time ( Cronos)- all things are begotten by time and devoured by it as well, just like Cronus’s children. Because of this false etymology, we still envision Father of time as the grim-reaper (with sickle) on account of Cronus’s castration of his father †¢Another false-etymological example stems of Hera sounding like the Latin word for â€Å"air†, â€Å"Air† lay just beneath the upper-atmosphere. Or â€Å"aether† ie. Jupiter/Zeus lays just about Juno/Hera. Historical Allegory †¢Euhemerism: myths reveals a historical truth (Euhermerus wrote of a golden column  inscribed with the names with early human kings) †¢The conflicts between Uranus, Cronus and Zeus were representative of palace intrigues †¢During his reign Zeus traveled the earth teaching the arts of civilization, banning cannibalism, and founding temples. Died on Crete after a long life †¢Gods may have been kings and heroes of real men who founded cities and did great deeds. Moral Allegory †¢The interpretation that a myth is a system of advice on good and bad behavior †¢Eg. Daphine was an example of chastity and Harpies who steal men’s food are really prostitutes who ruin men with their fees. †¢When Paris gives his famous judgment, he is really choosing between 3 kinds of life: active (Hera), contemplative (Athena), amorous (Aphrodite) which all men must choose. Perseus and the Myths of the Argive Plain †¢Rich Bronze Age area †¢Tiryns- Perseus was the king of Tiryns when he founded Mycenae †¢Argos not important in the Bronze Age, but is often confused in the myth with the Mycenae which was The Wanderings of Io †¢The River god Inachus and Melia- parents of Io †¢Io – ancestor of 3 great dynasties: the houses of Argos, Crete & Thebes †¢Zeus’s passion and Hera’s jealousy (spots mysterious clouds) †¢The â€Å"cow†, Hera took her and takes the cow puts a monster to watch her, so Zeus doesn’t see her again †¢Argus (Hundred Eyes) †¢Hermes (Argeiphontes; Killer of Argus) †¢Ionian Sea, Byzantium- the Bosporus â€Å"cow-missing†, the Caucasus Mountains(Meets Prometheus; things will get better), Egypt (Regains human form) †¢Gives birth to Epaphus â€Å"he who has been touched† Crimes of the Danaids †¢Epaphus + Memphis (name of the ancient Egyptian capital, daughter of the Nilus the Nile River)= Libya (country west of the Nile river in North Africa) †¢Libya + Poseidon are parents of †¢Agenor (Ancestor to the houses of Crete and Thebes)(Arabia) †¢Belus (ancestor of Perseus & Royal house of Argo, means â€Å"lord† in Semitic language)(Libya) Crimes of the Danaids †¢Aegyptus has 50 sons †¢Danaus has 50 daughters= the Danaids †¢They flee to Argos to prevent proposed marriages (feared a takeover of Libya) †¢The sons of Aegyptus eventually marry to Danaids†¦. (Danaus gives all his daughters daggers to kill every husband) †¢Only Hypermnestra spared her husband Lynceus- â€Å"all but one† motif †¢All the daughters/Sisters were doomed on the underworld, they had to fill a jar that would never fill The Legends of Perseus Danae and the Shower of Gold †¢Lynceus (the one sparred) in Argos after Danaus. †¢His sons Abas has twins ( hate each other-quarreled in womb cf. Jacob & Esau and Isis, Osiris & Seth) †¢Acrisius has a daughter, Danae but wants sons (Heirs) †¢Oracles say that Danae will have a son, but that he will kill his grandfather (Acrisius) (Forbidden to Marry- prohibition) †¢Acrisius builds underground bronze chamber to imprison Danae (folktake; Seclusion) †¢Zeus â€Å"shower of gold† impregnates her (Folktale motif: violation of prohibition. Heroic motif: extraordinary birth) †¢Perseus and Danae set adrift in a wooden box (folktake motif: threat of death) †¢Dictys (â€Å"netman†) at Seriphos saves Danae and Perseus (folktale motif: liberation). †¢Dicty’s brother Polydectes (â€Å"much-receiver†, the king of Seriphos) demands Danae’s hand in marriage †¢Perseus tricked into going on a quest