Engineering Management Skills

Engineering Management Skills An engineering manager has four main fields of responsibility, that is, supervising engineers or technicians, project management, interacting with clients, and offering suggestion and representative as a resourcefulness. An engineering manager should be a completely permit and specialized. All job seeker must finish a university undergraduate degree in engineering. Engineering management is the field involved with the application of engineering principles to the planning and manipulative management of manufacturing and industrial organizations. Engineering managers requires an integration of technical skills, soft skills, and conceptual skills as well. Technical skills are the elementary type of skills. Engineering manager is a leader of the team; normally consist of a group of engineers, technicians and workers. Engineering managers should have a unique skill in a specific area which can leading them to stand out among the public. Along with the proficient of technical skills, the engineering manager will able to understand the requirement and specification of the whole project. Beside that, engineering managers should have self-confidence while leading the group. Show the ability that can resolve the technical problem and hence the employees might convinced to him. As an engineering manager, the continuing study and upgrading the knowledge is required. This will help them in solving the specific problem. Admittedly, to develop employees effective, the soft skills are needful for engineering manager. Actually, for engineering manager, technical skills are generally less important, and their professional development focal point should be on skills that will assists a manager become a good leader at the organization. People who like to interact with others, are congenital leaders, and are capable engineers discover this type of position remunerative. There is a standard of direction or instruction as stage of this position that is a fresh skill for great majority of engineers. Interpersonal skills and communication skills are extremely importance in this responsibility. In addition, conceptual skills are needed for engineering managers. These essential skills are regard as a fundamental requirement for managers who located in highest level of management position. A successful engineering manager with specific skills normally has brilliant cognitive abilities to deliberate creativity. The conceptual skills involved thinking creativity, analysis and diagnosis, recognizes, psychological skills, planning intelligence, emotional intelligence and problem solving skills. Engineering managers who provided with conceptual skills are able to investigate complex problems, imagine details, and effective practice of behavior. Overall, management is an integrated new profession for engineers. Engineers who take on management position should emulate and study new set of specific skills. From beginning, engineering managers may often confront an intercession period that requires accepting a whole fresh skill and mentality. Engineering manager should change their natural instincts such as straightforward answers and seriousness. The important principles for engineering managers may and must be flexible. Always put effort on additional skills, will bring good results. CHAPTER 1 TECHNICAL SKILLS Technical skills are those skills, such as intellectual and mastery that managers use to complete their task in specialized areas such as engineering or information technology. Technical skills must be come out by entire standards of administrative. High level of management use technical skills to develop project plans and for making conceptual decisions, and to focus on the individual decision making process. Technical skills give lower-level managers the capability, intellectual and practiced in a designated field, not only to perform tasks, but also to regulate the tasks of employee in that area. Technical skill can define as the most fundamental type of skills that should have to achieve in our life. The technical skills required of life general as well as the particular technical skills required of specific job or task. The technical skill suggests an understanding in a specific kind of task. It involves specialized knowledge, analytical ability, and facilities in the use of the equipments of the specific branch of learning. Occupational practical training programmes mostly do a great job in developing this kind of skill. Engineers may evolution to transform into technical specialists or to monitor a team of technicians and engineers. Some may ultimately become engineering managers or to participate other managerial tasks. In business, an engineering intellectual will offers them to discuss a projects technical specification and helps in production planning, assembly, and utilize. Unique Skills Engineers who always succeed the greatest in their profession are engineers who have unique skills in a specific area leading them to stand out among the public. It might be the difference between banality and distinct. Upgrading the Knowledge People who able to take his skill levels in a specific area one level higher than his have now, and always taking up the effort in value adding process. This effort may even bring long term extra pay or reward from an unimaginable source. Technical skill building is an on-going, and it is a never-ending process. Constantly upgrade the skills, make continuous education, and always stay at a distinct advantage of changes and developments. For example: An engineering manager who hadnt had a consulting project of any considerable order in over half a year, and he realize that the relationship between his effort for improvement with his lifes better response to the effort. He tried to improve his knowledge by continuous learning some higher level skills. Within a short period, he was contacted by a company to produce a large consulting project. Mechanical and electronic engineering manager The technical skills are fundamental to the job. The computer skilful is very important. Most professionals task widely with computer drafting software and other specific programs to help them design a new product. Besides that, engineers always work on physically building prototypes, which need manual practised and particular knowledge of various types of tools and assemble techniques. Normally, it is require working rapidly and efficiently, without skipping any steps in the building procedure. After the prototypes has been completed, the engineer manager will passing the idea to the development teams member, and supervise them to complete the task according to the initial concept. Information Technology engineering manager The hardware support is the basic technical skill for information technology engineer, it depend on specialized training in hardware installation, software application, and computer networking. As an information technology engineer manager, the continuing study and upgrading the knowledge is required. Else, that will be difficult in certain kind of problem solving. The information technology is rapidly changing, the