A Project Scope Management

A Project Scope Management Scope is the description of the boundaries of the project. It defines what the project will deliver and what it will not deliver. Scope is the view all stakeholders have from the project; it is a definition of the limits of the project. Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required to complete the project successfully. Project scope managements primary concern is with defining and controlling what is and is not included in the project. One of the leading causes for project failures is poor management of the project scope, either because the project manager did not spend enough time defining the work, there was not an agreement on the scope by stakeholders, or there was a lack of scope management which leads to adding work not authorized or budgeted to the project, this is known as scope creep. Scope creep, or the uncontrolled changes in a projects scope, is the tendency of a project to in clude more tasks than originally specified, which often leads to higher than planned project costs and an extension of the project end date (Cook-Davies, T. 2002) The purpose of scope change management is to protect the viability of the approved Project Contract (or agreement) and the approved Project Logical Framework (Logframe). In other words, the Project Contract defines the overall scope of the project, and the Logframe which establish a causal link between inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes and objectives of the project. It is not possible to assume there will be no changes during the life of the project. For example, changes may come from the beneficiaries who want additional deliverables, then the initial estimates for budget, and schedule may no longer be valid. If the donor agrees to include the new work into the project scope, the project manager has the right to expect that the current budget and deadline will be modified (usually increased) to reflect this additional work. This new estimated cost, effort and duration now become the approved target (Cook-Davies, T. 2002) All changes to the project scope must be approved by management and the donor; this is one of the principal requirements for scope management. This is not to say the objective of scope management is to avoid any changes to the initial agreement; development projects, due to their nature are initiated mostly on general assumptions. It is expected that as the project makes progress, additional information will lead to new insights that require the project to change its approach and its plans. The purpose of scope management is to establish a process that will allow the incorporation of changes by ensuring the changes contribute to the ultimate goal of the project, changes are agreed by stakeholders and approved by management and the donor. Scope management consists of a series of tasks and steps designed to help the project manager manage the project deliverables, the steps are: (Cook-Davies, T. 2002) Defining the Scope Assigning Scope Work Verifying the Scope Adapting the Scope DEFINING PROJECT SCOPE Defining the project scope is identifying all the work that the project will accomplish in order to achieve its final goal. The work includes the activities identified in the Logframe and the activities the project team has identified that will be necessarily to support the project, these includes activities such as team capacity building, stakeholder management, meetings and project presentations and all significant activities that will consume project resources (Gardiner, P. D. 2005) Project Scope Statement The Project Scope Statement is used to develop and confirm a common understanding of the project scope among key project stakeholders. The scope statement should include the project justification, a brief description of the project outputs and its intended benefits, a brief summary of the project major constraints, assumptions and dependencies with other projects or external initiatives and a statement of what constitutes project success. This document is used as a communications tool with all project stakeholders to ensure all have a common perception of what the projects is and what it is not, it is also used to communicate any approved changes made to the project (Gardiner, P. D. 2005) The project justification describes the need that the project will satisfy or the problem it will address. For example, the increase of economic income of a target population. It also describes the communities or groups of beneficiaries that will benefit from the project outcomes and the locations were the project will work. The brief description also summarizes the tangible outputs of the project such as the number of beneficiaries that received a loan. Project constrains include any significant limitations either imposed by the donor, the beneficiaries or local conditions. For example the beneficiaries may impose the project doesnt include work during harvesting season, or that the donor requires the project to be completed by a certain date. Project assumptions include a list of the conditions that are expected to exist for the project to be a success; conditions that are accepted as true without proof or demonstration, such as the labor contribution of the beneficiaries to complete an activity in the project. Project dependencies are either internal or external factors on which the project is dependent, such as another partner organization that will deliver services or goods that will be used by the project, for example the road reparation work a local municipality needs to complete for the project to have good access to the community. Project success is defined by the stakeholders, specially the donor and the beneficiaries. Success is not only meeting and completing the project activities on time, under budget and in the expected quality that is acceptable to the donor and stakeholders, but how the project outputs produced the desired outcomes that contribute to the well being of the beneficiaries. Success is ultimately defined by the beneficiary so it is good practice to ask and document what the beneficiary expects the project. The project scope statement is the most important tool the project has to frame