for the head of a Gorgon: he had no horse as a wedding gift for Polydecates- Perseus boasts â€Å"I will bring anything, else Polydecates wants, even a Gorgon’s head (Heroic motif: hero falls under enemy power and is forces to complete impossible tasks) Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer †¢Gorgons: †¢Stheno †¢Euryale †¢Medusa (The only mortal Gorgon) †¢Instructions from Athena: find the Graeae â€Å"grey-haired women† and learn whereabouts of helpful Nymphs (grabs eye, demands answers – â€Å"where are they†). †¢Perseus receives magical objects from the Nymphs: Hade’s cap of invisibility, winged sandals; special pouch. Hermes also provides a sword and a polished bronze shield (Heroic motif: has the help of the gods, spirits, or magical objects) The killing of Medusa †¢Uses shield as a mirror to avoid the gaze of the Gorgons, sneaks up on Medusa and cuts off her head †¢From the body of Medusa, who was at the time pregnant by Poseidon †¢Pegasus (Later tamed by Bellerophon) †¢Chrysaor †¢Puts his head in pouch, flies off with winged sandals with the Stheno and Euryale in pursuit (can’t see him with the cap of invisibility). †¢Perseus free’s his mother by showing the Medusa’s head to Polydecates Perseus and Andromeda †¢A variant has Perseus returning to Seriphos after a few adventures †¢Came to Joppa (near Modern Tel Aviv) ruled by Cepheus †¢Cepheus’s daughter, Andromeda, is about to be sacrificed to a sea monster, because of a rash boast by her mother, Cassiopeia (more beautiful than the Nereids) †¢Perseus given Andromeda’s hand in marriage and the kingdom for having freed her †¢Phineus (Cepheus’s brother) to whom Andromeda has been betrothed, bursts in a banquet in Honor of Perseus and is turned into stone with his men by the head of Medusa. †¢Perseus stays in the East for a year and gives birth to Perses, ancestor to the Persian people. The Death of Acrisius †¢Wanting to meet his grandfather Perseus returns to Argos †¢Acrisius flees (it is fated that Perseus will kill him) †¢At a sports contest in Thessaly, Perseus accidentally kills him with a stray discus (Motif: heroes can be a threat to civil society, even without meaning harm) †¢Ashamed to receive the kingdom from his death grandfather, Perseus trades Argos for Tiryns with Megapenthes (cousin) †¢Perseus also builds Mycenae (rules, begets dynasty) and lives there with Andromeda for  many years. At their deaths, Athena placed them among the stars as constellations, remembered forever. Heracles Oct 8 †¢Herakles Alexikakos (Wards off evil) †¢Obscure origins- Argive plain? (Eurystheus) or Thebes? (Birth place). Belong to all Greeks †¢Associated with an earlier time – club, bow & arrows †¢Excessive (Heroic) †¢Shaman figure- â€Å"Master of Animals† provided food and protection to his people †¢Heraclids (Dorians/Spartans) †¢Perseus’s granddaughter is Alcmena, wife of Amphitryon †¢While Amphitryon (H’s stepdad) was off fighting pirates, Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon. †¢As Zeus leaves, the real Amphitryon appears †¢In his way, Alcmena gave birth to a child of Zeus (Herakles) and of Amphitryon (Iphicles) †¢HERA IS NOT HAPPY†¦ (TRICKS ZEUS INTO SWEARING HIS 1ST OFFSPRING BORN THAT DAY WOULD RULE. Hera’s delay tactics- Eurystheus (Perseus’s descendent, Heracle’s cousin) born before Herakles. †¢Received an aristocratic education (wrestling, archery, warfare, playing lyre†¦ Kills Linus for telling Herakles that he is bad at playing the lyre (poor linus) †¢Herakles sent away to tend cattle in the mountains cf. cattle of Geryon- Herakles as master of animals. †¢Hunted a lion (Ravaging flocks) for king Thespius of Thespaie by day, stayed at his house by night (50 daughters-Heraclids, sons of Heracles, founded the noble family of the Spartans) †¢Herakles marries Megara daughter of Creon (King of Thebes) and has 3 children †¢Goes mad and kills his family (driven insane by Hera; he believes that they are his enemies) †¢Went to Delphi to learn what he must do to atone for his crime- must leave Thebes, go to Argive plain serve Eurystheus (Herakle’s cousin, king of Mycenae) †¢12 Labors †¢Miasma is that his blood is tainted and his blood his contagious. ( blood guilt) Must be purified by a God. †¢12 LABORS. 