Examining The Factors Of Project Failure Information Technology Essay

Examining The Factors Of Project Failure Information Technology Essay Prior to determining the factors that causes a project to fail; one must have a clear understanding of what a project is. So What is a Project? According to the Project Management Institute a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product service or result. In this context, the term temporary means that every project has a definite starting point and a definite end. The end of a project is when all objectives have been met, or it has became certain that the objective can or cannot be achieved, or when there is no further necessity for the project to be continued. A project is also unique in which the end results or product is different to others being developed such as different designs, different locations, different contractors and etc. Another characteristic which sums up to what a project is it being progressive. Progressive is a characteristic that displays every project is developed on a step by step or by an increment basis. 1.1 What is Project Management? In order to ensure that all three criteria of a project is met, a method of managing the project must be set in place. This is where project management comes in. According to the Project Management Institute project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. The purpose of project management is to set in place an organized method of controlling, planning, organizing and measuring resources in a project to meet the objectives set. The resources involved would include manpower, raw materials, machinery, time, money and so on. Due to the lack of application of project management, factors that contribute to the failures of a project are bound to arise. These failure factors will be further explained below. 2.0 Why Do Projects Fail? It is true that every project is unique; however the underlying causes of project failure are usually restricted to a few specific areas. Once we know what these are we can take steps to minimize the chance of problems in these areas and increase the likelihood of success. Common factors for project failures are explained below. 2.1 Inappropriate Communication Management In todays world, it is a requirement that projects are undertaken in partnership with the business, and this partnership absolutely requires solid communication. According to Turner (2007) communication is the operating system of a society. This is simplified to show that an operating system is required to allow the computers resources available for the programs and similar to this, communication is required to provide individuals with resources in the society. Communication is a process of exchanging information which may be carried out as written messages, spoken words or even body gestures. Effective and efficient communication is essential between project manager, project team, sponsors and stakeholder to ensure the success of the project. The communication in a project needs to be carefully planned, implemented and controlled in order for the right information is delivered at the right time to the stakeholders. 2.1.1 Causes of Inappropriate Communication Management Trust Lack of trust between the project manager and the team will lead to team members that dont trust the project manager will not be open in their communications. They will tend to either shut down or challenge the project manager at every turn. De-motivated The team members do not know the value of their presence. This is due to that they are often kept in the dark and not given a clear objective of the project and an up to date progress of the project. The method of delivery of messages is unclear and will lead to misinterpretation of the message and different expectations of the project. Poor Communicators Some project managers just dont know how to communicate well. This is usually not a lack of skill but a lack of focus. Project managers tend to put their least effort in communicating with the team members and those associated with the project. The information delivered will often be short and puzzling for not all the exact details is explained. Incompetence The team itself is not trained to communicate proactively as a team. This will result in the team not sharing information and learning with each other. Some project teams are comprised of members from different divisions in a company. These individuals are only temporarily associated with each other until the completion of the project. Unless these individuals are sent to training prior to the commencement of the project it will be very difficult for them to adapt to the new working environment. 2.2 Poor Project Planning The key to any project process is good planning. Good planning helps minimize potential risks, last minute changes and provide efficient working conditions. Project planning is important for it will assess the strengths and weakness of the project team, determine the threats of the project, develop the project objectives and provide the platform for leadership and control of the project. The basis of planning involves charting. Simple charts such as checklists and Gantt charts may sometimes suffice throughout the completion of the project as long as all details and factors are taken into consideration. This form of charts is also easier to be comprehended by the stakeholders who are untrained in the management arts. However other advanced methods such as network analysis may also be used. The main point to planning is to allow some slack in the time constraint and always be prepared to make changes in the plan. 2.2.1 Causes of Poor Planning Not Alert to Symptoms A good project manager is one that is able to provide a detailed drafted out plan and yet notice the symptoms of failure for it. The symptoms may be: Major gaps remained unresolved Key stakeholders have no participation in the project Too frequent changes in a scope Lack of test and development resources Multiple revisions in the timeline Schedule Too Tight The manager must be prepared to make allowances for unexpected variances in the project such as delays in approvals, shortages of resources or any acts of god. Unrealistic Time Scales The idealistic time scale is to be short and able to meet all objectives. However project managers must be careful not to be too optimistic in meeting this goal. Sometimes the time scales are set without considering the amount of work to be completed to achieve the objectives. As a result, there will probably be a delay in completion in the project thus requiring more financial resources to be added to the project. 