The Concept of Idealism in the International Relations Spectrum Essay Sample free essay sample

Idealism allegedly dominated the survey of international dealingss from the terminal of the First World War until the late thirtiess. Idealists are out of touch with current believing. they put moral rules before practical or prudential considerations. and are naive about the universe around them. They are futurists who seek a perfect universe. It is non surprising. so. that it was the self-proclaimed realists who coined the term to depict the broad internationalism of the interwar old ages. Whether it deserves such a label is problematic. Recent research indicates that the dreamer minds of the period were non every bit â€Å"other-worldly† as many realists suggested. R. N. Berki pointed out that idealism in the international position â€Å"signifies an effort to simplify political world with a position to deriving a unitary. apparently consistent image ; this enterprise involves the necessity of abstracting from political world. and besides the inclination to stay arrested i n one’s ain abstraction. We will write a custom essay sample on The Concept of Idealism in the International Relations Spectrum Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page reading this as the whole† ( Berki. 228 ) . Alternatively of utilizing and explicating term â€Å"idealism. † Carr systematically used â€Å"utopianism. † Indeed. on the few occasions Carr did utilize the term â€Å"idealism† he had in head philosophical idealism -the philosophy that upholds. approximately talking. that world is a merchandise of the head – instead than political idealism ( Carr. 20. 115 ) . In contrast the early postwar American realists – Morgenthau. Wolfers. and Herz – used the term â€Å"idealism† instead than â€Å"utopianism† . From the critical position. the two footings have been used interchangeably. By and large talking. the dreamers shared a belief in advancement and were of the position that the processs of parliamentary democracy and deliberation under the regulation of jurisprudence could be steadfastly established in international diplomatic negotiations. This is why they placed so much importance on the League of Nations and on beef uping i nternational jurisprudence. A cardinal feature of idealism is the belief that what unites human existences is more of import than what divides them. The dreamers rejected communitarian and realist statements that the province is itself a beginning of moral value for human existences. Alternatively. they defended a cosmopolite moralss and sought to educate persons about the demand to reform the international system. Bing addressed by many philosophers and politicians earlier in the history. in the beginning of the 19th century the construct of international idealism has been formulated and shaped by the philosophical system of Hegel. Harmonizing to Hegel. the province is itself an person that demands acknowledgment and achieves it by battle. and that undergoes a procedure of moral development towards full uneasiness of itself as free and independent. Like the single individual. the sovereignty of the province must possess self-certainty and exists â€Å"only as subjectivity† . The truth of subjectiveness and of personality can be realized merely as a topic and individual. The individualism of the province is manifest in the single individual of the constitutional sovereign ( Hegel. Doctrine of Right.  §279 ) . A province must undergo a procedure whereby it attains its rational uneasiness of being-for-itself. Hegel contends that in order to go free and self-determining all states must se e the rough subject of subservience. The illustrations he gives are those of Athens and Rome. which had to travel through periods of subjugation before come oning to their ain uneasiness of individualism. Quite logically. the standard of behavior which states observe in their dealingss with other provinces are. like the internal fundamental law of a province. historically developing. Hegel posed that there must be a household of provinces like that which had come into being in modern Europe. This system of provinces. although politically fragmented. constituted one people. Within this system a balance of power was maintained to protect any one of them from â€Å"the force of the powerful† . and a diplomatic negotiations emerged â€Å"in which all the members of the great European system. nevertheless distant. felt an involvement in that which happened to any one of them† ( Hegel. Doctrine of History. 430-2 ) . European provinces constrain each other non merely in the declaration of war. but besides in its behavior one time war has been declared. One may detect that being an dreamer. Hegel had a great trade of religion in the regulative capacity of usage in international dealingss. It is non a widely distributed ideal or rule that impresses itself upon the single European provinces to move humanely in their dealingss with each other. but chiefly their ain national imposts universalized. It is these. and non international jurisprudence as such. that constitute â€Å"the cosmopolitan facet of behavior which is preserved under all circumstances† ( Hegel. Doctrine of Right.  §339 ) . Between 1818. when France took its topographic point alongside Russia. Britain. Austria. and Prussia in the Concert of Europe. and the clip of Hegel’s decease in 1831. the great powers orchestrated the care of the system by agencies of holding to. or assenting in. corporate intercession in the domestic issues outside their formal legal power. The interventionism which the Gallic Revolution sanctioned provided a convenient practical rule for quashing radical activities against bing provinces. In the Americas settlements were arising against imperium. In 1823 the United States promulgated the Monroe Doctrine. which declared that in future the states of the American continent were non to be viewed as possible settlements for European powers. Furthermore. any effort to win back the freshly established South American democracies would be viewed by the United States as a menace to its peace and security. Modern international dealingss theory has late taken a normative bend and begun earnestly to research the topographic point of moralss in the dealingss among provinces. Such theoreticians at one time reject what was the dominant aspiration in assorted pretenses in the subject. viz. the hunt for nonsubjective account. and