technology tends to evolve rather quickly, such as telecommunication, and there is an evolution from 3G to 4G, just taking a short period. The information technology manager should always review and estimate the current applications are satisfying the demands of the company. Besides that, the manager must be able to verify the new technologies to improve the objective of the company. Fully Integrated Skill As a skill gets carried out over and over again, it becomes nearly second. As the skill grows more integrated into out being, it transform from our conscious awareness of carry out the action involved in the skill fall into a subconscious stage where it is manipulate on an nearly automatic of implement. It is done without any effort and is done with a meaning of impassive. Technical Responsibilities Technical responsibilities can change greatly; it is depending on the scale and composition of the company. Identify Identify conclusive process scope that controls the reliability, quality and performance of the final product. Leading Lead the commercial grade design and progress a high volume manufacturing line in order to meet the requirement. Managing Manage the evolution of mechanical, electronic and electrical, and software systems for carry out, inspecting and controlling all field of the manufacturing process. Inspection Manage the design of electrical and mechanical measurement tools for received good monitoring, post-process inspection and final inspection. Evolution Evolution and refine the innovative product line to meet the requirement of client. Engineer manager will be working closely with the CEO, clients, contractors and manufacture groups. CHAPTER 2 SOFT SKILLS Soft skills also define as interpersonal skills. Engineering managers require interpersonal skills to be efficient. Without the capability to influences others, produce good decision making and control many preferential, the excellent of technical skills arent going to dedicate completely to the administrative of the team. As a engineering manager, who realize themselves badly off in interpersonal skill, must try to aspire training at any time to support up leadership skills, human skills, communications skills, management skills, presentation skills and so on. An administrative management must hold out such training. Engineering managers requires an integration of technical skills and interpersonal skills as well. For engineering manager, technical skills are generally less important, and their professional evolution focal point should be on skills that will assist a manager become a primary leader of the business. For those engineering managers who are not willing to spend those specialize into leadership path, may not be the greatest rightness for engineering management responsibilities. Human Skills Human skills include realizing how to interact nicely with people. Normally, nobody like to working for a manger that is impolite and inconsiderate. A manger lack in human skills can decrease both spirit and productivity of the team. However, engineering manager with effective human skills always has employees with a positive manner and a tough desire to boost up company productivity. It is important for engineering manager to work effectively with positional, subordinates, and supervisors. Always entertaining employees or workers with respectful and polite together with the ability to expressive a vision for the task are main element to a manager to archiving an interpersonal skills. Well communication skills and the intelligence to associate with people are the essential to become a successful engineering manager, or else, they will not be able to express their opinion for the business with the involved person. A successful engineering manager able to complete the task in all kind of responsibilities by cooperates with workers, technicians, managers and clients. Leadership Responsibilities Every organization requires certain people to take leadership responsibilities. Anyone can be a leader, as long as they are proficient in leadership skills. The organization will develop well if everyone expends their professional skills into proper leadership roles. A leader is someone who looks for works that havent been completed or pursue to improve the teams objectives to make it become more efficient. Leaders are responsible for employing, training, inspiring, counseling, and disciplining their employees. They always pursue to inspiring and utilize the energies and skills of employees to guarantee a productivity and efficient work. Besides that, they must always instill positive thinking or manners, to ensure that all the employees are working towards an achievement of same goal. Be a good example As usual, there are leaders and there are followers. Developing good leadership skills can bring about the excellence between the two. Some of the people claim that, a strong leader is born and not made. This is not to conclude that, the leadership skill does not be able to learn. As an engineering manager, try to developing yourself to stimulate become a good leader. People always follow a good leader due to he is stand for the beliefs of a team. This person is always well focused on a main objective and resolves the difficulties. In the same time, the employees will be happy to provide the support for the team in order to succeed in accomplishes their goals. Background Skills for a Manager In order to processing the effectively influencing of the teams activities, a leader should also need to influence their employees through some characters such as personal glamour, expertise, command of language, and the produce of mutual respect or polite. The engineering manager should also require to handling some background skills such as mentoring, decision making, group works, delegation and motivating others. Mentoring Become a trusted advisor and assistant with experience in a specific field. Actively sustaining and directing someone to develop their experience and knowledge in order to achieve career goals. A mentoring relationship could be formal or informal, but must include trust, respect, acceptance and commitment as both sides work together to accomplish a common goal. Group work Team work defines as any activity in which members work together. It also explains as an activity that has been specifically designed so that members can work in a team. An engineering manager should able to supervise the task for each member in the group. Help each other with their task given in order to achieve the common objective. Always corporately and working efficiently with other team members. Decision Making Evaluate proper evidence and balance up that evidence to make an option. As an engineering manager, should always taking responsibility for a decision and its consequence. Delegation An engineering manager should taking responsibilities for ensuring when to request someone else to carry out a decision for the task. In order to increasing the efficiency and productivity of the task, engineering manager should assigning responsibilities and power in a team by giving someone else the judgment to carry out the decision. Network Building