the project, it is used to evaluate every change request and helps communicate the limits of the project to a wider audience. It is also used as a project information document that puts in concise terms what the project will do (Gardiner, P. D. 2005). Work Breakdown Structure Once the Scope Statement has been completed, the next step to further define the scope is to break it down to its most manageable pieces. The purpose is to develop a complete list of all the tasks that are needed by the project, this list will be used to determine the resources requirements such as the time, skills and cost estimates. It is also used as a baseline for performance measurement and project monitoring, and supports the clear communication of work responsibilities. The output is the Work Breakdown Structure or WBS (Leach,L.P. 1999) The Project Work Breakdown Structure is an outcome oriented analysis of the work involved in the project and defines the total scope of the project. It is a foundation document in project management because it provides the basis for planning and managing the project schedule, budget and requests for any changes or deviations from plans. The WBS is developed in the form of an inverted tree structure, organized by objectives; it looks like an organizational chart which helps visualize the whole project and all its main components. A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a project management technique for defining and organizing the total scope of a project, using a hierarchical tree structure. The first two levels of the WBS define a set of planned outcomes that collectively and exclusively represent 100% of the project scope. At each subsequent level, the children of a parent node collectively and exclusively represent 100% of the scope of their parent node. A well designed Work Break Down Structure describes planned results rather than planned actions. Outcomes are the desired ends of the project, and can be predicted accurately; actions comprise the project plan and may be difficult to predict accurately. A well-designed WBS makes it easy to assign any project activity to one and only one terminal element of the WBS (Leach,L.P. 1999). ASSIGNING SCOPE WORK Once all the work needed to accomplish the project has been identified the next step in the scope management process is to assign the work to the people responsible for it. Inputs to this step include the WBS, the project schedule that identifies when each activity or task should occur, and the Resource Requirements Matrix (RRM), which identifies the skills required to accomplish the activities, this matrix us used to select the project team. Elements of this step include the actions to assign scope work to the project team via the Work Assignment Sheet, and assign work to consultants via the Scope of Work document; part of this process includes collect information on the work completed, get and acceptance of the work by the beneficiaries. (Leach,L.P. 1999) Work Assignment Sheet: The assignment sheet should include the date of the assignment, the expected completion date, the beneficiaries involved and the locations of the activities and any other resources needed to accomplish the activity or task. Depending of the skills and authority of the team member the assignment could be at the objective level or at the task level, but should include a brief description of the instructions or approaches selected to carry out the activity. For example a technical professional may be assigned to accomplish an objective using gender based approaches, while a field worker may be assigned a task to collect baseline data on a specific community using detailed instructions and forms. Scope of Work (SOW) Scope if work is a similar process, but in this case the work is assigned to a contractor or consultant hired to deliver a specific work for the project, The Scope of Work or SOW usually follows a Terms of Reference (TOR) that helped define the objectives and select a consultant to do a specific work that required skills not present in the team or organization. At the completion of the work the consultant should present a document that informs on the progress made and the results and outputs generated by the SOW (Leach,L.P. 1999) VERIFYING THE WORK This step refers to the actions required to ensure that the work delivered meets the specifications of the project and it is used as a guarantee that the project is delivering the promised quality in its work. At the end of the assignment the team members or consultants, report the activities accomplished, any deviations from the plan, changes or modifications to the activity and any information that will help update the project plan. Scope Verification Scope verification deals with obtaining the stakeholders formal acceptance of the completed project work scope and the goods or services delivered. Now, the verification of the project scope includes re-viewing the deliverables to make sure that each is completed satisfactorily. If the project was discontinued earlier, the project scope checking process shall establish and document the level and extent of completion (Turner,J.R.2000). Work Acceptance Once the scope verification confirms that the work meets the requirements of the project, the next step is to obtain acceptance of the work; work acceptance is needed in cases when the beneficiary needs to give testament that the work or activities delivered by the project were achieved as agreed, and that they met the needs of the beneficiaries within the scope of the project. Change Requests Out from the delivery of work and the verification of work, requests to change the scope may occur based on new insights gained on the project, changes in the original conditions or assumptions of the project or discovery of new opportunities. Changes are not necessarily made to correct a situation but could also include changes in approaches or strategies that will impact the project scope. Changes can originate from the project team, beneficiaries, organizations management, or the donor. In any case the project manager should use the Project Scope Change Control Plan defined to manage the process or change request, obtain approval and incorporate and communicate