2.3 Inappropriate Risk Management Project risks can be predictable or completely unpredictable and it can occur at any phase of a project. Some risks are associated with a particular task whilst others may occur due to external factors outside of the project. A good risk assessment is identifying all predictable risks; assess the severity of the risks and drafting out a plan to minimize its impacts or even possible avoidance of it. It is very important to analyze and rectify a risk as soon as it is identified for any delays in rectification will put the project at a higher risk of loss or damage. 2.3.1 Causes of Inappropriate Risk Management Too Confident It is encouraged to be confident in the project plan as it will increase the enthusiasm among the project team. However, the attitude of being too confident and turning a blind eye on any factors that may disrupt the progress of the project will cause catastrophic effects on the project. Such effects may be insufficient resources, project delays, demotivation of employees and even abortion of the project itself. Misconceptions Some project managers perceive risks as threats to the projects success. Therefore they will prefer to ignore the threats and solely hope that the threat will diminish itself. This obviously will not happen for there is no problem in the world that will solve itself. Wrong Decisions A project manager holds the decision to any trivial problems of the project. In this case when assessing risks the project manager must make the key decision of risk avoidance or risk taking. All factors must be taken into consideration prior to making the decision to prevent disturbances in meeting the projects objectives. Inefficient Method of Risk Assessing To be able to efficiently assess a risk, systematic approaches such as fault trees and fish bones are applied in order to take all risks into considerations. Methods such as qualitative and quantitative analysis are then implied to determine its impact or chances. Insufficient assessing of the risks will create an act of surprise that will disrupt the progress of the project. 2.4 Inadequate Scope Management According to (PMI 2004), Project management scope is defining and controlling what is and what is not included in the project. The importance of scope management is divided into three elements: Ensure Sufficient Amount of Work is Done In order to do this a clear definition of the project must be obtained. This may include identifying the exact requirements that is needed to accomplish the projects objective, who the key stakeholders are and what is driving the project. Ensure Unnecessary Work is Not Done Avoid the Nice to haves. Nice to haves are additional requirements that suddenly develop as the project progresses. These additional requirements often add little value but require extra costs. Achieve the Stated Objective The objective of the project must be achieved. For any problems encountered during execution of the project, the manager must be able to control the changes or modifications to the scope to ensure that the objective can be accomplished. 2.4.1 Causes for Inadequate Scope Management Incomplete Scope An incomplete scope leads to frequent additional changes. This may drag the time scale of the project and create extra costs. Confusing Scope A scope that is not straight forward and clear will lead to ambiguity of stakeholders. Such ambiguities are misinterpretations of design and requirements. Confusion will affect the commitment of stakeholders and will require additional unnecessary work. Scope Creep Constant changes to the scope may make the project seem never ending and delay in completion. To prevent this, scope document must be finalized and not allowed to be altered unless a formal change process is carried out. 2.5 Poor Stakeholder Management Stakeholder management is managing communications between stakeholders to discover their expectations before and during project execution to avoid ambiguity such as perceiving a successful project as a failure. According to the Association for Project Management (APM) Body of Knowledge (BoK) Stakeholders are all those with an interest or role in the project or who are impacted by the project. Examples of stakeholders are the shareholders, creditors and the project management team itself. Maintaining good communication with the stakeholder puts the project manager at an advantage for besides being able to see eye to eye on the projects progress, the stakeholder may even assist in resolving conflicts encountered by their political relations, contacts or knowledge that is not available on the project team. 2.5.1 Causes for Poor Stakeholder Management Poor Business Plan Some projects have a tendency to fail before it even started. This is because prior to commencing a project, sufficient financial funds must be available and in order for these funds to be available the project manager must come up with a clear and detailed business plan to attract sponsors for the project. If the plan does not impress the investors or raise confusion it will be most likely be rejected. Poor Communication Successful relationship with stakeholders is achieved by maintaining good communication. The key to this is proactive communication which the stakeholder is constantly updated of the progress of the project. Other than encouraging commitment from the stakeholders, proactive communication helps avoid bad rumors of project disturbance from influencing stakeholders. Proactive communication will also alert the project manager of any potential troubles existing from senior stakeholders. This may be in the form of not providing the required support, interfering into the project without consultation and unfounded promises or commitment. 