1ST LABOR, FACES A MONSTROUS LION; SKIN THAT IS IMPENETRABLE. NEMEAN LION. Wrestles with the lion and kills him. Use’s the lion’s claws to skin the lion. Wears the skin †¢2ND HERAKLE SLAYS THE HYDRA (OFFSPRING OF TYPHEOUS; GAEA) SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE THEY overcome the older generation. Herakle has help from his nephew, kills the Hydra by having his nephew torch the heads of which he cuts off, so they do not grow back. Hydra’s blood is poisonous, arrows dipped in it. †¢3RD HERAKLES AND ATHENA WAS TO CAPTURE THE GOLDEN HIND OF CERYNEIA WHO IS SCARED TOArtemis. By taking the stag when it was asleep. Told Artemis on the way back that he had to. †¢4TH TOLD TO RETRIEVE THE GIRDLE OF HIPPOLYTA FROM THE AMAZONS. IT IS TO EXERT SEXUAL dominances. †¢5TH HERAKLES TOLD TO BRING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR TO EURYSETHUS WHO HIDES IN PITHOS. (Eurysethus is scared and builds himself a jar to hide from) †¢6th Mares of Diomedes 4 man eating horses who were owned by Diomedes. In the end he fed Diomedes to his mares because the mares kill his favored companion Abderus †¢7TH TRIPLE BODY GERYAN, THE CATTLE’S WHERE HE KILLED GERYAN AND HIS BROTHER WHO GUARDED the cattle. Eurytheus sacrificed the cattle to Hera. †¢8TH APPLES OF HESPERIDES (WEDDING GIVES TO HERA WHEN SHE MARRIED ZEUS) THESE APPLES ARE immortal. They are grown on the edge of the world. Atlas taunt’s Herakle’s with the Apples of the Hesperides. Herakles took the world on his shoulder. Atlas gets the apples, Herakle’s trick Atlas by telling Atlas to hold the world while Herakle’s adjust his neck. Atlas takes the world, and Herakle takes the apples from him. †¢9TH CERBERUS IS HADE’S HOUND OF HELL. HE MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LEAVE HELL. DRAGS BACK THE hounds of hell †¢10TH AUGEAN STABLES; CLEANSES THE AUGEAN. IT IS A BIG STABLE, STABLE OF 1000 DIVINE CATTLE’S that poop a lot. Re-routed a couple of rivers and flush the stables out. †¢11TH HERCULES WAS TO DRIVE AWAY AN ENORMOUS FLOCK OF BIRDS WHICH GATHERED AT A LAKE NEAR the town of Stymphalos. Hercules had no idea how to drive the huge gathering of birds away. The goddess Athena came to his aid, providing a pair of bronze krotala, noisemaking clappers similar to castanets. These were no ordinary noisemakers. They had been made by an immortal craftsman, Hephaistos, the god of the forge. †¢12TH LABOR; HERCULES EASILY DISPOSED OF THE CRETAN BULL. BRINGS THE BULL BACK TO EURYTHEUS. King Midas was to sacrifice whatever animal that the Poseidon sent. The god sent a bull so beautiful that he couldn’t. Made the bull rampage all over Crete and made Midas’s wife fall in love with it, making the Minotaur. He put the Minotaur in the labyrinths, feed’s him with the prisoners of Athens. After the Labors †¢Wished to merry Lole, daughter of Eurytus, a local king. He refused remembering Megara’s fate †¢Eurytus discovers 12 prize mares missing, sends Son to question Herakles- son is killed (violate of Xenia) †¢Herakles goes to Delphi to find out how to atone for crimes, Pythia refuses to respond. †¢Herakle steals tripod runs off and boasts that he will establish his own oracle! †¢Apollo prescribe 3 years as a woman’s slave (Omphale the Lydian queen) †¢Afterwards marries Deianaira â€Å"man killer† †¢Tricked by the centaur Nessus; told that his blood and semen would make potent love potion to use on Heracles. †¢The blood is poisoned by the Hydra blood used to kill him †¢Undergoes Apotheosis (became a god of Olympus) after his mortal self is killed by the poison †¢Hercale marries Hebe (personification of youth) after ascending to Olympus Oct 10 Athens and Theseus.