As a leader, should always creating contacts with other people and keeping those contacts. For example, meeting and bring together with someone at a seminar with similar interests, and interchanging email addresses with them. Obtaining and keeping information about those who might be beneficial contacts for certain intention. Make use of a contact in an ethical way to help each other achieve particular goals. Motivating Others Engineer should always produce devotion and capability by being positively. Besides that, focusing on researching solutions and holding a positive manner even when thing are going bad. A good leader should always ask his employees about the ways to overcome the problem. Inspiring the team member to come out the solutions, and try to listening carefully to their opinion. Always prepared to support employees in taking agree with them, calculated risk, and not criticizing and blaming others when the thing is going wrong. Counseling Counseling defines as a personal talk with someone who need for helps in individual problem. Everyone has confronted with problems from time to time. As a good leader, employees will grow to respect him, and they will ready to come to him with problems. A leader always recognizes employees with problems, and he cannot let them suffer or just move them away. If the serious problem has been ignored, that will almost consequently become a group problem. Furthermore, counseling can also defines as listening. From the view of employees, when they get into trouble, they just need to talk it out about their worries and show the difficulties faced. After their worries and difficulties have been heard by leader gives the sufferer a feeling that his/her worries and difficulties are rational. Hence, by using this way, the self-confidence of employees might increase, handling the problem easily. Management Skills Engineering manager requires understanding many aspects of the business in running a task. The important skills related on special skill or knowledge in the area of organization, finance, marketing surveying, communication, and human resources. Based on the research, great majority of the projects fail because the management skills distribution of the project has not obtained enough notice. The human element has not been sufficiently concerned. For an organization or individual, the transform or change is stressful. It the manager is capability to develop this kind of change; he will accomplish his objective or goal easily. Planning Planning is an essential skill. It provides a common conceptual system to integrate a variety of related skills, involving problem solving skills, scheduling, to develop estimates of the time and resources needed to complete the project, negotiation with client, and conflict resolution. Planning is a sequential process, where a decision at certain stage helps transparent your choices in the next stage. As a manager, he can utilize the suggestion after each stage to help define the particulars for each task. The efficient utilize of planning will do more than any other technical skill to advance both obtaining the job done and managing the group together. Planning is advantage in team organization and individual. Managing Risk Engineering manager can also learned how to recognize problem of risk by establish a project permit that transparent the objectives, opportunity, limits, resources, and timing for the project. Manager require to know how to apply management skills to develop these ricks, Some of the organizations had provided certain kind of certification courses of training for this specific skills for new of future engineering managers. Budgeting An engineering manager should understand how to use the budget. It is another fundamental management skill, even though the organization has hired a team of profession accountants to manage the financial path. There are three important steps to a budgeting, first is preparing it, second is writing it, and final step is monitoring it. Although the finance department are responsible to charged with perform these matters for manager, but as a good engineering manager have the responsibility for the projects budget planning. Besides that, engineering manager also require to understand what have been told about the projects budget. To fully integrate into budgeting, engineering manager need to know about the logically challenge of project cost overrun. By develop this essential skill; engineering manager can be able to managing the budget efficiency. Team work The effective team work will assist an engineering manager to developing his/her project effectively. A good engineering manager also is a team leader as well. Always prepared to help and work with team member to accomplish the common goals. A good manager will able to set up a culture of teamwork into all direction of the task given. Furthermore, there will be a high self-respect within all of the team members, and it sense that they already feel personally included in the whole process of the project. Hence, the project will be success. Decision Making Decision making defines as an action of selecting between two or more type of option. Nevertheless, it might often be bear in mind that there may not always be a right decision making among the available choices. Sometimes there may have been a greater choice that had not been regarded at the suitable time. It is important for a manager to take notes of all decision and the reasons for each decision were made in order to make the improvement in the future time. Besides that, by using this way, we can easy to justify for any decision taken when problem is occurs. Time Management Engineering managers require the ability to organize themselves and others by implement of time management. Always require to examine precisely what had spending your time on and how significant are those task and distributions of time to the successful accomplish of the project give. For example, as an engineering manager, you could spend a lot of time per day just for reading the emails. Actually, this task can be distributed to your clerk or personal assistant. They might tell you what needs follow up with immediately and what can be keep until later or just ignore. By using this way, a manager could save a lot of time and concentrate in another part of the project like checking on progression or inspecting the quality and so on. The time management skills should be applies, and do take note that, it is not necessary to manage the entire task by yourself. The greatest way to improve the time management skills is to further up our self-control and hence can develop the task without terribly upset. Communication Communication is fundamental for effective operation in every stage of an organization. Even though finance, marketing, production, and technical department, may receive guidance from overall objectives and goals, the communication will connects them together and easier become organizational achievement. Communication is required to improves efficiency, quality, give satisfaction for customer, and hence create renovation products. Effective communication is very crucial for