the changes (Turner,J.R.2000). ADAPTING THE SCOPE Once changes to the project scope have been approved, the project needs to update all project plans and communicate these changes to the stakeholders and inform the way the changes will impact the project. Adapting the scope is a step whose sole function is to incorporate changes that will provide improvements to the project and increase the chances for its success (Turner,J.R.2000). Example of the Project Scope Management: Tsunami hits the costal line of India, thousands of people suffered. Government decided to have technology with them using which they can detect the possibility of such natural disaster in advance. Considering this as the project: Define the scope of the project In clear terms, the project here is to develop a new technology with which we can detect the possibilities probability of the occurrences of the natural disasters before they occur so as to save lives of many people. Scope of the project: The scope of the project is defined as the sum total of the projects products their requirements or features. Thus according to this definition of ours, the scope of the current project is: Finding is a similar technology (Less advanced useful) available so that its easy to modify the same to create a new better one. Decide whether the new technology should be feasible enough as to accommodate almost all types of disasters (Like tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, etc) Finding the availability of the technical other staff so that the project is not delayed. Whether this is to be a portable hardware machine (as a technology), one for each type of disaster OR a heavy one, dealing with (almost) all types of disasters. In case this technology fails at any point of time, what are the backups. (Turner,J.R.2000). Conclusion: At the end of each project phase or at the completion of a significant milestone the project needs to capture the lessons learned in managing the project scope. This include the causes or reason why something did not went according to plans, the causes that contributed to success, and the actions the project took to deal with an issue or challenge. The idea behind is to capture the lessons right after an action and not wait until the end of the project; the project should incorporate a practice that builds a discipline and a routine to capture lessons continuously and creates spaces for the project team to reflect on the lessons and incorporate them in the next phases or cycles of the project. References: Pinto, J. K. and Slevin, D. P. (1988) Critical Success factors across the project, Project Management Journal, 19(3): 67-75 Cook-Davies, T. (2002) The â€Å"real† success factors on projects, International Journal of Project Management, 20(3): 185-90. Gardiner, P. D. (2005) Project Management A strategic planning approach, Palgrave -Macmillan, New York, USA. Leach,L.P.(1999)Critical chain project management improves project performance. Project Management Jour-nal 30(2),39-51. Wheelwright,S.C. and Clark,K.B.(1992)Creating project plans to focus product development Harvard Business Review Mar-Apr,70-82. Turner,J.R.(2000)Editorial: the global body of knowledge. International Journal of Project Management 18(1),1-5. Barber,P., Tomkins, C. and Graves, A.(1999) Decentralised site management-acasestudy. International Journal of Project Management 17(2),113-120. Atkinson,R.(1999)Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and aphenomenon, its [sic] time to accept other success criteria. International Journal of Project Management 17(6), 337-342.

Essay example --

Molecular technology has become the talk of mainstream science and technology today. As the aviation industry searches for new forms of efficient aviation, molecular technology would be the only logical place to start. For this report the various beneficial uses of carbon nanotubes, in form of buckminsterfullerene, will be both discussed and theorized. The infinitesimal molecular structure of carbon 60 has provided a revolutionary solution for flight efficiency and advancement today. Through the use of an experimental material derived from carbon nanotube technology some of flights oldest conjectures will be solved. Manifested in the form of paper like sheets, these carbon molecules have been transformed into a material better known as buckypaper, possessing less than a quarter of steel’s overall weight and ten times its conductivity(Jade Boyd). It’s strong yet lightweight properties could perhaps pave the way for major breakthroughs within the ever critical flight industry today. Introduction Phenomenal leaps in the flight and aviation industry today have caused a state of static ignorance throughout the minds of innovative aviators. What baffles the mind of contemporary aviation today is not the next high speed jet, perhaps soaring some speed close to that of light. What baffles modern aviation today is the creation of an effective yet practical form manpowered flight. With the creation of the combustion and jet engines the dreams once conceived by numerous pioneers of early flight have become the lost fables of history. As a result, the aviation industry today has ultimately failed when searching for better forms flight efficiency. In order to modify the wheel it must first be rebuilt using the most practical and effective m... ...et from destination A to destination B with a cheaper and safer means of affordable flight. Though the general public knows very little about alternative methods of mass production for buckypaper, it will probably become the most prolifically used molecule in aviation sector for many years to come. The general public should expect to see a technological revolution in the future that will make flight cheaper and more affordable. To retrieve any scientific information pertaining to the topic’s progress has currently proven to be a difficult task, partly because there aren’t many published journals pertaining to the topic of buckminsterfullerene. This, however, does not mean research will remain stagnant and future opportunities lost. Buckypaper’s diverse fields of application will redefine the status quo of aviation and technology today once research is complete.