deny the Realist contention that talk of morality and ethical rules disguises the implicit in motives. viz. power and security. If ethical rules are to play a function in international dealingss. they must hold some footing of justification. A figure of theoreticians have sought to place the beginning of the rules of international moralss in either cosmopolitanism or communitarianism. while keeping at the same clip that these two classs adequately conceptualize normative thought in international dealingss since the clip of Kant. There are. of class. different types of cosmopolitanism. and likewise. communitarianism comes in different pretenses. but Hegel is exemplified as its chief advocate. Simultaneously. Marx’s cosmopolitanism is typically identified as one of its chief discrepancies along with utilitarianism and Kantianism. When we use the classs of cosmopolitanism and communitarianism to research the theories of international dealingss of Hegel and Marx we find that the states-based international system of Hegel. with its accent upon individualism. acknowledgment and international right. bases in pronounced contrast to Marx’s accent upon a homeless international community in which disaffection. development. and alienation are overcome in a cosmopolitan moral community. Harmonizing to Marx. human existences are constituted by the societal dealingss of production and international moralss. and the international system itself is a map of the manner of production. Marx’s version of cosm opolitanism is one in which the cosmopolitan moral community has little or no topographic point until the terminal of a procedure well enhanced and facilitated by the particularistic fortunes of capitalist economy. The constructs of idealism. in its assorted signifiers ( cosmopolitanism. communitarianism. etc ) exhibit farther logical development in early 20th century. and had been by and large referred as inter-war idealism. In an influential article John Herz equated idealism with an amazing array of other â€Å"isms† : universalism ; cosmopolitanism ; humanitarianism ; optimism ; liberalism ; socialism ; pacificism ; anarchism ; internationalism ; ‘idealist nationalism’ ; and millenarianism ( Herz. 157-80 ) . Uncertainty as to the nature and range of idealism as a class of idea is matched by uncertainness as to who the dreamers really were. Few of the commentaries on the period name more than two or three single dreamers. a singular fact given the extent to which they are said to hold dominated inter-war thought. Mention is made. of class. to Woodrow Wilson and his Fourteen Points. Norman Angell and Alfred Zimmern. Practically. the figure of political authors and publicizers who devoted themselves to international inquiries during the inter-war period was huge. This does non. of class. come as any great surprise given the grade to which the period was dominated by international jobs and crises of one sort or another. In his book. Carr provided a brief outline of inter-war idealism. placing the undermentioned as Utopian. hence idealistic: programs for an international constabulary force ; corporate security ; general disarming ; the thought of criminalizing war ; proposals for a â€Å"United States of Europe† ; the claim that national self-government automatically leads to peace ; the differentiation between â€Å"justiciable† and â€Å"non-justiciable† differences ; â€Å"visions of universe federation† ; and â€Å"blue-prints of a more perfect League of Nations. † If assessed critically the creative activity and farther development of the latter became the culmination of the international idealism philosophy. Whilst seeking to avoid dogmatic attachment to broad ideals. such politicians as Woodrow Wilson and Zimmern hoped to utilize these rules to modify the bing constructions of the international system. This attack emerged most clearly in their treatments of the organisation of the League of Nations after the First World War and analysis of postwar developments. Zimmern’s thought was that the organisation should be based on a series of regular conferences of states. â€Å"The cardinal rule of the League† . he wrote. â€Å"would be that it is a meeting of Governments with Governments. each Government continuing its ain independency and being responsible to its ain people† ( Zimmern. 203 ) . Such a conference would be a sort of executive commission managed by the great powers on behalf of the international organic structure of autonomous provinces. This thought contrasts with that of the broad left and socialists who argued for an international authorities with more extended powers and a attendant decrease in national crowned head powers. These proposals did much to counter Woodrow Wilson’s more ambitious thoughts and to restrict the League’s function to one where it was more of an institutionalization of the nineteenth-century impression of a Concert of Europe ( Winkler. 253-4 ) . Zimmern has been peculiarly enthusiastic about international cooperation through instruction. He was particularly critical of those who saw the League of Nations as a Panacea. for it was â€Å"only by courtesy† that the Supreme Council of the League could be described as a Concert of Europe. This Concert was a delicate construction which was. even by 1922. â€Å"visibly giving out as the memory of the great common battle grows dim† . It besides suffered from the fact that it was non based on a clear policy or mentality ( Zimmern. 49 ) . It was. hence. â€Å"little more than a ego righteous soporific† to prophesy that the League could be the solution to international struggle. Simultaneously. Zimmern remain ed a strong advocator of the ideals of the Commonwealth piece at the same clip being critical of the position that the Commonwealth entirely could move as a decisive force for universe peace. From the critical point of view. the thought that the Commonwealth could be a theoretical account for internationalism has been partially converting since the Commonwealth did non hold a good success rate on the handling of interracial personal businesss. peculiarly sing the issue of Asiatic in-migration into Australia or South Africa. Ideal scholarship on international dealingss in the inter-war period. while varied in its ain ways. evidenced at least three common togss: an overruling concern with international organisation as a supplier of security in international dealingss ; state-centrism ; and a normative though non needfully