company success. That shouldnt only for manager, but also their employees and team members must be efficient in communication. The responsibilities of an engineering manager is to assist their employees improve their communication skills. The good manger must be able to established collaborative relationships through active listening. If all of the team members can communicate efficiently with each other, the performance of the team will be improved. Several ways to improve the relationship between manager and employees: Manager should Always identify employees training requires. Give feedback or suggestion on employees performance. Form a principle for staff decision is necessary, such as promotions, disciplinary actions, allowances, and salary increases. Offer the chance for company diagnosis and development. Demonstrate staff hiring techniques and human resource policies. Interact with client Beside that, interacting with the client also act as an important stage of the role of engineering manager. An engineering manager is usually involved in the beginning meeting, examining, designing of the product, and supervising of the team members. Frequently scheduled meetings with clients are normally planned by the engineering. The ability to operate well with an extensive range of people, and always share opinion and experience with employees is important. Now, many engineering manager attend additional courses in order to advance their communication skills that will help them to managing the employees. Controlling the Group As a good manager, always balances getting the job completed and managing the team together. Control is always a public behavior of the engineering manager. To control the team efficiency, an engineering manager should: Set the tempo A good manager should illustrate his volunteer to do anything asked from team members. Beside that, always sets a good model and example. Observes Observes the team and communicates with the team members but it is not necessary to dominate. Always tends to give suggestions for improvement, it is better than orders. Instructs Communicate clearly with employees. A good manager always allows team members to use their own idea. Although there is a mistake occurs, try to correct the mistake with mutual respect and without blaming. If the work is going well by employees, do not disturb. If necessary, try to offer direct support and instruction. Counsels A leader should be ready and willing to support their employees with certain needs. Always recognizes employees with problems, and he cannot let them suffer or just move them away. Beside that, encourages all of the team members to show their best. Inspects Practice and manage a positive thinking and does not appraise or blaming. Praises good work, in the same time silently provides suggestions to correct the errors. Avoid making employees fall into contempt. Reacts Identifies that responsibilities for lose or breakdown is on the leader, do not shift the blame on employees or team members. Always remain humble and constantly work hard to give service to the team. Human Resources Responsibilities Broadcast and Advertises Engineering Duty Moreover to supervising production, engineering managers always undertake human resources responsibilities as well. Manager broadcast and advertises engineering duty open to public in order to hire new workman and offer practically training. Human resources consist of all elements of employee management, such as recruiting, hiring, training, reserving and dismissal. Within each given area, they are verified effective human resource administration strategies. Effective human resources management skills The successful human resources management skills are needed for a productive organization that can accomplish the goal which is higher profit. All of the employees are a required resource in any organization. If the company does not using effective human resources management skills can be a bad bargain for a business. Human resource management skill is the anticipative developing of people. It needs opinion in advance, and planning methods for an organization to meet the requirement of its employees. In the same time, it also the employees also will meet the requirements of the organization. By using this way, the effective improvement of productivity will appear. A good human resource management should always improve everything from recruiting, hiring, training to evaluate skill and discipline. By improving the employees keeping proportion can reduce the cost for organization to training or hiring new employees. CHAPTER 3 CONCEPTUAL SKILLS Conceptual skills are skills that use the capability of a human to produce concepts. Conceptual skills also defines as a skills that manager should have to think and to conceptualize about digest, abstract and complicated condition. By using this essential skill, managers should be able to observe the company as an integrated, know the relationships between different subunits, and imagine how the company suits to its wider environment. These substantial skills are most significant at the highest grade of management. An engineering manager at the highest level of the companies have the responsibility for making the decision for whole sense of organization and set up the objective and goal that impact the whole organization. In the business field, these essential skills are regard as a fundamental need for managers who located in highest level of management position. Good engineering managers with specific skills normally have brilliant cognitive abilities to deliberate creatively hence resolve problems. A manager be provided with these essential skills are able to investigate a complicated issue and visualize details, and effective practice of behavior. To apply conceptual skills to produce concepts, progressing solution and resolving difficulties. They are some important steps need to follow: Ensure the outcome to be accomplished or explain the problem. Investigate and analyze all required information Evaluate the choices by using problem solving skills Analyze the feasibility of each option. Determine and perform most appropriate solution. Thinking Creativity and Visualizing Abstractions A concept is a series of ideas. A concept manages many ideas jointly; an idea is similar to a brick, it is not a final formation for a building. The final formation is the concept. Do not start a project without a creative concept. The creative concept is the way or the plan that you will use to produce the required outcome. As an engineering manager, you are requiring the ability to comprehend a situation or difficulties by evaluating and cope with possible issues and limits. Conceptual thinking involves organizing the sections of an issues or condition is a regular way and being able to visualize opinions and ideas. Hence, you can extend abstract ideas from certain case. Analysis and Diagnosis A manager should observe at models in events or objects. Always understand how to visualize the ideas. Engineering manager requires analyzing and diagnosis complicated situations which need them to learn conceptual skills. They are able to make the