2.6 Impact of Failure Factors on Project The aim of a project manager is to achieve success in all aspects of the project. This is reliant upon achieving the objectives in terms of cost, time and quality. The critical factor of these objectives is that it is interrelated with each other where you cannot trade off one for another in order to achieve the success of the project. 2.6.1 Quality/Cost Impact All the failure factors stated above will increase the cost of a project which will then have an effect on the quality of the finished product depending on the project managers decision. For example, due to the project managers unorganized planning the costs have risen to complete the project. The poor planning may have been led by insufficient scope assessment, bad communication or even inefficient risk analysis. Therefore in order to meet the funds available the project manager decides to cut corners and resolve to use cheaper raw materials to complete the project. This will result in a finished product of a lower standard than specified by the customer. From this situation, by compromising quality the project is labeled as a failure even though the financial costs have not exceeded. Therefore it is of the utmost importance of the project manager to plan, analyze and communicate efficiently to achieve project success. 2.6.2 Time/Cost Impact There is a direct relationship between time and money. Whenever a planned timescale is extended it will surely add cost to the project. The cost of a project increases as it progresses for its value and the stake it bears is higher. All the failure factors above will create disruptions in the projects progress and eventually delay its completion. This may cause increase in costs involving work force, facilities and equipment and raw materials. For large projects, funds are usually available progressively as the project manager completes a phase of the project. A completed phase will then be inspected and certified by an independent quality surveyor hired by the customer. Certified invoices will then be issued to the customer. The projects manager revenue will be delayed if the phase is not completed within the time scale specified or not up to the desired standard. The project manager will then have to finance the extra costs himself which may result in severe cash flow problems. Del ays on large project can easily add additional costs. Therefore it is very important that the project is planned, analyzed, monitored and managed carefully to avoid disruptions in its execution. 2.7 Examples of Factor Failures Affecting Projects 2.7.1 Boeing 787 Dreamliner The 787 dreamliner is a 240 seater aircraft currently being developed by Boeing. Its design involves 50% of the manufacturing materials being composites makes it the first composite airliner in the world. However, due to certain drawbacks Boeing announced its sixth delay for its maiden flight since September 2007. The new planned date for the maiden flight is now shifted to the end of 2009. The delivery of the first 787 is also delayed to the end of 2010 which is a 30 month delay from the originally expected date of June 2008. Various factors were the cause of this delay and will be explained below. Poor Stakeholder Management Prior to the design of the 787, Boeing planned to develop a midsized aircraft capable of travelling at sonic speed (speed of sound). Even though its operating costs were higher, Boeing assured its customers that the sonic cruiser would promote customer satisfaction by saving time. However, due to the September 11, 2001 attacks and increased petroleum prices the customers became less interested in the project. Thus as Boeing informed its customers of the increasing airframe costs the customers immediately pulled out of the project resulting in Boeing announcing the abortion of the Sonic Cruiser project on December 2002. Inadequate Scope Management For the production of the 787, Boeing decided on a new approach as a resolve to reduce costs. This new approach was to outsource the major components of the 787 to different manufacturing companies around the world. For examples, the wings were produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya (Japan), ailerons and flaps by Boeing Australia, stabilizers by Alenia Aeronautica (Italy) and these parts were to be assembled in Everett, Washington (Boeings Main Plant). By outsourcing Boeing did not specify the exact details of the parts and encouraged the manufacturers to speak out their ideas develop solutions for problems. However, when progressing to the assembly of the aircraft tests displayed the fuselage is not up to the desired strength and failed the testing. Due to this defect, Boeing engineers are back at the drawing board to solve the issue. Inappropriate Communication Management A current major problem in the design is electronic integration. Unlike current aircrafts the 787 is designed to operate flight controls by using electrical power to reduce weight and reduce complexity. However by employing three different competing companies to integrate their systems together has proven to be a problem. Smiths Aerospace, Rockwell Collins and Honeywell International are known as fierce competitors in the aviation industry. Therefore when struggling to get their software to mesh with each others, the atmosphere turns stressful and the software engineers returned to the competitive attitude they actually are. Inappropriate Risk Management For Boeing to be announcing its sixth delay is not displaying a very good image of achieving its objectives. Sequences of problems arising due to technical difficulties experienced by the 787 are acting like a domino effect on the progress of 787 making less room for mistakes for Boeing. Although primarily there were 910 orders on the 787, 70 of those orders have been cancelled due to the delay. The current situation to meet the deadline for the maiden flight the end of this year is building tension among Boeings engineers to solve current structural problems. Aside from technical problems the delay is also costing Boeing a net loss of $1.6 billion according to Flightglobal.com. Poor Project Planning According to Cohan (2009), another factor for the delay is due to Boeings change of management plan. Boeing has long adopted a command and control type of leadership in the