Utopian involvement in the turning away of war. In academic scholarship the predominant common concern was the League of Nations or. more by and large. the importance and hereafter of international organisation as mechanisms of corporate security and international order as a whole. The survey of international organisation was ab initio dominated by the Hagiographas of international attorneies and those that wrote in the legal parlance. concentrating about entirely on the formal. that is. constitutional construction of the League. The practical and normative facet of international theory is exemplified by the subjects of the International Studies Conferences that were sponsored by the International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation during the 1930s. The first of the conferences in 1931 addressed the turning planetary economic crisis. Two subsequent conferences addressed. severally. corporate security and peaceable alteration. Both were held in the shadow of the quickly deteriorating international state of affairs and the at hand diminution and autumn of the League as an effectual corporate security system. in the face of events in Manchuria. the Spanish Civil War and the Italian appropriation of Ethiopia. Each of the conferences addressed their replies to provinces. both individually and jointly in the League. and were explicitly intended to be fora for treatment of possible solutions to existent and perceived international crises. For case. the conference on peaceable alteration glided over the complexnes ss of the nature of peaceable alteration and alternatively straight addressed the concrete. immediate inquiry of alteration in the international system at the clip: that is. the alteration of the Versailles Treaty and the efforts to suit the claims of the alleged revisionist states. Germany. Italy. and Japan. Whatever the short-run effects of idealism on the international idealism were. its long-run results are now regarded as positive and strategic. In the essay. â€Å"The Neoidealist Moment. † Kegley specify â€Å"the most valid properties† of the dreamer traditions. and redefined â€Å"refashioned† realist paradigm â€Å"inspired by Wilsonian idealism† ( Kegley. 142 ) . Implicit in Kegley’s statement are four claims associating to what he sees as the renewed relevancy of Woodrow Wilson’s attack to universe political relations. First. he contends that the post-Cold War universe may be a â€Å"far more inviting place for the rules Wilson advocated to steer international conduct’ than the universe after the First World War or during the Cold War. Second. and closely connected. he suggests that Wilson’s thoughts â€Å"now appear less unrealistic and more compelling† . and that they may be thoughts whose clip has eventually com e ( Kegley. 134 ) . Third. he observes that the â€Å"issues that have risen to the top of the docket in theoretical and policy discourse† are really similar to those Wilson sought to lucubrate in his â€Å"Fourteen Points† ( Kegley. 135 ) . Finally. he suggests that regardless of new paradigms. theories. and other such scholarly artefacts. the universe may be really going more like the one Wilson envisaged – recent developments suggest that the post-Cold War universe may be cast more in the dreamer than the realist image ( Kegley. 139 ) . Foremost. the international idealism impacted the construct of human rights. In modern-day â€Å"domestic† and international political relations the entreaty to cosmopolitan rights has achieved unprecedented prominence. Governments are often brought to task for their human rights maltreatments. The United Nations. modified version of the League. and a great many non-governmental organisations monitor human rights throughout the universe. and instances are brought against authoritiess in the assorted international tribunals by persons who claim their human rights are being violated. Failure of authoritiess to continue the basic rights of their citizens may be evidences for articulating them bastard. In the instance of failure to prolong subsistence rights. the deductions may be rather far-reaching because it may be that the international economic system. and non the domestic authorities. is at mistake. This gives rise to the inquiry of economic justness and the redistribution o f resources ( Beitz. 150 ) . John Rawls’s â€Å"A Theory of Justice† distinguishes strongly between the internal and external dealingss of provinces. A societal construction that gives rise to inequalities is unfair unless it can be rationally justified. In the international domain. nevertheless. inequalities of wealth do non necessitate such justifications. The ground for this is that Rawls believes society to be a concerted venture productive of a societal excess for common advantage. which is in surplus of the sum of single goods. Principles of justness have to guarantee the just distribution of these goods. The socalled universe society is a aggregation of coexistent provinces and non a co-operative venture in the same sense as a state-based society. and is hence non in demand of rules for the redistribution of wealth. The regulations of justness needed for a universe society and arrived at by agencies of a 2nd contract to which provinces are parties. are regulations of that articulated by inte rnational dreamers. viz. rules of coexistence. regard for province liberty and self-government. sovereignty. and non-interference. and conventions of war. Bibliography Berki. R. N.On Political Realism. London. J. M. Dent A ; Sons. 1981 Carr. E. H.The Twenty Years’ Crisis. London. Macmillan. 1946 Hegel G. W. F.Reason in History. trans. Robert S. Hartman. Indianapolis. Bobbs-Merril. 1953 Hegel G. W. F.The Philosophy of Right. Chicago. Benton. 1952. Beitz C. .Political Theory and International Relations. Princeton. Princeton University Press. 1979 ) . 150. Herz J. . â€Å"Idealist Internationalism and the Security Dilemma† .World Politicss. 2 /2 ( 1950 ) . 157-80 Zimmern A. .Europe in Convalescence. London. 1922 Zimmern A. .The League of Nations and the Rule of Law. London. 1936 Winkler H. .The League of Nations Movement in Great Britain. 1914-1919. New Jersey. 1967 Kegley C. W. â€Å"The Neoidealist Moment in International Studies? Realist Myths and the New International Realities† .International Studies Quarterly. 37/ 2 ( 1993 ) . 131-46 Beitz C. .Political Theory and International Relations. Princeton. Princeton University Press. 1979.