process rationally and make clear with available information. Beside that, engineering manager must be able to determine problems, identify correct option, estimate them and pick the greatest one in order to make a rational decision. Nevertheless, some managers lose in the direction due to lack of ability in rationally processing and illustrating information, managing the results in mind. An individual with conceptual skills can determine how ideas are relevance. They effectually see individual compositions in relationship to the entire project. Inspecting complicated situations and difficulties are important for an engineering manager. Furthermore, problem solving is an important skill that includes both creativity and analysis. A leader with strong conceptual skills always recognized as effective managers, due to their ability to comprehend the whole organization and develop the creativity strategies. Recognizes Recognizing how the different functions and operations of the company depend on one another, and how varies in any one part impact all the other. Recognizing also extends to visualizing the relationship of the personal business to the manufacture, the society, and the governmental, social and financial condition forces of the whole country. Recognizing also involves the thinking in terms of the following: Relative emphasis and proprieties among debating the standards and objectives. Relative tendencies and probabilities, rather than determinate case. Difficult relevancies and patterns among compositions, rather than legible and cause/effect relationships. Training Skills Training can improve previously developed conceptual skills. In developing the conceptual skills, some of the best consequences have been accomplish through guiding of employees by managers. By using the training techniques, manager can help his employees by supervising a specific responsibility. If there is an employee who confront with problem, try to reply with expedition question or opinion, rather than straight way giving answer. By using this way, the employees might learn to solve the problem, and hence their work performance also improved

Effects of Technology on Relationships

Yana Feldman Professor Ebersole Analytical Reading and Writing 0802 November 2, 2010 Advances in Communication and Intimate Relationships Instant digital and online communication of the modern world influences love and courtship in relationships. The generations of today allow their interpersonal relationships to be formed and shaped according to the technology that is offered. This is one of the many important matters that are influenced by technology. Technology is manipulating the world with positive and negative effects; it causes scientific advancement, it affects the economy, and importantly, it changes communication between people.This change can be seen in intimate relationships. To see how communication technology has changed love as a whole, one can observe how technology has changed different types, or stages, of intimate relationships. Three possible stages are an early dating stage at which flirting and courtship occur, a marital stage in which commitment is vital, and a long-distance relationship in which a couple is temporarily separated. These stages of relationships have changed in history and will continue to adjust according to society and, of course, technology. Communication has continuously been evolving ever since language existed.Language gives the distinctive ability for the evolution of human society. Language starts at the basis of spoken words; information is conveyed through conversation aloud or written in forms of letters. Efficient communication has involved written messages even in the earliest of civilizations. Since 522 BC written messages were sent between people in the Persian Empire. For a message to travel 2000 miles, it would take 10 days for a man on a horse at a speed of 200 miles per day; clearly, there were no other options or methods to send a message such a long distance.Until much more recent centuries, the only way to speed up the transferring of a message was to speed up the messenger himself. In the 11th century messages were sent slightly faster using pigeons (Gascoigne 1). As a next big step in the 15th century, the new technology of printing was invented. It spreads so quickly that every European country soon uses this new invention. The invention of the telescope in the 17th century allows for optical signals to be sent across a longer distance (Gascoigne 1).The application of electricity to enable communication did not come until much later in the form of the static electrical telegraph in the 18th century. Another long time passed post-telegraph telecommunications technologies before the speaking telephone would be invented (Winston 28). But by the time that Queen Victoria had ended her reign in 1901, the telegraph also left its greatest days behind (Standage 1). Distant signaling by voice appeared only 2 centuries ago—a very recent advancement considering how long communication has existed (Winston 33).The telephone was invented in the late 19th century—within 20 years , 2 million telephones existed in the United States. â€Å"During Queen Victoria’s reign, a new communications technology was developed that allowed people to communicate almost instantly across great distances, in effect shrinking the world faster and further than ever before. A worldwide communications network whose cables spanned continents and oceans, it revolutionized business practice, gave rise to new forms of crime, and inundated its users with a deluge of information. Romances blossomed over the wires† (Standage 1).Finally, the 20th century brought the inventions of the radio, television, and internet into human society; another influential invention was the famous cellular phones. These inventions spread to all parts of the world generously and quickly. With internet abilities, electronic mail became an option, and soon a preference over post mail. Instant messaging, text-messaging, and video chatting are all continuing to spread. Additionally, the convergenc e of internet and cellular devices can currently allow web access anytime and anywhere (â€Å"Internet† 1).The modern day communication options are incomparable to the early civilizations’ options. Modern communication capabilities cannot even be compared to the communication 200 years ago; so much has changed. Intimacy and loving relationships have always had certain steps and stages along the way. Dating and marriage are often regarded as popular topics of discussion. One can picture ladies gossiping and journalists commenting on what women should do, on what men should do, or how both parties should act in certain situations.However, love and intimacy are also sometimes observed in a more general and objective sense. The relationships of today can be compared with each other as well as compared to equal relationship settings of the past. Early developing intimate relationships today is a very open and general topic as compared to what it once used to be. â€Å"Cour tship no longer occupies a vital place in American culture. The term itself