company. However for the 787 project, the top executives decide to enforce a new type of leadership known as Transformational Leadership (TL). TL is a form of leadership where employers encourage employees to make decisions, have ownership and take responsibility for any failure or success. In the past, Boeing had given suppliers very detailed information of what is needed when it outsourced its components. However, with the 787 Boeing allowed the suppliers to do the design and manufacturing. This is found to be the source of why there were problems during the final assembly at Everett. Due to this factor, Boeing has reverted to the previous type of leadership to prevent any more delays and other assembly related problems from reoccurring. (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/19/will-boeing-have-to-delay-the-787-dreamliner-another-two-years/) 3.0 Analysis of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) PMBOK is a project management guide that provides the fundamentals of project management that can be applied on a variety of projects such as construction, engineering, research and so on. It provides the guidance on the application of project management skills, tools, knowledge and techniques that can enhance the success of a project. PMBOK was first published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 1987 and is currently the widest standard of project management used. PMBOK consists of five basic process groups and nine knowledge areas typical of almost all projects. Initiation Process Authorizing the project or phase Planning Process Defining and selecting the best methods to achieve the projects objectives Execution Process Coordination of resources to perform the plan Controlling Process Monitoring and controlling the projects progress to ensure the projects objectives is achieved and to layout corrective action if any variances occur Closing Process Concluding the project 3.1 How PMBOK Can Mitigate Failure Factors 3.1.1 Communication Management Communications management provides a link for information and individual for efficient communication to take place. Communication is an exchange of information between individuals that are associated in the project such as stakeholders, project team, project manager and the public itself. Failure for an organized communication system to take place will create factors for project failure as stated in the previous chapter. Therefore it is important that everyone associated in the project understands how communication will affect the project as a whole. PMBOK has outlined the guidelines for efficient communication management which are: Communication Planning Plan the information and communication needs of those associated with the project. This includes determining what information is to be delivered to whom and when it is to be delivered. The project manager also has to plan the communication method to be applied to different individuals associated with the project. Information Distribution The process of making information to those who need it according to the management plan. The project manager must also be prepared to provide information on occasional unexpected requests of information. Methods of information distribution may be in the form of project meetings, hard copy documents, electronic communication such as emails, and other work management tools Performance Reporting Involves collection and distribution of performance information such as status reports, progress measurements and forecasts of progress. This usually provides information on scope, schedule, cost and quality. The performance report collects progress information and compares it to a reference baseline. 3.1.2 Stakeholder Management According to PMBOK, stakeholder management refer to managing communication to satisfy the needs of, and resolve issues with, project stakeholder. By maintaining a good relationship between the stakeholders, it increases the potential of keeping the project on track and limits disturbances in the projects progress. To ensure efficient stakeholder management PMBOK has analysed two main guidelines to be implemented: Identify Stakeholders Process of recognizing those who are impacted by the project. This includes documenting their interest, participation and involvement in the project. Stakeholders of a project may consists of individuals that possess different authority levels thus may have a big influence on the outcome of the project. The project manager must identify the key stakeholders and develop a strategy to approach each stakeholder and determine their level of involvement to mitigate negative impacts and encourage positive influence. Manage Stakeholder Expectations This is the process of knowing the needs of the stakeholder and informing of arising issues as the project progresses. It involves negotiating and influencing the stakeholder regarding their expectations to achieve an agreement relevant to the project goals, resolving issues that is disrupting the project and informing of future problems and assessing them. The key to this is to maintain proactive communication with the stakeholder for the influence, knowledge and skill possessed by the stakeholder may not be available on the project team. 3.1.3 Risk Management Risk management is a process of identifying potential problems that may occur, assessing them and determine whether to avoid, transfer or mitigate the impacts of the risk. By using PMBOK as a guideline, it has outlined six processes to avoid risk as being an act of surprise and instead an anticipation of events. The processes are: Plan Risk Management Process of determining procedures to approach risk and the activities to be performed for managing risks. This is crucial to ensure that sufficient resources and time is available when the activities are to be performed. Identify Risk Identify potential problems that may occur as the project progresses. It is a constantly progressing procedure for new risks may be identified as the project progresses. Qualitative Risk Analysis An analysis of determining risks of the highest priority. Prioritizing is in terms of probability of occurrence, impact on objectives and other factors such as time frame of response and constraints on cost, scope and quality. Quantitative Risk Analysis An analysis performed on risks that have been prioritized by the qualitative risk analysis. The analysis will determine the characteristics of the loss and assign a numerical rating to it. Plan Risk Response Planning responses to risks identified during the analysis. Such responses may be to avoid, mitigate, transfer or even retention of the risks. The responses must take into account the significance of the risk, cost effectiveness, realistic and timely within the projects objectives and must be agreed by all parties. Monitor and Control Risk Risk monitoring and control is and ongoing processes in order to be able to identify potential new risks and keep track of existing ones. It enhances the opportunities to reduce or eliminate threats to protect the projects objectives. 