sexual orientation essays

sexual orientation essays Sexual orientation has been and to some degree is still seen as a taboo topic. For many years it has been argued that sexual orientation is based on one's gender and one's sexual preference, should be based on one's sex (i.e. females should be attracted to males and males to females). For generations, these narrow views were considered to be the norm. However, hidden within society was a lifestyle that once aired was seen as deviant. Homosexuality and many sexual orientations were seen as sexual deviancy that needed some type of treatment to cure. Many people use the term sexual preference to describe someone's sexual orientation, such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc. Heterosexuals are individuals attracted to the opposite sex, homosexuals are individuals who are attracted to the same sex, while bisexuals are people who are attracted to both sexes. However this term is outdated because "sexual orientation is no longer considered to be one's conscious individual preference or choice, but is instead thought to be formed by a complicated network of social, cultural biological, economic and political factors (http:// www.siews.org/pubs/fact/fact0006.html)." Sexual orientation is based on one' erotic, romantic and affectional attractions. These attractions could occur with the same gender (sex), to the opposite gender (sex) or both. Society is obsessed with finding what determines one' sexual orientation, if an individual is homosexual or bisexual. Surprising, society is not really fascinated why heterosexuals are 'straight'. "Straight people do not 'come out' because our society assumes that people are straight unless they say that they are not (Planned Parenthood. 2000, p. 3)." This assumption is known as heterosexism, which is quite offensive and disrespectful towards the homosexual community. A large sector of the population fails to realize how difficult 'coming out' might be for homosexuals to their f...

Marketing Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Questions - Research Paper Example The universal emotions of welcoming them will allow them to gain my trust, therefore work on understanding my points or point of view, as I also do the same. Secondly, I will need to slow down my speech and expressions when explaining about the commodity, so that they do not mix-up everything, which they can amplify their fear of investing in the product (Lilley, 2013). Additionally, I may need to demonstrate my points using pictures or showing the product; ask for a person that can understand their language or culture better; try to confirm that they understood my explanations, exercise patience and maintain a sense of humor, so as to ensure that they remain interested. In dealing with older customers, I would ensure that I show respect to them, because that would be the first quality they may expect from a young attendant. Secondly, I would need to be kind and to show empathy for their incapacities in the case they have any. More importantly, I would need to adjust to their tempo of speech, so that they can understand me well and connect with me (Lilley, 2013). Additionally, showing them cheer will help them feel comfortable in my company, which will affect their buying behavior. In dealing with very talkative customers, first I will need to direct the talk in the direction of the sale, and immediately they pause their talk, I give them a summary of the talk and then I switch to the product and all its benefits. Apart from the explanation, a sample would help, and then I ask him to check it out a little (Lilley, 2013). After he has talked about it for a while, I will have all the information on his needs, therefore will mention them repeatedly, so that they purchase it. 2. Many employees are motivated by getting more money, in the form of bonuses or raises, but it is not always possible to increase the pay of employees – as a way of motivating them. This is particularly the case, due to the adverse financial situation facing many companies and institutions (Dow, 2012). However, money is not the strongest and not the only source of motivation. Recognition, which is the practice of congratulating an employee or acknowledging their input and good performance, empowers them by making them feel happier about themselves and their performance, which triggers improved performance. Recognition lies at the subconscious desires of all individuals; making them feel appreciated and valued for their contribution as an employee and for their uniqueness as a people who make a difference triggers their suppressed abilities (Dow, 2012). Valuing workers implies that the employer sees them as individuals that contribute towards the overa ll accomplishment and the goals of the company. When an employer makes his employees feel appreciated, he pushes them to pursue doing well and ensuring that their input and contribution will continue to be appreciated (Dow, 2012). Appealing to the human need for recognition makes employees to take more interest in the performance of their job, which contributes to the overall success of their organization. In many cases, when the employees of an organization are happy about their job, they are more likely to serve their customers well, which contributes to further success for the organization (Dow, 2012). The critical need played by money and recognition shows that employees are motivated by both money and recognition; therefore employees should offer both – so as to increase employee satisfaction. 3. The three qualities of a good leader that strengthen customer service abilities include

Minimum Wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minimum Wage - Essay Example Critics are of the view that minimum wage forces employers to appoint only skilled workers and therefore employees with lesser skills may struggle to get employment. This paper argues in favour of minimum wage after analysing both the sides of the issue. â€Å"The vast majority of economists believe the minimum wage law costs the economy thousands of jobs†(Messerli). In their opinion, enforcement of minimum wage will decrease the demand for workers. They explain their argument based on the supply and demand theory of economics. When salary goes up, supply of workers will also goes up and thereby the demand for the workers will geos down. In other words, when supply increases, demand decreases. The above theory might be true in theoretical terms, but in practical terms, it may not be so. It should be noted that majorities of the western countries are outsourcing their jobs to India like Asian countries at present because of the labour shortage. It should be noted that in countr ies like America and Britain, an ordinary worker is getting salaries, three to four times more than that an Indian worker is getting in his country. In other words, even though the wages are high, supply of labour force is not increasing in countries like America and Britain. On the other hand, in India like countries even though the wages are low, excess of supply of labour is in place. ... Part-time work and full time work should be separated from each other. Minimum wage for part time work need not be the same as that of the full time. Authorities can prescribe separate norms of minimum wage with respect to part time and full time work. Moreover, separate minimum wage norms can be