Is the ACT Curved Expert Guide to the ACT Curve

Is the ACT Curved Expert Guide to the ACT Curve SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you've already taken the ACT or are busy preparing for it now,you've likelywondered at some point: isthe ACT curved? Does a 32 on one ACTequal a 32 on another? In this article, we’ll investigate the rumor of the ACT curve andexplain what it really means. Then we'll examine the function of this curve as well as how it's changedover time, before finally explaining what the ACT curve means for test takersand how you can use it to your advantage. Is the ACT Curved? Contrary to popular belief, there is no ACT curve. This means that how well other test takersdo on the ACT willnot affect your ACT score. Even if everyone who took the ACT on a particulartest date were to receive lowscores, none of these scores would be raised or redistributed to establish a more balanced ACT bell curve. In short,your ACT score will always be the exact score you earn on the test- itwill never increase nor decrease as a result ofother test takers' performances. So how does ACT scoring actually work, then? The test's creators,ACT, Inc.,account for variations in difficulty across test dates througha special processcalled equating. This process ensures that scale ACT scores from different administrations of the test always indicate the same level of ability, regardless of when or with whom you take the ACT. Here's howACT, Inc., describesequating: â€Å"Statistical processes, referred to as ‘equating,’ are used to ensure that scores from the same test (e.g., ACT math, ACT English) are comparable across administrations and students, so there is no advantage in taking a test in one administration (e.g., October 2015) over another administration* (e.g., May 2013).† *Emphasis mine. Basically,there's no such thing as an easier or harder ACT test date. ACTs are equated so that your chance of getting a certain scale score is the same for all administrations. This means thata Math score of 28 on one ACT will always equal a Math score of 28 on anotherACT, even if one test contains hardermath questions. So despite what the rumors may claim, there is no "best" time to take the ACTbecause when and with whom you take the ACTis ultimately irrelevant. In truth, neither factoraffectsyour chance of hitting your ACT goal scoreon test day! Even if you were surrounded by Albert Einsteins, their ACT scores still wouldn't affect yours! How Does the ACT â€Å"Curve† Work? Before we delve into the ACT curve,let's take a moment to review the ACT scoring system. The ACT comprises four subject areas: English, Math, Reading, and Science. (There is also a fifth optional Writing section.) Each of the four major sections is assigned a scale score on a scale of 1-36. These four scale scores are then averaged together to give you a composite ACT score out of 36. (This composite score does not include the ACT Writing score.) So how does ACT, Inc.,calculate these scale scores? For each section, you’ll begin with a raw score, which isequivalent to the number of questions you answered correctly. (Note that there are no penalties for incorrect or blank answers.) So ifyou answered 60 out of 75 questions correctly on the English section, your raw English score would be 60. Afterward, each raw score is then converted into a scale score out of 36. But here’s the kicker: how a raw score converts into a scale score varies with each administration of the ACT. This is because each ACT differs slightly in content and difficulty; thus, each test must use a unique equating formula to determinehow its raw scores will translate into scale scores. Unfortunately, this means