3.1.4 Scope Management In order to avoid doing the unnecessary a system of defining and controlling what is to be included into the project must be implemented to avoid waste of resources and costs. This is scope management. PMBOK has laid out five basic guidelines to be followed to avoid doing the unnecessary. Plan Scope Collecting requirements that define and documents the projects features needed to fulfil the stakeholders needs and expectations in the project. Define Scope Providing a detailed description of the projects deliverables and the work needed to be carried out to achieve it. Create Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) WBS is a process of dividing the work in a hierarchical manner into small, manageable groups. The WBS gives a pictorial definition of the project to assist the stakeholder in viewing the deliverable. Verify Scope Scope verification is a process of receiving the acceptance by the stakeholder on a completed scope or deliverable. Control Scope Scope control is the process of monitoring the progress of the scope and managing any changes to be done to it. This is to avoid scope creep, thus any changes must be performed through an Integrated Change control process. 3.1.5 Project Planning A project plan is to create a guideline to achieve the projects objective. The project plan will display a flow diagram of processes which will lead to accomplishing objectives. The plan must also take into consideration of the time scale, resources, workforce and any potential risks to the project. As specified by PMBOK, planning of a project will integrate some knowledge areas processes with each other depending on their inputs and outputs. The guidelines for an effective project plan are provided by PMBOK. Develop Project Charter Project charters are issued by the sponsors of the project. It is a document that formally authorizes a project and is a summary of the project. The contents of a project charter are business needs, current customer requirements, project purpose, milestone schedule and the budget summary. Develop Preliminary Scope Statement This process involves defining of what is needed to be accomplished in the project. The preliminary scope statement is documented based on information from the sponsor which will include the characteristics and boundaries of the project. Develop Project Management Plan Project management plan is a document that defines integrates and coordinates all subsidiary plans into one document. The project management plan displays how the project will be carried out monitored and controlled and closed which are the five basic processes of PMBOK. The project management plan is revised and updated whenever a change occurs to the plan. 4.0 Conclusion Project Managers are like bridges that links key pieces together. Therefore, to reach those pieces effectively they are required to possess a balance of skills and knowledge and are able to apply the skill and knowledge efficiently. Project management frameworks such as PMBOK are merely used as guidance and will not promise the success of a project. The project management team is responsible for determining what is appropriate in any project and the decision is made by the project manager. Project Managers should have a clear understanding of the projects objectives and strive to achieve them. As mentioned above, careful planning of a project is essential for its success. Other factors that also contribute to this are good communication, detailed risk analysis, clear definition of scope and proactive relationship among stakeholders. By using these factors as guidelines, it is quite certain that impacts for projects failure can be mitigated.

Personality Conflicts in Crow Lake

In the novel Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, the reader learns how personalities and habits can either tear families apart or keep them together. Luke the oldest brother and Mat the youngest both learn how to use their opposite personalities to run a successful household. Yet have advantages and disadvantages to their characters. Luke being the oldest he feels that he is responsible for his siblings, but his habits clearly show that he cannot raise them on his own. He was still holding onto the fact that he was able to take care of them. First off, Luke has a laid back attitude.He thinks that everything is going to work itself out and that he does not have to worry about a thing. This kind of attitude has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits was the time that he had to be with his two little sisters. This is evident as he stays home a lot and does not toss them between neighbors to be babysat. Luke’s personality also showed a very optimistic aspect. After Luke anno unced that he was not going to go away to teachers college and that he was going to stay home and get a job, Matt and Aunt Annie were trying to convince him not to make that decision he said; â€Å"I know I can do it.I know it wouldn’t be easy, but neighbors would help and everything. We’d work it out. I know I can do it† (77). Next Luke is very nonchalant about money and job opportunities. This is mainly how Matt and Luke collided. Their attitude about money and jobs were very different. Lawson writes about many fights the brothers have had over one being too stressed or the other not being apprehensive enough. For example, Lawson explains in Kate’s point of view, â€Å"Luke