enforced with respect to the qualification and experience of the employees. â€Å"Abolishing the minimum wage will allow businesses to achieve greater efficiency and lower prices. Anytime you give businesses more flexibility, you will increase efficiency and lower prices† (Messerli). It is an accepted fact that only a satisfied worker will try to deliver more than 100% of his efficiency. In other words, workers who struggle to get a decent salary may not be fully committed to the organization. It is better for an organization to have more committed workers to increase its efficiency and productivity rather than having a huge workforce of unskilled or cheaper labours. Salary is the maj or motivating factor for the employees and therefore minimum wage will definitely motivate the workers more and thereby the organization will be benefitted. â€Å"Adults who currently work for minimum wage are likely to lose jobs to teenagers who will work for much less. Many adults trying to make a living are forced to work minimum wage jobs† (Messerli). Employers may exploit the workers in the absence of a minimum wage law. They will try to terminate experienced workers even without any reasons, for appointing fresh workers in order to reduce their employee wage expenditure. Thus, even experienced employees will be forced to work under tremendous pressure if minimum wage law is not implemented. In the absence of minimum law, business will take undue advantages in the form of

Eastern European Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eastern European Studies - Essay Example It also has practical implications for the lives of citizens of these countries, whose future depends on the development of democracy backed by a robust judicial system. Constitutional reform or engineering toward this end is a daunting task and early signs of this experiment have shown disappointing results1. This essay will take an in-depth look into factors that are holding back constitutional engineering in the Eastern European bloc; and especially focus on how the Soviet legacy is still influencing crucial areas of reform. The ongoing transformation from state communism to a free-market economic system in Eastern European countries is unprecedented in its scope and wide-ranging in its impact. Given that communism radically altered major institutions in these countries, it should come as no surprise that the early stages of the reform process have not been fruitful. Since economic growth is a key indicator of a stable constitutional structure, it is instructive to look into this facet of a nation's health. It turns out that the degree of economic contraction is larger than what was predicted by analysts. This trend can be observed in the republics of former U.S.S.R as well. For example, â€Å"With the important caveat that the rise in private sector activity may not be fully captured in the official statistics, the drop in output in the region since 1989 is now estimated to have reached 20 percent, and for some countries it has exceeded 35 percent. There has been some progress in the implementation of reforms in Eastern Europe, but the supply response thus far has been limited. Signs of a bottoming out of the contraction can be discerned in some countries, but further output losses may yet be in store. In the republics of the former U.S.S.R., the reform process has barely started.† 2 The transformation from communism to democracy involves radical overhaul of former authoritarian institutions. Hence, political commentators were under no illusion about the turbulences it is going to involve. Already, in the twenty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, three former communist countries of the union have seen political upheavals. The Rose Revolution threw out Eduard Shevardnadze in Georgia and brought to power a 36-year-old lawyer from New York. The Orange Revolution that followed in 2004 handed power to Viktor Yushchenko, who is known to have the backing of Washington. Yushchenko's election victory was disputed by the opposition party and he narrowly escaped an assassination bid as well. Similarly, the Tulip Revolution of 2005 in Kyrgyzstan removed dictatorial president Askar Akayev (who eventually took refuge in neighbouring Russia) and in his stead brought the opposition leader to power, whose election rhetoric was centred on constitutional reform. These examples show the magnitude of the task of bringing democracy to the region which has not yet come out from the communist hangover. At first these so-called revolutions w ere hailed in the Western press as the beginning of a new era of prosperity and progress for these countries. But the truth is far from this idealization. These three 'revolutions' are now recognized as total failures. In fact, â€Å"no fresh heroes rose from the grass roots, swept into power by a newly robust civil society

Appraisal On Different Aspects Of Project Management Construction Essay

Appraisal On Different Aspects Of Project Management Construction Essay It is the purpose of this report to provide a critical appraisal on the development, scope, benefits and influence of project management with particular reference to how custom and practice in different countries can influence the role and responsibilities of the project manager. The Project Manager In Brief A project manager is appointed by a client who has a project that requires to be implemented. It is the project managers duty to solely represent the client and ensure that all decisions and actions are in the clients best interests. The project manager should ideally be involved at the earliest possible time and his role is to communicate, lead, organise and delegate from inception of the project to completion of the project. The project manager must communicate primarily with the client, and subsequently lead and organise everyone who has an input on the project based on the clients needs. The project managers duties dont stop there, organisation includes project timeframe and a programme of work detailing how the work is carried out. The project manager must delegate any activities or responsibilities to appropriate personnel such as notifying a plumber that a heating pipe requires relocating. It is not the clients responsibility to tell the contractors what to do, it is the proje ct managers role under the clients instructions. Why Do Clients Need A Project Manager? Project managers are employed by clients to save them money, time and hassle. Many clients are unaware and unsure of construction procedures, building design, construction costs, building contracts and particularly, managing a project. The project manager at the inception stage of the project, i.e stage A of the RIBA plan of work, can partake in discussions with the client to obtain the clients ideas, objectives and needs of the project. This will include primarily, a budget, a timescale, a brief outline of their design requirements such as metres squared of office space or number of seats in a football stadium. As the client may have had ideas regarding this project for a period of time now, it will be likely they have a particular design scheme in mind, and the feasibility of this scheme can be discussed with the project manager to ensure that client has a realistic design within their desired budget. Many projects are designed by an architect and are taken through to site operations, i.e part J / K of the RIBA plan of work without any input from an experienced site contractor / project manager. This can lead to feasibility / cost issues on site as unfortunately not every architect has the concept of how buildings are constructed in detail. However the appointment of a project manager can eliminate these types of problems prior to site operations as his opinion on the architects proposals can be sought at the planning stage, i.e part C / D of the RIBA plan work. The RIBA Plan of Work Below is a list of the various stages of the RIBA plan of work with a small description of the project managers role at each stage: A Appraisal Determine feasibility of clients requirements. Design/Cost/Quality. B Strategic Briefing Receive strategic brief from client. C Outline Proposals Develop brief, prepare outline proposal approximate cost. D Detailed Proposals Develop proposal, provide information on cost estimate, consult local authorities, gain approval from client, submit planning application. E Final Proposals Develop proposal to full working drawings, obtain further cost estimate, obtain approval from client on construction methods, specification cost. Apply for building warrant Advise on a programme. F Production Information Organise the preparation of a detailed cost such as a bill of quantities quantifying all the required work to enable a contractor to insert rates. G Tender Documentation Send out tender documents to main contractor(s). H Tender Action Once received the tenders back from contractors, study compare prices and discuss with client. Select clients preferred contractor based on advice given to client. J Mobilisation Provide any additional information to CDM coordinator and contractor prior to construction works. K Site Operation Site visits, provide further information to contractor as required, review design information received from specialists or contractor. Prepare as built drawings for health and safety file. Advise on maintenance of building. Communicate and organise with all project contributors. L Completion Inspect building for defects, provide information for final payment to be made to contractor. M Feedback Study suitability of the buildings design for required use. The project team can be large in number and each member of the team has different roles to play and time to perform that role. Based on the above stages A to M of the RIBA plan of work the following project team members are involved at the following stages: Architect A to M Designs, produces drawings, instructs contractor. Quantity surveyor A to M Provides cost information at outset and detailed bill of quantities at stage G. Measures construction work carried out at stage K to calculate payment to contractor. Project manager A to M Leads, communicates and organises rest of project team. Engineers (Structural / M+E / Civil) D to J Provides detailed structural drawings / details. Advises on services and ground conditions etc. Builder / Contractor D to M Constructs and completes project. Duties, Responsibilities, Tasks Skills of The Project Manager The project manager is involved at all five stages of a project: Defining Definition of client objectives and project strategies. Planning Preparation of specifications, schedules and budgets. Implementing Monitoring of site performance of contractors and any specialists etc and taking necessary corrective actions. Completing Delivering project output and finalising project input. Evaluation Gaining experience from the project, learning from mistakes / problems to try and improve future performance / organisation. A project manager provides a service to the client to take the clients project idea through to completion. It is the number one priority of a project manager to look after the clients best interests from inception of the project to completion. It is his duty to discuss any necessary changes to the project with the client and advise on the possible solutions, the associated costs and the implications of the changes should there be any. Having fulfilled this duty it is then up to the client to make the decision and inform the project manager how they wish to proceed. It is his duty to discuss the feasibility of the clients design ideas to ensure construction costs can match the clients set budget. The project manager collects information from the client to make sure their needs are met throughout the whole project. The scope of the project managers works is as follows: Establishing clients objectives, priorities, preferences, budget and ideas. Liaise with the client and discuss a feasible design to take to the clients architect. A design which works and can meet the clients budget. Design of project organisation structure, i.e plan construction activities and responsibilities etc. Identify how the client is integrated into the project. Advise on the appointment of contributors to the project, i.e consultants, professionals, contractors etc. Look for those with experience of similar work, with a good reputation, who are available, who can integrate with others and who produce quality work. A large factor in selection can also be their location. Advise client on the Architects proposals and make recommendations based on what the clients objectives and preferences are. Prepare a project programme, i.e who does what, when and for how long. This is a plan of all the construction processes of the project from start to completion. Establish appropriate information and communication system between client and contributing parties. (Contributing parties refers to people / organisations employed by the client such as the architect, engineer or main contractor.) Generally specialists or sub contractors are employed by the main contractor however this does not mean that communication with them is not key. Monitor design and feasibility. Is the design progressing as per the clients requirements? Is the cost in line with the budget? Play a role in major and crucial decisions regarding construction, budgeting, timekeeping and organisation. Advise on building maintenance and everyday running. Commission the project on completion. In addition to the scope of works above, the project managers general duties, responsibilities and knowledge include: Feasibility studies. Attainment of land. Planning permission. Outline design. Resource planning. Investment planning. Detailed design. Disposal planning. Contracts. Risk analysis. Many skills are necessary for a project manager to be successful and these are detailed below: Leadership The project manager requires leadership skills to take charge and be confident in his decision making for delegating to the project contributors. Organisation Organisation is critical to a project and a project manager will therefore require excellent skills in this field to ensure all members of the project team know what they are doing and when they are doing it. Integration This is essential as all the other skills can be deemed useless if the project manager cannot integrate with the project team. Delegation Not everything can be relied upon the project manager and it would be impossible for him to do everything therefore he must pass on work, tasks and responsibilities to others. Communication Communication is vital in any construction project and is necessary for any project to be successful. Conflict resolution Making judgement in a dispute between parties is extremely