there's no way for us to know for sure how a raw score will convert into a scale score on an upcoming ACT. That being said, we canestimatehow raw scores may convert into scale scores using score conversion charts fromofficial ACT practice tests. All of these practice tests are based on former ACTs that were actually administered, so the equating processes they employ are guaranteed to be most similar to those used for upcoming administrations. Below are the scoring tables for the2014-15and2016-17ACT practice tests. These tables will show us how raw scores vary in the scale scores into which they convert. 2014-15 ACT Score Conversion Table Scale Score Raw Scores Scale Score English Math Reading Science 36 75 59-60 40 40 36 35 73-74 57-58 39 39 35 34 71-72 55-56 38 38 34 33 70 54 - 37 33 32 69 53 37 - 32 31 68 52 36 36 31 30 67 50-51 35 35 30 29 66 49 34 34 29 28 64-65 47-48 33 33 28 27 62-63 45-46 32 31-32 27 26 60-61 43-44 31 30 26 25 58-59 41-42 30 28-29 25 24 56-57 38-40 29 26-27 24 23 53-55 36-37 27-28 24-25 23 22 51-52 34-35 26 23 22 21 48-50 33 25 21-22 21 20 45-47 31-32 23-24 19-20 20 19 42-44 29-30 22 17-18 19 18 40-41 27-28 20-21 16 18 17 38-39 24-26 19 14-15 17 16 35-37 19-23 18 13 16 15 33-34 15-18 16-17 12 15 14 30-32 12-14 14-15 11 14 13 29 10-11 13 10 13 12 27-28 8-9 11-12 9 12 11 25-26 6-7 9-10 8 11 10 23-24 5 8 7 10 9 20-22 4 7 6 9 8 17-19 - 6 5 8 7 14-16 3 5 4 7 6 11-13 - 4 3 6 5 9-10 2 3 - 5 4 6-8 - - 2 4 3 5 1 2 1 3 2 3-4 - 1 - 2 1 0-2 0 0 0 1 Now how did THIS table get in here? 2016-17 ACT Score Conversion Table Scale Score Raw Scores Scale Score English Math Reading Science 36 75 60 40 40 36 35 72-74 58-59 39 39 35 34 71 57 38 38 34 33 70 55-56 37 37 33 32 68-69 54 35-36 - 32 31 67 52-53 34 36 31 30 66 50-51 33 35 30 29 65 48-49 32 34 29 28 63-64 45-47 31 33 28 27 62 43-44 30 32 27 26 60-61 40-42 29 30-31 26 25 58-59 38-39 28 28-29 25 24 56-57 36-37 27 26-27 24 23 53-55 34-35 25-26 24-25 23 22 51-52 32-33 24 22-23 22 21 48-50 30-31 22-23 21 21 20 45-47 29 21 19-20 20 19 43-44 27-28 19-20 17-18 19 18 41-42 24-26 18 16 18 17 39-40 21-23 17 14-15 17 16 36-38 17-20 15-16 13 16 15 32-35 13-16 14 12 15 14 29-31 11-12 12-13 11 14 13 27-28 8-10 11 10 13 12 25-26 7 9-10 9 12 11 23-24 5-6 8 8 11 10 20-22 4 6-7 7 10 9 18-19 - - 5-6 9 8 15-17 3 5 - 8 7 12-14 - 4 4 7 6 10-11 2 3 3 6 5 8-9 - - 2 5 4 6-7 1 2 - 4 3 4-5 - - 1 3 2 2-3 - 1 - 2 1 0-1 0 0 0 1 Based onthe charts above, we can see that there are several variations inscore conversions. To get a scale score of 20 on Math, you’d need to answer at least 31 questions correctly on the 2014-15 test but only 29 on the 2016-17 test. This difference hintsthat the Math on the 2014-15 testisof a slightly easier difficulty than that on the 2016-17 test. Why? Becauseyou'd need to score more raw points on the 2014-15 Math section to get the same scale score on the 2016-17 Math section. We can also see that if you were to get a raw Readingscore of 28on the 2014-15 test, you’d get a scale score of 23. Buton the 2016-17 test, this same raw score would net you a noticeably higher score of 25. Once again, this relationship indicates that the 2014-15Reading section is slightly easier than the2016-17 Reading section. So what do these findings ultimatelymean for us? First off, score conversions for the ACT don't seem to vary significantly. On these two tests, most differences are fairly nominal - around two or three points at most - indicating that there likely won't beany giant discrepancies in raw score conversionsfor upcoming ACTs. Perhaps more importantly, though, we seethatyou can never knowexactly how many questions you'll need to answer correctly to geta certain scale score on the ACT. All you can do is estimate the number of correct answers you'll need using patterns in conversions for previous tests. Now, try estimating the number of books in this insanely cool book spiral. Has the ACT Curve Changed Over Time? We know that eachACT uses a different equating formula to convert raw scores into scale scores. But hasthis pattern in conversions changedover time? To answer this question, we’re going to look at the oldest and newest ACT practice tests currently available online: the 2005-06 test and the 2016-17 test. (Remember, these practice tests are based on real ACTs, so their score conversion tables should give us a general sense of how the ACT curve haschanged, if at all, over the years.) 