losing his job, for instance; I know that worried mat a lot more than it did Luke.Not that Luke wasn’t concerned, but ever since the day he’d decided to stay home and look after us, he seemed to have an unshakeable faith that everything would work out alright†¦ bu t I think that calm certainty of his drove Matt mad and that was a major cause of the increasing friction between them† (163-164). This quote proves how opposite Luke and Matt really are. The conflict between them always starts when Matt becomes consciously worrisome. Finally Luke seems to have a way of somehow making everything workout.For instance, Luke got a job offer to clear two acres of forestry but he turned it down because; â€Å"he’d said he was going to stay with [Bo] for a year, and he was going to stay with her for a year† (209). Now, â€Å"Luke’s irrationality paid off in the end, almost as if destiny were bending to his will† (210). He ends up accepting the job because Mrs. Stanovich generously offers to help out. â€Å"Two afternoons a week she could look after the girls, do a bit of cooking, maybe a bit of cleaning†¦the Lord had spoken to her and she was going to do his will† (211-212).Matt’s traits display a very realistic person and the ability to foresee problems. To begin with, Matt’s personality causes agitation with Luke as well as helpfulness. If Matt hadn’t thought of the problems in situations, he wouldn’t have been able to help solve them. â€Å"We’ve got to do something, Luke. We’re going through Dad’s money so fast† (175). Secondly, Matt forced the reality that there was no possible way he could go to university. Luke would have been unable to take care of the girls and work at the same time.So Matt got a job at the Hudson Bay Store and enforced a routine. He quotes, â€Å"Even if we make it through this year, how are you going to manage when I leave? It’s impossible. One of us has to work and one of us has to stay home that’s the only way† (178). To end, that Matt stayed at home was a help for Kate who had a strong need to be with her brother. Kate looked up to Matt as a role model. She admired everything about him. It was hard enough on her the news of her parents death, she didn’t need him gone too.Matt became Kate’s best friend and much of what she accomplished in her future was because of Matt. She became a biologist because of all the time they spent at the ponds and Matt teaching Kate about nature. â€Å"Our visits to the ponds, which had formed such a fundamental part of my life†¦The interest which Matt had sparked had developed by then into a deeper curiosity †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (218). Matt’s role is huge in this novel. He affects every character in a great way. Luke and Matt’s differences also have a major impact on their little sisters.For starters, their fights stole some of Kate and Bo’s innocence. The brothers had not learned to solve problems in a healthy manner and so the girls had witnessed multiple fights that scared them. An example of one of the fights is; â€Å"I sat rigid, not breathing. There was a crash in the living room and the y started shouting again. Bo†¦stood there†¦watching them†¦ I looked down and saw Bo shaking so that even her hair seemed to vibrate†¦Her mouth wide open and tears pouring down her face but she wasn’t making any sound. She was so brave, Bo. I thought nothing could frighten her† (179-181).Next toward the end of the novel Luke and Matt seemed to level out and learn how to resolve conflict. They had to be threatened to be separated from their sisters in order to shape up the way they were acting. They started working together to hold back their tongues when they wanted to fight back. Dr Christopherson says: â€Å"What had happened in front of [Kate and Bo] must never happen again. [He] said that as much as he would hate to do it, if he ever had any reason to suspect a repeat†¦he would have no choice but to contact Aunt Annie†(207).In conclusion, the reader learns that opposite personalities eventually brought the Morrison family together. Eve n though it is not potent in the novel that they consciously acknowledge the fact that they are vastly and uniquely different, it is clear that they only wanted to do all they could to stay in Crow Lake with their sisters. Just like Luke quotes multiple times â€Å"something will turn up†. Indeed, something did show up every time. Luke’s laid back attitude really worked itself out in the end. Just like Matt’s ability to see things for what they really are. They finally managed to run a successful household.

Justify a war Essay

If the character, Agamemnon, was seeking advice, which philosopher would he choose as best advisor and which of these; Socrates, Homer, Aristophanes, would he choose as least advisor? Why? First, it is necessary to remember that Agamemnon was a king. According the Homer, this man had extraordinary power and the highest social position. He had a great authority among his neighbors, which helped him to organize the army. However, Homer described him as a man who always needed the advice. Sometimes Agamemnon allowed his emotions to dominate over his wisdom and experience. He is powerful warrior and good command, but he is imperfect governor for peaceful life. If this character was seeking advice, he’d probably gathered all the wise men in his kingdom. Homer would likely tell him about the god’s will, which determined the actions of rulers. Socrates would call him to be the philosopher king – the wise ruler who thinks about the interests of the state in general and the common people on particular. And Aristophanes would probably be skeptical about the ideas of two previous speakers; he was known as the father of satire and his skepticism as for the issues of the wars, state governing and rulers was well-known all over ancient Greece. However, choosing the best advisor Agamemnon would probably choose Homer. Both Socrates and Aristophanes didn’t approve the idea of the war. Perhaps, their advices as for peaceful life and wise ruling could be useful fir Agamemnon, but he didn’t need such advices. It is known that every person hears what he or she wants to hear. Agamemnon the king seek the â€Å"casus belli†, the event to justify a war. The will of gods was the most appropriate philosophy for him, and the kidnapping of Helen was just the secondary reason. Homer. The Iliad. Richmond Lattimore, translator. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1951) 2 Compare and contrast Greek comedies and tragedies. Include choice of plays, production, plot subject material, audience participation, and costumes Aristotle was the first who compared Greek comedies and tragedies in his â€Å"Poetics†. â€Å"A tragedy, then, is the imitation of an action that is serious†¦ in a dramatic, not in a narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, with which to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions† (Poetics, VI. 2) Both these genres had their beginnings in the Greek theater. The tragedy appeared in the middle of 6th century BC, the comedy followed the tragedy fifty years later (though these dates are very rough, we don’t really know much about these times). As for the choice of plays the tragedy is the serious play, which is based on the solemn issue of social, religious or personal nature. The comedy is the play humorous actions of characters solving the same personal, social and religious issues. The plot subject material was also different. â€Å"Tragedies were based largely on the myths or stories of the old narrative epic poems, of which only two main ones, the Iliad and the Odyssey, both written by Homer, survive. (Fornesca, 2010) â€Å" The first comedies were devoted to the god Dionysus, thus the plot of comedy was based on the festivals, the holidays in the wake of Dionysus In the center of tragedy usually was protagonist, the idealized figure who became the victim of fate. The center of the comedy usually is the figure who goes through all the troubles. The tragedies are focused on the feelings of pity and fear in audience; the aim of the comedy is the amusement and laugh. The characters of comedies and tragedies used different masks to show emotions. The clothes of tragic characters showed their social statuc and gender (women weren’t allowed to the stage). The clothes of comic heroes were different, initially they looked like satires, the disciples of Dyonisius. Rehm, R. Greek Tragic Theatre (1992) 3. How did Aristotle’s ideas about government and society differ from those of Plato? Which one fits the United States system of government best and why? Though Aristotle and Plato were closely linked, Aristotle was a pupil of Plato, they had different view, Aristotle criticized the ideas of his teacher. Political theory of Plato includes the description of ideal government for the utopian society. Based on the traditional for ancient Greece ethics of virtue, Plato created the prototype of communist or totalitarian state government. In the Dialogue â€Å"The Republic† he divided the ideal society on three groups: â€Å"rulers, auxiliaries and labourers. † (Gaarder 91) Rulers, according to Plato, should be the guardian class, they had to be educated and intelligent. The children in the guardian class should be learned how to rule from the early childhood. The consequence of this system is the absence of social mobility. This system is totally antidemocratic. However Plato was sure that every member of this utopian society can be happy knowing his in her position in society, as well as social function and the designated role. Aristotle disagreed with his teacher. He believed there is no single system of state government, which could be suitable for every society. The appropriate system of governing depends on the aims of the state. Aristotle described three good system of governing: monarchy, the power of aristocracy and the system he called polity, which corresponds to modern democracy. For every system Aristotle highlighted the weak sides. Thus, the monarch can become the tyrant who oppresses people, and the power of aristocracy can enslave the people they rule. As for polity both Plato and Aristotle both feared that this system of governing might lead to the rule of the ignorant many over the educated few. † It is clear that the modern system if governing in the USA corresponds to the views of Aristotle, and possible the fear of ancient philosopher wasn’t ungrounded. Gaarder, J. Sophie’s World ( Sofies verden Norw). Hardback & Paperback, 1991. 4 Using the play, â€Å"The Apology† define Sophist. According to that definition, was Socrates a Sophist? Give the reasons for your answer. The sophists were the group of philosopher contemporary to Socrates. Their task main was teaching the Athenian youth to create the convincing arguments and to convince the people. They taught their students to argue both sides on the issue. Their philosophy was the kind of relativism; they thought there is no truth, just the different and conflicting opinions. It the negative meaning sophist is the person who plays both sides. Plato in his â€Å"Apology† describes Socrates trying to convince the jury he was not the sophist. Perhaps the rhetoric of Socrates and the sophists had the common features; however sophists charged fees for their teaching, and Socrates stayed poor. The sophists used their knowledge for their own gain. They really taught their students to be prominent and to manipulate the people’s mind, the skills that could be used for political end, but enrichment was their primary aim, according to Plato. Plato thought that trading with the knowledge could be the field of bias and manipulation. He supposed sophists in telling their students the things that weren’t good for them. Unlike them, Socrates didn’t profit from his reaching. That is why Plato set Socrates apart from sophists. In many of Plato’s dialogues Socrates reveals the emptiness of their teachings. At least, the principal difference between Socrates and sophists was in attitude to knowledge. The sophists claimed that they gained access to special knowledge through the investigation and experience, and this knowledge could be taught. Socrates was confessed he knew nothing – he meant the more he learned the more he understood the infinitude of the knowledge. It is no wonder that sophists was among the people who accused Socrates and became the reason of his death. Rowe, C. J. â€Å"Plato on the Sophists as Teachers of Virtue. † History of Political Thought 4 (1983), 409-27.