important as in most construction projects there will be some sort of conflict and it is the duty of the project manager to attempt and resolve these issues in the first instance. Motivation Construction projects can be repetitive and lengthy and it is key that the project contributors are well motivated to carry out their work and to meet their deadlines. Construction And Project Management Abroad All of the above refers to custom and practice in project management within the United Kingdom which differs greatly in other regions of the world such as The United States of America Japan. Both The USA and Japan have different procedures and sequences in their construction procedures and therefore this can influence the roles and responsibilities of the project manager. Construction In Japan In Japan it is very common for a client to seek a design from a building contractor, as opposed to the UK where an architect would be appointed in the first instance and a contractor at a later date. This method has both positive and negative points that are worth mentioning. As we know here in the UK, from taking an integrated approach to the supply chain as described in BRE Digest 450, partnership can be a very efficient method of project procurement as the contractor has a say in the practicality of design etc at the beginning. This in theory is no different in Japan except the process is carried out by the majority, rather than the minority here in the UK. As the design is contractor designed, it is very practical using standardised components or modular construction which gives the contractor an extremely buildable project. Generally due to the practicality and standardisation of this method, many of the buildings appear to be very similar lacking attractive intricate details an d finesse. Although in the opinion of many the designs are unexciting, this design and build method sets parameters of the clients need, quality, budget and timescale. This therefore enables the chosen contractor to design a building with the intention to ensuring that it can be built to the clients desired quality, on time and on budget. Design and build is widely used in the UK but with the lack of standardisation and a simplistic approach to design, cost and time over runs are always inevitable. Japan generally is a quality driven nation and the construction industry within Japan is no different. The contractor market is controlled by the big six, six major construction firms which share long term relationships with their clients, suppliers, specialist contractors, general contractors and sub contractors. The Japanese construction industry is extremely efficient and the construction industry operates with stealth, precision and control of a ninja. Constructing Excellence reported after two trips to Japan having visited five of the big six construction firms that Japan gets a score of 100% for productivity, compared with 50% for the UK. Japan is renowned for its excellent health and safety records and their attitudes to health and safety is pragmatic , it is not a requirement to wear steel toe capped boots when working on a construction site in Japan due the excellent organisation of the project. On the typical Japanese building site theres hardly any debris, so there is little chance of dropping anything on your feet. This seems insane but the figures speak for themselves as 92% of projects in Japan achieve a zero-accident rate, compared with 62% of UK schemes. The differences between UK and Japan are enormous and this can be reinforced further by their training, morning briefing and pre-exercise warm up. It is a requirement for staff to train for a full year before operating on site and there is a briefing at the beginning of each day where the project manager discusses the days tasks and goals. Project Management In Japan Having researched the topic of construction in Japan, it is plain to see that the roles and responsibilities of the project manager will differ greatly when compared to those in the UK. In the UK project managers have to deal with a number of individuals in the project team, there may be issues of conflict between the contractor and the architect along with confusion and anger towards cost and timescale of any changes, which can make the project managers job difficult, as it is his responsibility to ensure that work is done on time, on budget and as per the clients requirements. In Japan things are a little different, the designers and the constructors are all part of the same organisation so conflict is unlikely and so is change. The contractor has priced, designed and scheduled the job based purely on the clients needs. The clients need is unlikely to change but should it change the contractor may file for extension to time, additional costs etc which makes this option very unlikel y. All in all this makes the project managers life a lot easier and with less time spent on conflict resolution it gives him more time to concentrate on leading, organising, integrating, delegating, communicating and motivating. The project managers role is further improved due to having less young incompetent or inexperienced site workers. Less time is spent repeating himself, as the site workers of Japan have had one years training before starting work on site, therefore are much more competent than the young site workers of the UK who walk on site with little training and experience. Levels of offsite construction and prefabrication is very high and in general due to less erection on site, the project manager should have less complications to deal with and can focus on erecting the prefabricated panels once delivered to site. It is also worth noting that if there are any problems with the prefabricated units if the suppliers fault, for example wrong dimensions, there is no stress of having to re-erect a panel onsite and wait days for it, instead all that is required is to phone the supplier and they have the stress of rushing out a replacement. Construction Project Management In The United States of America In the USA, the construction process differs dramatically from both the UK and Japan and subsequently the role of the project manager differs too. The client or developer is generally producing high rise buildings, not for occupation but as a financial investment. It is their role produce these large scale buildings at lightning speeds with as low a cost as possible. As a lot of clients are developers with excellent knowledge of the industry, they take the leading role. The architects main role in the project is purely to come up with an outline proposal to meet the clients requirements of appearance, layout and budget. It is not the role of the architect to produce working drawings or detailed design, this is the role of the project engineer. The engineer takes the design and develops it with regard to construction services. In the USA specialist contractors are used to design their own components and install them themselves which ensures there is no conflict which might have been encountered with the main contractor installing an unfamiliar product. Similarly to Japan, a lot of prefabrication is used with the design of a building, for example standardised computer generated components which can be easily be duplicated and altered if necessary rather than drawing everything from scratch. Due to this standardised system full construction drawings