2005-06 and 2016-17 ACT Score Conversions Scale Score Raw Scores (2005-06) Raw Scores (2016-17) Scale Score Eng Math Read Sci Eng Math Read Sci 36 75 60 40 40 75 60 40 40 36 35 74 59 39 - 72-74 58-59 39 39 35 34 73 58 38 39 71 57 38 38 34 33 72 57 - - 70 55-56 37 37 33 32 71 55-56 37 38 68-69 54 35-36 - 32 31 70 54 36 - 67 52-53 34 36 31 30 68-69 52-53 35 37 66 50-51 33 35 30 29 67 50-51 34 36 65 48-49 32 34 29 28 65-66 48-49 32-33 35 63-64 45-47 31 33 28 27 63-64 45-47 31 34 62 43-44 30 32 27 26 61-62 43-44 30 33 60-61 40-42 29 30-31 26 25 58-60 41-42 28-29 31-32 58-59 38-39 28 28-29 25 24 56-57 38-40 27 30 56-57 36-37 27 26-27 24 23 54-55 36-37 25-26 28-29 53-55 34-35 25-26 24-25 23 22 52-53 34-35 24 27 51-52 32-33 24 22-23 22 21 49-51 32-33 23 25-26 48-50 30-31 22-23 21 21 20 46-48 30-31 21-22 23-24 45-47 29 21 19-20 20 19 43-45 28-29 20 21-22 43-44 27-28 19-20 17-18 19 18 40-42 25-27 19 19-20 41-42 24-26 18 16 18 17 38-39 21-24 18 17-18 39-40 21-23 17 14-15 17 16 36-37 18-20 17 15-16 36-38 17-20 15-16 13 16 15 33-35 15-17 15-16 14 32-35 13-16 14 12 15 14 30-32 12-14 14 13 29-31 11-12 12-13 11 14 13 28-29 9-11 12-13 11-12 27-28 8-10 11 10 13 12 26-27 7-8 10-11 10 25-26 7 9-10 9 12 11 24-25 6 8-9 9 23-24 5-6 8 8 11 10 21-23 5 7 7-8 20-22 4 6-7 7 10 9 18-20 4 6 6 18-19 - - 5-6 9 8 15-17 3 5 5 15-17 3 5 - 8 7 12-14 - 4 4 12-14 - 4 4 7 6 10-11 2 - 3 10-11 2 3 3 6 5 8-9 - 3 2 8-9 - - 2 5 4 6-7 1 2 - 6-7 1 2 - 4 3 4-5 - - 1 4-5 - - 1 3 2 2-3 - 1 - 2-3 - 1 - 2 1 0-1 0 0 0 0-1 0 0 0 1 Glancing at each section, you can probably already see that there are some key differences in how raw scores convert into scale scores. On the Science section, missing three questions gives you a scale score of 33 on the 2016-17 test but only a 30 on the 2005-06 test. This trend applies to the other scores in Science, too:you’d generally have to score more raw points in Science on the 2005-06 test to get the same scale scores in Science on the 2016-17 test. Thus,we can infer thatthe2005-06 Science questions were slightly easier than the 2016-17 Science questions. But do the other sections follow similar patterns? Yep!On Reading, a raw score of 35 translates to a scale score of 32 on the 2016-17 test but only a 30 on the 2005-06 test. Once again, this points to a slight difference in difficulty, with the 2005-06 Reading section being a little easier than the 2016-17 section. Likewise, on Math and English, the 2016-17 test tends to require fewer raw points to get certain scale scores than the 2005-06 test. Even withthe presence of these patterns, however, most differences in score conversions for the two tests are minimal.In fact, the vast majority of raw scores convert intoscale scores only one to two points lower or higher. So despite the fact there are clearly differencesin the equating formulasfor the two tests, we can conclude that the number of questions you must answer correctly to get certain scale scores on the ACT has remained relatively consistent throughout the years. Additionally,by taking into account the consistency of ACT percentiles, we seethat the overall difficulty of the ACT hasn’t experienced any drastic shifts, either, further supporting our conclusion. The number of sprinkles on these cookies is definitely NOT consistent. What Does the ACT Curve Mean for YOU? As I've mentioned