Is Abortion Really A Problem - 1444 Words

Every day women throughout the United States, and the world as a whole, discover that they are pregnant. Nearly half of these women’s pregnancies are unintended. When they find out that they are pregnant they have three options: continue through the pregnancy and keep the baby, continue with the pregnancy and then put him or her up for adoption or abort the pregnancy. Unfortunately, many choose to abort the baby due to many different factors such as financial issues, one-night stands, young age or even because they simply do not want a baby or are not ready to have one. Approximately 40 percent of all unplanned pregnancies end in abortion. This means that every four in ten women who find out they are pregnant unintentionally decide to not continue with the pregnancy. This equates to four out of every ten unplanned child being killed and not having a chance at a precious life(Abortions). Although many abortions occur each day, not everyone believes that abortion is really a problem. Truthfully, it is just like murder. Just as the country needs to limit the crime rate, the rate at which abortions take place need to be reduced as well. Greater access to contraceptives such as birth control for all women with a larger emphasis on teenage girls will amount in a decrease in unplanned pregnancies, leading to less abortions. Other alternatives to limiting the amount of abortions have been researched. Studies on sexual education, such as abstinence programs, have actuallyShow MoreRelatedShould Abortion Be Legal?920 Words   |  4 Pagesapproximately 1.21 million abortions in America each year†. Abortion is wrong because you are killing a baby that has no control on the choices you are making. You don’t have to take a babies life if you aren’t ready to have your own child. I think abortion should be illegal because to many people are having abortions for no reason because they can’t handle being a parent. That’s not righ t, if you can’t handle it then you should use protected so it doesn’t happen to you. Abortion is when the pregnancyRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legalized?1200 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is a very hot topic that has been repeatedly contended over for the past few years. The argument is should abortion be legalized or not? First before we get into the many sides of abortion we must to know what is abortion. Abortion means ending a pregnancy before the fetus can live independently outside the world. If abortion happens unplanned before 24 weeks of pregnancy. It is called a miscarriage. Abortion is caused design to order to end the pregnancy (Brown, 2013). This can be completeRead MoreAbortion And Abortion996 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion, to those who approve of this method, call it a â€Å"choice†. But do we really have the right to determine who lives and who dies? Let alone babies who haven’t been given a chance or even a say in the decision. Is it r eally a choice we have the authority to make? From 1970 to 2013, there have been almost 52 million abortions. 52 million futures taken away. 52 million hearts broken. 52 million lives that were never given the chance to live. Abortion was illegal before 1973 and still should beRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal Right?962 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion has been one of our top topics for many years now. We have two sides to this topic, either you are with it or you are against it. Many people in this world feel like its evil to kill an unborn human/baby for no reason. The other half of the people believes that a woman has the legal right to choose what she wants to do with her body. They believe no one has the right to tell them what they can or can’t do. 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Idea of human life has come from conception; simultaneously on the other hand, fertilizer eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives butRead MoreAbortion is Woman’s Right to Choose Essay example1532 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is Woman’s Right to Choose With so many women choosing to have abortions, it would be expected that it would not be so greatly frowned up, yet society is still having problems with its acceptance. Every woman has the fundamental right to decide for herself, free from government interference, whether or not to have an abortion. Today, more than ever, American families do not want the government to trample on their right to privacy by mandating how they must decide on the most intimateRead MoreAbortion, The, And Abortion Essay1656 Words   |  7 Pages An abortion is when the pregnancy of a women is ended; it is called sometimes Termination of pregnancy. There are two types of abortion. The first type is the spontaneous abortion; it occurs within the first two months. What causes it is frequently unknown yet is probably the results of intra-uterine contamination, or limited attachment in the building unborn child to the interior coating walls in the womb (uterus). Such conditions this unborn child, if the idea advances further, mayRead MoreThe Defense Of Abortion And Virtue Theory And Abortion Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion is the main topic talked about in both The Defense of Abortion and Virtue Theory and Abortion. While the two may have similarities, they are also quite different. While one story talks about how abortion is bad and makes you look at it through different examples of things, the other describes how a righteous person sees it. In A Defense of Abortion, Thomson states at the very beginning â€Å"it is concluded that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception† (Thomson 449). She then goes