American Intellectual History

The nations of the world are shaped by a plethora of events and ideas. Just as any human being is a product of circumstances and ideas that he encounters similarly is the case of nations. The intellectuals of a nation are like potters shaping the destiny of the multitudes that inhabit their lands. They themselves are products of ideas of intellectuals before them and in turn leave their imprints on the sand of times and are a source of inspiration for others. The tumultuous changes that were taking place in the era that Bellamy inhabited animates and is a source of inspiration for his literary works .American polity and social order were undergoing constant change . The old order which was representative of slavery, denigration of women and industrial capitalism was being replaced by a new social order . American society was witnessing a spurt in problems and hence we see that epoch witness a multitude of reformers. The novel looking backward is an identifying hallmark of the writer Edward Bellamy. Initially it generated little interest later on it catapulted to being the bestseller of its time. The social inequities of the nineteenth century always haunted Edward.Even as a young lad of 18 his soul was stirred by the problems that the social machinery of the ancient industrial system was creating . There have been many writers trying the genre of utopian writings like Thomas Moore, David Hume but few have shown so much commitment to the ideals of the utopian society as Edward Bellamy. Human beings have always been anticipating the prospects of a perfect future as the present condition of society is unjust. It is an escape from the contemporary society were corruption was rife poverty slavery child labor was the order of the day.The future of America is depicted as society where the difference between the rich and the poor is mitigated as there is equal distribution of wealth. The industries are not controlled by a few men of eminence but they are in the hands o f the nation. The writer’s preoccupation with nationalism makes him envisage the state machinery as he savior of mankind. The unpretentious style and the use of commonplace language and immaculate images of the utopian society are some of the aspects of the novel which are responsible for its popularity.The plot and the story of the novel seems to be unique as it seems to be an implementation of the ideals of Christianity and secular thought in a future time. Writer’s mind is like cauldron where ideas and thoughts prevalent in the society make unique dish. The ideas and the thought process of any individuals are shaped by the people around him and the movements that are invigorating the minds of writers, philosophers and intellectual. Similarly Edward Bellamy’s philosophical ideas are shaped by those of predecessor.Orestes Brownson was an important influence on him as the novel gives a political and a religious solution to the ills of society. He was primarily t hought to be a religious thinker whose world view encapsulates the political system of the American society . Democracy needs to follow the guidelines of the catholic creed so as to restrict individualism which threatens to undermine the bonds of communities. American nation evolved as result of the simultaneous influence religious and secular ideas.He had fears that the individual pride is constantly becoming emboldened and the loftier virtues of love and the concern for fellow human being is lost in the urge betterment of ones life. According to Brownson â€Å"A republic can stand only as it rests upon the virtues of the people; and these not the mere natural virtues of worldly prudence and social decency, but those loftier virtues which are possible to human nature only as elevated above itself by the infused habit of supernatural grace.† (â€Å"Brownson's Works, 10:17-37)The utopia of Bellamy presents a perfect picture of a strong nation in which the individual‘s b aser self like an unrelenting quest for material wellbeing is subsumed in the collective effort or maintaining that perfect elysian state. He was constantly preoccupied with the idea of nation as solutions to the problems of society. A strong nation with its individuals trained like a disciplined military is presented as a solution for the problems of his contemporary society.Strikes were a big issue in the Edwards contemporary society and it finds a solution in his utopian novel where everybody is prosperous due to the fact that selfishness is replaced by brotherly concern. These moral high grounds have their root in Christianity which is adhered to by both Orestes and Bellamy . The future of America is safely ensconced in Catholicism. The influence of the idea of nation was imported from Europe. The crystallization of the ideas of a nation took place during civil wars in America.Emerson a liberal and a strong proponent of individual rights started laying more emphasis on standing up for the nation’s freedom and sovereignty as the civil wars were threatening the existence of America. Brownson was a disillusioned by the liberal ideas o f individual aspiration and became a staunch proponent of conservatism which believes in preserving order . Society’s wellbeing is given preference over individuals hope and aspiration.Looking back has protagonist who has slept more than 100 years and he opens his eyes into a perfect society which is made economically viable as the state is given full control of the industries . Brownson can be best described as a religious political conservatism. Julian west questions are answered by Dr leetes His explanations express the vision of the writer and the influence of Orestes Brownson is evident in the fact there is emphasis on strengthening of nation as the reason for fact that now the workers are no more going on a strike;â€Å"The nation, that is to say, organized as the one great business corporation in which all other corporations were absorbed; it became the one capitalist in the place of all other capitalists, the sole employer, the final monopoly in which all previous and lesser monopolies were swallowed up, a monopoly in the profits and economies of which all citizens