seems quaint and outdated† (Cere 4). Some researchers believe that the traditions of courtship eroded in the 20th century.They also believe that courtship’s end caused the destabilizing of marriage in recent years (Cere 4). Research shows that a device such as a cell phone and the text messaging that it offers substitutes face-to-face communication and is killing relationships. This is vital in an early developing relationship because communication in this stage can either cause the progress or downfall of the whole relationship. Interestingly, researchers have found that the reason men and women spend so much time on the Internet is because of the easy communication management and the environmental control that is offered.Particularly for the early stages of developing relationships, internet communication and other technological forms do not have any benefits (Kasallis). While research shows t hat text messages can be endearing and sweet for couples to interact and communicate, men and women may develop opposite opinions about the issue of text messaging. It seems that because text messaging (along with some other new technology) is so new, ground rules have not yet been established in the etiquette of the text message, and so for this reason these new technologies have had such pressure on early dating and flirting relationships (Pressner 1).In addition to the effects of text messaging and online communication to already developed intimate relationships, there is the whole issue of relationships that have been created in cyber ways. Social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, offer the communication between old and new acquaintances. Yet today’s technology does not nearly end there; in addition to such online social locations for communication, couples and singles are offered with online dating services, such as Match. com and eHarmony.Such online services (now also accessible on cellular devices ever since the Cell and Internet convergence) are lacking reality and are artificial. Yet this does not stop men and women. In fact, the disconnectedness often attracts their attention and is tempting and addicting. Another stage of relationships is marriage. The marital stage is considered the most committed and based on emotional attachment. In this stage, the couple is considered dedicated and can be referred to as family members; the couple can also bear children. Research shows that marriage, partially due to the previous dating stage, has also changed in recent times.In the past, the â€Å"courtship† dating stage set clear ground for marriage as a next step. Since early dating is affected in modern day, marriage is not regarded as the next conceivable step. Also with technology changes, divorce laws have changed, allowing marriages to end with no faults, and opening more options to couples. â€Å"Many of the essential features of lo ve as courtship — the longing for permanence, the desire to donate the self to another — must, in the economists’ story of courtship, be either submerged into contract theory or dismissed altogether as irrational† (Cere 10).The effects of online communication and text messaging on marriage are observed as well; with both positive and negative effects. Noticeably, a little free time along with the internet is possibly harmful and damaging to a married couple. With services on the internet such as dating, social networks, and pornography, a dedicated husband or wife could get carried away. Such services are easily accessed, easy to use, and emotionally easy to handle because no work is required to be put in as with a husband or a wife.Nevertheless, other researchers say that marriage has been made easier in recent years due to the interconnectedness. A husband or wife can always send an email, make a phone call, or even easier—send a text message to o ne another. With this ability, there appears yet another aspect: married couples do not experience the love and desire for each other when not together (Sahlstein 1). A simple phone call can eliminate any feelings the couple has of missing one another or of desire for the other. With such quick digital communication today there is less of this excitement as in previous years.A third type of a relationship is a long-distance relationship. A simple example of such a couple is when the husband must leave for the military for long periods of time. In the internet age today, this long distance relationship is aided by such programs like Skype. A couple can not only send quick e-mails, it can talk on the phone, send instant messages, and video chat. This is somewhat of a revolution in comparison to relationships even a hundred years ago. Long distance relationships have had problems in all cultures and times.Since beginning of history, long distance relationships was a matter that was avo ided at all costs. Yet in today’s world, technology has definitely benefited this form of intimate relationship, allowing a couple to stay in touch in numerous ways. Most interestingly, studies show that in such a relationship, being together and being apart mutually allow and constrain on another in multiple ways (Sahlstein 1). Modern society is enhancing and providing this ability for long-distance romantic partners to feel connected and still be separated at the same time.The technology, particularly for communication enhancement, has changed probably the most in recent years causing changes and adjustments in all areas. Relationships and interpersonal communication is just one area that is currently affected, and it is not yet clear if it for the ultimate better or the eventual downfall of intimacy between men and women. In dating, marriage, and long-distance relationships, the effects of communication technology are currently observable. However, new technology is being developed and new standards are being set; and so, one may only wonder where intimate relationships will end up next. New problems may arise, as they always do in time; yet with such an instinctive and desired emotion of love, humans and their relationships will have the ability to prevail.Works Cited Cere, Dan. â€Å"The Experts’ Story of Courtship. † Institute for American Values. 2000. 01 November 2010. . Gascoigne, Bamber. â€Å"History of Communication† HistoryWorld. 2001. 01 November 2010. . Kasallis, Theresa. â€Å"Text messaging affects student relationships. † Universe. 5 Jul 2006. 01 November 2010. . Perlman, Daniel. Intimate Relationships. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Humanities Social, 2008. Pressner, Amanda. Can love blossom in a text message? † USA Today. 29 January 2006. 01 November 2010. . Sahlstein, Erin M. â€Å"Relating at a distance: Negotiating being together and being apart in long-distance relationships. † Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2010. 01 November 2010. . Standage, Tom. The Victorian Internet. New York: Walker Publishing, 2000. Winston, Brian. Media technology and society: a history: from the telegraph to the Internet. New York: Taylor and Francis e-Library, 2003. â€Å"Internet. † Encyclop? dia Britannica. 2010. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. 01 Nov. 2010 .