before, theACT curve is extraordinarily useful for estimating the number of correct answers you'll need to get the scale score you want on test day. Before you start prepping for the ACT, find your target score. Then, use official ACT score conversion charts from practice tests to estimate the number of questions you'll need to get rightin order to reach your target scores for the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections. Just remember the caveat: noscore conversion chart will apply exactly to your upcoming ACT administration, as each of these charts showcasesthe equating process forone specific test.But by usingseveral charts together, you can give yourself a fairly accuraterange of raw-score-to-scale-score conversions. Additionally, it's important you understandthe following key pointsabout the ACT curve: When you take the ACT does not affectyour scale score.The equating process ensures that test takers on one test date will not have an advantage over test takers on a different test date, and this goes for state-sponsored administrations, as well. So don't believe the rumors - there's no easier or harder test date! (This is why raw scoresconvert differently intoscale scores!) Who takes the ACT does not affect your scale score.Scale scores are not like ACT percentilesin thatthey're not determined by how well other test takers perform. So, really, it doesn’t matter at all who you take the test with. Even if you were to take the ACT with all certified geniuses, their scores still wouldn't affect yours in the slightest! You can'tuse the ACT curve to game the system.Because you'llnever know beforehand how a specific ACTwill convert raw scores into scale scores, youcan't everguarantee yourself a higher score by taking the ACT on a certain date or with a specific group of people. Absolutely none of these factors affects the ACT curve, and anyone who claims otherwise is wrong! Unfortunately, you can't Houdini your way to a high ACT score. Recap: Is the ACT Curved? Despite what's often rumored, there is no ACT curve - at least not a traditional one. The ACT accounts for differences in difficulty among various administrations of the exam through a complex equating process. But because we don't know what the exact equating formula is for each test, we'll never be able to predict with certainty how raw scores on an upcoming ACT will convert into scale scores. Nevertheless, you can use score conversion tables from official ACT practice tests to estimate the number of correct answers you’ll need to reach your goal scores on test day. All official practice tests are based on past ACTs and thusoffer a realistic glimpse intohow raw scores typically convert into scale scores. Overall, the essential facts to remember about the ACT curve are the following: The ACT curve is actually an equating process that accounts for variances in difficulty among different test dates. Therefore,it doesn’t matter when or with whom you take thetest. The ACT curve has remained relatively stable over time, meaning the number of correct answers you need to get certain scale scores varies only minimallywith each test. You can't use the ACT curve to cheat the systemor secure yourself a higher ACT score, so don’t even bother trying! What’s Next? Want to learn more about ACT scoring?Get the rundown onhow the ACT is scoredand check out our guide for detailed tips on what the ACT score range means for you. Need ACT tips and resources?We've got a huge selection here at PrepScholar, whether you're looking for the best ACT prep books or our expert strategies for getting a perfect 36. What about the SAT? Does it have a curve, too? Hop on over tomy in-depth analysis of theSAT curve (coming soon) tolearn more about the SAT equating processand how raw SAT scores convert into scaled scores. 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.