shared† (Bellamy 24-47) Brownson participated in the brook farm and it reflects the age old aspiration of practically putting ones ideas to a test . The same can be said about Looking back .Edward Bellamy is trying to show that how his political religious and economic ideas can be practically implemented in a society. Brownson was born in the transitional phase and they formed a reform party which instead of relegating the church to the background was thought to be the machinery through which social reform could be brought about. The instability in the times of these writers is reflected in the fact that the intellectuals are constantly experimenting with different modes of Christianity . He stated his pastoral caree r as Universalist then moved to Unitarianism.Finally he espoused Catholicism He is opposed to Brownsons stand point that human beings are essentially sinful . One of the reasons of writing looking back is the belief that innate goodness of man is a corollary of formation of a perfect state of being . Bellamy is a believer in the dissociation of personality for there is no sameness between our present and past personalities but only a graduated differentiation. † (Morgan, 56) Memory is not a sufficient qualifier for identity . We are constantly in flux adorning one personality after another .According to Bellamy it is the core of the being which is responsible for stringing together the different identities . Julian West’s hypnotic sleep is an example of dissociation of personality which is constant preoccupation of Edward. I sat up thus in bed staring about, without being able to regain the clue as to who he was. Brownsons saw individuality as the root cause of disinteg ration of society. There is similar charge against Bellamy that individual identity was sacrificed for the attainment of the perfect state.There is compartmentalization of the individual the bad aspects like greed, competition, and amassing wealth in the hands of few is banished and the superior self which is reflection of the pristine image of God is allowed to reign. The end result of this enterprise is an era of tranquility. Social problems are completely routed from the face of the earth Man and society is perfectly matched in that millennium of utopian society. The fear of poverty has been vanquished as all the industries were in the hands of the state and thus there was no class conflict.The strong robust state and Christian socialism are reminiscent of the Brownsonian influence on Edward Bellamy. Origin of species by Charles Darwin was published in 1859and it heralded an era of skepticism and transformed the perspective of the way we look at life. According to Vergilius Ferm: â€Å"Truly, the year 1859, in which appeared Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, marks a turning point in Western thought† (1936, p. 307). God was banished from the world view of man . There is complete paradigm shift from the philosophy of man’s purposeful existence to his being on this cosmos as result of chance and subsequent selection .The creed of competing with one another for resources as the ultimate goal makes man an equivalent to animals and the most interesting aspect of the theory of natural selection is that it justifies greed as natural and a beneficial prospect because it leads to the selection of the fittest individuals. Bellamy was a staunch critique of Charles Darwin’s theory and its implication on the social ethics of industrial capitalism . His novel Looking Back provides an alternative to this rat race of outpacing each other with an impulse for self sacrifice and unselfishness.Struggle for survival has no place in the society d epicted in the novel as the inequalities are removed . The state controls all the industries. It is surprising that both these intellectuals who are preaching completely different dogmas are proposing that evolution is the process to reach the culmination of human prowess. Bellamy writes his utopia where evolution is employed to reach that perfect Elysian state. Looking back provides an insight into that perfect state that is achievable only when brotherly loves and unselfishness becomes a creed.Chaos brutality and lack of human concern is substituted by love and generosity. Many social Darwinists like Graham Sumner criticize the utopian model as laid back attitude and wishful thinking by saying it is the greatest folly of which a man can be capable to sit down with a slate and pencil to plan out a new social world Bellamy constantly uses the notion of a nation as an alternative to the industrial competition of his times. Then the national party arose to carry it out by political me thods.â€Å"Indeed, it could not well have had any other name, for its purpose was to realize the idea of the nation with a grandeur and completeness never before conceived, touching tree whose leaves are its people, fed from its veins, and feeding it in turn. † (Bellamy, 183) He deliberately uses the metaphor of plant to describe nature as the leaves of a tree are symbolic of the members of society who are living in a peaceful coexistence. The general health and wellbeing of the members of society is dependent on the heath of the trunk which is the supporting system.The metaphor of a tree is very often used in bible and it is vey often used at the critical juncture of man’s destiny. Adam lost his ethereal existence because he ate from the forbidden tree. The novel derives its motivation from the doctrine of Christian socialism. Therefore the metaphors and the language reflect the theological preoccupation of the author. There is a deliberate of the Darwinian metaphor of an animal . The very existence of one another is dependent on elimination of the animal of lesser prowess. The revolution that is presented in the utopia is a bloodless one.The foremost objection to the utopian ideal of equality is that it will produce in activity in the members of such a society as concept of competing with one another is lost is . Dr leetes answer to Julian West settles this question that the urge to work remains as result of the fact that the imaginations of the people is fired by passion for humanity and service to nation . It