How does Shakespeare explore the theme of love against self-interest in the Merchant of Venice?

How does Shakespeare explore the theme of love against self-interest in the Merchant of Venice? In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare explores the themes of love and self-interest; the characters own self-interests seem to conquer all feelings of affection towards other characters through money, revenge and spite. The play is about a Christian merchant called Antonio who borrows money from a Jewish money lender called Shylock; hence his friend Bassanio can seek the women he claims to love in the fictional place of Belmont.However, Shylock creates a bond which states that if Antonio does not pay back the money lent to him, Shylock shall receive a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In order to understand the characters’ conflicting emotions and incentives, it is important to understand the definitions of love and self-interest.For now, I will define love as an altruistic affection for someone that may provoke sacrificial acts. As for self-interest, I think this can contrastingly be defined as an egotistical focus on one’s own needs and desires, regardless of those around you. Love is demonstrated in the play by acts of devotion.Portia helps save Antonio from a gruesome death by dressing up as a man and a lawyer. This is an act of devotion towards Bassanio because she is trying to help a man she does not know in order to satisfy Bassanio. She says â€Å"I have within my mind a thousand raw trick of these bragging jacks, which I will practice†.This illustrates her affection for Bassanio because she immediately forms a biased opinion of the men unknown to her who threaten Antonio’s – Bassanio’s greatest friend’s- safety. Shakespeare uses the word â€Å"raw† meaning rude to imply how mean Portia wants to be to these men hurting Antonio.The fact that she is so passionately against these men leads us to believe that Portia cares a great deal for Antonio’s welfare. Portia’s apparent care for Antonio il lustrates her affection for Bassanio who regards Antonio highly as a ‘dear friend’.This affection is increased to the extent that it could be called love as Portia sacrifices her own time, safety and comfort, by traveling a great distance and illegally impersonating a lawyer. However it is debatable as to whether the character of Portia helps Antonio in order to condemn Shylock because he is a Jew.Anti-Semitism and the conflict between Jews and Christians highlights the key theme of self-interest. For example, one could question if Lorenzo only marries Jessica to spite her father because of his religion. He states â€Å"Here dwells my father Jew†.The word dwell is often associated with beasts living in caves and therefore shows that Lorenzo dislikes Shylock and finds him uncivilised. Also, he uses the word â€Å"father† which literally means Lorenzo is Shylocks son which is not true. Dramatically, this particular line is often portrayed sarcastically, givi ng new meaning to the word â€Å"father†.This sarcasm demonstrates that Lorenzo thinks it humorous that Shylock is, or will be, his father in law because he doesn’t like him. This acts in contrast to the common perception of the strength father-son relationships.It also implies that as a son, Lorenzo will receive an inheritance or dowry from Shylock, foreshadowing the future as Jessica steals Shylocks gold and jewels for Lorenzo when she runs away with him. Next, the word ‘Jew’, referring to Shylock’s religion Judaism is used with no definite or indefinite article before it.This could be portrayed as insulting towards Shylock as by using no article, Lorenzo has made the word bitter like he struggles with himself to speak it. This emphasises Lorenzo’s dislike for Shylock and turns his feelings into hate.Through understanding the effects of all these language choices, it is debatable as to whether Lorenzo and Jessica’s relationship is ge nuine or simply a contrivance created to spite Shylock. The fact that Jessica brings Shylock’s money to Lorenzo links to how money is often associated with self-interest and we can compare the power of avarice over that of love. Shylock cries ‘O, my ducats!O, my daughter’. This initially indicates that he values his money over his daughter, implying that his greed outweighs his love. However, when we see Shylock later on he appears more hurt by the fact that his daughter sold a ring, which was given to him by his late wife, than he is by the loss of the ring’s value.He says ‘I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys’. The fact that a â€Å"wilderness of monkeys† would be large and valuable shows a softer side of Shylock which we can sympathise with, and shows that sometimes love and the tokens of that love, matter more to him than his covetous egotism.In conclusion, I think that if we think of the love in Shakespeare’ s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’, where the â€Å"star-crossed lovers† –Romeo and Juliet- value each other’s lives above their own in their extreme self-sacrifice, then I do not think this type of love exists in the Merchant of Venice.However, if we define love as a feeling of affection for another individual then we see this clearly, although not without its drawbacks. For instance, although Portia and Bassanio claim to love oneanother, Bassanio seeks Portia in the first place because he is greatly in debt and needs her money. Also, Shylock argues that Jews are human beings just like Christians. He says â€Å"If you prick us, do we not bleed? †Nevertheless, Christians like Lorenzo hate Jews simply because they are Jews. Therefore, although Christians seem to speak more about mercy and love, they do not exhibit these qualities regularly, producing the debate as to whether love in this play is merely a false pretence for self-interest and spite.