can be produced very quickly and there is more certainty of project costing and timescale. Coordination of the project initially is the responsibility of the client. The design stages are organised by the engineer and sometimes the architect. The project manager or construction manager as they are referred to in the USA is responsible for organising the specialist contractors work. It is the developers responsibility to monitor the feasibility of the project, especially the architects design and the cost estimates. It is up to the client to ensure that they are aware of any planning authorities as they are responsible for ensuring the legalities of the project. Architects it would seem have a small role to play in the US construction process however it is their role to provide advice on estimated rental value of the property, cost of the build and taxation. It is also the architects role to assess the success of the project based on the above. This reduces the responsibilities of the project manager at the early stages as in the UK it is generally the role of the project manager to provide advice on rental value, rough cost, taxation etc. Similarly to the UK, the construction manager as known in the USA is employed to provide advice and coordinate the construction phase. There are two methods of management used from here. The Project manager could be paid a fee for his services and also be paid for employing the specialist contractors whom he has to pay, this method is known as management contracting. The other option is that the client employs the specialists and pays them direct and the construction manager gets paid for managing the project, this is called construction management. In theory it makes no difference to the workload of the construction manager as either way it is his responsibility to ensure that the specialists know what they are required to do. Although an onerous task, it is not any more complex than a large project in the UK. This is due to the fact that the specialist contractors are in theory more than just contractors, they are designers installing their own specialist products and in turn are r esponsible for their own work under supervision of the construction manager. Although in the UK the project manager is responsible for the key decisions in the project, in the USA the construction manager delegates these decisions where appropriate to the specialist contractors. The USA is highly driven on completing projects on time and specialists will not hesitate to bring in hired work if necessary which provides an additional requirement for the construction manager to be flexible and coordinate the project contributors. In the USA there is little pre-construction input from a project management point of view and the main role and responsibility is to make sure everyone is one hundred percent sure of what they are to be doing and when it is to be completed. It would appear that the USA get the best out of their specialists with the fierce competition and by the way in which they approach a project and are managed. Conclusion Having researched project management generally, it is evident in my opinion that there is a great benefit in having a project manager on board in a construction project. However having also researched in more detail the ins and outs of project management in the USA Japan, and comparing it to practice in the UK, it is evident that the differing construction processes in each country dramatically affect the role and responsibilities of the project manager. The benefits of a project manager are endless and in my opinion, the whole scope of the project managers work is all a benefit to both the client and the contractor even though he is solely representing the client. The project manager is the middle man between the client and the rest of the project contributors. It is a benefit to the client as complex decisions are required when managing a construction site and knowing the lingo is extremely important. Unfortunately it would seem that in the UK the clients are not overly experience d with construction therefore its vital that they employ someone who can translate the terms into English and explain the pros and cons, for example, pros and cons of different options available. This role may be possible to be fulfilled by an architect however the main difference between an architect and a project manager is the project manager spends most of his time on construction sites and has greater experience in project programming, cost implications and construction techniques. The project manager is a benefit to the contractor as with his expertise, solutions to construction issues can be discussed and his advice may be beneficial for speed, cost or even just general ideas. Ultimately it is evident that custom and practice in different countries does affect the role and responsibilities of the project manager. It is crucial for a inexperienced client to have a professional such as a project manager from the beginning of the project if the client wants the project to be finished to his desired quality, on time and on budget.

Blood Brothers :: Drama

Blood Brothers 1. On stage left were the posh houses where Edward lived, on stage right were the council houses that Mickey and his family lived in. Upstage centre was a brick wall with a painted goalpost, lots of graffiti. The piece of graffiti that stood out the most was the word ‘Everton’. Upstage right was a large alleyway. On both stage left and stage right in between the houses were smaller alleyways. 2. Mickey- Young Linda-Teen  · Large sleeveless V-neck Pullover  · Short Black skirt  · Very dirty white plimsolls  · High heeled black stilettos  · Large dirty shorts- falling down.  · Blond hair- worn in a high ponytail.  · Black socks  · White shirt, couple of buttons undone revealing stomach and cleavage (just).  · Grubby white shirt (short sleeved under green pullover)  · Dirty knees, face, hands and arms.  · Shirt tied at bottom  · Dark, messy hair. 3. The childhood scenes were made realistic by the costumes the children wore. For example Linda wore a girly dress and wore her hair in pigtails. The voices also made these scenes realistic because the males made their voices higher. The scenes were made humorous by the games they played and how excitable they were. 4. One of the actor’s performances I enjoyed was that of Sammy because he was a troublemaker. His performance was made effective by the sneaky attitude he had and the tough loud voice he used, this created the impression he had a lot of power over people and was in charge, but was never going to be punished for his actions. He only looked out for himself and seemed not to care for anybody else even his brother. Another actor I enjoyed watching was Mickey because he started off being a strong, fun, helpful character and ended up being a vulnerable, self-hating character. This made me feel sorry for him. Mickey ended up getting his brother and himself killed. He gave the impression of needing stability in his life. 5. I think the narrator’s role was many different things. He was the storyteller; he was also the characters’ conscience for good and evil. He looked over the characters. The narrator was also a forewarning to us of what is to happen. 6. I think the playwright managed the pathos, through the action and final song ‘ Tell me its not true’ this causes the audience to feel