doesn’t mean that Bellamy is not influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection but the whole edifice of the Darwinian module is modified .There is evolution in the society Women are exonerated of their household duties They are also assigned jobs but the working hours are less as they have to perform the task of building the character of the future generation . There is no exploitation of women and they receive equal remuneration. One of the offshoots of natural selection is sexual selection but in the utopia of Bellamy the economic basis of anything has no meaning. Therefore marriages take place due to love for each other not because of economic standing of the individuals.The discovery of utopia of novel begins with the protagonist query about the industrial problem plaguing America. The answer to this question reveals the amount of the influence of the Darwinian concept of evolution . Dr Leete explains that this pathological condition was resolved by industrial evolution. Origins of species laid the foundation of biological evolution of man but it brought about revolution in almost all walks of life . These concept are both repudiated and incorporated in the novel but the concept of evolution undergoes refinement as it is cast in the theological mould.The model of biological evolution provided a justification for the superiority of the white race . Strangely enough Bellamy who is at loggerhea d with the concept of evolution of species is in complete sync with idea that the racial superiority of the west is a result of the survival of the fittest. The law of necessity is replaced by laws of morality . Many intellectuals were profoundly affected by the postulates of Darwin . But it is misleading to believe that he is social Darwinist in fact he was a critic if Darwin’s postulates in origin of species .He has used the model of Darwinian evolution and reshaped it with love as the underlying force for achieving perfection. William Graham Sumner started his career as clergymen and returned as professor of political and social sciences . He believed in the persistence of inequalities in societies as material progress is dependent upon open competition . He saw government as a necessary evil as it defends us from the different vices prevalent in our society. It curbs individuals’ liberty and freedom He was a social Darwinist and was critical of Bellamy‘s impr actical plans.â€Å"The history of the human race is one long story of attempts by certain persons and classes to obtain control of the power of the State so as to win earthly gratifications at the expense of others†(Sumner . n. p) The nation replaces the industrial capitalism of the contemporary times in the Bellamy’s utopia . Sumner believed in giving maximum freedom to the industrial capitalism of his times whereas Looking back provides a replacement of this system as it is thought to be the root cause of all the evils of society . The social condition of the impoverished working class didn’t need any reformers as it was natural.He was against any kind of government intervention to alleviate the condition of the suffering masses . He is a believer in the fact that material success is indicative of a persons capabilities. (Boland. n. p) As far as this is concerned they are at opposing end. Bellamy is for reforms and equal opportunity and pay for all the member s of society . William Sumner was against the occupation of Spain by the Americans and this idea finds a echo in the novel as was he was against the occupation of Spain by the Americans and this idea finds a echo in the novel. Dr Leete denounces the act of aggrandizementâ€Å"Are they France, England, Germany, or hunger, cold, and nakedness? In your day governments were accustomed, on the slightest international misunderstanding, to seize upon the bodies of citizens and deliver them over by hundreds of thousands to death and mutilation, wasting their treasures the while like water. † The American society was facing a lot of upheavals and industrial revolution brought urbanization and a variety of problems . The publishing of Darwin’s origin of species had raised many uncomfortable questions and many movements arose to establish the kingdom of God upon earth .These movements also brought changes in the established religions and creeds. Solomon Washington Gladden sermons can be seen as the earliest example of The social gospel movement . It tried address the problems of the slums of Ohio and brought the workers of 1877 strike to a peaceful negotiation. The proponents of this movement believed in a confluence of Christian dogma with politics . They predicted a brighter picture of tomorrow. Looking back seems to be presenting the same kind of mixture of morality and politics and a prospect of a perfect future.Like the social gospel movement the novel gives a concrete shape to the hope of a better tomorrow. The concept of brotherly love and helping the poor is not an anathema to the Christian doctrine but rather it was revived as the Victorian society was facing excess of moral violation of individuals in industrial capitalism . Bellamys combination of socialism and religiosity can be as seen an offshoot of the social gospel reform movement as any individual is a product of its time . The thought process of literary artists are shaped by the distillat ion of ideas his period.The thought process of an individual is not shaped in vacuum . They are either a result of the reaction of doctrines that are prevalent in that period or an influence of other contemporary writers and philosophers. Genius don’t produce ides out of blue but it unique process of synthesis of ideas floating through that particular age . Early century and the great depression saw different intellectuals trying to lay the principles on which the society could get rid of its problem and the kingdom of god was to be established which would transcend competitive and exploitative industrialism of the contemporary American society.Looking is an endeavor on part of Bellamy to show that such ideas are viable and practical. It is practical guide to establishment of a society based on the postulate of the egalitarian principles o social