Essay about Love and Hate Depicted in Shakespeares...

Love and Hate Depicted in Shakespeares Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a play both about love and hate. Shakespeare illustrates the theme of hate most prominently through the prejudices of both Christians and Jews and their behaviour towards one another. The theme of love is shown amongst the Christians, in the love of friendship and marital love. The themes are emphasised in the settings of the play, Belmont symbolising love and Venice symbolising hate. As well as this the immorality of various characters can be seen in their motives for love and hate. The entire play is centred around racial prejudices between Christians and Jews and their hate for one another. In The Merchant of Venice Shylock, the Jew, is†¦show more content†¦He shows no remorse or regret for any past wrongs he has done to Shylock or any other Jew: I am as like to call thee so again, to spit on the again, to spurn thee too. (Antonio- 1,3,126-7) Antonio is the symbol of racism in society and he openly exhibits it. He is not phased in the least after Shylocks downfall. Shakespeare displays the repugnant effects of hatefulness in The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare demonstrates love in The Merchant of Venice amongst the Christians. He also distinguishes between the love of friendship and marital love. In Act 4, Shakespeare implies that Bassanio and Gratianos love for their friend Antonio is greater than that for their wives. Both men broke vows that they had with their wives because of Antonio: Antonio, I am married to a wife which is as dear to me as life itself; but life itself, my wife, and all the world, are not with me esteemd above thy life: I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all, here to this devil, to deliver you. (Bassanio- 4,1,280-5) True love seems to be demonstrated in Jessica and Lorenzos relationship. Jessica is willing to give up her previous life, even if she wasnt altogether happy, to marry Lorenzo: I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian. (Jessica- 3,5,18-9) The Merchant of Venice is set in Italy in Venice and Belmont, representing the two worlds of the play. Shakespeare uses these two settings to emphasise the themes ofShow MoreRelatedThe Character of Shylock as a Victim or Villain in The Merchant of Venice1527 Words   |  7 PagesVictim or Villain in The Merchant of Venice Do you consider the character of shylock to be a victim or villain in the play The Merchant of Venice? Shylock is one of the most interesting, memorable and debated characters in the play â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. In many ways this is because he is both a victim and a villain. Shylock was made a laughing stock of and is ridiculed by the Christians because he was Jewish. The Jewish community in Venice was treated veryRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice Anti-Semite Essay2020 Words   |  9 PagesNowadays, many people consider the play â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is one of the most problematic dramas written by Shakespeare because it promotes the prejudice against Jews or the ideology of anti-Semitism. In fact, the play depicts the villain as a devil, a usurer and a Jew who attempts to murder the good and godlike Christians for they have performed good will and mercy toward other people and ruined the Jew’s business. Whether it is his intention or not, Shakespeare chooses to create the imageRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay example2165 Words   |  9 Pagesrenaissance that inspired the nation and brought uplift. Therefore, this age holds great significance. Under Queen Elizabeth guidance and rule, the prosperity of the nation rose and patriotism brought romantic spirit, youthful freshness and themes of love to the field of literature so it is considered as one of the splendid ages of English literature. Elizabeth herself was a great writer and she used to write poetry and speeches and similarly there was a great flourishing in the field of literatureRead MoreEssay about The Merchant of Venice2939 Words   |  12 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is one of his most controversial plays for a variety of reasons. Written in sixteenth-century England, where anti-Semitism was common and the presence of Jews was not, the play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human difference. The play is especially tricky to examine in today’s society, as its anti-Semitic themes and language can be uncomfortable to face in a world post-Holocaust. Additionally, the depiction of the relationship between