Christianity. The social reform movements from 1820 to 1860 show a distrust of establishes social systems. The gospel reform moveme nt saw that for the first time the various denomination of the church came together in a joint venture to eradicate the problems of society . This dream of unification of various sects of Christianity is realize in the novel Looking back .Julian asks Mr Barton about the reason of disappearance of various sects The answer was that passionate impulse of brotherly love was responsible for the founding of a nobler social order as the root cause of this unification Crisis in the American society was seen as initiative to accomplish the necessary changes . The whole novel can be seen as an attempt to forsee and how to practically implement those changes in society. The turn of the century saw massive problems like unemployment, abuse of corporate powers, poverty, crime, and corruption, influx of immigrants, child labor and massive depression.These problems gave rise to a reform movement which was termed as the progressive movement. Progressive movement was a natural succession to the prog ressive movement. The youth of middle class rose to the occasion with a firm faith in fact that every problem has a solution. These problems can be put to end by the educated class . Education and specially women education received special stress . Consequently women rights were promoted and they started entering the job market as clerks and did other menial duties . Edward Bellamy in his novels gave women a lot of rights by the contemporary standards.They received equal pay despite the fact that they were working for fewer hours . Another hallmark of this period is the demand of voting rights by women. The social order of Bellamy’s utopian world assigns equal but different roles to women. The feminist of the contemporary period like Charlotte Perkins Gilman agree with is assessment. The whole progressive movement resolved around that man has a inherent quality in him to improve his lot . It was rejection of the social Darwinism. The other problem that the progressives tried to address was the end of slavery .The abolitionist movement tried to eradicate this problem . The utopian model stresses equality as the focal point and it is achieved through the equal pay for all the individuals. It is very important to note that the progressive movement is accused of not addressing the problems of racial discrimination And Bellamy was under the influence of Herbert Spencer who saw the whites as superior race as result of it being the fittest and the most ablest race . The progressive s believed that the state can play a pivotal role in solving the numerous problems that the American society is experiencing .The authors are sensitive to trails and the tribulations of society and hence this is exactly the reason hat the fiction is trying to present a solution which is representative of the progressive ideology that state can help in the establishment of the heavenly state . The novel also presents the idea of the unification of the various denominations of Christi anity and it is reflection of the fact that various creeds of Christianity rose under this reform movement to address the problems that was destroying the moral fabric of the society.Frederick Winslow Taylor can be best described as synthesizer of the thoughts of his times and he gave a solution to the problem of optimizing the productivity of the workers. There was almost a mechanical stress on using scientific precision to improve the skills needed to perform a task in the industry . Years of apprentice ship is replaced by this mechanical process. This has a fleeting similarity to the Edwardian concept of building an army of workers. The dramatic improvement in the productivity was result of his innovation in the field of industrial engineering . He is accused of dehumanizing the modern industries .There needs a change in the attitude of the workers to optimize the industrial production according to him change â€Å"consists of the complete revolution in the mental attitude and t he habits of all those engaged in the management, as well of the workmen†(Taylor . pg131) Bellamy’s utopia presents the concept that the productivity is going to increase as result of passion for nation. Edward Bellamy has been unnecessarily been accused of being influenced by the Marxist concept of utopian world and he was for quite sometimes rolling the idea of the perfect state of life in his mind .It was published 40 years before the it . The author himself had a disliking for the class conflict and a Godless society In one of his public lectures he gave vent to his urge to write about his passion for heavenly existence â€Å"It is an undiscovered country, no community of men has ever essayed its elysian climes, no human foot step has ever trod its shores. The faith of humanity points to its existence. But I know that it exists, and we must find it. †¦ † (Taken from Bellamy’s 2nd lyceum address of 1872). He gave a concrete shape to all his ideas o f an ideal society in his novel â€Å"looking backward†.The impact of the novel on the minds of men can be gauge from the fact that this novel gave rise to a nationalist movement . Columbia university requested philosopher John Dewey historian Charles Beard and editor of The Atlantic monthly Edward Week to prepare a list of writers who exercised a huge influence on society Edward Bellamy’s Looking back came second on all the three list and it was preceded by Marx’s Das capital. The novel brought about a change in the thinking of men in all walks of life . The ideas in the novel acted as spring board for other writers to develop and broaden the horizon of human intellect.The idea that social injustice is caused by human struggle for physical as well as economic need for a better status launched Veblen's provocative and creative career. Allen white the renowned American News Paper editor himself admitted to being shaped by the intellectual outpourings of this nove l. â€Å"He feels indebted to the thrill that he encountered while reading the novel when he was young and the change of heart from the being a conservative to being open minded about the various problems plaguing the contemporary society. He also acknowledges the fact that many youngsters of his time had a similar experience .It was the talk of the town The list of individuals effect by Bellamy’s monumental work Looking backwards is endless . It not only affected the individual members of society but also infused fresh blood into the intellectual thought process of his times . The ideas of social injustice derived from a race for economic betterment came into the forefront. He is a writer who inspires people and draws lines on which others can move forward on their intellectual journey. The novel is a presentation of social and economic order which is given serious consideration by experts in the respective fields.The economist H. Stanley Jevons says: â€Å"I have gained m ore from Bellamy than from any single author. He deserves more attention from economists than he has received. The economic system he outlines does stand a rigid examination for workability in its essential features in his treatise. † The novel presents economic equality in the co-operative commonwealth Despite the fact that the novel deals with utopia it has been not whisked away to be a wishful thinking but has been put to a practical implication The nationalist movement started with the formation of the first nationalist club of Boston in 1888 .The chief characteristics of this movement were unselfishness and it invigorates an enthusiasm for humanity. The individuals of society don’t compete with each other rather they co-operated with each others. It adopted a tolerant attitude towards people who would be critical of this movement. Patriotism was a highly cherished ideal of this movement . Social reforms had to taken up by a nation so as to reap its harvest. Works C ited Auerbach Am Lit Hist. (1994); â€Å"The Nation Organized†: Utopian Impotence in Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://alh. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/reprint/6/1/24Boland joseph(1995)U. S political thought . retrieved http://www. uoregon. edu/~jboland/lect_12. html Richard A. Spurgeon (1997). The Religious Ethics of Edward Bellamy and Jonathan Edwards. Journal of Utopian Studies. Vol 8. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. questia. com/googleScholar. qst? docId=5000543586 Bellamy, Edward. (2000) Looking Backward. Applewood books. ISBN-10: 155709506X Native Americanism† (Brownson's Works, 10:17-37). retrieved Sumner, William Graham. Essays of William Graham Sumner. Ed. Albert G. Keller and Maurice R. Davie. Vol. 1. New Haven: Yale UP, 1934 retrievedhttp://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G1-56061945. html Wilmot Chester,the struggle for Europe 1954 pg 477 SCOTT McLEMEE â€Å"Back to the Future† December 24, 2000. Retrieved Mar ch 17, 2008 from: http://www. nytimes. com/books/00/12/24/bookend/bookend. html Vergillus, Ferm, (1936), First Adventures in Philosophy (New York: Charles Scribner & Sons). Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. apologeticspress. org/rr/reprints/Impact-of-Evolutionary-Philosop. pdf W. Taylor, Frederick Scientific Management, pg 131. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www. skymark. com/resources/leaders/taylor. asp

Huston Smith on Judaism and Christianity - 2080 Words

Huston Smith on Christianity and Judaism Huston Smith is known for his research and interest in the religions of the world. He published a book, Religion’s of Man in 1958, which was later revised and renamed World’s Greatest Religions. This book was a summary of the adventures Huston Smith went on in his life as he traveled the world searching for new knowledge and understanding of the religions of the world. Huston Smith also made a collection of videos about various religions across the world, known as his â€Å"Wisdom of Faith† video series. I recently watched the Christianity and Judaism video from this collection and discovered many of Smith’s views on those religions. The video opened with Bill Moyers summarizing various beliefs Huston†¦show more content†¦The solitary prayers that Jesus did, gave him metaphysical power and charismatic character, and in the New Testament it is evident that Jesus was doing the works he was meant to do and had the power to do. Huston Smith brought up a thought that had never crossed my mind before, â€Å"What did Jesus think of himself?† Huston Smith said that it was impossible to find out or ever to know Jesus’ thoughts or personal feelings about himself. Then Smith also brought up the fact that Jesus may not have ever found out what he was, who he was, or what to think about himself. Huston Smith revealed that the importance of Jesus’ human needs should be defined as well as his divine needs. He stated that by considering both human and divine needs one can better understand who Jesus really was and what he was meant to do. Some things in this world could have also been a mystery to Jesus during his life though, just as it is in our lifetime. Huston Smith believed that when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and he saw the angel that it could have been the first time he came to the realization of who he was and what his significance to the world was. This idea was supported when Huston Smith went on to explain that the forty days and nights Jesus spent in the woods were spent to discover who he really was. This part of the video really made me think of my opinion of Jesus and whether I thought he knew who he was and who he was going to be. Huston Smith then talked about the cross andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Reflection On World Religion983 Words   |  4 PagesReflection on World Religions It has been an outstanding five weeks. This was the course that Ive been waiting to take since I started Capella back in April of 2004. Finally after weeks of reading World Religions by Huston Smith, I have developed an understanding of some of the worlds religions. I can never be an expert in this field, and I dont want to, but at least I have an idea where these religions originated and have a general concept of the beliefs behind each religion. 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